《The Protagonists Are Murdered by Me》 Chapter 1: ‘100 million. 100 million. On a desk laid a banknote. It was my severance pay and life insurance. 100 million. It was ridiculous. It was better to die of cancer than to be given this amount. The Guild Master would like to express his regret over your retirement. Thats it? Why didnt he put in a little more money then? Im sorry, but thats not my jurisdiction. But I knew. Im only worth 100 million won to them. A veteran hunter who had survived for 15 years fighting monsters on the front line. But without superpowers I was at best a F-Rank hunter whose position in the guild was about the same as a disposable chopstick used a little longer. Three years after my debut as a hunter I joined the guild and was with them for 12 years since its establishment to its current position, but now I can see that all of it was only worth 100 million. I understand. I worked harder than anyone else, but the world wants a person of value rather than just a hard worker. Since I was just a chopstick without value I guess it was a proper end for a chopstick Even now I had never seen this woman before who came to hand over 100 million won. Its like a servant of a servant. Well, this is better for me. Then, I hope you live well for the rest of your life. Looking at the back of the receding woman I leaned my back against the bed in the hospital room. Haha. Damn it. An incurable illness. Theres something strange in my heart that cant be seen, and doctors dont know what it is either. I was quite calm when the doctor told me my chance of living past this year was slim. 15 years. Im the longest F-Rank hunter, right? Considering that the average activity time of incompetent hunters were about one to two years, Ive lived longer than expected. As such, hunters, who did not know when they would die, had a hard time qualifying for insurance. And if they did die the insurance money would go to their family. But, I dont have a family. Thats why the life insurance money came to me, whos about to die. Theres no one to complain to, so 100 million is 100 million. The families of F-Rank hunters, who either died or retired in the past, had received at least a few billion. Should I have died a little sooner? [Breaking news: The death of the 109th A-Rank hunter Yoo Jiwon of Korea.] News of the death of an A-Rank hunter which was reported a few days ago is still flashing on TV. I heard that hundreds of billions of dollars went to Yoo Jiwons family. If he dies, 100 million or 100 billion won would go nowhere anyways, but he couldnt help but feel bad. Ive lived for a long time. Thats what he thought. Fuck I couldnt even shed a tear in this terrible situation. I wouldnt have felt this way if my body was left for dead on the battlefield to a monster. It wasnt because of honor, but the idea that Id rather die to a monster than this miserable death dominated my head. I wanted to complain. I wanted to run to the guild master right away and ask him if he was just going to throw me to the wayside like this. However, I knew the guild master of Lost Day was cold-blooded, and would probably keep quiet until I died and then sort things out. My time is limited, today and tomorrow. But, even if there was no time limit a regular hunter alone couldnt fight against a big company. I leaned my head on the bed and sighed. 100 million. First time Ive come across this amount of money. Im going to buy something delicious tomorrow The procedure to discharge was not difficult. Take a lot of painkillers, press the button on the bracelet if youre sick, and if you die the sensor will react and the hospital will take care of the rest. As the world changed due to the appearance of monsters 30 years ago it was not uncommon to discharge patients who were dying like me. There were not enough rooms in the hospital, and no one could stop a hunter, who was on the verge of death, from quietly ending their life outside the hospital. Thirty years later everything has changed, but the system of that time still remained. A five-story old villa. I live in a collapsed building built more than 50 years ago. If theres one problem its that there is no elevator. Damn it Half a year ago something unknown began to constrict me and I couldnt do anything intensive. A little rough activity would shock me and cause me to faint. I was living with a bomb in my heart. In other words, in a five-story villa I would have to rest dozens of times on the stairs to get to my home on the fourth floor. Now even spending money properly is difficult because of my physical health. However, Im stuck at home, so Im going to eat a lot of delivery food Ive never tried. Originally, my last supper would not be that luxurious. Ring, Ring!! I barely got home and was resting my head against the couch when my smartphone rang. [Ryu Jinsu: Seodam] [Ryu Jinsu: I heard you were discharged] [Taylor Nine: What????Really?] [Ryu Jinsu: Why didnt you call me?] Huh. How did he know? The group chat room, which has a total of seven people, is a kind of pledge that we all made 15 years ago to walk the path of hunters. We all debuted at the same time, but now that a long time has passed, everyone is on a different path. Some became world-class superstars, some became S-rank hunters, and others became masters of a great guild. On the other hand, I was still just a hunter at the bottom of F-Rank as everyone surpassed me. I didnt like this group chat very much, and was in a terrible mood. I thought about asking for help, but its probably impossible. I havent been in touch with them for a long time, but wondered if they could shake Lost Day. Originally, I rarely chatted here, but I thought Id say at least one word since itll be the last time, so I pressed reply. [Yoo Seodam: They say theres no problem] [Taylor Nine: You should have told me that first, you punk] [Taylor Nine: Im free, so Ill come visit you in Korea since I havent gone there in a long time] [Taylor Nine: Leave the door open] I laughed as I vaguely recalled her beautiful silvery short hair. I told them the news of my discharge, but Ive always been reluctant to reveal my heart, so very few people knew. Still, the last consolation was that many of my old colleagues and hunters who somehow heard the news visited and contacted me again. Soon there was a pile of flowers and gifts in the hospital room when I went back to pack my things. The relationships that I made over the years werent in vain. I should go through all of this. Though, Im just a supporting character, and not a tragic hero who dies with an incurable disease. After throwing my phone away I checked the mail that came while I was away. Most of them were monthly rentals, water bills, smartphone charges, and game settlements, but there were a few things that stood out. Hunters Association Invitation? Whats this? What the hellTo a F-Rank hunter like me? It was a reasonable thought when I read the title of the mail. They have invited various veteran hunters with at least 10 years of experience to discuss the Hunter industry. It was extremely rare for hunters to survive for more than 10 years. Honestly, if you exclude me, you could count on one hand how many there are. I dont have any fond memories of this place I cant even go anyway. An incompetent hunter who has survived for more than 10 years is about to die. Leaving it folded and checking the remaining mails I saw a white envelope among the most recent ones. It was made of a very unusual material. I wonder if Ive ever touched this kind of soft paper in my life. Is it a new material? There was no sender attached. It is just a plain letter with the words To: Yoo Seodam beautifully written. I slowly opened the envelope, and found a sheet of paper inside. An odd sentence appeared. [Do you want life?] At this time. I must have been possessed. I thought I was going crazy. Otherwise how could it suddenly appear. Nodding my head to the strange sentence that suddenly appeared. The words faded, and I saw another sentence. [Do you want to continue living?] The words faded again. [If you could live a long life, would you like to live a better life than now?] [Arent you tired of a life without talent, ability, strength, money, or lifespan?] So what am I supposed to do? The words faded again. [If you could hunt with your own hands the heroes who made you enter the path of a loser and take their talent.] [Would you do it?] Take from someone else and make it mine. It was a logic that might have only been used in the law of the jungle era, but somehow I smiled, and nodded in a dejected way. Of course I would, fuck, am I in a position to compromise? Yes. A translucent hologram appeared before my eyes. [Your Remaining Life: 10 Days 21 hours 39 minutes 23 seconds] It was none other than my remaining life. The hologram showed that I had at least 10 days left to live. Only [If so, sign the contract.] [The contract is for you to hunt protagonists.] Really? Before giving it much doubt. My body is dying in the first place. He was never a superstitious person, but unconsciously he wanted to grasp on this last strand of hope. For that reason. There is no one who wouldnt agree here. [The contract has been signed.] Chapter 2: Was I going crazy? Was I going crazy? In the midst of that thought the remaining life was constantly decreasing. What do I need to do? As I asked the question out loud like a madman the translucent hologram changed, and answers came back. [ Hunting, like youve been doing all this time. ] [ But now hunt the protagonists. ] [ If you succeed you will be given lifespan in return. ] [ You can also absorb the talent of the protagonists youve hunted. ] Fuck. What the hell do you mean by protagonist? [ Isnt that a common word in your world? ] [ Its the main characters that appears in novels, movies, dramas, cartoons, and more. ] [ Those who are never defeated, those who stand up no matter what in the face of danger, and those who are favored by the whole world. ] Ive seen many of them in real life. You want me to kill them? Impossible. Even if you just turn on the TV right now, there are many people like that. Theyve never failed in their life. Take my job for example, wouldnt the SS-Rank hunter at the apex be considered a protagonist? How am I supposed to deal with a SS-Rank hunter? [ Its not limited to your world. ] [ Protagonists exist in many worlds and many dimensions. ] Ho. My heart is pounding. I knew I shouldnt do this, but I was strangely excited. Okay. When should I start? [ You can start right now. ] But, theres just one problem. You know Im in a terrible condition, right? My body is not in a condition to do extensive activities. A stupid body that will have a heart attack if I even run a little bit. [ This problem can be solved using your lifespan. ] [ 10 days lifespan can be used to temporarily stop the heart condition for a one day. ] Shit. My hands tremble. If I use 10 days, I will have 21 hours left. Am I just going to live for another ten days? Or will I gamble for a better life? It was not a choice. Yes. I-Ill do it! [10-day lifespan used to temporarily suppress heart condition.] Soon after, my chest felt like something was missing. A round blue mark was carved into the pit of his stomach. After a while a heart-rending comfort surged within me. Although I havent partied in a long time I felt refreshed as if I had gone back to my youth. All right. Lets get ready, but before that. Can I bring stuff with me? [ 20kg is the limit you can take with you. ] 20kg? So stingy. How did a weak hunter like me work on the front line? It was possible due to the state-of-the-art equipment. A Leather armor coated with aether, and a coat coated with aether worn over it. Four aether bullet pistols, eight extra bullets, and one sniper rifle behind my back. After packing some other explosives I stopped before reaching the weight limit. I picked up an aether blade, the main weapon of hunters, and pressed the release button. A white metals body popped out and became about 120cm long. When the energy is activated a blue laser coats the edge. Schink!! Huu. I sighed looking at the blue light of the aether blade for a long time. Hunters kill monsters using aether, an energy extracted from the heart of a monster. And now with that energy Im going to kill people. I cant believe I have to fight with this kind of equipment. As I always wore a military uniform with reliable equipment I could only sigh when I saw the condition of my current equipment that fell short. Moreover, the touch of the blade is unfamiliar. The last time I fought was already half a year ago. Tigers dont forget how to hunt, but Im still nervous. I wish I could get a Blaster Cannon I cant help it. First of all, nobody would be satisfied if they had a taste of the best equipment. Im ready. [Traveling to Erajon Empire. The world of the Level 33 protagonist, Gilitender.] [1098] Watching the countdown I took a deep breath. The other person is the protagonist. A creature blessed by the world. I can only trust that this Client will match me against a protagonist who I can hunt successfully with my ability. [210] With the message Travel Complete a thunderbolt like sound hit my ear. The next moment. The world fell apart. [Youve become a challenger in the Erajon Tournament.] Waaaa!!! Cheers came from all sides. Wait, what? Quickly taking a combat stance, I stepped back slightly and looked around. A large space that looked like the colosseums on Earth. Tens of thousands of spectators were looking down at me, or this place. Oh, my. This opponents entrance was a bit extreme. A lightning bolt struck down. How did you do that? Looking straight ahead a pretty boy with dark skin was smiling at me. He was shorter than I was, but he was so muscular that I didnt think he was weak at all. And floating on his headWhats that? Hashtags? #Ones_World_Best_Sword #Protagonist #Goodriddance #2ndrebirth #Perfecttalent I was reading it carefully while the other person looked bored. You dont look so strong for such a brilliant entrance. Name? Huh, oh. What am I supposed to say? Its a long story. You finally answered. You may not know, but my name is Gilitender. Immediately after, someones commentary rang from somewhere. [Ah! What a splendid entrance this challenger had made!] [A new face! The first challenger to appear today, the name is Yoo! Seo! Dam!] [Will he be able to beat the champion Gilitender who has achieved 30 consecutive victories!?] [If not, will it be Gilitenders easy victory again!?] Gilitender grinned and pointed his sword at me. It doesnt matter what you do. Even if you take a pill, poison or threaten my family, or persuade me with your identity. Try and beat me somehow. Soon, he approached me with a light kick and spoke. If that is possible. !! Schink!! As soon as the aether barrier was activated 20% of the energy was torn off in an instant from the severe impact. Aether armors could withstand a strike from a moderate monster at mid range, but this was bareful one cut! I took out the aether blade, quickly wielded it with the blue energy coating, and stepped back three steps. What is that? Magic barrier? Is that a magic blade in your hand? Unlike before when he was laughing hard, Gilitender now looked strangely taken back. I fixed my posture from the impact which seemed to have caused some internal injuries and spoke. Its an Aether Blade, you son of a bitch! He lowered his posture to prepare for an attack, but was puzzled as soon as he saw me running. This, what is this? Using a technique that would only appear in legends. Thats unsightly. ! Schwua!! The air from the frictional force of the aether blade was torn with a swing, but he was already by my side kicking me. Ugh! Only after rolling on the floor two or three times did I realize that I was not his match without a gun. I couldnt tell at a glance because he wasnt wearing anything, but at that level, it has to be at least an A-rank level of physical enhancement. Schink! Ugh! I thought he was definitely standing in front of my eyes, but Gilitender kept disappearing from my sight. Ive never witnessed anything like this in my life. I was thinking how I could make use of this without knowing where he was. I am a veteran myself. And a veteran who has survived much worse situations by tearing down all the strong! As I hurriedly rolled a grenade under my feet forward I tried to stab the person who turned behind me, but only to stab the air as expected. Beep, Beep, Boom!! Ugh! As soon as the aether grenade exploded I took a pistol from my waist and fired it at him. Each bullet was my lifeblood, but now is not the time to save. Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping! Gilitender, who lifted his iron sword and blocked all the bullets despite his bad posture, tried to close the distance again. Wherever he was running a spark ignited on the floor. Pashi!! Damn it. Is he a wizard!? Even an elephant would faint at once, but he only flinched for a moment and soon gave up that plan. Heup! Then, like a miracle. [The protagonist Gilitender has gained the skill Lightning Resistance (F).] Gaining a skill on the spot? Fuck! Does that make any sense? Skills and superpowers were things I never got in my life. But there was no time to think about it because he came at me again. However, now I realized how to deal with Gilitender. The previous approach was useless, so after retrieving the aether blade I pulled out my sniper rifle. It was regrettable that I couldnt bring an assault rifle, but I had to be satisfied with this for now. Holding my breath and aiming at the person who was running sideways. It was a crazy speed that easily surpassed a cheetah, but I have also hunted monsters who ran this fast. Paang!! Ku-uck! One shot seemed to hit his abdomen, but he deflected it again with his iron sword. Damn, what the hell is that iron sword made of? He was reeling from the shock. I didnt think he would be able to deflect it. Damn, aether sniper rifles are good, but the flaw is that it takes a long time to reload. No, now that I see it something was creeping up on Gilitenders iron sword. It looks similar to my aether blade, but somehow different. Still, I was used to seeing qi because it is something that anyone on Earth with superpowers can use. There was no time to load the next shot, so I released about 15cm of energy from the rifle and swung it to my right. And, just in time, it clashed with Gilitenders sword who was beside me. Then we both fell back. Ding!! This When his sword was scratched Gilitender opened his eyes in surprise. What the hell is that? Mana doesnt give off that hideous energy. You dont need to know. Its strange. Its not magic. Its using some strange techniques. Where the hell did you come from? I came to kill you. You dont have to struggle. In the meantime he was zigzagging up to me, stepping sideways. I should get ready to deal with it. If I give him a chance, Gilitender will catch me. After another hit the remaining aether was at 60%. If I allow at least three more hits Ill really die. With a quick dash a small mine was set up within reach of his feet. Gilitender didnt know what it was, but he retreated without stepping on it when he sensed it was roughly dangerous. It was enough to not step on it. I took out another pistol and shot a few times, but that madman dodged or deflected the bullets like it was nothing. Yeah, it can be avoided. It was something that even the superhumans of Earth could do. However, even A-rank superpowers cannot do the act of hitting each bullet. Obviously, his strength is barely enough to be C-Rank, let alone A-rank. But his control was so overwhelming. Something that doesnt exist on Earth, a very unusual form of swordsmanship, past its limits, existed in him. Boom boom! Another clash. He tried to hit my neck with the sword that quickly pulled away after I activated the aether shield to its fullest extent, but this time it was a close call. I saw Gilitenders wry smile as he noticed that the energy was rapidly shrinking. Hah, well. I dont care. In the end, you will die to me. You were a pretty interesting guy. Boom! The energy blade was released at this moment and they separated by a step. Gilitender, who had backed into a corner again, began to dance. Yes, I could only explain that it was really a dance. The tip of the sword seemed to fall, then went up again, and then cut forward as if it were poking in. Crazy! Ive never seen anything like that in my life. No hunter could do that. That is real swordsmanship. Unknown to modern people. [Remaining Aether: 7%] I quickly activated the aether shield on my wrist because I thought I was really going to die if this kept up. Clink, clink! Keuk! A round energy shield with a radius of about 30cm was broken at immediately, but it blocked one hit of the sword at least. At the same time, I kicked him in the chest and unclipped a grenade. Tuk! What? It was a trick to push him away and blow him up, but he got closer as if he wouldnt be pushed aside by my fragile kick. Stop with the petty tricks! Kaboom!! In the end we were swept away by the energy explosion. My aethers frequency had already been set, so my equipment does not harm me. Ku-uck! Coughing in vain Gilitender was bleeding from his mouth. He seemed to have thought of attacking my weak points, but anyone whos a little smart can do that much. Wouldnt they have prepared this much if they were beaten once or twice? Damn it! Gilitender screamed and stepped back, and at that moment I pressed a button. Woosh!! Immediately after, a huge pillar of fire rose from under Gilitenders feet! The fireball made of pure aether was more powerful than ordinary fire. Son of a bitch, you cant withstand fire, can you? I breathed heavily, and stepped back slowly. Not even superhumans who have an enhanced body can withstand that fireball. It was the most expensive equipment I had. But. The other person is the protagonist. I didnt know the full meaning until now. [The protagonist Gilitender is using his indomitable will to not fall against the extreme flames.] [The protagonist Gilitender gains the skill Fire Resistance (D)!] As the flames cleared Gilitender walked out. There was soot everywhere, but he didnt seem fazed by such things. HoAwesome Haha, I didnt know. I guess I can survive a fireball. Now what else do you- However, I was already 20 steps back. Resistance, lets say thats the case. Lying down on the floor I press down on a detonator. But youre not immune to a M18E17 claymore mine, are you? What? Immediately an explosion followed. Kaboom!! Everything in front of me turned to ashes. After a brief silence. Waaaa!!! Cheers erupted from all sides. [Oh, my, god! What the hell is going on! The 30 consecutive wins champion! The absolute invincible man! A new champion has been crowned by beating Gilitender! Will he be chosen by the empire?] Such noise was somehow good. I was overwhelmed by the messages that popped in my head. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 33 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 2.] [Mission Completed. Returning to your original world.] The noise around me died, and I was back in my studio apartment laying down. Nevertheless, the messages were still steadily popping up. [330 Days of lifespan will be paid] Only [Remaining Lifespan: 330 Days 15 hours 21 minutes] [You can randomly absorb one of their talents or skills.] [Do you wish to absorb it?] Somehow in a blurry trance I just relied on instinct to open my mouth. I dont know, just do it Then I heard something spinning. Another message soon popped into my head. [Gilitenders talent Swordsmanship (A+) has been absorbed!] Chapter 3: “Its a miracle.” Its a miracle. I nodded calmly at the doctors words. The unidentified tumor that was straining your heartit has disappeared as if it was never there. Said the doctor excitedly while fixing his glasses. There may be hope now if we continue with the operation. Perhaps, a few more- No thanks. I already knew surgery on my heart is no use. No, it might be useful, but what would that mean? [Remaining Lifespan: 329 days 20 hours 37 minutes] I already know of a better way. Then, good luck. I quickly left the hospital, and breathed in the cold air. Shoo~. Ack! I tried to get some fresh air, but the air in the city was dirty. Still, I felt good. My heart was beating like it was free. At first I thought it was a dream. A dream of being summoned to a strange world and dueling a powerful gladiator called the protagonist. However. It wasnt a dream. Soon after waking up, laying in my room were half broken equipment like my body. A refreshing feeling welled up inside of me before I could even think about how much all of this would cost. No matter how much I ran, no matter how much I exercised, my heart no longer hurts. No, its better to say that Im in better shape than before. [Your lifespan has been extended and your condition has stopped.] [When your life ends, your condition will proceed.] The words of the woman I call Client made me calm down. For now I can only live another year. However, it wasnt the end. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 19) Attributes Strength: 17 Endurance: 17 Agility: 18 Vitality: 1 Mana: 1 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Intuition (A) Sharpshooter (C) Hunting (D) Cooking (D-) Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 1 The very fact that my abilities have risen. I couldnt help but admire the status window which was shown like a game. Modern science has long been quantified, but even that was not as detailed. There was something that stood out, Lv. 19. According to the Clients explanation, level is a kind of threshold that human beings can reach. [ All abilities cannot be higher than the level. ] [ On the contrary, your level is your limit. ] [ You can raise your level and increase the limit of your abilities by hunting protagonists. ] In other words I was only Lv. 17 before hunting Gilitender, so Ive increased my limit by two. Maybe Im stronger than when I was at my prime. What does level 19 mean? [ A typical adult male is Lv. 10, while an average gold medalist is between level 15 and 16 in past Olympic competitions. ] Erm. If thats the case, doesnt it mean my past self was the peak normal humans could reach? I cant believe Im F-Rank. The existence of superpowers was really too great. A swordsmanship talent Having lived my whole life without any good talents I now had one. Its swordsmanship too. Somehow my heart felt full. However, the Client had mentioned that I did not meet the physical requirements to fully absorb Gilitenders own swordsmanship, but it didnt matter. The fact that I have a good talent now is all that matters. What happened to the guy I killed? [ Permanent death. Now that worlds law of causality will go back to normal. ] Protagonists are the one who forces the law of causality to give them all the blessings of their world. Thats how the Client once described how worlds come to be ruined. [ Check the sins Gilitender had committed. ] [Murder, intimidation, blackmail, extortion, assault, and] I had a feeling, but this was no joke. [ Of course not every protagonist harms their world. ] [ But most protagonists are twisting the cause and effect, and many worlds are being destroyed in the process. ] That gave me a good excuse. If Im going to kill anyway, wouldnt killing the bad guys make me feel less guilty? I wanted to receive the next mission right away, but I had something else to do before then. First, I had to get new equipment. This battle had damaged most of my equipment, and itll take quite a while to repair it. In the meantime, there were only a few things to do. Check the newly acquired A+ talent and train my physical strength that has regressed due to my health the last few months. [ Youre F-Rank now, but once you fully develop this talent you will become stronger than you can possibly imagine. ] [ And from C-Rank, you will be in the realm of geniuses, as you call it. ] I was also told that I was a genius when it came to shooting. Of course shooting was useful, but if you think it was enough in the hunter industry, it wasnt. Guns didnt do much good compared to superpowers. But swordsmanship is different. The aether blade was a weapon that could certainly hurt monsters like superpowers could, and it was the best match for hunters with strong abilities. I was also just a normal human, so I had to use aether blades even though it was close range. If this swordsmanship is real I found a gym with an old sign that reads Geumgang Gym. Since my third year of hunting this was the place I visited, and it was also a place where many aspiring hunters would bleed and sweat. It was a place where many able-bodied people visited because the director developed a method to control the physique very skillfully, but few people came here now because the method had become common. It was no wonder. Even though the director was better at training his body than anyone else, his ability was nothing more than C-Rank. Although its true that its good enough, there were many gyms run by retired strong A-Rank hunters now, so theres no need to visit here. Huh? Is that Seodam? The gym was full of sweaty muscular men and one of them, a trainer with a big body, recognized and approached me. You just got out of the hospital? Yes. Are you feeling better than last time? Back then you almostyouwere in a terrible condition. This gym trainer used to visit me at times with the director, but they remembered me almost dying, so it was a surprise to him that I was here. Its okay. Im almost all better. Its not better, but it was similar. What about the director? Theres a trainee in the directors office at the moment. Would you like to go see? Trainee? Aspiring hunters used to be called trainees. Im sorry to say this, but its interesting that there are still people who would look for director Kim. Then lets go. As I knocked on the directors office I heard a familiar voice. Entering the room I saw the bald head of director Kim and a young European girl with gorgeous blonde hair drinking instant coffee from a paper cup. Ah, Yoo Seodam! Youre already out of the hospital? Why didnt you tell me? I just left yesterday. Well, leaving the hospital doesnt have to be dramatic. It wouldnt have been dramatic if I didnt tell anyone in the first place. This girl? Youve probably heard of it. The Costantini family in Italy, famous for their swordsmanship. Yes. Ive heard of it. Shes the eldest daughter. Her name Celeste Costantini. Celeste? I was only a little surprised when I heard the familiar name. Are you mister Salvatore Costantinis daughter? Yes. You know him? I do. Although the Italian hunter, Salvatore, was famous for being S-rank at the time, I had a good impression of him because he treated me well as a F-rank. You know, I taught him a couple of physique techniques back in the old days. After learning from me he said he gained enlightenment. So he sent his daughter on something like a field trip this time. Then he shrugged and let out a sigh. Thats why shes staying here for a couple of months. To be honest, theres nothing to teach. What? You, little girl, is a genius. Youre 17 now, but already have the strength of D-Rank as well as a great physique. Thats crazy. D-Rank at the age of less than 20. There have been occasional cases like this. They were called geniuses. To be honest I had no choice but to be amazed. Still, youre too polite. When I taught you something you would nod and learn earnestly. I even let you fight others. But honestly, you know what I mean. Maybe you already know theres nothing more to learn here. Even though you havent said anything. Well Certainly. The Costantini family would have already seen A-Rank abilities and various swordsmanship masters within the family. D-Rank trainers and C-Rank directors were fine as a trial of sorts, but it would not benefit them if they were weaker than what they had experienced at home. Salvatore seemed to have sent Celeste to South Korea with director Kims method in mind, but many things have changed from then to now. She had nothing to gain here. Thats why Celeste is already showing a not interested expression with everything thats going on in Korea. Its only been a week. Huu~. I cant just renegade on your father Costantinis request, so I guess I will have to find something for you to do. Honestly, its very troublesome. After hearing director Kims words I felt very sorry for him, but what can I do? By any chance are you an active hunter? Celeste asked me in Italian and director Kim tried to translate it, but I could also speak simple conversations in Italian. Im Yoo Seodam. A F-Rank who works as a hunter. AhF-Rank, Ordinary hunter? Yes. Somehow the bluntness was like having a bucket of cold water poured on me. She really didnt seem to be interested in anything here. I asked the director. Director. Wheres my favorite (baby) sword? Baby? Ah, your wooden sword?I always thought it was strange, but why do you call the wooden sword your baby? Forget the sword, why are you having such lewd thoughts. Strange bastard. The director took out a wooden sword that I used to use. I havent used it for more than 10 years, but it feels the same as then. I unwittingly held the handle of the wooden sword in the same position as my aether blade, and at that moment I felt goosebumps. HuhHave I been holding it like this all this time? The feel of the wooden sword was strange. No, it had been the same every time I held a sword. Only now did I realize. The way Ive been fighting so far was so shitty. Slowly, I aimed the wooden sword into the air, and the trajectory of the sword was clearly visible to my eyes. How to swing and kill an enemy for sure. Which part I can cut neatly, I wondered. It was a perfect trajectory that gave me goosebumps all over. Crazy, what is this? The countless battles Ive been through in my life came to mind and disappeared. The numerous enemies who had driven me to the brink of death were no match for this sword. A force so overwhelming and perfect. This was an A-Rank talent, the threshold of geniuses that can pave the path towards victory. I can see that road. How to effectively subdue an opponent. How to use less effort, cut in, and swing. How to never lose! Hm? Is there a problem? No. My favorite sword feels lighter. More than that, director its been a long time since I had a match I suddenly stopped talking, and looked at Celeste. No matter how much I have gained in swordsmanship, I cant win against C-Rank. Maybe its hard to even test this talent. But what if Im against a hunter trainee with D-Rank strength? If she comes from a family that is well versed in swordsmanship. Maybe I can test this out. Miss Celeste. You look pretty bored, so would you like to spar with me? Hm? Director Kim stopped me when he saw her looking somewhat troubled. You, what is it? You dont feel well, do you? So I have to exercise, and this will be my warmup. But even so I didnt tell anyone close to me that I had a heart problem. Its ironic. Only the Guild Master, who is not close to me, was aware that I am dying. The director with a cautious look spoke. That child has the strength of D-Rank. I understood what the director meant. It was a similar reason Celeste was not happy with my offer. Maybe, if we spar here. I will surely lose. But I was a 15-year veteran and it was not insignificant. Celeste slowly opened her mouth and with a tone that was completely indifferent to our confrontation spoke. Ive faced three 10-year veteran that are Ordinary hunters and swordsmen in my family. Oh, my. I think I know all of them. Obviously their swordsmanship were excellent. I learned a lot. But So as if she was telling me to stop. The moment I awakened an E-Rank physique they were no match for me. All three of them. Said Celeste. Thats true. The moment you awaken an E-Rank physique you enter the realm of the superhuman beyond normal humans. In other words, no matter how much F-Rank hunters struggle it wasnt even a fight. She was even close to awakening to the D-Rank. So she was telling me to stop thinking about this meaningless spar because I would not be her match. However. She just looks harmless to me now. By the way, did you know? Only Hm? The hunter Salvatore Costantini, who once rocked the world with a single sword, was recently promoted to SS-Rank. And is one of 37 such people in the world. How much pride does such a child have in her family and father? Ive won a one-on-one fight with your father. Namely, I had this idea. Fine. Ive always wanted to see the skills of another veteran hunter. It was enough of a provocation to make her hold a wooden sword. Chapter 4: He quickly changed into his sportswear and settled down in the stadium. He quickly changed into his sportswear and settled down in the stadium. Other aspiring athletes who were exercising gathered with interest. This is Celestes first battle since her last battle with the director, right? Yep. It was great. She fought quite well against the director. By the way, you said her opponent was a veteran hunter? Its an ordinary person with no superpowers. Um, I dont know if hes going to be her opponent. Ordinary hunters arent strong, are they? Their chatter made director Kim gulped. Then he looked towards Yoo Seodam holding his 11,000 won sword and felt something was different. This guysuddenly provoked her. His personality has changed a little after coming back from the hospital. Director Kim also heard the provocations against Celeste because he is fluent in Italian. I defeated your father. And the words were true. To a certain extent. 99 rounds, 99 loses. When they sparred, Seodam was always defeated by Salvatore. It was only natural. How can ordinary people win in a fight using just a single wooden sword? However, in their last spar they fought with 100% of their equipment and superpowers. Yoo Seodam defeated Salvatore. Im curious about the outcome of this confrontation. Yoo Seodam is different from other ordinary hunters. He was a hunter who could make better use of hunting items than anyone else in the world, and at the same time was the pinnacle of Ordinary hunter. However. The use of tools was significant in this battle. Anyone in this position knows it. The reason ordinary hunters were able to survive in the hunter industry was not because they were good at fighting, but because they were good at hunting. To put it simply, the battle between the veteran ordinary hunter and the super-skilled aspirant can be thought of as Home Alone. Kevin was able to defeat the adults by using various tools in the house, but if he was caught by the burglars he would easily be incapacitated. Yoo Seodams current situation was similar to Kevins. A Kevin without tools. Are you ready? Yes. As soon as the words fell everyone quieted because they could feel the sharpness of Celeste whos spirit had suddenly changed. A battle between a hound and a beasts cub who has lived on the battlefield all his life. Huu Yoo Seodam breathed out deeply. I felt as if the world had slowed down. Tat! Yoo Seodam got into position. Then Celeste with a blank expression brandished her sword. Rather than trade blows with her, he will find a gap to attack. In a way, it was too easy to read the thoughts of a veteran hunter. However, I was confident because Celeste had beaten three ordinary hunters with swordsmanship. Schick! ! Looking at the trajectory of the sword, which swung quite sharply, Celeste avoided with just a slight twist of her body. The swordsmanship of superhumans was different from the swordsmanship of the old days. They avoid inevitable attacks with superhuman reflexes and movements, and strike with unstoppable force. She twisted her wrist slightly and aimed towards Seodam. After dodging to the side he swung his sword from inside his hand as if he was a spinning electric fan and aimed for Celestes head. At the moment there was an opening as if the sword had been bent. Celeste lowered her head in a hurry with a surprised look, but she had already entered the range of Seodam. Seodam, who was thrusting the sword into the neck of the retreating Celeste, stopped. The result was too overwhelming. Celestes eyes opened wide. You must be feeling better now, right? Yes! Celestes eyes suddenly changed. As if a storm was brewing, Celeste, whose spirits had changed again, rushed at Seodam wielding her sword. Theres no proper rule, but this stance was used to deal with monsters and not humans. Obviously, Celeste was stronger and faster. In addition, unlike Seodam, who has never learned swordsmanship professionally, she wholeheartedly trained her familys swordsmanship from an early age. But. Celestes attacks didnt reach Seodam a single time. The trajectory of all her swings were grasped at a glance like a picture in the eyes of Yoo Seodam. The situation had already been predicted two steps before she even wielded the sword, and it was so clear that it was beyond the third step and what the consequences would be in the fourth step. In his mind, the swordsmanship of Gilitender was dancing. He couldnt copy it perfectly just by looking at it once. But just knowing it, and understanding even 1% or 0.01% was fine. The fact that he simply recognizes that Worlds swordsmanship, which is different from modern times, using his swordsmanship talent, showed the power of Swordsmanship (A+). Yoo Seodam is obviously weak. No matter how hard ordinary people trained without mana, the limit of the body was clear. Im sure Ill catch him! However, Celeste couldnt catch Sedam. Like a hair away, like a tease. Her sword couldnt reach Sodam even as it grazed his sword and was an inch away. No way, how The other person is just an ordinary human. And she is a person of the D-Rank. If she set her mind to it she could travel 50 meters in less than three seconds. Despite the obvious difference in abilities it was not possible to win. Clearlythere has to bean answer! For Celeste, fighting was a series of multiple choice questions choosing the correct answer. Question 1. Choose the best answer to defeat your opponent. Number 1? Number 2? Number 3? Number 4? Number 5? She just chooses one of those options, and wins. Thats what is known as a genius. But. I dontsee an answer No choice was the answer. It was as if she was presented a multiple-choice question with subjective answers. Dont tell me, this guy is really When she thought that far she bit her lips. In the end she decided to use her trump card. If it was a battle of strength Ill definitely win! Celestes swings began to contain a heavy and powerful force. It seemed like she was trying to bait a battle of strength, but Yoo Seodam who has been hunting for 15 years, would he fall for it? Huh The thrusting sword was pushed lightly to the side and quickly fell to the side of Celeste before Yoo Seodam aimed at her neck. After a brief silence the aspiring athletes who were watching the battle erupted. C-crazy. What the hell? Wasnt he an ordinary human? No, obviously the movement is almost normal. Its similar to me, but I dont think its E-rank So he beat a D-rank with pure swordsmanship head on? No matter how experienced he is does that make sense? Does it make sense? Of course not. Director Kim knows to some extent the abilities of Yoo Seodam. He really had no talent for swordsmanship. It was no exaggeration to say that he was a pyrotechnician, and not even good with an aether blade. What the hell happened to him while he was in the hospital? Celeste also looked at Yoo Seodam with a puzzled look on her face. This all started with an exchange that she thought was just baseless provocation. But she could feel it. Dismissing the remark as mere provocation, this mans swordsmanship was too special. After the battle with Celeste I went to the gym every day to train my stamina. Like a miracle the talent Swordsmanship A+ that I acquired was much more surprising to me than I originally thought. There is no one who does not know the word enlightenment. However, how many people have experienced it? To be honest, Ive rarely experienced it in my entire life. Even that was triggered in extreme situations where I could die if I didnt kill. However, after gaining the talent of swordsmanship it was possible to gain enlightenment whenever I did the act of simply holding a sword. Have you ever experienced this thrilling feeling in your life? Only those who were one with the sword could go on training without even realizing their muscles were in pain. The pace of my swordsmanships growth was so enormous that just swinging, stabbing, and cutting I felt a sense of accomplishment. It wasnt just me that changed. Celeste who used to wield a sword while showing an indifference to everything else also started to annoy me. What is it this time? Lets spar. After a moment of thought, I replied. Its troublesome. Yes Then, she walked to a corner with her shoulders drooped. Somewhat feeling sorry for her, I called her back. Wait. Ill spar with you after Im done. Yes! Replied Celeste with a bright smile. Then, after ten minutes of sparring lightly, I defeated her. Uwu. Its already been a month. She, who timidly and gently asked me every day for a spar, was defeated easily. At first I thought she wanted to spar because she couldnt accept defeat. But on the third day I realized something. It was a very fine difference that I could sense because I had the talent Swordsmanship A+. She was learning swordsmanship from me! Of course I cant handle the sword properly either, but she remembered the sword dance I had unfolded. She was trying to imitate it and somehow actually made it work. It was truly a crazy talent. I also thought her challenge was not so bad. It was more helpful to check my progress than to wield a sword in the air randomly. We could test each other on a variety of skills. Besides, Celeste wasnt just getting beaten up. After every defeat she would exclaim ah! and went to a corner to meditate, and every time there would be a tremendous spirit fluctuation. She must have learned something. Director Kim burst into laughter when he saw me and her sparring. Youre teaching better than I am, arent you? That little girl is suddenly so enthusiastic. Why dont you take care of it? If you pay me, Ill try. Teaching her. I dont think itll be bad. By the way, Seodam. Are you going to keep hunting? I should. I was with the guild Lost Day for 12 years. However, the very day I was sentenced to a short life. I was kicked out of the guild. Just because they didnt want to keep a hunter who was no longer useful. The guildHe wont accept you again? Why? Werent you going to be back on track once you were discharged? The director doesnt know the state my heart was in. Not only that, most dont know. It was because I didnt say. I havent even told him about my discharge. If he asks, I wont accept it. What would an F-Rank hunter even do there? Even when I was a member of Lost Day I had no choice but to collect as many hunting requests as possible with a business card showing my 15 years seniority. This was a real dilemma. If F-Rank hunters invest less money on equipment and hunt monsters they would have to settle for lower level monsters. If I want to catch higher level monsters I have to spend a lot of money on equipment. In the end, no matter how good a F-Rank hunters performance was, they made little profit. So I was half deserted from the guild, who was seen as useless to management. I was forced to work because I didnt force myself out. However, all I could do was use a sword, so I had to hunt to make ends meet. Thats how it was. But from now on it will be different. Because I became a hunter who hunts very special beings. Sitting in the middle of the studio apartment with my back turned, I took a deep breath. An intangible energy rose in the body. This is mana. No, not Earths mana, but the one from the Parallel World. All of Earths hunters used mana, and to get them they had to absorb aethers from hunting monsters into their bodies. However, since even this required talent ordinary humans could not even absorb 1% of aether into their body and instead it dissipated into nature. Geniuses on the other hand could absorb 100% of such aethers. I was at the level of an ordinary human and there was only about 1% of aether in my body. However, it is now possible to absorb something similar to aether, and perhaps even more mysterious natural energy. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 19) Attributes Strength: 18 Stamina: 18 Agility: 17 Vitality: 1 Mana: 2 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Intuition (A) Sharpshooter (C) Hunting (D+) Cooking (D-) Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 1 At best I wielded and swung swords, but I couldnt accumulate mana in my body. It was foreign to me, and I didnt know the principles behind it. Even now I couldnt collect a lot of energy. It felt like I was piling up sand called Mana with chopsticks, and it was impossible to hold it. Ive gained a lot of stamina. Apparently I had suffered considerable muscle atrophy during my stay in the hospital. My level was 19, but my ability level seems to have dropped considerably. Restoring those muscles, at the same time, combined with good abilities, will enable me to improve even if I couldnt reach my limit. I cant hope to reach the limit in just a month. Id need at least a few months of exercise to be able to rebuild my muscle strength. But this is enough. The equipment repair and preparation was finished, and unlike before, it has been efficiently prepared to accurately weigh 20kg. A shotgun, a rifle, and an aether blade that has been repaired. I took a deep breath after rearranging the other ammunition. Im almost ready for my next mission. Ill like to take another mission. [ Do you want to check your list of missions? ] I could choose? Well, hunters got their own mission to choose from. Its nothing strange. [Show a list of targets with more than 15% chance of success in hunting.] Shortly, countless texts printed out in front of me. I gave a puzzled look. What is all this? #Dad_turned_out_to_be_the_best_gigolo #Modern #Return #Gigolo #Teen #Harem #Slice_of_life #I_opened_a_store_in_the_Joseon_period #Alternativehistory #Reincarnation #Shop #Monopoly #Military #A_princess_who_came_back_wants_to_live_peacefully #Romance_Fantasy #Return #Indifferent #Relaxing #Obsessed_ML #SSS-class_lucky_hunter_survives #Fusion_Fantasy #Lucky #Growth #Teen #Dimensioning As I looked at these like it was some sort of joke, the Client spoke. [ I summarized the information according to the current norm. ] This is the norm? [ Everyone who uses SNS is the norm. ] Thats a little harsh. Im the only one who doesnt use SNS, but isnt that too much? Then when I saw something strange I opened my eyes wide. What. Modern? What is this? [ The level of Protagonist Hunter is low, so information is not available. ] Oh, come on. You can at least tell me the plot. [ Body must be directly transported, so as not to interfere with the plot. ] UghFair enough. Still a little summary would help. [ Tag a text to check the level of the protagonist. ] I tagged the texts as she told me to, and soon my face crumpled. Crazy All of them were high leveled protagonists. I think a level 33 protagonist is the most I can handle. Even the modern stuff that looked quite interesting, the level of the protagonist was high enough to make a psh! noise comes out of my mouth. After searching through the list for a long time, I found a protagonist who I could deal with. #I_Am_One_With_The_Sword #Fantasy #Eccentric #Growth #Merciless It was a protagonist related to the sword. Only Wouldnt it be better to have a sword-related talent if Im going to hunt? Moreover, the title alone made me feel as if the main character would live and die by the sword. Yes. Wouldnt it be possible that the talent Sword Intent which is commonly seen in martial arts would come from this I_Am_One_With_The_Sword? If Im lucky I might absorb that talent. Okay. Ive decided on this. Send me right now. [Traveling to the land of Kevilon. The world of the Level 40 protagonist, Holy Sword Barette] Wait, why is it this protagonist? Chapter 5: 10…9…8… [1098] [Travel Completed.] After the world slowly collapsed and reconstructed. I found myself standing in front of a huge temple. This.. [You became an adventurer who came to Barette Temple.] Suddenly, I heard loud noises around me. Looking around, a medieval European-style city came into view. Beautiful streets made of bricks, lively people, towering walls, and strange flying objects. On a flying carpet people were lying down and enjoying the view, and from a crystal ball floating in the air came the sound of something. Crazy. A whole new world. Civilization on a different level. This was my first reaction. Turning his head with a puzzled look he saw a man riding a horseless carriage with a blue crystal. Instinctively moving aside, the carriage passed by. What are you doing standing in the middle of the road?! The carriage quickly disappeared. Is it a festival? Firecrackers and pollen were flying everywhere, but I dont know what the festival was for. Like last time, how come I can understand what people are saying? [ Its the effect from the skill Protagonist Hunter. ] [ Linquist (B), grant you the ability to understand the language of the other worlds. And Terra Physique (S), grant your body the ability to adapt to the strange ecosystems. ] What? An S-Rank skill? With my mouth agape I couldnt help but think it was absurd. All my life Ive been hoping to get at least one E-Rank power, but now that I had a S-Rank and B-Rank skill I didnt feel much excitement. By the way, where is the protagonist? Last time the protagonist was right in front of me. [ To kill the protagonist you must ride the river of fate. ] The plot of the protagonist cant be suddenly interrupted, can it? [ You became a character in the plot, and is the only existence that can break the plot. ] Oho Well, I think Ill be dumbfounded if a cartoon character I was watching dies of a heart attack. Every protagonist must have a reason to be killed. Previously, I was lucky to be the challenger of a tournament and faced the protagonist right away, but this time I just seemed to have become an adventurer. Dont you have a protagonist location finder app or something? [ No. ] Useless fellow. [ ] I had no choice but to find the protagonist myself. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned my head a muscular man was looking at me with strange eyes. Im Akilion, a Temple Guard. There were reports of a suspicious man loitering around here. So I came to check. Are you an adventurer? I guess? Hmm. Looks like youre not from here judging by your outfit. But try not to wander around the temple. Why? The Sacred Emperor Ceremony is currently underway. To elect the next Emperor numerous warriors are now challenging the temple. Oh, wow. It was quite an interesting plot. Im an adventurer, so I dont know much about it. Whats this ceremony about? Huh! Youre a real country bumpkin. Living in the empire and not knowing about the Sacred Emperor Ceremony! Then he pointed to the temple. The high temple, which seemed to pierce the sky, was reminiscent of a football stadium. Theres a Holy Sword stuck in there. And a Guardian who stands guard at the center. Holy Sword? Yes. The Holy Sword, Barette. He who pulls it out will be crowned Emperor of the Kevilon Empire! Oh. This was rather novel. It was a very different method of electing the Emperor from what I knew. It doesnt matter who. A nobleman, a slave, a commoner, a merchant. A man, a woman, an old man, an infant. Anyone is fine. Just come and defeat the Guardian! Akilion pointed his finger at the temple. Including this city, the whole world will be within your grasp. Immediately, I became a challenger. The ceremony to gain the recognition of the Guardian was an event that only took place when the current Emperor stepped down. Apparently it attracted prominent warriors from all over the world. He who pulls out the sword will be crowned Emperor! One thousand years ago Holy Sword Barette suddenly appeared in this world. It granted whoever unimaginable powers strong enough to make them Emperor, and since then its history has been passed down from generation to generation. One of the most known abilities of Barette is its growth. If someone wielded the sword it would transform into a suitable sword to boost the persons swordsmanship to its fullest potential. I dont know how good itll be, but it was enough to make my mouth water thinking about it. What sin did the protagonist commit? [ Excessive possession. ] [ The protagonist has repeatedly possessed the body of former Emperors and used their body until it was tired of them. ] [ Now that the current Emperor has aged and lost all his powers, the Holy Sword is also fairly sealed. ] OhoA sealed Level 40? This was a huge handicap. After observing for the last few days, there werent as many challengers as I thought. Because, the Guardian killed the challengers who failed without mercy. Kueuk, P-please spare! Crack! A challengers neck broke and he flew away. Thud, Thud! I gulped, looking at the back of the Guardian returning to its place immediately. Ah, what kind of dregs was this challenger? Right. If you want to kill yourself you should go somewhere else. I was wondering if there was going to be a good show. The Guardian was nearly 5 meters tall and covered in silver armor. It was a kind of golem, which is said to be virtually impossible to neutralize because the nucleus is located deep in the armor. It may be possible to subdue it if a combination of a very good mage and an excellent warrior were formed. However, the challenge was impossible because it had to be done alone. Mages are weak in a head on fight, and warriors cannot damage the Guardians armor because they couldnt use magic. Mage Magic seems to exist in this world. While staying here for a few days I watched the challengers sitting in the stands (amazingly, more than 100,000 seats were occupied), and most of them were very powerful. In terms of hunter rank the average was between B and A. Occasionally a warrior equivalent to S-Rank came, but it was rare. To be honest they didnt have super strong abilities. I thought the S-Ranks on Earth were stronger. However, the ability was not important. It was control. The warriors, who used a similar technique to the rigid body method from Earth, knew how to push their bodies to the limit. And they also used their weapons in a very unique way that is not seen on modern Earth. Brandishing their swords like the blossoming of flowers, the falling of autumn leaves, and the storm of winter. It is not just my imagination or description. Such fantasies really appeared and disappeared. The swordmanships of modern Earth were so rugged that everyone just floats around as if they were dancing; fluttering like butterflies, wielding swords loosely, and posturing. And what about magic? As if they were a multi-talented person who could not exist on Earth they freely used fire, water, ice, wind, and other magic. They had extreme control over mana to protect their body without aether shields while buffing themselves and debuffing the target. If it was Earth it would take three to five superhumans to do what mages can do here by themselves. Its really crazy. All the hunting Ive seen on Earth now seems comical. Earthlings had better abilities than the people of this world, but they only knew how to swing it senselessly, and never understood how to control it. Magic. I really want to learn it. Sadly, although I could understand the language of this world I couldnt read the letters. Also its impossible to pick up items here and bring it back, so I cant even steal a magic book. And when I asked around I found out it would take 20 to 30 years for someone of my intelligence to become a mage at that level. I couldnt learn magic here because I only had a year left. But there will be plenty of opportunities. Lets not be impatient. This world view and existence of magic was developed and thriving. Someday I might be able to come back here, and if Im lucky I might be able to learn some magic. Knowing the merits of magic I didnt want to give up. But for now I should focus on killing the protagonist. I wanted to shoot the Holy Sword with a sniper rifle right here, but unfortunately there was a layer of translucent mana between the stands and the stadium and I was afraid of the aftershock. Perhaps my poor equipment wont even penetrate it. But, its no problem. One week. The amount of time I spent watching the duel between the challengers and the Guardian. Ive completed all preparations. Waaaa!! Cheers came from the stands as Yoo Seodam entered the arena. The Emperor was also sitting and staring at the arena with an expressionless face, but Yoo Seodam didnt care about them at all. Whos that guy? I dont know. Looks like an adventurer. Thats a peculiar outfit. As people began to chatter the Guardian came out to meet the challenger. Boom! Boom! Thud. The sound the Guardians armor made when it moved and the sound of Seodam unloading his gun produced a symphony of metal. It was quite a pleasant sound to Seodam who loves tools. Swish! The Guardian aimed its greatsword forward. A mindless body with tremendous destructive force. A monster with an agile body. Facing it, Yoo Seodam took a deep breath and asked. Guardian, I can only pull out the Holy Sword that is stuck behind you once youre defeated? [Yes.] What happens if I try to pull out the Holy Sword without defeating you? [It wont budge.] Hm A simple exchange to ask questions is one of the few things a challenger is allowed to do. No one has ever asked such questions, so there were jeers from the stands. Why would you ask such a question! Where is your honor! Ignoring the jeers, Seodam rushed toward the Guardian. Chikchik! The shotgun was loaded and at the same time the distance from the Guardian was narrowed. Seodam fired a shot at its groin. Kwang!! The reaction caused a small shock which knocked Seodam backwards. Immediately after, Seodam avoided the Guardians greatsword swinging down, and threw a black ball from his pocket. It quickly separated into ten spheres and clung to every part of the Guardians body. The spheres were magnetized and attracted each other as if to kill it by constriction, but the Guardian wasnt fazed and swung its greatsword at him. As expected, this level of agileness. Thung!! The aether shield was gravely damaged when the Guardians greatsword brushed past the side of Seodam. Obviously the swing was fierce, but Seodam was familiar with the sword thanks to his Swordsmanship (A+) talent. Just by looking at the posture, form, and trajectory of an opponents sword, he can see where it is headed. Then, he can prepare his next move. As he rolled aside to avoid the greatsword he raised his right hand and pressed a red button. The spheres attached to the Guardians body exploded simultaneously. Boom, Boom! Now! He tried to run past the agile Guardian, but it endured the explosion and was rushing towards Seodam first. He did not intend to get hit by it, so he took out two aether shotguns and fired it in succession. Boom, Boom! Its shoulders flinched and its legs swayed, but the Guardian didnt stop. However, the power of a golem is not infinite. There was a limit to its energy each match. What Seodam is doing is depleting its energy. Using up all the bullets from the shotguns Seodam threw them to the ground without hesitation. Then, he ran to the side pointing his pistol at the spot where he was standing before. Sparks shot from the pistol and hit the ground. The moment the Guardian walked over it. Poof!! The steel tiles melted, flipping the Guardian upside down. W-what! What the hell is that magic? That man, hes a mage from which school?! Quickly find out! The mages went wild. It was a kind of magic they have never seen before. Is it really possible to cast such a devastating spell like that without chanting? The mages stomped their feet. If we could make that mage join our side! The landscape of the mage forces could change dramatically. They wanted to jump into the duel right now and bring that man in, but they couldnt do that because of the barrier. Its like Im watching a battle of a mage only told in legends Just as Seodam was amazed by magic, the mages were also thrilled to see science. However, whether he was aware of it or not, Seodam sprinted with all his might. He also did not forget to lay a bean-sized marker on the floor as he ran. Huut! When the Guardian ran towards the west wall with one limped leg, the marker on the ground exploded after being stepped on. Bang, Bang! Despite its legs being damaged it didnt stop. But in the end it was just a little faster than the average person, so Seodam quickly outran it. Huong! The moment before the greatsword could hit him. Reading its trajectory he quickly rolled to the side, and fired a small blue bomb at the predicted path of the Guardian. Magnetic Field. An electromagnetic bomb thats a very powerful magnet, and once it sticks to iron becomes an enormous field of magnetism. Pachichi!!! When it hit the Guardians greatsword the steel floor and the greatsword clung together. When he threw another blue bomb into the Guardians body its armor was crushed and its arms and legs crumpled. Gugugu! A possible method to deal with something made of steel! But it was obvious that it wouldnt last long either. It was a ridiculously short amount of time to try and defeat it. What a strong holding magic! Hearing the nonsense of the mages shouting, Seodam ran with all his might towards the Holy Sword. What What is he doing? Hes not attacking the Guardian! Doesnt he know he cant pull it out unless he defeats the Guardian? However, the original purpose of Seodam was not to remove the Holy Sword. From the start he had no intention of defeating the Guardian, nor was he capable of doing so. He has only one purpose. Hunt the protagonist. Beep, Beep, Beep! After installing the E-4 Composite from his arms he quickly ran away and widened the distance. The Guardian, who had already escaped from the electromagnetic field, shot towards Seodam. Kuklunk! The Guardian looked at Seodam menacingly. During the sacred duelwhat did you do? However, without answering, Seodam pulled out a sniper rifle. The gun called EK-49, is a monster specialized in long-range attacks and each bullet is super expensive, but the destructive power of one of its shots was enormous. Slowly aiming it at the Guardian, it continued to look at him because it doesnt know about guns. Maybe it thought it could stop it. Yeah, honestly, even if its blocked or did hit it could withstand it. But in the first place, Seodam was not aiming for a Guardian. ! Chikchik! Seodam, who was aiming for the Guardians head, quickly changed his target and fired at the Holy Sword. Soon after, the Emperor feeling something was amiss jumped out quickly and shouted, Stop right now! But its too late. Bang!! A tremendous explosion occurred. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 40 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 3.] The Holy Sword broke, and at the same time the Emperor screamed. Ah, nooooo!!! He was none other than the Emperor who was being manipulated by the Holy Sword. Grab him right now and bring him to me! Now! When the Emperor who managed to hold on to the broken string of consciousness shouted loudly, 100,000 spectators rose from their seats at the same time and began to head for the stage. Only Meanwhile, Yoo Seodam looked up leisurely and made eye contact with the Emperor. At the same time the resentful eyes trembled, a roulette appeared in his mind. A roulette containing the talents and skills of the Holy Sword. Soon a message appeared. [Barettes talent White Swordsmanship(S) has been absorbed!] Raising his middle finger at the Emperor he spoke. Ill use the skill well. By the time the enraged warriors arrived at the arena, Yoo Seodam had already disappeared like a mist. Chapter 6: Mission Completed. Returning to your original world. [Mission Completed. Returning to your original world.] [400 days of lifespan will be rewarded.] [Remaining Lifespan: 681 Days, 9 Hours, 34 Minutes.] With a plop I was lying on the cold floor of the studio breathing heavily. Im terribly tired. Although none of my equipment was completely destroyed like before, expensive ammunition, two magnetized bombs, and an E4 were used. Ill have to run around a lot to make up for all this money. What could only be described as bitter. The more I think about getting only 100 million won in severance pay the more pissed I got. Forcing my stiff body to sit up I spoke. Status Window. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 22) Attributes Strength: 21 Stamina: 20 Agility: 22 Vitality: 1 Mana: 5 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Intuition (A) Sharpshooter (C) Hunting (D+) Cooking (D-) Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 1 White Swordsmanship (S) The increased abilities made me dazed. Besides, I even got a S-Rank skill! Perhaps because it was a sword and had no ability or talent all I could absorb were skills. But I saw a very trashy skill called Sword Transformation (A). Which would literally turn me into a sword. It was also impossible to revert back to human form. If I had the additional skill called Forced Possession (SS), then I wouldnt mind living as a sword. I wonder what I would do if I had absorbed it, but fortunately I succeeded in absorbing the highest S-Rank skill the Holy Sword had. It was also a skill I needed the most right now. Swordsmanship. No matter how good an A-Rank talent is, it is more comfortable to go on a reliable path than to carve out a path myself. And Swordsmanship (A+) is like providing a clearly paved road for a sports car. [White Swordsmanship (S), a sword skill that can be said to be every sword skill in the world. It has no form, but also many forms. It has no style, but also many styles. It is a blank canvas and youre the painter. That is White Swordsmanship.] What are you talking about? So I read it over and over again 30 times, and then I realized. Oh. I can use my dick as a sword? [ ] There is no clearly defined form for White Swordsmanship. It was a skill that would improve my form from time to time to fit the swing of my sword. This is the skill that enabled whoever held the Holy Sword Barette to become the best swordsman. I did not receive any vision that was passed down for hundreds of years. Nor was it a skill that destroyed enemies in one swing. Just a sword skill that changed into the most suitable form for me. That is White Swordsmanship. When I closed my eyes and focused, a picture was drawn in my head. The way I wielded my sword. In my imagination I was wielding an aether blade that was 1m 20cm tall, 2.5cm wide, and weighs 1.4kg. Much shorter and lighter than what Im using now. I swung it as if I was flying, and the body actually floated in the air. Hup! I got off the floor, picked up the aether blade, and took a big breath. Suddenly my lungs sucked in Mana. This isa Mana breathing method? So far I have been forced to scrape together Mana. However, as soon as I learned White Swordsmanship I quickly understood how Mana flows through my body. My hands were shaking. Having acquired the talent Swordsmanship (A+) I thought I could handle all the swords in the world. But it was delusional. Genius talent was just a wild instinct. Just as a tiger instinctively knows how to effectively bite off its enemy and tear it apart. But, now there is a clear path. I wanted to test this sword right away. Looking at the clock it was 1PM. The only place I could test this was at Geumgang Gym. Suddenly, I thought of the golden sandbag training at the gym, so I immediately left. I just had a big battle and my whole body was stiff, but I wasnt in the mood to rest. Whenever I went out I always took an aether dispenser, but unfortunately most of my equipment was broken so I couldnt. Rich hunters wore suits that can be activated at a press of a button, but I didnt have the money, so I used an old-fashioned aether coat. Suits were easy to remove, easy to clean, had great defense, and could regulate the bodys temperature. On the other hand, coats were cumbersome, inconvenient to store, had simple defense, and there were huge disadvantages of using it in the summer due to the heat. Id like to buy a suit someday. I had no choice but to leave my coat at home. All I took with me was an aether pistol that was easy to carry and an aether blade that could be held in a carrier, then I went to the subway in sweatpants. I bought a motorcycle for transportation, but didnt use it unless it was really urgent. By the time I got to Konkuk University Station the surrounding area became noisy. The vibration from my cell phone was making a lot of noises. [A D-Rank gate has opened within a 30-meter radius of Konkuk University Station. Citizens please evacuate.] Times have changed, and now people were no longer afraid of monsters. With more accurate forecasts than even weather forecasts, people were good at evacuating in advance, and even when low-level anomalies occurred spectators would flock to check out the scene. In fact, no one took the evacuation notice seriously. Korea was one of the 12 countries with the lowest hunting failure rate in the world. Damn it. Im going to be late for my appointment. So unlucky. There were people complaining. Ooh. Can we see the hunters? Lets take a picture! Some people were excited. I could see the subway platform was shut down as I approached. It seems that there is a gate in the subway area. I wouldnt mind coming forward if that was the case, but I didnt because it seemed like there were already others to take care of it. Even if I didnt, the gates and dungeons were scattered. Hunters would take care of the monsters in a flash anyway. When the police and public officials stepped in to slowly put the citizens behind a line I decided to follow and wait patiently. But it was strange. According to protocols if a gate occurs underground it would have to be transferred above ground using a gate transfer device, but there was no sign of that. Already theres not much time left. Eventually I sneaked up to a man who seemed to be in charge and spoke. Youre not transferring the gate above ground? Huh? Haha. You must have heard that somewhere, but thats not necessary for D-Rank gates. Why? The reason to transfer underground gates to above ground is if there were medium size species, but theres no such monster in a D-Rank gate. What are you saying? Why not? As I began to argue with him he slowly became annoyed and sighed. Youre just an ordinary citizen, what do you know. I took my ID out of my wallet. F-Rank Hunter, #15. The person in charge had a sullen look after seeing my rank, but his eyes opened wide when he saw the number next to it. The #15 means a veteran hunter with 15 years of experience. This is not the first time Ive seen something like this happen. Just tell your boss what I just said. Dont take the blame for someone elses mistake. Ah, yes. For the time being Then, someone suddenly shouted. I thought I heard a familiar voice. Arent you Yoo Seodam? Turning my head, a man wearing the armband of the Lost Day guild was approaching. I recognize his face. Kim Jitae. From my memory he had the ability of D-Rank. I heard you retired, but youre still here. Do you want to use an expensive gate transfer device because youre a little scared? What are you talking about? The citizens safety is a hunters top priority. If its a medium Senior. Kim Jitae shrugged, smiled, and pointed behind him. Five D-Rank hunters. And the team leader is a C-Rank superhuman hunter. You may be scared, but this is enough. Its overkill. Looking back, five hunters stood with the Lost Day armband. There were people like that? It was such a huge guild that I cant remember all the faces. Also, one of them felt kind of strange. It was hazy, and weirdly I felt my appetite growing. Have I been drinking? I said what I wanted to say and felt it was pointless to continue. Fine, suit yourself. Yes, we can take care of ourselves. In fact, Kim Jitae was right. As a F-Rank hunter I had to be prepared for every situation, but it was different for superhumans. Theyre allowed to make minor mistakes. Because they were capable of overcoming them. But my point wasnt whether they could deal with it or not. Among the D-Rank monsters there were many medium-sized monsters and if those came out, the subway would be in a terrible mess. So I thought it would be safer to transfer it above ground. But the chances are so low that everyone else ignored it. Wiing!! As the gate began to open, hunters, including Kim Jitae, quickly disappeared into the subway. Soon I heard the sound of gunshots. Seeing that there was no problem on the ground I knew it wasnt a medium-sized monster and was worried for nothing. But. Something is off. If the hunt is successful only the sound of an explosion should be heard, but a wild beasts cry came from inside the subway. What the hell is happening down there? Then. Someone shouted over the speaker. Damn it! An unknown monster has appeared! Citizens, please evacuate immediately! W-what? Ba-boom!! The rail between the intersection started to crack, then it slowly collapsed. I still heard screams in the subway, but this time it was humans. What is happening all of a sudden? To be honest I was flustered too. Sometimes strong monsters would appear in weak dungeons. There are always such variables. But Ive never seen this phenomenon before. A C-Rank hunter, five D-Rank hunters, and more than ten soldiers yet theyre still struggling? When that thought came to mind, something smashed the ground and ran up. Red skin all over, gross muscle mass that seems deformed, and a massive size that is likely over 5 meters tall. It was unmistakably a monster, but it looked very human. Crazy! What the hell is that! H-hunter! What the hell is that? The field leader panicked and asked me, but honestly, I dont know either. Ive hunted on the front line for decades, but Ive never seen such a human-like monster. No. Wait a second. Ive seen a similar case like this a long time ago. But it was so different from what I remembered that I wasnt sure. Damn it. Call for backup right now! After shouting for backup I took out my aether blade and jumped into the scene. My equipment was lacking. Only one portable aether pistol and one aether blade. There is no proper protection, so an ordinary hunter like me who doesnt have a strengthened body will die if hit once by that thing. That monster is probably at least B-Rank. If I had enough equipment I could break through its defense with a pistol and a blade. Every monster has a layer of protection made of aether or qi-like properties. And it was also the only thing that could penetrate the flesh of the monsters. However, ordinary hunters needed to break that protective layer first. So aether guns were invented. The average rifle can break a monsters protective layer and cause huge damage at the same time, but with a small pistol itll just strip the protective layer. Also, the area that had been stripped of the protection must be precisely cut off with a sword. Thats how ordinary hunters without superpowers dealt with monsters. Should I try it? In fact it was extremely difficult. So Ive never tried it in my life. But now. I can do it. Looking at the sword in my hand I was full of confidence. Ugh! Damn it Kim Jitae crawled out of the subway. His strength ability was good in many ways, but his disadvantage was that he could hardly use his strength against an enemy who had a stronger power than him. I hurried up to Kim Jitae and slapped him on the cheek. Because I needed answers now. Hey. Wake up! S-senior. Damn it, lets retreat! Thats not something we can deal with! What the hell are you talking about? Were the only hunters on the scene, what would happen if we left? Theyre going to die anyway! It would be better to retreat and wait for support No, youve seen all these idiots. Kim Jitae. Did he say it was his second year as a professional hunter? The hunters from the city are rather hopeless. Their ability to cope with emergency situations was lacking as they only hunted when they were in their best condition with the best equipment and was certain of victory. Moreover, Kim Jitae seems to be very skilled when it comes to close combat, especially for his ability. Hey. Shut up and tell me. What is that monster? T-thats Was it mana poisoning? Kim Ji-tae shook his head to my question. There seems to be a situation where he couldnt answer, but thats none of my business. In the end, its another human hunt. I dont know why a person suddenly appeared here with mana poisoning. This is because they have to absorb an excess amount of mana where it overloaded their body for it to happen. But it doesnt matter. First of all, theres a hunt in front of me, so I will hunt. Thats what a hunter does. Kim Jitae seemed useless, so I loaded my pistol with the intention of dealing with it alone, but he grabbed my ankle. Well, what are you going to do with such equipment? Bastard, let go of me. After swinging my foot roughly and stomping him in the face, I spoke. Only Do I look like a beginner like you? Y-yes? C-Rank. It was strong enough to be a threat. Kim Jitae, who is still inexperienced, came out to hunt with a C-Rank superhuman, and acted if he was invincible. But monsters above B-Rank, which are higher than him, would be beyond his reach. But not to me. It is what Im used to dealing with when I hunt. Chapter 7: Most monsters have an aether coating, but not all were like that. Most monsters have an aether coating, but not all were like that. Its the same with superhumans who have awakened a strong physique. The most common and simplest way to utilize aether. Strengthen Body. They also have a thin aether coating on their skin, which absorbs aether into their body and converts it into energy they can use. In the first place, human superpowers resembled that of a monster to the point where many say that superpowers are powers of monsters. Thats to say, that thing in front of me is human, but I have to think of it as a monster. Mana poisoning. Its a phenomenon that sometimes occurs to people with superpowers. Superhumans who cant control their abilities. There are at least two to three conditions before a persons mana is overloaded. Once they go into the state of mana poisoning they will lose their rational, and its impossible to subdue them completely because of their enormous power. In fact, it has to be shot dead. Click! I looked down at the five grenades in my hands taken from Kim Jitae. Most superhumans believe in their own ability, so they dont often pack a lot of equipment. Dududu! I threw one grenade after the other, then casually fired my pistol. Bang!! Kuh! The grenades which exploded just below its ankle tore the aether protection from its lower body. Not missing the chance, I quickly rushed in with my aether blade. Boom!! Hup! However, the monster who has recovered from the impact tore up the air by slamming its fist. It felt like a cannon was being fired right at me with its deafening sound! However, I saw it coming and was able to cut into its heel with my aether blade before sliding to the side. Grrawr!! I must not miss a single chance. No, me, the weak ordinary F-Rank hunter, was not allowed to make a mistake. As soon as I entered its range I quickly rolled to the side and as I rolled, the bulky leg of the monster stomped down. Crack! The floor split into cobwebs and created a crater of more than five meters. I took advantage of the shockwave to shoot its face with my pistol before falling far away. Then, it instinctively raised its arms to cover its face, even though it had already been shot. Thats the difference between a monster and a human. It failed to abandon its human instincts. Now! Bang, Bang, Bang! Aftering shooting the monster three times in a row with my pistol, the monster swung its arm and smashed the floor as if it would not allow it. Boom But. ! Its movement was too clear to me. Have I ever experienced this before? I always had to anticipate and avoid the enemy attacks, and all I could do was be careful and passive. Compared to other hunters who were my junior, in the past I had to move my whole body here and there just to catch the monster off guard with a few hits using my poor equipment. But now I can see it clearly. Thiswas this how other hunters felt? Self-confidence in my own ability, and not the lack of! Boom, Boom, Boom! The punches of the huge monster were raining down on me to the point where I couldnt even see the monster above me. No, to be exact, most of the attacks were deflected. It would have been impossible before. To attempt the crazy act of deflecting the punches by absorbing its momentum. However, I was able to do it. The fists were deflected to the side with my aether blade. Or its fist would just graze the edge of my body and miss me by an inch. It was impossible to stop it all completely, so I would shoot its fists with my pistol to twist its trajectory. Although the aether pistol is a wet tissue when it comes to removing a monsters protective coating, it is clear that it also contained a tremendous amount of destructive power. I was using it defensively. At the right timing if I shoot the right part the impact will surely shake its movements. And. It soon became an opportunity for me. Kuh!! When I cut its throat the monster stepped back in surprise. But even as it stepped back I was already running towards it, and by the time it stabilized, a bomb was already rolling on the floor. Ba-boom!! When it lost its balance, shining at the tip of my hand was a blade coated in aether. What kind of movements were humans capable of? What swordsmanship did we use? Didnt we just use hard, fast, powerful force to swirl our sword in ignorance? All those swordsmanship, really, is full of inefficient and useless movements. However, all the swordsmanship I had seen in this world was unraveled in my mind. The swordsmanship of the protagonist, which has been studied and developed for over a thousand years, is not the swordsmanship of modern people like me who is only 30 years old. [Skill White Swordsmanship (S) C Activated.] [First form, Apathetic Introspection] Like a blossoming flower. And the raging blizzard. A mysterious swordsmanship that seems to have unfolded at my fingertips. I know the limits of my body. The talent Swordsmanship A+ made me very efficient with the sword, and the White Swordsmanship made it possible for me to grow even faster. While moving as if I was dancing, I went forward as rough as a waterfall, and dived as hard as a typhoon. Grrawr! As the monster rampaged again, I threw a grenade. To be honest, it was hard for me to close the distance. Kuh! Boom! The monster knew the bomb in my hand was dangerous because it had some intelligence, so it tried to flimsily avoid it. But this is the method I was good at before I gained the talent of swordsmanship. The grenade, which bounced into the air like a basketball, flew toward the rampaging monster as if it had a mind of its own and exploded on its head. Knowing that I cant miss this chance, I quickly stepped back one more time despite my current position. Then, there was only one more choice for me. I took out the last grenade and pulled the pin. I have to throw it. Click! The grenade which slipped from my hand slowly fell to the ground. !! No matter how irrational they are, all monsters and beasts have the ability to adapt. It noticed my mistake, and quickly rushed at me. It thought it could withstand the explosion and crush me at the same time. But It was intentional. I recovered from my awkwardness in a flash, and looked at the bomb on the ground as if I was looking at a golf ball. The monster was completely defenseless, so I used the side of my aether blade to swing the grenade into its mouth. Next, I shot my pistol under its chin like an uppercut. Kuh! With its mouth shut, I gathered mana into my arms and stabbed my aether blade into its chin. Then. Ba-ba-boom!! Inside the body of the monster an explosion sounded, then it slowly fell to the ground. Boom! Huu Wiping the sweat off my face I burst into a laughter as I looked at the fallen monster. Boom! Kim Jitaes lips trembled as he watched a monster capable of crushing him fall to the ground. Oh, my god In his view was the back of Yoo Seodam standing tall. He couldnt believe it. Basically, a person with no equipment can easily deal with a monster of the same rank. Though, it was almost impossible to predict victory. With aether suits and full equipment, at least three people had to rush in to subdue monsters of the same rank. In other words, Kim Jitae thought, No matter how expensive the equipment is, I cant defeat the monster of C-Rank alone. This was common sense to most hunters. However, very occasionally. There were beings beyond common sense. Located at the heart of the Pacific Ocean, there was a mysterious gate called Hell Gate that leads to another world. Some hunters would hunt inside and even less would come back alive. Veterans who used to travel around that place, where common sense and concepts did not work at all, not only hunted monsters with the same rank as them but were also able to hunt even higher monsters by themselves. But Still, isnt this too much? The formidable monster, with the sheer strength of at least A-rank, defeated by a F-Rank hunter who only had a cheap pistol and an aether blade? Kim Jitae himself had been defeated in a battle of strength against it in a matter of seconds. A single blow will kill you. However, Yoo Seodam attacked it without even wearing simple protective gear, and eventually defeated it by fighting. Emergency support units have arrived! [Buzz! Group 7. Report to me. Hows the situation?] That Suddenly, Kim Jitae turned his head to check the voice coming from behind. Three A-Rank hunters dressed in a grayish-brown suit were sweating. A-Rank soldiers from the Capital Defense Headquarters specializing in hunting monsters. Group 7 of the Emergency Assistance Force for Disaster in Seoul. They, who had just arrived in helicopters, were puzzled to see that the situation was already over. What the hellhappened here? When asked by Yang Sunyoung, the A-Rank hunter and leader of Group 7 of the support unit, Yoo Seo-dam who arrived earlier answered on behalf of Kim Jitae. Im a hunter who was just passing by when all of a sudden bullshit happens, so I had to take care of it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Yoo Seodams report. A monster between B-Rank and A-Rank was wreaking havoc in the middle of Konkuk University Station and the response team was only five D-Rank and one C-Rank. Not only annihilation, but also the damage around was thought to be enormous, so they rushed to the scene, but fortunately it seemed to have been handled by a veteran hunter who was passing by. Oh, Im so glad there was a professional hunter here. Im going to have to report your achievements to the higher-ups, can you show me your ID? Of course. Seodam also intended to show her his ID because he wasnt going to work for free. Then, the three A-Rank hunters breathed heavily. F-RankI-is that right? Yes. Did you handle that monster alone? It cant be. He was the only one still standing, but there has to be other hunters. No wonder Yang Sunyoung thought as such. Wasnt he only wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants with a pistol and an aether blade? No matter how strong A-Rank superhumans are, they cant deal with A-Rank monsters with such equipment alone. But. Yes. This worthless fellow was stuck here, and I dealt with it alone. If youre going to pay, then give me everything. Ho He admitted the fact. She looked at Yoo Seodams ID again. F-Rank#15?! Jesus. It wasnt the usual F-Rank. Veteran hunters, who have survived for as many as 15 years through hard work in a harsh battlefield, is rare. Even superhumans with superpowers were often seriously injured or mutilated in battle, or otherwise retired in mental exhaustion. But a F-Rank hunter is in his 15th year. No matter how ordinary you are, can you do this if you fought on the battlefield for 15 years? No way. She recorded the information of Yoo Seodam while deep in thought. It was because they needed to contact each other again when they later celebrated his merits. Hunter Kim Jitae, then can we distribute the aether crystal to hunter Yoo Seodam at a 100% rate? Ah, thats When Kim Ji-tae became flustered, Yoo Seo-dam spoke. That, there is no aether crystal. What? It is no exaggeration to say that aether crystals, which were extracted from the monsters heart, accounted for 50% of a hunters revenue. Since all monsters had an aether crystal it was natural that Sonyoung did not immediately understand Seodams words. Its not a monster, but a mutated human. What?! Thats ridiculous A society in which superpowers have become universal. Now even young children are talented, and if they want they can get an education at the Academy of Superpowers. As the level of education on superpowers has increased, the proportion of those who experience mana poisoning has naturally fallen, so nowadays there are some hunters who have never even heard of the words mana poisoning. If you dont believe meHey. Kim Jitae. Yes! Go down the subway and bring all five of your assholes. T-that When Kim Jitae began to sweat without being able to speak, Sunyoung also felt something was strange. All five of them, there has to be at least one. If one of the hunters blood is analyzed and mana poison was detected. Then what Seodam said is true. But why would he want to hide this fact? Obviously, it is embarrassing for a person to be mana poisoned to come from the guild, but Seodam and Sunyoung could not understand why Kim Ji-tae was this embarrassed. As I kept trying to question him, white-clad researchers and men in suits came up and blocked me from the front. The bodies will be examined by us and then returned to their families, so dont worry and take a rest. Ah. What. Okay. Seodam nodded his head and checked the pattern on their shoulders. Then he frowned. Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company? Its a familiar name. From what I remembered, it was a company that was clearly gone, but I didnt expect to see them here all of a sudden. I watched them hurrying to clean up the body of the hunters, then I asked Kim Jitae. Hey, are they in charge of the cleanup for Lost Day? When I asked Kim Jitae, he was sweating and nodded. Ah, yes. In addition to the health of the hunters, they take care of the bodies of the monsters after a hunt. In the meantime, Kim Jitae asked if hes going to be disciplined by the military or not. Strange. As soon as I left the guild, they joined hands with them. Seodam has a bad impression of the Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company. As soon as I was kicked out of the guild, the fact that Lost Day absorbed Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company as if it had been waiting for me to be kicked out of the guild gave me a nasty smell. But there was nothing I could find out right now, so I kept it in the back of my mind. I dont think theres anything I could do about it as a F-Rank right now anyways. Looking at Yang Sunyoung who was looking at me with sparkling eyes I asked. By the way. Can I leave now? Y-yes? Of course. Now that we have your information, well proceed with the pay settlement process. Okay. Have a good day. Thank you for your hard work! Shoo! When Seodam nodded, Yang Sunyoung saluted in admiration. Kim Ji-tae gulped. It was because he finally realized that a F-Rank hunter, who used to be ignored, was worthy of such a salute from an A-Rank hunter. Seodam, who had a happy look on his face, soon approached the hesitant Kim Jitae, and slapped him hard on the back. Pa! Ugh! From now on dont drag it out and make it harder, okay? Yes? Yes. Then Im going. With Kim Ji-tae whose behavior has changed suddenly on the spot, Yoo Seo-dam left. Back to the subway where the accident just happened. Shit. The subway is all smashed up. Only Looking at the scene he eventually went back up and grabbed a taxi. Kim Jitae was puzzled and asked. Is it common for F-Ranks to hunt B-Rank monsters alone? Yang Sunyoung shook her head at him. Though, thats not entirely correctif youre equipped with expensive equipment its a different story. But he was naked without a piece of equipment. It would be tough not only in our country, but also abroad. And the next day, as Yang Sonyoung predicted, a video had blown up on SNS. Chapter 8: All aspiring hunters must go through a “debut” process to become a professional hunter. All aspiring hunters must go through a debut process to become a professional hunter. It was also a venue for opportunities in many ways because although you could still resolve anomalies as a F-Rank by having professional hunters help you and obtain a professional license, it was an opportunity to gain ranks rapidly, or join a good guild if you did well in your debut. The debuts were usually done in pairs or as many as four people at a time, and most of them went by quietly, but some aspiring hunters were different. There were people who drew attention even before they became professional hunters. Celeste for example was one of the most notable prospects. At the age of 17 with D-Rank strength as well as being the eldest daughter of the SS-Rank hunter Salvatore Costantini, and even the fact that she was a great beauty played a part. With those blue eyes that always seem to stare blankly at the world, and the gorgeous golden hair that was braided back. Everyone of all ages and genders who saw her once were mesmerized. In case of delivering a good prospect the helpers were also well received, so professional hunters who wanted to attach themselves to Celestes debut were constantly coming to Geumgang Gym. It was also because Celeste Costantini officially announced in an interview with the Hunter Association, I wont return home. Ill make my debut in Korea. Some came from Italy, and some were active-duty A-Rank hunters from famous guilds who came to see her, so director Kim had to deal with them. In the end Celeste rejected all their requests. With a gentle impression Celeste said, I wont go with a hunter who I have nothing to learn from. It was an indifferent remark. Hunters who want to show that they are not timid must go through the process of debut to become professional hunters. Well, her father is a SS-Rank hunter, so she deserves it. Then she should go with her dad. Whats she doing in Korea? Apparently her father told her to find a senior hunter on her own. I heard it was meant to widen her view. There were many aspiring hunters at Geumgang Gymnasium, and thanks to Celeste, it became a good opportunity to network with professional hunters. Furthermore, some aspiring hunters even caught the eyes of professional hunters who gave up on Celeste and were heading back. Huh. Celeste, even the media. Director Kim pointed to the TV and said to Celeste who was sitting idly in the corner of the office with her smartphone. [Celeste likes Koreas hunting culture more than Italys!] [The eldest daughter of the Costantini family remarks to hunter Lee Jongsoo, Theres nothing to learn.] [Why did she fall in love with Korea?] And so on. Most were useless news. As the eldest daughter of one of the 37 SS-Rank hunters in the world the media seems to be very excited about her debut. At director Kims words she looked at the TV, but then turned her head back to her smartphone. Is that all? You dont seem to be interested in whats going on in the media? Ever since I was a kid the media have always been talking about me like that. Its the same this time. Yeah. Shes a child of a star. Shes probably used to this. Suddenly, director Kim felt very awkward seeing the daughter of such a huge figure sitting in the office of his humble gym. Its all thanks to Yoo Seodam. In the first place, director Kim taught Salvatore body control with the help of Yoo Seodam. In the past, Yoo Seodam made numerous hunting trips around the world, and made acquaintance with numerous hunters, Salvator being one of them. At that time when Yoo Seodam met Salvator who was suffering from a stagnant in his progress, he introduced him to the director, a hunter from Korea, who was famous for his strong body control. However, Celeste was not interested in Geumgang Gym, so she thought she would just take some time off and relax, but now even after three months she still didnt think of going back. No, she even said that she would make her debut in Korea. And that little kid She has been watching the video of Yoo Seodam. A few days ago a video was uploaded to UTV, a global video hosting site. It was a video of a F-Rank hunter killing a rampaging B-Rank monster decisively, however it was nothing special if you consider the countless hunters who uploaded videos daily. 30 years after the Great War against monsters. Hunting was a kind of heroic job that only superhumans with strong powers could do. Ordinary hunters were considered as just normal humans. But now, an ordinary person suddenly appeared and defeated a B-Rank monster without superpowers. The video caused a huge sensation and has garnered more than 30 million views in just a few days. In addition, what shocked viewers was how hunters could be seen wearing shiny suits while the main character in the video was dressed casually in a hoodie and sweatpants. Arent you dressed so comfortably as if you were out for a walk? [Si130: Hes an ordinary person who hunts as a hobby. (Like: 11237 / Dislike: 973)] [4Paune: Superhuman who lost control ??. (Like: 6,712 / Dislike: 736)] [Millo: Wow at 5:32 did the rebound from the pistol block the punch? (Like: 7,691 / Dislike: 379)] Normal people who are not hunters knew. How weak the pistols used by hunters are against monsters with super strength. It was just for show and it was rarely used in real life, but it was utilized like a shield by an ordinary hunter and not a superhuman. The battle was almost like art. To be honest, it was a perfect and elaborate battle style that made even her think it was beautiful. Some comments even suggested that the hunt was all planned. How could an ordinary hunter even lure a strong monster in advance to hunt? Of course such comments were buried. Even now the number of views continued to rise partially thanks to Celeste who was constantly watching it. Has she ever seen a sword like this in her life? Although Celeste invited countless swordsmen from the Costantini family and learned the Great Impact Sword, Seodams swordsmanship was more unusual and beautiful than any other swordsmanship she had seen. Now, she could even recall what happened in the video at every minute and second. Thud. Celeste stood up after putting down her smartphone. Now that she has seen enough of the video it was time to put it into action. To imitate the sword of Seodam. She sparred with him a lot over the past few weeks, but so far, Seodam has never used such a sword technique against her. In other words, she thought that Seodam has been treating her lightly. However, it was a new skill that Seodam has yet to master, but Celeste, who didnt know that, misunderstood him. She asked to spar with him so she could learn the skill, but she cant believe that shes not even good enough for him to show it to her. Has she ever experienced this in her life? The answer is no. This was the first wall in front of Celeste. So she had a hunch. That if she can break through this wall her achievements will be even greater. Celeste swung her wooden sword, recalling the sword of Seodam in the video. She imagined Seodams sword as if it was a painting. Like a flower, or the falling waterfall, or the pouring rain. #139. It was the number tag that Yoo Seo-dam received. [Ding! Hunter #129, please come to window 4.] In Seoul there is a 130-story skyscraper built using aether and is Koreas Hunter Association branch. Hunters visit this place for various reasons, but the reason why Seodam came here today was for Guild Registration. Hunters cant be active by themselves. He had to belong to a guild, but none of the guilds wanted to take him in who is basically a relic. Thats why Seodam desperately tried to stay in Lost Day. However, he could not give up the reward money, so he took advantage of Koreas sloppy hunter laws. Its that theres no hunting requirements even if you just roughly register as a one-person guild. Its similar to a kind of personal business registration. He had no intention of creating a one-man guild for solo hunting because it was almost impossible as a F-Rank hunter. However, he was recently contacted by the Capital Defense Headquarters and rushed here because they had a problem paying the reward due to him not belonging to any guild. If a B-Rank is defeated, Ill get about 5 million won in free money. How could I miss that? So, you want me to be your senior hunter? Hmhm. [Ding! Hunter #131, please come to window 9.] Seodam looked into Celestes eyes who was next to him staring at him. Her indifferent eyes are clearer today than ever before, and I was unable to tell whats on her mind. You said you were debuting soon? Autumn was the most active time for new hunters to debut. The graduation at Hunter Academy was also around this time of year, so they made their debut all at once. Even so, if youre an aspiring hunter like Celeste, many people would have asked her here and there, but Seodam couldnt understand why she chose him. I was lost in my thoughts when Celeste hesitated and asked. By the wayWhat are you waiting for? What am I waiting for? Im #139. I have to wait my turn. She didnt seem to understand even though I told her. Hasnt she ever been to a bank? When Seodam thought so, Celeste gave a rather wild answer. When I went with my father the staff took me to the VIP room. Well. Since this would be his first time making a guild in his 15 years of hunting, Seodam felt a bit nervous making a one-man guild. Im a nobody, so I have to wait my turn. Then she nodded as if she knew, and silently waited. I can feel the eyes of passersby looking this way. They were looking at Celeste who stood out wherever she went. [Ding! Hunter #135, please come to window 7.] [Ding! #136] [Ding! #137] [Ding! Hunter #139, please come to window 3.] After waiting for a long time it was finally my turn, and as I was about to stand up with my number tag, someone blocked me in front. The people around me started to buzz. Is that the guy from Lost Day? Yes. S-Rank Jang Hyunsuk. What brings him here? A handsome face and slightly taller than Seodam. The emblem of Lost Day stuck on his shoulder. The S-Rank superhuman Jang Hyunsuk stood in front of Seodam, smiled, and spoke. Long time no see, hunter Yoo Seodam. Uh. Im kind of busy right now. Can I talk to you for a moment? Jang Hyunsuk stood firmly in the way, looking alternately between me and Celeste, then spoke. Hunter Yoo Seodam. You must be the senior hunter leading Miss Celeste Costantinis debut. He wasnt finished. Even before Seodam could reply, Jang Hyun-suk continued. However, Miss Celeste needs a better environment. Honestly, dont you know? Rather than having a F-Rrank Hunter as her senior itll be better to have an S-Rank like myself. Hey. When Jang Hyunsuk made eye contact with Yoo Seodam, he took a half-step back without realizing it. It was his instinct. Jang Hyunsuk was flustered as if he had become a herbivore standing in front of a beast. Im scared of a F-Rank? Seodam glanced at the stiffened Jang Hyunsuk, then passed by him. We can take care of ourselves. Dont keep bothering me. Then Celeste also stood up following Seodam, but Jang Hyunsuk, who just came to his senses, hurriedly blocked her. Stiff Italian came out of an expensive translator that could translate foreign languages. Its not your business anyway. Ill ask her myself. Jang Hyunsuk opened his mouth with a confident look. Miss Celeste, with me No. He was shut down again. He broke out in a cold sweat with a strange puzzled look on his face. What? Dont be like this, think again. I have nothing to learn from you. Celeste cupped her index finger and thumb. Not even this much. Meanwhile, Seodam arrived at window 3 and sat down. Then, Celeste, who followed him, sat next to him. Huh? Didnt you talk to him? Hmhm. When Celeste shook her head, Sedam gave an oh really? look. Only Jang Hyunsuk was still standing there staring at the back of his head. I think he can twist my neck if I use my powers right now. The F-Rank will do that. Somehow Jang Hyunsuk didnt think he would win. He was also a veteran who had fought on the battlefield for years, so he was instinctively able to see the level of his opponent, and the instinct is now warning him. Dont come at this opponent. In the end, Jang Hyunsuk turned away after looking at their backs for a long time. Well see when the time comes for her debut. Chapter 9: Whatever work I could find I did my best. Whatever work I could find I did my best. I would do it earnestly even if the work was playing with a stray cat and I was paid conservatively. Youre giving me three 2nd-Grade battle equipment? Yes. This was her debut as a hunter, and as her senior partner I was given three 2nd-Grade battle equipment as remuneration. Hm. Celeste had done plenty of research on Yoo Seodam so she knew. The fact that he shows great interest in an aether dispenser. So she gave it to Yoo Seodam as a gift as though it was a coincidence. It is no wonder that the efficiency of Yoo Seodam has increased. One weekend morning. Gathering at the Geumgang Gym, Seodam and Celeste sat side by side on an exercise machine that no one was using and looked at a touchpad. I know this is quite ill-mannered, but there are no people on the weekends anyway. Although there is no set date for their debut, the aspiring hunters seem to be quite busy preparing for their debut. Celeste wanted to meet and talk calmly at a cafe, not at the gym, but it was quite a hassle for Seodam. Her debut as a hunter will be in the C-Rank dungeon, Snow Peak of Paulownia. You know there are no countermeasures, right? What tricks are you going to use in this C-Rank dungeon? He slowly became quite comfortable with Celeste, and spoke his mind, but she didnt seem to care much. Rather, she seemed to want to be comfortable with Seodam. Its not uncommon for aspiring hunters to do this. No, I know that. Normal prospects targeted D-Rank or low E-Rank dungeons and gates. But very occasionally super-elite prospects targeted C-Rank dungeons, which was the case with Celeste. However, that is only possible if the senior hunter is at least A-Rank. You know that the debut will be judged by your actions because I dont count as a member, right? In other words, if Yoo Seodam and Celeste went into the dungeon together it would be judged as Celestes solo hunting. It wont be a big problem in itself, but there were a lot of restrictions on solo hunting. Its also formally forbidden for people to enter dungeons alone. In particular, youre not allowed to enter a dungeon alone, and youre only allowed to enter a dungeon that is one or two levels higher than you if you were granted special permission. F-Rank hunters are not allowed to enter a F-Rank dungeon alone. However, exceptions must exist everywhere. 1. A-Rank hunters with three years of experience. 2. Hunters who have survived an expedition inside the Hell Gate located at the heart of the Pacific Ocean. 3. Veterans with more than 10 years of experience. If any of the above cases were applicable a solo entry was possible for entering a dungeon of the same rank. Fortunately this dungeon is a big one, so youll be attacking it with other aspiring hunters. A total of six more teams are coming, so well have to wait. Youre lucky. . But. Celeste was a meticulous person, and naturally knew about the restrictions on solo entry. On the official website of the International Hunter Federation you could search for any hunter you wanted and access their public personal information, which she had done in advance. [F-Rank Hunter Yoo Seodam] [Hunter is permitted to enter SSS-Rank Dungeons.] In other words, Seodam is entitled to enter even the most horrible and difficult dungeons in existence alone. That means he is an owner of the Free Dungeon Pass, which very few people in the world possess. Come to think of it, it was a little strange. Yoo Seodam is a F-Rank, how does he have a Free Dungeon Pass? She was very curious, but didnt bother to ask because she didnt think Seodam had any intention of explaining it. The monsters that appear insideSpring Wolves, Hook Spiders, etc It has been more than a decade since the invention of the exploration drone which can be sent inside the dungeon in advance to identify the initial entry and gather information. Maybe your debut will be broadcast live on UTV and other sites, you know that dont you? A total of seven senior hunters and seven prospects were participating in this C-Rank dungeon Snow Peak of Paulownia. Most of whom belonged to large guilds and were quite well-known on the internet before their debut. Seodam said that in the case that their notable debut is broadcasted live on various platforms and she should prepare herself to be judged live. With other debuts, one or two senior hunters would record about ten applicants. So they have virtually no chance to raise their value. Honestly, its annoying to check every single one of those videos, right? However, a super rookies debut like Celestes was on a whole different level. Itll be shown in front of so many netizens through the live broadcast. This is all about raising your value. Anyone with the ability to fight the same rank has a value of tens of millions of dollars, while normal people can barely make ends meet. The first stage to set such a value is during ones debut. After the Great War it was the most important stage as a hunter in an era where everything has stabilized. In order for you to stand out you have to show something different from other prospects. Seodam, as if he is recounting his own experience, began to lecture her on how to receive high reviews during her debut. Like a lazy instructor who points out the questions a week before a college entrance exam. However, Celeste was listening to every single one of Seodams words. Have you led many trainees in the past? It was in a foreign country. Well, have you heard of Michael Ronira? Him, Ha Jisung, and Toseph Y-yes?! When the famous names came out of Seodams mouth, Celeste opened her eyes wide in shock. Because they were all famous active S-Rank hunters. They needed a porter back then, so I took them around, but somehow it changed into a debut. When other hunters taught them how to hunt, Seodam taught them how to survive. Having been talented from the start, they learned how to survive tenaciously, and became famous in their own right. Of course they are now stronger and better than Seodam. I am no match against them. He laughed as he recalled those who had been with him for some reason but are now far away. You can fight a decent D-rank monster by yourself. But first, lets look at the Spring WolfIt has a very simple attack pattern. As it pounces precisely towards you and tries to bite your arms from the side, you cant fight back by sidestepping because its a pounce. You should step back instead. Step back when it pounces toward me? Right. Spring Wolf is unique because once it reaches you, theres a delay until it can pounce again On top of that, Seodam even demonstrated the pattern of the monsters found inside with his own wooden sword. Furthermore, even monsters that the drone could not find were taught their characteristics and the unique ways to fight them. For the first time in Celestes life she has learned how many different ways there are to fight. As an elite among elites, the essence taught by Seodam was firmly stuck in her mind. However, Seodams methods were different. In other words, it was unique. So what do you do when its defenseless on the ground? You kick it in the crotch. Ah, good to know. The average hunter doesnt need to know such trivial things. But in order to survive as a F-Rank hunter, these things must be known. The essence of a veteran Hunter who has lived so desperately and somehow managed to survive without a single superpower. Before, Celeste thought there was only one thing to learn from Yoo Seodam. However, that was a misconception. The sword of Yoo Seodam was only a small fraction of his talent. His true strength lies in his countless life experience as a hunter. As her teacher, Celeste was a very good student. She listens to me, doesnt complain, and if I taught her one thing she sees ten things. Well, in fact, Im not a strong enough hunter to be a teacher, but I felt proud to see the little child I taught grow up well. Surprisingly, am I meant to be a teacher? Are you nervous? 6 p.m. By the time most people left work, me and Celeste had just arrived at our job. I laughed as Celeste quietly nodded. Your first time is supposed to be like that. The site of the dungeon was near a national park called Uijeongbu, where black cars, cameras and spectators were already crowding the area. Once again I feel that these days people are too carefree. If we fail to subdue the dungeon, the surrounding area will open to the other world. Werent they scared? When the seven senior hunters and seven prospects gathered at the scene, a reporter who was broadcasting live on UTV approached. Originally, I didnt care about this process, but this time I took the initiative because I wanted everyone to see Celestes debut. Haha. Finally, the stars of today are all here. Lets hear some words from the aspiring hunters shall we? As expected, this reporter wont be following us inside the dungeon. In the first place, he would probably die to a hunter inside if he kept pestering them. Wow, miss Celeste is just as pretty as Ive heard. Do you have a SNS account? I want to follow you! I thought he was trying to promote the SNS of the prospects. Many people would be curious, especially if its Celestes SNS. The reporters skill was revealed. No. Oh, not for me. Im sorry! I cant be sure, but there are probably many LOL in the reporters broadcast chatroom by now. Celeste, with a slightly embarrassed look, spoke. No, its I dont have a SNS account Hm? Are you sure? Dont all teenagers and people in their twenties have SNS, no? I dont have one either. Unknowingly, he who was standing next to her was struck by splash damage. The reporter kept his attention on Celeste for a long time and conducted an interview. It seems that the viewers liked it because it had the most outstanding visuals among the people who gathered here. Soon after Celeste was visibly exhausted, the reporter turned his attention to another prospect, and in the meantime I looked around. Lost Day, Blue Waterdrop, Red Sunflower, and etcAll the scary guys were gathered. Then, I suddenly saw a familiar pattern and my face crumpled. Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company. Perhaps that terrible company which has connection with Lost Day is here on their own accord. I heard that it was a subsidiary of Lost Day, so why did it come all the way here? Then, when the interviewer went to the Lost Days prospect I turned my head to look. Hunter Lee Yeonjun. Youre probably the second most popular person here. Do you know that? Haha, I know. Yes, it was originally reported that you were completely ordinary with a 0% aether absorption rate, but I heard you recently succeeded in awakening to C-Rank. Whats your secret? What? As the reporter interviewed him, I narrowed my eyes and examined Lee Yeonjuns body. This is because I couldnt believe that an ordinary person with a 0% aether absorption rate had awakened to C-Rank. Huh, unnatural muscles and breathing. And madness hidden in the calm eyes. What the hell is he? Theres no secret. Through Lost Days very special training method Ive worked hard enough, and have come to awaken my superpower. Oh, thats great. Lee Yeonjun has been the hope of the general public since the previous hunter Yoo Seodam. You flatter me. Im not anyones hope. I just want to let people know that anyone can be like me if they try. I wondered why my name was mentioned. Also the heat of the video that had been circulating the other day seemed to have not cooled down yet. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to ask UTV to remove it, but I had already given up because I thought it would be meaningless. It will be quiet in a few months anyway You are too humble. It would be disappointing to end the interview with a prospect last, right? Its not. Contrary to what I thought, Yes!! came from all sides. Powered by the responses, the reporter turned his microphone right to the side. Id like to hear a word from our S-Rank superhuman, hunter Jang Hyunsuk! Then, cheers erupted from all sides. Kyaah! I think Im going to faint! Have my baby! A bunch of freaks. S-Rank superhuman, Jang Hyunsuk. The fan base seemed to be quite big, perhaps because of the strong image of Lost Day. Well, any guild would use S-Rank superhumans as their mascot. In any case, today isnt about me. All the hunters here are great people, and theyre fighting for you. I think hunters are more of a celebrity than a hunter these days. From what I could recall, he used to stutter, but now hes a very composed man. Jang Hyunsuk glanced at me throughout the interview, but I dont know why. Soon, the short interview was done. Its about time. It was time to go into the dungeon. Well, good luck, hunters. As expected, three cameramen who awakened as E-Rank superhumans followed us as the main reporters left. Its a video that high-ranking people are going to watch, so it seemed like they were going to film with proper cameras. In addition, each had a HTC (Hunting Cam) on their chest, which could film from the persons point of view, and even seven autopilot-controlled drones were flying in the sky. Senior hunters had a relaxed face while prospects had a nervous face. One by one, they started to enter the black gate. The moment Lee Yeonjun entered the dungeon. All of a sudden. Countless messages appeared in my mind. [Emergency!] [A strong clich has occurred nearby. A protagonists Prologue has begun.] [However, there is already another protagonist nearby.] [If a protagonist meets another protagonist, the clichs will collide and may break the protagonists blessing which could lead both to the Epilogue immediately.] What? Wait a moment. Its so sudden that I dont understand. What do you mean epilogue? No way [Once the protagonist is forced to complete their story, their world will end.] Shit. The C-Rank dungeon in front of me is not the problem. They will be fine whether Im with them or not. But the world that exists in the dungeon will collapse. [ Emergency mission for hunter Yoo Seodam! ] [ On completion of an emergency mission, you can absorb more than one skill or talent from the protagonist. ] [ Generating hashtags of the protagonist. ] #Drug_Strengthened_S-Rank_Hunter #Fusion_Fantasy #Drug #Bitter #Comedy #Rapid_Growth Only [ Will you accept the mission? ] I opened my eyes wide at the sight of the hashtags. A list of hashtags that are so obvious that I understood the plot. I glanced at the dungeon gate where Lee Yeonjun disappeared into and was suddenly certain. I instinctively accepted the mission. I accept the mission. [Traveling to Snow Peak of Paulownia. The world of the protagonist, Lee Yeonjun] [1098] Chapter 10: What is the definition of ‘protagonist? What is the definition of protagonist? It varies from person to person, but Im referring to the selfish people who grew up eating the blessings of the whole world by themselves. Furthermore, as the 21st century has changed, there hasnt been any crisis for the protagonists to deal with. Theyre outdated characters. In the past theyd die, their girlfriends would die, their families would die, their friends would die, or their colleagues would die. What about these days? Theres absolutely no such thing. Nowadays the protagonists just know everything, never put their acquaintances in danger, and overwhelm everything with more power than a villain has. However, the two protagonists Ive hunted so far were very weak for a protagonist. One was the tutorial and the other was because I was lucky enough to hunt it when it was sealed. Then. What about a protagonist who just started their prologue? [210] [Travel Completed.] [You are a hunter who came to attack Snow Peak of Paulownia.] [The protagonist, Lee Yeonjun, is Level 63.] Crazy Shortly after entering the dungeon I had a sour expression, and Celeste who noticed it tilted her head. Lets listen to the briefing first. Lets think about it. The level of the first protagonist I hunted was 33. Not to mention his strength, his movements and controls were enough to impress me when I first saw it. His sword dance was at least above A-Rank, and what if he actually used his full ability? He was at least D-Rank and his mana output is comparable to a C-Rank. But he also complemented his speed with technique, increased his strength with talent, and controlled the rhythm of the duel with judgement. All of those things showed a level comparable to Earths A-Rank superhumans who simply wielded D-Grade powers. What about Lee Yeonjun? Will Lee Yeonjun who was born and raised on Earth have technique, talent, and judgement? Though classified as C-Rank, does he have perfect body control even though he has only recently awakened? The other day I overpowered a B-Rank monster. However, it was only B-rank in brute strength. Its movements were simple, and I didnt even have to be careful because it didnt have any abilities. In other words, it was just a mob. This means that its different from a C-Rank protagonist. But lets say I can kill him somehow. There was just one other problem. How am I going to kill him? Even now, three cameramen are following behind and seven drones are flying in the air. Each of them is going to be showing the faces of the prospects, so how can I sneak a murder? Besides, Lee Yeonjun is together with Jang Hyunsuk who is a S-Rank superhuman. Frankly speaking, if I deal with them now using these equipment Im 100% certain Ill lose. This is driving me crazy. The briefing ended while I was agonizing over it. Then, lets get going. As soon as Jang Hyunsuk spoke, the parties began to enter the first part of the dungeon. 14 people, senior hunters and aspiring hunters. It was none other than Jang Hyunsuk who led the group. He is a S-Rank hunter, had a long range ability, and is the most recognizable hunter. Thirty years ago when monsters first appeared, hunters who did meritorious deeds gained fame. Because they were the hope of humanity. But now handsome hunters with good abilities gained fame. Although all they actually do is appear on TV, people still praised them as heroes. Thats the way it is. The C-Rank Dungeon Snow Peak of Paulownia is currently being broadcast live all over the world, and it is drawing attention from other countries as well because two newcomers who have been quite controversial have gathered. The eldest daughter of the Costantini family who awakened as a D-Rank superhuman at the age of 17. And Lee Yeonjun, who lived his entire life as an ordinary person, had awakened as a C-Rank superhuman through hard work and diligence. Viewers aged 19 and older were able to watch the live broadcast by clicking on any tab among the cameras from 1 to 7. It was also no surprise that Lee Yeonjun and Celeste had the highest ratings. The reason was simple. Lee Yeonjun is the first ordinary person with a 0% aether absorption rate to awaken as a superhuman. And Celeste who caught the attention of the world with her gorgeous appearance to the point where she had become a celebrity. To be honest, among the seven trainees, Celestes ability was the most mediocre. She was only noticed because she awakened at an early age, but there were plenty of other D-Rank superhumans who awakened before the age of 20. One hunted monsters with the superpower to pass through matter, another could run at super speed, and there was even one who had a rare psychic power. While all five superhumans had splendid abilities, Lee Yeonjun and Celeste had normal strengthening abilities. Hmmm. As expected. We got a lot of people on Cam 1. Jang Hyunsuk smiled contentedly as he looked at the rising numbers on a thin pad attached to his wrist. If theres one thing the public doesnt know, its that there are actually separate channels between a regular channel and an official hunter channel. Despite it being the trainees debut, the number of related channels not revealed to the public were tallied separately, with the largest number gathered in the channels of Lee Yeonjun and Jang Hyunsuk. The reason is simple. An ordinary person had solved the problem of awakening superpowers through effort with the help of his guild. So there were famous hunters, guild masters, politicians, and advertisers among the viewers who were curious and wanted to unravel the secrets. While the number of viewers in the public channels were evenly distributed, it seemed natural for officials to flock to Lee Yeonjuns private cam. But [Whats wrong with Jang Hyunsuk?] [Why does it seem like hes the most excited one when its the trainees debut?] [Ah. ?? so lame.] [What? ?? my oppa is so cool ?.] Jang Hyunsuk was always popular, but he rarely received such attention when he was solo hunting. In fact, Jang Hyunsuk had little experience even though hes high rank, and was just as excited as the trainees were. He also often flaunted his status as a senior hunter by playing the role of assisting trainees. His ability flash whip, a terrifying superpower where he freely wielded red aether on both hands to cut down enemies at once. Although it was the most eye catching power among the D through A Ranks here, the officials did not come to see him. They were already S-Rank themselves or people who come in contact with S-Ranks every day. They were not interested in Jang Hyunsuks ability or rank. Their interest lies in Lee Yeonjun. Due to Jang Hyunsuk excessive behavior, officials naturally began to look at the other hunters. There was another hunter who stood out. It was Celeste. Celeste had the lowest viewers among the seven prospects because officials were confident she would be working with Salvatore Costantini in the future anyways. Besides, whats the need to analyze her, a normal strengthening superhuman? Everyone knew she was a talented hunter, but thats it. There were many hunters as great or better than her. So, what they noticed was not Celestes superpowers, but her innate talent. [Oh my god. Did you see that?] Someone posted a message in the private channel chat window. [I cant believe shes dealing with the Spring Wolf that way.] Spring Wolf. Its attack, which scratches four times by quickly pouncing forward was difficult to respond to with the human reaction, so it was normal to avoid it by sidestepping. Other aspiring hunters have also been trained by their senior partners in advance, so they have memorized the monsters attack patterns. But even knowing the Spring Wolfs weakness, it was difficult putting it to use. And contrary to what was taught by other seniors, Celeste was backstepping instead of avoiding it sideways. Backstepping against a monster that pounces? Normally, it would be suicide. To their surprise, however, Celeste calculated the Spring Wolfs exact attack range and immediately wielded her sword to cut its neck without stepping sideways to avoid its attacks. It was also surprising that her D-Rank strengthening overpowered the D-Rank Spring Wolf alone, and the whole process was so smooth that it was admirable enough. But they were only a little surprised. Her talent is great, and if she had studied thoroughly in advance, it was only the natural outcome. However, the way she dealt with the monsters that appeared afterwards was enough to surprise many hunters. [Hoo. So thats how you can deal with that? Its unusual.] [HmmWell, thats how it is done, but its not as easy as it looks. How confident in yourself do you have to be to pull that off?] Unlike the Lee Yeonjun and Jang Hyunsuk duo who were both being watched, Celeste was the only one being watched of the two. In fact, Yoo Seodam has been using his aether blade without coating it with aether, and the pistol in his left hand would sometimes fire warning shots. The support from Yoo Seodam would sometimes catch the eyes of normal viewers who were watching Celeste at the time. [What? What is he? His shooting skills are no joke.] [All hunters have to be able to do that to become a hunter.] [????] [The person above, have you ever fired a gun?] [No, you idiots. Dont you see? His shots are perfectly timed.] As the viewer pointed out, Seodam timed his shots. No matter how weak a pistol is, a small-sized monster would be pushed back. Like before it could hit Celeste, or when two or three started to gather, or when she was in a bind. But if it wasnt really a dangerous moment, his pistol was still. There were times when Celeste would somehow manage to respond to the enemy in an improbable way even though it seemed like he would have to fire his pistol. As if he knew that Celeste would successfully block it, Yoo Seodam would remain still. Viewers began to take notice of Seodam when they viewed Celestes channel. This place is a C-Rank dungeon at best. Under normal circumstances it was a low level dungeon that nobody cared about. But, what if there was a hunter who fought the monsters by taking advantage of its minor traits that are not even registered in the monster database? It was natural to be interested. At first it was a very small interest. Interest in just seeing something unusual. [Whats wrong with the Hook Spider all of a sudden?] [Oh my. Isnt that the blood of the Water Driftor? Its disrupting the spiders sense of smell. Its fine even if you dont have the full knowledge of every D-Rank monster. If youre a S-Rank superhuman you can defeat it with just a lift of your finger. [No? Wasnt the 36th step of the Spring Wolf a random jump?] [How does he know the timing to shoot?] [Hes pointing his gun as if he knew in advance.] However, what if you had the knowledge of every monster in the dungeon and not just one two? What if the person was a 15-year veteran hunter? How the hell did the hunter who has been fighting on the battlefield for 15 years without a single superpower stick around the battlefield powerless? In order to confront the powerful forces, what method did the hunter, who had no superpowers, use? Also, It wasnt just him. Among the 17 people gathered here, Yoo Seodams physical abilities were the lowest. Because even the three cameramen who were following the parties were stronger E-Ranks. However, the viewers were speechless. The fact that Yoo Seodam is more efficient than any other superhumans. Very rarely he would pump aether into his aether blade and quickly swung it, or when completely blocked the enemys movement with a low-grade pistol that wouldnt even be used by a veteran hunter. Moves that were so simple with no splendor. But in its unglamorous monotone lies its beauty. [That guy, its Yoo Seodam.] [Ive heard of him.] [Is he the hunter who has managed to survived this far as a F-Rank?] [Huh, so thats the movement of a F-Rank?] Although the public may have only recently seen Yoo Seodam through a viral video, very few people knew about Yoo Seodam the hunter. However, they didnt feel it was worth paying attention to F-Ranks, but the video helped them change their minds a little bit. If youre the only hunter who has survived for 15 years as a F-Rank with no superpowers at all. [Oh, I remember now. Hes the hunter who spent three years exploring Hell Gate.] If youre a hunter who achieved something that even S-Rank hunters didnt dare to do. Viewers slowly began to switch. Normal viewers were still focused on Lee Yeonjun, but hunter officials were beginning to look at Celeste. What is this? Looking at the number of viewers reflected on his wrist, Yoo Seodam tilted his head. Although he led some trainees in the past, this system was quite unfamiliar to him because at the time he did not broadcast live like this. Slowly, the number of interests who were watching Celeste began to increase from dozens to hundreds, but Seodam paid little attention to it. Rather, he was paying attention to Lee Yeonjun. All of a sudden, Lee Yeonjun violently unleashed his power and jumped into the pack of monsters. Only He was acting too recklessly as a trainee. Whats wrong with him? Is he crazy? As soon as I thought so. [The protagonist Lee Yeonjun has gained the skill Take Notice (A).] [A new hashtag #Broadcast will be added to the protagonist Lee Yeonjun.] [The hashtags summary of the protagonist Lee Yeonjun has been modified.] #Drug_Strengthened_S-Rank_Hunter_Broadcast #Fusion_Fantasy #Drugged #Bitter #Comedy #Rapid_Growth #Broadcast Hey, what the hell is this? Chapter 11: From my point of view and whoever was watching, Celeste is doing very well. From my point of view and whoever was watching, Celeste is doing very well. Even if Celeste had been an ordinary person without superpowers she would have attracted a large number of viewers. She was hard working, talented, and her abilities were good. With such precise movements to calmly and wisely respond to every monster it was hard to believe that shes only 17 years old. And since she is the eldest daughter of the Costantini family as well as beautiful, it was natural the viewers would flock to her channel. The number of normal viewers remained largely the same, but the situation changed in her private channel. Celestes cam 7. Originally, it was only seen by one or two officials, but at some point, many officials suddenly gathered. And, that was the moment. [The protagonist Lee Yeonjun has gained the skill Take Notice (A).] Thats the damn message that appeared in my mind. This was the third protagonist Ive met, and they all seem to be able to gain skills simply by thinking of overcoming their crisis. It was surprising that he suddenly acquired an A-Rank skill here, but the real problem was next. [Take Notice (A), the more attention you receive the stronger you become.] The skills effect. If it was another world, frankly speaking, this A-rank effect was so bad it could be as low as B or C in power. But Earth was different. In modern times the media has developed rapidly and it was possible to watch someone from the other side of the world. This skill could honestly be S or SS rank. Im surprised such a crazy skill appeared as A-rank in this world. Well, S-rank superpowers are rare while there are quite a few people with A-rank superpowers. Fortunately, if someone had this crazy superpower from the start they would have easily become the strongest. I have to stop him now. If Lee Yeonjun continues this dungeon and starts broadcasting on his own, something terrible could happen. Tens of thousands of people were still watching him, and thanks to them messages kept popping up in my mind. [The Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has increased: 63(+3)] [The Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has increased: 63(+4)] [The protagonist Lee Yeonjun] Fortunately, the increase was not fast, and sometimes the bonus levels fell. It was being influenced by the number of viewers. If an extraordinary attention seeker had that superpower, Earth would be ruined. Its still fine. When I have the chance to kill him I will do it. Although, he was slowly losing his viewers thanks to Celeste. The viewers who watch a hunter only for their appearance. Celeste was wearing a white one-piece aether suit that looked quite similar to a spandex. It blended in very well with the background of the snow-covered forest, causing a stir among the viewers. What should I do? As time went on there was a possibility that all the viewers from the other channels would come to his channel. But the good news was that it was a personal broadcast and not a live broadcast. Right. I just have to proceed as normal. In the meantime I need to prepare a way to hunt him. It doesnt matter whether hes guilty of murder or not. He has to die now, so Ill settle it first and think about the future later. The number of viewers have not increased that much. At this level it was still possible to deal with him. Yeah, as long as theres no variable. But it was a complacent thought. Ive only fought against the protagonists so far and have never participated in the flow of the plot. Thats why I didnt know the meaning of the word clich until now. [Clich detected in the protagonists story.] Ansan City. Monster Disaster Prevention Main Headquarters. It was one of the places where dungeons and gates throughout Gyeonggi Province were monitored. Whooing! Whooing! Suddenly, alarms started to sound. The director of the institute, Han Eunjung, hurried to the control room due to the sudden warnings. Researchers in white coats were busily moving. Whats going on? I believe a dungeon mutation has occurred. Location? Uijeongbu. The dungeon has been identified as the C-Rank dungeon Snow Peak of Paulownia! What? Dungeon mutation. With a very low probability, the difficulty of a dungeon could fluctuate sharply. If the original wavelength was C-Rank, it could suddenly become F-rank, and vice versa. However, it was really rare and the headquarters could not help but panic because it was a phenomenon that has only happened a handful of times in Korea. Director Han Eunjungs expression wrinkled. Damn it. We have to follow protocol. Whats the read on the wavelength? That The wavelengths changed sporadically, then slowly began to stabilize. Its S-Rank. W-what?! Without notice, the C-rank dungeon changed to a S-rank dungeon. What a terrible thing to happen! Director Han Eunjung hurriedly spoke. Contact the Capital Defense Headquarters and have them on standby! We need to deploy A-Rank and S-Rank hunters right away. Director Han Eunjung was sweating profusely. Of all dungeons, it was Snow Peak of Paulownia. Isnt that the dungeon where the famous trainees are currently having their debut? Come to think of it, that dungeon was not even registered as a wavelength observation in the first place. It was very rare for anything to happen, and no major problem has ever occurred. This is because a prophet who has the only prediction superpower on Earth has done very well at preparing for such a thing when it happens. The same was true of the C-Rank dungeon Snow Peak of Paulownia. I have a bad feeling about this. Once you enter a dungeon, you cant go out until its cleared. In other words, all the people in there were stuck. Fortunately, there were A-Rank and S-Rank senior hunters inside. With that number of people, it may be possible to clear the dungeon, and it was also possible to hold out until the support unit came. Suddenly S-Rank A-rank dungeons were clearly quantified, so if you send a few hunters you can attack it without damage or variables. However, it is different for S-Rank dungeons. Things that dont abide by common sense are bound to occur, and there are deformed monsters that were not registered in the monster database. Its not because S-Rank comes after A-Rank, but because it was impossible to measure S-Rank. She prayed inwardly, turning on the live broadcast in a hurry. I hope nothing happens Kugugu!! Three hours into the dungeon exploration a mutation occurred. Currently, Seodam saw that Celestes ratings were still higher, and judged that everything would go smoothly right up to the boss area. W-what! This isDamn, its a dungeon mutation! Everyone pull back to point-D! Suddenly, there was a dungeon mutation, and a call came from headquarters. [S-Rank] [Weathered Snow Peak of Paulownias three thousand years of bitterness.] [The dungeon has been detected as S-Rank, so try to avoid engagement as much as possible!] It was not the first time Seodam has experienced such a phenomenon. However, other hunters were visibly shaken since it was their first time. Even the S-Rank Jang Hyunsuk. When attacking a S-Rank dungeon or gate, it was advised to have a party of at least three S-Rank superhumans and twenty A-Rank superhumans. Of course, it was possible to attack with fewer numbers. If the number of superhumans were low, vertan hunters could make up for it. However Most of those who gathered here only had five to seven years of experience, and Jang Hyunsuk was a fresh newbie who had just entered his fifth year. In fact, when Seodam was in his fifth year, he wandered the world and encountered many strange things that modern hunters did not. Since we had a 100% clear rate before the dungeon mutation, there was nothing to be embarrassed about if we went down to 99% now. So. Seodam was forced to speak up. Everyone, calm down and listen to me. He was lower in rank than everyone else here. Nevertheless, without realizing it, the superhumans listened to Seodam as if they were possessed. No one could explain why. Were not returning to point-D. Hm? Why? It was ordered by headquarters. The headquarters judgment is wrong. If we retreat from this situation, we will encounter monsters that have regenerated and are stronger. Its better to move forward and build a point-E. Re-regenerated? The hunters learned a new word they were unfamiliar with today. Though of course the regeneration phenomenon wasnt a common thing to happen inside a dungeon. Seodam led the way with his aether blade coated in a blue light. The real battle starts now. Senior hunters will take the lead in protecting the trainees. Ah, yes sir. Hunter Jang Hyunsuk, you will protect from the rear. It was a demand, but Jang Hyunsuk only slightly frowned, then did what Seodam told him. Looking ahead, Seodam exhaled deeply. S-Rank dungeon. Ive attacked it countless times. However, the equipment and colleagues are qualitatively different from then. Even though I have obtained a swordsmanship talent, to clear this S-Rank dungeon with my current equipment was asking for too much. Seodams current plan to overcome this situation was to move to a safe place and wait. The live broadcast was still on, but if we wait it out, the viewers will naturally fall off. But. The plots narrative knows that things are not going well. [When a protagonist is faced with a crisis, the plot of their world will deviate.] [Because of the crisis of losing viewers, the protagonist has awakened a new skill to regain viewers.] [The most suitable environment for the use of the awakened skill has been created.] The protagonist should never be defeated. Even in number of viewers. If Seodam was not here then neither would Celeste, and Lee Yeonjun would have had a stable number of viewers. The plot would have ended without any chance for him to awaken a new skill. They would have successfully cleared this C-Rank dungeon, his ability would have grown slowly, and the skill he probably would have awakened is Attention. However, problems arose once the only person who could escape the influence of the protagonist blessing entered the plot. Lee Yeonjun has not even stabilized his previous ability, Steroids (C), but has already awakened another superpower. A supporting character taking away the protagonists viewers? This was a crisis. Once the plot reaches its climax the protagonist will regain his viewers, completing his sweet revenge. In other words, due to the appearance of Seodam an abnormal phenomenon occurred out of nowhere, and the normal C-Rank dungeon mutated into S-Rank to serve as the stage for the protagonist to stand out. The protagonist was an existence who can make the most out of any situation. Wait! What do you mean the prospects shouldnt take the lead huh? W-who do you think you are? Boom, Pa! Everyones eyes widened when they saw a prospect smashed a monster in the front, as if he would not listen to such cowardice orders. [Wow. What was that?] [Oh, my God. Did I just witness a C-Rank trainee smashing an A-Rank monster?] [(Muscle emoji)] [(Surprised emoji 4x)] [Waaah.] [Was that even possible??] The Viewers reactions were explosive. Lee Yeonjun was still at least C-Rank. In addition, he is a newcomer who had just awakened. It came as a shock when he attacked and defeated an A-Rank monster, who even senior hunters were wary of. Although it was Jang Hyunsuk and Yoo Seodam who actually wounded the monster first, nonetheless, it was noteworthy for a trainee to take the initiative. Viewers naturally began to turn their attention to Lee Yeonjun again. [The Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has increased: 63(+7)] Seodam clenched his teeth. Damn it. Should I just shoot down all the drones? But he soon shook his head There was no need to risk Lee Yeonjun awakening another skill by taking away his viewers. Im sure if I had done it, Lee Yeonjun would have gained another plot armor to overcome it somehow. Resisting his intense urge to destroy all the cameras, Seodam thought of the current situation in his head. Ive only been paying attention to Lee Yeonjun so far, but in fact, the real problem right now is not him. It was this S-Rank dungeon. I suggested we move to point-E first, but will it be safe there? No way. In the first place, the premise that we could hold out in this S-Rank dungeon until reinforcements came was virtually impossible. Perhaps, if this continues, we will be wiped out in less than an hour. The best way to survive is to kill the boss of this dungeon, which is absolutely impossible with this party, but even if it was possible, Lee Yeonjun will definitely awaken more skills. By then, Lee Yeonjun will be so strong that itll be impossible for me to deal with him. Seodam again lamented that he had no superpowers. If he had superpowers, he might have been able to suppress this situation by taking interest away from Lee Yeonjun. However, Yoo Seodam was a F-Rank hunter who had to respond carefully and calmly even against F-Rank monsters. Lee Yeonjun on the other hand was blessed. The ridiculous situation of being in a crisis by falling to the mobs should never happen. Obviously, the combination of Yoo Seodam and Celeste was also doing a good job against the influx of A-Rank monsters who suddenly appeared, but it was not enough. [Skill Attention (A) and skill Power Steroid (C) are out of balance, colliding with each other.] Collision? The moment when Yoo Seodam was hoping for a negative effect, his eyes widened. [The skill Power Steroid (C) has risen to (B)!] [The Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has increased: 77(+8)] This fucker To make matters worse, as Lee Yeonjuns ability awakened to B-Rank, even his Level had risen. The situation is getting worse. I have to do something Ive never experienced such a situation in my life. Ive never even seen a live broadcast, so I dont know how the viewers are watching at all. Then. Two messages appeared in my mind. [The protagonist Lee Yeonjuns skill Power steroid (B) is showing excessive growth rate.] [The protagonist Lee Yeonjun has the potential to acquire the skill Power Frenzy (S).] Huh? Yoo Seodam unconsciously looked into Lee Yeonjuns eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched. Anxiety? Fear? Despair? S-Rank dungeon. Hunting the protagonist who is growing without breaks. Either situation seems impossible, and anyone would feel that way. But Seodam was different. He felt as if his mind was beginning to clear up. Only Drones, broadcasts, S-Rank dungeon, attention seeking protagonist, and the skill Power Frenzy. The corner of Seodams mouth rose. He came up with a way to catch two rabbits, or two sharks, at the same time that seemed impossible to hunt. And to catch sharks, you have to bait them first. Hey, Lee Yeonjun. Yes? Seodam called Lee Yeonjun over, and with his arms on his shoulders, quietly asked. You, do you want to become a celebrity? Chapter 12: Shit. Shit. I really didnt want to, but I forced myself to say the following lines. Lee Yeonjun. Youre still a trainee, but youre already a very good hunter. It was like reading a line from a 1990s cartoonactually, this line wasnt wrong. Was I going crazy saying such cheesy things? I felt like throwing my head against a rock. However, this one sentence was enough to start. The other day, I proved my ability by overpowering a mutated B-Rank monster in my hoodie, and right after the mutation took place earlier when I gave the orders, the viewers responded very well. [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+9).] Its as expected. Although I couldnt see the chat window, Im sure there will be a feast of nasty words. I can tell just by looking at his soaring interest right now. Jang Hyunsuk and the other outstanding veteran hunters recognition of the protagonist was a given. What if it was the guy with the #Broadcast hashtag and an attention-seeking skill? Hell be even more powerful. Good! Lee Yeonjun! Youre indeed great! Oh, are you really a trainee? Dont you want to come under me? That was excellent just now! Lee Yeonjuns interest exploded when I said such clich lines from Korean novels that I wouldnt be caught dead reading. Perhaps, this was due to my identity as an operator in the plot. None of the other 13 hunters had experienced a S-Rank dungeon or dungeon mutation, but I was experienced and even knew a lot about it. Besides, isnt it the natural thing to show interest in Lee Yeonjun like the other senior hunters are? I even used my F-Rank body to make Lee Yeonjun stand out by moving around and luring the monsters as much as I could. Only now did I realize that it was a real challenge not to be seen positively by the drones. Our current position is point-E. With the exception of point-A, which is the entrance of the dungeon, four points were mapped, so it was approximately four hours of travel. For now, point-E looks safe on top of the ridge because of its blindspot, but thats just for now. Obviously, within half an hour, this place will be swarmed with monsters. Thats why even when others were taking a short break at E-Point, I was finishing up my preparations. Then, I called Celeste over. Even though there was a translator I deliberately turned it off and looked at Celeste. She was also sensible enough to turn off her translator. Only me and this little girl can speak Italian here. What about you? Are you alright? Yes. Youre not hurt anywhere? Yes. Thats a relief. Then listen carefully. A little later, Im going to smash Lee Yeonjuns drone. Despite the sudden remark, her face remained calm. Yes. Dont ask why. After I handle the drone Ill signal you to angle your camera at Lee Yeonjun. Yes. Did you forget every word except yes because of the shock? No. Why is her reaction so poor? Anyways, I then called Lee Yeonjun over alone. It was to give him thorough information on every monster in this dungeon. Of course, other hunters were knowledgeable on how to respond to the monsters too. Everyone could mostly predict what monsters would appear here just by looking at the words Snow and Paulownia that made up the name of the dungeon, and would understand how to hunt here. However, the reason why I only told Lee Yeonjun about this. Because the protagonist had to be special. So. Do you understand? Of course! Its great that youre confident. Explaining the monsters weaknesses and rare features that ordinary hunters would not know, Lee Yeonjun listened as if he would not miss a single word. Of course I didnt know everything either. There were many cases where I knew as much as what others knew. Still, every little detail will turn into the protagonists clich. For example, wasnt there something like this? You dont have to know this, but there is a 0.0001% chance of running into a Red Chaos Skull. Well never run into it, but just keep it in mind. Thats the sort of line a side character would say. W-what? The Red Chaos Skull Damn it. What are we supposed to do! The protagonist will turn into reality. Even the senior hunters were taken back when they saw the Red Chaos Skull, which has a 0.0001% chance of appearing, and only Lee Yeonjun rushed at it. However, they were not afraid because even though the original B-Rank monster had turned into an A-Rank, it only had sharp claws that ripped through the air. Though, it was still too much for Lee Yeonjun to handle it alone with his current power. So although Lee Yeonjun didnt hunt it without the help of me, Jang Hyun-suk, and other hunters, it didnt matter. Aside from successfully killing it, it was important that only Lee Yeonjun was shown to bravely rush at the monster while everyone else was flustered. Very good! With compliments come [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+10).] This is how it is. Now none of the remaining six trainees are a match for Lee Yeonjun. He was already in the limelight, and after this, he will surely make a name for himself as the new C-Rank hunter who took the lead in attacking a S-Rank dungeon. The current viewers who were watching this broadcast will also spread the news, and soon the numbers will rise. [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+11).] [Protagonist Lee Yeonjun is showing excessive growth rate.] [Probability of a clich occurring reduced.] The first way to clear the S-Rank dungeon By forcely strengthening the protagonist and having him carry. The fact that it became a S-Rank dungeon and stage for Lee Yeonjun. Even if he stays still, Lee Yeonjun will somehow get out of this alive. However, will all side characters be able to survive? That was the first problem, and the second problem was that if the dungeon was cleared normally, only one of two rabbits would be caught. Im a skilled hunter. If two rabbits come into my sight, I must catch both. Pew! Without even looking, I sneaked a pistol with a silencer attached to it out of my waist and shot down the first drone. Lee Yeonjun, who had an increasing number of viewers, has just experienced an artificial crisis. This was not a clich made by the plot, but a crisis I forced myself. Huh? Shouted the bewildered Lee Yeonjun, then messages that only I could see appeared in my mind. [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+3).] [The state of the protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed excessively.] [Protagonist Lee Yeonjun has a strong chance to acquire the skill Power Frenzy (S).] [Protagonist Lee Yeonjuns skill Power Steroid (B) has responded to a crisis.] [Protagonist Lee Yeonjuns skill Attention (A) has risen to A+.] Again, as expected, as soon as a crisis came, the response came immediately. However, there is no need to make the crisis worse right now. I signaled Celeste as we planned earlier. Then she nodded and hurried up to Lee Yeonjun. Lets share my drone. Can I? Yes. Lee Yeonjuns eyes glistened after hearing the stiff Korean words coming out of the translator. The reaction came immediately. [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+13).] [The state of the protagonist Lee Yeonjun is showing excessive changes.] Oh, its working. In fact, it was slightly an experiment sending Celeste. There were other safety nets. One of the most important bittersweet moments for the protagonist was with the opposite gender, so I wanted to experiment with it. And the experiment turned out to be successful. If Celeste was a man and Lee Yeonjun was a woman, the result would have been the same. The existence of the opposite genders goodwill when the protagonist is faced with a crisis. That alone will give the protagonist strength. Because this was also a clich. With the combined viewers, the total number of viewers have increased tremendously. [Protagonist Lee Yeonjuns skill Power Steroid (B) growth potential has occurred.] There is no more crisis. In the first place, when the dungeon mutated into S-Rank, we had already reached the deepest part of the dungeon. Lee Yeonjun and Celeste continued to bond while sharing the drone. Arriving in front of the boss area, I gathered the hunters and explained about the boss. Speaking briefly. I explained the rough patterns and cautions because it was not necessary to elaborate. Anyways, the boss fight is supposed to be the protagonists solo. The boss area was at the top of a tree with a huge flower in the middle. Its called the Sun Tan Flower. As its name implies, it was a flower that enjoyed tanning in the sun at the top of the tree. Originally, it would have been a branch-like monster as the boss, but now there is a named monster due to the dungeon turning into S-Rank. Before the boss fight, we need to check each persons condition. After saying that, I called Lee Yeonjun over and took out a red syringe from my pocket. It wasnt just a simple drug, it was a health potion. Modern potions have employed the injection method, as its the easiest and fastest way to heal rather than through drinking or spraying. This is because it is possible to maximize efficiency by injecting directly into the bloodstream. Youre hurt. Ill heal you. Ohthank you. Potions are super expensive. So I never use it on others. Naturally. Lee Yeonjun had no intention of refusing the offer from the start. As I moved his arm away, I could see it. Bluish veins were bulging out. Its as expected. It is now the last part of the plan. Lee Yeonjun! When I suddenly shouted loudly, the hunters who were quiet, quickly focused their attention on me. You, whats with your arm! H-huh? What the hell is this? Slowly backing away, I quickly put the precious potion syringe back into my pocket and took out my pistol and aimed it at Lee Yeonjun. In fact, the aether pistol doesnt work that well against B-Rank superhumans. However, acting was key in this situation. No way, youyoure doing aether doping? Ah n-no! Something is wro- Woosh. With stiff expressions, every senior hunter present pointed their weapon at Lee Yeonyun. Blue veins. There was no hunter here who didnt know. Including the viewers. Thats a sign when you force an injection of drugs, including aether, to boost your ability, known as doping. Hunters who did aether doping have a very high probability of becoming mutants. Lee Yeonjun is the protagonist. If it had been the way it was, this would not have happened to him. But I already knew. The fact that Lee Yeonjun awakened through a drug I dont know about and that it is related to aether doping. However, normal people were unable to withstand that drug, and only Lee Yeonjun was able to withstand it because of his fraudulent skill Power Steroid. Power Steroid. At first glance, it seems like a skill created by doping, but it was actually a skill that increased the doping digestion rate. In other words, even drugs that would have made normal people crazy, Lee Yeonjun perfectly digested them through this skill. And since it was difficult for Lee Yeonjun to display his full strength as a C-Rank, I forced him to tire himself out earlier. Then, I injected him with a potion to rile up the dormant aether drug in his body to the point where the Power Steroid skill couldnt withstand it and became visible on the skin. The reaction was explosive. From the hunters? No. From the viewers. [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+15).] [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+16).] [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+17).] Aether doping was not uncommon even though it was banned by international law. Lee Yeonjun, who was called a rising star trainee and gained overwhelming recognition from everyone, turned out to be doping. It was enough to elicit an explosive response. Although I cant tell because I cant watch the broadcast, surely the chat will be updated to an unreadable level, and there will be countless viewers coming from social network sites. This completes the reason to kill the protagonist. No one will oppose me killing Lee Yeonjun now. YooHunter Seodam. Please give us your orders. What should we do? Asked Jang Hyunsuk with a quivering voice. But I waited silently. Social death. It became too much of a crisis for Lee Yeonjun. In the end, the skill, which was on the verge of awakening, will awaken. [The protagonist Lee Yeonjun has gained the skill Blood Rage (S+).] [Level of protagonist Lee Yeonjun has changed: 77(+33).] Huh What do you mean Blood Rage? Wasnt it supposed to be Power Frenzy? Youve gained a skill thats a little stronger than I thought, but its no problem. Youre our only hope. Mister hunter Yoo Seodam! What should we do?! Hunter Yoo Seodam! Theyre crying out for me from all sides. You bastards, at first you treated me like a nobody, now youre suddenly looking for me? Such simple mindedness. It is extremely rare for a S-Rank skill to have side effects. Because it was a skill that only a very few selected people could have. Skills that make you lose your reason and run wild in exchange for overwhelming power. Some say they cant use it for fear of hurting their colleagues, but it was hard for me to understand. Anyway, when you dont have power, youll feel envious of others. Aaaahhhh!! When Lee Yeonjun shouted, the 3rd-Grade suit he was wearing broke and his size grew huge. [Protagonist Lee Yeonjun has entered the Mana Poisoning state.] I frowned at the message. Originally, he had bluish skin, but after transforming, his skin turned red. Isnt this similar to the B-Rank mutant I killed at Konkuk University Station the other day? Wait. Ill take care of it. I pointed my pistol at Lee Yeonjun and fired. Bang! The shot briefly reverberated. Lee Yeonjun ran towards me. At that time, I was already running for the boss monster Sun Tan Flower. Boom! The Sun Tan Flower sensed me and shot a giant stalk down. At that moment, Lee Yeonjun, who was running towards me, was directly hit by it. Everyone should have heard of the name Lee Yeonjun by now. The reason why the main character has grown to such an extent. With social death, the side characters can live. If there are two enemies. Why dont you make them fight? The number of viewers kept increasing. In addition to his Blood Rage (S+) and mutation, Lee Yeonjun gained explosive growth due to the number of viewers. His state has reached the level of a decent ranker, but he will probably have lasting side effects even if he returns to his original form. The fight was devastating. Everything that weve learned so far cant compare to this, the bloody struggle between two ignorant and cruel beasts biting, scratching, and hurting each other. Senior hunters, including myself, played the role of balancing both sides. It is to make Lee Yeonjun, who was attacking the Sun Tan Flower, even more tired. The Sun Tan flower had no time to care about us because we only shot from afar, and Lee Yeonjun also had no time to look back at us while battling the Sun Tan Flower. Finally, the Sun Tan Flower fell down. As Lee Yeonjun roared in anger, I tilted my head. You still have the power to scream? Get rid of the camera. [Protagonist Lee Yeonjuns skill Attention (A) has been deactivated.] Before long, Lee Yeonjun, who had lost all his power, was hit by the combined superpowers of the senior hunters who were waiting patiently. Only All I had to do was fire the finishing touch. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 77 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 2.] [770 days of lifespan has been rewarded.] [Remaining Lifespan: 1423 days, 9 hours, 36 minutes.] [Emergency mission completed successfully!] [You can randomly absorb two of their talents or skills.] [Do you wish to absorb it?] Chapter 13: The small debut in Korea has ended. The small debut in Korea has ended. It was broadcast live over the internet, and most of the viewers were Korean due to the fact that 13 of the 14 hunters and prospects were Korean. However, after the incident. Videos of the debut have begun to spread throughout the world. The reasons were simple. A dungeon mutation phenomenon occurred in which a C-Rank dungeon upgraded to S-Rank. And an aspiring hunter who faked awakening as a superhuman by aether doping. Even with such problems, they managed to clear the S-Rank dungeon with only 14 people. If you look at each problem separately, the response would have only been, Oh, another incident like that happened? But when you combined both things, it became a hot issue. First, topics about the rise and fall of C-Rank trainee Lee Yeonjun. Lee Yeonjun, the first person to finally awaken as a superhuman through hard work and diligence. Having made his debut as a C-Rank superhuman, many people around the world were already familiar with him. Even though he has no superpowers, the world was filled with people who really wanted to be a hunter, and so Lee Yeonjun became their ray of hope. But. It was all a lie. [Lee Yeonjun! Whats with your arm!] As soon as the mans voice was heard in the video, the camera panned to Lee Yeonjuns arm. It was a clear sign of aether doping. People were shocked and lamented. The higher the star, the greater the impact from the fall. Not just that, Lee Yeonjun lost control of himself due to anger from having his secret revealed, which eventually led to the worst possible side effect of aether doping, Mana Poisoning. Soon after, the video showed Lee Yeonjun chasing a hunter named Yoo Seodam, then everything became a mess, and the video ended with the words get rid of the camera. The details of the second half were not available. However, there is only one important point. The 13 hunters and trainees faced both the power of the A-Rank mutant and S-Rank dungeon boss without a single death, and won. In that case. Another question rose about how it had been done. It was natural for the name Jang Hyunsuk, who had the highest rank among the seven veteran hunters, to be brought up. S-Rank dungeons required at least three S-Rank superhumans, and at least twenty A-Rak superhumans to support them. Then, the conclusion is that S-Rank Jang Hyunsuk was better than people thought. It was normal to conclude that But. It wasnt that. It was F-Rank hunter Yoo Seodams perfect leadership Thats what all the hunters who survived, including Jang Hynsuk, said. Without Yoo Seodams strategy and knowledge, they would not have survived. In fact, he supported his D-Rank trainee without much presence throughout the video, but only began to show his presence the moment the dungeon mutation occurred. In a way it was similar to a professional athlete watching a practice soccer game quietly, then schooling the students as soon as he stepped onto the field. He immediately took the authority from Jang Hyunsuk and even ignored the orders from headquarters so he could decisively lead the party safely. Nobody knew how it happened, but Yoo Seodam was the first to notice the dangerous state of Lee Yeonjun, and how to take advantage of it to subue both threats. Yoo Seodam, you punk. Wasnt it only a few days that you were discharged from the hospital? Late afternoon, Incheon International Airport. Taylor Nine, sitting cross-legged on a bench at an outdoor bus stop, twirled her hair while looking at the articles on her smartphone. Im glad youre still active. Everyone passing by glanced at her. Certainly, Taylor Nine looks could be called unique. Short silver hair, golden pupils, nine piercings on her ears, a lightly exposed dress that was not suitable for the current cold weather, and a fierce but beautiful face, together it made for a striking appearance. Isnt that the S-Rank hunter, Taylor Nine? What? The one thats active in Europe? Wow. Awesome. Shes so pretty. Should we try talking to her? Does she speak English? Taylor Nine turned her head sharply as people around her began to whisper in Korean. Then, she spoke in very clear Korean. What are you looking at? Get lost! W-what? You understand Korean, dont you? Whats your problem The disgruntled passerby hurried on their way after seeing Taylor Nines fierce eyes. After they left, Taylor Nine turned back to her smartphone. [Guild Lost Days statement on the mana poisoning] [New scandal on Lost Day.] [Total denial of the mutant.] Koreas giant guild Lost Day, little by little, was faltering. It was very interesting to her. Because not long ago it was where Seodam was strangled like a slave. Good. You little bastards. Of course, Lost Day was a giant guild and wasnt hurt too badly by just a few scandals. But for some reason Taylor Nine was quite happy that Lost Day was shaken even a little. Taylor Nine sprang up from her seat, stretched out, and soon smiled. It would have been great if she could help Seodam, but it was difficult coming to Korea with the number of cases she had to deal with. Its been a long since since weve gone on a hunt together, so Im going to ask him while hes not in a guild. Boom!! The sandbag, which was struck by my fists, eventually busted open. With my hands on the wall, I gasped for air as my whole body shook in excitement. Three days after the S-Rank dungeon. Ive been experimenting with my abilities, and now I can safely say. That my physical ability has finally made it to E-Rank. My whole body is overflowing with energy. This is the power gained through leveling up. In addition, I successfully hunted Lee Yeojun and was able to steal one talent and skill from him. [Lee Yeonjuns talent Deprived (A) has been absorbed.] My face soured when I saw this message. [Lee Yeonjuns skill Attention (A+) has been absorbed.] Then, I was filled with great expectations when I saw this message. Attention. How powerful did Lee Yeonjun become through this skill? However, as expected, it was not a normal skill. [The skill was created by forcibly twisting the worlds clich.] [The acquisition of the skill Attention (A+) has been canceled.] Then, when I was disappointed because I thought I had wasted one chance. [Under the influence of clich, you may choose one talent or skill to absorb, except for the canceled skill.] In other words, it wasnt wasted. In return for not being able to absorb a skill the protagonist had, I was given the option to choose one skill or talent. This, wouldnt it be great if it happened every time in the future? With such a thought, I checked the list of skills and talents Lee Yeonjun had. Talents Deprived (A) Knitting (B+) Beauty (C-) Study (D+) Charm (D) Youthfullness (E) Flexibility (F) Skills Berserk (S+) Attention (A+) Power Steroid (B) Wind Step (B) Warriors Breath (E) As expected, he had various skills and talents. Really, I cant believe he had all these talents. Like, what was the knitting talent for? To be honest, my hands were shaking looking at Berserk (S+). S-Rank superpower. It was also a superpower in the side-effect category, which has unparalleled power. However. The side-effect could not be controlled, and it is a fatal disadvantage not being able to activate it when I want, as well as losing my rationale when it did. Which meant a very sharp double-edged sword. Rather than that, I wanted an ability that was immediately beneficial. After much thought, I chose this. [The skill Wind Step (D) has been absorbed.] A skill that has a high potential to grow, and can complement my slow movements. It was a movement series skill. Superpowers can grow through training, even if they start out low rank. Of course, I was often blocked by the limits of my talent, but now I dont have to worry about that anymore. So I boldly absorbed a low rank skill. Power Steroid and Berserk were the better choices now, but it is better to build a solid foundation for the future than to be blinded by short term gains. With this, Ive obtained a suitable skill, so I was satisfied. Suddenly, a message appeared. Talent Intuition A and Deprived A have resonated. [Skill Sixth Sense (F) has been created.] Out of nowhere, my talents resonated and a new skill was created. That, too, was a skill that I needed very much. Has there ever been anyone else who have experienced two talents resonating with each other? Talents were something people were born with. Unless there is a way to absorb other peoples talents. Ive always had a good intuition. When I felt like I was going to die, or when a real crisis came, or when I felt something was wrong. It was only when I started hunting protagonists did I realize this was my talent. Intuition (A) talent. Then Deprived (A) was gained. [You can now sense things that the five senses cant.] Although the rank was still low, and I couldnt feel anything right, it was fine. I had no choice but to avoid monsters in advance before, but now Ive improved my ability. In addition, the level of the Protagonist Hunter had risen. [By successfully hunting three protagonists, the level of Protagonist Hunter has risen by 2.] [Increased the weight limit to 30kg.] [From now on you can grasp the flow of the protagonists story.] [Any changes the protagonist makes to their worlds plot, you will be able to sense it.] To be honest. I dont know what that means. I just thought it must be a good thing if it had risen in level. Status Window. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 27) Attributes Strength: 25 Stamina: 24 Agility: 26 Vitality: 1 Mana: 12 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Intuition (A) Deprived (A) Sharpshooter (C) Hunting (D) Cooking (D-) Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 2 White Swordsmanship (S) Wind Step (D) Sixth Sense (F) Frankly speaking, this was enough for me to live my life leisurely, but I had no intention of stopping here. Someone approached me as I was cleaning up the smashed sandbag after I checked my ability. Turning my head, Celeste stood in her casual clothes. It was a bit of a surprise because Ive only seen her in her uniform or suit. A peach dress under a mink coat and black stocking stretched below it. Seeing her neatly braided hair and light makeup, she seemed to be preparing for something. Are you going somewhere? When I was thinking that, she with a sullen look spoke. Lets go buy your equipment. What? Oh, thats right. I just remembered that I was owed three 2nd-Grade equipment for helping her as a senior hunter. But Do I need to come with you? Then Celeste closed her lips, contemplated something, and soon nodded. Yes Really? As far as I know, that wasnt the case. In the first place, even the vouchers of a workshop can be sent through the phone. If I just press a button on my smartphone to send the request, everything will be okay. But in a pretty determined voice. I cant go without you. Thats what she said, so in the end I had no choice but to go. By the way, it was 2nd-Grade. Although its not as good as it used to be, it was still 10 to 20 times more expensive than the 3rd-Grade equipment Im using now and is worth the price. Wait a minute. With such equipment, wouldnt it be possible to hunt down unique protagonists? For example, a mage. Magic was still an unknown ability to me, and I knew very little, but it wouldnt be for long if Im given enough time. Ive seen enough of how mages fought when I hunted the Holy Sword the other day. Only I dont know much about magic. There was a high possibility that I wouldnt be able to use the skill even if I obtain one. It means I dont just need magic skills, but talent as well. And I had seen the perfect opportunity earlier. #Student_Turned_Out_To_Be_A_Magic_Genuis #Fantasy #Regression #Academy #Harem A protagonist with the hashtag genius. It gave off the smell of talent. For that reason, while I was buying equipment with Celeste, I was also finishing up the last preparation to hunt a mage. Chapter 14: Seoul, Korea. Seoul, Korea. There is a very special alley in Yongsan District. This alley was home to many workshops. For the last 30 years, the development of aether has paved the way for new technology. And because of that, the blacksmithing job was revitalized, and this alley was proof of that. From 1st-Grade through 3rd-Grade blacksmiths who dealt with billions of won of materials to even unlicensed 4th-Grade blacksmiths who handled defective goods. They were all gathered here at Yongsan Aether Shopping Center. About 30 years ago this place used to be an electronic shopping mall, but has since changed to a place that dealt with aether-related things, and was frequented by hunters who lacked money but urgently needed equipment. December. The season of snow and chilly weather. Seodam walked in sweatpants and a black padded jacket. There was a huge difference from Celestes proper attire, who was walking beside him. Celestes eyes glistened looking at the rows of blacksmiths on the street. They were slightly different from the blacksmiths of the old, but it wasnt actually much different if you consider the idea of melting aether and hammering it. Is this your first time here? Yes. I havent been here before. Youre going to continue following me, arent you? Seodam looked at Celeste, who followed him here, suspiciously. Ive never noticed it before, but she stood out too much. Compared to Seodam who looked common in every way, Celeste had an overly lively appearance. No matter how common foreigners have become, her beautiful and lustrous blonde hair will stand out not only in Korea but also everywhere else. But even with the suspicious glare from Seodam, Celeste quietly followed him. Celeste had a lot of questions about Seodam. Name, age, hometown, siblings, parents, where did you learn swordsmanship, where do you usually hunt, whats your relationship with Lost Day, etc Really, It was simple curiosity. An unusual F-Rank hunter who has a stronger presence than even S-Rank. For Celeste, who had seen so many geniuses in the world at such a young age of 17, the existence of Yoo Seodam was unique. What kind of equipment do you use? The age of internet orders. Equipment was no different. There were many excellent equipment available in online stores, parts were available at a lower price, and the various reviews made it possible to compare products. So people who bought equipment in person are usually divided into two categories. People with eyes so discerning that they dont need information from others, and people who dont know anything. Celeste knew there was not much of a difference in prices between aether stores and online stores, moreso merchants knew it was impossible to collude to drive up prices. So, she became more curious. What kind of eyes does a hunter like Yoo Seodam have when hes choosing his equipment? Is there a way to get better equipment? Of course. Everyone knows of it ever since this place was an electronic store. A method that literally everyone knew. A method that can be used by everyone, and no one. Such is the case that the method has become a legend. Seodam entered the interior of the tranquil electronic shopping mall. This is Yongsan. Also known as the second dungeon. Instead of betting ones life, they betted their wallet here. A horrifying place where one wrong move and you could be stripped bare. Yoo Seodam stopped and stood confidently. Its quiet. Its the weekday morning with no customers. But why did you suddenly stop in the middle of the street? Celeste thought about it, then wore her translator device on her ears to translate Korean. Suddenly, Yoo Seodam shouted. Aether Photodynamic Interface 1.20 million won! What? 3, 2, 1. Celeste thought, what crazy situation is this? The moment she had such a thought. Hey, its in great condition. 1.20 million won! Used goods. 1.17 million won! What? Its worth at least 1.15 million won! 1.10 million won! 1.08 million won! Hey! You have no morals! 1.05 million won! For this little thing, 1.03 million! The merchant hesitated after hearing 1.03 million, and like a death blow from Seodam, the transaction closed. 1.03 million won. Sold! Celeste made a this is ridiculous expression while looking at Seodam, but it wasnt over. Aethertaker Hollow Point 1,200ft. 1.20 million won starting bid! Seodam had purchased 12 more equipment here, totaling 20 million won. It would have cost between 25-30 million won, so it could be seen how much he had haggled. Though of course Seodam didnt randomly buy things just because of its price. If there was even one defective bullet, he would cut the price even more or packed a few more bullets. He would also check the items in the aether dispenser very carefully and meticulously. After purchasing all other necessities, Seodam with a satisfied look, spoke. Lets go check the 2nd-Grade equipment now. Yes. Celeste, wearing a Korean translator, was able to understand the conversation between Seodam and the merchants, albeit awkwardly. To be honest, she was a little exhausted now. Because this wasnt what she had in mind. So she didnt expect much when he said they would go check the 2nd-Grade equipment. However. The moment they entered the 1st-Grade blacksmiths shop. Celeste saw Yoo Seodams eyes change. It was the eyes of a veteran hunter staring down a beast. Woosh! After ejecting the metal blade from an aether blade, Seodam flicked the blade lightly with his finger. Then while stroking it slowly, he spoke. Dont you think the aether coating is too much? What are you talking about? Dont you need at least that much to be able to cut a monster? If this is activated for more than three hours it will overheat and stop working. Why is the cooling on this thing so shit? Thatsto make it more portable. Lightweight and small things are in fashion these days, but does it have to cut down on the lifespan of the equipment? Seodam then took out every piece of equipment the blacksmith had and scrutinized them one by one. Until finally the blacksmith became dispirited. In the end, he only bought a bullet. Why did you buy that? Spoils of war. The same happened with other blacksmiths. Equipment was a hunters life. Not to mention the defense, if the weapons dont work properly, the strong and weak hunters would be helpless. Celeste, like being possessed, followed Seodam around like a puppy. She recalled the equipment she had used so far. The finest equipment the family had prepared. She didnt know why they were good, and only used them because she was told it was so. Things she never knew about like their proper usages. Now she understood a little bit. She now felt that she could handle the equipment more efficiently. Seodam had taken 12 more bullets since then, and half a day had already passed, but Celeste didnt even notice. However, by now, rumors about them had spread, and the blacksmiths started refusing them service. No service! Why? I heard everything. You dont even buy anything and just do all sorts of shit! Watch out for the suspicious hunter who goes around with a pretty girl. The blacksmiths at Yongsan Aether Shopping Center were already wary of them. Seodam, with a troubled look, nodded. Hm what am I supposed to do when I dont see anything I like? Lets go check another place. There is nothing I can do if merchants gang up on me. When Seodam gave up and tried to take his business elsewhere, Celeste suddenly took out her smartphone and began filming here and there, including the sign of the shop. The blacksmith wondered what the little girl was trying to do, but unfortunately, she only brought a hearing translator and not a speaking translator. Why are you filming? (Italian language) Aha. Youre going to post a review on your blog? (Italian language) Youre posting it on social media? Come to think of it, didnt you say you made an account recently? But thats too much. You already have so many followers. What if you start a rumor here? (Italian language) Huh? Kicking out innocent customers? I think so too Hey, wait! Lets do business! Come! Come in! The 21st century. An era in which social media is common. It was no secret to anyone. The scariest thing was not a hunter like Seodam, but a blogger. It was a good shopping trip. I think so too. Late evening. Seodam smiled contently at the full shopping bags in his hands. In the end, he bought two average high performance 2nd-Grade equipment and still had money leftover, but couldnt find what he wanted for the last equipment. And Celeste, who followed Seodam, picked up many miscellaneous equipment she normally wouldnt use. Im sorry I wasnt able to buy the last one, but it couldnt be helped. While leaving the shopping district, Seodam suddenly noticed an old building that stood out. There were many places that handled aether equipment, but that place was unique. It was a place that only dealt with guns. Though, it wasnt the only place to do so, even if it is rare. Especially if its at an aether shopping mall. The old sign that reads 3rd-Grade caught Celestes eyes, but Seodam headed there as if possessed. When the old glass door opened, the stale smell of gunpowder assaulted their senses. Guns used to deal with monsters contained aether, not gunpowder. In other words, this blacksmith specializes not only in aether guns, but vintage guns as well. He was also one of the two remaining blacksmiths in the modern era to still be dealing with such firearms. An old craftsman whos unable to forget the past, or just an old craftsman who loves guns. In Seodams opinion, the owner of this place was the latter. This is because aether guns were more profitable. This isart, isnt it? He slowly stroked a gun hanging on the wall. With a look as if he was appreciating a beautiful piece of art, Seodam looked at each of the obvious mass produced guns that must have been put out for sale. Ho. You have a keen eye. People without superpowers are good at using guns. Said an old man, keenly walking out from the inner door. Seodam looked at him and asked. How did you know I dont have superpowers? Anyone can tell at a glance. The calluses and eyes tell me theyve fought on the battlefield, but people with superpowers dont use guns. But you know a lot about guns, isnt it to cover your weakness of not having superpowers? Ather bullets were also expensive. However, superhumans alone easily surpassed the power of guns. Unlike bullets, it is difficult to maintain the power of an aether blade, so I rarely used it under normal circumstances. But ordinary people had to cover their weakness of not having superpowers somehow, thus, with tears of blood they used guns that cost hundreds of thousands per shot. So unless they die, ordinary hunters either quit being hunters or they became gun experts. And hunters who are the latter usually die shortly after. I dont know if theres anything here that would interest a hunter like yourself Said the old man, but in fact, there was one thing that caught his eyes since he came here. Whats that? The gun that Seodam pointed to was as long as a sniper rifle and as thick as a machine gun. I knew at once when I saw it that it was made with the essence of aether science, but for some reason it looked to be an ornament. Thats a modified DK-001 Crossbow Shooter that can shoot six bullets at a time. C-crazy. Crossbow Shooter It has to be at least 2nd-Grade. There was just one problem, the Crossbow Shooter was too heavy for ordinary people to carry around. Furthermore, it was even modified to fire six bullets If theres one problem, its that this monster is hard to use unless someone has at least E-Rank physical strength. It may be possible to carry it around and use it as a F-Rank Hunter. However, on the battlefield where you need to respond quickly to every situation, carrying such a heavy load will make it difficult to move nimbly. So thats the dilemma. There is no reason for superhumans to use guns, and it was difficult for ordinary people to use. He was right. Yoo Seodam had E-Rank ability now, and if he wielded an aether blade with the ability of White Swordsmanship and Swordsmanship (A) he wouldnt need that monster monstrous gun. Thats only if you excluded very special cases. But, Seodam no longer hunted only monsters. The next prey was none other than a mage, and their strength was to fight from afar. Do you think theyll allow you to get close with just a sword, or shooting a pistol? They are also smart enough to have a variety of methods to prevent people from doing so. To break through the unusual magic barrier used by mages, powerful distant means were needed. Ill buy it. The shopping trip ended. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. The inspection of all my equipment had long been completed. While I had to give up other equipment except for the most essential ones, a gun called Mega Shooter was strapped to my back. An aether coat as well as a highly charged mega shooter, aether blade, and 2nd-Grade equipment to deal with mages. My wallet is in tatters, but if I can succeed in hunting a mage, this amount of investment will be worth it. Give me the next mission. [ ] Hey. Client? [ Sorry. I was taking a short break. ] You take breaks? No matter when I called, you always answered me, so I thought it was a 24-hour service. Im ready. #Student_Turned_Out_To_Be_A_Magic_Genuis #Fantasy #Regression #Academy #Harem [Traveling to Vivienda Magic Empire. The world of the Level 70 protagonist, Fiolen.] [1098] My vision briefly flickered, and when I opened my eyes again. [210] [Travel completed.] [You became a Magic Combat guest professor at Vivienda Magic High Academy.] A whole new world came into view. ! The first thing I saw was the sky. Through a window, the blue clouds roamed. The sky felt too close. So I went close to the window, and when I looked down. The view of a bottomless cliff welcomed me. Crazy. Then, I saw a huge building, floating in midair. There were crystal balls and even some winged lizards gliding through the sky. I stepped back slowly, unable to contain bewilderment. No matter how advanced magic is, was this possible? I slowly looked around. I was in an office with an unusual style. The desk was full of books with leather covers, but it was impossible to understand them even though I could read it. [Brief Study of Eurwens Third Law of Magic (1098P)] [Solving the Paradox of Trigonometric by Fairy Eleden] [Essence of Magic (1st edition)] Whats this? I was slowly looking over the books when suddenly the door behind me opened and someone came in. Professor Yoo! A man suddenly rushed at me. What? Are you looking for a fight? Just in case, I placed a hand on my aether blade even though I could not sense any hostility. Professor, what are you still doing here! Freshman Mana Circling Orientation has started! Professor? Only Yes! Me? Yes!! I was dumbfounded and tried to refute, but suddenly this man grabbed me by the wrist. Professor, hurry up before youre any later! ? Yes. I became a professor in a world of magic. Chapter 15 Willis, who introduced himself as my 1st-Grade Combat Magic assistant, led me somewhere while constantly moving his mouth. He was awfully talkative. Isnt it really exciting? Three geniuses entered Vivienda Academy at the same time! Uh, yeah. Its amazing. But theres just one problem. [ Vivienda Magic Academy was founded 500 years ago by the wizard Linecare. He built the school on a giant structure 10km above ground to keep non-mages from entering. ] There are not only one but two people talking right now. [ .The academy is powered by the greatest Mana Stone of this world ] Hey. [ What. Go ahead. ] Why are you talking so much all of a sudden? [ Your skill Protagonist Hunter is now level 2, making it possible to understand the worlds plot. ] Really? But it doesnt matter. Okay thats enough, quiet down. If there are two existences explaining things, it is better to listen to the one that was explaining the more useful information. While the Client was explaining the useless history of the school, assistant Willis was explaining the current situation, so it was obvious who I should be listening to. [ Okay.] Somehow, the Client who was always emotionless hid her presence as if she had become quite sullen. Thats whyProfessor? Are you listening? That was very interesting. What? Its interesting that Principal Matalanis wig fell off during a speech? Different people find different things interesting. Ah, I see. Willis, who quickly nodded, went on to explain. So, who do you think will get the highest mark in this circling? What are you talking about? I didnt understand, so I decided to flip the question. What do you think? UhI think itll be Gurim who scored 2nd place in the entrance exam. Although hes weak at theory, his mana circling which has been handed down from generations is excellent. Professor, dont you think so? I dont know, you bastard. In the first place, whats circling? Well, Mazelon who entered 3rd is also great. I really dont know how a person from a fallen family managed to achieve Tier 2 circles. Hes really a genius. If the family was intact, the top spot wouldnt be out of the question. I agree. Of course for the most part they did very well He shrugged his shoulders and giggled. Though, neither their theory nor practice is comparable to Araceli, who got a perfect score and the top grade in overwhelming fashion. 1st place, Araceli. 2nd place, Gurim. 3rd place, Mazelon. The protagonists name was Fiolen, so it was none of these. However, the protagonist may be using an alias, so I dont want to completely rule out the possibility that one of those three is the protagonist since genius was the hashtag of this world. Maybe, were going to record the biggest magic grade in the history of Vivienda Magic Academy today. While we were talking, me and Willis arrived at a huge gate at the end of a corridor. There were quite a few young children around wearing strange capes. I guess theyre students of this academy. Lets go. The door opened. A huge auditorium appeared in front of me. Uh The auditorium, which was reminiscent of an olympic stadium, was arranged like a spiral. At the very center was a blue crystal and a chandelier-like seat floating in midair. Your seat is over there, Professor. Said Willis as he hurried away. Crazy, it was so damn high. I lightly walked up the escalator-like structure and sat down in the seat. After sitting for about five minutes, the rest of the professors sat down. Pa! All right, everybody quiet down! As I looked down, an old mage sitting in the center drew my attention. His voice was so powerful that it echoed throughout the auditorium even though he quietly spoke. This years batch of freshmens will now begin their circling. After a short round of applause. One by one, students in green capes began to descend the spiral staircase. Only then did I know what circling is. Just as physical examinations quantify the energy possessed by superhumans on Earth, circling was a way of measuring the mana possessed by mages of this world. And how hunters took a strength test at each entrance and graduation ceremony during high school. The mages mana were also publicly measured by that blue crystal ball. 1st Year. Theory Magic department, Zandarite. Mana, 31. Waah There was a burst of exclamation from the surrounding students. The light from the crystal ball seemed unusual to me, but apparently the mana was quite high. Since then, other students have put their hands on the crystal ball and the average number ranged from 10 to 20. Soon, the faculties quietly began to whisper amongst themselves. Hes finally here. Is that child Mazelon? It should be, yes. A boy with distinct features walked up and placed his hand on the crystal ball. He was Mazelon, the third place student. 1st Year. Combat Magic department, Mazelon Verith. Mana, 46. A commotion broke out. Oh my Isnt that enough to be Tier 3 circles already? Unbelievable. Mazelon is probably a genius. However, he was not the protagonist. This is because no hashtags appeared above his head. One suspect down. About thirty students later, the second suspect appeared. This student was Gurim. Something about his face makes him look cunning and mean. 1st Year. Combat Magic department, Gurim Hainbul. Mana, 49. Once again the hall became noisy. HuhEvery year its rare seeing even one student with mana over 30 enrolling, whats going on with this batch of students this time! There were talks among the professors, but Gurim is also not the protagonist. Soon a hundred students came and went. Finally, the last suspect appeared. With straight black hair, a lively-faced girl placed her hand on the crystal ball. [Support character Araceli uses Araceli Mana Circling MK-2 (C).] What is this? A supporting character? The moment such a question arose. 1st Year. Combat Magic department, Araceli Linecare. Mana, 52. A disturbance, which is incomparable to previous, filled the auditorium. Even the professors seemed to be amazed and were left speechless. ReallyThe rumor once in a thousand year genius was not a lie. Theres also another rumor that she inherited the blood of the great mage Linkare. But at the age of 17, the mana of 52 doesnt make sense. Her body wont be able to handle it. What is she going to do? As expected, Araceli being the top student had the highest mana, but unfortunately she is not the protagonist either. What was that? Whether or not she could sense my disturbed mind, Araceli straightened her shoulders in triumph. She seems to be the prideful type. But I dont care. I have to find the protagonist. Then. All of a sudden the auditorium became noisy. A scruffy boy was approaching the crystal ball. Haha, what a pitiful commoner. Of all things to be the next student after Araceli. Tsk. Does he even have mana? I cant believe such a fellow got into the school. I could hear the whispers of the student, but I mostly ignored it. Because I could clearly see hashtags floating above the boys head. #Student_Turned_Out_To_Be_A_Magic_Genuis #Fantasy #Regression #Academy #Harem He was none other than Fiolen. The protagonist of this world. Hes the protagonist? Fiolen placed his hand on the crystal ball without even caring if others were looking or not. Then, a clear blue glow came out that is not even comparable to the ones previously. [Protagonist Fiolen used the skill Araceli Mana Circling MK-40 (SS)] A mysterious message appeared in my mind. Immediately the professor in charge of the crystal ball had a shocked expression. 1st Year. Combat Magic department, Fiolen. The mana is The professor looked at the number again, afraid that it was wrong. But the crystal ball is always accurate. In other words, this unbelievable number is reality. Oh my. 70. The auditorium became unnaturally quiet. Araceli was shocked while the principal calmly nodded. Fiolen smiled. That look, which was familiar to me because I have lived on the battlefield for more than 10 years. The ugly smile of someone who has robbed from another. [ Fiolen regressed from 20 years in the future. ] [ The skill Araceli Mana Circling MK-40 (SS) used just now was created by the future mage Araceli 20 years from now after numerous trials and errors. ] It was a predictable development. Araceli Linecare. A rare genius who is said to have advanced the magic of this world by more than a few hundreds, 20 years from now. She seems to be blessed by the world, but she turned out not to be the protagonist. Just a supporting role to the protagonist. Twenty years later, whatever achievements Araceli had is now gone. The present Araceli has no idea what her future achievements are, but the regressor Fiolen knows everything. And me too. [ Protagonist Hunter Lv.2 has activated due to the changes in the worlds plot. ] In the original timeline, Araceli took first place in the preliminary test. In the 2nd timeline, Fiolen beat Araceli to take first place. In the original timeline, Araceli came up with the idea of a strange mechanical device as a student. In the 2nd timeline, Fiolen invented the strange mechanical device altogether. In the original timeline, Araceli was selected to play in the magical sport air soccer. In the 2nd timeline, Fiolen took Aracelis spot because she was injured. In the original timeline, Araceli had many university-level formulas and was highly praised by the professors. In the second timeline, Fiolen deeply suppressed Araceli by stealing all her formulas. Whats even more funny was the magic formula Fiolen used to suppress Araceli this time. [ The formula presented by the protagonist Fiolen this time will be created by Araceli three years from now. ] In other words, Fiolen is stealing all the achievements from the future Araceli by returning to the past and thoroughly destroying her. He was such a vicious person that even I, who likes to take away other peoples belongings, could not tolerate it. And, it wasnt just Araceli. Hiyan. Ice magic suits you more than flame magic. N-no way! My family has learned flame magic for generations! Trust me. If you want to surpass your limits. Since its an academy where numerous aristocrats gathered, there were many beautiful ladies here, and Fiolen chatted up all the pretty girls. Gosh, Fiolen! How did you know I liked caffe latteit reminds me of home. Thank you, Fiolen! I followed your advice and its really true! Ah, Fiolen. You knew this was my favorite spot? I enjoy coming here by myself. Every single conversation was so full of youth. The way he talks is also very unique, like hes afraid of sounding like a noble. Seeing such sights, youd think Shakespeare had reincarnated. A little over a month later Fiolen founded his Harem Kingdom while Araceli became increasingly devastated. The girl who was confident a month ago now shrunk her shoulders at the mere mention of a person. Its a little pitiful, but it wasnt something I could solve. I thought it would naturally resolve itself once I succeeded in hunting Fiolen anyway. What have I been doing you may ask? While still making preparations to hunt Fiolen, I tried to learn magic somehow. Of course it wasnt easy. Magic required at least college-level understanding, and in the first place, my academic background back on Earth is that I couldnt even graduate middle school. But in this world, and especially in a magic academy like this, it was possible to gather information and study magic. Magic. It was more difficult, mysterious, and fantastic than I thought. An idea had come to mind. There is science and superpowers on Earth, but there is no magic. There is magic here, but there is no science or superpowers. If I combine the two. What will happen? Professor Yoo. Please continue with the lecture. While lost in my thoughts, the sound of someones voice snapped me out of it. Right, I was conducting a combat magic lecture for the 1st year students. I dont know any magic, but fortunately, my assistant Willis took care of everything so I didnt have to do anything. However. Professor! Show us the Concentrated Magic Shot you showed us last time! Show us! The students asked me with sparkling eyes. Concentrated Magic Shot. In fact, its actually just me shooting my pistol and not magic. I took a pistol out from my waist, put on the silencer, and fired three shots into the sky, then three sparrows flying in the sky fell to the ground. Wow..amazing. How did you shoot it so far? The magic was casted without chanting. I really want to learn it. Guys, Im sorry. This is all a scam. The students werent the only ones who fell for my magic. When I showed a few tricks using my aether equipment, the professors rushed to my class, hoping to observe. About a month later, all the professors who had no classes and time to spare came to watch my outdoor classes. Only So there were more professors than students in my class. But wouldnt the professors notice my scam? I was nervous about such an outcome. Professor Yoos magic is amazing. Amazing. I cant believe I cant feel the injection of mana What kind of magic do you have to learn to do that? As expected, the path to learning is endless. I want to read Professor Yoos thesis. No, professors, please dont do that. Chapter 16: While staying at Vivienda Magic Academy for a month, I had learned one amazing fact. While staying at Vivienda Magic Academy for a month, I had learned one amazing fact. That the rice here is incredibly delicious. Lunch time, I took three plates after arriving at Viviendas cafeteria. I watched as the nobles hardly ate the food on their plate. In terms of this world, I had the taste of a commoner while the nobles found the food here unsatisfactory. A greasy whole roasted chicken, a medium well steak, and a cheesecake that when it enters my mouth, I become drunk on its savory taste. The cafeteria was buffet-style and you could take as much food as you wanted, but not a single person beside me did so. I usually stayed until very late, eating. Its because I take a lot. Today as usual, when I went to fill my seventh plate, I saw a student who arrived late to eat. Araceli Linecare. She entered the school as the top student, but was unlucky to meet Fiolen who suppressed her in every way, and now even the professors have turned their backs on her. She looked so weakened, and even her movements were sluggish, so I wondered if it was the same child from a month ago. Miss, the time is over now Ah Araceli sighed softly at the chefs words, picking up her plate. She was the one who broke the mealtime regulation anyways, so there is no excuse. She nodded helplessly, then turned around. Well I dont have to mind her. But somehow I felt a little sorry. The child was a victim of the protagonist. Araceli. Hm? She turned her head when she heard me. Then, I was slightly surprised. Because hidden in her eyes was still a fighting spirit. Well, how many people would become dull after a month? Although much confidence was lost, Araceli is still Araceli. A person of great talent who became a legendary mage. I accidentally took too much rice, so eat this. I handed over the plate in my hand. It wasnt exactly wrong. I brought over ten plates when I was only going to eat seven. Ah I dont know if this will suit her taste, but its better than starving. When she hesitated to accept the plate, I thought for a moment and spoke. The Six Circuit Principles paper you wrote the other day was good. A little more polish and itll be really pretty. It was a strange thing to say. Was the word pretty right for a paper? Besides, the fact is, I dont even know what the theory is about. However. [ The Six Circuit Principles will be completed by the supporting character Araceli in three months. ] Thats why I said what I did. Thank you. Yeah. You should eat well and study hard. Then, Im going. I turned around and left the cafeteria. For some reason, I wasnt feeling very good. The main topic I taught in my class was combat magic, and rather than teach theory, I had real demonstrations. Why? Because I dont understand the theory. And the students were human after all, so they preferred real demonstrations opposed to reading books. For that reason, I was quite a popular professor. I assume thats why physical education teachers were the most popular in elementary school. Professor! Walebun finally did a mana shot! Crazy. Sometimes there were students who surprised me after my lectures because they used magic that looks like the embodiment of science. Just like how my aether dispenser was made with science, but looks like the embodiment of magic. But, is it okay spreading science to this world of magic? [ Its not without problems, but it pales in comparison to the damage the protagonist has done to their world. ] Its a relief if thats the case. Also, I was thinking about how to steal the magic and the problems that might occur if Im caught. Im not going to come back here anyway. I slowly turned to look at four students practicing magic on the side. Fate or coincidence, Araceli, Gurim, Mazelon, and Fiolen are all enrolled in my class. So these lectures have been the most tense for me. Because I was trying to figure out Fiolens combat capability. Its impossible to shoot him. Theres already a massive Tier 4 magic circle on Fiolens heart. Tier 4 and higher magic circles are called Cast Magic and can be activated immediately. In modern terms, its right to say hes loaded with magic. Most mages tend to cast defensive magic that is casted immediately upon impact. Since Im not confident I can break through that defense with my gun, I should not mess with it for the time being. If I fail to kill him, I will have to face a Level 70 mage. And in addition to not being able to win, Fiolen had the adoration of the professors and schoolgirls, which is impossible for me to deal with by myself. Come to think of it, Fiolen was still among the girls. Thats not how you use Circle Spiral Cut. Oh my! When fiolen grabbed a female students arm and pretended to be calm while giving her mana, her cheeks blushed. Do they really like that guy? I couldnt understand it, but I didnt say anything because it was the protagonists clich. I was imagining how those girls would kill me if they became hostile. Fiolen has a personality that liked to show off, so if there were any students who had even a little trouble, he would run straight to them and teach them using knowledge from the future. In fact, its not wrong to say that this is Fiolens class and not mine. Of course, Fiolen only taught girls. Only pretty girls at that. In a way, he was a genius. At the age of 17 hes dealing with magic that even professors found difficult. By combining knowledge from the future, he used magic as if he created them on the spot. Fiolen excelled in magic, and was now naturally compared to Araceli. Exclamations erupted when Araceli fired a white arrow from her fingertip 50 meters in front of her. This is because it was aimed so quickly and accurately. However, Fiolen soon produced three bigger arrows and fired it one after another. Thus, the attention switched to him. I think Fiolen is even greater? His arrows were more powerful. I cant believe he shot three arrows at once. Aracelis expression naturally darkened. Normally I wouldnt interfere, but I took a step forward. To pity her? To side with him? No way. The game of slowly observing was now over. From now on, I intend to build up to the hunt. The first way to do that. The image and confidence of Fiolen in other peoples eyes need to be destroyed. Fiolen. In a battle are you going to waste that much mana? What? Fiolens eyes widened because he did expect me to single him out. Then his expression returned to normal. For a month he was wary of me, probably due to not having any memories of me before the regression. Since he came from 20 years in the future, he couldnt possibly remember every professor, so he thought I was a professor with no presence. You used 10 times as much mana to remove only one target. If its not flaunting your power, what is it? Are you going to flaunt your magic to the enemy in a real battle? I just practice to efficiently subdue any enemy I encounter. Although it was one target, I practiced as if it was 10. Efficient. Do you really think your magic was efficient? I slowly pointed at the target. Yes. The destructive power is strong. However, how many seconds did it take to cast that magic? It took six seconds. It was fast enough. However, in practice it was not. Six seconds is enough for a healthy adult to reach you from 50 meters away. What if it were a magician or knight? Would your neck still remain? That Look at Araceli. From the magic casting to the hit on the target it took less than two seconds. Assistant Willis from the sidelines added, Araceli is more efficient, not only with accuracy but also with the efficiency of mana consumption. I dont know what that means, but its probably true. Battle isnt a show. Dont think the enemy will welcome your fancy, shallow magic. Everyone around me began to share my opinion. Indeed. Im starting to feel embarrassed because I thought Fiolens magic was better. Youre right. CombatWell, its not like sitting in a small room, reading a book, and writing down magic theories. Somehow, I had the image of an outstanding Battle Mage, intentional or unintentionally, so I will make use of it. Even if it is a false image. Most of the professors here had no real combat experience, so thanks to that, I came up with roughly plausible terms. Actually, I dont really know magic that well, but there was nothing wrong with what I said. While Aracelis expression slightly became brighter, Fiolens expression gradually crumbled. Bastard, you must be at least eight years older than me, but you cant control your expression at all. You cant take a loss, can you? Professor, can you prove what you said is correct? I knew it. Hes worried about his pride being tarnished, and his harem garden. Yes. I fought on the battlefield for as much as 15 years. The experience doesnt matter. What matters is if youre right. Everyone around me was going Oh, no. I cant believe you said that about the professors career. The reactions were immediate, but the protagonist didnt have the time to respond because I was going to add the carrot. Since Im a professor it would be unprofessional for me to dual youSo what about the Maelka Dungeon? Maelka Dungeon. It was a kind of event where Viviendas students and professors teamed up to attack a dungeon together. The competition between each magic department and school year was very fierce. This is because if you do well in the Dungeon, youll become a national mage or be offered an apprenticeship in the mage tower. In other words, Maelka Dungeon is a kind of auditioning stage for students with no connections. Of course, Fiolen knew that the Maelka Dungeon was a big event, and must be aware of every unexpected situation that will happen inside. Because he was a regressor. The Maelka Dungeon? Yes. Right, Ill team up with Araceli who showed the better performance here. The corner of Fiolens mouth crept up. Yeah, I thought as much. I knew it well. Maybe he couldnt stand it. He must be very excited at the thought of fighting me, who embarrassed him, and proudly winning. Only This is a competition that you can never lose as a regressor. Only a regressor would know what will happen in the Dungeon. Okay. Looking at Fiolen nodding confidently, I inwardly laughed. Because. [Protagonist Fiolen has begun to interfere with the chapter Maelka Dungeon Hell Beasts (3).] [Changes detected in this chapter.] The future that I saw was different. Chapter 17 Two weeks have passed since the carrot was dangled in front of Fiolen, and three days were left until the competition at Maelka Dungeon. Even though it was early morning, I couldnt sleep and had to patrol the academy. I didnt expect the damn faculty would even ask me to patrol at dawn for the safety of the students. [ The current worlds time dilation is2.7021x ] Looking at the message that appeared in my mind, my worry was for nothing. Time flies 2.7 times faster here than on Earth. In other words, ten days on Earth is almost four weeks here. Ive been here for six weeks. Ive spent more time than I thought, but it doesnt really matter. I dont even have a guild to report to anyways. Ever since I first held a gun at the age of 14, no one has waited for me to return. Rather, right now the priority is dealing with Fiolen. Fiolen, who is treated like the academys ace, cant be killed by normal means. I have to thoroughly and flawlessly destroy the power and image Fiolen has. Maelka Dungeon. Yeah, its good that I have information on the future. But beyond that, I cant think of any good ways to use it. At best, Ill just do better than Fiolen in the Maelka Dungeon. Well, there are many chapters. Should I aim for the next chapter instead? I was absentmindedly walking in the hallway thinking when I suddenly sensed something somewhere. Unknown that might have gone unnoticed before. But now that I have the sixth sense skill, I can clearly feel it. Reading Room? During this time, all areas like the reading rooms, the libraries and the study rooms were closed. I thought something must be going on, so I slowly opened the door and walked inside. What is this? Araceli, with bloodshot eyes, was looking at something. UhProfessor? What are you doing here? T-that. Im sorry. I have a symposium coming up. Whats a symposium? [ Interpretation: An academic forum where students must present their own magic findings every quarter. ] Ah, I see. But its curfew now. Yes. Im sorry. Go back. I said roughly, but then Araceli hesitated and slowly spoke. But ? If I dont do this, Im going to be ruined at the symposium again. This time, II dont want to have to endure it. Hm. Desperation in ones eyes. I thought I knew that look well, but honestly Im not sure. Unlike me who had always been defeated and was used to losing, this child had just entered the path of a loser after walking the path of a winner. But in the end, the result was the same. Just like me at one point, this child must be struggling to get out from being a loser. She looked me in the eyes and spoke. Actually, Im not confident. No matter what. I cant beat Fiolen. I know this. Im far more lacking. Youre wrong. ButIf I dont do this, I wont have the confidence to learn magic anymore. Even if I lose, lets lose doing my best. Thats what Araceli thought after resigning herself to losing, but she was still determined. I deeply sighed. Even so, I cant make an exception. Thats all, its troublesome. There are a lot of things to think about right now, so I couldnt be held up by a single student. So, the moment I was going to tell her to go back. Looking at the thesis on the table, a message appeared in my mind. [ The thesis written by Araceli will be completed in six months. ] Uh? I approached Araceli and took her thesis involuntarily. There was a magic formula written on the thesis and translucent formulas overlapping it appeared in my mind What is this? The theses from the present and future Araceli were overlapping each other. Ive never seen something like this before. One possibility came to mind. No way, was this because of Fiolens interference? Unlike the regressor, I could see the future any time. I could see the overlaps by comparing the original timeline with the current timeline the protagonist has interfered with. So unless its related to Fiolen, the theses from the future would not overlap with the current one. The future has changed. Originally, it was a thesis that would have been published half half a year from now, but Fiolen pushed so hard that Araceli eventually moved ahead with her future. Hold on, this? The other day, when Lee Yeonjun was in a crisis he suddenly acquired a skill. Thats because the world was correcting Lee Yeonjuns misfortune. But Lee Yeon-jun was the protagonist, not a supporting character. Particularly, in the case of regression, skills were not given without a cost. In the first place, the word regression itself is improbable, so there must be some restrictions to it. Hey. Client. [ Yes. ] What happens if a regressor is in a crisis or face a loss? [ The regressors future chapters will change into chapters that could be overcome, or their future losses will be minimized or erased. ] Wow. So its like that. I was convinced upon hearing the Clients answer. Araceli can be used. I slowly looked over her thesis. Its like spotting the difference. Here. Y-yes? She was startled when I pointed my finger to a part of the formula on the thesis. Can you see whats wrong with this shape? The future Araceli drew a triangle, while the current Araceli drew a circle. Thats at most what I could understand. I dont know what any of this is since I am a total stranger to magic. However, Araceli who is a genius had a shocked expression and realized something the moment I made such a comment. Ah! And this. And this and this. Araceli who had a sullen look for awhile hurriedly took out her pen and began checking the things I pointed out. Her appearance was haggard. However, since she had a lot of worries it was only normal that fatigue followed. Somehow Araceli looked happy as if shes flying. When did you start studying this? Ahbefore I entered the academy. Replied Araceli meekly, feeling ashamed that she hadnt completed one of these theses given such a long time. I didnt care about that, so I continued asking about this and that. It was incomprehensible to me, but it didnt matter because she understood the important points. Things that even the regressor didnt know. I handed Araceli a recorder. A cheap recorder called a mysterious wand with light by the students. Take it, go to your room and study quietly. Ah! T-thank you. I dont need it right now, but Araceli will need it. It was the last thing she said before leaving, but I didnt bother to look back at her. I was using Araceli, so I didnt deserve to look her in the eyes. Time passed quickly, its now the day of the academic debate. 1st year freshmen present their own thesis at a gathering of faculty members. Since its a prestigious magic academy, they must show what theyve learned since entering the academy. Here, twenty years ago, Fiolen did not write a thesis. As a commoner, he barely managed to enter the academys doors, and Fiolen only had about a month worth of knowledge compared to other students who already received an early education. Now, it was different. It is because Fiolen has countless knowledge from the future, and most importantly, Aracelis thesis Waveform 4th Equation, which is scheduled to become a hot topic half a year later, was now in his hands. Theres no hurdle. Again this time, he just needs to prove his genius and undermine Aracelis upcoming thesis. Just like this, if he keeps doing it. That woman who thoroughly destroyed my self esteem, this time I will However. Theres a problem. There will be an announcement by freshman Araceli. [Waveform 4th Equation] Looking at the message that rose in the air by magic, Fiolen unconsciously widened his eyes. How come? Obviously, Araceli from the original future had published a thesis. It was also great, but from Fiolens perspective, who had knowledge of the future, the thesis was nothing but sloppy. Ive been working very hard to defeat Araceli. No, thats not the point! With cold sweat, Fiolen scrunched the paper in his hand. Its because he also brought a thesis on the same topic. What should I do? In such a scenario, it was advantageous to be the first to present it. Aracelis presentation was also logical and neat, and her voice naturally carried a charm that sways people. Thank you. Clap clap clap! When she finished her presentation, the faculty gave out a series of exclamations. It was truly a great thesis. Next, Fiolen. What should I do Fiolen? Yes. It was too late. He brought the same thesis as Araceli, and had to present it. Will I not present here like the past? No. Its too early in his academy life, and he doesnt want to experience being insulted by everyone for failing to make a presentation at the first symposium. Above all, he didnt want to lose to Araceli anymore. So. He decided. Concerning Aracelis thesis, I raise the suspicion of plagiarism. That one sentence from Fiolen caused a commotion in the hall. The principal raised his hand, then everyone quieted down. Raising suspicion of plagiarism. It was a shame that didnt fit the image of the elite academy, but it did happen once or twice a year. So if these suspicions were raised it had to be proven on the spot until it was resolved. Who plagiarized who. The faculty looked around the hall with interest. Theyve seen it a few times before, but this time, it was Araceli, the top admitted student, and Fiolen, the highest recorded mana power. Wasnt this really exciting? Before raising allegations of plagiarism, is the freshman Fiolen confident it is your own work? Of course, its definitely my thesis. I see. When did you write this thesis? Ive been writing it ever since I entered the academy. And I can prove it. Present your proof. In the magical world, a thesis begins with the perfect understanding of the formula. No amount of plagiarism could completely explain all the dozens or hundreds of formulas that went into it. So, as a way to solve the suspicion of plagiarism, a who can explain their thesis better? check was done. Fiolen was confident regarding this. No matter what Aracelis explanation was, Fiolen has the knowledge of the future. He can just add a few university-level formulas to make it look more efficient and complete. Fiolen, who came forward, smoothly wrote down formulas on the blackboard in the air with no tension at all, then exclamations erupted among the faculty. Formulas that even the 2nd year students dont understand. It was the same with Araceli who became paler and paler. Soon, a commotion broke out in the hall when Fiolen completed a more efficient formula that was completely different from Araceli. What. Dont tell me Miss Araceli plagiarized? I cant believe it. Its more efficient. Its obvious Obviously, Araceli must have plagiarized. They had no choice but to believe so. Fiolen was enjoying the atmosphere with his eyes closed. The thrill you feel when you step on a genius from above! Exhilarating! It was an intense pleasure incomparable to anything. So, when Fiolen was about to enjoy the triumph of victory. Principal. May I say a word? The guest professor of combat magic opened his mouth. Different from Fiolens slow reaction because he was basking in his moment, the principal nodded. Because the opinions of every faculty here were important. Seodam, who had obtained permission, slowly rose from his seat, looked at Fiolen, and then spoke. First, Id like to congratulate you, freshman Fiolen, on your equation. Its a very clean thesis. Thank y- However. It was my first and last praise. It was simply to show the audience my politeness. Now that Ive gotten their attention, its time to push. Theres one thing thats a little strange Seodam, slowly looking into Fiolens eyes, asked. Freshman Fiolen. Whose formula did you reference in the 17th section, Octal Fractionation Parameter? Huh? He didnt expect such a question, so Fiolen was flustered for a moment, but soon cleared his throat and spoke. This My hobby is reading thesis papers. You cant remember every book youve read either, right? Yes. It was nothing. You just have to flip it around. Thats strange. Yoo Seodam tilted his head. Octal Fractionation ParameterIm sure its the first formula Araceli wrote on her entrance exam. Then. In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall fell. Fiolen, too, quivered his lips with a puzzled look. Regressors have future information. However, they dont know everything. Seodam is able to grasp the information of the world in the original and second timeline simultaneously, and was able to catch a regressors gaps in knowledge. Just a little piece of evidence thats really nothing. But the little evidence was so obvious that it left Fiolen speechless. The principal slowly turned his head. From Yoo Seodam, to Araceli, and then Fiolen. What felt like eternity, after 30 seconds passed. The principal slowly opened his mouth. Freshman Fiolen. Im sure youve written this thesis after entering the academy. But, can you tell me the reason why the formula freshman Araceli wrote during the entrance exam, a formula that only the faculty should be aware of, is in your thesis? At the question, Fiolen clenched his fists and teeth. He has to come up with an excuse somehow. He has to say something. However, the regressor did not expect such a situation. The criminal, a fake genius, could do nothing in this unexpected situation. As a result, there was only one answer Fiolen could give. No, I cant. As if waiting for him, the principal with a determined voice, spoke. We will now hold a disciplinary committee regarding plagiarism against freshman Fiolen. At the same time, Araceli collapsed to the floor. Haha She didnt give up. Only She proved her efforts to the professor. And, for the first time, was able to triumph over Fiolen. Araceli, who couldnt control her overwhelming emotions, shed tears without realizing it. And with that. [A crisis has been detected for the protagonist Fiolen.] [The target Yoo Seodam has been designated as a villain.] [Chapter Maelka Dungeons Hell Beast (3) will now be hostile towards the villain.] The future has changed. Chapter 18: The day of the Maelka Dungeon event. The day of the Maelka Dungeon event. Araceli and I who teamed up were now standing in front of a black hole, one of the entrances to the dungeon. There are sixteen entrances to the Maelka Dungeon. 16 teams of pairs will compete to see who can attack the dungeon more efficiently, skillfully, and quickly. As their first dungeon, the students were very nervous for this special event. As many as the top 16 professors will be joining the students to attack this dungeon. The three supporting characters who got first, second, and third places, as well as Fiolen, received the highest marks during the preliminary exam. Fiolen, who had a disciplinary committee held against him, was able to join the competition, no matter if he is found to be guilty or not. It was not surprising, and frankly, it is the natural outcome. It wouldnt make sense if the protagonist couldnt participate in the main event of their world. Obviously, the clich must have twisted it somehow. Come to think of it, did Fiolen seduce a female professor in her late 20s to join him? I couldnt believe it and cant help but to laugh. Does he like women that much? ErmThank you. Actually, the other professors dont really like me these days, so I was wondering who I could ask to the Maelka dungeon. Thanks to you. I was able to come here. What? Is that so? Suddenly, she clenched her fists. Im sure well get a good result! I felt strange when I saw Araceli full of fighting spirit. Pipipi- Three black fairies appeared out of thin air. These fairies were probably in charge of transmitting the video of this event. I felt that it was only proper, considering its a world of magic and not technology. Scenes inside the dungeon will be broadcast live not only to the academy, but also to the nobles, the mage towers, and everyone who came here to watch. It goes without saying how big this event was for the students and protagonist. After a while, the fairies spoke. [The dungeon will begin in one minute.] A minute quickly passed, and as soon a fairy said, please start attacking the dungeon, I took out my mega shooter. That big thing? My wand. Chikchik! Dungeon attacks were too easy for me. This is something Ive always done, and in the first place, this event was created with the strength of the students in mind, so it wasnt too dangerous. Trap -> break. Monster -> destroy. It was enough to just destroy everything. Wavelength detectors could even detect magical traps, and aether firearms were very effective against the monsters here. Originally, I was a bit nervous hearing that it was a dungeon made by mages, but my worries turned out to be unwarranted. WowThis is amazing. Is this the power of equipment? Frankly, I wanted to use a sword, but I couldnt because it was a world of mages. Each bullet I used cost a lot of money, but I had to maintain the image of a mage until the event ended. Lets head to the next area. There were three stages in total. Eight teams are allowed to pass the first stage, and four teams are allowed to pass the second stage. Which means the teams that can clear faster will have an advantage. And only four teams could enter the boss room. Therefore, there was no time to waste. While rushing with Araceli, suddenly, a red glow came from the wall and a hot liquid spewed out. Oh my god! I hurriedly lifted my wrist, formed a barrier, and blocked it. Its durability was quickly reduced by half. W-what was that? Hm. Since it was a dungeon meant for students, such dangerous traps shouldnt have appeared. So, it was because of this. [Chapter Maelka Dungeon Hell Beast (3) shows hostility toward you.] Evidence that the world is slowly beginning to twist in favor of the protagonist. The corner of my mouth curled up as I looked into the air. There were originally only three video fairies, but now it has increased to dozens. It meant there were more viewers. As we broke through the dungeon at an incredible speed, more people began to take notice of us. Ermhm. After clearing my throat, I looked at the fairies, and spoke. Hello, everyone. This is Yoo Seodam, a professor in the Combat Magic department. Araceli, seeing my abrupt behavior was puzzled, then asked. What are you doing? Viewers public relations. Huh? Noisy child. What do you know? All the professors and students of this academy were nobles, so they did not like associating themselves with commoners. In other words, Im probably the first in this world. Ladies and gentlemen, starting now, lets investigate this dungeon together. The first dungeon attack live broadcast. Fiolen calmly recalled the events of this dungeon from his memories. First stage, monsters and traps. Although it was a memory from 20 years ago, the memory of this place was clear to Fiolen. He hasnt forgotten this day. It was his first stage as a commoner mage. The elders in the mage towers from all over the world were watching this event, as well as countless nobles and professors. To see Fiolen, a commoner genius mage, unprecedentedly emerge victoriously! But Why are there fewer video fairies? In his memory, there were supposed to be even more. Of course, 20 years ago only one basic video fairy followed him, but Araceli had dozens, if not hundreds, of video fairies. In other words, he should have that much. But now there were only 20 video fairies following him. Why? [Crisis detected for protagonist Fiolen.] Kugugung! Suddenly, a rumbling noise came from somewhere. But Fiolen didnt pay much attention to it. Because he thought it was just someone having a tough battle. If I recall, the hell beast hasnt appeared yet. Second stage, passage through a maze of complex magic circuits. The first stage tested ones combat capability and the ability to improvise. Somehow it seems there was a team faster than him. However, it was impossible for others to be faster than him in the second stage. The teams had to identify and interpret the magical structure throughout the maze that blocked them from advancing and find the exit. The process had to be repeated dozens of times. For Fiolen, it was not very difficult. Because he has already solved the maze once. So he pretended to solve the magic circuit, quickly taking a shortcut, and decisively claimed first place in the second stage! However Why are there so few video fairies? Still, it was fine. In the end, the process will be the same. After finally reaching the entrance to the long-awaited third stage, Fiolen took a seat at a corner of the plaza. Well, Fiolen. Thats amazing. By the wayHow were you so fast? Asked Yoo Seodam in a surprised and questioning tone. Originally, professors and students would tackle the second stage maze together. Fiolen completed it alone and unrivaled. Fiolen smiled and gave a simple reply. I have my ways. He would never reveal the secret that he returned from the future, and will take the secret to his grave. Thats the only way for him to stand out as a genius. Besides, is there any benefit to telling anyone he came from the future? Fiolen thought as such. As time went by, a couple more people reached the plaza after passing through the second stage. Only four teams are allowed to pass the second stage. As expected, Gurim and Mazelon, the second and third enrollee, arrived at the third stage. But strangely enough, I couldnt see Araceli. Thats strange. The original Araceli worked with her professor to clear the second stage quicker than anyone else. Thinking so, Araceli barely made it, arriving in fourth place. She looks exhausted for some reason. Uwu. ProfessorI cant believe you left me alone I wanted to see your ability. Yoo Seodam cleverly lied. The fact is, Seodam was completely helpless in the second stage. He couldnt see the future properly, so he barely managed to find the correct path. On the other hand, Araceli was able to break through the maze with her own strength. Managing to find the right answers to the advanced formulas after struggling was both thrilling and exciting to the viewers! Youre a TV star. Huh? Araceli couldnt quite understand what Seodam said, but somehow it sounded like a compliment, so she smiled happily. [4 teams have arrived at the final stage. Now, let us show you the long-awaited boss room!] The boss monster wasnt really a monster. The monsters weve encountered on the way were created through alchemy, and the boss monster was no different. So simply hitting the boss monster was not the way to defeat it. In order to defeat the boss monster, we had to understand and analyze all the abstract patterns and gimmicks it used. And. Fiolen also knew the boss monster was actually fake. Once its defeated, a monster from hell called Hell Sphinx will pop out. That was the real highlight of the event. [Proceed to the boss room.] Four professors and four freshmen. With the power of the combined elites, the boss monster prepared for this event quickly lost its strength after being bounced around like a ball. In the first place, the gimmick created for ordinary students was helpless in the face of the professors, and the freshmen who got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Fiolen purposely did not go all out against the boss monster. Finally, with a plop. [The boss monster has been defeated!] As everyone was approaching the boss monster to collect the spoils. Fiolen grabbed the wrist of his partner, the female professor he brought along. Wait a minute. Something feels strange. Huh? Strange? Strange? Theres no such thing. Hes only saying this because he knows the future. Somehow The moment Fiolen deliberately slowed the end of his sentence. The boss monsters body suddenly exploded. From all sides, strange red lines appeared, then it became a strange magic circle. A magic that feeds and grows through death. It was black magic that was strictly forbidden in the world of mages. Fiolen knows who used this magic. However, it was not important right now. At this moment. The stage was set for him. Hell Sphinx. A beast from hell with a monstrous mana power of at least 150! The professors and freshmen who have never fought it wont be able to defeat it. After many casualties, the Araceli from 20 years in the future managed to find the weakness of the Hell Sphinx, and defeated it after gathering many expert mages. At that time, while the whole world was celebrating her great achievement, she was trying to figure out how a S-Rank hell beast had appeared. But at this moment, the spotlight belongs to Fiolen. Ack! D-damn it! [Emergency! Emergency!] In a grim world made of red, 7 mages looked around in a panic, then Fiolen calmly spoke. Everyone, please listen to me. I have a plan. Huh? What are you talking about! Hey! Fiolen! Youre just a commoner, stop talking nonsense! Lets hear him out first. Of course there was such a clich. One who gives doubt, one who tries to stir the situation, and one who tries to stay positive. However, Fiolen didnt care about the freshmen, so he slowly opened his mouth to speak. Hell Sphinx has the same patterns and gimmicks as the boss we just faced. I-is that true? How do you know this? Ive read it in a book before. I didnt expect to see it here. Fiolen calmly began to explain the Hell Sphinxs weakness while glancing at Yoo Seodam. An annoying professor who had ruined his plans. He also has no memory of this person. In other words, it means that he was an insignificant existence and was just an extra that died at some point. However, he didnt want to see such variables. You die today. Fiolen deliberately placed Yoo Seodam in a dangerous position, regardless of the strengths and weaknesses of each person. Coincidentally, the raid against the Hell Sphinx was only possible with eight people, with each taking on an important role, such as being in the forefront, attacking the Hell Sphinx, or drawing magic circles. Grawr!! Hearing the roar of the Hell Sphinx, Fiolen signaled everyone and shouted. Now! Fiolens instructions were perfect. This is because he has been preparing for this moment ever since he regressed. A thought that everyone had at least once in their life. Oh, if I could go back, I would put in more effort and do it differently. Even before regressing, Fiolen had constantly imagined what it would be like to be in Aracelis shoes. Thats why he was able to copy Aracelis work easier than anyone else. Ha, this is the result of my efforts! S-Rank hell beast. A monster so powerful that if released into a small city, the city itself would disappear from the map. But now, under Fiolens command, all the students and professors were coordinating perfectly to attack the S-Rank hell beast. Without a single casualty. As if it was planned. A clean and perfect raid. Kuung!! The moment the Hell Sphinx fell Fiolen slowly looked up and took a deep breath. It was exhilarating. To the point where his whole body trembled, and the refreshing feeling overwhelmed his mind. He had constantly imagined this very moment. If only he could go back to the past with the knowledge of the future, he could do better. This was his first step towards becoming a mage, so he had desperately thought about it. A freshmen 1st year who completely subdued a S-Rank hell beast without backing down. From now on, the name Fiolen will go down in history. That is the only possible outcome. Huh, the video fairies? Strange. He was the conductor here, and positioned himself to be more noticeable than anyone else. But why were there even less video fairies? Somehow, he had a weird feeling. He turned his head to look at Yoo Seodam. Seodam has been broadcasting every moment since the beginning to when the Hell Sphinx was defeated in front of the hundreds of video fairies floating in the air. Its certain now. All the anomalies in the dungeon as well as the S-Rank hell beast, Hell Sphinx. Huh? Shortly after. Freshman Fiolen, its clear what you did. This Fiolen with a puzzled look, turned his head. The professors and freshmen, who had just listened to his commands without question, were all pointing their wands at him while distancing themselves. He was so absorbed in himself that he had forgotten. The fact that a professor was constantly broadcasting the anomalies that occurred in the dungeon. He had no idea at all. Because it wasnt something that happened in his memory. A regressor could not respond at all to what they did not know. Wait, hold on. I worked harder than anyone else to defeat this boss monster. How do you know so much about the Hell Sphinx? Asked a professor. It was a trivial question. Under normal circumstances, the question would have simply fallen to the clich of protagonist correction. However, there was a character here who could compromise the protagonists correction. Yoo Seodam. He had constantly voiced his doubts while attacking this dungeon. [Why did this anomaly occur in a safe dungeon?] [Something suspicious is happening.] [The state of this dungeon is strange.] Little by little, these doubts began to form a question in everyones mind. As if answering their question, the Hell Sphinx appeared. It was only when the freshmen attacked the Hell Sphinx, something theyve never even heard of before, that it seemed everything was too perfect, for one person. No matter who saw it, it was doubtful. They had no choice but to doubt. Y-yahiren, professorI read about it in a book Said Fiolen to his partner, but she too, pointed her cane at him with a trembling look. The Hell Sphinx is not registered in any books. Because its forbidden. Even if it did exist, its like a fableIts the kind of book that doesnt even exist. Professor! Fiolen. The price of using black magic is your soulDid you know that when you used it? N-no! I didnt use black magic! If so. How come. The Hell Sphinx, and this dungeon. Youve done everything perfectly, when even our professors couldnt? With a wailing voice, professor Yahiren spoke. Even now youre making excuses. Please. I really want to believe you. Youre not that kind of kid. Right? But. He couldnt answer. That he knew about it after regressing. Could he say that? Would they even believe? Even if they believed him. What happens when theyll inevitably ask, Then why didnt you tell us about the danger earlier? Wait, hold on! I know the real culprit. If we get out of here, I can prove- Pang!! Kuck! When Fiolen was screaming, from somewhere, a shot rang. A very unusual magic used only by Viviendas guest professor of Combat Magic. It was Yoo Seodam. We cant let the Black Mage leave. Then, they saw Fiolen standing up without a scratch even after being shot. Im issuing a field command as a Combat Mage. Right here and now, the Black Mage has to be neutralized. Yoo Seodam reloaded his mega shooter. How did it come to this? Fiolen couldnt understand. This didnt happen in the future that he knew of. Only There was no future more perfect than this. So why. Then. Fiolen instinctively looked at Yoo Seodam. The corners of Seodams mouth moved slowly where only Fiolen could see it. Dumbass, this is how you rewrite the future. If a regressor had wings and flew high up using knowledge from the future. Now because of that future information, its time to thoroughly crash. Chapter 19: Maybe, I had expected it from the start. Maybe, I had expected it from the start. [Protagonist Hunter Lv.2 has activated.] [The talents and skills of the successfully hunted protagonist will be shown.] Name Fiolen Talents Delusion of Grandeur (S+) Memorization (A) Shamelessness (A-) Charm (B) Magic (D) Study (E) Calm (F) Intellect (F) Speech (F) Skills Self Regression (SSS+) Modified Aracelis 9th Rank Special Magic Formula (SSS) Aracelis Mana Circling 40th Iteration (SS) Library Mind (S) Aracelis Mana Conversion (A+) Yes. Fiolen was not a magic genius. What Seodam needs more than anything else was a magic talent. In the end. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 70 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 5.] [700 days of lifespan has been rewarded.] [Remaining Lifespan: 2075 Days, 11 hours, 47 minutes.] [Fiolens skill Aracelis Mana Circling 40th Iteration (SS) has been absorbed.] Looking at the slightly disturbing skill window with a bunch of Araceli skills, I absorbed the first skill I had seen Fiolen use. I wish I had gotten the SSS-Rank Special Magic Formula skill. But, I was positive. The skill I absorbed in itself was quite good. No, it was amazing. The best mana absorption method that exists on Earth is only C-Rank. Although I couldnt absorb mana very well before, Ive now acquired an SS-Rank skill that could do so! Aracelis Mana Circling 40th Iteration. This skill, which allows even ordinary people to absorb mana, has the fraudulent effect of allowing the flow of mana throughout the body by filling all areas of the brain, heart, and stomach with mana. [ Araceli is an extraordinary genius who was credited with advancing the magic of the continent by more than a few hundred years. ] [ One of her greatest achievements, Aracelis Mana Circling, will allow everyone 20 years from now to be able to use magic. ] Araceli will become a Tier 9 mage in the future, a well deserved title. If her talent was shown, perhaps it would be [Magic (SSS)]. Thats how overwhelming and devastating Aracelis talent is. By the way, Self Regression. This SSS+ Rank skill allowed the protagonist, Fiolen, to return to the past. It could only be used once, and it allowed a person to return to the point where they were the most vulnerable. Obviously, if I had gotten this, the acquisition would have been canceled, so I wasnt really disappointed. I flopped down on the floor of my lab. A day had passed since the expedition and death of Fiolen who was declared as a Black Mage. Seodam, who withheld his return to Earth, was still staying at the academy. Magic. To successfully use at least one magic spell. Having drawn a complex magic circle on the floor, I sat down in front of it and took a deep breath. This magic circle looks complicated at a glance, but in fact, it was the most basic and easiest magic where even the students attending Vivienda Academy would scoff at the sight of it. If compared to Earth, it was at the high school level. However, unfortunately, I had no prior education with magic at all, and I had a feeling that learning is also a talent. Although I studied magic earnestly for nearly two months, I didnt understand the formulas, and just memorized and imitated it. Yeah. My magic circle was crude. I closed my eyes and reached out towards the magic circle. I could feel an unknown energy burning from my heart; soon it passed through my brain, then back to my heart again, and finally reaching my stomach in an instant. The only experience I had with mana absorption was picking up grains of sand on a beach with chopsticks. Before, I could see and recognize the presence of mana, but surely it was impossible to scoop up sand with chopsticks, right? However, the SS-Rank Aracelis Mana Circling skill was like a forklift. If before I was picking up sand with chopsticks, now that chopstick has become a forklift! Hwiing!! Slowly, the magic circle began to glow. It was the first time magic has responded to my unique mana. Magic is truly a very profound subject. If superpowers are from absorbing aether into the body and taking shape, then magic is the need to mathematically calculate and develop the shape. That is, whoever studies magic can do something similar to superpowers. As proof. The paper that was placed in front of me slowly rose into the air. The wind was moving in accordance with my will. Soon the wind lost its strength and the paper fell to the floor, but it was enough. No, it wasnt just enough. It was great. I wanted to cheer for myself right now. A person like me, who has no talent for superpowers at all, has succeeded in magic! With this, I was certain. Even if I dont have superpowers, I can learn and use magic. I only lifted a simple sheet of paper, but I felt as if my heart was full and the whole world was within my grasp. Geniuses will never know this feeling. Huuu Soon after, I slowly rose from the floor. Then, I stumbled as I tried to put strength into my legs, so I hurriedly grabbed the desk to support myself. I only moved a sheet of paper using magic, but this was the result. If it wasnt for the Aracelis Mana Circling, I might have been exhausted without the magic spell even working at all. Now that Ive checked my ability to use magic. Its time to return to Earth. With that in mind, I cleaned up my lab. It was a place we had been together for nearly two months, so I felt a bit attached to it, and now I wont be able to come back here. Knock, knock! ? When I was about to return to Earth, a knock came from the door. I can just return, but for some reason, I wanted to find out who it was. Who is it? [Professor, its me, Araceli.] Hm? Come in. The door opened, and Araceli, with her untied long black hair, entered cautiously. Somehow she hasnt fully regained the confidence she had when we first met, and I couldnt understand why. Fiolen is dead. With the fake image he had created, it should have also crumbled with him. But that didnt mean Aracelis image would suddenly improve. Instead, for the past two months, Aracelis image continued to fall. What is it? You Araceli peeked around the lab when she saw Seodams attire. I thought you were leaving. I came to say goodbye. How did you know? That, I just had a feeling. I didnt tell anyone I was leaving. I had conversations with the professors, but I didnt get close to them. I thought I would never meet them again once I left this place. Likewise, I didnt get close to any of the students. Now, and in the future. I will wander through worlds and dimensions meeting many people. But if I give my affection every time, I will not be able to hold out. Ive already lost many ties, and Im worn down. Before you go, I really wanted to say thank you. Thank me? Thank me for what? JustEverything youve done. Thank you. Araceli slightly bit her lips. Actually, I already knew. What part of me was she thankful for? Although it was a short time, one thing I found out about her was that she had a fragile mentality. She was publicly suppressed by Fiolen and wondered if she should quit magic altogether. I couldnt believe shes so mentally weak that it only took two months of bullying. I cant understand her. Araceli was almost as good as the protagonist, but there were considerable flaws in her mental state. Still. Thanks to Professor, I gained confidence. Now I can learn magic with confidenceSo, I really wanted to give my thanks before you left. Araceli is a supporting character. A supporting character who lost all her achievements to the protagonist. So, was it fate that the protagonist took everything from her? Will she become a villain in the distant future? I dont know. However, there was one important point. She became a great mage in the distant future with her own strength. Because she had the self-confidence of someone who is considered a genius and was able to advance the magic of this world rapidly. But now, her confidence had been shattered. Perhaps the future of this world has slightly been shaken by the presence of Fiolen. And, originally, she would have made her name widely known at the Maelka Dungeon, thus gaining the opportunity to interact with the numerous master mages and completing more outstanding magic. But now even that starting point was twisted. I didnt have to be nosy. But for some reason, I just wanted to. The mastermind behind the Hell Sphinx summoning, is in fact, a different person. Huh? Hes still active behind the scenes at this academy. And I dont know what hell do next. I could only say this much. Just knowing that a villain exists, Araceli will use her brilliant mind to catch the Black Mage. If she does, the reputation she would have gained, will return. Catch him. I didnt say the reason. Perhaps, she cant understand it as it is now. The reason why I was doing this. However, maybe she will understand it in the distant future. The countless opportunities that comes by hunting the Black Mage. Then, are you leaving now? Yes. This isnt where I belongMaybe this will be my last time here. ThatI see. Araceli hesitated for a moment, then asked. By any chance, can you tell me where youre going? Well. Its a place youll never find. Nowadays, dimensions were actually fairly common on Earth. The protagonists with the travelor hashtag and the dungeons on Earth had to do with dimensions, and even I, a dimensional traveler. However, it was not a result from human ingenuity. Humanity cant just randomly pick up knowledge of dimensions. It was just a coincidence, following the course of nature. So the possibility of Araceli realizing dimensions with human ingenuity is bound to be zero. For that reason. As an eternal parting gift, I gave her a present. It was also a kind of ritual to completely disengage the affection that I almost felt for a moment. This is Its a bullet. Bullet..? A small, dainty, yet destructive thing that can kill a monster instantly. Also, let go of your lingering feelings. Huh? What are you saying! After saying what I had to say, I opened the door to the lab and went out. With the bullet in Aracelis hand, she followed right after him. Huh? No matter where she looked. She couldnt see him. Gone. Without even saying goodbye. Like he was never here. What. Are you really gone forever? Holding the bullet in her hand, Araceli bit her lips. The words spoken by Seodam echoed in her mind. Its a place youll never find. However, she thought differently. Magicthe word absolute does not exist. All magic prohibits the use of the word absolute. Everything was possible with magic because it has infinite possibilities. Therefore, the professors words were contradictory. The next time we meet, Ill point out the contradiction. Thinking so, Araceli took a step forward. The road has been carved. Now, the only thing left to do is to run along it. For some reason, I had a bittersweet feeling. Is it okay just leaving like that? With such a thought, I let go of any lingering feelings. Because it was for the best. [Mission Completed. Returning to your original world.] [Time has returned to normal.] For a little while, I felt like I was floating in zero gravity. A familiar smell struck my nose. My small studio apartment. The unique smell of an old building built more than 30 yearsand beer? I instinctively placed a hand on my aether blade, and hurriedly looked around my surroundings. Then. I saw the TV in the middle of the studio was turned on. There, sat in their underwear was a person casually drinking a beer. Only Taylor? When our eyes met, the owner of the short silver hair gave a happy to see you after such a long time expression. Her name is Taylor Nine. A S-Rank superhuman working in Russia. And an acquaintance I made a pact with 15 years ago to walk the path of a hunter. Taylor, who had beer stains on the corner of her mouth, soon wiped it off, then blinking her golden eyes, spoke. W-what are you doing? Shouldnt it be me asking that question? Chapter 20: There were eight people, both boys and girls. There were eight people, both boys and girls. Although they had different nationalities and ages, they all had a hatred for monsters, and all dreamed of becoming hunters. Ever since they were kids, instead of toys, they had knives, and ever since they could hold a pen, they were holding guns. And, they have never regretted embarking on this path. Fifteen years later, all seven were scattered after the death of one girl in the group. I want to be a singer. I want to work in business. I want to work at sea. I Each had a higher dream and ambition than the last, and everyone achieved great success in their respective field. Except for me. When they were at the top of their field, I was still a F-Rank hunter. So I was reluctant to contact them, and we inevitably grew apart. Except for one person, Taylor Nine, who, like me, remains a hunter. Long time no see? She was the most familiar face to me because she often came to Korea. At my ungrateful words, she dropped the beer that was dripping and jumped up from her seat. Suddenly, she stared at me suspiciously with her golden eyes. Y-youWhat the hell? Teleport? No, not teleportPunk, dont tell me youre a Dimensional Returnee? Dimensional Returnee, a person who has returned after falling into another world. Dimensional Returnees are known to be capable of using new types of powers completely different from Earth, called unorthodox by people. It is said that Dimensional Returnees could wield ordinary swords or use their barefist to exert tremendous power without the use of aether. For some reason, most of them chose to live in hiding. Dimensional ReturneeI guess its something like that. Or maybe Dimensional Traveler would be more correct? Because instead of just coming back, I went back and forth between dimensions. W-what, crazy punk. What really happened while I was gone? I was going to tell her everything. [ I hope you dont tell anyone about the protagonist hunting contract. ] [ Its only a simple request, so you can tell her if you want. ] The Client asked for a favor. She didnt pressure me not to speak, but simply requested. So I decided not to. In the first place, it would be funny telling someone about a contract where I had to kill people. I cant tell you any more than that. Hearing my answer, she seems to have mixed feelings as she stared at me for a long time. Seeing the unrealistic scene of me, an ordinary person, appearing out of thin air, what would a normal person think? But there were many incomprehensible things in this world, and when people had useless curiosity about him, she was always the one to stop it. She says its out of consideration for others. Seeing me reluctant to speak, she didnt push it. I think in many ways, thats what Ive always liked about her. Kid, youve grown in my absence. Have you gotten taller? Ive always been taller than you. Hm Staring at me, she soon calmly smiled. Yeah, well. What does it matter if youre a Dimensional Returnee or a Dimensional Traveler? All that matters is that youre alive. Huh, maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I heard her saying something. Anyways, punkDo you know how long Ive been here waiting for you? How long? Ive been staying here for almost three weeks. I thought you werent coming back at all, you bastard. Huh. So what have you been doing in my home for three weeks? Somehow, the apartment was filled with her stench, the stench of a lonely man. In addition, from the looks of it, there was trash everywhere. She didnt clean up after herself at all. Im shaking looking at this pigsty. Ahaha, yeah. You should have cleaned up like usual. Bastard, this is all your doings. I said, while tapping on a beer can that rolled near my feet. Anyways, what are you doing in my home? Youre still bizarre as always, hanging a ribbon on your panties. This She was barely dressed. A white sleeveless shirt and black panties. She looked down at her panties, then up, and soon her eyes became serious. The ribbon is the point. Its damn pretty. Arent you going to wear pants over it? So? Whats wrong if its inside? And, cant you still see the red ribbon ? What? I originally wore this to show you. Why else would there be a ribbon? Huh. Its definitely bullshit, but its a little plausible. So I couldnt refute it. Never mind. Just tell me why youre here. Why else. I came because I missed you. Is that all? Uhabout 3%? Oh come on. Also. Huhu, this sister came to see you, the least you could do is be grateful. Looking at the half eaten food on the floor, I dont feel grateful at all. I slowly took off my combat uniform and hung it on the hanger, changing my clothes without qualms. Weve fought on the battlefield together and practically knew everything about one another. She glanced at me changing my clothes, tilted her head, then spoke. Oho. Theres something strange about you. What now? Your muscles are strange. What? Come to think of it, Ive only been to the hospital once since I became a protagonist hunter. At that time, I didnt even understand the skill properly. What if the abilities I absorbed from the protagonists harmed my body? I never thought about it at all Your muscles have become a piece of art. ? No, really. Look. Do you know how much youve changed? Its crazy. Seriously, your muscles have gotten so much toner. Though, your face is still smudged. Saying so, she snorted, leaving me speechless. Taylor always had a pretty face, so if I tried to argue about our appearances, I would lose unconditionally. In the meantime, she clinged closer and closer to my upper body, examining it with a serious expression. I saw myself in the full-body mirror too, but honestly, I dont see the difference at all. How could she tell the difference? For old times sake, can I touch it? No. I lightly pushed her away, then spoke. Anyways, if youre here, then it means theres a pretty good case, right? Thats right. For Taylor Nine, a S-Rank, to come to Korea, it must have been a good case. Was it settled after three weeks without me? As expected, you were somewhere strange, werent you? You didnt even watch the news? I dont know, so tell me. A deformed dungeon appeared off the coast of Incheon. I frowned after hearing it. Deformed dungeon. Its a dungeon thats hard to rank because it was impossible to measure. Dungeons werent common sense in the first place, but a deformed dungeon deviated so much from what people knew and had studied about dungeons. Ever since monsters appeared 30 years ago, deformed dungeons have always caused quite a commotion. I cant believe it appeared in Korea this time. Whats the progress on the dungeon so far? Not only the Hunter Association of Korea, but also guilds from foreign countries came to support in many different ways. But fuck, none have been able to even enter. What? Does that make any sense? I dont know. I have no fucking clue either. She shook her head with a sunken expression. You dont have superpowers, but youre a little smart, arent you? So I came to ask if you want to work with me. In this world, hunters are unconditionally considered superhumans, no matter the ranks. Even if I took it for granted. For example, if youre going to take three hunters, who would you rather take? A F-Rank hunter or a high Rank hunter? Its also the case that no matter how knowledgeable a F-Rank hunter is and how well their brain works, its more useful to take a person with superpowers that can fire lasers out of their hands in cases of emergency. However, if youre a superhuman at the peak. Like the case with the S-Rank hunter, Taylor Nine, who would rather take brain over brawn because she has the ability to cover the other roles alone. She came to me from time to time. But first, we cant even get in. These crazy bastards, I guess theyre planning to force a time over. If a dungeon isnt cleared in time, the inside and outside world will synchronize. But what if the environment inside the dungeon is worse than Earth? It means the environment of Earth will be greatly damaged. I dont know about normal cave type dungeons, but in most cases with high rank and deformed dungeons, the ecosystem was destroyed after synchronization. In other words, we may have to give up part of the sea off the coast of Incheon after time over. The Korean government would not have allowed it. Of course. But what can they do? Nobody can even enter. Didnt the Cooperative of International Anomaly organization come in? Theyre experts on this stuff. Theyre here. Theyre losing hope too. Actually, this sort of thing is normal. Yes, deformed dungeons were often impossible to enter, and even if it was possible, the traps inside were difficult to understand, so it was rarely cleared. Ive also seen a few deformed dungeons in the past, but I wasnt able to break through any of them. To be honest, I dont know what will change if I come. I know. Its impossible to even enter the deformed dungeon, so its mostly frightened little chickens crowding the place. I know you wont go in anyways, so just come to fill a spot. And Im so annoyed with the sightseeing cowards that every time I see them, I swear to god, I just want to strangle them. You still have a nasty temper. I was considering whether to go or not. Deformed dungeon. I never went unless I had 1st-Grade equipment. In the first place, even A-Rank dungeons were too much for 2nd-Grade equipment. The same was true with my E-Rank physical ability. Maybe it wont matter if Im commanding from the backline. But, Ive wasted too much bullets from the mega shooter this time that my wallet is tattered. If you go and show your face, youll get paid, and if the dungeon opens, you can take a bus home. That would kill two birds with one stone. Right, there was nothing to lose. Next day. Seodam and Taylor Nine headed to Eurwangni Beach in Incheon. This place was famous for being quite popular throughout all four seasons. 30 years ago, when a deformed dungeon appeared, it time over and the environments synchronized, leading to the mysterious existence of the silver corals. Just because a dungeon synchronizes with reality doesnt mean all outcomes were bad. Eurwangni was one of the places that had a positive outcome, seen by the fact that nature became cleaner and beautiful natural forests grew. Currently, not a single civilian can be seen at Eurwangni Beach, which was developed into a tourist attraction. Dozens of reconnaissance drones were hovering over Eurwangni, and many soldiers and military helicopters could occasionally be seen. There were so many temporary barracks near the beach as well as accommodations everywhere that Seodam wondered if there was a need to build such high quality barracks. Feeling the chilly sea breeze, Seodam pulled up his collar. The problem was that the 3rd-Grade aether coat had no heating function at all. Taylor Nine was dressed very lightly, compared to him who was cold. Black hot pants short enough to reach her hips, a fluffy blue baseball jumper, and a blue baseball cap. There was also a silver baseball bat hanging from her back. Seodam knew that although it looked like she was going to play baseball in a neighborhood somewhere, that outfit and even the baseball bat were actually 1st-Grade or the higher named grade. Most aether clothes were uniform in appearance, but sometimes named-grade looked ordinary. Perhaps her clothes have temperature controls that are several times better than Seodams. Though, it was easy for S-Rank superhumans to control their own body temperature without it. Hut! The Soldier saluted when they saw the F-Rank and S-Rank hunter certificates. Rather than focusing on Seodam, the focus was on Taylor Nine, which is presumed to be for other reasons and not because she is a S-Rank. Even if she didnt have superpowers, her presence would have caught peoples attention. Ah, there are so many bugs. Theyre not even going into the dungeon. Taylor grumbled when the hunters looked at her. Chewing bubble gum, her face was full of discontent, partly because of the order of no smoking on the scene, but also because of the hunters who showed their faces. From time to time there would be a hunter who tried to get close to her. Can you fuck off? Son of a bitch, what are you looking at? Are you trying to hit on a girl in this situation? Are you a hunter or a rabbit? Do you still want to keep that thing down there or should I cut it off? Who the fuck do you think you are to call me by my name? They were all blocked by her impenetrable wall, and scurried off. Oh, look at the black pill bugs over there. At Taylors words, Seodam turned his head. There were dozens of hunters with the Lost Day armband, and three were S-Rank hunters. Although these S-Rank hunters are treated like celebrities in Korea, the oldest hunter of them all, Taylor, also known as Ahn Huigon, saw them as mere bugs. Hey, are you ready to blow up the image of those cheaters again? Recently, Lost Day has been plagued by their involvement in the mutant issue. Taylor Nine found the situation funny, but knew their image would soon recover. Because Yoo Haram, the guild master of Lost Day, was one of the only three SS-Rank superhuman in Korea. Those bastards, one day I will crush them Why are you angry? They havent done anything to you. Suddenly, Taylors face twisted like that of a demon with the expression of what nonsense is that? Those fuckers screwed you over, yet you dont look upset. Arent you angry? What, of course Im pissed. Its not that Seodam wasnt angry. Its that theres nothing he can do right now, so hes just waiting for the right time. While walking with Taylor to the entrance of the dungeon, Seodam took out his phone when it suddenly vibrated. [Incoming Call C Celeste] Huh? Come to think of it, the call history can be checked after returning to Earth. Seodam, who was wondering if he should answer the phone, soon shook his head. He cant do it near the dungeon because he doesnt know when an anomaly would happen. When he was about to reject the call. He saw something strange. [Missed Calls C 56] What is it? What? No, nevermind. Most of the missed calls were from Celeste. Did I forget to return something I borrowed from you? He didnt think so. He was wondering if he should call her, but Seodam soon turned off his phone. Because he has arrived near the entrance of the dungeon. Thats a littlestrange? Dungeons have always appeared at different locations, but they were very similar. The entrances were like a black hole, with a split at the entrance so you could see the inside of the dungeon. However, in front of Seodam at this moment is a huge floating door, a first for him. So thats the deformed dungeon. Its my first time seeing something like this. Wasnt the last time on a paddle boat? Oh, that? You almost fell to your death. Shut up. As soon as Seodam tried to get a closer look at the door, which was floating in the air like a mirage, soldiers and agents from the Cooperative of International Anomaly organization approached him. Excuse me, but can you state your business? Get out of the way, hes going to open the door. Hey, what Seodam looked at her with a ridiculous look, but Taylor giggled indifferently. Oh its hunter Taylor Nine. Thank you for your hard work today as well. Uh. Have a nice day. Fortunately, the agents understood that her words were a joke. Taylor Nine used to scold everyone here everyday asking when she could enter the dungeon, and somehow that unexpectedly created a good image among the people here. While other hunters were just sightseeing, she acted as if she would smash the dungeon to pieces if given the chance. There was no one who hated a S-Rank hunter doing their job. So. Do you have any idea? Taylor asked Seodam without much expectation. In the first place, even an organization specializing in this kind of thing couldnt do anything, so she thought it was even more impossible for a hunter. That was the case with Seodam who was about to shake his head. But then, a message appeared in his mind. Only [ This leads to the world the fallen Julexa Empires Magic Palace. ] Julexa Empire? At this question, another message appeared. [ This world has already finished its Epilogue, and Protagonist does not exist. ] Huh? Blinking his eyes, Seodam stared at the huge door. Peculiar patterns that seem to have some principle behind them, familiar yet different from what he remembers. Yes, it was unmistakably a magic circle. Chapter 21: The next day. The next day. Seodam, who spent the night at Eurwangnis lodging, came out early in the morning and took out his tablet, a distance away from the dungeon entrance. Unlike yesterday evening, there were numerous scientific machines placed near the dungeon entrance, which are said to be able to identify the wavelengths and patterns of the deformed dungeon. Frankly speaking, those machines are truly great, but the success rate with it when it came to deformed dungeons was sadly less than 20 percent. Ah, your home was more comfortable. My shoulders are stiff. I dont even have a bed in my home though? Taylor stopped Seodam from staying in one of the military barracks yesterday, and they spent the night at a fairly decent lodging nearby. Of course it is more comfortable than Seodams home, which doesnt even have a bed. Yet, Taylor massaged her shoulders as if the lodging was uncomfortable last night. Im strangely used to your home. It was not something he wanted to hear from an illegal resident, but Seodam kept his mouth shut. Apart from Yoo Seodam, numerous researchers, scholars, interpreters, and guilds gathered at the entrance of the deformed dungeon. Even large organizations such as the Cooperative of International Anomaly sometimes brought machines to interpret anomalies, and all of them showed up making a fuss about how to intercept the deformed dungeon that appeared in Incheon. However, they werent doing any research. Because Lost Days giant machine was buzzing back and forth. Lost Day has taken over the situation of interpreting the dungeon. That black machine, which belongs to Lost Day, cost tens of billions of won, and could measure other worlds wavelengths. Lost Day seems to be trying hard to turn public opinion around through the media by saying that a time over will be a big deal and has taken it upon themselves to solve the deformed dungeon. Taylor Nine looked at Seodam, who was looking at the machine. With a dull voice, she spoke. What are they planning to do with a machine that size? Just leave them be. Most of the researchers here came well equipped. Three famous interpreters of at least A-Rank, a doctor who wrote dozens of papers related to dungeons, and a guild the size of a forklift. On the other hand, Seodam only carried a tablet with an apple pattern. Do you want to go on a date with me to a dungeon? Youre the only woman in the world crazy enough to want to have their date in a dungeon. Isnt it more attractive? Dont you think? Go by yourself. What? What crazy woman would go on a date alone!? Naturally, youre a crazy woman. He shook his head at Taylor, who was constantly bothering him, then slowly looked through the magic notes he had written on his tablet. He was certain. It was written in different characters from the ones in Vivienda Magic Empire, but the magic of Julexa Empire also abided by the same basic principles. To put it simply, the formula (A+B=C) on Vivienda is written as (G+N=D) on Julexa. Maybe because its not related to a protagonist, the Protagonist Hunter skill did not activate and the language could not be understood, but systematically, it is still possible to read it. Full interpretation is impossible. Full understanding is also impossible. However, he can figure out whats wrong with it, albeit loosely. Thismagic circle is broken, isnt it? The magic circle on the door was surprisingly simple. A structure that opens just by infusing mana. But circuits that connect the lines of mana here and there were torn, erased, or broken. Holding his tablet pen, Seodam slowly connected the magical circuits. The other day, he took some pictures of information within magic books at the academy with his phone, but when he returned to Earth, it was all erased, so he has no choice but to rely solely on memory. He couldnt study well enough to cram for only two months, so he had no choice but to struggle Somehow, I managed to restore the magic circle to perfect condition. Seodam, who finished restoring the magic circle with his tablet, soon rose from his seat. As he approached the entrance to the dungeon, Taylor Nine followed with a yawn. Please wait. Were currently analyzing the patterns of the dungeon, so please step back. Hunters are fighters. They didnt have this kind of knowledge. Thats why the soldiers, who were escorting the researchers, tried to stop him, but Seodam spoke. I was interpreting the patterns of the dungeon too. Huh? Butarent you Hunter? Is there a law that says hunters couldnt? There wasnt. There was also no law prohibiting a hunter from approaching. Hunters were simply restraining themselves to make it easier for the researchers to do their work. Ah, no When the soldiers, with suspicious looks, were forced to let Yoo Seodam pass, the researchers turned to look at him. What is it? Hunters are bothering us again. They cant even do anything, lets just sit wait There were murmurs among the researchers, but Seodam didnt care. The researchers couldnt talk back to a hunter anyway. Of course, not all of them couldnt. Arent you hunter Yoo Seodam? Asked a researcher dressed in white, looking at Seodam He had the armband of Lost Day, and his name was Han Yoojun. One of the few A-Rank interpreters in the world. Having the mysterious ability to interpret dungeons and anomalies, they were treated fairly high, even if they were low rank, and it was obvious how Han Yoojun, an A-rank interpreter, is treated in the guild. Perhaps his treatment is opposite that of Yoo Seodam. Ah, yes. The reason why Han Yoojun spoke to him was obvious. Thats why Yoo Soodam ignored him and just passed by, but Han Yoojun followed after him. Haha. Its been awhile since Ive seen you, but Im glad youre- You know what? Piss off. Han Yoojun frowned when Taylor stepped in the way. Straight silvery hair, a woman with a vicious tongue contradictory to her cute face. Taylor Nine, he couldnt help but know of this famous hunter. However, even though Han Yoojun didnt have that much fame, his treatment in the guild was already higher than S-Rank superhumans because he was an A-Rank interpreter. Therefore, he had no interest in her. Arent you Taylor Nine? Do you know me? Of course. How can I not know? Uh. But I dont know you. So dont talk to us and fuck off okay? I just came over to hello- Oh, come on. Are you a politician? Its obvious you didnt come over just to say hello, who doesnt see that? Even a child could see it. Taylor, who speaks her mind, and Han Yoojun, who hides his thoughts, did not come to an understanding. Han Yoojun with a firm expression on his face, spoke. Thats pathetic. What are you doing interfering with the researchers interpretation? What? Youre not making any progress. Honestly, what you and I have done so far is the same right? Eat, shit, sleep, and look at the dungeon entrance. At her blunt remarks, the expressions of Lost Days guild members as well as Han Yoojun soured. However, she wasnt wrong. This type of dungeon is very rare, and its almost impossible for aether energy sources to penetrate through the entrance of the dungeon, so its hard to even know what kind of wavelength it emits. Naturally, the expensive machines couldnt do anything. The research was proceeding smoothly. If you hadnt disturbed us, we would have made more progress. Meanwhile, what can you two even do here? He was right. On their side were excellent interpreters and researchers, and there were a lot of machines connected to a supercomputer sifting through the data. By comparison, what can two hunters without the related equipment do? Taylor, who had a lot to refute, was about to open her mouth to speak when. Beep-beep-beep-! An alarm that was set up near the dungeon went off, and a signal came from the supercomputer. This? A reaction from the dungeon. The researchers and Han Yoojun didnt look at the supercomputer, but instinctively turned their heads to the dungeon entrance. Rattle!! There, ignoring Han Yoojun, was Yoo Seodam touching the entrance and opening the huge door wide open. Click, click! Camera flashes were coming from all directions. Yoo Haram felt very tired after having to constantly deal with the media. As one of the only three SS-Rank superhuman in Korea, and the guild master of the giant guild, Lost Day, which stretches all over the world, he has rarely interacted with the media. However, there is no reason for him not to step forward, knowing that he can reverse the current situation with just one press conference. A recent mutant event. The hunter industry has stabilized in recent years, so cases such as a person turning into a mutant would not quiet down as easily. Thats why I told you to prepare the proper dose The case has already caused quite a stir among the researchers at Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, and he was in a bad mood because of the substantial damage. It was all the more so when he thought of Yoo Seodam who is the cause of it all. I dont know how a dying man was suddenly able to start running around. He was told that Yoo Seodams health had improved. However, he didnt care much. He didnt think a F-Rank Hunter could do anything. It doesnt matter. Itll quiet down after a few more days. As he raised his head, the reporters eyes shined sharply. Their question was obvious. What are your thoughts on the superhuman who turned into a mutant last time? And for him to give answers that included the words failure or frustrated. However, he would never say anything that would discredit the image of Lost Day. The press was going smoothly, however, he was waiting for his real purpose in coming here. A reporter Yoo Haram had planted in advance to change the subject. Mister Yoo Haram. Citizens are expressing their concerns about the deformed dungeon in Incheon. I heard you had prepared countermeasures against that. Yes. Thats right. We have three S-Rank hunters, thirty A-Rank hunters, and a new other world interpreter there. He didnt forget to stress that he invested tens of billions of won in machines on this endeavor. However, replying to these questions did not necessarily mean only favorable questions were asked. But, Ive heard that the other world interpreter is not working at all. Can you explain? Of course, there can only be one answer. Instead of giving up, were just trying our best. Im sure there will be results. He knew in front of these derformed dungeons, science alone can never gasp its mysteries. So what he had prepared was an other world interpreter. It contains an unknown technology different from the science used by the Cooperative of International Anomaly. He was sure there would be news soon. Suddenly, a commotion broke out. W-what? The entrance to the deformed dungeon has opened? What are you talking about? Tell me more about it! It been interpreted already? Lost Day succeeded in interpreting it? Tell me quickly! Reporters phones everywhere were ringing. During this press conference, perhaps there were a lot of reports coming in. Yoo Haram smiled because this was the best possible outcome. The timing was good, thinking so, he looked at a subordinated who approached him. M-master. The interpretation of the dungeon has been completed. I can see that. Thats not all. Hmm? When he turned his head, he saw the subordinate with a pale face holding a phone. Our guild didnt interpret itIt is said that the F-Rank hunter Yoo Seodam, who was on the scene, succeeded in interpreting it alone. ..What? Yoo Seodam? Reciting this name, Yoo Haram expression slowly stiffened. His guild deliberately carried out the interpretation of the dungeon, so they could turn their current public image around. This time, he was sure it would work. Only But what if he fails? All the reporters on the scene were hurriedly reporting this news. The reactions were immense. [Lost Day, invested tens of billions of won into machines] [Guild master Yoo Haram boasted Im sure there will be results, but what was the result?] [Why did they even bother coming forward?] [The identity of the hunter who interpreted the dungeon that even Lost Day couldnt.] [S-Rank hunter Taylor Nines advice actually do something instead of talking nonsense.] Chapter 22: “Ahaha, stupid motherfuckers. Youre making me blush.” Ahaha, stupid motherfuckers. Youre making me blush. While camped near the dungeon entrance, Taylor burst out laughing when the reporters interviewed her. Lost Day had gone to great lengths to try and interpret the dungeon, so when they failed, the reporters reactions were immediate. Taylor didnt miss the opportunity to shout, you fools, you should have been better organized! at the reporters. Unfortunately, most of the words were filtered by the reporters. Interviewers are often criticized for excessive reporting, yet, now they were trying to make their reports smaller! Even Yoo Seodam was speechless. The soldiers were trying to control the situation with the journalists, but they still came in droves. On the other hand, Lost day remained silent. Nothing good can come from saying anything here. Taylor was laughing at them indiscriminately, but then she suddenly turned her head to look at Seodam, who had a serious expression on his face. Her eyebrows creased. Bastard, you still have lingering feelings for Lost Day? Since the founding of Lost Day, Seodam stayed for 12 years. In the beginning, he stayed for one reason or another, but later Hell Gate became the reason. Hell Gate. A strange hole appeared in the middle of the Pacific Ocean one day, an unknown place where no common sense applied. Why it appeared, whats inside, or how its even maintained, humanity knew nothing about it. However, hunters have constantly challenged it in the hope of conquering it. Yoo Seodam was also one of the hunters who challenged it. Saying most hunters died there is an understatement. The survival rate is 0.3%. Most of those who returned alive were not able to maintain their sanity, or became disabled, thus making it difficult to live a normal life, let alone as a hunter, for the rest of their lives. Although the feelings the hunters felt while inside varied, one thing they all shared was absolute fear. There was also the famous case of a S-Rank hunter who had survived Hell Gate, but when he returned to society, he pissed his pants when he saw a F-Rank monster, acting as if he could never deal with a monster again. I dont know what the hell you saw inside Taylor has never been there. So she doesnt know what Yoo Seodam experienced inside. However, she knows Yoo Seodam must still have lingering feelings after coming out of Hell Gate. Thats why it is a problem. A few years ago, the international law changed so only A-Rank hunters or better could enter Hell Gate. Yoo Seodam has lingerie feelings about Hell Gate, but he couldnt enter it again because hes not a superhuman. However, using the power of Lost Day, it was not necessarily impossible. Taylor thought it was one of the reasons why Yoo Seodam stayed in the guild even though he was treated badly by them, and she also thought thats why he has a serious expression on his face right now as if he had mixed feelings. Hey. Dont tell me you still have lingering feelings for that guild? Asked Taylor, with her teeth clenched as if shes genuinely angry. What? What nonsense are you saying? Im still not strong enough, so I was thinking how I could fuck them up. Seodam looked at Taylor as if he were looking at a strange creature. Lost Day remained silent to the media. The reason was simple. Even though they failed to interpret the dungeon, Yoo Haram thought that if they perform well inside the dungeon to the point where no can refute, their image will recover. Knowing the fact that reporters were rushing to the scene, Lost Day remained silent until it was time. That was until a report came back. The dungeon entrance authority has refused to let other groups in. What? Answered Lost Days A-Rank interpreter, Han Yoojun, with a straight face. What, say that again? He turned to an officer and asked again because he couldnt believe it, but the officer with an embarrassed look said the same thing. Yes. The dungeon entrance authority has No, I know that. Why the hell?! In the case of dungeons where entry is impossible, a right of entry will be given to the first person who discovers how to enter it. To stop hunters from indiscriminately entering and dying, an international law went into effect that states the person with the right of entry has full command of entry and the troops. In other words, there was ample room for self-interest. There must be a reason. What did they say? Yes, the dungeon entrance authority, F-Rank hunter Yoo Seodam, said his strength is enough Oh, fuck him! Unlike the other guilds and hunter unions who were simply curious, Lost Day was pissed. This dungeon meant a lot to Lost Day. The tens of billions of won they invested were not just for their image, but to obtain the unknown knowledge that exists inside the dungeon. Lost Day has invested an unimaginable amount to uncover the very special knowledge that only a few people on Earth knew. Yoo Haram took a deep breath. No. Hes only a F-Rank hunter. Even if he goes with that crazy S-Rank bitchI dont think those two will be able to do anything. On the contrary, if they were to fail the dungeon attack, the media would quickly turn on Yoo Seodam, who is receiving high praises now. Thus, everyones attention will be diverted from Lost Day. It was an opportunity. Yoo Seodam was making the same mistake that Lost Day made the other day! Its been a real headache ever since you fucked us Havent you done enough? Through the huge door, a colorful blurry space came into view. Well, its certainly leery. Taylor Nine, swinging her baseball bat in the air with a home run expression, spoke. Hey, are you sure just the two of us will be enough? It was a natural question, considering its a deformed dungeon. The scientific equipment couldnt measure the general rank of the dungeon, what kind of monsters or natural phenomenons appeared inside. A world different from common sense. Even Taylor couldnt help but to worry about going to such a place. However, I knew. This dungeon, which could not be measured with scientific equipment, was made of mana, and for a deformed dungeon, its output is weak. Although its output is A-Rank, its more or less a S-Rank dungeon. Under normal circumstances, at least three S-Rank hunters were needed to attack a S-Rank dungeon. And, wasnt I only wearing 2nd-Grade equipment? This would usually be too much to even attempt a B-Rank dungeon. On the surface this looks impossible. But theres no problem. I was certain. If we fail and both die, Ill curse you in the afterlife. Its okay. I know what Im doing. Thanks to the Client, I was able to figure out the name of the dungeon. [ This world is the fallen Julexa Empires Magic Palace. ] Magic Palace. As the name suggests, this place is related to magic. However, the difference in development was noticeable. All day yesterday, while fixing the magic circle, I had my doubts. It turns out that the magic in Julexa Empire is much worse than those in Vivienda Empire. If I was to compare, its like the difference between the technology of the late 20th century to those of the mid 21st century, or an overwhelming difference of more than 100 years. But unlike science, the difference in magic compared to technology is that magic could take a greater advantage by fully understanding inferior magic, allowing for more advanced magic. Although my knowledge can only be considered at the primary and secondary school level at Vivienda Academy, and while I cant control magic, I could still see it. As a professor at Vivienda Academy, I studied diligently. Ill signal an alarm if it gets dangerous. If things arent looking good, the guilds Lekaden and Glock had asked me if they could step in and help. What? Why them? Its not just us who hates Lost Day. Also, saving us and attacking the dungeon can boost their image. Dont you think its three birds with one stone? UhReally? Is that so? Was there something like that? I wasnt going to go into a dungeon without countermeasures. I value my life. Also, there was one thing that was on my mind. As I turned around, several members of Lost Day were staring at me from the sideline. Wow, if glaring could kill a person. Avoiding their gazes, I laughed and spoke. Lets go in. [Entering the dungeon, fallen Julexa Empires Magic Palace.] With the feeling of being sucked somewhere, the world changed in an instant. The feeling was similar to traveling to other worlds to kill protagonists, but slightly different. Soon, I opened my eyes. Under the impressive backdrop of a setting sun, the huge half destroyed magic palace came into view. Wow [Caution! This worlds Epilogue has ended.] Hmm? I tilted my head when I saw the message. If the epilogue has ended, then it has ended. What do I need to be cautious about? The Client then spoke. [ When a protagonist finish their story, their world loses its meaning. ] [ In other words, the present world is in the process of extinction. ] [ Not civilization, but the world itself. ] [ If you dont leave when the world is completely destroyed, your existence will be in danger. ] What the fuck. You shouldve told me that first! Momentarily surprised, I let out a sigh. Whether the dungeon collapses or not, nothing has changed. But, the word epilogue was a little annoying. Ugh. After shaking my head, I drew something on the ground with chalk. Taylor stared at me strangely, but I paid it no mind. Alright. Lets go now. Taylor and I walked to the entrance of the magic palace. The entrance was simple. Just like the magic circle drawn at the entrance to the dungeon, it quickly opened when I added several similar lines to it. Soon, the interior came into view. Taylor and I checked the interiors from far away using our telescopes. There was a two legged creature made of black metal walking around, ominously shimmering blue lights from its eyepiece. Crazy, is that golem? No. Its a guardian. Golem and guardian. At first glance the two creatures are seemingly similar, but are actually different. Golems are a natural substance that gained a heart and became a living thing, so there were various kinds like fire, water, earth, etc In other words, it is a kind of spirit. But guardians are magical creatures. It is similar to a robot in a way. An energy robot that connects circuits and metals. And, all those guardians and their circuits were clear in my eyes. Its so simple that it feels like reading a picture book as an adult. Simply put, it is a killing machine. Also, what about the structure of this palace? Viviendas architecture was clearly aided by magic. However, the magic was hidden as much as possible, whereas this place was different. The circuits are clearly visible. As expectedI can figure out the structure of this palace. Well, I guess its all meaningless now. When I was thinking about it. Wiwing!! Suddenly an alarm went off in my ear. An alarm that is audible only to me. It is a very basic magic spell, the boundary alarm. It was of little use in Vivienda because its like a childs toy, and would be meaningless if someone knew a bit of magic. Here, no one knows how to use or sense magic. Meaning, there is an intruder who snuck into this dungeon. I chuckled. Even the one who came were clearly visible. There were three people in total. No doubt it is the three S-Rank superhumans that Lost Day somehow managed to sneak in. They werent the ones upholding the law or anything like that in the first place. Since they had invested tens of billions of won, I had expected it. Still, I was dumbfounded by their brazen behavior. Maybe theyre doing this at the expense of a huge risk. Taylor. We have visitors. I think we should still continue with the dungeon. Oh, fuck. Theyre really annoying. You stay put. Ill go alone. What? Should I? I slowly looked through the interior of the palace. Only The magic was surprisingly very proper and clear. This is only the second time Ive witnessed magic properly, but I was certain. The magic of this place was not much different. Therefore, if a building is built using magicit means a place full of magic. Hahaha. I put away my aether blade and aether gun. These wont be necessary for a while. From this point on, its not Yoo Seodam the hunter but Yoo Seodam the mage. Chapter 23: Morning of the next day. Morning of the next day. Member of Lost Day, Han Yoojun, spoke with guild master Yoo Haram over the phone. [You know, this dungeon has something to do with magic.] Magic. Earth, a technological planet with no magic, Han Yoojun listened to Yoo Harams words carefully. No one on earth has even found a trace of magic. There are many who desire it, yet not a single person has it. But what if someone obtains magic? The current power scale will tilt towards what nobody expects. [Very few people know the deformed dungeon on Eurwangni is related to magic.] Yoo Haram only found out about it through a special connection. Even large corporations and countries do not know this fact. Therefore, Yoo Haram decided to take a big risk. [Ive already asked. Only soldiers are allowed in.] By international law, entry into deformed dungeons is strictly monitored. Due to the nature of deformed dungeons, its impossible to establish communications to the outside world once youre inside. This led to numerous accidents, with the Elitz dungeon massacre from 10 years ago being the biggest incident of them all. No matter how much Lost Day spins it, they will not escape criticism if they break international law. Thats why countless companies and hunters were waiting patiently outside the deformed dungeon. F-Rank or not, they cant go in if theyre not permitted. For that reason, Yoo Haram took a big risk. To deceive international law, many people had to become accomplices. [Thats how important this case is to me. To understand.] When Yoo Haram hung up the phone, Han Yoojun gulped. He thought perhaps this might blow up, but soon shook his head. The opponents are one F-Rank and one S-Rank hunter. By comparison, they had three S-Rank hunters. This is enough. Shortly after, Han Yoojun calmly called up three S-Rank hunters. Jang Dojin, Yun Seolgyun, and Ahn Jei. Each have been active for more than five years as hunters, and all have S-Rank superpowers. Unlike him who cant fight, they could attack the dungeon, so he relayed the message from the guild master. You three will sneak into the dungeon. Is that so? As if Jang Dojin had expected it, he nodded. Ive finished talking to the soldiers. Now you guys just have to go in quietly, kill the two, then endure a week inside. You can do that, right? The three hunters in front of Han Yoojun can clear a S-Rank dungeon with a high success rate. Its also unlikely for the deformed dungeon here to be SS-Rank because it has rarely been the case, and even if it is, it wont be a problem for the three to stay near the entrance for a week. In the first place, if its really a SS-Rank dungeon, those two inside will not be able to survive. Assuming everything goes as planned, the guild master wants a flawless performance. The plan was to send a rescue team after a week if theres no news from the two who disappeared. That is to say, the dungeon attack is deemed a failure after a week. After killing Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine, the three hunters will hold out for a week, then the rescue teams will be dispatched to save Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine. Then, the three hunters will blend in with the rescue team and clear the dungeon safely. Machines dont work inside the deformed dungeon. Strangely, even radio reception doesnt work. At bestanalog morse code transmission is possible. If anything happens, make sure to contact me. Yes. However, there wont be a need for that. They are three S-Rank superhumans who are considered veterans in Lost Day. Although the other side has a S-Rank superhuman, at that level, the three of them will be enough. Theres no problem. Yes. Lets go now. Late morning. The number of soldiers standing guard at the entrance to the dungeon exceeded 20, and among them there was a S-Rank superhuman. Han Haejung, a middle aged man of the colonel rank, creased his eyebrows as he saw three superhumans approaching. Nonetheless, Jang Dojin approached him and spoke. Youve worked hard. Han Haejung showed a stiff expression. He knew very well what would happen inside if he let them in. But there was nothing he could do. This morning, a sudden order came from the top. Permit entry to the three hunters from Lost Day. The order wasnt sent just to the army, but the Cooperative of International Anomaly organization as well. As a soldier, Han Haejung has no choice but to follow orders. Sooner or later youll have to repent. Said Han Haejung, leaving his post quietly. That day will never come. After brushing the remark aside, the three hunters quickly entered the dungeon. Hwaak!! The smell of a different environment assaulted their noses as soon as they entered. Feeling the stuffy and heavy air, their faces crumbled. One of a hunters basic equipment is an air purifier and oxygen filter, but it is still very hard to adapt to other worlds environments. Sometimes even the gravity was different. This place looks similar to Earth. They raised their heads and looked straight ahead. It was morning on Earth, but here the sun was already setting. A huge half destroyed palace welcomed them, and somehow it gave off an ominous feeling. Jang Dojin slowly looked around, trying to calm his nerves as much as possible. Fortunately, there was no reaction from their sensors. Look at this. Isnt the dungeon interpreter a little weird? What? Numerous dungeons have appeared over the last 30 years, and now its possible to find out the name of a dungeon using modern technology. Once an anomaly detector captures the characteristic of a dungeon by its name, they can start attacking the dungeon. But [Fallen ??? ?? Palace] Whats that? Whats wrong with the name of this dungeon? This was normal in the past. Not so much these daysI think this is a new dungeon type. That palace. Ive seen buildings in dungeons before, but never a palaceIs this a first? Asked the female hunter, Ahn Jei. The two men were stumped as well. But one thing is certain. The palace entrance was wide open. Which means their prey are inside. Lets go. The three superhumans walked cautiously. Theres no chance for them to be discovered. But among the opponents was a S-Rank superhuman, Taylor Nine. It can become troublesome against her ability, so they did not underestimate her. Ahn Jei activated one of her superpowers, a detection ability. Although its low rank, it has the effect of identifying the path a target has recently taken. Yoo Seodam was recently here, so it wasnt difficult to figure out. Hmm? Whats wrong? No, I think they took this strange path. She turned her head, pointing to a space hidden between two walls. They went in there? Hmm There were bodies of monsters that looked like golems scattered everywhere. All of them had holes in their chests, waist, and head, so it is assumed to be Taylor Nines doings. However, if they had defeated all these, wouldnt it make sense to head through the main passageway? Why did they go there? They couldnt understand it, but regardless, they had to chase them. We dont need to know why. Just follow after them. Said Jang Dojin to the other two, who nodded their heads. They quietly and quickly moved. The only time they felt tense was when they entered the dungeon. However, the further they pursued Yoo Seodam, the more strange it felt to them. Because the path Yoo Seodam took was completely different from normal thinking. Usually this type of dungeon has a boss monster at the top. Why are you heading underground? Jang Dojin thought they might have been noticed, but soon shook his head. They had neither a sensing ability nor a machine. With Ahn Jeis state of the art sensors and sensing ability, they could not have been noticed. But even if they had the thought that they were being followed, why would they wait underground for someone to show up? Also, attacking an S-Rank dungeon would take a longer time. Thats how they rationalized it in their heads. Finally, the deepest part of the underground. They have just arrived at a huge place called Heart of Mana, something modern people cant know or understand. They suddenly had a thought. Dont tell me, this is a trap? It was a strange place. Columns with unknown patterns were erected jaggedly, and the ceiling was unusually high. And in the middle lay a giant rock that had lost its luster and looked as if it would crumble at any minute. What people on Earth may not know is that this giant rock is the Heart of Mana, a generator that powers every magic building. Although all the mana has been lost, somehow its vibrant feeling still remains. Jang Dojin looked at Yoo Seodam, who was petting the rock, and spoke. Did you know we were coming? Yes. Then why didnt you run away? Asked Jang Dojin, as they looked around. They couldnt see Taylor Nine. Where is she hiding? But they were not worried. Because Yun Seolgyuns ability specializes against superpowers. Ahn Jei who has the abilities Aether Shot (S) and Target Tracking (D). Yun Seolgyun who has the abilities Aether Discharge (S) and Aether Disruption (A) And Jang Dojin, who has the abilities Aether Shield (S) and Perfect Physique (S). There are very few cases in the world of people awakening dual superpowers, and when there is, it is rare for both superpowers to be S-Rank. If Yun Seolgyun disrupts the superpowers of the target, Jang Dojin rushes with a body stronger than steel, and Ahn Jei uses her aether bow to shoot down the target, even Taylor Nine, the top S-Rank hunter, will not be able to survive. Suddenly, Seodam spoke. Taylor is hunting right now. Its been a while since Ive unwind. What? Walking slowly, Seodam placed his hand on a pillar. The heart of a mages building. It is a place that preserves the life of the building itself. Wouldnt there be precautions in place to prevent attacks against such a place? Although the heart was shut down because the building died, the rune still remains. A kind of security system that activates using magic to immediately shoot down all intruders. Although the Heart of Mana is quite old fashioned compared to Viviendas, and its dead because most of the runes were damaged. Still, theres no problem. Oong!! Seodam had already finished his preparation by interpreting all the runes here earlier before they came. A mage is a person who prepares. And as a F-Rank hunter, Yoo Seodam has always prepared. He waited 3 hours to catch a F-Rank monster. He waited 48 hours to catch a E-Rank monster. It took a month to hunt D-Rank monsters. He prepared to the point where people thought he was crazy, and so, at least when it comes to preparation, it could be said that hes superior to a mage. Well, lets go. Kill him first and then find her. When Jang Dojins words fell, they each took out their bows, shields, and wristband. Three S-Rank hunters who have the most optimal superpowers to deal with a hunter. No matter what tricks the F-Rank hunter has, they thought they could easily defeat him. To them, it will be like swatting a fly. The moment Jang Dojin rushed in. Pichi! ! A pillar of light fell from the sky. Taylor patted her shoulder with her baseball bat while twirling three spheres of light in her left hand. Kuung! A strange house-sized S-Rank monster called a hybrid chimera fell. Although its a powerful monster that many S-Rank hunters would struggle with, Taylor Nine was able to defeat it with only a light scratch. Ah, unlike robots, these cute things have aethers, right? Unfortunately, the enemies Seodam said were guardians had no aether crystal even after she killed them all. However, aether crystals could be extracted from the various types of chimeras she had defeated, and has collected a considerable amount. Having extracted the last aether crystal, she looked back with a worried look. You hunt to your hearts content. Ill be right with you after serving our guests. After saying so, Yoo Seodam stayed back alone in the deep underground. Although he was prideful, he was also cautious in everything. She wanted to help, but he was so confident that in the end she agreed. When she thought about it, Seodam has always been confident. Taylor recalls a memory from that time. Fifteen years ago when the eight children became hunters. Even when all but one person awakened their superpowers. When they awakened E-Rank superpowers and he didnt. When it became D, C, and finally A rank. Seodam was still full of confidence. Just because we gained superpowers we didnt want to invade his space, thus everyone didnt cross that line. Thats why Taylor was hesitating. But, she couldnt help but worry. What the heck, lets just check. I feel uncomfortable hunting Eventually, Taylor turned around and went back the way she came. Kugung! Also, what the hell is that noise? Going back to the place where they split up, she frowned at the earthshaking vibration. The sounds of a slight explosion, something striking, and something falling. As far as she knows, that did not come from Yoo Seodam. With an uneasy feeling, Taylor clenched her teeth and ran towards the underground. When she got to the entrance. She saw a pillar of flame rising to the sky and hunters with the Lost Day armband. W-what is that? Taylor widened her eyes, trying to grasp the situation. A standoff between three S-Rank hunters and one hunter. It couldnt be Yoo Seodam. Its impossible. She thought as such. What the hell is that? A bolt of lightning fell from the sky. Then, a red circle rose from a line drawn on the ground and burned everything in its vicinity when a pillar lit up. Thiswas a kind of superpower she has never seen before. There were not just one, but several such phenomenons happening. It was none other than Yoo Seodam. Since when did you gain superpowersNo, before that, does this even make sense? Among the many superhumans recorded on Earth, the largest number of superpowers a person had were three. But not even superpowers could create such strange phenomenons. Every time Yoo Seodam ran like the wind and touched a wall, the air curved, rays of light poured down, or blue beads rolled around. It was incomprehensible to modern superpowers. The three S-Rank hunters were wailing at the absurdity, unable to withstand the difference in power. What the hell is this? They thought he would beg for his life. But it is them who is now begging for their life. What the hell is that? Taylor was speechless at the absurdity of three S-Rank hunters being unilaterally slaughtered. Unknowingly, she looked at Seodams face. He was smiling. She has never seen him this happy while fighting before. He who doesnt have talent. He who doesnt have superpower. His 30 years of existence had always been a struggle from the bottom. For the first time, he is a genius with overwhelming power! Looking at his expression, all questions disappeared from her mind. Its just, she was happy. It made her happy seeing Seodam happy. What that is. How it happened. Only Such things didnt matter at this moment. Those who have always stood at the pinnacle. Watching Seodam tear at the peak from the bottom. Taylor Nine thought. Wow, so crazy. Its fucking beautiful No other words were needed. A mysterious and beautiful battle that has never been seen before. For a long time, Taylor Nine looked at the scene, bewitched. Chapter 24 The three hunters who were continuously cooked by fire, burned by electricity, and frozen were in tatters on the ground. I shrugged my shoulders, and approached them. I felt very refreshed after scratching this itch. Slowly approaching them, Jang Dojin, who managed to pull himself together, groaned. I knew these three hunters very well. Theres no way I wouldnt remember. These are the guys who have outright ignored me ever since I first joined the guild. At the time, I couldnt do anything and had to endure, but now its different. Thats amazing. Said Taylor Nine, slowly approaching. She looked at the hunters on the ground, then pouted her lips and asked. Whats this? How did you do that? You were moving so fast and shooting laser beams out of your hands. I dont remember shooting laser beams out of my hands. I already told you. Im a Dimensional Returnee. To be precise, Im not a Dimensionally Returnee but a Dimensioned Traveler. In any case, I just kept it simple. Hmph, obviously, Dimensional Returnees use unusual powers that are different from superpowers. Its just that I didnt really expect you to be one In fact, the place where I can use this ability is limited. I had to use this buildings magical security system, something thats not found on Earth. However, since such a place existed, it was possible to use Aracelis Mana Circling to go wild, which is why I intentionally lured Lost Day here. Though, I didnt expect them to come here in the first place. With a disheartened look, Taylor spoke. Is this why you asked me to come with you? Yes. I thought it was a date, so I even wore my nice underwear and dressed up. Who wears such a thing to a dungeon? Of course it wasnt just for that reason. Usually, if a B-Rank dungeon is cleared alone, I would be paid 16 million won by the state. A-Rank dungeon is 32 million won. As the number of participants increases, the amount each receives would obviously be less, so I didnt want that to happen. Also, I was sure it wasnt dangerous. Since this is a S-Rank deformed dungeon, the amount varied, but the minimum would at least be 100 million won. That is only the monetary portion of the reward. The real reward is monopolizing all the items and knowledge found in the dungeon. So, if I let others enter, wouldnt I be giving away my rewards to others? Ugh When I looked at Jang Dojin, he groaned with his head on the floor. To be honest, Im doubtful. Seeing you guys spend tens of billions of won trying to get in here, and it seems like youre putting a lot of effort into your image reformIf that is your plan, it doesnt make sense to follow me in the first place. So Im wondering if coming to kill me was really the reason? Jang Dojin nodded immediately. Thwak!! Taylor trampled his head with her foot. Bullshit. She patted her baseball bat, and spoke. Youre nodding as if you already prepared an answer. Yes? Kuh-uh! It looks like there was no pressure on her foot all. But I knew very well that aether was leaking under the sole of her foot. Jang Dojin would not be able to hold out as hes already hurt. Also Ive heard the pain is so unbearable that even superhumans couldnt endure it. Tell me. Said Taylor, then exactly 14 seconds later. Jang Dojin opened his mouth after spasming like fried pork belly on a grill. Alright, Ill tell you! Oh. How come youve endured longer than the time it took to bake cheese? So whats the reason? Magic! To find out about magic! Magic? Taylor frowned at the strange word. Y-yes maam. I dont know the detailsThere was a rumor that theres something magical about this deformed dungeon, so the guild became interested. Oh, yeah? So magic. Thats amazing. Is there anything else? UhWe heard this dungeon had to do with magic. So we have to investigate it Said Jang Dojin, looking at me with trembling eyes. Well, they deserved it for getting in my way. I also thought it was unreasonable for Lost Day to try and kill me in this deformed dungeon after my minor retaliation. Magic. Its been 30 years since monsters and superpowers appeared, and people have taken it for granted. Now there are even Dimensional Returnees and people who single handedly wielded power rivaling that of an army, its no wonder there are people who believe magic is real and not a superstition. But if Lost Day is really convinced in the existence of magic and has begun to go to great lengths to find it, I cant sit back quietly. In a sense, before they get magic, would they leave me alone when Im in the way? Unlikely. Thats why I will have to deal with two things from now on. Dont let Lost Day harm me socially. Dont let Lost day harm me physically. The first is to use the media, but the second is that I needed a group to belong to. Which means I need a guild. However, none of my connections have a larger group than Lost Day, but even if it did, I held no value for them to protect me. This is annoying. Now that it has come to this, it cant be helped. I have no choice but to cut down some of the power on the other side. Yes. Besides that. Tell me more. Kuh-aaah!! Ah, fuck. Your spit went everywhere. Isnt that because you used too much force? Did I? Said Taylor with a smirk. I do like to tease people, but its not much fun teasing these bastards. After prying a little more information from them, Taylor drilled a hole through each of their chest, killing them instantly. She was going to crush their heads with her baseball bat, but Seodam yelled at her to stop. The face is the most valuable thing to have as evidence. HmThen. For a woman who had just killed three people, Taylor smiled with a lively face, and spoke. Shall we continue our date? S+ Rank monster, Demilich. That is the boss of this dungeon. [The target has traces of the former protagonist.] The protagonist? [ Correct. ] [ The target was once the protagonist who finished their Epilogue. ] Then why would the world end? Demilich was located at the top of the palace. Thanks to that, I could see the spectacular view of this world. This world is ending. The ground and sky were slowly disappearing. [ The existence of this world was forcefully consumed by the protagonist. ] [ When a world revolves around the protagonist, its energy to maintain itself is inevitably concentrated on the protagonist, and once its used up, the protagonist will see the Epilogue. ] [ With the ending and the world having lost its energy, it will slowly collapse. ] [ The collapsing worlds will roam through dimensions until they eventually cease to exist. However, it often appears in the form of a dungeon in other dimensions. ] Huh, was it something like that? [ Thats why I made the contract to kill protagonists. ] Protagonists should not exist in the world. A person who monopolizes the blessing of their world and consequently hasten the collapse of it. [ Demilich once had 12 wives, ten of thousands of loyal subjects, and everyone believed and followed him. ] [ But after the Epilogue, the protagonist had consumed all the clichs and could no longer keep them with his own power. ] He took it for granted that his wives only loved him. One by one, they left to other men after being neglected. His loyal subjects conspired to assassinate or rebel against him, and the people revolted due to discontent. The man who became the hero due to the worlds blessing had lost everything once the blessings disappeared, and eventually became a skeleton in front of them now. Without blessings, he could not do anything, so in the end he couldnt even become a proper lich. To be honest, it isnt hard to defeat the Demilich. It failed to advance to a Lich, so it couldnt even use magic properly and had to fight physically. Taylors superpower is Light Refraction (S+). A skill in which she summoned balls of light in the shape of a sphere, controlled it, and overpowered enemies with a move that disregarded the laws of physics. Its output was almost the same as SS-Rank. Her superpower is fraudulent, and even her equipment is fraudulent. Exactly three days. From entering the dungeon, to the deaths of the three hunters from Lost Day, to the fall of the once protagonist. I could read the circuits in the palace and the structure of this dungeon, so it was easy avoiding the dangerous areas and saving time. The dungeon will disappear once I leave. However, I dont intend to leave yet. Youre staying for four more days? Yes. Why? Im trying to pull aggro. Youre crazy. Taylor laughed while giggling. I brought enough food to last a week, and it is more than enough if I count the food from the hunters of Lost Day. If there is one problem, its that there isnt much much to do here. So I was going to take this time to practice magic. I had decided to reveal my secret of knowing magic to Taylor. Weve always shared many secrets with one another. Anyways. Why arent you doing anything? What? Smacking her lips, Taylor slowly approached me. We are a young man and woman, what shall we spend four days doing? Hey. Are you crazy? There are hundreds of years old dead bodies split into eight pieces scattered everywhere. Its beautiful and nice. Crazy bitch. I think she really has a screw loose somewhere. [Yes. Its 23:50 here in Incheon City. Its been almost a week since two hunters entered the deformed dungeon.] The reporter continued. [Rescue teams and numerous hunters are on standby in front of the deformed dungeon.] A week has passed since Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine went in. They left exactly 00:00, and at exactly 00:00 a week later, numerous guilds will begin to enter along with the rescue team. Among those who are waiting is Han Yoojun. Its going as planned. Watching the news, Han Yoojun leisurely chewed gum. Even when the time comes, he wont be entering the dungeon. He is an A-Rank interpreter with no fighting capability. However, he has told his guild members to take precautions several times because they were going in. Once youre inside the dungeon, find the three S-Rank hunters waiting somewhere. Make sure to turn on your analog signals so you can find them. It was a very hectic situation because reporters were camped around the dungeon. Its because the deadline is approaching. Netizens were also going wild. He looked through the posts on social media and read them. [What can a F-Rank hunter do?] [Did they end up dying?] There were even malicious comments like LOL. Of course, most were not like that. Many posts were expressing their condolences or regret The important thing is that their death is a foregone conclusion. Very few people can survive within a deformed dungeon for a week. Its possible that his guild members wouldnt be able to hold out either. To be honest, thats fine with Han Yoojun. Even if they died, they would have been able to deal with Yoo Seodam and investigated some of the deformed dungeon. [There are five minutes until the deadline. Lets hear from an expert now!] [UhI think they] When a boring expert came on, Han Yoojun turned the news off. They will enter any minute now. Han Yoojun is not the only one who thought so, every other hunter here held their equipment with a solemn expression, and even the reporters lifted their camera to film the moment they would enter. Suddenly, the entrance to the deformed dungeon disappeared, then a man and woman appeared. What? At the same time, every reporter started talking. [Breaking news! Hunter Yoo Seodam and hunt Taylor Nine successfully attacked a deformed dungeon and have returned!] Ah. Han Yoojun gulped, swallowing the gum in his mouth without realizing it. There were cheers and sighs of relief everywhere. However, Han Yoojun was speechless. [God didnt abandon themHuh? Wheres hunter Yoo Seodam and hunter Taylor Nine going all of a sudden?] Slowly, Han Yoojun stepped back instinctively, but Yoo Seodam was approaching him faster. Only No, it cant be. Theres no way, he thought. [Now we can see that they came out of the dungeon with three big sacks. What the hell is thatah!] Thud. Yoo Seodam and Taylor threw the three sacks in front of Han Yoojun. Immediately, the sacks opened and the contents inside were revealed. Han Yoojun dropped the tablet he was holding, but the reporters voice didnt stop, and suddenly it all rushed into his ears. [The bodies of S-Rank hunters from Lost Day were found inside the dungeonThis, what the hell happened?] Chapter 25: Hwayang neighborhood. Hwayang neighborhood. Celeste walked in a standard modern cafe. These days, all the interior designs were the same, and the young people in their 20s who frequented these cafes only cared about the stimulation it provided, rather than its cost. Particularly, a cafe in Hwayang where a prestigious university and a prestigious hunter academy are located. This place has been visited by college students ever since it spread on social media, and despite the frequent visits from pretty men and women, including celebrities, Celeste was quite conspicuous, making the customers turn their heads once in a while. She took a seat by the window, took off her light pink trench coat, hung it behind her chair, and gently brought out her tablet. She flipped to the news. [With eyewitness accounts coming out one after another, a photo of Lost Days members sneaking into the deformed dungeon was found last night.] A week ago. Although it was amazing that two hunters successfully cleared a deformed dungeon, news also came that three hunters snuck into the dungeon, violating international law. The shocking revelation came when it was discovered that the three hunters were actually S-Rank members from Lost Day, and that they were dealt with by hunter Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine. Korea was in an uproar. People were shocked by the series of events, and public opinion immediately lashed out at Lost Day. The incident occurred when the whole world was focused on Korea, so it was impossible to ignore. [If you look at this photo, the three hunters are] Eyewitnesses and photo evidence continued to pour in. Evidence that would have been buried by the influence of Lost Day. However, the incident became too big to ignore. Seodam was well aware of that fact, so he deliberately publicized it when most of the attention was on him. After all, dead men tell no tales. [Ah, those fu(beep)ers suddenly came after us. What? This fu(beep)er. B(beep)ch, Im trying to talk here. So anyways, why did those fu(beep)ers sneak into the dungeon? Oh? Haha, those motherfu(beep)ers pretended to want to clear the dungeon together] Taylor busily told her side of the story to the media. She is a S-Rank hunter and celebrity, so she received a lot of attention, but it was her gorgeous appearance that drew more attention. As evident by the fact that Yoo Seodam, who actually had the main role, was rarely asked for an interview, while Taylor even appeared on morning talk shows. Of course, Lost Day couldnt remain silent either. [Lost Days guild master says these hunters were contracted and have nothing to do with the guild.] Power also plays in a role in the media. If Lost Day said so, nobody could refute it. But everyone knew. Was it possible for three contracted S-Rank hunters to bribe the military and sneak into the dungeon without anyone noticing? However, the military denied it and forcefully discharged colonel Han Haejung who was in charge of managing the dungeon. On Lost Days side, Yoo Haram completely outed the A-Rank interpreter, Han Yoojun. Thus, the news became that the military and Lost day were not involved and that everything was perpetrated by Han Haejung and the three S-Rank hunters. In the end, it was still impossible to tie all loose ends because the incident was too big. Celeste was able to guess through her fathers high position that quite a few people were walking away from lost Day. Perhaps this has dealt a tremendous blow to Lost Day. Afterwards, a video of guild master Yoo Harams public apology to the nation was released. People still booed him when he said he was sincerely apologizing and would take full responsibility for the incident. Everyone thought that if he was really sincere, he wouldnt have to cover his tracks. Celeste took a sip of her coffee from a straw. If members of a guild violate international law, the whole guild will be responsible. Perhaps there will be an assessment to determine the existence of the guild. Though of course, Lost Day wont collapse from this kind of scandal. Their power is too great for Korea to lose. But they were hit hard twice in a row and wont be able to act rashly for the time being. However, the fact that a large guild of that size received an assessment is a fatal blow to its image. In the hunter industry, where image is the most important thing, their image has been completely destroyed. Did mister Yoo Seodam planned this? The timing was impeccable. When Celeste was thinking about it, the cafes door opened, and a plainly dressed Yoo Seodam walked in. Hello. This is a damn expensive cafe. As soon as he arrived, he checked the price for a cup of coffee, and his eyes widened. It was so expensive even though its not a place that specializes in coffee. It was really hard to get in contact with you. Ive been busy lately. It is true. Although Taylor was running wild in public, he was working behind the scene. Only today did he find some time off. Is there something urgent you called me for? Its fine for now, but After closing the news, Celeste flipped through her tablet and played a video. International Swordsmanship Debate Competition? The International Swordsmanship Debate Competition is a swordsmanship competition hosted by the International Swordsmanship Hunter Federation, which has become a major sport since the value of weapons like swords have risen significantly over the last 30 years. Usually, the purpose of the debate is to show off everyones swordsmanship and discuss them to improve the quality of swordsmanship on Earth. Naturally, competitions will be held to determine the participants ranking. Why show me this? Come to think of it, Ive been contacted by a person from the International Swordsmanship Hunter Federation. They said they were curious about the swordsmanship style I use, and would really love it if I participated in the debate. However, I did not care for such a thing, so Ive been hesitant to give them an answer. Then, is the debate just around the corner? Celeste played another video when Seodam was thinking about it. An event from half a year ago. A video of Celestes one-sided defeat against a woman. Oh? Celeste was an E-Rank superhuman at the time. Usually, swordsmanship competitions were held between participants of the same rank, but in the case of prestigious families like Celestes, sometimes competitions were held between people of varying ranks due to the nature of the different competitions. Because of this, Celestes opponent was Sanagi, a D-Rank superhuman and eldest daughter of Japans renown Okamoto family. A showdown between an E-Rank and D-Rank superhuman. The battle was a foregone conclusion. Theres another debate coming up. MaybeIm going to have to fight the Okamoto family again this time. Since both Sanagi and Celeste are promising talents, attention would be on them every time a debate is held. But youre D-rank now, arent you? Yes, but Sanagi Okamoto recently rose to C-Rank. Crazy. I heard Sanagi Okamoto is around twenty years old. If youre born in a prestigious swordsman family, youll naturally have many talents and skills with the swords, but terrifyingly, she even has a strong physique talent. Unlike other superpowers, physique grows gradually, so its not easy for it to grow rapidly at a young age. If she continues like this, she could very well challenge a S-Rank one day. The only problem was that the talent belongs to the other party. Thats why I need hunter Yoo Seodam. Me? Im training my physique steadily. But I also know that its ridiculous to think that I can suddenly progress to C-Rank. Theres only one way. For a stronger person than herself to push her limit with genuine swordsmanship. Hearing what she said, Seodam gave a puzzled look. Hey, you think that would even work? Asked Seodam sincerely. Yes, if its you. Answered Celeste with all her heart. Uh Seodam, who was about to say its because I have a Swordsmanship A+ talent, recalls something. Recalling how Celeste imitated his swordsmanship that he clumsily imitated. Wait, hold onIs her swordsmanship talent higher than C-Rank? I cant see her talent, but she was able to grasp my swordsmanship at first glance. In fact, its normal for geniuses to stand out. However, modern swordsmanship has only developed for about 30 years with superhumans in mind, thus its short history made it difficult for talented people to blossom. But, what if a genius learns swordsmanship that has thousands of years of history? Im not asking for a simple sparring session like last time. Id like to have hunter Yoo Seodam officially be the Costantinis family swordsman. Seodam stroked his chin. Its not a bad proposal. Rather, the offer came at a good time. He needed a place to weather the storm called Lost Day, and the Costantini family would be enough of a windbreaker. No matter what they plan, they would not go after Costantinis eldest daughter. It would be a good place to temporarily get out of the rain. I have to find a guild anyways. As a temporary place, Costantini will do. But as you know, Im too busy to leave Korea. Its okay. Im thinking of staying in Korea a while longer. Okay. When do we start? Ill go back to my parents house this week to prepare everything. Lets start next week, please. The goal is to defeat Sanagi Okamoto in a sword debate. Celestes expression became resolute. After talking late into the afternoon at the cafe, the sun was starting to set, so I walked Celeste back, and once I got home, I flung myself on the couch. Its only been a week. In a week, I have done more damage with my own power than I thought I could to Lost Day. Lost Day will be on their toes for the time being. I was overjoyed. The fact that I, who is nothing but a F-Rank hunter, scratched a guild like Lost Day, which many dont even dare to look at. Ring! It was a text from Taylor. [It looks like that bastard Han Yoojun is in the hospital.] Why was Han Yoojun, a non combatant, in the hospital? My initial thought was that its to avoid the media, but on second thought, its probably the work of Lost Days guild master. Yoo haram temper is so bad that he likely did something to Han Yoojun after things didnt go as planned. [Yoo Seodam: Hows everything going on your end?] [Taylor Nine: I dont know.] [Taylor Nine: I think good? LOL] [Taylor Nine: Its been a while since I was on TV, and its fucking fun.] [Taylor Nine: Fuck, I think the rice is ready.] [Yoo Seodam: Do you need help with anything?] [Taylor Nine: Nope.] Originally, I was going to go to the media myself. However, Taylor loved the job so much that I entrusted all of it to her. She says she doesnt like the attention, but somehow she loves to bully others. The target was Lost Day this time, so thats why Taylor has been extra fierce. [Yoo Seodam: Dont get caught up in the law.] [Taylor Nine: LOL How many times have I been charged with libel?] [Taylor Nine: Ill take care of everything!] [Yoo Seodam: Alright.] [Yoo Seodam: Im going to be away for a while.] [Taylor Nine: Okay.] With that, Im free for the time being. Ill take another mission. There was a week until Celeste returned, so traveling to another dimension seemed like a good choice. [Mission List] When I tried to check the list of protagonists, I saw something that stood out at the top. What is this? A list of recommendations? [ Thats correct. Ive organized the protagonists that are not a threat right now and could easily be dealt with. ] If I hunt them, will I absorb two ability? [ No because its not an emergency mission. However, you will gain an additional level. ] Wow. There were a total of three recommendations. #The_game_I_made_has_become_a_reality #Fusion_Fantasy #Prophecy #Neighboring_Country #Growth #Thriller #Did_I_die_again?_Lets_do_it_again! #Fantasy #Regression #Growth #Exaggerated #Bittersweet #Third_daughter_is_a_witch_and_master_swordsman? #Fantasy #Possession #Strongest #Talented #Teen All three are unusual. My criteria when choosing the protagonist. First, the level should be low, and secondly it should be related to magic or swordsmanship. The third protagonists level was the lowest at 70, so it should be the easiest. Although I wasnt confident in winning against a level 70, it also isnt impossible if I could somehow dig a trap like as if I was hunting a monster. Therefore. #Third_daughter_is_a_witch_and_master_swordsman? Ill take this one. [ Do you want to go now? ] I had completed my preparations in advance. In case there was a use for it, I had packed my mega shooter as well. I nodded with a satisfied look, and soon my vision blurred. [Traveling to Alethea Empire. The world of the Level 70 protagonist, Witch Ella.] [1098] [Travel completed.] [The time dilation is 3.41020x] After the world slowly collapsed and reconstructed. I opened my eyes. A girl who looks like a middle school student was staring at me. W-what is it? Only Instinctively, I looked at the top of her head, and the words Witch Ella came into view. She is the protagonist. This is the situation I didnt want to face the most. Without any preparation, it is impossible to deal with a protagonist who is twice as powerful as I am. With my tension rising, Ella slowly opened her mouth and spoke. Youre the new swordsman instructor? What? [You became a sword instructor to Duke of Almus princess Ella.] Chapter 26 This is the second time since facing Gilitender that Ive met the protagonist as soon as I traveled to another world. I didnt think much of it at that time because I wasnt myself back then, but Im different now. Whats my chance of winning against a level 70 head on? Whats my chance of winning if I ambush her now? There is no answer. I am a hunter, and a hunter does not fight head on. In order to hunt those who are stronger than myself, I have to thoroughly prepare. Whats the matter? Nothing. Fortunately, the red haired protagonist, who looks to only be around 10, is not aware that Im a hunter. Indeed, it was a really good thing. [ The Duke of Almus is the most prestigious family when it comes to swordsmanship in the Alethea Empire. ] [ Alethea Empire is strictly a place where martial arts are practiced, so its best to refrain from using magic. ] Why? [ Because magic is exclusively used by witches in this world. ] [ And here, witches are the enemy of all mankind. ] [ No witch survived after the last witch hunt a year ago. ] It wasnt surprising that there are other worlds with magic. It also wasnt surprising that I would eventually come across one where magic is ostracized. By the way, if no witch survived, whos the girl in front of me? [ The protagonist is in a state of possession. ] [ She was the last witch, and after being killed by the Duke of Almus, she possessed princess Ella and lived on. ] Crazy. Just hearing it gave me goosebumps. Its a shame Ella is the protagonist, but what if it was the Duke of Almus who was possessed? What if he finds out that the worst enemy of humanity he killed has possessed his daughter? There will be no good ending. Should I say that Im really glad Ella is the protagonist? By the way, what the hell is a witch? [ Its a superior race to human, being able to use magic naturally from birth. ] [ They can handle magic and have a much longer lifespan than humans, but they have no emotions at all. ] Really? Following Ella, I listened to her talk. That resident is Camillia and thatIts the residences of the knights and guests respectively. And over there Her voice was gentle, polite, and thoughtful. She would greet the passing maids and butlers with a good morning. She looked so kind and beautiful saying hello to everyone. Are witches really emotionless? Ella, who was smiling and waving her hands, looked like an angel. Also, while Ella and I were walking, a servant accidentally dropped a plate, and instead of reprimanding the servant, she approached to help. T-thank you! Princess! No, please be careful. I was having my doubts. Do nobles usually treat their servants with respect? The image of what I knew about nobles and witches confused me. this isnt a good protagonist, is it? Although their existence itself puts the world in danger by law of causality, the Client once said that not all protagonists are necessarily bad. Though, whether the protagonist is good or bad, what I do doesnt change. Even the existence of good protagonists will slowly destroy their world, so I wasnt just going to say, Oh, theyre nice, so Im going to let them live. I have no intention of changing my mind just because of that. The reason I kill protagonists is to live, and its a selfish act. Balancing worlds is just one of the consequences. Nothing shall stand in my way of trying to survive. All is fair game in this game called life. Thats not to say what I do is fair. I dont intend to justify what I do. Rather, it is what it is. This little girl, if I try to kill her now, I would be the one dying instead I cant be sure of Ellas personality after only briefing interacting with her. An investigation is necessary. After walking for a long time, Ella guided me to a training hall. This magnificent mansion is said to have more than seven training buildings, with Ella using the third one. In a place where hundreds of knights were gathered, Ella introduced me. This is Sir Yoo Seodam, from now on he will guide me in swordsmanship. The knights did not clap or speak. They just remained silent with a sharp look. It suddenly became quite awkward standing here. Nice to meet you. Im Erache, 3rd squad leader of the Knights of Camellia. A middle-aged man with an impressive mustache shook my hand. Somehow it felt like meeting a movie star, but I quickly dismissed that feeling. Nice to meet you. By the way. Ive never heard of Sir Seodams name even when I was wandering out in the world. May I ask where youve resided? Shit. How can I explain this? When I looked around, Ella quietly stared at me, curious as well. Eraches question was normal. An instructor was invited to teach the second daughter swordsmanship, yet he has never even heard of this instructors name. Does that make sense? I have always flowed along the river of fate, but now a stone has fallen in, forming ripples in the river. Erache sensed something was wrong. Anyways, no matter if I am a stone or whatever, the flow of the river will not stop for me. Slowly taking out my aether sword, I spoke. I came from a far away place you wont know. Then Ill show you instead. This was kind of a gamble. The other day, I recalled what Gilitender said when he saw my aether blade. Its sword intent that only appears in legend. Sword intent. Its a very common word. Its a technique that only master swordsmen could use. Wiiiing!! Hmm?! Oh! Oh, my. Master swordsman! Master swordsmen seem to be able to infuse their swords with light as well. Even if that wasnt the case, I have other methods to pass this hiccup. It was just easier this way. I slowly walked towards the rock, and lightly swung my sword. My 2nd-Grade aether sword very easily sliced the rock. As expected. Thats amazing. Did you swing slowly so it would be easier for us to see? No, I did it with all my strength. A swordsman who has achieved the stage of master. Thats amazing. Said Erache, nodding his head and coughing. Then, he looked at me and spoke. Its not everyday I get a chance to witness a master swordsman. Is there any chance we can spar No. It was a terrible thing to instantly say. Eraches position seems higher than mine, but I only know how to swing glow sticks and my physical ability is poor. Therefore, I must turn down all requests for a fight. I was seriously injured during a battle, so its hard to move now. My technique still remains, so I want to pass it on. Thus, I became a tutor. Oh my. Really! This, I was too rude. If anything, what Im doing to you guys is rude. So, thats how I managed to blend in as an instructor. The Duke of Almus has five children. The eldest son, Phil Almus, is 27 years old and on the verge of becoming a master swordsman. The eldest daughter, Haren Almus, is 22 years old and a professional swordsman. The second daughter, Ella Almus, is 15 years old with little achievement. And the last two are side characters. To be honest, knowing the names of the eldest son and daughter was annoying, but as I listened, I had no choice but to find out. Right. Did you know? Princess Ella had a terrible illness until a year ago and couldnt even get up. Its a common possession clich. The princess fell ill, then another soul took over. But the amazing thing is, the moment the Duke of Almus stabbed the heart of the last witch with his sword, princess Ella opened her eyes. Its amazing, isnt it? Maybe the princess was cursed! Aye. The maid there! What are you talking about to the instructor! A-ahem! Anyways. Can you tell me this some other time? Of course. Because there was no class today, after Ella dismissed me, I poked around and searched this place. It turns out that this mansion is enormous. Frankly speaking, its almost the same size as a small village. And it wasnt even a castle but a mansion. Come to think of itDid the princesss personality change after the curse? Well. Theres one thing. What do you mean? I dont know, like, before she recovered from her illness she was a total strangerSomething like that. Throwing plates and candlesticks at the littlest inconvenience, hitting maids and knights, or screaming in the morning because she was hungry. Therefore, nobody in this mansion liked her at all, and everyone was worried because she was the second daughter of a master swordsman but didnt even think of holding a sword. While the eldest son and daughter have already made a name for themselves with their outstanding talents, Ella did not even want to do anything. Then, princess Ella collapsed one day, and the moment the Duke of Almus pierced the last witchs heart. Princess Ella woke up with a 180 degrees change in personality. She became polite to everyone, took classes she was behind in, and even became interested in swordsmanship. Aye. I hope she doesnt strain herself too much. Dont you think the princess is reassuring? While listening, I turned my head to look out the window at the training ground. Despite it being late afternoon and the knights training session being over, Ella was still swinging her wooden sword. Honestly, its unbelievable that shes level 70. Most of those levels are probably due to her magic. So, I shouldnt hastily go after her until I know what magic she has. Well, if its just swordsmanship, at best, shes only a little better than Celeste. Thats when it comes to technique. Its fortunate that her physical ability is at a very weak level. The reason why she, who has a weak body, can show such outstanding swordsmanship is probably because the basic swordsmanship here is very good. [Protagonist Ella used the skill Almus Secret Swordsmanship Style (SS+)] That must be her golden spoon. She can learn a SS+ Rank skill just because she was born into a good family. Well, she was originally a healthy person. Those witches were the real problem. But Im glad theyre all dead. The maids tone changed at the mention of witches. A voice full of hatred. It was a sincere hatred from the heart. You seem to have a lot of hatred for witches. Of course. Its my first time on this continent, so are the witches here the same? Oh, its the same everywhere. The maids told me all the horrible things the witches had done to humans without reservation, and it was so cruel that it made even me frown upon. On top of that, the last witch was such a terrible existence that it scarred half the continent. The last witch His excellency finally caught the last witch! Shortly. I lost both my parents to that last witch. I lost my hometown. Damn it. Me tooI lost my husband. Perhaps because the last witch was the most notorious, she left the deepest impression in their mind. While listening quietly, I heard a sweet and soft voice from behind. It was Ella. Whats the matter? Oh, young miss. Aye, Im suddenly reminded of my hometown! What happened to your hometown? Because of that last rotten witchAh! Im sorry, young miss. Forgive my language No, its okay. Ella smiled, hugged the maid, then spoke. Only It must be hard losing your hometown. I cant be of much help, but I hope I can comfort you. Ah. Young miss Was this what its like when an angel came down from heaven? Everyone teared up, moved by her caring heart, but I looked at Ella with a puzzled look. The last witch. Wasnt that none other than Ella? If only I could share the pain with you, I would be happy to grieve with you. Thats nothing but a fucking psychopath. Chapter 27: *WARNING, descriptive imagery this Chapter.* *WARNING, descriptive imagery this chapter.* Ellas swordsmanship is at a respectable level. She only started learning swordsmanship a year ago at the age of 15, but already shes much better than Celeste, who is considered a genius on Earth. Though, thats only when it comes to her swordsmanship and not her physical ability. Also, in terms of her control over the sword, its superior to even me because she has a SS+ rank skill. In order to teach Ella, I would have to show my sword, but I didnt want to, so I asked some young knights to spar with her. Dont hold back when youre sparring with the princess. So, I just pretended to diligently teach while watching them spar. Ahem. Your posture is good, but the pose is a mess. Sometimes, I would even mix jargon because Im pretending to be a teacher. Of course, If I lie poorly, I might get caught, so I had to mix knowledge from other worlds. Later, we arrived at a waterfall deep in the mountains. It wasnt very difficult getting here with a dozen knights escorting us. Shaa!! Currently, Ella and I were sitting on a rock letting the waterfall hit our backs. Its my first time doing something like this, and its more painful than I thought. Er, hm. Ella, who was getting hit by the waterfall, frowned. Why am I doing this? Its to kill time with useless lessons. In the first place, I cant teach her swordsmanship whose talent is better than mine. Besides, it would be stupid to train an enemy I have to kill. So, I used the waterfall and meditate training method found only in novels. Young miss. Swordsmanship isnt just about holding a sword. So, then what? I used to wield a sword mindlessly. But at one point, I reached a bottleneck. Thats when I realized. I didnt have a good enough foundation. So I had no choice but to start over again on a different path I once took. Then Front now on, I will teach you the Three Trinity method, namely, the heart, body, and spirit. What I said was about 0.0002% honesty, but what if a teacher told you to do something impossible? There was no reason for her to question me, an instructor. So, I was just killing time by getting hit by the waterfall without any purpose. Ah! I think I just grasped something! [Protagonist Ella has gained an enlightenment.] Isnt this crazy? I underestimated the protagonist. I didnt know that its possible to gain enlightenment just by doing the simplest things like looking at fallen leaves or picking up a pebble. Thats why I cant be careless around the protagonist. Luckily, Ellas level didnt go up. However, her sword has become quicker and more efficient. Unlike my mixed feelings, the mansion went wild. It was a very unique training method that everyone became interested in. The world view of this world is that even a swordsman can cut down witches. Even among the most veteran of swordsmen, this ridiculous waterfall training method was something they have never seen in their life, and they thought it was impossible. In the first place, Ella was going to have the protagonist correction eventually anyways, so gaining enlightenment after being hit by the waterfall did just that. Though, it wasnt without a benefit to me. After roughly proving I was a master swordsman, my reputation was cemented, but now it has increased even further after Ella gained enlightenment from my unusual method. Sir Seodam, the training method you didCould you please teach me? Erache had mentioned that another master swordsman hasnt come by in over 10 years. No wonder he asked to spar with me soon after our meeting. Just gotake off your shirt and get hit by a waterfall Oooh. Thank you! To be honest, lying to an honest person like Erache pricked at my conscienceless, but I couldnt stop now. Haap! Thwak! A wooden sword struck, making an incredible loud noise, and then a knight fell down. Even a decent adult male knight couldnt beat Ella now. Her swordsmanship is quite interesting, but I wasnt at a level where I could just copy it. Swordsmanship isnt just about the movements, but also the time in between when you breathe, which has to be learned. Although I wont be able to bring out its full potential, I could imitate it to some extent. How a woman with a small build overcome her enemies. How to overcome the relative lack of strength and speed. Ever since I gained the swordsmanship talent, just looking at the sword made me happy, so it wasnt odd for me to watch Ellas swordsmanship. Even I, an enemy, was impressed with her progress, so what about the people here? Oooh, as expected, young miss. Youre amazing. You won again! Maids behind the scene were uttering exclamations of admiration. I have a good memory of people faces, and I know what these people have been through. A young maid with short hair and freckles. She is suffering from a major trauma after seeing the last witch split her parents in half right in front of her, and is struggling every day inside this mansion. A middle aged maid dressed in puffy clothes. Her husband participated in the war as a mercenary to kill the last witch, but he never returned, and now shes serving princess Ella. A maid in her twenties with smooth brown hair. She lost her whole family to the last witch, including her left eye and three right fingers. No one wanted a disabled maid, and it was princess Ella who kindly took her in. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it all. Killing Ella is a foregone conclusion, but I felt quite uncomfortable that the hearts of those here will be torn. Then again, I dont have the time to care about any of that. After all, witches are absolute evils in this world. Theyjust dont care about human lives. Its that simple. Its like a child burning ants with a magnifying glass out of curiosity. Witches are driven by that same curiosity. What? You committed suicide after I boiled your newborn baby alive and fed it to you? Wonderful. Aye, I cant feed you your own heart now after cutting open your bellynone of your bodily functions are working! Why? Why do humans suffer more when their loved ones are tormented? Are their nervous systems connected? Maybe? Thats a different thing, isnt it? Its naive evil. Humans spent years in hellish agony, tormented by the pure curiosity of the emotionless witches. Eventually, humans took up arms and martial arts rapidly grew because of the geniuses who stood up to survive. After thousands of years of war, humanity finally exterminated the witches and the era of peace arrived. Only I, a person not from this world, knew that a witch is still alive. Weekend. Ella is still training, and Im still feeding her nonsense. When Ella was about to leave, someone came. Haren Almus. The eldest daughter of Duke of Almus, a genius at the stage of professional swordsman. Long time no see, Ella. You seem to have changed a lot. When I think about my past self, I feel ashamed. Their encounter was so tense you could hear a pin drop. Since forever, Haren and Ella have never been on good terms. Born to the Almus house, Dame Haren Almus, is cold-blooded and had a stronger heart for the sword than anyone else. And since Ella had lived a disappointing life since an early age, revealing her wild temper without even thinking of holding a sword, Haren Almus hated her to the core. Because of this, Haren had always ignored Ella, and Ella was so terrified of her that she would tremble like a frightened rat every time she faced Haren. But, it was different now. Ella Almus and Haren Almus faced each other resolutely. Recently, your eyes have changed a lot. All I can do is to face the world proudly. Yes. Excellent. Ive been watching for a while, and your swordsmanship is very sincere. Im flattered. Its lacking compared to you, big sister. Im just lucky to have a good teacher. Ive heard rumors about such a teacher. A very unique person came this time. When Haren looked at me, I bowed appropriately. She came up to me and placed her hand in front of me for a handshake. Thank you for teaching my poor sister. I heard youre a master swordsman, but that youre a very unusual man. Harens personality is quite different from what I heard from the maids. The one in front of me is so talkative and not as coldhearted, much to the surprise of even the other servants nearby. This is the only talent I have, and Im glad I could help her. Huhu. Youve reached the level of master swordsman, yet youre humble. Haren, who briefly greeted me, turned her attention back to Ella. I see that you are taking a break now, what are your plans for the rest of the day? I was going to go to the church to pray. Oh my. If so, lets go together. Haren seems to like the Ella who has changed for the better. It was a common development. A prodigal noble who made a 180 degree change in personality, and of course the people around them. A change that is even welcomed by the family. This is also a cliche. Yes, lets go now. After some brief preparations, Haren, Ella, and a few attendants headed for the church. Its to worship Alethea Empires state religion, Goddess of War and Victory Alacia. Following them, I looked at Harens back. Haren Almus. She also has a tragic story, losing her mother to the last witch. Which led to the setting of the Duke killing the last witch for killing his beloved wife. The church was also built by the Duke of Almus, so it was a considerable size. The Dukes children would regularly come to pray. Im an outsider, so I took a proper back seat and pretended to pray. A sacred song flowed, and a man dressed in black, who I think is a priest, came out to talk. It was boring. Everyone, let go of yesterdays worries and look to the brighter future. As soon as the priest finished speaking, Ella burst into tears. The sound was very small, but the place was so quiet that everyone could hear it. Haren with a sullen look asked Ella. Whats the matter? Nothing. Im so sorry for what Ive done, Im ashamed, and Im sorry for everything. SoHeuk, huIm sorry. Im so sorry. ! Haren had a surprised look on her face, and at that moment. The Client spoke. [ The protagonist, Ella, is slowly awakening emotions. ] Ella. Having lived as a witch her whole life and never feeling any emotion, she remained calm until the moment of her death when she was pierced by the sword of the Duke. Revenge? She didnt have such thoughts. She just died because she was weak, she thought. Also, she doesnt even know why the Duke killed her. Thats all. After being reborn in Ellas body, she discovered joy and sorrow. She felt happy when people around her recognized her, and she also became contemptuous of her past self. How many have she killed so far? What terrible things she had done. Front now on, for everyone, I will live a life of atonement! Thats the overall plot of the protagonist, Ella. Also. Really, heuk! Im really sorry to everyone Oh no, oh young miss I cant even remember being bullied by the young miss. Youve grown so pretty and upright. Somehow I felt a lump in my throat when I saw people sympathizing. That wasnt an apology for Ella. She is apologizing for what she had done in the past as a witch, not for what the former Ella did. Nevertheless, the people around me fell into a delusion, and they all got emotional by her tears. In no time, the church became a sea of tears, and Ella apologized to everyone until the last minute. However, if she is really sorry, she has to reveal the truth. How many people have been affected by her curiosity? Shes trying to rationalize herself by apologizing to them without even thinking of revealing her identity. Because Im truly sorry. Ill live a life of atonement and self reflection. She knows. If she reveals the truth, what would happen? She is afraid. Because she wants to protect her image even though she says shes sorry. Shes deceiving everyone. Empty words are not enough. Apologizing by deceiving everyone is not an apology but a deception, and it is neither an apology nor an atonement at all. Everyone, from the bottom of my heart, Im sorry I listened silently without saying anything. In fact, it doesnt matter whether Ella apologizes or not. Seeing the apologies mixed with pretense and sincerity, I just thought of a way to hunt her. Youre sorry? In that case, Ill help you make a real apology. Late night. On this night when everyone is deep asleep, Seodam had settled atop the highest hill near the mansion. Its different from my original plan, but its time to start hunting. Chikchik! The point of shooting afar is to kill someone. But my shotgun isnt great for that. The reason why I took out my mega shooter is for another reason. After installing an Aether Discharge on my mega shooter, I brought my eye to the scope. The distance is quite far, and the cool wind blew, but my scope automatically zeroed in on the target. In the past, snipers had a hard time and would have to read the wind and such, but now that modern science has developed to such an extent, it wasnt necessary. In fact, if my goal was to shoot, it might be better to have a sniper rifle that focuses on a single target, rather than a shotgun that explodes in a wide area, but in the first place, I have no intention of hurting her. Only, its important to leave a trace of the damage. Whiiriing! The wind swept through Seodams hair. Holding my breath for a few seconds, I pulled the trigger. Bang!! An earth shattering roar. Clink, boom! Ellas bedroom was caught up in a massive explosion. It took less than a second for the knights to react. What happened, young miss!? The knights quickly opened Ellas bedroom and entered. It was a mess. Everything in the room was in ashes, and the bed was half blown away. However, Ella was fine. AhIm fine, dont worry. Before long, Haren Almus, in her pajamas, came in holding her sword. Ella! Are you all right?! Sister! Touched by the fact that she, who had always been cold, came running as soon as she heard the explosion, Ella quickly ran into Harens embrace. Haren also stroked Ellas head with a sigh of relief at the fact that she was safe. Its alright. Dont worry. Zetsu, Kalmer. Launch a search party now! Yes! After ordering the guards, Haren stroked Ellas head, who was still in her arms. Only Then, she suddenly noticed something strange. Whatthis? The bed where Ella would have been lying, was cut into a semicircle. Everything inside the room was in ashes except the three meter semicircular bed, and only the place where Ella was lying is unscathed. Its semicircular? Haren suddenly had an incredulous thought. An unscathed semicircular area. ThatDoesnt it resemble something from the race that no longer exists in this world? Chapter 28: Two days have passed since the bizarre explosion. Two days have passed since the bizarre explosion. The knights searched the interior of the mansion for the culprit, but they couldnt find anything. In the first place, I was in the mountains. There were some reports of a loud roar coming from the mountain, but nobody would think that had anything to do with the explosion miles away. This was such a world. I glanced at the culprit, my mega shooter, laying on the table, then I looked out the window. Using my digital telescope that looks like a pair of black-rimmed glasses, I could see Ella and Haren enjoying tea time in a white terrace on a beautiful hill in the distance. Its interesting. Its really interesting. Ella was smiling at Haren with a sincere look that really came from her heart. After murdering Harens mother and making a false apology, she really appears to want to atone for her sins. Ill live better from now on. Ill be nice to them from now on. After her self reflection and rationalization, everyone around her, including herself, seems to have turned over a new leaf. Just because she has gained emotions now, doesnt take away the many atrocities she had committed in this world. Of course, it doesnt matter much to me whether she is evil or not. However, if I can take advantage of it, then thats a different story. Ellas self reflection has paved the way for me. Ive always faced beings stronger than me. And to deal with such beings, Ive always had to find a way to fight it, but in the case of the protagonist, the method is quite different. Its using the situation and shaping the plot. A certain degree of realism is needed to kill the protagonist. If a protagonist of a story is suddenly hit by a bus and dies, who would think thats the end of the story? Without some realism, the protagonist will somehow twist the clich, and the mission will fail. So, Ive devised several plans to kill Ella, and some are quite plausible. However, revealing the identity of the real Ella is my best option. Its low cost. And its the simplest way. Hmm? Looking through my telescope, I saw Haren standing up from the table on the hill and going somewhere. Maybe shes going to get something. Nows my chance. Taking out a black remote control, I pressed the red button on it without hesitation. Then, a small explosion occurred near Ella who was still enjoying her tea at the table. Boom! Theres no damage. There wont be any scratches on Haren either. I didnt want to hurt someone who isnt the protagonist. I wanted to keep at least that level of principle. W-whats going on?! Theres an explosion outside! In an instant the mansion became noisy, and Haren is seen running over to Ella. Ella was also in a state of panic. There are about eight left. When I dealt with Gilitender, I didnt have a mega shooter, so I was able to pack more bombs. Now that Ive brought my mega shooter, there wasnt enough room for bombs, so I brought less than ten. Still, I think this should be enough. Ive been watching Ella for the last few days, and have learned her routine. Not only do I know when she would go up the hill to have tea time, but also when she trains, when she has classes, and where she goes for meals. Ive set up some aether dispensers here and there. Some created flames, some formed magnetic fields, and some sparked electricity. These things are meant to deal with low level monsters, but they will be very useful here. Rumors have been circulating in the mansion. For several days. Strange things have been happening near princess Ella. Something bursts out of nowhere, sparks flying near her, or a table catches fire while shes eating. On top of that, I leaked some rumors to the people I knew. I saw something amazing. Well Im not too sure. The princess was eating alone, and suddenly her plate moved up and down by itself Aye. Who would believe that? Dont you think it would be amazing, though? Slightly smiling and passing it off as a joke. No one would believe such a story, but the more strange things happened around the princess, the more people thought of my story. Then, among themselves, a rumor quickly spread. The plates were flying all by itself? There must be a ghost inside the princess body. Thats right. Thats what I heard too. Aye. Whats going on. Yes, this is the essence of witch hunting. Once a wild rumor spreads, itll gradually grow until its too much. I didnt like the words witch hunt or the act of it, but Ive actually encountered a witch, so shouldnt I follow the plot? Even after the strange rumors began to circulate around the mansion, I continued to teach Ella. There was nothing much to teach, but Ella still made progress, and all the other knights who I taught began to trust me. It was an unintended consequence. However, there was a limit to teaching them by spouting nonsense. Finally, the day has arrived. Ella. Big sister? Haren Almus, fully armed as if she was going to the battlefield, came to Ella. Very slowly, she spoke. A witch interrogation order came from above. Huh? W-witch interrogation? Witches look just like human beings. Thus, in the Alethea Empire, to hunt down witches, they would catch and interrogate women who are suspected of being a witch. The process is not brutal and the method used is very accurate in determining a witch, so it did not cause much controversy. Just, it was absurd that the second daughter of the Duke is being interrogated. Older sister. Im Ella Almus. Father wont allow it, will he? Ive already agreed. What? Listening to Harens cold voice, Ella felt something was strange. Its as if she was trying to distance herself. Unknowingly, she looked around. The maids, the butlers, the knights. Everyone was looking at her with a suspicious look. Uhhuh? Something is strange. She has always felt a sense of unfamiliarity with the people around her, but it wasnt much different from day to day. Ella thought as such. Only, she doesnt know. The subtle difference in awkwardness felt by people with emotions and relationships. Its only been a year since she mingled with humans, so she has no idea that others have been slowly distancing themselves from her. Then ..Dont tell me, is it because of whats been happening around me recently? Ella is not a fool. She at least knows that someone is deliberately playing a mean trick on her. However, she couldnt figure it out. A kind of magic that even Ella, an outstanding witch, could not detect at all. So she couldnt do anything to stop it. Thats the problem. Strange phenomena are happening around Ella, but she remains unscathed. No! This is not magic Judgement will be held in the Empire. Ella knows the truth. It wasnt magic. Its not her fault. But, now she has to be questioned. It was unfair. It was unfair that a witch is being accused of being a witch even though she didnt use magic. However, its impossible to prove. Everyone else is ignorant of magic, so only if she says shes a witch can she prove that its not magic. What contradiction was this? No, if Im taken to the Empire, Ill be caught! With trembling eyes, she slowly asked Haren. Big sister, are you doing this because of rumors and whats happening around me? But youve met a witch. Yeah. Ive met one. Thats why she has no doubt. Seodam deliberately used a dispenser most similar to magic, ones that Haren have seen. Big sisterYou believe me, dont know? That was the last thing Ella asked. Haren calmly spoke. No. Ive already submitted the application for the witch interrogation And thats the final answer. Uh, you? Without realizing it, Ella took a step back. It was because Haren had a painful expression. Ella. Theres still a chance. Tell me the truth. That way this can be done as if it never happened. Its possible with my power. Big sister. It was almost like a plea. However, she couldnt. She must not tell the truth. She knew how witches are seen in this world that belongs to humans. She was happy. No, she was happy to know the feeling of happiness. Being able to share affection with someone, being recognized by someone, and being able to share a familial bond. All those feelings made her happy. However, if she reveals herself to be a witch, she will no longer be able to feel those sweet feelings. So. Big sisterIm not a witch. She had no choice but to say no. After hearing Ellas words, Haren smiled. The smile was so warm that Ella, who realized it was an emotion for the first time, felt full. Yes. I believe it. I knew it. Of course! At that moment. Suddenly, Haren pulled out her sword and rushed at Ella. A moment that was faster than the blink of an eye. Having narrowed the distance to less than 10 meters, Haren slashed Ellas throat, who could not react at all. Clink!! A barrier protecting her own body was automatically released. Huh? White shards scattered in the air. The barrier, which wasnt made properly in the first place, was like a sheet of paper in front of Haren. Ella slowly looked down. The sword that touched her neck was stopped. Only her barrier was destroyed. I said I knew it. Ella. When Haren saw the white barrier, her expression turned colder and colder. Witches each had their own colors, and Haren, who had followed her father through numerous witch hunts, memorized some of its characteristics. And the most memorable color. White magic She hasnt forgotten. Haren looked at Ella with trembling eyes. She assumed Ella was a witch. However, she never imagined it would be like this. White. The unique color used by the last witch. She put her sword down, and slowly backed away. Ella looked at Haren who had a miserable expression, then at her surroundings. Maids who collapsed under the strain of their legs. A few knights who were so surprised that they dropped their sword. Servants who froze in place. What they all had in common was the contempt in their eyes, looking at her. Big sister, its a misunderstanding. Misunderstanding? Yes. Ive certainly done bad things to humans. But! Now I know. That I was wrong. I know how to feel now. I feel guilty, too. Im fully making atonement! Listening to her speech, Haren dejectedly laughed. Atonement? Doing it in your head is atonement? Atonement is paying for the sins youve committed. ! Price. The word that humans like most. Ella hurriedly spoke. Thats right. I was a witch, and I made terrible mistakes in the past. However, Im going to atone for it from now on. I will live a good and sincere life from now on. You saw how Ive been living. I was a witch. So, thanks to that. I can do whatever you want. Ill pay for it. If that is enough to atone for it! At Ellas desperate cry, Haren raised her head. Haren rarely smiled at all. But now, for some reason she had a bright smile. Ella. Do you remember? What? A year ago, the day before you collapsed. You told me. [You rotten sister, Ill kill you! I hope a witch curses you!] Ella lived a life in her siblings shadow. A life where she wasnt good at anything, a life where everything she did was compared to her sister, a life where her father didnt care about her, and a life where everything she did was wrong. As much as Haren hated Ella, Ella also hated Haren. However, she shouldnt have prayed to witches. Anyone who is caught in company with witches, or are heard praying to witches are executed. So Haren, who didnt want to implicate her sister Ella to the Empire, kept her words to herself. Do you know what that means in human society? I Ella. Haren was still smiling. That day, I should have stopped you. I know you cant hear me anymorebut Im sorry. I never thought you would actually summon a witchI really didnt know. Theres no Ella anymore Theres only a witch in Ellas skin. Nonetheless, Haren apologized. She thought she would feel better if she did so. Yes. You said you wanted to pay for it, didnt you? When the question came up, Ella desperately nodded. Harens smile faded, and then she spoke. If you really want to atone, bring back my mother you killed. Bring back all the human beings you killed out of curiosity, including my mother! In front of my eyes right now! Uh, big sister. If you cant do that. With a smile like she was looking at a beast, Haren pointed her sword at Ella. At least, atone with your death. Ah, ugh [A crisis has been detected for the protagonist Ella.] [Ellas skill Witch Law (SS) has been partially unsealed.] The current situation was not favorable. Ella slowly stepped back, drawing magic from both hands. Although she has lost most of her strength and is weakened now, she was once on par with the Duke of Almus, the worlds best knight. Itll be a little hard on my heart, but if I just bring in a little bit of my old power Thinking so, she held out her hands as Haren rushed towards her. Bang!! Only At that moment, her neck was slightly bent to the side by a shock that came from somewhere. Huh? Just a little bit. It was just a slight shock, so her magic timing was only 0.3 seconds slower. Goodbye, witch. However, it was enough time for Haren, a professional swordsman. Swish!! [Youve successfully hunted a Level 70 protagonist.] Chapter 29: Early morning. Early morning. Haren Almus was performing her patrol duty in Hyacinth Hall. The hall got its name after the hyacinth flowers that grow here. Particularly, the white hyacinth flowers that symbolizes loveliness. Haren Almus, who has never felt happy and also hated the color white, hated this place. She even asked her father to change the flowers to yellow hyacinths, but Duke Almus only smiled and refused the request. UhMiss? What. It was the same as usual. Normal The day before. Last night, she killed her sister with her own hands. Really normal. Those kinds of days. How can she be okay after killing her sister? Only when a fearless knight asked Haren that question did she realize it. Miss, are you all right? Im okay. ! So stop asking me questions. F-forgive me! Shes really okay. In fact, when she thought of how Ella loved her, she felt uneasy. Ella Almus. Half-sister born from a concubine after her mother died Originally, she disliked her a lot, but recently theyve bonded. Haren didnt quite understand it herself. Unknowingly, Haren had come to love her sister, Ella, as if the world was playing a cruel prank. Then, when her beloved sister died, she was not heartbroken, but rather felt at peace. Its as if it should have been this way all along. She didnt feel strange at all. Why she, who hated Ella, opened up her heart to her. People around her havent said anything, but they felt the same way. Ellas former self was hateful and never did anything right. Then, all of a sudden her behavior changed into something that everyone liked? As a protagonist, its one of the clichs and effects of possession called image correction and past redemption, but the people of the mansion have no way of knowing that. Butwho is this man? Haren was investigating the man named Yoo Seodam. One day, he suddenly appeared in the mansion as if it was natural. And, he became Ellas sword instructor. Almus family. If you are a teacher who teaches children from such a prestigious family, naturally you should come to use Almus Swordsmanship. That has always been common sense. However, no one felt anything was out of place when a stranger became the familys sword instructor. I have to go somewhere for a while. Is something wrong? Yes. Haren, with a stiff expression, nodded. Im going to the church. Seodam sat in a corner of the church, bathing in the sunlight with a blank expression. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 70 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 4+1.] [700 days of lifespan will be rewarded.] [Remaining Lifespan: 2728 Days, 9 Hours, 19 Minutes.] I had killed a level 70 protagonist before, but my level didnt increase as much as it did this time. The higher my level is, the harder itll be to level up. However, as a result of completing the Clients recommendation, my level rose by 5. Ive also absorbed a useful skill. [Ellas skill White Witchs Library (F) has been absorbed.] F-Rank skill. However, its a very useful skill to me. I can access the library of the white witch where she kept her magic books. A bookcase will appear after I activate the skill, and from here, I can take out any of her magic books. The magic used by the white witch was almost at the same level as Vivienda Magic Empire, and even more outstanding in some respects. Its no wonder magic created by a magic species is better than the magic created by humans. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 37) Attributes Strength: 34 Stamina: 31 Agility: 32 Vitality: 1 Mana: 37 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Intuition (A) Sharpshooting (C) Hunting (D+) Cooking (D-) Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 2 Aracelis Mana Circling (SS) White Swordsmanship (S) Wind Step (D) 6th Sense (F) White Witchs Library (F) My level has risen rapidly recently, and its almost safe to say Im D-Rank in terms of level. Since I hardly work out, my attributes are lower than my actual level, but luckily, my mana has reached its limit thanks to Aracelis Mana Circling. Just looking at my stats, anyone would think that Im a mage and not a fighter. I reached out my hand and grabbed a transparent book. I was holding a book as thick as an arm thats not visible to anyone else but me. The moment I turned to the first page, I immediately closed it. Crazy, this is fucking confusing. Even though its just the most basic magic book, I thought my head was going to explode. Nonetheless, I can now study magic leisurely, unlike when I was at Vivienda. Its a good skill. [ Do you wish to return to your world? ] I should Ive finished everything I wanted to do, so I have no reason to stay. When I was about to get up, someone kicked the church door open and walked in. Even though I dont believe in God, thats not something I would do. Haren? Yeah. Youre just calling me so casually now. No, wellI can. No, you cant. Said Haren playfully. Seodam tilted his head and asked. Did you come to see me? YesYour presence has been quite questionable. Im not going to tell you. I didnt expect you to give me an answer in the first place. Haren fiddled with something at her waist. A sword bestowed by her father. Unsheathing it and pointing it at the mans neck, will she get the answer she was hoping for? No, why did she come here in the first place? What answer does she want from him? Couldnt he just be a normal swordsman? I dont know. Is that all you wanted to say after coming here? You dont know? I dont know what you are. Who the hell are you? Seodam, who was about to answer sword instructor, changed his mind. Im a hunter. Hunter? To hunt beings like princess Ella. Witch hunter? It doesnt have to be a witch. I didnt say any more after that. The Client had asked me not to reveal my purpose of hunting protagonists. Haren, agonizing over her thoughts, soon spoke. Thenyou must have already known who Ella was. Yes. Do you think I would believe you? No one, not even my father, the Duke of Almus knew. So how did you? I didnt answer her, so the only thing she could do was stare at me. If I pull out my sword and point it at your neck. Will you tell me? Thats a pretty serious threat. You wont be able to hear it. Looking at him, Haren calmly nodded. I see. That was all. She has no intentions of prying further. There was just one thing. Was it right for meI mean usto kill Ella? She was hoping. Coming here, this question has been plaguing her mind. I also thought about it a lot, and the answer is yes. She was a dangerous being that will eventually shake the foundation of the world before it could be discovered. So I replied. Dont ask a question you already know the answer to. When she heard his answer. Huh? The man had already disappeared. As if possessed by a ghost, Haren absentmindedly stared at the spot where Seodam was sitting. Haren, who has risen to the level of professional swordsman, a level only below master swordsman, couldnt even sense when he disappeared. What the hell is that man? Haren, who was still staring at where Seodam had been sitting, soon smiled. Is that so. It was as he said. She already knew. She just wanted to ask someone. Haren turned around and kicked the church door. Somehow, her heart felt relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted. [Time has returned to normal.] I spent nearly four weeks in the other world, but only a week has passed on Earth. After coming back, I checked to see if Taylor had messaged me while I was gone. There were several text messages on my phone. [Taylor Nine: *Picture*] [Taylor Nine: Haha, look at this. Shit is hilarious haha.] [Taylor Nine: *Picture*] [Taylor Nine: *Picture*] [Taylor Nine: Hey, Im on TV.] [Taylor Nine: *Picture*] Most of them were badmouthing Lost Day. Taylor Nine has been going on a wild spree doing all sorts of things to keep public reaction on Lost Day from dying down. In the past she never got the chance to do so because I was part of Lost Day. When I checked one of the photos, a full body shot of Taylor was plastered on a magazine site called Todays Fashion. She shows as much interest in fashion as her beautiful face, but the clothes she wore this time was more excessive than usual. If theres one problem, its that most of the time she wore summer clothes. Thanks to the fashion trends of notable celebrities, Koreas fashion has become ridiculous, resulting in crazy fashion not suited for the colder climate. [Taylor Nine: Oh right, the payment for the aether crystals from the deformed dungeon has been settled.] Oh? The countless aether crystals that we obtained from the deformed dungeon werent settled when I left. It was supposed to take quite a while to handle everything because it was just the two of us who ate it all up, but it was settled in a week. I checked Taylors text messages one by one, then sent her a reply. [Seodam: Im back.] A reply came back almost instantly. [Taylor Nine: Hey, what the fuck have you been doing?] Reading it, I decided not to reply. It was because I was too lazy to answer. Next, I checked Celestes text messages. A call from last week. That was all, until. [Celeste: Ive just arrived in Korea.] It turns out that I came back just at the right time. Can I really be a sword instructor I was able to watch a SS-Rank swordsmanship for almost a month. A swordsmanship from a prestigious family, and one far superior to White Swordsmanship (S). In the end, I learned quite a lot from watching Ella and Haren train, and even had many enlightenment. My new skill? Only Of course I wanted to learn magic right away and was itching to do so, but there was a mountain of work to be done. I have to meet up with Taylor Nine so she can fill me in on everything thats been happening with Lost Day, and of course settle the matter regarding the aether crystals. But right now, I wanted to wield a sword even more. I dont know what lies ahead or what it is Im looking for, but I thinkif I was to take another step forward, a new world Ive never seen before will unfold before me. It was really not an easy month. I had suppressed my urge to wield a sword, so now its time to release everything and check my progress. [Yoo Seodam: Head straight to the gym.] [Celeste: Yes!!] Chapter 30: The taxi culture in Korea is very developed, so taxi stops were commonplace. The taxi culture in Korea is very developed, so taxi stops were commonplace. Taylor Nine liked Korea very much. She liked to ride around the city in a taxi. Outside, streets and buildings quickly passed while she tapped on her phone. [Taylor Nine: Crazy punk.] [Taylor Nine: You immediately locked yourself in the gym after coming back from somewhere?] [Yoo Seodam: Yes.] [Taylor Nine: You have to tell me where youve been.] [Taylor Nine: Hey!] [Taylor Nine: Are you ignoring me?] [Taylor Nine: Son of a bitch!] Her phone showed a !, which meant he didnt read her latest texts. She was certain that he closed his phone after saying what he wanted to say. She knew his personality because theyve known each for years, so she didnt mind. Rather, she happily smiled. Perhaps its because they havent spoken to each other until recently. But It was enough to keep in touch like this, and to make sure that both were okay. HeyCan I get off here? Im a foreigner. Okay~ Can you pay with a credit card? She has the appearance of a Russian native, so people used to stutter when they saw her, but now they were quite used to it. Wearing sunglasses that hid her face, Taylor got out of the taxi. Recently, she has become quite a celebrity in Korea. Every time she spoke to the media about a guild as large as Lost Day, people would cheer her on, so thanks to that, she was invited on various TV and radio programs. And, she was simply stunning. With this, it should hide my identity. Taylor was reluctant to make her face known. She didnt want to be running around like this, but she also didnt want the incident with Lost Day to be buried. She doesnt know if Seodam knows that. Taylor Nine, hold on a minute. Theres something we need to discuss with you. Huh? Taylor, who was heading for the broadcasting station while chewing bubble gum, smiled faintly when she saw two men in black suits blocking her way. Youre a little polite this time, arent you? There was a Lost Day mark on their suit. Not long after Taylor came out to the press and started harassing Lost Day, they visited her quite often, mostly with threats, so she was furious and told them to fuck off. At one point, four S-Rank hunters came, but in preparation for that, she only traveled in crowded places, so they were stigmatized as sending hunters to threaten people. But this time it was different. Instead of hunters, it was normal office workers. One of the office workers handed her a business card that had the name James Clinton and beside that was the title of CEO. James, a middle aged man with fine blond hair, nodded at Taylor, then spoke. Id like to make a deal. A deal. Hmm, continue. Ive learned a little about you. Taylor Nine. You only had some contact with Lost Day in the past. Then the problem is your colleague, Yoo Seodam, and his grudges. Is that why youre doing this? Thats right. You know me well. Lost Day kicked Yoo Seodam out of the guild. And Yoo Seodam was slowly biding his time, vowing to avenge himself. Its how a F-Rank hunter hunts big game. However, Taylor Nine has the ability and does not want to wait so long. She was just following her beliefs. Then. Taylor while grinning, spoke. When you ask for a deal, you know its rude not to treat the person to a meal first, right? Taylor Nine told them to head to Town Gallery, a five-star restaurant located near Gyeongbokgung palace in Jongno District. After spending an hour driving, they arrived at the restaurant, then Taylor spoke to the waiter. From here to here. Please bring everything out. Ah, yes maam. As a five-star restaurant, the price was exorbitant. This wont necessarily scratch Lost Days wallet, but Taylor still wanted to pluck another penny from them. James, who thought it would be a cup of coffee or a simple meal, was caught off guard, but soon smiled. Ive been thinking. Taylor smiled leisurely, then continued to speak. There wasnt a need to go after me, Im only one person after all. James listened silently without saying a word. In fact, I was going to stop. Yes, after a certain point, this sort of scandal would naturally fade. No matter how famous she is, if she continues, public opinion will probably swing against her. Did you do that even though you knew? Yes. Actually, if you were trying to cover up the media, you would have done so already. There were a number of cases involving Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, a recent subsidiary of Lost Day. A few years ago Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company was active in South America. At that time, Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company was notorious for experimenting on humans. Of course, few knew because it was an ordinary pharmaceutical company on the surface. Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company mainly approached ordinary F-Rank hunters and tempted them by saying they could gain superpowers. Many who fell for such words were mutilated or killed. Finally realizing what was going on, a union for ordinary hunters was created, and the Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company was completely destroyed. The problem was Yoo Seodam, a member of Lost Day at the time. Upon hearing from Yoo Seodam about Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, Lost Day quietly handled the case, hoping to gradually absorb them into their guild by doing business with them. Taylor knew about it, and was planning to take matters with Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company into her own hands. But it didnt receive much attention from the media. Why do you want to keep things quiet? Ive been thinking about it. In fact, the reason was obvious. Lost Day doesnt want to turn this incident into something bigger. So theyd rather threaten her, but since that didnt work, theyre going to try and strike a deal now. Mutation from mana poisoning. As soon as I heard about it, I thought of Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company. You guys are scared of the Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company being exposed to the media, arent you? Lee Yeonjun, mutated due to mana poisoning.. So who made the drugs for him? It was Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, a subsidiary of Lost Day. Yes. Thats right. I was wondering why you kicked Yoo Seodam from the guild. Two reasons come to mind. Because Yoo Seodam was ordinary? No. Thats what everyone thinks, but that was just damage control done by Lost Day. Yoo Seodam was competent enough that even if he wasnt a superhuman, his knowledge would be beneficial to the guild. The real problem was Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company and its worth compared to Yoo Seodam. Hell Gate. Of the 47 people who survived, Lyton, the expedition leader, brought something back with him. Five years ago, elite hunters recruited from all over the world, including members from Lost Day, were sent to Hell Gate on an expedition. A total of 500 people. While exploring Hell Gate, where common sense did not apply, 200 people deserted during the course of the expedition. Among them, 100 returned on the third day after entering Hell Gate, and the remaining 100 returned after less than a year. Most became mentally disabled, and seeing them, people started to doubt the remaining 300 were even alive. Then, a miracle happened. Three years after the Hell Gate expedition. 47 people came out of Hell Gate. Few people know about this matter because it has not been announced to the public. Even between countries, information concerning the surviving members is practically kept confidential. However, Lost Day had no choice but to be aware of Hell Gate. Because Lyton who died was a member of Lost Day. The expedition returned with a few materials from inside the Hell Gate, but Lyton died of a heart disease before they could claim it. So, whos in possession of the materials that were brought back? Yoo Seodam, Lytons right hand man. He must have it. However, Yoo Seodam does not know about such a thing. As an ordinary hunter, it was already too much just getting out of Hell Gate and holding onto ones sanity. Even though Taylor Nine didnt enter Hell Gate, she was able to guess the truth because she is wary of the politics around her, but she didnt bother telling Yoo Seodam any of this. At that time, Yoo Seodam was very unstable, both mentally and physically. But now that Yoo Seodam has been kicked out. She couldnt stay still. You guys. You were going to hog the materials without telling Yoo Seodam, right? In addition, it was impossible to absorb Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company under the watchful eyes of Yoo Seodam. So there was no reason not to kick him out. Thanks for the little story. So, what do you want? For Yoo Seodam to come back? How about no? You think Seodam will go back to you scumbags? She held out her palm to James. Give me. Yoo Seodams share. Give me that and Ill be quiet. James let out a sigh. Itll be hard for this to pass quietly now that she knows what happened to Seodam. Originally, Taylor Nine wanted Lost Day to crawl by making it public to the press, but when they came to offer her a deal, she realized she didnt have to. The press was nothing but a mean to a trade for her and Seodam who had nothing to offer. Finally, James spoke. Just because you guys have it, what do you think you can do? Were also investigating the materials from Hell Gate using Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company as well as cutting-edge aether science. However, all weve managed to figure out is1%. Thats about it. How about you guys? You should exchange it for money. Thats my sincere advice. Shut up. Taylor calmly looked at James and continued. Give me what you owe. James frowned. Even James couldnt easily make a decision on this. Theyve gone to great lengths to protect information regarding Hell Gate materials. However, the presence of Taylor Nine in the press is not negligible. If she was really determined, she could expose the information about the Hell Gate materials to the public. Rather than losing it all, its better to compromise. Maybe this is the better choice. Damn it. If it was just the mutant, and the deformed dungeon didnt appear It turned into a worse case scenario. And a very good opportunity for a hunter like Taylor Nine to take advantage of. Contrary to Taylors calm expression, James with a somber look, spoke. Well discuss it at headquarters. As soon as Taylor heard his answer, she rose from her seat. She just wanted to get back the share that Seodam was owed. Ill see you later, friends. The dishes began to come out, but she didnt touch a single one. Oh, you guys enjoy yourself. Im already full from lunch. James Clinton and his subordinate pick up their fork, thrilled by Taylor Nines thoughtful consideration. It would be a waste to throw away all of this food. By watching and learning a SS-Rank swordsmanship, Seodam was able to greatly improve his own swordsmanship. His physical ability was close to D-Rank, and he was no longer far behind Celeste. Thanks to her, if Seodam combines everything he has learned, the winner will undoubtedly be him. Haha Seodam, sweating heavily on the floor, looked at Celeste and realized. This child is a genius. The Client once said the rank above C is considered a genius. What about A-Rank then? She said the term talent that comes once a hundred year is befitting those who have A-Rank talent. Even if Celeste does not have A-Rank talent, its probably somewhere between C and A. And her talent with the sword is at least above B-Rank. Although Seodam earnestly watched and learned the Almus Swordsmanship, the fact is, most of it was tailored for a womans body. It was Haren and Ella that he observed and learned from. Haren has a height of 170cm, and Ella was barely over 150cm, perhaps because she hadnt eaten properly since becoming ill. Celeste has a height of around 160cm. Thus, the Almus Swordsmanship fits her perfectly. Recalling Harens posture, Seodam would correct Celestes posture. Why are your feet so far apart? Hey. Is your arms longer than mine? Is the sword too long? Why are you swinging it like that? Watch your breathing, dont just swing randomly. He was now well aware of how to properly hold and swing a sword. How the muscle should work, how the feet should move, and how to breathe. Its only been 30 years since the emergence of superhumans and the development of swordsmanship with superhumans in mind, so it has been relatively short. The result of combining superhuman traits with swordsmanship that has more than hundreds of years of history was what Celeste is working towards. She learned Almus Swordsmanship very quickly. Although it was impossible to pass on the whole technique of the Almus family because Seodam could not get it as a skill, he could still teach her how to swing the sword more efficiently. Its been two weeks, and Celeste grew very fast in that time to the point where even Yoo Seodam was surprised. ThisWhen she grows up, maybe shell surpass her father? Although her father is also a genius and an outstanding swordsman, its safe to say that his SS-Rank was gained haphazardly. Seodam thought that perhaps Celeste could achieve the true power of SS-Rank with her own ability. Sunday morning, a time when no would visit the gym. Hey, are you still doing that? The two of them were wielding their swords when someone else voice was heard. It was Taylor Nine. She was wearing a white sleeveless shirt, blue hot pants, and a brown hat with striking bear ears. Taylor glanced at Celeste and stroked her chin. While youve been playing with another woman, who do you think has been running around with blisters on her feet? What is it? I came to give you this. Thats? Taylor showed Seodam a black flower pot in her arms. The flower pot covered by a clear tube had a mysterious white flower inside, and it appeared to be withering as if it was almost lifeless. Hell Gate. Its the flower that grew inside. You remember, dont you? WellI do. Among the countless things he saw inside Hell Gate, this was particularly unique, so it remained in his memory. It was one of the few mysterious and beautiful things in that hell. He didnt know it was retrieved from Hell Gate and is still alive. This sister took it from Lost Days private stashWell, its almost fully withered, so I cant do much about it, but I still think its better than having it in their hands. Seodam approached Taylor and took the flower pot. The few symbols of hope seen in that terrible hell. He didnt expect to see this again here, so he felt somewhat restless. Of course, no matter how much Seodam researched, he couldnt figure out anything about it. Because he isnt a scientist. Only Besides, didnt she say even Lost Day couldnt figure anything out? He had such thoughts. [Skill White Witchs Library (F) has been activated.] [Searching for knowledge on the target.] Huh? Suddenly, a transparent book floated in the air and the pages turned until it finally stopped. [Image search found, Silver Spiritual Flower.] Spirit? Chapter 31: I blankly stared at the flowerpot. I blankly stared at the flowerpot. Recalling the three years I spent inside Hell Gate. Taylor looked at me worriedly, wondering what was on my mind. There was only one thing I could say after receiving such a gift. Thank you. Feeling relieved, Taylor smiled. Actually, this flowerpot is more like a scar from a rotten memory. The memories from inside Hell Gate, something too painful to even think about. Over time, I overcame it, and now it didnt really affect me. Hell Gate A lot happened inside. Really, too much. The 7th expedition inside Hell Gate. Deemed the most successful expedition, of the 500 people who ventured inside, only 47 made it out alive after three years. And, I was one of those 47. One of the reasons I was able to come back alive was because I had intuition. It may sound strange, but that was really the case. Ever since I was a kid, Ive been told such things like, youre strangely sensible, or how did you guess? So, inside Hell Gate my intuition would sense things that no one noticed until it happened, or when I thought I had to go somewhere no matter how dangerous it looks because I thought I would have a better chance of survival. Only recently did I realize it was my Intuition (A) talent, but at that time the only thought I had was to survive that hell, and in the end I survived. It reminds of the old days. So. Isnt it pretty? Ill have to take care of it at home. Uh, really? What if the glass breaks, and it turns out to be radioactive? Do you think Hell Gate is some kind of nuclear power plant? I took a closer look at the flowerpot. Spiritual Silver Flower. Information that could not have been known in the past, present, or future, came to me so easily. Is this really a F-Rank skill? Or maybe the existence of spirits is more common than I had thought. In the modern era, the existence of spirits is like a superstition. Like ghosts, nobody even knows whether it exists or not. However, I knew. Ghosts and spirits do indeed exist. Ive seen a ghost once before, and had heard stories about spirits from a very credible colleague. In other words, someone like me, who fought on the battlefield for 15 years, had only seen it once before. This kind of existence. [ Silver Spiritual Flower ] Description: A spirit grown from the seed of the many who had lost their lives. Must be raised in a special condition for the spirit to be born. Sunlight: Feeds on the energy of stars. However, this spiritual flower has been stained with death, so too much sunlight can be harmful. Let it absorb a little bit of sunlight for 5 minutes every day in the late afternoon. Temperature: The ideal temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius. Soil: This spiritual flower grew up in the land of death, so based on its current vitality, spread some soil from the Essoten fairies, and grind some seeds that have listened to the Essoten fairies leaf flute for 300 days. Nourishment: Feeds on negative emotions. On the contrary, positive emotions Mental and physical care: Fairies, dragons, and any other transcended species will be able to talk to this spiritual flower. Talk to it from time to time to check the spirits mental health. Its very fragile before the spirit is born After carefully reading the book from the White Witchs library, I soon looked up at Taylor. Did I do something to deserve this? Looking at her prideful smiling face, I had a strange feeling seeing her stare at me. For some reason, I felt apprehensive. Friends usually dont give each other gifts like this. Obviously, Taylor and I owe our lives to each other, and Im confident our relationship is more stable than anyone else. So it didnt matter what gifts we gave each other. Thats the kind of relationship we have. A relationship where we can do anything for each other. However, why was she so adamant to take Hell Gate materials from Lost Day? Gift didnt mean this between us. Weve never given each other gifts that meant anything. It was the sort of gift that one would just look at once and throw away. However, it looks like she has been running around for the last month or two with the goal of extorting Lost Day right from the start. Perhaps, Hell Gate materials wasnt even part of her plan and it just turned out this way. I looked at her suspiciously, and asked. You, is something wrong? Dude, what? Tell me. If theres something I can help you with, Ill help as much as I can. As far as I know, when Taylor acts like this, shes unsettled by something. She acts selfish, violent, and doesnt care about anyone else but herself, but in fact, thats just her defensive mechanism lashing out in an aggressive manner. However, whenever she is in dire trouble, she becomes altruistic like now. Ive known Taylor for 15 years. I can just tell something is wrong by her expression What are you on about? What? Strangely, Taylor looked at me with pitiful eyes. You can just go and die. A woman painstakingly got you a gift, and thats all you had to say? You, seriously. No. Im really worried about you Whats the point of suddenly worrying about people when youve never done so before? Staring at her smiling face, a thought crossed my mind. You, dont tell me Huh. Looking at my stern face, Taylor stopped smiling and spoke. Now that Im here, cant I do this? Do I need a reason? More than 10 years ago. When we were both desperately trying to survive on the battlefield, we made one promise. To comfort each other, hold each other, protect each other, and look after one another. But lets not share our feelings. It was a time when I would lose my colleagues, loved ones, and friends day by day. It was hard enough taking care of oneself, why make it harder by having affections. So I always drew a line and kept my distance when someone tried to approach me. It was the same with the other party. Not because Im afraid of losing someone, but because I know how the other person might feel when he or she loses me. It used to be the case. But now, Ive changed, and the times have changed. Now, I dont have to worry about tomorrow. Tonight when I go to bed, I dont have to worry about the deaths of loved ones, and my loved ones dont have to grief due to me dying. Ugh. Youre annoying, punk. There are serious flaws with your head, and it really hurts me to have to explain these things to you. I When I tried to answer, she smiled and gave me a slight slap on the back. Never mind, Im leaving. Said Taylor calmly before quickly disappearing. I stood there absentmindedly watching her departing figure. Only then did emotions welled up inside me, and I felt grateful to Taylor. For some reason, I had a strange sweet and warm feeling. I dont know how to describe it. Somehow, I feel like Ive found something that I had lost a long time ago. It was a very strange and uneasy feeling. But it wasnt a bad feeling. After looking at the flowerpot for a while, I carefully placed it down on a nearby workout bench, then turned around to see Celeste staring at me. What? Im done with my exercises. With a hoarse voice, she picked up her wooden sword and pointed it at me. UhRight. I had no choice but to lift mine as well. I havent even had the time to rest. After returning home, I carefully placed the flowerpot on my desk, and activated White Witchs Library again. Spiritual Silver Flower To successfully cultivate this flower, which had been growing inside Hell Gate, a lot of conditions has to be met, most of which are not possible on Earth. So its a problem. In the first place, I can only go back and forth between worlds, not bring something back. Fortunately, the Client gave a solution. [ Theres a way to resolve this. ] Oh? What is it? [ If you acquire a subspace skill, you can bring back things from other worlds, with some restrictions. ] Subspace? Its an ability Ive never seen in my life. I think Ive read about it in a popular novel before.Is it something like storing things in another space? [ Yes. ] Just reading the name makes me think it would be really difficult to acquire. By the way, is it okay for me to absorb such a skill? [ Subspace is also used by high level wizards and scientists. ] Alright. Well, the skills of protagonists didnt abide by common sense in the first place. [ Also, the rate a world collapses is not affected by transporting things across dimensions. ] [ Like bringing Yoo Seodams homemade food next door, it wont cause much trouble. ] [ It may cause significant changes in the worlds science, but in the grand scheme of things, its only a slight change since the development of science is a natural phenomenon. ] To sum it up in two words, its complicated. If I get a subspace, I can bring back things from other worlds, and it might even be possible to bring back advanced weapons. Thats a good idea. There were many things on Earth that could not be imagined or made today. Frankly speaking, the aether dispenser I use is not bad, but its also a fact that it cant do much damage to the protagonists relatively to its weight. However, if I can get a Holy Sword weapon like what I saw before, protagonists may become easier to deal with in the future. Anyways, I cant do much about this flower at the moment, but at least I can give it a better environment. Although the White Witchs Library skill seemed easier than Vivienda Magic Academys magic, its actually very unique and difficult to grasp. I decided to draw a magic circle on the floor to change the concentration of air, spray fairy energy on the soil, filter the sunlight, and after some struggle, filter emotions as well. It was nothing more than F-Rank magic, the most basic of magic, but it was enough to create a much better environment than before. When I breathed in, it was definitely fresh air. Cleaner than even what one might find in an uncivilized forest. I cant believe a plant found in Hell Gate needs such fresh air to grow. It felt so contradictory, but somehow I felt relieved when I saw the flower appearing more lively than before. Its the flower Taylor Nine got after going through a lot of trouble. So, Im going to raise it diligently. With that thought in mind, I touched the petals, and the moment I touched it. A voice was heard. [Im suffocating.] W-what? Surprised, I jumped back, and instinctively shot out aether from my aether blade. The voice continued. [Why are you surprised?] Crazy. Was the flower talking just now? [Mmhmm.] It was the voice of a child. I dont know whether its a boy or girl, but the monotone voice somehow gave me a mysterious feeling that reached my heart. Putting my aether blade down, I approached the flower, and it spoke again. [Your reaction startled me] Isnt it surprising for a flower to suddenly start talking? [Witches are supposed to be able to hear us.] Witch? Come to think of it, there was a paragraph in the book that mentioned transcended species such as elves and dragons being able to talk to the spirit of the flower. So witches are transcended species? Even though Im not a witch, I have a witchs skill, so I guess thats the reason why I can communicate with this spirit. [Its a relief.] What? [I was scared no one would hear me] For some reason, it felt strange hearing the spirit spoke so calmly. To have a conversation with the spirit of the flower, one has to be a transcended species, but only human beings live on Earth. And there werent any beings with intelligence inside Hell Gate. This spirit was born from death, and would return to death, alone, without bearing any fruit if left inside. [But youre a little strange for a witch.] Because Im not a witch. When the flower heard my answer, it stayed silent, and after a while, it spoke. [Yeah. Youre terrible at magic] [Why would you do that if youre not a witch?] When asked such a pure question, I wondered if I should feel hurt or not. [ThatThats not how you do it.] Huh? Shwuah! From the flower, a light powder came out and covered my magic circle on top. Then, the mana flowed slowly, and the magic spell I had drawn on the floor rose into the air. W-what? Its carving a magic circle in the air? Ive never seen anything like this at Vivienda Magic Academy. To that extent, the whole magic empire. What the spirit had just done was a ridiculous feat. Only [Whyare you surprised?] You, how did you do this? [I didnt do it.] The petals of the flower shook slightly and made a gesture as if pointing at me. [You did.] I didnt know what it meant until now. What it meant for a witch to be a transcended species. It was greater and more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. Chapter 32: Celeste was learning how to move. Celeste was learning how to move. But not just simply moving, rather, she was learning footwork, something practically every martial artist learns. And unlike her normal footwork, the technique she was learning did not involve big movements. How to move. Its really simple. With one foot supporting the body while the other foot is in front, then pull the foot supporting the body forward and take another step. The process involves bending the knees and stepping on the heel first so it points outward. The technique was to combine everything. The foundation of martial arts is body movement, and the foundation of that lies in the footwork. Thus, the movement of the foot determines the movement of the whole body. Celeste was sweating heavily from simply putting her feet to the side, stepping on her heel first, or moving a little more to the side. Why is that little child practicing walking? I dont know. Seems like Yoo Seodam instructed her to? Yoo Seodam watched Celeste from the side. Since there has been an increase in the number of registered prospects at Geumgang gym after her debut a while ago, quite a few people noticed Celestes walking practice, even though no one understands it. They thought perhaps she just wanted to do some unique training. At first, even Celeste couldnt understand it. Why practice walking like this when they should be training their swordsmanship? Or why do movements that are harder and more painful than normal ones. However, after practicing her footwork for two weeks. Celeste realized. Uh? Hmm? During her spar with director Kim, unknowingly, she used the footwork technique she has been learning for the last two weeks. The sword of director Kim, a person with C-Rank physique, was too fast to avoid for a D-Rank like Celeste, so she had always relied on her reaction speed, but this time, she was able to see it clearly and avoided it. Miss Celeste. Your movement has gotten better, hasnt? Did your physique improve? Asked director Kim. Celeste shook her head. Her physique was developing very slowly, and not to this extent. This was purely due to the footwork technique. A technique that came from a very small fraction of Haren Almus SS Rank skill, something she would never know. Thats why its so effective, even though its an imitation. However, in the end, its still an imitation and pale in comparison to the original version. If the original skill was SS-Rank, what Seodam copied was at most D-Rank. Nonetheless, this is the result of a D-Rank superhuman training in the footwork for two weeks. Good. If I keep this up! Unknowingly, Celeste became excited. She could sense that her growth has reached a higher level. The fact that she can now avoid attacks from a C-Rank. Stretching out her sword instinctively. Ah! An awkward step that didnt match her body movement, she tripped and fell. Celeste used to enjoy training. After awakening an E-Rank physique at an early age, every time she trained, she could feel that she was making progress. If put into numbers it was like going from 10 to 11, 12 to 13, and so on. When others were stuck, she was able to progress by putting in a little more effort, so because of that, Celeste used to frantically train. However, one day, all those accomplishments crumbled. The confrontation against Sanagi Okamoto, a rival the elders arbitrarily chose, became her thorn. Sanagi Okamoto. A woman who became a C-Rank superhuman at the age of twenty. A year ago the D-Rank Celeste was defeated in a competition against Sanagi, and since that day, she has devoted herself to training, even going so far as to forgo her meals occasionally. However, her growth was still the same. Of course, just growing steadily is already amazing, but to her, that alone was not enough. Both Celeste and Sanagi were growing at the same rate. If she is growing at the pace of 16 to 17 to 18, then Sanagi is growing at the pace of 26 to 27 to 28. The same pace. This gap that cant be narrowed. It became her first wall. Obviously, their talents were about the same. However, Sanagi was born first and awakened her physique first. In spite of being rivals, Celeste would never be able to catch up to her. Salvatore, who couldnt stand seeing his daughter depressed, invited many world renowned swordsman instructors, but Sanagi also had a similar background, so their level of education was the same. Our physique growth rate is clearly the same. So, why dont I just compete in swordsmanship, rather than physique? Although Sanagi has a stronger physique than Celeste, her swordsmanship was worse than Celestes. To Celeste, Sanagis swordsmanship only has superficial power and speed. However, their difference in power and speed was so overwhelming that it was impossible to overcome despite that simple thought. She couldnt catch up. Although it was frustrating, there was nothing she could do about it. She had accepted that reality. That was until she met someone who overcame the difference in strength and speed. Yoo Seodam, with his D-Rank strength, overwhelmed her with his sword. Seeing him, she thought. Ive finally found a way to break this wall. People only think superhumans with superpowers are talented. However, before there were superpowers, there were clearly talented people in education, sports, entertainment, and so on. Even though it has been overshadowed by superpowers in the modern era. A talent for the sword exists. Celeste, who swung and swung her sword every day, was given the opportunity for this talent blossom. She enjoyed it. It was different from her past self, mindlessly wielding her sword. Everything she learned from Yoo Seodam was new and different from what she was taught or knew. Even the smallest details, like how to move or breath. It was a new territory for her. Late into the night, all the other prospects are gone, and only Celeste remains. Are you feeling better? Asked director Kim. He used to live in the gym, so it didnt matter who stayed. However, he was still concerned about her. Director Kim, resting on a nearby bench with a worried look, handed Celeste a water bottle. Recently, he has been seeing her overwork herself to the point where it looked like she wasnt doing too well, but strangely, she didnt seem exhausted at all. Rather, the more she wielded the sword, the more powerful it seemed, which was quite surprising to him. Yes. Thank you. She drank the water in silence. Yoo Seodam was away today. Although hes a hunter, lately, hes been heading to the gym and library, and has rarely gone to a dungeon. When director Kim asked if Seodam was worried about money problems, Seodam just replied saying he was not because he recently cleared a dungeon by himself. Also, library There are certainly some hunters with good academics, but most were terrible. Unless it was needed to hunt, they studied very little outside the basic essentials. Yoo Seodam was already much more knowledgeable than any hunter, and Celeste knew he was very smart. Still, a hunter going to the library It was a very weird place to be at. What are you even studying there? When she asked, Seodam just said that he was studying as much math as he could, and didnt really give a proper answer. Uh Hmm? Celeste looked at director Kim. There was a question she has been meaning to ask for a long time, but was very reluctant to do so. Did Yoo Seodam really beat my father? Although her father has retired, he is still a SS-Rank hunter. Its hard to imagine Yoo Seodam, a F-Rank hunter, winning. Hearing her ask such a question, director Kim awkwardly smiled. She was reluctant to ask Yoo Seodam directly. Director Kim didnt feel right to be the person to tell her. But he thought she would eventually find out anyways, so its better that it came from his mouth. It happened 8 years ago. Salvatore Costantini led a team of 12 hunters, one of them being the F-Rank hunter Yoo Seodam. They used to hunt monsters in desolate areas, and Salvatore would ask other members to spar with him whenever they had free time. He didnt discriminate against people without superpowers. So despite being S-Rank, he also sincerely wanted to duel with Yoo Seodam, a F-Rank hunter. The result was obviously 99 wins in 99 duels for Salvatore. Thus, Yoo Seodam had never won a duel. Then? When she wondered if Yoo Seodam had lied to her, director Kim continued with a bitter look. Their mission at the time was almost done. All they had to do was seal a gate to stop the monsters from leaking out. Thats when the worst villain, Curse Virus, appeared. A superhuman with a ridiculous SS-Rank superpower called Curse Virus that had been placing curses around the world, taking many lives in the process. Curse Virus hid himself before Salvatore and his team arrived at the location. Salvatore Costantini, the first person to encounter the Curse Virus, had the curse placed on his daughter. Huh? In other words, Celeste was cursed eight years ago without even realizing it. The curse simply took away the lifespan of the target, and most died within a week. To a certain extent, it depended on the condition of the superhumanHowever, miss Celeste was nine years old at the time and was in critical condition because you were an ordinary human. It was then. Salvatore, one of the top S-Rank superhumans at the time, awakened a frenzy ability. An ability later evaluated as SS-Rank, it was an ability to harness a greater power than one normally could. This was also how Salvatore became one of the 37 SS-Rank superhuman on Earth. However, there was a downside to this ability. He could not identify foe from ally, and would indiscriminately attack every living thing in sight. People around him were surprised that Salvatore, who always had a smile on his face, could make such a scary face. But, he had to be stopped. If the villain Curse Virus is killed without the curses being removed, everyone including Celeste would die. If Salvatore follows us here, we wont be able to fight the monster! Damn it, I cant believe were up against a SS-Rank ally and a SS-Rank villain at the same time. We have no chance of winning. When are the reinforcements coming!? Will they be able to stop him once they arrive? Once Salvatore sees Curse Virus, hell definitely try to kill him. Yeah, Its possible with that power. But Someone reluctantly brought up the dilemma. Once the frenzied state is over and he finds out his daughter died because of him. Will he be able to continue living normally? Absolutely not. Thus, the 11 hunters tasked themselves with the difficult mission of not killing Salvatore, who had the ability of SS-Rank, while trying to subdue a SS-Rank villain. It seemed impossible. When everyone thought as such. Yoo Seodam, who remained silent up until that point, spoke. Ill try to stop mister Salvatore. What? The only F-Rank here. However, no one doubted his ability. Although he was an ordinary hunter, his ability alone was noteworthy. And more than anyone else here, he had the best judgement. Still, no one thought Yoo Seodam could hold out against Salvatore. Everyone had the same thought. Yoo Seodam is sacrificing himself. Only then could they successfully subdue the villain and stop Salvatore, at the cost of one casualty. Try to hang in there. Alright, well quickly overpower that bastard and come back. Well be right back and figure something out, so stay alive! The 10 hunters succeeded in defeating the villain. They even successfully stopped the Curse Virus superpower, lifting all the curses that had spread throughout the world. But, it was too late. It took a week to stop the villain. They thought there was no way Yoo Seodam could hold out after a week. Nevertheless, they tracked down the signal from Yoo Seodam, and ran to retrieve the body. However, what they saw was an unbelievable sight. Far from dying, Yoo Seodam had knocked Salvatore out, and was waiting alone. Did you subdue Salvatore? I was lucky. There just happened to be a power plant nearby Yoo Seodam had spent an astronomical sum during the battle with Salvatore. He said he had miscalculated beforehand, so he had no choice but to blow up the nearby power plant and even used a tank. And that he had to rely on technology because an ordinary person couldnt win against a superhuman, but no one paid it any mind. Only the fact that a F-Rank hunter subdued a frenzied SS-Rank was remembered. Recounting the story, director Kim nodded his head. Come to think of itYoo Seodam is miss Celestes benefactor. It was her first time hearing about how countless hunters fought to save her life. Such aperson. I had no idea at all Said Celeste with a trembling voice, then director Kim spoke. Its understandable. What happened back then was kept a secret. You know, a frenzied superhuman doesnt paint a very good picture to the world. And it was critical at the time that Salvatores position was not shaken. Well, thats a political story for another time, so lets skip that. Yes You dont have to feel burdened. After what happened, Salvatore compensated Yoo Seodam. Director Kim, who spoke up to this point, said he had to go take a phone call. Celeste silently sat on the bench, trying to gather her thoughts. Such as, how has she been treating her benefactor. He must think Im crazy. I amHiring him to be my sword instructor as a favor? Feeling a deep sense of shame, Celeste lowered her head and covered it with both hands. After a long time, Seodam, wearing a black shabby padded jacket, opened the gym doors and walked in, carrying a flower pot in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. Wow. Youre still at it? Yes. Really? Do you want some ice cream? No. Said Celeste resolutely. With a sullen look, Seodam looked down at the bag in his hand. AlrightIm going to eat both by myself. No. Lets go out to eat. Could beanything. Anything is fine, Ill buy it. Restaurant? Buffet? Lobster? Steak? What do you like? ? Only Seodam checked his watch. Its 3:00AM in the morning? Before Seodam could finish, Celeste interrupted, saying she wanted to treat him, right before rushing to take a shower. Whats wrong with her? I wonder if the sun will rise from the west today. [The sun doesnt rise from the west] Thats what I meant. [It doesnt make sense] Really, this rascal of a flower. Chapter 33: Three months quickly passed. Three months quickly passed. Seodam has not gone on another protagonist hunt due to spending all of his time studying swordsmanship and magic while personally teaching Celeste. Though, as a veteran hunter, he could go monster hunting whenever he wanted, so there wasnt much trouble except for when Taylor wanted to tag along. Over the last three months, there have been many changes within him. [Skill White Swordsmanships second form has opened.] The first form was Apathetic Introspection. It was like seeing oneself as a blank piece of paper and finding ones limit. Which kind of sword fits, which swordsmanship is best suited, which technique to complement it, and even how to breath. The moment he grasped all that, the second form opened. Seodam hasnt had many chances to use his sword these days except when hunting monsters since aether blades were the most efficient. So recently he has started swinging his sword day and night, and the results have finally begun to show. Celeste, who was learning swordsmanship from Seodam, was also growing at an alarming rate. And unlike Seodam, Celeste was able to imitate the Almus Swordsmanship to a respectable level. Seodams current physical ability is almost D-Rank, but fighting Celeste now would be more difficult than when he was F-Rank. Pah! Ugh! When their wooden swords collided, Celeste fell backwards, then Seodam wiped away his sweat. Although it has gotten tougher, he did not lose. Still, it was a close fight, meaning Celeste has improved significantly. It hurts. Its normal to get beaten to grow stronger. That sounds like something an aging adult would say. I dont know about the aging part, but you did get beaten Bringing in the New Years, Seodam is now in his 30s. It was the age where hunters with no superpowers would retire. However, Seodam is now in better shape than when he was in his early 20s. Even Taylor had mentioned that his muscles were much toner, his face younger, and his skin looked better. In fact, Taylor is the same age as Seodam, but she looked so young that everyone thought she was a college student at most. It was hard to believe how old she actually is. This is one of the phenomena that occurs when a S-Rank superhuman is able to control their aether to its limit, and is a similar case with Seodam who uses mana. However, it was peculiar that Seodams mana is already similar to S-Rank superhumans, even though at best its D-Rank. Lets take a break now. Didnt you say you were leaving today? Yes. After being told to take a break, Celeste went and sat in a corner as she wiped her sweat with a towel, then she turned on her phone. At first, Seodam would show her one or two videos of Sanagi every day so they could strategize on how to beat her, but now she was accustomed to watching videos of Sanagi herself. Another video was uploaded today. Sanagi has tens of thousands of subscribers on the internet, a pretty and fierce face, and an extraordinary superpower. Shes been posting videos of herself doing kendo, all of which became a motivation for Celeste. Celeste, who was watching the video absentmindedly, thought to herself. No matter how much I see itI dont think I can lose. Recently, Celeste can be seen with a smile on her face. When she first came to the gym, she seemed like a child who was just going through the motion of living. Lately, she found herself looking forward to the sword debate, which was quickly approaching, and facing Sanagi again. Seodam activated White Witchs library to study while they were taking a break. His magic has gone a long way after three months. Even though he has no talent for magic, the witchs magic books were clearly explained, so it was easy for anyone to learn as long as they understood the gist of it. Its like going from studying high school level magic to suddenly studying middle school level magic. Thanks to the skill, Seodam is now able to use Tier 1 magic somewhat competently. But its still not enough. Both swordsmanship and magic takes time to develop. Unlike superpowers where one can simply release more aether. Although its still possible for swordsmen and mages to train, Seodam couldnt. Because his level limit is F-Rank. The only way for him to increase this limit is by hunting protagonists and leveling up. One month left until the swordsmanship debate. Celeste was scheduled to leave for her tour soon, so there wasnt time to teach her anything else. Seodam thought it wouldnt be such a bad idea to take this time to ask the Client for another mission. While he was reading a magic book from the witchs library, Taylor came into the gym as soon as Celeste came back from her shower. Are you blanking out again? Youre carrying that flowerpot with you everywhere. Seodam cherished the flowerpot Taylor gave him, and lately, has always carried it with him. Taylor felt proud of herself, but also felt unhappy. The reason why shes unhappy Just, youre a fool. It was that simple of a reason. By the way, you dont mind me going with Celeste? Originally, Celeste couldnt find a senior to go with her, so she was planning to ask Yoo Seodam. But Taylor, who often came to the gym, volunteered when she heard about it. The reason was simple. Im going to make a hell of a lot of money riding along, arent I? Celeste, a peak D-Rank hunter, had to complete her performance report soon. If a hunter did not complete their performance report in a timely manner, they will be disqualified as a hunter. So Celeste plans to do an extra curriculum for her performance report. Extra curriculum is a special course where new hunters tour a C or B rank dungeon with talented senior hunters. It was also used by many guilds these days because even if a B or A rank dungeon was successfully cleared, it would be seen as the act of riding a bus to some extent. Seodam and Taylor, who have spent their lives hunting without caring about the public, found the performance report ridiculous. In any case, Celeste plans to tour a dungeon with Taylor and elite hunters from the Costantini family. She wasnt fond of Taylor going with her, but there was also no reason to refuse a S-Rank hunters help. By the way, is it okay for me to take over your job? Actually, theres something I have to do, so you go ahead. Is that so. Taylor shrugged and continued. Then, Im going to leave the apartment for awhile. Its my apartment. Dont get too lonely while your sister is away. Ah, right. When Im done with this, I have another matter to take care of in Jamsil. I might be gone longer than expected. Jamsil? Seodam tilted his head when he remembered that the swordsmanship debate was also held in Jamsil, Korea. Taylor doesnt use a sword, so I dont think she has to worry about the debate. Thanks to my monopoly on the deformed dungeon from last time, my financial situation was quite good. At least that was the case until I bought a 1st-Grade aether suit. Now my savings was barely enough to last a few months, still, I think the investment was worth it. Im sure. An aether suit is every hunters top priority. The 3rd-Grade suits were a combination of a shirt with circuits underneath a vest, followed by a protective suit, then finally a coat. The 2nd-Grade suits increased several folds in performance while easing some of the covering. Then what about the 1st-Grade suits? Even if I have both of my hands in my pockets and wearing gym clothes, I can automatically deploy it. Truly a state of the art technology. If theres one drawback, its that aether is constantly consumed while the suit is worn. Still, its easier to carry and the defense was worth investing in until I grew stronger. Isnt my life more important than money? If money was more important, I wouldnt even consider it. Also, 1st-Grade suits not only had temperature control, but also simple digital features, and depending on the price range, there were even ones that had guns, blades, and missiles attached to the suit itself, so it can be said that hunters lived and died by their suit. My suit as a whole was black, glossy, and ergonomic in appearance as if it has been painted on my body. Although the design is simple, there was a beauty to its simpleness. Putting my mega shooter on my back and jumping, I could definitely feel my body being lighter. 1st-Grade suits also have the effect of increasing the wearers power and speed, enough to give ordinary people F-Rank attributes. As I was casting a protective magic circle around the flowerpot and putting it in a hidden aether safe, the spirit spoke. [Where are you going?] Im leaving to make money. [Materialism is ephemeral] Do you have to put it that way? [Im scared of being alone] Even so, I cant take you. For some reason, hearing that shaky voice made my heart uneasy. After comforting the flower for some time, I spoke to the Client. Prepare my next mission. [ Yes, Im on it. ] Because of the flower, I was rather in a hurry. I have to gather the materials for the flower so it can blossom as soon as possible because I read in the magic book that if its delayed the flower will wither. And, it was my golden opportunity to get a Spirit, so I dont want to miss this chance if I can help it. Thats why lately Ive been thinking of ways to help the spirit grow. I was pondering over it as I looked through the missions. Erm The universe was vast, filled with many worlds and many protagonists. The missions from the recommendation list have a level bonus reward, right? [ Thats correct. ] Then lets go with this. Clicking on one of the missions from the recommendation list, a message appeared. #The_game_I_made_has_become_a_reality #Fusion_Fantasy #Constellation #Observer #Growth #Thriller [ Do you wish to go now? ] With my mega shooter tightly attached, I nodded my head. My vision quickly blurred. [Traveling to Arashs Battle Royale Role Playing Survival Project. The world of the Level 73 protagonist, Arash.] [1098] [Travel completed.] The world slowly collapsed and reconstructed. Opening my eyes. Under the vast sky, an expanse of land came into my view. W-what! Right, I was flying in the sky. Unfortunately, my suit does not have a flight function, so in the end, I could only panic and flounder in the air Huh? Strangely, there was no sensation of falling. As if I was floating. [You became the Keflox Nebula Constellation (temporary).] [Your current state is Astral and cannot interfere with reality.] Constellation? Suddenly, a very different kind of message that did not belong to the Client appeared in my mind. { Constellation Yoo Seodam has appeared like a comet! Welcome to the world of Arash Project! } { Do you find eternal life boring? } { Do you want an avatar representative? } { Do you want to discover a new kind of entertainment? } { Then vote for your very own avatar! } Ding! [Skill Channel Allotted (temporary) acquired.] Only [Skill Channel Interference (temporary) acquired.] [Skill Channel Search (temporary) acquired.] [Skill Channel Sponsorship (temporary)] Looking at the series of messages, I became dazed. Constellation? Before I could even digest what was happening, like having a bucket of cold water poured on me, another message appeared. { Note, Constellations cannot directly interfere with reality! } Uh, then how do I kill the protagonist? Chapter 34: Arashs Battle Royale Role Playing Survival Project. Arashs Battle Royale Role Playing Survival Project. What a long name. [Current time dilation is 4.0179x] After checking the time dilation, I surveyed this world. Battle Royale etc Or, Arashs world for short, looks as if numerous worlds have been woven together, giving it a quite unique look. The planet was one huge spiral stretching towards the sky. The spiral, which seems to ignore common sense, had many different layers of worlds. At the very bottom is a vast meadow world, then a sequence of worlds including lava, mountains, historical sites, ruined cities, undergrounds, caves, and so on. And between each world There appears to be a mysterious bridge reminiscent of the night sky connecting each world. [ This was originally a game made by the protagonist Arash. ] Game. Hearing it, this certainly looks like a game. [ However, one day, reality and Arashs game world overlapped. ] So it was like that. Arashs game had become reality. And the countless challengers that were brought here. It is said that whoever clears the 50th world first will have one of their wishes granted. Ever since I saw the hashtag, Ive been curious about how a game can become reality. It sounded like something from a novel, but whats in front of me proves its really possible. But wasnt it something that only existed on Earth? [ There are many worlds similar to Earth. ] Oh I slowly flew along the sky, looking at the worlds within the spiral. There were many people running around in some of the worlds. Although Im only a temporary Constellation, I was able to see every stage at a glance, while the people inside couldnt. Wheres the protagonist? It was too difficult looking from afar, but then the Client spoke. [ Itll be faster to you use Channel Search if you want to find a specific human. ] Come to think of it, I did receive a few skills. [ Thats right. Although you dont have the full power of a Constellation, being a temporary Constellation, youve received all the channel skills. ] Great. Slowly looking over the skills, I activated Channel Search. Hundreds, no, hundreds of thousands of channels appeared. Hm? Every channel signifies a challenger, so there were at least hundreds of thousands of people in Arashs world. Looking at the channels, I touched the one that reads Best Hot Pick 3, and saw that there were over a thousand Constellations watching. [Best of the best!] [No.1 in channel ranking: Arash] [Constellations watching: 2076] Considering that other channels had at most a hundred, this was ridiculous. Activating my skill, I entered the channel. Suddenly. Woosh! My surroundings suddenly changed, and I felt the sensation of moving. Ugh Dizziness, similar to when I travel to other worlds, came over me. After waking up and opening my eyes, a different world came into view. Lowering my eyes, I could clearly see a world of lava. { The 7th world and stage called Volcano of Despair. } { The theme here is competition. } { Which challenger will be the first to reach the final destination? } I guess the humans competing against each other in this artificial lava world are the challengers. Hovering above the challengers was an angel shouting loudly at them. [Now now, everyone! At last, weve arrived at the highlight! Youre nearing the end of this stage! Five challengers have survived up to this point!] The final competition leading to the next stage. A bloodbath between five people. It seems like this is the final competition before the next stage. [The first challenger to pass this stage will receive double the reward! Who will be the one to claim it?!] { Losing My Balance Libra: Arash will definitely win. } { Laughing Half Moon Bear: Dont you want to see Arash lose? } { White Wolf Crying Victory: Arash must not win! } Seeing the sudden messages, I frowned. Chat window? A translucent chat window of Arashs channel appeared in front of me. Here, the Constellations were expressing their own opinions. { Dragon That Devoured The Sun: Arash, kill them all! } { Witch Departing On A Boat: Pull out their heads and offer their spines to me! } { Summer Beneath World Wolf: I will give my teeth to the bravest warrior! } Every single nickname truly looked childish. And even the messages werent any better. To put it bluntly, it was like a conversation between elementary school students, or to put it nicely, its like watching a Shakespeare comedy. Hm I slowly watched for the outcome. 100 people were among the first to arrive at the 7th stage. And of the 100, only 5 remained. Everything was going smoothly. That is, if they were all working alone. [Ah, how could this be! Four of them were a team. How will Arash, the lone challenger, overcome this crisis?!] As soon as the angel finished speaking, a message appeared in my mind. { Challengers have level, class, and skill. } { Do you wish to view the challengers information? } I nodded my head and their information appeared. The four challengers teaming up against Arash are a priest, an archer, a warrior, and a mage. Their average level is 6. However, Arash is level 9. He is quite higher level than the rest. Alsohis class looked very unique. Star Cleaving Battle Mage? What class is this? { Hidden class. Only one person per hidden class, and the way to obtain one is extremely difficult. } However, Arash had one. Probably because this was his game world. Really, this is too much. Thinking about it. Arash had developed the game. That means he knows every detail that exists in this world. Details that I somehow need to get in order to kill him. But [ Protagonist Hunter Lv.2 is not high enough to see the information of this world. ] Why? I was able to see it last time. [ It was due to that world detecting the effect of regression. ] Thatsounds plausible. Every time Fiolen used his knowledge of the future, I was only able to get a glimpse of the change in the targets future. In other words, I wont be able to kill Arash using an information advantage like last time. The situation is looking increasingly grim. Amid my deepening worry, Arash, who was in a crisis, suddenly started to do something. The angel shouted with all its might. [The challenger Arash! He took something out!] Four level 6 challengers against one level 9 challenger. I guess it was a foregone conclusion in everyone elses eyes that the four would win, but things didnt go as expected. [Ah! Thats the claw of the Lactarox! Why the hell did challenger Arash take that outoh?! Oh my! He combined it with the saliva of a Manticore!] { Item manufacturing by challenger Arash! } { Successfully created Plutten Paralyzing Poison Ballon! } It was hard concentrating on the announcement and commentary in the channel at the same time. Was that thing really so great? Thinking so, the chat window soon became plastered with messages. [Skyward Sword: Amazing! How clever!] [Best Necklace Manufacturer: Thats my recipe! I cant believe it, its amazing!] [Water That Cant Be Put Back: How did he think to do that!] [Dont Let Your Dreams Be Dreams: A challenger at the 7th stage figured out how to make that?] I still couldnt understand it. Whats so great about it? My question was soon answered. Arash, holding the claw with both hands, swung it in all directions. The other four challengers slowly began to lose their strength even though they were not touched by the claw. [The Plutten Paralyzing Poison Balloon has the effect of paralyzing anyone who breaths in the gasses, and is super effective in hot places! Sure enough, challenger Arash! He predicted everything and had prepared an item in advance!] Arash, wearing a mask, continued to swing the claw recklessly. That wasnt the end. Grabbing the air, Arash pulled out an item and quickly overpowered the four challengers. In the end, he defeated them all. A flawless conclusion. [Number one on the channel ranking somehow reversed an unfavorable situation because of a brilliant idea again!] The reactions were explosive. [As expected of challenger Arash!!] Along with the angels shout came a series of sponsorship in Arashs channel. [Crackion Noise sponsors 1000 Star Force.] [Dragon That Devoured The Sun sponsors 1500 Star Force.] [Sight That Lost The Light Sponsors 1200 Star Force.] I was in a daze watching the endless sponsorship messages. Star Force? { Challengers can use Star Force to raise their level and stats, or purchase items. } Do I have that? [Remaining Star Force: 370] Thats all? This amount of Star Forcethe situation is much worse than I thought. [ Star Force correlates to your Mana. Once consumed, with time, your Star Force will recover. ] [ Also, Star Force can be gained when your chosen avatar clears a quest, dungeon, or world. ] Hu, so there was a system like this. It was both amazing and annoying. In the meantime, Arash, who could not see the Constellations, bowed his head and thanked them. Haha, thank you! Constellations! When I clear all 50 worlds and become a Constellation, Ill make sure to pay you all back! Watching him, somehow I felt hopeless. From now on, I have to find a way to kill Arash whos being watched by the other Constellations. I have no information advantage. And I cant even touch him physically. The only way to kill the protagonist is through Channel Interference, but with only 370 Star Force, I will be in a terrible situation if I sponsor someone even once, and it was hardly enough to do anything with this amount. When such thoughts invaded my mind, I took a deep breath and cleared my head. Yeah, there has never been an easy hunt. As a F-Rank hunter, no hunt has been a freebie. When I meet an enemy that seems impossible to defeat, I just make use of anything and everything I have. While thinking about my dilemma, Arash reached the final destination of the 7th stage. Then, along with the sound of firecrackers, the angel screamed. [We finally have a winner!] Now that first place has been decided, the only thing left was for the other four challengers to come. The four challengers, who were knocked down before reaching the only wooden bridge, rose up with difficulty, and began to cross it. Then, Arash putting his hands on his legs, spoke. Guys, you know what? Everyones attention was focused on Arash. He seems to relish in this fact. If I give up my first place reward, a bug will cause the only way to the next stage to disappear! Said Arash with a bright smile. I will give up my first place reward. So, remove the bridge. As soon as he said that. The bridge disappeared like it had evaporated, and the four challengers began to descend into the lava. { The first challenger to clear the 7th Stage has been determined! } Immediately, numerous messages and sponsorship flooded the chat window. [Star Running Horse: What a pleasant surprise! Yes, kill them all!] Only [Star Running Horse sponsors 1000 Star Force.] [Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse: You have to beat them to the point where they cant stand up again.] [Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse sponsors 2000 Star Force.] [Knife Sharpening Leaf] Watching their insane behaviors, I turned to look at something else. The four challengers that hadnt fallen into the lava, but were dangling onto each other. Then back at the Constellations going crazy. A rather plausible and only method came to mind of how to kill the protagonist. Chapter 35: In this world, only first places, winners, and protagonists are remembered. In this world, only first places, winners, and protagonists are remembered. That is Arash. The four losers who are in a bit of trouble right now will not be remembered. Sajun (Priest/Male/Age 27) Jaesul (Warrior/Male/Age 24) Gyulu (Archer/Female/Age 25) Mayva (Wizard/Female/Age 24) This was their profile. Shortly after the battle had ended, Seodam, who was watching the countless sponsors pouring into Arashs channel, suddenly had a thought. Do the Constellations really like Arash? Ive seen both indiscriminate hate and affection towards Arash, so the Constellations all seem to have varying feelings. Next, I went to find the four channels of the challengers who are on the cusp of falling into the lava, and found a surprising fact. The four shared one channel. It seems like it would be a disadvantage because the Star Force obtained from sponsorship had to be divided in four, but at least it seems to be a reliable way of trusting your allies. Although they lost to Arash, their channel, led by the warrior Jaesul, still had quite a few Constellations. However, most were beginning to leave. The Constellations originally hoped that the four could defeat Arash, but it wasnt worth watching now that theyve failed. The remaining Constellations purpose for staying was Well, there isnt really one. Sajun! You crazy bastard! Let go of your hand! So you can live! A common soap opera. Arash had gotten rid of the bridge and while the four were falling, had instinctively held onto each others hands. Fortunately, Sajun, who was at the very top was able to hold onto Jaesul, and Jaesul was able to hold onto Gyulu, and Gyulu was able to hold onto Mayva. An odd sight of hanging from a rock like a string of sausages. However, Sajun is a priest class and is physically weak. At this rate, no one will be able to survive. Please! Let us go and get out of here, you son of a bitch! How can I do that. Although Sajun is a priest, he was able to hold on thus far because he is inherently strong with his large frame. L-lets live together! Rock pieces fell down from the cliff. Sajun wanted to say something more, but forced himself to shut up. Talking was putting a strain on his muscles. He felt death was imminent. Even after a long time, the other three couldnt pull themselves up. As if mocking them, messages from the Constellations flooded in. [Lost Snail: If you let go of that arm, Ill sponsor 10000 Star Force!] [Absolute Position: Ill add in 3000 as well! Hahaha.] [Walking On The Edge: Just snap off the hand thats holding onto you! I will choose you as my avatar!] The four challengers were sharing the channel, so they all saw the messages. Not a single one of the Constellations were hoping for their survival. The Constellations just wanted the four to betray one another and see how they will meet their demise. So the four hated the Constellations, but there was nothing they could do. The only way to survive now was to listen to the Constellations. Please. I beg you. Let go of your hand. Youll die otherwise. If you get Star Force, youll be able to move on to the next stage. Once you get first place, our wish will be granted. Said Gyulu, pleading. However, they all knew. Sajun would never let go, and perhaps they will all die here. They all felt frustrated and knew it was hopeless. [Red Acidic Elaphe: Hurry up and let go of that arm!] [Woeful Toad] The four didnt have any expectations in the first place. But the fact that they are a laughing stock to the Constellations hurt the most. However, they could do nothing. This was their end. After silently watching everything unfold, Yoo Seodam successfully organized his thoughts. Maybe these guysIm not certain, but maybe they can be of use. While checking Sajuns profile, Seodam sent them a message. However, a warning message appeared. { Humans cant handle a Constellations real name, please decide a proper name. } Proper name, in other words, a kind of nickname used by the Constellations to hide their real names. Well, I just need one similar to the other Constellations, right? [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day looks at you with interest.] Good. I got a nickname. I think its similar to the other Constellations, so theyre not going to be suspicious, right? After sponsoring my Star Force to the channel, I sent a message. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 300 Star Force.] [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: If all four of you become my avatar, Ill save you all.] Seeing that message. The four faces, including Sajun, showed a perplexed expression. The Constellations never approach the challengers without a purpose. So they thought it was obvious there was ill intentions behind it. What the hell is the point in saving us? Constellations are simply beings who seek pleasure. Raising their own avatar and gaining Star Force. Then giving the Star Force back to their avatar, and watching them compete like dogs. They cant understand why a Constellation would choose them, who are dying, as its avatar Damn it, we accept! Theres no other choice! Thats right. Theres no other choice. This was the only way they saw to survive right now, so they accepted the mysterious offer from the Constellation. A message appeared in front of Seodam. { Congratulations! Youve chosen your first avatar! } { Wow, even as many as four avatars at once! } { Since all four targets did not have blessing, you will be given 4000 Star Force as a bonus!} Yes, these are the ones that met Seodams criteria. Perfect roles with no prior Constellation, ability to confront the protagonist, and a clear goal. Seodam sponsored them with the Star Force he just obtained. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 4000 Star Force.] Then, out of the blue he said a sentence that struck like a bolt of lightning. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Priest, use the Star Force to reset your attributes.] I had a hunch. The reason why the Constellations liked Arash is simply because he was winning. But what if he faces hardship? Or what if he doesnt satisfy the taste of the Constellations? Will the Constellations continue to watch him? I became certain after joining the losers channel. The regular Constellation viewers were leaving the channel, and only the Constellations who enjoyed watching the four suffer and newly joined ones were inside. For Constellations, human beings are just that. Animals trapped inside a zoo for their entertainmentno, perhaps even lower than that. Just like a bug. If they cant please the Constellations, theyre not worth existing. { When their avatar dies, the Constellation will receive a big penalty. } I see. But, with my plan, the four wont die. [Oh? What the hell is going on! Challenger Sajun! All of a sudden hes showing incredible strength!] Sajun, who had been struggling up to now, suddenly showcased an incredible feet and succeeded in lifting all four members up. It became possible because he spent as much as 4000 Star Force to reset his attributes and invested it all into the Strength attribute. [At the last minute, youve all somehow survived by using your remaining Star Force and resetting your attributes! Amazing! Ahah, however, youve failed the stage, so you all have to go back to the entrance of the 7th stage.] Having been knocked out of the challenger gate, the four bodies slowly blurred. Their expressions became grim when they heard they had failed. Only by being the first to clear the last stage will their wish be granted, but now they were behind after having failed the stage. And even their priests attributes were a mess. They knew it was necessary to survive, but now they dont stand a chance. Is a priest who lost all their divine power still a priest? Class reset doesnt exist, so now their priest has to either live with his current attributes, or reset it using a large sum of 4000 Star Force again. Also. [Hell Watchman Of Flames leaves the channel with great disappointment.] [Red Acidic Elaphe leaves the channel saying its not even funny.] [Fierce Goat Wailing In The Night leaves the channel saying hes sick of it.] One by one, all the Constellations looking forward to their suffering or wanted to win over Arash began to leave. There was no reason to watch the four now. Maybe they were looking for another toy, or going back Arash. However, one remained. Seodam. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day looks at you with interest.] Slowly floating down, I approached them. Although the four cant see me in my astral form, my intention was to get a closer look at them. What the hell is it thinking? Maybe they thought I was still watching, so they looked up and spoke. Why did you save us? Do you want us to live just so you can watch us suffer again? [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: If that was the case, I wouldnt have chosen you as my avatar, would I?] Choosing an avatar is a considerable risk to a Constellation, so its not done thoughtlessly. This is because if the avatar dies, the Constellations name will fracture. Since Constellations exist in name, they usually only choose challengers that are likely not to die. For that reason, Arash already has more than 50 representatives. Constellations sponsor their avatar with skills or Star Force in the hope of growing their name whenever their avatar achieves certain goals. However, Im not a real Constellation. I have no skills or Star Force to sponsor, and there is no point in growing my name. I only have two goals. Raise this four-man team high enough to create a crisis for the protagonist. And earning Star Force through them. [I intend to get you to first place.] Why? We dont believe you. [Then, dont believe me. I just want Arash, whos currently in first place, to fall. Youre just a step in my goal.] Its more convenient to draw a line. And there was no reason to deceive them. [Do you understand? Im sponsoring you because my purpose is in line with yours. Dont think too much and just focus on trying again.] That Gyulu looked at Sajun who showed a miserable look. He was indignant towards the Constellation that made him lose all his priest skills. But In the first place, I didnt do anything before you all screwed up. So just wait a little bit longer. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Everyone, for now you need to reset your attributes.] From a ruined character, Im going to fix everyone of you. Innermost area of the 7th stage. There was a small dungeon far from the main path, but now the four challengers have arrived here. Without any obstructions for a week, Ive had them earn Star Force by wandering around. The Star Force went to me every time the four accomplished a goal. I invested it all back into them. This will be my last investment. The four, each using a huge sum of 4000 Star Force, reset their attributes and distributed it in a different direction. #1 became an assassin. #2 became a warrior. #3 became an archer. #4 became a tanker. As expected, its easier to remember nicknames. WhyWe held the same class for three years since coming to this world [Just do as I say.] At a glance, it appears that the classes are a mismatch. #4 is a small and timid woman while #3 has a large frame. However, Seodam just had a feeling. Ever since I started hunting protagonists, my sense has become keen on catching talents, and looking at the four, I felt they were not making use of their talents. [Just trust me and go in. Dont you want to catch up?] Uh. #4, who had always stood in the back line, now had to guard her colleagues in the front with her shield. The tension almost suffocated her However, her eyes are sharp. She was instinctively scouting every nook and cranny of the dungeon. As expected, her composure and quick wit are pretty good. [Okay. #4, hold up your shield and prepare to block.] Originally, #4 was a mage. Just because she added strength and defense attributes, doesnt mean she has the skills of a tanker. However, the attributes still provided benefits in other ways. [#1 take out your dagger and load the crossbow at your waist. Your accuracy with the crossbow is bad, but youre agile.] #1, she believed in her ability and chose the archer class, but her accuracy is known to be the worst among the Rankers. As an archer, her disadvantage was close range, so she used to defeat her enemies with a dagger. Thats why I decided for her to switch to Assassin. [#2, take up your fists. Youve heard of a monk, havent you? The ones who are religious, but also go around beating up people. Youre a monk from now on.] From the start, #2, who ate one too many rice cakes, wasnt fit to be a priest. No, in the first place, the priest class in Arashs world itself is pointless. Even with their buffs, potions could replace it, so it was better to become another damage dealer. [#3, raise your bow. Franklyyour flexibility is terrible, but your underlying strength is decent.] Normally, archer classes have good flexibility. The flexibility allowed them to efficiently distribute their power using less strength. However, the power is clearly limited. #3, who raised his flexibility by putting points into both strength and agility, can now shoot arrows more efficiently. Although crude, it will have exceptional power behind it. The reason why I reduced the number of long range classes is because I believe in their talents. So, Im making full use of their original classes and at the same time making use of their talents. [Well then, go on inside.] There was only one thing I could do for the four of them now. Instruct. Other Constellations support their avatars with skills and Star Force, but I cant afford to do so. No, in the first place, Constellations would not do such trivial things as interacting with their avatars. [ Monsters of this world have a pattern. ] [Hey! Thats just the back of its head! How many times do I have to tell you its back is its weakness!] [Okay? One hit by that and youll die. Also, once that attack ends, theres a 5 second window. Aim for the body at that moment.] [Its joints look like a weakness, right? However, dont be fooled by that.] Ive always been a good observer. In fact, when I pressed the [etc] button in my talent list, I saw that I had an Observe (C) talent. In other words, Im a genius at observing things. Or, more precisely, I can easily and quickly understand pattern and weakness of monsters, as well as map out routes. This world was built from a game. Every monster has no reason or self awareness. It just moves and behaves according to a predetermined pattern. To me, who is used to dealing with monsters full of variables, its safe to say that these monsters are really easy. Thanks to my support, the four were able to steadily rise much more efficiently in the span of a month than their past three years. Ah Well, its thrilling. To beat things with a shield. Umthe bow doesnt fit my hands and it feels weird guessing where to shoot. The four stayed in the 7th stage clearing the remaining dungeons, and were surprised when they cleared dungeons that they never thought they could. Frankly, it had more to do with my support than their classes, but its fine to let them think otherwise. Currently, Im the only Constellation in their channel so I tried not to leave the channel, but now its time to use the Star Force Ive accumulated. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Im leaving for a moment. Im preparing for the 8th stage, so take a good rest.] Oh yeah? Its just going to be the four of us now? After a month, the four have come to trust me unconditionally. Well, Ive taught them a lot. And, I havent sponsored them a single Star Force during this time, yet they didnt complain. The Star Force theyve gained in a month from completing goals were more than what they had gained in the past. [Yes. I have to go somewhere, then Ill be right back.] Yes! Well be waiting! Leaving the four of them to themselves, I headed to another channel. Its none other than Arashs channel. Upon entering the channel, I saw Arash shouting loudly at the air and aiming his sword at a giant red frog in front of him. Only Everyone, Ill try to cut the Rake Baroxs neck within 10 minutes! There were still over a thousand Constellations in Arashs channel. Its not as high as during the ending of the 7th stage, but its still a considerable amount. Arash is the only challenger to have reached the 9th stage, so the responses from the Constellations were quite heated. Heated. Well, wouldnt it be more fun if you slowly pour more oil? [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 500 Star Force.] [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: If you can do it within 5 minutes, Ill add 5000 Star Force. Deal?] Chapter 36: ‘5000 Star Force if I defeat the Rake Barox within five minutes? 5000 Star Force if I defeat the Rake Barox within five minutes? A mysterious proposal by a Constellation he had never seen before. Arash briefly thought about it, and soon grinned. Not a problem. In the first place, within 10 minutes was already possible.. Although a bit riskier, within 5 minutes is also definitely possible. He might suffer some minor injuries in the process, but there was no such thing as a free lunch when it came to Star Force. Besides, isnt it possible that other Constellations might find it interesting and sponsor him if he suddenly clears a higher difficulty mission? Ill have to resort to a cheat. This world, or game, is full of bugs and easter eggs. When he was developing the game, he couldnt fix it all because he wasnt able to. However, now, it has all become the driving force behind his growth. Arash slowly walked up to the Barox. If I fight it normally, it would take at least 9 minutes. However, if I use the cross pattern, I can defeat it in 4 minutes. The yellow center foothold. If I step on that, exactly 2 seconds later, a cross shaped fire column will shoot out on both sides of the walls. Slowly drawing his long sword, Arash ignited it. [Fisherman Chasing Stars: Using fire against a fire opponent?] [Crackion Noise: What is he thinking?] [Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse: Ah.] The chat window was quickly flooded with questions. However, Arash knew. The Barox is impervious to normal attacks, but weak against fire. Thats why the cross shaped fire column can damage it. Heup! Leaning forward and running towards the Barox, Arash swung his fire imbued long sword. Fire against fire! It seemed like a losing battle, but the moment the attacks collided. Woosh! The Baroxs body was engulfed in the flames. [Tip Of An Iceberg: Fire monsters can be burnt?] [Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse: Thats unusual for a fire monster to be burnt. I knew Arash was up to something!] [Lost Snail: I just wanted him to be burned to death. What a shame.] [Looking At Ants Through Magnifying Glass: His insight is very good!] Not only did Arash overwhelm the Barox, he was also winning over the Constellations. Although Arash is weaker than the Barox, its pattern was already seen through by him. When it would use its fire attacks, when it would swing its tail in a 5 meter radius, and when it would leap three times before pouncing. As well as its other patterns. Arash knew it all. Woosh! Soon, the surrounding four walls near the Barox lit up. Its time. Currently, the Baroxs health has been cut by about 30% and three minutes have passed. Despite efficiently attacking it and reading its pattern, it was quickly approaching 5 minutes. Will Arash fail for the first time? The Constellations began to flood the chat window again, thrilled at the thought, but they will have to be disappointed. Heup! Arash stepped on the yellow platform at the center of the area, counted exactly two seconds, and then jumped backwards. Kung! Barox, who lept forward to try and catch Arash, was now at the center of the platform. Woosh!! Four fire columns shot out from the walls. Then, a loud shriek strong enough to damage ones eardrums shook the whole area, hitting Arash in the process. However, he was fine because of his strengthened body. Now! Theres no hold on the fire columns, so he had to stop the Barox from escaping by himself. He quickly rushed towards the Barox and continued his attacks, so that it couldnt escape. In the end, the Barox couldnt do anything and quickly lost its remaining HP. As such, 1 minute and 30 seconds passed. Or, 4 minutes and 40 seconds in total. { 9th Stage C The ancient ruins of Martis final boss have been defeated! } { Solo Clear! Additional reward for this amazing achievement. } { Star Force gained. } { Shortest clear time! Additional reward } Countless system messages appeared. [White Ferryboat Statue: So crazy!] [Man Getting Up From His Feet: Id never thought you could use a trap like that. Amazing.] [Man Walking On The Edge: He judged all that in a minute? No way.] The Constellations excitement also brought forth a considerable amount of Star Force sponsorship. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 5000 Star Force.] [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: I didnt expect you to clear it, but that was amazing. Lets have fun again next time.] Looking at the reactions, Arash realized. Isnt this pretty good? Before, he had only thought of steadily moving forward. However, just now he realized that with just a little bit of effort and using his secrets, its possible to elicit a positive reaction from the Constellations. Crisis. Impossible challenges. And his self confidence in accomplishing them. Arashs heart was pounding. He didnt know it would be this exciting to be in the spotlight of all the Constellations. This is an opportunity. Arash, with his arms wide open, spoke. Constellation Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day, of course! Thank you very much for the mission! It was a little difficult, but I had fun too. Lets do it again another time. In a way, it was asking for more missions. As if hearing his request, missions began to flood in from the Constellations. The corner of Arashs mouth slowly curled up. After carrying out missions for the past two months, Arash has reached the 10th stage. The 10th stage is three times larger than any of the other worlds on average. There are also many more dungeons, all of which are being monopolized by the lone Arash. The number of Constellations watching has also increased exponentially. [A Thousand Bird Crossing The Line sponsors 500 Star Force.] [A Thousand Bird Crossing The Line: I will add 3000 Star Force if you slap the boss five times.] [Absolute Position sponsors 2000 Star Force.] [Absolute Position: I will add 5000 Star Force if you only move diagonally while fighting the boss.] [Submerged Hourglass sponsors 3000 Star Force.] [Submerged Hourglass: I will add 7000 Star Force if you can defeat the boss without your armor.] The missions varied and the difficulty gradually rose exponentially as well. Sometimes the missions became too dangerous for Arash, but he had no choice but to accept them. This is because a tradition was established after the first mission was requested by a Constellation, so the others followed suit with a prepayment before giving a mission. Damn itThis mission is a bit much. If I had a colleague Arash soon shook his head at the thought. He doesnt intend to share his one wish with anyone else. Only by monopolizing the information can he increase his chance of getting his wish. In the first place, if Arash was selfless, he would have shared the information concerning Arashs world with the other hundreds of thousands of challengers to increase everyones survival rate. However, his wish was to one day clear all the stages and become a Constellation. He had no time to care about other humans and only wanted to achieve his wish as quickly as possible. Im glad I could skip some of the mission. The really ridiculous ones like just die, or jump into that lava with your naked body. When he received such missions, other Constellations would tell the requester to cancel it because it would not be fun. However, the missions to hunt the boss or certain dungeon had to be carried out unconditionally because he received payment in advance. Fortunately, everything has gone smoothly. He has cleared every dungeon thus far, and his level has risen quite high thanks to the huge sum of Star Force. And, he can easily clear the 10th to 12th stage right now. But he was waiting for Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day to give another mission before clearing the 10th stage final gateway. Because this Constellation created the novel idea of giving missions, which became popular among the other Constellations. So why shouldnt he postpone clearing the stage if hes getting such a generous amount of Star Force? Even though this Constellation never sponsored in advance, Arash has no intention of rejecting any of its missions. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 3000 Star Force.] This Constellation would show up every other day or every three days. Arash, as if pleased, with a wide grin, spoke. Youre here! Are you giving me another mission this time? [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: No. I just wanted to sponsor.] Is that so? [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Yes. Im bored of the 10th Stage now. Lets move to the next stage. Im curious how its going to be.] ! Seeing the message he had hoped, Arash smiled. Hes been at the 10th stage for two months already. It was good to have earned so much Star Force to the point where he has surpassed other challengers decisively, but in the end, his goal is to clear the final stage. Its time to continue climbing. Most of the other Constellations also agreed that the 10th stage has become boring. Alright, Constellations, Ill head to the 10th stage final gateway! The preparation process was quick. He knew every detail of the 10th stage, and his level is quite high, so there is no danger. Actually, hes worried that the final gateway would be boring because itll be too easy. It would be good if I receive a mission at the final gateway. With such complacent thoughts, Arash arrived at the 10th stage final gateway. { Beepbeep! Another challenger is already challenging the final gateway. } { Please come back tomorrow! } Then. { First time clear of the 10th stage final gateway! } { Challengers: Sajun, Jaesul, Gyulu, and Mayva. } { The 11th stage has opened. } In front of Arash were four familiar figures who somehow managed to pass the final gateway before him. They were breathing heavily with wounds all over their bodies while shedding tears and hugging one another. Seeing them, Arash had many questions. When? Already? So soon? Whats their levels? All sorts of questions were brewing inside his head, but the reality is in front of him. Four challengers have successfully cleared the 10th stage before me. He felt a slight uneasiness. However, he stayed here for two months. It was enough time for other challengers to get here. Dumbfounded and trying to grasp the situation, a message appeared in the channel without giving him a chance. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: HuhSo the ones over there are first now?] [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Ah? They just went up to the 11th stage, right? Im going to go over there and give them a mission.] Arash is certain hes the best. His level, blessing, skills, proficiency, etcare the highest by a big margin. However If he starts falling behind in stage, whats the use of all that in the end? No, no! Seeing Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Days message, the other Constellations also began to waver. They, who only seek pleasure, also wondered what was happening in the 11th stage right now. And they were curious what mission Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day would give. Once a stage is cleared, other challengers must wait a day. In other words, the Constellations currently watching his channel could be taken away by those four challengers within a day. He cant let that happen. This might be a little dangerous, but Arash looked up and widened his eyes. No Constellations have left his channel yet. Now is his last chance to retain them. Constellations, please wait. Do you want to see the most interesting broadcast? All the Constellations said yes. Arash smiled widely, and with a confident look, spoke. Then, watch me use the elevator system! [Red Melody Destiny: What? Elevator? Are you serious?] [Masonry Coming Down A Ladder: Whoa.! Something new again?] [Call Me Three Times Before I Pick Up: That sounds interesting! Ive never seen a challenger use the elevator system!] The reactions from the Constellations became heated again. Rightfully so. Elevator system. The system, which was to go up two stages in a single challenge, is considered virtually impossible to accomplish because of its terrible difficulty. For example, if you use the elevator system at the 10th stage to go up two stages, the difficulty will be twice as hard since its the combination of the 10th and 11th stage. And instead of extra rewards, you will only be able to climb faster than others So who would use such a method? However. Its possible for the current Arash. Due to staying on the 10th stage for a long time, he raised his level and equipment high enough to be able to challenge the 12th and 13th stage. { Using elevator system. } { Do you wish to climb two stages at once? } Yes! { Elevator system activated. } { Head to the final gateway. } Feeling the change in vision, Arash with a firm expression, grasped his long sword. The real battle starts now. { Successfully cleared the 10th and 11th stage using the elevator system. } Using the elevator system was much simpler and more enjoyable than Arash had thought. In the eyes of others he was making use of his quick wit. He was showing a combination of various skills, items, and the unusual idea of using the elevator system that has never been done before. Despite having to face two bosses at once and defeating them seemed like an impossible feat, Arash never backed down. He did not panic even after meteorites began falling from the sky. It was indeed a flawless performance and result. After defeating all the monsters and bosses, he gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and took a deep breath. Then, he shouted. Aaaahhhh!! Trembling with excitement, he thought to himself that this couldnt have gone any better. { Elevator a success! 12th stage open. } { Additional reward for being the first challenger to successfully use the elevator system! } With the countless achievements came a huge amount of Star Force. But more than that, he was excited by the positive reactions from the Constellations. [Eternal Prisoner sponsors 500 Star Force.] [Cow Running Like A Horse: Crazy, really crazy!] [Ones Own Burning Heart sponsors 2000 Star Force.] [A Thousand Year Old Ginseng: I had goosebumps watching! What a great warrior!] [Fallen Moon On The Ground sponsors 1500 Star Force.] Arash was speechless looking at all the messages pouring in. He trembled. AhYes. This is it. He felt alive receiving the attention of the Constellations. Right, a little setback could be overcome like this. He suddenly realized. Im the protagonist. The secret even the Constellations dont know. Knowing everything about this world. A unique existence. { Head to the 12th stage, Starry Subway } { Enter the safe zone to recover from all the damage and fatigue. } After coming to his senses, he arrived at the 12th stage. It was a place that had a beautiful starry night sky. And a subway falling across it. Once again, he will play an active role here. That was the plan [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: That was fun. Show me again.] [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 50000 Star Force.] Huh? 50000? He wondered if he had seen it wrong, but he didnt. Really, an enormous sum of 50000 Star Force was given to him. No matter what a Constellation is, Star Force is a kind of energy that gives them their influence, so they never gave out a lot. What the hell? The happiness only lasted for a moment before he felt something was wrong. Show you again? What? Feeling a sudden surge of anxiety coming from his chest, he tried to speak, but another message appeared before he could. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: I sent you a deposit for a mission. Lets try 3 stages this time. 200000 Star Force if you succeed. Deal?] Immediately. The chat exploded. Other Constellations became excited and started to sponsor. [Man With Gold Colored Electricity sponsors 5000 Star Force.] [Man With Gold Colored Electricity: Ill make a deposit too! 10000 if you succeed!] [Woman With Sharp Fingers sponsors 3000 Star Force.] [Woman With Sharp Fingers: 5000 if you succeed. Deal?] [Fighter Who Uses His Stomach sponsors 7000 Star Force.] [Fighter Who Uses His Stomach: My heart is burning! Nothing is more exciting than an impossible challenge!] [Man Who Died Standing Still sponsors 2500 Star Force.] An endless amount of Star Force. The Constellations were all hoping. They want to feel that excitement again. Going for an impossible challenge. But Im a dead man. If he accepts this mission, hell undoubtedly die. There is no way the Constellations arent aware of this fact. Nevertheless, they are hoping Arash will take the challenge. T-this [Starry Eyes sponsors 2000 Star Force.] Impossible [Twinkling Jewel In The Dark sponsors 4000 Star Force.] Arash knew the reason. Because its entertaining. Only now did Arash realize. The Constellations dont like him. He was only their toy. And it was fun to watch him. Thats why they are still in his channel. Affection? Its probably less than watching a hamster running on a wheel. Watching the lower beings struggle as they throw sunflower seeds here and there when theyre in the mood. Just that level of value. If their hamster gets sick and dies, itll hurt, but They can get another hamster. Imnothing Arashs hands trembled. Its because the eyes of the Constellations were putting pressure on him. [Light Rain Falling Through A Crevice Of A Rock looks at you with interest.] [Lost Snail looks at you with interest.] [Hard To Catch Libra looks at you with interest.] Only [White Wolf Crying Victory looks at you with interest.] [Man Walking On The Edge looks at you with interest.] Dead. Definitely dead. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: You dont want to?] But knowing this fact. The mission, I will accept it. He had no choice but to accept it. Chapter 37: Regressors, reincarnators, possessors, travelers, and predestined. Regressors, reincarnators, possessors, travelers, and predestined. Every protagonist is different and so are their protagonist corrections. For example, Gilitender and Lee Yeonjun, the protagonists hunted by Seodam, were the ordinary growth type and did not fall in any of the categories above. But just because they have no cheats from regression or reincarnation, does it make them any worse? Not really. This is because when a protagonist faces a crisis, there would be a tremendous amount of correction in the worlds blessing towards them. Its the sort of correction where an appropriate skill for the situation will appear out of thin air or some luck happens. However, there is no correction for protagonists who are regressors or possessors. Because their existence itself is already a great deal of correction. Regressor Fiolen who had future knowledge. Possessor Ella Almus who had great achievements in magic. The worlds blessing didnt randomly move when the two were in a crisis. In the case of regression, what will happen in the future will happen a little faster, and in the case of possession, they will be trusted by the people around them a little easier. However, in the end, the worlds blessing will not correct the crisis itself. The same was true for Arash. Arash, the protagonist who has all the secrets of this world due to his unique skill The Game I Made Became Reality (URS) is the protagonist correction itself. Knowing everything about this world there shouldnt have been a chance for him to die. The protagonist, who was almost invincible, is about to be driven to his death by a temporary Constellation that could interfere with the protagonists correction. [Tip Of An Iceberg leaves the channel in great disappointment.] [Man Walking On The Edge leaves the channel clicking his tongue.] [A Thousand Bird Crossing The Line leaves the channel shaking their heads.] The bosses and monster waves from the 12th, 13th, and 14th stage appeared all at once. Stuck in an impossible situation, Arash struggled and struggled, making use of everything he had. However, there was no surprise. It was just A hamster struggling to survive. He wanted to become like them. So he panhandled for their attention. But the Constellations, who wanted a surprise, turned their backs in disappointment. Only the Constellations who hoped for Arash to die are left, mocking him. [A Shower Of Candles In The Night: Yes, just run like that!] [Woman Walking At Night: Thats very unsightly.] [White Ferryboat Statue: How unsightly can you get?] [Finger Pointing To The Moon: Your pride will cost you your life in the end.] In the eyes of the wicked Constellations there was not an ounce of kindness. The world that Arash had created. He met his end just like that. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 89 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 5+1.] [890 days of lifespan will be rewarded.] [Remaining Lifespan: 3427 Days, 9 Hours, 31 Minutes.] The Constellations quickly left Arashs channel after his death. His death was only so. A lonely death that no one will give a second look. Watching the Constellations, Seodam burst out laughing. The Constellations are not bad by any means. By human standards, they may appear evil, but thats just their natural design. However, somehow, as a human being, I felt irritated. [Mission completed.] [Would you like to return to your original world?] No. I still have something to do. [Cat Walking On Fire looks at you with interest.] [Paper Plane Flying In The Wind looks at you with interest.] [Fisherman Chasing Stars looks at you with interest.] [Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse looks at you with interest.] Uh, huh? A full day had passed since the 11th stage was cleared. The party of four widened their eyes when they saw dozens of Constellations suddenly joining their channel. ThisWhats going on? The last few months there was only one Constellation in their channel. So it came as a surprise to them when the number increased exponentially. [Absolute Position: Do you do missions here?] [Red Acidic Elaphe: Lets first start with a sponsorship.] [Fierce Goat Wailing In The Night: So this is the 11th stage. Well, it looks quite spectacular.] Some Constellations left shortly after while the ones who stayed were those who wanted to see them suffer or just wanted entertainment. Oh my! W-what should we do here? Gyulu, with a quivering voice, spoke to Jaesul, their leader. No matter how many times they looked, there were more than 10 Constellations in their channel. A leader can only do so much. I dont knowshould we say hello? Yeah. That sounds good. The four, who were embarrassed, tried to greet the Constellations as calmly as possible. But, immediately there was an outcry about mission or something. The hell, what mission? When they all had such a thought. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day looks at you with interest.] Their patron and benefactor entered the channel. The only Constellation to have nurtured them over the last three months. As soon as they tried to greet this Constellation with bright smiles on their faces, a voice was heard. [Now, listen carefully.] Huh? It was a personal message that Constellations could send to their avatar. There wasnt a need to use it before because there was only one Constellation in the channel, but now it had to be used. [Im going to sponsor you guys and request a mission.] Yes [Refuse it.] What? They couldnt understand it. However, has a bad thing ever happened while listening to this Constellation? Never. Therefore, the four nodded their heads. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day sponsors 1000 Star Force.] This was the last amount of Star Force Yoo Seodam had. He had used up almost all of it after sponsoring 50000 the other day. The 200000 Star Force offered as a reward was of course, a lie. Seodam was bluffing with the Star Force he had collected at the last minute. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Lets do a mission. 10000 Star Force if you succeed.] Ah, okay! Seeing Yoo Seodams message, the Constellations looked on with interest. A Constellation that had sponsored 50000 Star Force but still hasnt lost his name, as well as being the creator of the mission system. [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: .] The Constellations shook their heads when they saw Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day slowly explaining the mission. As expected, its a fairly plausible yet extremely difficult mission. Although its not something new, the Constellations were excited to see new challengers undertake a mission. Im sorry. We think the mission is too difficult. We refuse. But we thank you for the sponsored Star Force. Said Jaesul, rejecting the mission. Every Constellation in the channel became dumbfounded. A human rejecting a Constellations mission? Theyre not worthy. As soon as the Constellations heard the rejection and was about to put pressure on the challenger [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Well, it cant be helped.] [Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Years Day: Im a Constellation engraved in the sky, so I cant be petty over such trivial things. Ill cancel the mission. Star Force is meant to be shared.] Seodam was the first to start the mission deposit rule. Because of this, Arash was put under immense pressure and was not able to reject the mission. However, since Seodam made the rules, its also possible to create new ones such as not getting upset at the little humans over them rejecting a mission. Thus, if a Constellation sponsors a mission and a challenger refuses, the Constellation has to be the bigger person. But, there were Constellations who didnt buy into this new rule and left the channel. In the end, they would be harmful to the four one day anyways, so its good that they left now. If a Constellation gets mad after having their mission refused, theyll be criticized by the other Constellations for not understanding the rule. Now, challengers dont have to take difficult missions with no way out, and its impossible to kill a challenger through a mission like what Seodam had done. Uh, umThank you, we appreciate it! Not knowing what the act just now meant, the four still bowed their heads to Seodam. Seodam didnt bother to explain either. He was just doing what he wanted to. Soon after, when the four were about to enter a dungeon, the Constellations began to carefully offer them missions. I dont think that mission is possible. But if you give us a more fun mission, well try it! Aha. Thank you for the mission! Well try it! The four are now leading in viewers among all the challengers. When they entered the dungeon entrance, they suddenly stared blankly into the air. Mister Constellation? [What.] Arent you going to help us this time? [] The last three months Seodam had been sponsoring Arash Star Force just so he can take away the stages secrets and help the four with that information. [I cant help you anymore.] Thatyoure leaving? [Yes. Im a company spy and the company that I infiltrated is now bankrupt.] ? The four didnt understand, but still nodded. Although Seodam had helped a lot, they werent fools who couldnt do anything by themselves. After all, they were powerful enough to compete with the protagonist Arash. Lets challenge it by ourselves! Since then, the four continued to explore the dungeon and carried out missions, which resulted in the channels growth and success. At night when the broadcast ended and all the Constellations had left the channel. Only then did the four go looking for Seodam. Mister Constellation? Are you there? [Why are you looking for me again?] How were we today? It was a strange question. [Well, you were good.] That one sentence made them feel better, as they giggled amongst themselves. Looking at them, Seodam thought it was time to go back. Well, mister Constellation. By any chanceAre you with us now? [Huh? For now, yes.] If you dont mind us asking, may we ask where you are? [Just in front of you.] Then, even though the four didnt prepare beforehand, they knelt down and bowed at the same time towards where Seodam was floating. Thank you, mister Constellation! [] Thank you so much for taking care of us, reallyThank you. Well never forget this grace. Said Jaesul slowly with a hoarse voice. When they were about to die and when all other Constellations abandoned them. The only Constellation to have saved them and brought them to the top. It was a short period of three months, but it watched them more intently than any other. Seodam, who remained silent until now, spoke. [I think youve mistaken something, I was only using you.] Yes. We know. And mister Constellation achieved his goal this morning. [?] But in the end, didnt you stay until we became independent? [Oh really.] Seodam somehow felt it was strange. It wasnt his goal to do something good. Also, he didnt do anything worthy of being thanked. He was just using them out of necessity to kill someone. While watching the four, he would reiterate it many times. Nevertheless it was no use. In the end, the kindness they received meant a lot to them. Before you leave, we really want to say a proper goodbye. They were vaguely aware of it. The fact that their blessing will soon be gone. The four slowly lifted their heads, looking at the place where Seodam is floating. One last thingby any chance, can you tell us your real name? After thinking about it briefly, he replaced his message with something else. [Constellation Yoo Seodam is looking at you with interest.] Yoo Seodam. They engraved this name into their hearts. As dawn slowly approaches. [Your blessing does not exist.] In other words, their Constellation has left. Only For some reason, they felt heartbroken and couldnt say anything for a while. It felt like they had lost something important. However, they werent going to stop here. With the dawn of a new day, Jaesul spoke to his colleagues and friends. Lets go. To the next stage. They only had one wish. To go back to their original world with everyone before they were brought here to be nothing but playthings. Now it could be said that theyve taken the first step towards that goal. Chapter 38: “Send me back.” Send me back. After saying so, a message abruptly appeared in my mind. [Returning to your original world.] My vision became hazy, and everything began to collapse. I used to close my eyes tightly because of the severe motion sickness, but now I didnt. I just stood still, watching the world. Moving into the distance. Farther away from the world. Then, when Arashs whole world came into view, I could see it. A giant big enough to cover the world, a huge dragon with a bead in its mouth, something that is covered in fire, something shiny reminiscent of the universe They were all looking down at Arashs world. That was when I instinctively realized. These must be the Constellations. I now understood why these overwhelming beings see humans as just toys. Just looking at them, I felt my heart racing like its going to burst out. And. The Client had turned me, a mere human being, into a temporary but similar state as these Constellations. When my view completely blacked. I opened my mouth to ask. Client. Originally, I didnt think I would ask you, but. [ ] What the hell are you? My world is still black. I waited for the Clients answer as I felt myself floating with the feeling of being weightless. [ Its still too early. However, I promise I will tell you when the time is right. ] Then at least tell me why its too early. [ In due time, but for now I cant tell you why its too early. Thats roundabout bullshit. The Client is someone who wants to kill every protagonist in existence. And Im a person who can freely move between dimensions, killing ridiculous beings that are monopolizing their worlds blessing. Im asking just to be sure. Youre not a protagonist, are you? Then, as if coming from somewhere, I thought I heard a womans laughter. Im probably mistaken. Because the Client I know has never shown any emotions. [ No way. ] Is that so. [ Do you want to see me? ] Of course. [ Well, then, just a glimpse. ] Suddenly, the universe which was all around me, seemed to converge on a single point. Accompanied by a dazzling array of gold colored lights was a woman Huk! [Time has returned to normal.] When I came to my senses, I was back in my studio apartment on my bedding. I quickly hunched up and felt my chest. My heart felt stuffy, as if the wind had been knocked out of me. What was that? No, did it even happen? Slowly standing up, I checked my remaining lifespan instead of my watch. It has decreased by one day. Which means one day has passed. I cant believe I slept like a log for one day. Maybe its because I saw something in that gold color light. Or maybe its because I spent nearly 100 days in Arashs world. Theres no way to know. I picked up my phone and checked the date. As expected, only 25 days have passed on Earth. Hey, Client. [ ] Are you asleep? [ ] Its strange. She would always quickly reply whenever I called. No, come to think of it, there was a time after the Lee Yeonjun incident that she didnt reply at all. At the time, she had said that she was taking a break because she was tired, but Its unusual. Cant do what cant be done. I can only ask her later. Hmm. Touching my black aether suit, somehow it felt stuffy. Now that I think about it, Ive never used a 1st-Grade suit before. Taking off the suit and putting it into a box, I pushed it to a corner as I checked my gain. [Arashs skill Inventory (B) has been absorbed.] This was the skill I got from Arash. There were quite a few other good skills since Arash was a battle mage, but I didnt get them in the end, still, I have no regret. I wasnt sure what Inventory did, so I checked. [ Inventory (B) ] Description: Space of its own to store goods. Maximum storage capacity: 70 kg Maximum storage volume: 10 m3 Caution! Items with energy source above A-Rank cannot be stored. Inventory, a skill very similar to a subspace, was what I wanted to get the most. It seems quite different from a subspace in many ways, but so what? With some restrictions, Inventory can also bring stuff between worlds. When I opened my inventory, a translucent brick-pattern window appeared in the air, and a list of items that were kept inside appeared. Just before I left Arashs world, I wandered around in my astral form looking for materials similar to the ones recorded in the White Witchs library, and as a result, was able to get things that are similar, albeit not the same. There was even a bag containing fairy dust and soil full of vitality floating in the air. Although it wont blossom the Silver Spiritual Flower, it could still create a better environment for it. Taking the stuff out, I led my tired body to the aether safe and opened it. Inside was the flower swaying its withered petals. Hey. Youre still alive, right? [Mhm.] I got some things that might be helpful to you, so hang in there. [Its cold] After carefully removing the soil and placing it around the flower, I sprinkled the fairy dust inside the magic protected glass tube. Fairy dust is almost like a pollen, so I had to carefully sprinkle it, and only managed to finish doing so after 30 minutes of standing. [Its nice.] Is this enough to keep you alive for the time being? [Mhm.] I havent found any proper materials yet. I need to go search other dimensions, but for now I cant because I have plans with Celeste. After finishing what I could do for the flower, I checked my ability. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 42) Attributes Strength: 39 Stamina: 38 Agility: 40 Vitality: 1 Mana: 42 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Deprived (A) Intuition (A) Sharpshooting (C) Hunting (D+) Cooking (D-) ETC Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 2 Aracelis Mana Circling (SS) White Swordsmanship (S) Inventory (B) Wind Step (D) 6th Sense (F) White Witchs Library (F) My level has reached as high as 42. Its safe to say that Im really D-Rank now. And at this growth rate, Ill be able to survive as a hunter anywhere. Also, Wind Step and Mana Circling can push my physical fitness to the limit while White Swordsmanship allows me to hunt more efficiently, thus, if I were to properly work as a hunter, Ill be able to live comfortably without having to worry about money. By the way, what does equipment with energy above A-Rank mean? [Arbitrary grade system, determined by the amount of energy contained in the item.] The answer was given by a machine-like system instead of the Client. [If compared to Earths equipment, 1st-Grade equipment corresponds to A-Rank.] OhSo my mega shooter can be stored in my inventory? Its always been uncomfortable having to carry my mega shooter around. This alone made it a great harvest. Including my mega shooter, I stored some other low grade equipment that was taking up space in my apartment. Next, I picked up my phone. Ive been away for a long time in another world, so I dont know what has been happening on Earth. I checked several useful apps, including a timeline app that summarizes the news from the past few weeks. Its a good app to use when youre short on time and want to quickly figure out what has been happening. If I need to know more, I can click on the news and check. While checking the news, I texted Taylor. [Yoo Seodam: Im back.] I dont know why, but Taylor said to me, If you ever go to that strange place, message me every time you return, and I had agreed, so thats what Im doing. Next, I texted Celeste. Because theres the sword debate in a few days. A reply came immediately from Celeste. [Celeste: Photo (Link)] Hm? It was a selfie of Celeste. Or more precisely a rough selfie of a doll with no facial expression. There was also a link in the photo. [Celeste: Its my Stargram account.] [Celeste: Please follow me.] Follow? [Yoo Seodam: Shouldnt you ask if I had an account first?] For about 30 seconds there was no answer, then a text with a sullen emoji came back. [Celeste: Im sorry. Ive had one for a while, so I thought mister Seodam had one too.] [Yoo Seodam: ] Well, I had nothing to say. [Yoo Seodam: But whats this for?] [Celeste: Im trying to increase my social media presence for the sword debate.] [Celeste: Id like to follow mister Seodams account.] [Yoo Seodam: Thats fine.] [Celeste: I just wanted to.] Well I didnt like using social media very much even though many people started using it later than I did. Its very annoying having to learn something new. Still, I checked Celestes account just to see what it looked like. Crazy, a million followers? When she made her hunter debut a few months ago, she said she didnt even have a social media account. Right, after the incident with the UTV reporter, she created an account to live broadcast. I didnt pay any attention to it since then because I have no interest, but now I couldnt believe it has exploded in this short period of time. Well, its stranger it didnt happen sooner considering she has the looks, connection, wealth, and talent. This was bound to happen from the moment she created her social media account. I slowly looked through her post timeline. There was an expressionless selfie that wasnt different from her normal look she had uploaded with thousands of positive reactions from people saying it was another good selfie. Looking at the most recent ones, I saw some that were taken with Taylor, and judging by her pouty expressions, it seemed like Celeste forced Taylor to take them. Still, she wasnt coldhearted to disregard her junior. Taylors fierce exterior is just a pretense. Huh? Looking at the picture with Taylor, I noticed a comment. It was in English, but its possible to translate it into Korean perfectly. [Aren: Its been awhile since I saw a picture of Taylor ?? Youre as beautiful as ever. (Likes: 29 / Dislikes: 97)] [Taylor Nine: Hey (beep)holes. Who left a comment? After going through it, I feel like Im going to puke. Its the same (beep)hole. (Likes: 4539 / Dislike: 127)] Taylors reply was over the top. I wonder how heated she must have been while writing the comment. Aren. Me and Taylor have a great deal of bad blood with this guy. As the 12th strongest S-Rank superhuman who debuted three years after me, he has always despised me on the battlefield, and my self esteem was low at the time, so I didnt really care much since it was something that happened often. However, whenever it happened, Taylor would step forward. She would throw all kinds of insults at Aren, but the more Aren was criticized, the more he started chasing after Taylor, saying he liked it. That bastard is really persistent though. Wasnt it time he came to his senses after being cursed that much? Anyways, I was amazed that Aren also had Stargram, so I clicked on his account. Hes so rich? Instead of selfies, he posted photos of a strange tattoo on the back of his hand, gold necklaces, expensive wallets, and suspicious hand gestures on top of cars. His number of followers is also formidable. Well, Aren is a strong S-Rank superhuman, and also held a high position in the Master Swordsmen Association. Wait a minute. So hes coming to the sword debate? Its fine either way, but Im still reluctant to see a creep. As I mindlessly scrolled through Arens posts, I noticed something strange. Aren is seen wearing different accessories in every photo except for two accessories that are worn in every one. An old wooden bracelet around his right wrist and an old fashioned pearl necklace around his neck. It didnt seem like something Aren, a person who pursues cool, would wear, but he wore them in every photo. Oh, right. I remember now. Im certain he had them on him when we met a few years ago. These Only [Skill White Witchs Library (F) activated.] Before I could guess what these accessories were, my skill noticed it first. [Starting magic search.] [Searching] [Search complete: Ordering by original imprint.] [Enchants identified as Enhance Strength (B) and Enhance Agility (C).] [The corresponding magic skills are confirmed to be compatible.] [Do you wish to try Cracking?] Chapter 39: Magic? Magic? The White Witchs Library skill had extracted information concerning magic from the Stargram photos. Taking a closer look at the photos, there are certainly bizarre patterns on the accessories. Patterns I have no knowledge of. However, the White Witchs library does. I cant believe it can search for magic. Come to think of it, I havent encountered any other magic since I absorbed this skill. The challengers in Arashs world had something similar to superpowers, rather than magic. But if I had encountered magic, the White Witchs library probably would have done a magic search. Isnt this too good to be true? The more I thought about it, the more I couldnt believe White Witch Library is a F-Rank skill. Whats magic cracking? What happens if I try? [Magic cracking means breaking into a magic system to analyze and understand it.] Welllets give it a try. After waiting a minute, a message appeared. [An error has occurred.] [Unknown barrier in Magic system.] I think it might be because its just a picture. In any case, it might be possible to crack it in person. Anyways, these should be artifacts, right? [Confirmed to be magic artifacts.] This is quite interesting. Magic artifacts with Enhance Strength and Agility found on the earth. The fact that Aren, a superhuman, wore these artifacts is the first point. It could be said that artifacts are the equivalent of having another superpower. If a S-Rank superhuman had it, they would have left a big impression. However, Aren is only a moderately strong S-Rank, and theres nothing particularly special about him. So, with the help of artifacts he was able to improve his abilities? The second point. Where did these artifacts come from? There should not be magic on Earth. Of course, thats as far as I know. I couldnt be certain whether thats true or not. For example, the deformed dungeon last time was a place of magic. Although it was impossible to even get in without magic, in the first place, not all dungeons are the same. The most likely scenario is that the artifacts came from a dungeon. There had been such rumors. Sometimes, there were rumors of unknown objects being found in deformed or unusual dungeons. Unknown to the public, these objects are often referred to as talismans by veteran hunters because it allows them to use mysterious abilities similar to superpowers. Most were useless, but very rarely, there are ones that could shoot out electricity, see incredibly far away, or suddenly turn your skin clean. Ive never seen one before, so I never thought much of it, but seeing it now, it seems like all talismans are just artifacts from magic dungeons. This little problem might turn into something bigger. Currently there are no organizations on Earth to deal with these artifacts. But if there was, I will have to hide the existence of magic. However, let alone that, Im still too weak to protect my own secrets. Frankly speaking, I would be in a bad situation if an A-Rank superhuman ambushes me now. For now, these artifacts seem to be low level. Arens artifacts are far inferior to the White Witchs magic. So another point came to mind. In Vivienda Magic Academy and White Witchs library there are no body enhancement spells. [Magic that strengthens the body is strictly forbidden.] [There will be side effects if magic is cast on the human body to forcefully enhance their abilities.] Side effects? [Faster aging, damage to the nerves or muscles, and in severe cases the body will fall apart.] Crazy. In the White Witchs library it explains that its not difficult to strengthen the body with forbidden magic. However, its just too difficult to strengthen the body without any side effects. If Aren is really using these artifacts Its only a matter of time before something bad happens. I thought about it for a little bit before turning off Arens social media. I didnt think it was necessary to solve the problems of a scumbag who screwed me in the past. Putting down my phone, I activated the skill White Witchs Library. Countless bookshelves with book titles clearly appeared in front of me. Taking a glance, and as expected, the books on body enhancements were sorted under Forbidden! Actually, as a hunter, I took care of my body properly and didnt want to do anything that might go wrong. If I was going to do something like this, Id have injected myself with some kind of drug to gain superpowers only to get mana poisoned already. Apart from that, the White Witchs library has many books worth studying. There was so much more knowledge here than I had initially thought. Although its only the size of a local library, its still very bountiful. I havent read every book here, but I did study in my spare time when I was in Arashs world. There are sections I havent checked yet, so I looked through the bookshelves one by one. Just from looking at the titles made me dizzy, then Whats this? A white door had appeared. The door, which was clearly visible in the air, has a doorknob, of course. However, it was as if its protesting me to open it. Like a butterfly tempted by a fragrant flower, I unknowingly reached for it. Suddenly, a sharp sound rang in my head. [Warning! Accessing White Witchs Library (E) will result in witching.] What? Momentarily surprised, I cautiously stepped back. Well, the library itself is like an illusion that only I can see, so it followed my view. Witching? What the hell is that? [Witching refers to your mind and body becoming like that of a witch.] The fuck? If thats true, then my emotions would cease to exist like the White Witch. On the flip side, I might become a species that can freely use magic like witches, however, its not even a choice I would consider if I have to give up my emotions. And, theres no way to know what the actual side effects are. Currently, the skill is F-Rank, but that door means this skill can grow. There is already a great deal of information, knowledge, and function at F-Rank, so what about E-Rank? Is there a way to access E-Rank without witching? [There should be no problem if you can physically and mentally withstand an E-Rank witchs knowledge.] Oh? It was somewhat vague, but at least its possible to prevent it. Taylor Nine looked at the collapsed construction site in irritation. Sick bastards. Her mission this time was to deal with the villains hiding in Jamsil. In this era where superpowers have become the norm, not all superhumans were hunters. Rather, according to the statistical numbers, there are more superhuman criminals than there are hunters. Thats also why there are hunters who exclusively go after villains and are classified as Villain Hunter instead of Monster Hunter. Taylor is quite unique in that she hunts both monsters and villains. There really isnt a reason why she chose to do so other than a way for her to make money. Though, she still felt reluctant to kill people. Blood dripped from a steel bar as its pushed aside by Taylors baseball bat. Her physical ability is about the same as a normal adult female, but its a different story when she put a light at the end of her baseball bat. The steel bar blew away with a bang. Hey, you fucking idiots. Why did you destroy the construction site? As a S-Rank hunter, Taylor was able to easily deal with these villains without getting a single scratch. However, it became a problem when these villains got scared and destroyed this construction site with their abilities. The cost of the damages will be taken out from her commission. But what happened has happened. What can she do? She took out her phone to take a few photo evidences, then with a deep sigh, walked into the construction site. The construction here was suspended two years ago, but the reason why this half finished building was left untouched without being demolished is because of the so-called gangsters occupying this place. Finding a road that led underground, she smashed a huge iron door blocking it with her light sphere and wiped off the debris. Then, as the dust settled, she saw dozens of people tied up in chains. Jamsil and the surrounding areas are run by gangsters. These gangsters were influential enough to reach out to politicians, companies, and even cops in the Seoul metropolitan area, but in the end, were caught by the villains. Well, theyre not gangsters anymore but politicians. Apparently, when the villains tried to occupy this area, the gangsters, who had their own beliefs, decided to protect Jamsil and fought against the superhumans As a result, such a mess happened. Taylor carefully untied the bindings of the liveliest looking man, patted his back, and spoke with irritation. Hey, son of a bitch. Stop being a gangster. Free the rest of your friends on your own. Ye-yes! Thank you! This last part of a mission always made Taylor uncomfortable, so she just left. Leaving the undergrounds dirty and stale air, fresh city air welcomed her. She wanted to smoke a cigarette, but couldnt do so in the city, so she habitually took out a piece of candy. Another reason was because Yoo Seodam took care of his body and that made her reluctant to smoke. Thats why she always carried candies with her to stop herself from smoking, even though she still drinks. Taylor, sitting idly at a bus stop and yawning, noticed someone pointing their phone at her. These were crazy people that tried to take pictures secretly. Cant a person have the right to privacy in this country? Taylor, without missing a beat, raised her middle finger at the camera. She was worn out from all the shit that happened today. Her mission was complete, so she picked up her phone to report, and while typing, saw a text message from Yoo Seodam, who had been away for the past few days. [Yoo Seodam: Im back.] Seeing the message, Taylor smiled happily. Bastard, so you do listen. [Taylor Nine: Where are you?] [Yoo Seodam: Im still at home.] [Yoo Seodam: But Im leaving for Jamsil soon.] [Taylor Nine: Jamsil?] Suddenly, she raised her head. A huge stadium appeared in the corner of her view. Only Until 30 years it was a place called Jamsil Sports Complex, but since then has been redesigned as a training facility for superhumans. And, in a few days, the International Swordsmanship Debate will be held there. [Taylor Nine: Come to think of it, are you going to participate in the sword debate this time??] [Yoo Seodam: Yes.] Clearly, as Celestes master he was definitely qualified. When Taylor saw his answer, she smiled, and replied. [Taylor: Okay, me too.] Although shes not really interested in swordsmanship, she suddenly thought it wouldnt be so bad to go this time as she got up and headed for Jamsil Stadium. Chapter 40: Seodam awkwardly straightened his tie. Seodam awkwardly straightened his tie. A clean formal attire could be seen underneath his trench coat. As the official sword instructor to the Constantinis eldest daughter, he was asked to at least wear formal attire to the International Swordsmanship Debate. But since he didnt have a suit or any formal wear, Celeste had prepared one for him. It was a custom tailored luxury suit, and perhaps because of Seodams well defined muscles accentuating every part of the suit, it looked quite good. It looks good on you. Said Celeste. Wow. It doesnt look good on you. Said Taylor. Seodam, who was speechless, kept his mouth shut. Taylor chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. Hehe, well, still. Its worth looking at. Dumbfounded, Seodam asked. Why are you here? Currently, Seodam and the two are heading towards Jamsil Stadium. It was very surreal seeing how much the stadium had changed since it was announced that this years swordsmanship debate would be held in Korea. And Taylor, who looks out of place here, he couldnt help but be dumbfounded. Why, I cant be here? Im done with my mission, so Im taking a break. Said Taylor, glaring at Seodam. Also, you look a bit younger. What? What product are you using for your skin? Why dont you share some with your friends. If I have the kind of money to put something on my face, Id rather buy another aether bullet. You crazy punk Taylor grumbled, then Celeste spoke. I think its about time. Today, master swordsmen from all over the world will be gathered here. For that reason, crowds of ordinary people, cameramen, vendors, police, officials, and notable hunters could be seen here. Celeste and Taylor, who are quite conspicuous, had quite a few people come up to greet them whenever they passed by. Miss Celeste. This swordsmanship I dont know Korean. Hunter Taylor! Why did you come to todays debate Fuck off. Although the two women handled it differently, both were able to efficiently repel the approaching crowd. Though, unlike Taylor, Celeste turned on her translator to politely answer the right reporter or official whenever they approached. Contrary to the two, no one approached Seodam, whose face is hardly known. That was until. Ah, arent you hunter Yoo Seodam? ? Seodam turned his head when he heard someone calling his name. Although it was a familiar face, its the first time theyve met in person. It was the S-Rank hunter Lee Junseok, a member of Velvet, one of the top five guilds in Korea. Hes also one of the most famous hunters in Korea. I didnt expect to see you here. Haha, its a pleasure to meet you. Yes, nice to meet youbut, may I help you? Sensing the tense greeting, Lee Junseok waved his hands with the expression of dont get me wrong. Its nothing. Just, I heard you cleared a deformed dungeon with just one other person, and it was a S-Rank no less. Youre really amazing. Lee Junseok had also greeted Taylor and Celeste. But he was paying more attention to Seodam. So the situation looked rather awkward when he didnt look at the two hunters that everyone else was paying attention to. Lee Junseok naturally walked alongside Seodam towards Jamsil Stadium. Contrary to Taylors irritated expression, Seodam briefly spoke to Lee Junseok, thinking it wouldnt be bad to become acquaintances. Actually, my abilities have nothing to do with swordsmanship. Still, I wanted to see the skills of the master swordsmen. I see. Along the way it was mostly Lee Junseok talking and Seodam responding. Its going to be a swordsmanship debate and sparring, right? Thats how things were in the past, but its different these days. Something liketraditional swordsmanship has been overshadowed in the modern era. I guess thats why people are looking forward to this big event. Its not a mindless spectacle. Lee Junseok doesnt even use a sword, but it could be said that he loved it more than even some masters. Passing by people, Lee Junseok quietly pointed and clicked his tongue as they passed several master swordsmen. These kinds of people shouldnt be showing their faces here. The word master seems to imply a master swordsman, but hed rather have it be ranked. Master swordsman. Unfortunately, its a meaningless term because even those who could not defeat a E-Rank superhuman could be considered a master swordsman. Though, theyve helped keep the sword tradition alive in modern times, and thanks to that, there are superhumans who use the sword, but its also inevitable that ordinary swordsmen are weaker than those with superpowers. Because they couldnt do anything when the odds are against them. And, its better to shoot an aether gun than to swing an aether blade as an ordinary person. It was common sense, and not long ago, Seodam also thought the same. But not anymore. Unfortunately, the problem is simply because Earths swordsmanship is lacking, not because swords are weak. There was a limit to what mana can do for the swordsmanship on Earth. Seodam didnt feel very good about this sword debate. Because this swordsmanship debate was full of ordinary martial artists who still held regrets of not having superpowers. Thats why I dont really like Aren, a master swordsman. Aren? Seodam tilted his head, not expecting to hear that name. At the same time, Taylor creased her eyebrows, but Lee Junseok didnt see it because Seodam was in the way. Yes. Youve heard of him? Of course. But why? Aren occupies a high position in the Master Swordsmen Association. Ahis that so? Yes. Ah, come to think of it, I heard he came with a kendo master this time. You understand that could only mean Sanagi, the master swordsman of the Okamoto family, right? She was all over the news when she awakened as a C-Rank superhuman at age 20. I know. Its none other than Celestes rival. And, I heard that Aren has been teaching the eldest daughter of the Okamoto family. Well, I get why. Its more effective to be instructed by a martial artist with similar strengths. In addition, hes a strong S-Rank superhuman. It appears the Okamoto family came prepared. Well, for nearly a decade theyve been in the shadows of the Costantini family and now they finally have the opportunity to build up their reputation. Celestes father, Salvatore, is a powerful SS-Rank swordsman while Sanagis father, Itsei, is still only S-Rank. Even though he has the title of master swordsman, his pride was hurt by a simple missing letter. And with the end of their era, now its their childrens era. Itsei Okamoto seems to be trying to restore his pride by having his daughter beat Salvatores daughter. Hm I wasnt aware of such politics happening behind the scene. Yet, in the midst of all this, Celeste was determined to take me, a F-Rank, as her instructor, and Salvatore who allowed it. Somehow I felt like a big shot. As such, I thought to myself as I entered the new stadium that looks like an event hall. There were many people in uniform for the swordsmanship debate. Senior. Where have you been? Lee Junseok, who was constantly talking to Seodam even as they entered, finally stopped when he heard a persons voice on the side. It was a woman in her mid to late twenties. Ah. Heejung, didnt you already go to your seating? What do you mean, reallyHow can I go there alone without you? Who is that next to you? Heejungs eyes brightened when she saw a man walking with Lee Junseok. As a member of the Velvet guild like Junseok, as well as being a A-Rank superhuman, she once made headlines for gaining a C+ rank fire ability as soon as she awakened. Her eyes shone when she saw Lee Junseok excitedly talking to this man, thinking he was probably a celebrity. Ah, right! This is Yoo Seodam. Hes a F-Rank hunter that has been active for 15 years. Youve heard of him, havent you? What? F-Rank? Unlike Lee Junseok who enthusiastically introduced Seodam as if he was amazing, Heejungs eyes waned immediately. However, shes been a hunter for three years. So although she didnt try to show it because she had some decorum, anyone could tell that she had lost interest. AhYes! I think Ive heard of you. Its nice to meet you. Lee Junseok noticed the poor reception and became embarrassed, unlike Seodam who remained calm. Ahaha, shes still new and doesnt know. Hm. Well, it doesnt matter. Can we go now? Said Seodam, covering Taylors mouth with both hands, as Lee Junseok sweated profusely. It was because it was quite difficult sealing this Pandoras box, which was about to burst. Nonetheless, its a headache being in the spotlight here where there are many celebrities. Ah, hahaExcuse my manners. Then, well be going now. I have to get seated since Im representing my guild. Yes. After saying their goodbyes, Lee Junseok turned around, but then looked back at Seodam when he suddenly thought of something. Ah, also. I hope you can participate in this years Koreas Hunter Conference. Theres something I really want to ask you about Hell Gate With those final words, Lee Junseok and Heejung hurried to their seats. After walking for a while and out of Taylor and Seodams sight, Lee Junseok looked at Heejung and spoke. Heejung. What was that pathetic way of greeting your senior just now? What? Whats the big deal, hes a F-Rank hunter. Isnt he just an ordinary person? Although Yoo Seodam is not a celebrity, people still knew that he was kicked from Lost Day because it was publicized. When Lee Junseok heard her say whats the big deal, his tone instantly became cold as he spoke. Yeah. An ordinary hunter who has lived on the battlefield for 15 years and had even survived Hell Gate. Do you understand? Oh, uhThats great, but Ahn Heejung. Lee Junseok pitifully looked at Heejung and spoke. I know youre following me around trying to network. And since youre such a good junior, I dont mind it. I also dont think theres anything wrong for a junior to gain connections through me. Exposed, Heejung kept her mouth shut as she broke out in cold sweats at the thought that Lee Junseok had known all this time. So I tried to set up a good connection for you again this time. It was a short time, but I tried to gain his favor, and I wanted to give you all the effort I made. But you threw it away. Ahs-sorry Im very disappointed, Heejung. After saying so, Lee Junseok turned around and went ahead first. Heejung stayed behind, gripping the hem of her dress and lost in thought. She still couldnt understand it. It wasnt because shes a prideful A-Rank hunter, or that she belongs to a top five guild in Korea called Velvet, or that she was in her twenties chasing only celebrities. No, rather, she saw him as he is. The hellIsnt he just a F-Rank hunter? She has heard enough about Yoo Seodam. He was involved in two rather big incidents. However, the A and S rank veteran hunters with more than five years of experience she knew were reluctant to reveal anything about the incidents. Uh, well. Okay. Its great, butThats all? Wasnt it Taylor who cleared the deformed dungeon last time? The energy output showed it was a SS-Rank dungeon. F-Rank. There was also the time he looked a little smartBut theres a limit. 15 years. Hes been active for a long time without superpowers. Thats amazingBut still, Id rather take a third year C-Rank over him. Right. Even a C-Rank porter is more useful, isnt it? Ahn Heejung view was skewed from listening to her seniors experience on the battlefield of how superhumans are superior. I really dont understand While she was agonizing over it, Lee Junseok quickly walked down the corridor. Lee Junseok. A S-Rank hunter who has been active for 10 years and has experienced all sorts of hardships. Only Hes been active in the industry long enough to have seen and heard more than an average hunter would, and because of that, he knew. Hell Gate. What does it mean for a person to survive hell? Seodam is simply too talented to be treated the way he is just because hes F-Rank. Perhaps if not for some manipulation from Lost Day, he would have been famous everywhere in the world now. I blew my chance. Thinking about it, if it wasnt for the interruption, he could have gotten a little closer to Seodam. Lee Junseok quietly clicked his tongue. Chapter 41: There was a time when ordinary hunters were called heroes. There was a time when ordinary hunters were called heroes. A tale from 30 years ago during the Great War. The emergence of strange monsters. Those who calmly hunted strange beings far stronger than them during war. Not affiliated with any group, they were the very first hunters who wandered the battlefield. Places where the military couldnt reach, dungeons and cities where fighter jets and tanks couldnt enter, and places that nobody cared aboutthey went around such battlefields saving lives. People called them heroes. Thats all in the past. Lee Junseok smiled bitterly as he looked down at the master swordsmen from the VIP seat. It was funny to him that even though he has nothing to do with swords, he was given a VIP seat just because hes a S-Rank hunter. Its supposed to be a swordsmanship debate, so why make a big deal about superhumans. He calmly raised his head and saw Yoo Seodam sitting in the Constantini family section. Ordinary hunters, once seen as heroes. The kind of people who used just a knife or gun against giant monsters. But, everything changed once superhumans appeared. Being able to subdue monsters cheaper, more efficiently, more perfectly, and more brilliantly, they are in every way superior to ordinary hunters. F-Rank? Such a rank doesnt exist for superhumans in the first place. All superhumans are ranked starting from E-Rank. Thats to say, F-Rank is just a way to group ordinary hunters. Peace was restored, the military rose, and enterprise started up again. And superhumans became the perfect means of business. They were able to hunt monsters more efficiently and gather aether crystals, while dazzling the world with their brilliant abilities. However, the number of superhumans were small and there were mostly only F-Rank hunters who needed time to grow at the time. Thus, the first Hunters Association started hiring a large number of ordinary hunters. They had only one goal. Create a hunting guide using the hunters experience. And as expected, the hunters without superpowers provided the most insight and were vital to the development of the hunter industry. Just, their use was only that. Lee Junseok still remembers. When he first gained superpowers and became a D-Rank hunter. And what a F-Rank hunter who was 9 years his senior said to him. They decided to send you to this D-Rank dungeon instead of me. What? Didnt you say it was your turn? It was odd. The distribution of dungeons was supposed to be equal within the guild. Yeah. It was. However, the guild decided that sending you is more efficient. Ah At the time, Lee Junseok had only hunted three times, while his senior was a 9 year veteran. The reason was because ordinary hunters wasted too much money each hunt. Compared to a superhuman who could finish a mission with just one aether dispenser. After that day, the senior hunter who had taught Lee Junseok quit the industry. From that moment, Lee Junseok, faced with the reality that the veteran F-Rank hunters who have been protecting him since young would slowly disappear, he began to have a strange feeling. Even though they dont have superpowers, still Junseok. Ive decided to quit this time. One by one, his idols, the ordinary hunters, began to leave the industry. Guilds and corporations gave ordinary hunters almost no work, and in a world where peace has been established, it was difficult finding a hunting job alone. These hunters who once put their bodies on the line for humanity did not even receive a single word of praise after retirement. They were slowly forgotten by everyone. Just like that. It became a natural occurrence. Every morning there would be news of a F-Rank hunters failure and articles suggesting they were useless. F-Rank hunters may have been the salvation of humanity during the Great War, but now they were of no use in this peaceful era. When Lee Junseok finally became a S-Rank hunter, he was able to use his influence to move within the Hunters Association. That was when he realized. Were they purposely given these missions? The F-Rank hunters mission success rate was falling exponentially because they were purposely given impossible missions. In other words, they were sent into dungeons with statistically low chance of clearing. Also, when a F-Rank hunter accomplished something great, it was only covered a little bit by the media. It was as if to hide their achievements. And, it wasnt just one corporation. Many national Hunters Association did the same. He had brought up the case to the current president of the Hunter Association at the time. What the president of the association then said to Lee Junseok still lingers in his mind. Theyre useless now anyway. What? Thats why theyve fallen off. This era is for superhuman hunters, not ordinary ones. The president of the association had also called F-Rank hunters money-sucking ants. And, ever since the establishment of the Superhuman Academy, the need for ordinary hunters continued to fall. Its just the natural flow of life. Looking at the president of the association who acted as if everything was fine, Lee Junseok gave a defeated laugh. Who put you in the position you are in now? Who stood up to save humanity? Who gave up their life so you can live? Who the hell was it? Lee Junseok didnt have the courage to say it then, and its been years since. Now everyone in the world is aware. F-Rank hunters are no longer needed. How many years have you been a veteran on the battlefield? Its certainly great. But only great. Thats all. Its very rare nowadays for anyone to see ordinary hunters as special. But even if they did, they would still be disregarded. In the end, there is almost no active F-Rank hunter left, and its safe to say that there are none that have been active for more than 10 years. So Yoo Seodam is a very special case. He also survived the politics of Lost Day, and is a person who has gone to Hell Gate and back. Rather, I wish I could bring him to our guild. Lost Day, Velvet, and every other guild were afraid of the Association influence, so they were reluctant to recruit a F-Rank. Even if its a 15 year veteran. However, when Lee Junseok looked into Yoo Seodams eyes today, he realized. This guy, theres something. Theres no way he doesnt know how hes treated unless hes a fool. Yet, he still remains in the hunter industrylike hes aiming for something. Are you going to make a guild? Do something political? Business? Hes certain, one way or another, Yoo Seodam will do something big in the future. In the meantime, if he can somehow involve himself with Yoo Seodam. Pah! Thwak! Heup! Head! The sparring had begun and numerous masters were competing with their real swords, but Lee Junseok did not give them a single glance. However, the Costantini familys section. For a long time, he looked at Yoo Seodam. Most superhumans are the strength type. They had the simple ability of strengthening their body. This worked well with the use of aether blades against monsters. However, how could anyone who has never used a sword be able to swing it properly just because they held one? Thus, swordsmanship clans with a long tradition that span hundreds of years began to teach their swordsmanship to superhumans. Thats how the first swordsmanship debate started, but now, its original purpose has blurred. Superhumans no longer want the teachings of ordinary people. Rather, they wanted to learn from their senior superhumans who have wielded the swords for years. So thats why master swordsmen worked even harder, but Its bullshit. The swordsmanship debate had already become a social event. One by one, superhumans began to replace the swordsman clans as master swordsmen. And then they would talk and laugh among themselves. Now, superhumans are no longer interested in the swordsmanship of ordinary people. They saw no need for it. Taylor sneaked a side glance. Yoo Seodam. She was wondering what he was thinking as he silently watched the ordinary master swordsmen sparring. For some reason, Taylor began to feel nauseous, so she got up from her seat. Where are you going? Its over. The main event with Celeste is about to start. Oh. Ill be back before that. Im going to have a smoke. She didnt want to smoke in front of Seodam, so she just said that and left. In the end, its a friendly competition among master swordsmen by showing off ones disciple. Thats to be expected. However, it has nothing to do with Seodam, and Taylor didnt care about it either. There were quite a few people wandering around the corridor since it was break time. Like Taylor, some people were smoking, while others went to the bathroom or were socializing in the corridor. And, among them was Aren. A S-Rank superhuman with a big ego for being in the Master Swordsmen Association. Although hes not from a prestigious family, he has a very good reputation for his sword skills and performance in the hunter industry. Just, he looked at the weak with contempt. He was talking to the competing swordsmen, but unlike him who was smiling, they looked very uncomfortable. Of course. As a master, this level of success is nothing. A superhuman among ordinaries. Hes probably enjoying some sense of superiority. However, Taylor, who knew Aren well, is certain thats the case. It was obvious why the ordinary master swordsmen would have an uncomfortable look. Ah, shit. Taylor turned around in a hurry, but unfortunately it was too late. Oh, Taylor! Ah, fuck. Thinking that today couldnt get any worse, Taylor glared at Aren. Excusing himself from the master swordsmen, he approached Taylor, and unlike the master swordsmen expression, she had a blank expression. Say what you have to say, then fuck off. Haha, why are you so cranky? I heard you came here, but I was too busy to find you. Did you have lunch? Should we get together for a meal later? Taylor, with a puzzled look, asked. Me? With you? Why? Theres a restaurant around here, and Im familiar with the chef Hey. She took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and sighed. Im so damn tired right now and dont have time for this. So shut up and fuck off. Really? Aren stared at Taylor, and with a stiff look, asked. Yoo Seodam. Hes here this time as well, isnt he? As the Constantini familys sword instructor. What? Right? Its Yoo Seodam, isnt it? Taylor stopped fiddling with her pack of cigarettes and looked at Aren coldly. However, he continued to speak. You know youve been acting strange, right? Aren is now a 12 year veteran. When he was a rookie, Taylor had already been working as a hunter for three years. Even though it was only three years, Taylor at the time was bolder, more courageous, more determined, and a better leader than anyone else. Aren knew that her harsh words and actions were just a means to unite her teams. Perhaps Aren became interested in Taylor since then. So he had approached her several times because it didnt matter to him whether she was dating or not as long as she truly didnt fall in love with someone else. However. Ever since meeting Yoo Seodam. Havent you grown tired of him? Taylor was never the same again and did not look at anyone else. Since 12 years, no, 15 years ago when he first debuted. Taylor had said she only wanted to follow Yoo Seodam. He couldnt understand it. There are many talented and outstanding people, so why Yoo Seodam who has no superpowers? Taylor smiled and asked a question. Hey. Tell me. Then let me ask you, whos better than Yoo Seodam? What? Aren, who was bewildered by Taylors question, tried to answer but. Superpowers? Wealth? I dont need any of that. You know why? Because I have it all. Taylor. I dont need everything. It doesnt matter if its a F or S-Rank superhuman. And just because Yoo Seodam is a F-Rank hunter, is his value as a person F-Rank? On the contrary. S-Rankarent you only a S-Rank superhuman? Taylor almost spat out her words. You. I used to think you were annoying. Ive changed my mind. She always spoke with a foul mouth. However, when she was really angry, she didnt swear at all, but rather, she smiled. A pretty lively and refreshing smile. Youre just revolting. Said Taylor with a pretty smile on her face, then she walked away. For a long time, Aren stood there as he clenched his fists, lost in thought. Yoo Seodam. Ultimately, this is an era where ability meant everything, so he couldnt understand why Taylor was obsessed with Yoo Seodam. Someone who has less absolute worth than himself. Rather, if only I could thoroughly crush Yoo Seodam. With a stiff expression, he returned to the stadium. As he was trying to silently find his seat in the Okamato familys section, he thought the atmosphere was strange. [Celeste Costantini VS Sanagi Okamoto] Oh, has it started already? Thinking that he might have been late after talking to Taylor, he looked down at the stadium. Initially, he wasnt interested in the battle. He taught Sanagi swordsmanship himself, and Celeste was lower rank in the first place, so she was not a match for Sanagi. So most people thought it was like a waterfall falling upwards, and everyone had predicted the outcome. Such a reason. Strangely, the stadium was quiet for some reason. Huh? Haap! Thuk, chaang! Everything was still. Only the sound of the two womens voice and their swords colliding filled the stadium. With trembling eyes, Aren continued to watch. Sanagi Okamoto. She was losing to Celeste Constantini. A C-Rank was losing against a D-Rank. Thisdoes it make any sense? The difference between D-Rank and C-Rank is like the difference between a bicycle and a car. Even if the car is driven slowly, you can never lose. Or, like a battle between a child and an adult? No, it was more like a battle between a rat and a cat. But now. The rat has bitten the cat. The bicycle has crushed the car. Such an unbelievable thing was happening. Is it because Celeste had suddenly awakened to C-Rank? No. Everyone in their seat could see. Only She was still just D-Rank. Then, there is only one reason why Celeste was dominating Sanagi. Celestes swordsmanship is overwhelming Sanagis swordsmanship. Enough to make up for the difference in their physique ability. However, last time, Celeste did not overwhelm Sanagis swordsmanship, and instead it was about even. So what is the explanation for her sudden growth this year? Some who have reached that thought, looked at the master who was sitting in the Costantini familys section. There, sitting was a F-Rank hunter with no superpowers. Chapter 42: Celestes swordsmanship was quite… Celestes swordsmanship was quite Right, it was quite beautiful. Modern swordsmanship is just heavy and rigid movements like hitting something with a hard rock. And a flower that bloomed in the crevice of such rock could not look anymore beautiful. A dance that seems to express the flow of water. No, thats not right. It was like a flickering flame. A flower blooming and withering, as a butterfly flies up and settles down. Every time Seodam blinked his eyes. A different picture unfolded before him. This, when did she get to such a level? Seodam looked at Celeste with a puzzled look. He knew she was talented. Because he had taught her how to control her footwork, body movement, and breathing to complement her swordsmanship. However, it was crude. Makeshift methods with no foundation. Somehow, Celeste had managed to raise her skill to this extent in a short period of time with just that. Seodams teaching obviously played a big part, but with her talent, she might be able to create her own swordsmanship in the future. Though, it would still take hundreds of years for the swordsmanship she creates to catch up to the other worlds. Whats that What the hell is that footwork? What kind of swordsmanship is that? The master swordsmen began to mutter among themselves. And a few people glanced at Yoo Seodam. Some even recognized him. Come to think of it, that man took down a B-Rank mutant without wearing an aether suit Huh. There was a case like that a few months ago. I thought it was amazing when I saw his sword, but did he teach her that? Eventually. Kwang!! With one final push of her sword, Celeste knocked down Sanagi. Clap clap clap! Despite it being only a sparring match, the master swordsmen applauded. Only? No. Rather, it was tenser than usual. It was common knowledge that a superhuman cannot overpower someone of higher rank. Seodam, having finished recording the match with his phone, lightly clapped. I think the video came out well What? Is it over already? Yeah. She won. Taylor, who was late to her seat, spoke nonchalantly. Whats the video for? I heard shes going to upload it on social media. Shit. Not having any fond memories of Celestes social media, she frowned. I guess shes planning on spreading the fact that she beat a C-Rank. Isnt that child worse than me in a way? Celeste was confident she would win. Otherwise she wouldnt have asked Seodam to record the match. While Seodam checked the video taken on his phone and waited for the next match, several swordsmen in uniform approached him. Excuse me, but youre Yoo Seodam, right? Yes. May I help you? Out of curiosity I came to meet the Costantini family eldest daughters sword instructor. They were speaking in English, but it came out in Korean through their expensive translators. Though, it wasnt necessary since Seodam spoke both Korean and English. They werent the only ones approaching. Most of the ordinary master swordsmen started sneaking a peek at Seodam. Yoo Seodam. He knew how desperate they were because he knows the sorrow of being ordinary. They have spent their entire lives seeking only the sword. But just because they dont have superpowers, they were no match against even children. It was a situation similar to martial artists who have reached a bottleneck and are searching for a chance to break that wall. Or like a bee wandering for nectar. They were very eager. If only a price was given Why dont I make my mark after learning proper swordsmanship from other worlds? Superhumans who have absorbed aether into their body cannot cultivate the mana of other worlds. However, what if youre an ordinary person who hasnt done that? By cultivating other worlds mana, youll be able to learn both martial arts and magic. Mistreated and ignored. A mark only for the ordinary. Gaining superpowers through magic. Teaching martial arts to those who want to be on the forefront of the battlefield. Soon, it will be my strength. If only I could give retired hunters a chance Such thoughts suddenly dominated Seodams head, and with difficulty, he shook it off. Hes certain there will be other ordinary people who want the ability too. Although its advantageous for him, it would give hope to those who had no choice but to give up their dreams. However, its not the right time yet. Seodam has more time in other worlds than on Earth. For now its crucial that he grows strong enough to be able to protect himself, and he also hasnt reached a level where he could teach someone. He just casually sparred with Celeste a few times, yet she managed to learn everything on her own. A genius like Celeste, how many more are there on Earth? Its still too early. If only he could gather all those who are unable to show their talents as allies. It would be a great force. One by one, I took the business cards from the master swordsmen. Their interest was only a curiosity, and there were many who didnt approach me because they werent swordsmen, but it doesnt matter. For the first time, I realized how hungry these masters swordsmen were for swordsmanship. I left to go to the bathroom when I found the chance, and washed my face with cold water at the sink. This swordsmanship debate had given me many ideas. ! Suddenly, I felt a chill down my back. Instinctively, my hand was already on the aether blade at my waist, and the other hand was holding the trigger of my aether pistol. What are you doing? Said someone, pointing a sword at Seodams neck. I raised my head, looked in the mirror, and saw a middle-aged man with a stern face. What the hell are you doing? To spread martial arts to Earth. Thats strictly forbidden. Have you forgotten your oath? What? I felt something very different. That strange and mysterious way of speaking as if from another world. And the energy he exudes. Surely hes You, just to be sure. Are you a dimensional returnee? Then, as if its natural, the middle-aged man spoke. Isnt that obvious? In the Murim you reveal your affiliation. Huh. I never thought Id see a dimensional returnee. In other words, a person who fell into another world and returned with the unusual power called wugong. There are not many, but their individual strength exceeds A-Rank and some even S-Rank, so a number of forces have tried to recruit them, with only a few succeeding. One of the reasons is that there is an unwritten rule and pact among the people of Murim. Dont pass on wugong to Earth. Dont have relations to Earth. Ji Jian is in seclusion around here. Also, Im sure one of the Kings is hiding in Korea. Wouldnt it be bad for you to provoke them? Ji Jian? Kings? Ive heard dimensional returnees were unusual, but I had no idea what to make of this conversation. If Ive broken the oath I stopped there because I wasnt going to have a proper conversation with someone who was pointing a sword at my neck. Excuse me, but lets put down the sword first. Excuse me. Only then did the man slowly put away his sword. I turned my head and saw a badge hanging on the mans neck that shows hes one of the staff members managing Jamsil Stadium. Hmm. At a glance, hes not giving off any energy, but is he really living as a normal person? If we fought, I think its possible to hold out. Im sure Taylor would come running in a reasonable amount of time after sensing something is wrong, so theres no problem just having a conversation. The name Kim Duhak was written on the name tag. I dont know what you are thinking, but its a misunderstanding. Im sorry to threaten you. But if youre a traitor who has renegade on the terms, then its my mission to dispose of you immediately No, not that. Im saying Im not a dimensional returnee. What? Ive heard some rumors while active. All dimensional returnees engrave their affiliation onto their heart. Its to prove that even if theyve returned to Earth, they would never forget the teachings they had learned in the other worlds, so they swore an oath to the heart. The tattoo, which was engraved using an unusual skill, could never be removed or changed. I unbuttoned my shirt to show my chest. Duhak, seeing that there was nothing but surgical scars, looked surprised. No way. Now do you understand? You got the wrong person. Impossible. It must have been wugong. How Is there a law that says there cant be wugong on Earth? As soon as I said that, Duhak with an embarrassed look, hurriedly cupped his fist and palm together. Is it a greeting or something? I sincerely apologize! Since Im the one at fault, I want to make up to you. No, you dont have to Ive heard that all dimensional returnees had a unique personality, and the one in front of me is certainly the case. They value righteousness, keeping their promises, and helping the weak. However, there were those who couldnt adapt to life back on Earth, so there were news reports of dimensional returnees from time to time. Naturally, most were found dead the next day. You dont have to apologize. I took out my F-Rank Hunter business card. Its in pretty good condition even though I havent used it in a while. Then, with a smile, I spoke. Lets find some time to get to know one another. Dimensional returnee. I felt the need to look into it a bit more. Ive thought about it before. Is there no more protagonist on Earth? Or, am I the protagonist? From what Ive concluded. There must be a protagonist on Earth. And if there is one, its not me. The reason is simple. The Client had said, according to the protagonists mutual non-aggression pact, Epilogue will occur if two meet each other. Is that so? [ Yes. ] The Client, who had returned, answered my question. Though, she didnt answer the question of where she has been. Anyways. Last time, she said if Lee Yeonjun were to exit the dungeon, the blessings of two protagonists would collide, resulting in the Earths epilogue. That means theres definitely another protagonist out there somewhere on Earth. I initially thought it might be one of the SS-Rank superhuman, but after meeting a dimensional returnee, I changed my mind. If another protagonist really exists on Earth, theres a good chance its a dimensional returnee. I almost couldnt even detect a normal person from Murim who possessed such a powerful force. So a master from Murim who has a nickname might be at least SS-Rank, or even higher. Of course, this is all just a guess. It turns out that the prowess of wugong is so great that its no different from Earths superpowers? After quietly returning to my seat, it seems the debate is nearing its end. If masters have been fighting each other to compare swordsmanship so far, now its really become a platform for discussion. The main purpose of the event is to bring together people who wished to show off their swords and discuss it with one another. The one whos currently receiving the most attention is Celeste. It could be said that Sanagi was the protagonist last year, but now shes nowhere to be seen. To be honest, I felt a little sorry for her, but what can I do? I didnt feel much sympathy because Ive always been treated like that. Ba-boom!! Unlike everywhere else, a loud sound rang out in one corner of the stadium, and sure enough, it was Aren. That crazy fellow, whats wrong with him? Its because of you. What did I do? Aren, that bastard, came as the Okamotos eldest daughter master. But if a woman he taught lost to the woman you taught, wouldnt he want to punch you? Taylor, who seemed to be in a bad mood until a moment ago, has a big smile on her face. Im not sure, but something good must have happened. [A total of seven types of artifacts have been detected on the target.] [Do you wish to start the search?] What? I check again to see if I saw it wrongly. Seven types. Not two? I slowly nodded my head, and White Witchs Library activated. [Searching] [Search complete: Original spells imprint.] [Magic identified as Enhance Strength (B), Enhance Speed (C), Flame Bullet (C), Reduce Friction (C), and] Crazy. So many? From the pictures, only two artifacts were found, but when I checked in person, I was able to detect every magic that came from the artifacts. Thats pretty much a magic swordsman, no? But how does he have so many artifacts? [Its possible with advanced magic.] [However, the target has used too many artifacts and it has clogged his body with residue.] [If the persons mana and the artifacts mana interfere with each other, it may overload and cause mana poisoning.] So hes not just carrying a few body enhancing artifacts on him, but also a ticking time bomb. Soon that fellow will be maimed or killed. He might not feel any changes in his body right now because of his strong physique. But very slowly. The magic will eat away at his body. Its not strong enough where others will get caught in the explosion, right? [Yes.] [Do you wish to try cracking?] After a short thought, I shook my head. The artifacts are a part of his ability, so theres no need for me to justify it. Besides, equipment benefited me the most, and none of mine are damaged. Lets leave it alone. Unless necessary Miss Costantini. When I was about to instruct the White Witchs Library, I looked up. As a senior hunter and a master swordsman, how about we spar? Before I knew it, Aren, with a smiling face, had approached Celeste asking for a spar. Wow, I was speechless. What are you trying to do against a child? Only Celeste showed a troubled look, knowing that this was a real confrontation under the pretense of a spar. In the end, this was inevitable. start Cracking. If someone tries to fuck me on purpose, I have no choice but to give it back. Im not the type to sit still and get hit. Translators Note: This chapter took a while because I had to double check some of the things mentioned in this chapter. The first nickname is Jian Ji () / ?? / (https://namu.wiki/w/??) which is this character from another novel, I think.The second nickname is ?? (https://namu.wiki/w/??) which means something like best of the best, but in a tacky respect kind of way. So I went with King.Murim is like a hidden world of martial artists.I just went with the word wugong for the word ?? (书) / (https://namu.wiki/w/??). Its martial arts, but is more like superpowers.I might have to start using capital P for the protagonists that are on the mission list, and lower case to mean normal conversation protagonists like Taylor, Aren, Celeste, Seodam, etcdont know if its confusing or not. For example in this chapter Seodam wonders if there is another Protagonist on Earth (the one that absorbs the world blessing). But he had also mentioned that there are protagonists on Earth (everything just seems to fall in place for them ie S-Ranks, politicians, celebrities, etc). Chapter 43: Celeste was troubled by Arens sudden proposal for a spar. Celeste was troubled by Arens sudden proposal for a spar. It was common for the strong to give lessons to the weak at swordsmanship debates. Even if its a master instructor from another family. And, saying no is okay, of course. She was the eldest daughter of the Constantini family, and hes the master instructor of the Okamoto familys eldest daughter, so it wasnt common to give lessons, however, in some ways, it would be rude to refuse. No, its not disrespectful, and Celeste didnt really want to accept this fight. What would father have done? She briefly thought about it. If her father was D-Rank facing a S-Rank hunter whos obviously trying to vent his anger by teaching him a lesson. He would have accepted it. If theres something you can learn, tough it out and learn. That was Salvatore Constantinis motto, and he was ostracized by other swordsmen. Of course, the reality is that other swordsmen have kept their mouths shut ever since Salvatore became SS-Rank. In any case, it proved that his method was better than anyone else. However, thats only possible because its her father. She was quite prideful, but she didnt want to accept this obvious fight, so she was going to refuse. Celeste. Hm? Yoo Seodam had come down from the Costantinis section and approached her. Go ahead and spar. Itll be a good learning experience. After hesitating for a moment, Celeste nodded. Ever since she started learning swordsmanship from Yoo Seodam, she has been attentive to his words. Smiling at Aren, Seodam spoke. Well, since shes my student, Id like to give her some pointers during the spar. That wont be a problem, right? Do as you please. Aren hardened his expression as soon as he saw Seodam, but it was none of Celestes concern. Seodam beckoned Celeste over, then whispered something in her ear. Soon, she tilted her head after hearing his instructions. Is that really possible? Mhm. Just trust me and hit. Seodams instructions were so simple that it was rather doubtful. Just hit when you hear hit!, dodge when you hear dodge!, and block when you hear block! The opponent is S-Rank. Theres no way its going to be that simple, will it? However, Celeste still nodded. Ill try. Also, give up after an adequate time. Im thinking so. Celeste pulled out her sword and stood before Aren. Both are superhumans wearing aether coated uniforms, so there wont be any major injuries, and actually, its because they will be using sparring swords. Oh, whats this? Aren wants to teach the Constantinis eldest daughter a lesson? Hm. Is he really trying to teach her? Well. It became a hot topic and drew everyones attention because it was Celeste and the S-Rank Aren. So Aren regretted it, albeit late. Damn it Why did I ask the Costantini familys eldest daughter for a spar? He had lost his reasoning out of anger after Taylor said he was revolting and Sanagi, the one he taught, lost. Something done in a fit of anger. Aren decided that after a few exchanges he would end the spar. However, what he did in a fit of anger became an opportunity for Seodam. Im going to make use of this opportunity to integrate myself with the ordinary master swordsmen. Thinking of the bigger picture, the spar began. Immediately, White Witchs Library was activated. [Identifying the types of spells.] [Enhance Strength (B) / Guide Aim (B) / Enhance Speed (C)] [Reduce Friction (C) / Air Pocket (D)] [Flame Burst (B) / Flame Bullet (C)] A total of seven types of magic. Although the Witch Witchs library has a considerable amount of knowledge on magic, it took some time to fully crack because its still low rank. [Cracking progress17%] [Interference is now possible.] Tung!! Celeste, flustered, raised her sword as Aren lightly kicked off the ground and struck with his sword. Although she has trained with S-Ranks in the past, she isnt at the level where she could fight against one. Tung! Ugh! Celeste was lightly hit in the head, but quickly recovered. Since she is wearing an aether uniform, theres no problem even if she is cut with a real sword. Still, she couldnt stop the shock from the impact. Chang, Chink! Tung! As Arens sword was swinging for her head, in between he would aim for the side of her body, and when she came to her senses, she was hit in the chest. Although Celeste has managed to block thus far, she was out of breath as she raised her sword again. Obviously, I dont think I can stop it, but! It was instinct. The instinct of a genius swordsman. The kind of instinct to be able to read the patterns of an overwhelmingly strong sword little by little just from looking at it a few times, and even retaliating. If this was a real battle, Celeste would have been beaten in a single strike, but since it was a spar, she was able to study her opponents sword. But, strangely, whenever she tried to block, Arens sword kept slipping away. Like a mirage, the trajectory would bend. It wasnt just fast. There was technique hidden behind it, and unfathomable to the current Celeste. Oh wow Its indeed mister Arens swordsmanship. Ive heard even S-Rank hunters cant imitate it. As people were bursting with admiration, Seodam managed to identify the true technique behind that strange swordsmanship. Is it Guide Aim? The technique of forcefully twisting ones attack to hit the target. And like a mirage, it looked as if it was bending. At a glance, it looks like a good technique, however, as a type of magic, using it frequently will strain the body, resulting in your mana quickly depleting. Since it was the S-Rank Aren, he had no difficulty using it. Then, what if Aren, who has been using it, suddenly lost it? [Attempting interference on artifact Guide Aim (B)] [Attempting interference on artifact Enhance Speed (C)] Just one second. The amount of time the effects from the artifacts will be deactivated through interference. But that was enough. Block! Shouted Seodam, then Celeste instinctively raised her sword. Chaang!! ! She had stopped Arens sword. Perhaps surprised herself, Celeste widened her eyes and took a step back. The surroundings burst out in exclamation as Aren seemed flustered. What? What happened to my aim guide? Aren. His actual ability is B-Rank, and his sword skill was decent enough. So even without Guide Aim or Enhance Speed, he would still be able to strike Celeste. The attack was blocked because he simply relied too much on the artifacts. Its strange. The sword slowed all of a sudden. Celeste had also noticed the strange change in Aren. But, without giving her time to think, Aren rushed at her again, so she had no choice but to lift her sword. It was good that a D-Rank had successfully blocked a S-Rank. However, it was merely a fluke. Aren and everyone who was watching thought so. But, the fluke continued. Dodge! Like a miracle, she dodged Arens sword. Block! Chaang!! She had blocked his sword once again. The invisible technique, it seemed that Celeste was slowly grasping it. W-what? Is she really D-Rank? Dont you see? Every time the Costantinis master gave an order, she successfully answered. Clearly, the sparring would have been a landslide victory for Aren. If he only relied on his B-Rank ability, Celeste would have lost. Because her swordsmanship is yet at the level where she can beat superhumans two ranks above her. However, this was Arens weakness. SomethingSomethings wrong! B and S rank ability, he doesnt understand why its interchanging. His sword kept moving from slow to fast as his strength weakened and grew. Even Arens unique swordsmanship from the use of Reduce Friction to move around was not working properly. What the hell! He kept trying to use his artifacts, but it kept failing, so an opening appeared. Head! Shouted Yoo Seodam. Schwik! Celestes sword brushed Arens cheek. Ugh! Very slightly. With confidence, she, a D-Rank, grazed the cheek of Aren, a S-Rank. Look, I cant believe it. What the hell is going on? Breathing heavily, Celeste slowled took a step back. She missed the strike by a hair away. If I had focused a little more, I might have hit the mark. Aren widened his eyes as he rubbed his cheek. What is this He was so surprised that he couldnt control his expression. Yoo Seodam was also surprised. Was it because Celestes swordsmanship is excellent? No, its because Aren advantage was great. Thatsquite advantageous, isnt it? Its only a second, but after the artifacts were deactivated, Seodam guessed that Arens ability is around B to A rank. But it doesnt matter. Because Aren thinks his ability is higher than it actually is when the artifacts are deactivated. Air Pocket, Reduce Friction, and so on were actually very rare magic. Air Pocket, which allows someone to shoot a bit of air, is a fairly short range attack magic, and Reduce Friction could hinder a targets movements. But Aren was using the magic on himself. Shooting air in the opposite direction to gain momentum, and reducing friction under his feet. It was Arens ingenuity to use the artifacts the way he does. Seodam admits he has been too complacent with magic. Magic isnt just the art of throwing fireballs or calling down lightning. Even low level magic has endless possibilities depending on its utilization. Simply igniting a sword and swinging it, or shooting magic missiles with the left hand and wielding a sword in the right. Was that a mage? No, it wasnt. In Seodams view, this is the true essence of a mage. To use everything at ones disposal to push magic to its limit. Even though guide aim and body enhancing magics can destroy the body, there were a number of other uses. Also, although its not being used currently because its a spar, Flame Bullet could make up for the weakness of being close range, and Flame Burst could be used as a long range attack. In other words, Aren has a clear grasp of his weakness and ways to overcome them. So, without knowing how to use magic, Aren was like a magic swordsman. This fact excited Seodam greatly. Because he thought he had learned a very good thing. Apart from this. Ill have to deactivate all the body enhancing artifacts. From a closer look, I was certain. Arens condition was very serious. To be honest, its difficult to undo the damage. If he tries to activate any more artifacts, instead of being maimed, he might live a miserable life as a vegetable. Whose artifacts are these? All the artifacts used by Aren were the same type of magic. Thats to say, all were created by one person. It cant be coincidence that as many as seven artifacts are found on Aren, and it all happens to be a perfect match for him. So, there can only be one conclusion. There could be other mages beside me in this modern world While Yoo Seodam was troubled by the thought, Aren, who was heated, clenched his teeth. Damn it! Why is there a problem with the talisman all of a sudden? Forsaken the talismans altogether, Aren roughly strengthened his body. Talisman? Only He doesnt need to rely on it. With his sheer talent, he was determined to hit Celeste. I give up. Huh? A towering figure. The sword that was aiming for Celestes head had stopped. Sweating profusely and with a big smile on her face, she spoke. Senior, thank you for your great guidance. Chapter 44: The spar ended with Celestes defeat. The spar ended with Celestes defeat. A very expected result. In the first place, the spar was meant as a way for the master to give lessons. But rather than watching the master who was giving the lessons, by the end of the spar, everyones attention was on Celeste and Yoo Seodam. A D-Rank superhuman almost hit a S-Rank, and several times even blocked or avoided the attacks. Under the guidance of a man named Yoo Seodam. What the hell were the meanings behind what he said during the spar? It doesnt matter. Whats important is the swordsmanship taught by Yoo Seodam was effective against a person stronger than oneself in physical ability. Damn it Aren sat quietly in one corner of a hotel restaurant, sipping wine. After every swordsmanship debate, there was always an after party, and this year, all the masters were gathered at a restaurant in JS Hotel, which was built less than three years ago because the debate was held in Korea. Meanwhile, Yoo Seodam and Taylor had disappeared, saying they had somewhere to be, so Aren no longer has to see them, though he was still in a bad mood. Aren knows. The fact that the masters approached Yoo Seodam to give gifts or exchange contacts after the debate because they saw the possibilities. But that wasnt important to him right now. Whats wrong with the talismans? Four of the talismans are fine. However, the problem was the talisman of strength, speed, and guide aim. These havent been working properly since a while ago. No matter how useful Air Pocket and Reduce Friction are to Aren, his physical strength is only B-Rank at best. Damn it. Such a bad timing for the talismans to stop workingIll have to make a call again. With that thought, Aren clutched his wrist. Since a while ago, the pain has been acting up again. The symptoms began several years ago, so he frequently took painkillers, but the pain intensified when the talismans were deactivated. Its as if the pain that had been held back was bursting open. With a cold sweat on his face, he massaged his wrist. Suddenly. Boom!! W-what! The hotel building shook. Whooing! Whooing! [An abnormal gate has appeared!] [An abnormal gate has appeared!] [Citizens, please immediately follow the evacuation procedure.] Huh, whats this. At a time like this It doesnt happen often nowadays, but it was a normal occurrence in the past. The usual gates and dungeons are predicted by the only seer on Earth, but now, a gate has appeared unexpectedly. [The gate has been identified as A-Rank, and the location is at the rooftop of JS Hotel.] [The Emergency Support Unit is currently on the way, so citizens in the nearby area please remain calm and evacuate.] Crazy, its the roof of this building! Lets all evacuate. As people began to move hurriedly, Aren also got up. Suppressing the A-Rank gate is too difficult for him since he doesnt know if his talismans will work. However, the people around him didnt leave him alone. Hunter Aren! A middle aged official wearing a suit and about four or five waiters hurried towards Aren. Hunter Aren, if you dont mind, can you block the gate on the roof? It will take some time before reinforcement arrives, so Im glad to have hunter Aren here with us now. Ah. The gate was on the roof, but surely the monsters will come down, wrecking the building in the process. It will be a while before reinforcements and other emergency units arrive. But the S-Rank Aren will be able to hold it off. Uh. Fortunately, hunter Aren is here. Thats a relief. However, Aren was unable to answer. Why is this happening? Because he was unlucky? Because of the bad weather? He doesnt know. Only, its not a situation he could say no. Haha. Of course. Ill go up there. Saying so, he clenched his fist, then hurriedly dressed up using his portable aether dispenser. Although it has less defense than a 3rd-Grade aether suit, its easy to wear, portable, and is a device that costs billions of won as a named item. With a named-rank aether blade in hand as well, Aren eventually headed to the roof, his back disappearing from everyones view. Gulp. Already came the sound of rampant monsters destroying everything. Filled with peoples screams. He guesses its from the people on the rooftop being attacked by the monsters. However, Aren couldnt move forward. Without the talismans, hes at most B-Rank. Its obvious hes going to die if he tries to take on an A-Rank gate. Thisthis is impossible. I cant do this. Once he opens the door, it will be the roof. Nevertheless, Aren couldnt open it. Its better to lose dignity. Yeah, lets just run away now. Thinking so, the moment Aren turned around and tried to leave. Were here to help too, hunter Aren. What? In front of him, master swordsmen, each equipped with an aether dispenser, stood. Again, these masters. In other words, ordinaries. He doesnt know where they got their aether dispensers for such emergencies, but this wasnt a gate an ordinary person could deal with. Everyone, you guys wont be able to deal with it! Its a dogs death! We know. But there are innocent people dying. Although we dont have superpowers, weve lived by the sword our whole life. Its possible to push back the monsters before reinforcements arrive. Saying so, the masters opened the door first and went out proudly. Aren dejectedly smiled, then bowed his head. Their physical abilities are obviously F-Rank. Nonetheless, they were trying to fight against an enemy thats obviously impossible for them to deal with. Whats B or S rank. He suddenly recalled what Taylor had said to him. Just because hes F-Rank, is his value only F-Rank? He understood the meaning of those words now. As a B-Rank, he was about to do such a horrible thing when an A-Rank gate appeared in front of him, yet, Yoo Seodam has survived on the battlefield for 15 years as a F-Rank. He raised his head again. Including his wrist, his whole body aches, and his talismans werent even working properly. However, he was still a hunter. FuckWhat a fucking day Saying so, Aren slammed into the door leading to the roof. Although his ability has weakened, the looks in his eyes showed he is more S-Rank now than ever. Next day. Waking up with a splitting headache, I turned my head to the sudden weight I felt on my arm. Taylor, with a blanket over her, was asleep with her arms tightly wrapped around mine. Because we drank heavily last night, we were in terrible shape. Checking my phone, there were calls from some hunters as well as the masters. It was mostly about catching a meal next time. [Lee Junseok: Do you have time for a meal next time?] There was also a call from Lee Junseok. I dont know why this fellow is so interested in me. Even before I went home yesterday, he asked me out for Korean BBQ, but I declined. [Celeste: Thank you very much for yesterday.] For now, I replied to Celeste. [Yoo Seodam: Good job.] I also benefited a lot, so it was a two-way gain. Hiding behind the Costantini family should prevent Lost Day from doing anything to me for a while. Perhaps for the time being, Ill stay until I can build up my own little force. After barely pulling Taylors arms away, I crawled to my old TV to turn on the news. It was just a habit. The habit of turning on the news or talk shows in the morning to fill the noise. [Breaking news. An abnormal A-Rank gate appeared on the roof of JS Hotel around 7p.m. yesterday evening.] Huh? If its JS Hotel, thats definitely where the masters were. I became interested, and it became more intriguing the more I listened. [Thanks to the efforts of the master swordsman and a S-Rank hunter at the scene working together to block the gate, as well as reinforcements arriving on time, there were no casualties.] [S-Rank hunter Aren said without the help of the masters, he wouldnt have been able to save the civilians so flawlessly] Oh? Aren was not the kind of guy to do that. Has he had a change of heart? That amazes me. Anyway, it couldve been disastrous. Arens condition is very serious, and Ive deactivated his artifacts, but I never thought a gate would appear there. Though, even if Aren was able to properly activate the artifacts then, its unclear whether hell be able to use its magic. His body was already overloaded with artifacts that day. If he had used any more artifacts with that broken body Something bad could have happened. Hey. Hm. Do you want ramen? Fu What is she saying? The hangover seems to be so bad that she cant even speak properly. I lightly walked to the sink. I plan on fixing up ramen for breakfast, and then contact the dimensional returnee I had met to find out more about Murim over lunch. Lastly, Ill have to do some research on magic in the afternoon. I had learned a lot from Aren. However, as soon as I had such thoughts, the plant in my inventory suddenly groaned. [Witchwitch.] What? I quickly took the flowerpot out of my inventory, and saw that it was shriveled and shaking. [It hurts] It hurts? [Mhm. Im tired] Come to think of it, the flowerpot itself is limited. After all, this is the modern world, so I had no choice but to create a temporary environment using aether crystals and material from other worlds. I must take proper measures. Damn it. What should I do? The White Witchs library simply wrote desirable environment, it didnt say what to do if a situation like this happens. The library is just a search skill. However, the Client who is knowledgeable in this area, quickly gave me an answer. [ Move it to a magic rich environment so the spirit can breath. ] [ Contact with any materials good for the spirit can improve its health. ] Those are good ideas. Good, but its a real headache with all the work that needs to be done on Earth. Dimensional returnee, unknown mages that may exist on Earth, and the creation of my own swordsmanship that has attracted masters. For the time being, all of these things are stable, but eventually, I will need strength. And in order to gain strength, I have to hunt protagonists like what Ive been doing. How bad is it? [Very] In the first place, the Silver Spiritual Flower is from another world. Its not suitable in a modern environment, so even if I hid it in my inventory as much as possible, in the end, it has its limits. I dont know if the flower can bloom and become a spirit since its still too fragile to survive. Give me the list of missions. Taking in a hangover cure, I equipped my aether dispenser while boiling water for the ramen. As expected, when I checked the list, numerous missions appeared. Lets think about it. Wherever it may be, a place related to magic should be the best if I want to get good materials for spirits. [ Dont choose human-type worlds. ] [ Worlds that have races contrary to common sense can provide a better environment for the spirits. ] What do you mean? [ So far, most of the worlds youve been to had been similar to Earth. ] [ But remember, there are many worlds that are not. ] Meaning, there are worlds with environments different from Earths. Um Surely such a world will have many more interesting things than a world of ordinary mages. [Im suffocating. Save me] Hang in there. Im looking for a good place right now. [Dying] You wont die. [Youll die instead of me] Why are you turning this around? While searching for a relevant world in the systems worlds mission list, one stood out to me. It was the world of a level 61 protagonist. #DawnFairy_Doesnt_Dream #Fantasy #Dream #Strategic #Fractured #Forbidden_Love The hashtags were strange. Dream, forbidden love, strategic, and fractured? In the first place, its quite difficult to understand the systems hashtags. Soon, I picked up my phone and changed the status of my messenger. Ill be leaving today, so I wont be in touch. It was convenient to do this because there are still many things to talk about with other people. Taylor. Have some ramen. Im leaving for awhile. Suddenly, Taylor rose up, crawled over, and grabbed my arm. So. Are you going to a strange place? Said Taylor, with her eyes wide open. Knowing her for 15 years, that tone, I can tell shes only half awake. Its urgent. Do you really have to go? Only Yes. Okay Hearing my answer, Taylor laid back on the floor. Somehow, Im worried. Such an unfamiliar feeling felt strange to me. I placed the ramen beside her, then spoke to the Client. Lets go. [Traveling to Dream Island. The world of the Level 61 protagonist, Hanniel.] Chapter 45: Dream Island. Dream Island. Home to the Dawn Fairies, this island does not see much sunlight. This is because the purple planet Helyawin that covered half the sky also blocked the sun. So there was only about 3 hours of sunlight during the day. The remaining 18 hours were the dusky twilight before dawn. Strangely, although the planet Helyawin blocked the sun, half the light was able to pass through Dream Island, thus, the world was dyed purple all through dawn. The sky was purple, the clouds were purple, everything was purple. The purple world is like an illusion, a dream. That may be why this island is called Dream Island. It was also a floating island. But since the fairies have never gone down the island, they have no idea another world exists outside of the island. Just like a dream, they lived in their own world. Evening in Dream Forest is about three hours. But it wasnt too dark at this hour. Because the spirits that were hiding below ground came up one by one to brighten this world. The Dawn Fairies, turning their heads, saw the colorful and beautiful spirits twinkling like fireflies, and because of this, they did not have to worry about getting lost on Dream Island. Dawn Fairies dont dream. Because their life is like a dream. Beautiful. The second princess of the Dawn Tribe, Marilyn, would always climb to the highest mountain on the east side of Dream Island at sunrise. Its because from here she could faintly see the sea beneath the island that is said to exist in legends. A whole world covered in water? It sounded fantastic just thinking about it. When other Dawn Fairies were content to just live happily day by day, she felt no happiness towards such life. Just, the sea. Looking at it was the only thing that brought Marilyn happiness. After staring at the sea for a long time, before she knew it, the sun had risen. This time is when the whole world became blue. The sky was blue, and the world of water in the distance was also blue. In this world full of purple, Marilyn loved the color blue. As she enjoyed the view, she became lost in the moment. ! The wind began to sway. Immediately, Marilyn hid under a tree, and the tree moved on its own to cover her body. The animals that were running around hid in the ground, and the birds and spirits flying in the sky also disappeared. Hwiiing!! Something flew up from beneath the island. Soon, it glided across Dream Island. Wind Devils! Devils suddenly appeared one day in the wind. They looked similar to Dawn Fairies. Light skinned with ten fingers and feet. However, unlike the Dawn Fairies who have pointed ears, purple eyes, and purple hair, they had rounded ears, brown eyes, and brown hair. Also, the wing-like contraption on their backs were made from wood and paper, a machine that allowed the Wind Devils to fly in the sky. A very dangerous device that can control the wind. Such creatures born from nature had dared to control it. From the Dawn Fairies point of view, the existence of such machines is horrible, but the Wind Devils are too powerful for them to do anything about it. Wait, that direction is! Marilyn gasped when she saw the direction the Wind Devils were heading. Wasnt that where her tribe lives? No way, a coincidence? The residences of the Dawn Fairies are protected by nature, thus, its not easily found by the eyes of the Wind Devils. Because it can look like an ordinary tree, river, or rock. But now. Arent the Wind Devils confidently flying as if they knew where theyre going? I have to tell the tribe! Marilyn hurriedly touched a tree. All the trees in nature that exist on Dream Island are connected by a single root, enabling communication anywhere. So the Dawn Fairies uses it to contact one another from far away. Its already been five years since the Wind Devils began to invade Dream Island. However, the fairies still havent been able to respond to this disaster. Night came. It lasts only about three hours each day, but because its a time of abundance energy, its the perfect time for a ceremony. All the Dawn Fairies were gathered at the Twilight Tree, which rose high into the sky, as they knelt and prayed. Twilight Tree. Passed down from generation to generation, its said that the earliest Dawn Fairies that blossomed from their flowers were always given a solution by this tree whenever something perilous happened. However, for the last 300 years, the Twilight Tree has not answered their calls. Is it out of energy? Is it exhausted? Or, is it because they had wished too much that it has stopped listening. They dont know. But this was the only thing the Dawn Fairies could do. The devils are too powerful for them to deal with, so as always, they had no choice but to wish. Too many fairies have died. Leading the ceremony as the priestess is the second princess, Marilyn, who was dancing buoyantly near the tree. It has already been 3 years since the first princess, Arilyn, went into seclusion. Since then, the second princess has taken on the role of overseeing the Dawn Fairies. Eueuk Heuk In the midst of the ceremony, cries burst out from all sides. She had hurriedly warned that the devils were invading, but it was too late, as many fairies died before they could hide. How did the devils find their homes? That one question dominated Marilyns mind. Please. Mother, please guide us. The three hour long ceremony gradually heightened, as the sound of music from the Dawn Fairies filled the Twilight Tree. Suddenly, on top of the altar dedicated to the Twilight Tree, a blue light burst out and something appeared. ! Instantly, there was silence. Looking at the altar, all the Dawn Fairies were surprised. Seeing something with black hair and black eyes appear before them, Marilyn backed away. Ah, devil! Rounded ears, the symbol of the devil. As she backed away with a pale look, she saw something on his chest. Silver Spiritual Flower? Then, the man with black eyes also looked up at himself. No, to be exact, somewhere between the air. [210] [Travel completed.] [You became a passerby on Dream Island] [Correction.] [You became Dream Islands spirit guide.] Ive never been treated to the locals food in another world before. Its our Dawn Fairies special dish, Bayahms Seven Honey. Sharp ears. Purple eyes and hair. Annoyingly beautiful and handsome appearance. It seems that this is a world of fairies. And just because I have the Silver Spiritual Flower and has appeared at a really amazing time, I was treated with extreme care. Was I lucky? Or. Did you do something? [ No way. I dont have the ability to interfere with the worlds plot. ] Well, I suppose so. If she is able to interfere, she would have killed the protagonists without needing me in the first place. [ Onlythis time, little by little, I felt this world would have a better start. ] Is that so. Ive always carefully selected a world according to the Clients recommendation, but never knew which had a good start. I thought it would have been similar no matter which world I chose. How nice it would be if this happens every time. [ Its impossible. It was possible this time because I felt a strong connection to the plot. ] The connection to the plot is probably the Silver Spiritual Flower I held in my arms. Evident by these fellows who call themselves Dawn Fairies or Morning Fairies or whatever, as they couldnt take their eyes off the flowerpot on the table. Are you feeling better? [Yes] Is there anything else you need? [I also want a drink.] The flower was coveting the fairies wine on the table. Youre still wet behind the ears for that. [I dont have ears] It seems to be in much better shape now that its talking nonsense. Proof that this is a perfect environment. I had also asked the fairies to bring me something good for the spirit, and they brought me the best soil they had. In many ways, it was the right choice to come to this world. By the way Is this a special dish? A big bowl was on my table, and inside is a watery soup of some kind. Indeed, this is a special dish. Thats right! Mixing a drop of honey that comes from the rocks of Ashil once a year, the green honey from the Santatrom Butterfly, and a spoonful of honey from the Kama Melon. Aye. Quiet down, Ill eat it. Yes! When the male fairy in front of me stopped talking, I ate some of the honey, and surprisingly, its quite delicious. Do you guys always eat this stuff? Of course! We never eat living things. By comparison, the devils are really barbaric. How, howThey cut the animals with a knife, burn them with wood, then eat themUgh, just thinking about it is horrible. Ah, is something wrong? No. Just. I was suffering from an ethical dilemma. The fairies said they would never harm nature. Thats to say, they dont even eat salad. Their diet consisted of only honey. Strangely enough, their honey seems to contain all the essential nutrients. Although its not a special dish, I think itll be fine as a combat ration. The male fairy left after I ate a moderate amount of the honey. The honey could fill my stomach, so I emptied the bowl, got up, and approached the window. As I pushed the wooden partition to open the window, as if moving on its own, it slowly opened. Looking at it now, all the buildings that I thought were carved from wood are actually living trees, made to look like buildings. Crazy. How is this possible? I couldnt believe the trees changed into the shape of buildings. When I looked out the window and saw the village, I felt like I was going to fall in love with it, like a dream. This world was too beautiful. Beyond comparison to Earth. A world of purple stretching across the horizon. Swarms of pink lights swaying closely, an embroidered scene that cannot be found anywhere on Earth. The Dawn Fairies moved freely through the air and on the trees, which are like their form of Earths highways. To get around, I needed some help from my suit and skills. Its fortunate my body is flexible. Knock knock! C Can I come in? Yes. Hearing my reply, the door opened and a woman with purple hair tied in a ponytail came in. This woman is the princess, Marilyn, who guided me the other day. Looking at me, she hesitated for a moment, then spoke. Mister Guide, do you know why we called you? I dont know. I know. I pretended to know. YesAs you know, were being threatened by Wind Devils. Even though weve often moved our residence and have hid thanks to natures help, the devils keep finding us. According to her explanation, they use horrible magic. When the terrifying roar resounded, she recalls the world bursting into flames, as many died from having their body pierced just by having a stick pointed at them. A horrifying magic. I dont have a clue what magic that is either. Dying from having a stick pointed at you? Ive never heard of such magic. Also, flying in the sky But that part wasnt really important to me. In the end, this is a story, so I just have to follow the river of fate and find the protagonist. I had looked over every Dawn Fairies, and none had the protagonist hashtag. That means the protagonist must be one of the devils. Those fellows, do you know where they are now? Ye-yesNorth of Dream Island, at Sleeping Giant Rock Valley. Theyre camped there. Okay. Lets go If there are devils, its best to confirm it as soon as possible. Dawn Fairies uses a huge bird called the White Mane Eagle for travel. Why the eagles have a mane and is not a lion, I dont know, but anyways, its a fairy world. After Marilyn sat in front and I sat in the back, the eagle slowly took off. The current time is 18:30. Its supposed to be sunset, but its already dawn here. Flying up into the dreary night sky, the world slowly disappeared. Then, I only felt the feeling of dreaming. An indescribable magical world. Waterfalls fell from the top of dozens of huge rocky cliffs floating in the sky, and between are intertwined vines that stretched around it. This is not anyones work. Simply, its a site created by nature for the Dawn Fairies. For a long time, we flew in the air and through huge cliffs, and before I knew it, we passed by a purple stream of lights. Its the Spiritual Milky Way. Today is the seasons last twilight. I didnt say anything. Or to be exact, I couldnt. The eagle flew really quietly. To avoid the devils finding out. But Marilyn must have been nervous, as she was breaking out in cold sweats. Rightfully so. Just the thought of us heading towards the base of the wind demons who blew up all their homes. I dont know how strong the devils are, but escaping will be possible. Finally, after a couple of hours of flying, traces of the devils camp came into view. It could be assumed by the rising smoke in the distance. Because fairies dont use fire. Fire. Suddenly, I had a gut feeling. When we arrived at the devils camp, my gut feeling seemed to have hit the mark. Brown hair and eyes. Similar appearances to the fairies but rounded ears. The identity of the devils is as plain as day. Humans? Right. Only So, the terrible magic the Dawn Fairies speak of turns out to be science. Anyone could have guessed it, but I didnt give it much thought. The genre of this world is not humans being invaded, rather, its them invading. Hmm Also, the devils, no, humans, had very unique looking hang gliders and gunpowder cannons all over their camp, as well as what appears to be rifles. Checking them slowly, I lightly smiled. The firearms they have are much older than my equipment. This, isnt it going to be easier than I thought? Chapter 46: Since that day, Ive set up some ‘surveillance cameras near the humans camp. Since that day, Ive set up some surveillance cameras near the humans camp. Thanks to my Inventory skill, its now possible to bring various equipment. With just a few relay points and antennas, I could monitor them from afar, albeit poor reception. After checking their forces, I returned to the village of the Dawn Fairies. The human force is a little over 3,000. No matter how low their technologies are, given the numbers on their side, its absolutely impossible to deal with them alone. Before the hunt, one must familiarize themselves with the enemys characteristics. Unlike a herd of monsters, it seems like this will be my first time hunting a herd of humans. The barrel of their firearms is shorter than I thoughtTheir cannons are also fairly primitive. But are those the only weapons they have? Their rifles precision range is a little over 100 meters. Beyond that, I only have to watch out for bullets in my blind spots. Their cannons arent dangerous, but it can reduce my barrier considerably. Although a few shots are fine, I have to be careful not to get hit. As expected, their technology is not even on par to the 19th century. Not only are the range on their guns short, their cannons could only fire once before having to take a long time to reload. What do you think? Asked Marilyn, with a worried look as she put down the special honey on the table in front of me. For the time being, dont worry. I didnt actually come here to exterminate them. However, perhaps our goals are similar. Marilyn mentioned that among the devils, theres someone extraordinarily strong. It should be their Chief Commander. I didnt understand what she meant by extraordinarily strong, but for now, my guess is that the Chief Commander is the protagonist. And, I shouldnt underestimate them just because their technology is lacking. After all, its level 61. Even though their technology is outdated, couldnt they have good physical abilities? Maybe its a crazy world where humans can cut down buildings with a knife or something like that. By the way, hows the flowerpot? Ah. You mean the Silver Spiritual Flower. A strange spirit born from violence, destruction, and death in Hell Gate. Because the conditions to give birth to such a flower is strict, sure enough, the Silver Spiritual Flower is uncommon in this world. According to Marilyn, the story goes that a silver spirit appeared on Dream Island when the Twilight Tree first took root. So then, was there a great war on Dream Island? Theres no way to know. Besides, Im not the kind of person to worry about the unknown. Take a look over there. Its getting along with the spirits. Near the Twilight Tree was the flowerpot, with its roots down the nearby lake. A dreamy swarm of light subtly covered the sky in a purple aurora. The specs of lights fell like snow as the silver flower swayed. Such a sight was more beautiful than any sculpture. Evident by the Dawn Fairies seated around the silver spirit as if they were possessed. The spirits nearby had gathered near the silver spirit to play pranks using wind and water, and the silver spirit reacted each time. [ThatsThats not how you do it] [Nope.] Are you kidding. [What? Is there a problem?] No. I feel the same way. That rascal of a flower was admonishing the spirits. Its really amazing. By the way, you can interact with the spirits, so why cant you use them? That Marilyn thought for a moment with a troubled look on her face, then soon spoke. Among the Dawn Fairies, only the Dawn Fairy queen can call on the spirits power. Queen? She passed away. So the first princess, Arilyn, became the next heir. Since three years ago, she has been suffering from an illness. So the third through seventh princesses have been praying for her every day. I briefly thought about it. Sayif the first princess dies, who will be the successor to the spirits? Marilyn looked into my eyes. The clear violet eyes were shaking. Naturally, it will be the next princess in line. It wasnt just her who knew this fact, all the Dawn Fairies did. However, they were all praying for the first princess to live. So I didnt say anything. Three days passed. In the meantime, Ive been quite busy. Chief Commander of the human force. The person whos supposed to be the protagonist hasnt shown up, so I was thinking of ways to lure it out. It would be best if I could also get rid of the human troops. Marilyn had mentioned that sometimes the Chief Commander would come forward when something important happens. Since she said that. Ive been preparing in advance accordingly. First, my equipment. Modern firearms not only had bullets, but also various features like fire, electricity, poison, and so forth to deal with monsters. I also added magic to further enhance their effectiveness. Explosives that originally spread fire in all directions were enhanced with magic to automatically locate enemies and strike them with electricity. The harmony of science and magic. Although my magic is not very good and its not very useful yet, this alone has increased the efficiency of my equipment. Ive set up explosives all over the valley where their hang gliders could pass. Then, an unexpected situation happened. Wiing, wiing! I immediately checked the surveillance camera when it detected something, and what I saw can only be described as bizarre. Whatthis? The humans were mounting the hang gliders that I thought were just props on their backs like wings. However, it appears thats not the case. Hang gliderstheyre taking off vertically? Vertical takeoff. A technology perfectly reasonable on Earth. However, it was only made possible in the 21st century using fairly advanced technology. Yet, now theyve taken off vertically using wings made of paper. What the hell Staring at the monitors, I noticed something strange on their wings. Between dozens of cogwheels were large and small moving propellers. There seems to be some strange principle behind their flying. Earths flying technology is clearly much better. A fighter jet flying at supersonic speed or a rocket flying into outer space. However, their ability to use the wind itself is much better than Earths. With only a few pieces of wood, paper, and iron, they were able to fly freely in the sky. Instead of 19th century technologies, what if they had 21st century technologies? Controlling the wind, was this what she meant I thought it was simply flying, but I was wrong. Still, theres no problem. Whether they can fly in the sky or not, in the end, its within my capability. I hurriedly packed my equipment and climbed up a rocky mountain I had scouted in advance. This was the highest rocky mountain near here, and unlike the other rocky mountains floating in the air, this mountain was so close to the ground that it was easy to climb up and down. It took me 15 minutes to get to the top of the mountain. I quickly took out my mega shooter, connected the barrel, set up a bipod, and laid down. After inserting a scope with a len that extends 30 times and setting the type of bullet to general assault, I brought the scope up to my eye. It used to be a hassle measuring the distance from a target and having to account for the strength and direction of the wind using your tongue and finger, but these days, most of it has been solved by the power of science. When a target is caught by the scope, it automatically zero in on the target as it adjusts to the wind and position. Though, there was very little wind on Dream Island, making it the perfect environment for snipers. At this time, the sun began to rise, ushering in a new dawn. It only lasts for three hours, and today during this hazy morning, seven devils with their hang gliders have appeared. Based on their numbers, I guess its the patrol unit. I aimed at a human head that has appeared in my sight. The distance is about 7km or so. This distance would have been difficult for normal rifles to reach, but my aether enhanced bullets are enough. And it was me, a person who has a talent for sharpshooting, that held the rifle. Tung! Something like a sparrow lightly fell. Marilyn held a bowl of warm honey tea in one arm and the flowerpot in the other. The spirit guide had told her to carry it at all times, so thats what shes been doing, even though it was uncomfortable. Holding onto it, she climbed a tree. Her sister, Arilyn, has been living in this tree, which is the tallest one, all this time. There wasnt a reason for it other than Arilyns love for the sky. Marilyn and her sister liked looking at the sky together. All the Dawn Fairies liked the color purple, but for some reason, the princesses were unique in that they liked other colors and not purple. For example, the third liked green and the fourth liked red. Among the seven princesses, she was the only one that liked the color blue. Knock, knock. She knocked, but there was no answer. It was strange. To nurse Arilyn, the five princesses would pray. Did they not hear her because they were too focused? No way. Sisters, Im coming in. Said Marilyn, carefully opening the door and instinctively covering her nose. Something. A suspicious smell brushed her nose. This is? Looking inside. All five sisters who were supposed to nurse Arilyn were lying on the floor. Sleepgas? She knew it was a skill used by the devils. Scattering gas, a skill to force the Dawn Fairies to sleep. But why was it here No way! Marilyn rushed to the bedside with her nose closed, then reached out her hand to check her sisters breath. Nobreath? Faced with this unbelievable reality, Marilyn fell to the floor. Arilyn. Dead. Ah She had unknowingly let go of her hands and inhaled. Her senses began to go numb. While this was happening, Marilyn looked at the faces of her fallen sisters one by one. There were only four. Tap tap. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Marilyn slowly turned her head. Identical purple hair and eyes, there, stood the youngest princess. Youngest sister. Big sister. How are you feeling? Thisthiswas it you? The always innocent youngest. A child more cheerful than anyone else who brought smiles to other fairies. She still had a cheerful expression on her face. Yes. Why? Because its time. Marilyn tried to persevere using her willpower. Must not fall asleep. The thought that if she falls here, everyone will be finished. But, it wasnt due to Marilyns willpower. Hm. Also, it looks like youve been given the spirit inheritance. Just because you were born, its all yours. You dont think thats right? What are you sayingThatsobvious Its a fact. Its always been that way, is that way, and will be that way. Thats the Dawn Fairiess culture. However, the youngest couldnt accept it. No. Youre wrong. II dont think it makes sense for you sisters who have no talent and no dream to inherit that ability. What? The youngest princess, Sarilyn, opened her hand. Suddenly, a gust of wind began swirling on top. Even though she doesnt have the spirit inheritance, its the power of spirits! What? Its talent, big sister. I was born with the power to govern spirits. Every spirit loves me, and I love them tooAnd, once I inherit the spirit inheritance, this talent will shine. Just because Im the youngest, I had no chance at the inheritance. How miserable it felt. It was something other Dawn Fairies would never know. No way. All this for such a reason? No. It was not. Big sister. Did you know? There are over 100 other islands beside Dream Island in this world. You didnt know, right? Those we call devils are not actually devils. Theyre just a little more developed than us, albeit greedyAlso, theyre capable of dreaming. A very romantic bunch. Sarilyn slowly approached Marilyn and held her chin. Soon, this world will be in flames. The devilsno. Humans have already found a way to move to other islands. Its impossible for this island to accommodate all of us. Therefore. Were going to start a war with this world. Dont you see? Unknown to us, the war had already begun. We just didnt know it and have been living a complacent life. I justI just wanted to save the Dawn Fairies. Hey, big sister. Hey! Have you heard of war? You know. To kill or die. Such a war. From reading the Dawn Fairys forbidden book, I understood everything. So I joined hands with humans. Im going to marry one of them and have a baby. Me who has the spirits and humans who have the wind and gunpowder will be united. Its really fantastic, isnt it? Right? Marilyn, with trembling eyes, asked. Then, it was you who called the devils? Thats right. Now that Arilyn is dead, it wont be long before the humans arrive. Dont worry about it. Ive told you the truth. Because I love you. Theyre not going to treat us badly. Sarilyn gently stroked Marilyns chin. Big sister, lets leave together. This Dream Island. Dawn Fairies do not dream because their life is a dream. Its time for you to wake up from this dream. So. Only Hand over your inheritance to me. Marilyn, who had just received the inheritance, is not able to properly use the power of spirits. On the other hand, Sarilyn is talented in controlling spirits and has been practically, so shes able to easily overpower Marilyn. [Thats] That would have been the case, but. [Thats not how you do it] Huh? The wind stopped. Chapter 47: The humans were made aware of an unknown enemy. The humans were made aware of an unknown enemy. I had shot down three people that day while the rest hid on ground before I could shoot them. Though, from the start, I intended to spare a few. Only that way will they know there exists an enemy who has superior technology to theirs. Fear of the unknown. Now the human will have to move in large numbers. Also, I had told the Dawn Fairies to relocate. It was easy for them because the trees can turn into houses on their own. Slowly moving. Having confirmed through the cameras that the enemy was flying up from their camp, I quickly packed my equipment and headed for a floating cliff. 50, then 100, then finally 150 flew up in formation. Altogether 300 enemies. No matter what level of weapons they have, even an A-Rank hunter will not be able to deal with all of them at once because of their limited stamina. However, its possible with the help of equipment. Im going to break the bank again today. I took out a pair of sunglasses from my inventory, put them on, then held my breath. These sunglasses have a handy radar HUD (Head-Up Display), which has an active infrared sensor, and depending on the equipment available, thermal imaging surveillance, partial fluoroscope, echolocation, and so on are possible. At the moment, I have no choice but to roughly mark the enemys position There were not even that many enemies. Theyre coming. Points marked A to F were shown on a monitor next to me, and as soon as I saw about 30 troops passing by Point C, I pressed the switch to the bomb I had installed at that location. Boom!! Somewhere, an explosion sounded. Checking my camera, about half were injured or dead and the other half remained unscathed. Although I cant fully see the enemys movements and it was slightly out of range, their reaction was still quite fast. Then, every time an enemy passed by a point, an alarm would ring and I would trigger a series of bombs. At times it was an electric field piercing them, other times it was flames rising to the sky. The nature that the Dawn Fairies deeply cherish was slightly damaged in the process Though, Im not the type of person to care about that in the first place. Boom, Boom!! Explosions came from all directions. I cant kill them all. However, since my goal was to block them from heading towards the Dawn Fairies, it could be said that Ive accomplished that. Dealing with all 3,000 humans is difficult, but 300 was easy enough. There are probably less than 100 dead. As expected, I didnt even get half, still, its no problem. Losing their will to fight because of some unknown technology. Theyre scared of the next wave But in fact, theres no such thing. I dont know if there was an emergency order or what, but after a while, the enemies disappeared somewhere. The total casualty I inflicted today is about 80 people. So far, Ive used up about 20% of the explosive I had to inflict this much. I was satisfied with my inventory even though the lack of resources wont be enough to deal with 3,000 people. Its already been three days since. An unidentified enemy had appeared out of nowhere, blocking the few humans from heading to the Fairies camp. Whatever its intentions are, the humans have suffered a great loss. In just three days, more than 200 people have died. Adding the wounded, nearly 300 people are incapacitated. The humans couldnt even tell how many enemies there were, where they were, or what technologies they used. But one thing they were certain of, and that is, the other side has far superior technologies to theirs. Precise shots to the head from thousands of meters away. A warning for them to stop fighting by demonstrating its superior technology. Howeverfor them, retreating now is not an option. An order from the Chief Commander. Then, on the third day. The usually calm Chief Commander, who had remained silent until as many as 200 of his men died, finally gave an order. Against this, were going to make a sortie. Yes sir! The humans have two elite units. One is the Whirlwind Special Mobile Strike Force. And the other is the Gale Special Mobile Strike Force. The Whirlwind Special Mobile Strike Force could glide freely in the air for long range attacks, and now the Chief Commander has finally decided to take out this trump card. Even when they had attacked the fairies, these units were not used. Because these were prepared as countermeasures against the alien races that would exist on other islands. The Chief Commander must have judged that this enemy is more dangerous than the alien races. When Marick, the captain of the Whirlwind Special Mobile Strike Force, saw 49 of his men equipped with the machines called Wings of Hope, with a firm look, he spoke. The Chief Commanders report says the enemy were going to be killing is one. So, you dont have to be afraid. The men looked around at one another. There was no helping it. No matter how they look at it, it should be at least 9 or 10 people. This was the Chief Commanders conclusion. Is that so sir The Chief Commander has absolute authority, and is also the strongest soldier here. And for the most part, his judgement is accurate. Also, based on the evidence and conclusion theyve speculated, the soldiers had no choice but to believe those words. From here, its the Chief Commanders guesses. The enemy uses a more highly developed artillery shell than us. The shells can explode from a distance without being fired, and the enemys firearm appears to have a range of at least 20 times that of ours. It was hopeless just listening to the briefing. Firearms. When it was only them, such technology was more reliable than anything else they had, but now it was terrifying to think an enemy has it. Furthermore, artillery that can explode from a distance. However, unless the shells are set up in advance, it will not detonate. In other words, we have to avoid places where the enemy might have set up traps. Also, if any of you are in the shells range of detonation Then, the Chief Commander pointed to three markings on a map to Marick. Here, here, and here. Marick looked at each of his men, then spoke. The enemy must be somewhere here. An order for a sortie had come down. Once they realized that the enemy could shoot from an invisible distance, they saw no reason to go into open spaces where they could clearly be seen, thus, they flew low to cloak themselves. Hundreds of rocks and plants floating in the air also made for an excellent cover, and the moonlight from the dim twilight soon became a curtain that obscured them. As expected, the shells wont detonate if we pick indirect routes leading to the fairies. Were almost at the key point. Everyone be on high alert. After Marick gave the order, he spoke to Deputy Commander Bike. Bike. Your mission is crucial in the extermination of the enemy. Can you do it? Ill make sure of it. Okay. Go and come back. Marick felt uneasy when he sent Bike. Because Bike was risking his life. No. To kill an unknown enemy, this much is necessary. Marick, with a firm determination, was about to issue a follow-up order when Tutung! Uck! The sound of a gunshot from somewhere, then of a soldier falling. Up 30 degrees northwest! Enemy spotted 300 meters in the distance! Screamed one of the soldiers who had good eyesight, then Marick turned his head. There, wearing a strange steel armor and carrying a firearm much larger than a gun, was somebody or something. The shots would come from thousands of meters away every time, however, it was much closer this time. He must have been in a hurry to stop us from taking this route that leads to the fairies. This is our chance! Everyone, full bloom formation! To pass through the rocks and trees, and get as close as possible while avoiding the enemys sight. However, the distance of 300 meters is longer than one might think. Chuchuchung! Eueuk! Keuk! The enemys shooting skill is far better than what Marick had thought. Just from the gaps in their covers, the enemy was able to hit them, and unlike their own firearms, theirs could be done in succession. Theyve lost seven men already, yet they barely managed to get within range for their rifles. The distance between them and the enemy is now less than 100 meters. All units load! The soldiers, who had been prowling, raised their rifles at the same spot, having surrounded the enemy from all sides. No matter how far the enemys range is, or how it could be done in succession, he wont be able to shoot every soldier on all sides. Fire! Bang, Bang! Bang! The soldiers fired at the enemy with black hair. Titititing! Then, it all bounced off. What the! Giving them no time to panic, the enemy made a gesture of some kind. Next, the rocky cliff that was floating above their heads exploded, sending all the soldiers below it falling. Damn it! The enemy had set up another artillery! Everyone stay away from the structures! However, will that work? Only by being near the structures can they hide from the enemys sight, but now they have to get away from it. Surely theres a limit to the enemys artillery and not every structure was set up. Since they dont know which one is set up, they are forced into this position. However, there was no time to waste. Even though its only one enemy, they were clearly at a disadvantage. Artillery Unit, load! As soon as Marick shouted, 10 soldiers appeared. Fire! Simultaneously, 10 artillery rounds were fired. For the first time, the enemy began to move. Pung, papapung!! As soon as the artillery exploded, the enemy took out a small silver gun from his chest and fired it at another floating cliff. With it, came flying blue sparks. Thats? What Seodam had fired was a Magnetic Grappling Gun. A powerful electromagnet connected to a pistol that uses a push and pull force. Using Wind Step (D) to its full potential, Seodam ran on the side of the cliff and jumped from one to the next using his grappling gun. Marick clenched his teeth as he took out an artillery. The enemy is not completely vulnerable while in air. The timing will be right after the enemy lands on a cliff! Tu-tungtu-tung!! That was great! As if Seodam couldnt avoid the artillery, Marick had successfully hit him When the smoke cleared, the figure revealed inside was intact without a single scratch. The hell! A translucent coating of some kind was covering the enemys body, and Marick, who did not know that its an aether barrier, felt stifled. But. The fact that hes avoiding the artillery means that some amount of impact can harm him. If so, this operation can succeed! Since then, Seodam has attacked the soldiers by either detonating the bombs he installed beforehand or scattering them in the air. Folding their wings midair, many of them were able to avoid the bombs, which shows their physical ability would be at least E-Rank on Earth. Because theres no way ordinary humans could have that reaction speed. Ting, ting! Although their firearms are definitely outdated, their shooting skill and accuracy were quite good in the air. A bullet had scraped Seodams body, however, he was wearing his 1st-Grade suit. And its barrier wasnt reduced much. Third Interception Squad, prepare the artillery! First Subjugation Squad, take flight and block the escape routes! Shwah! Quickly spreading out and flying into the sky, they began firing artillery at Seodam. Its power was lousy, but even superhumans will suffer considerable damage if hit by those without an aether suit on. Seodams ability was only D-Rank, and he has no body strengthening superpowers. However, hes fighting because he trusted his suit. Because of the Magnetic Grappling gun in hand, Seodams mobility was very limited, unlike the soldiers flying freely in the air who was gradually cornering him. Huh. These guys are pretty good? Seodam has almost no experience in aerial combat. No, it could be said that he had none. On the contrary, the soldiers seem to be masters of aerial combat. Facing such enemies that treat their wings as an extension of their bodies, even Seodam found it difficult. However, they still dont have any data on the weaponry Seodam possessed. Pachichi!! Keuack!! W-what! I definitely flew behind the rock. They flew carefully so as to not get caught by the traps or angle of attack, but were suddenly struck by a blue electric wire between the rocks. A magnetic line. Installed on both sides were two electrically connected blue devices, so when three soldiers passed by, they crashed after being electrocuted. Going between the rocks was a good way to widen the distance and avoid the explosives, but There were other means of attack. The magnetic line being one of them. 50 elite soldiers is certainly a little tough. I didnt think Id use something this expensive. Indeed, these are elite aerial warfare troops, so despite having a technological advantage, it was difficult to fight them. Using the Grappling Gun again, Seodam took off to a floating cliff behind him, then aimed his pistol. The soldiers had disappeared. Perhaps each of them were hiding behind a rock or tree floating in the air and outside of his vision. Even though theres a magnetic line, it wasnt something like an enemy alarm system. They wont show up again until they regroup, so until then, Seodam decided to widen the distance a little bit for his rifle. Swish! ! Suddenly. Seodam, sensing something amiss, hurriedly activated his barrier, but instead of it being an ambush, a red liquid of some kind covered his body. Whats this, when did it get on me? He thought he had confirmed all the enemies position. Slowly looking up, he saw somethinga fish creature that looked like a dolphin tied up with a rope and two soldiers pouring out its blood. Whats this? A sticky smell of blood was covering his body. Then, Marick shouted. Good job, Bike! Unbeknownst to Seodam, this was the crux of their operation. The red liquid that covers his body is the blood of the predator of the skys child, and the predator is very fond of their young .Kuuu!!! From somewhere, a giant horn sounded. No, it was something of a loud wail. And that something is a giant whale. A whale that swims freely through the sky using its seven fins like wings. Now such a monster was opening its muzzle with all its might towards Seodam. Only then did Seodam grasp the situation, as he burst out laughing. Wow. I see, these devilish bastards. Those were the words spoken by the stranger with black hair. Ugh! [Remaining Barrier: 19.08%] Tuwakwong!! Thud. The Whirlwind Force dropped their firearms. The predator of the sky.killed? Seeing the giant predator burst into pieces, the troops lost all their fighting spirit. It was unbelievable. Firearms and cannons. Against this absolute ruler of the world, no attacks had worked. Now, the predator of the sky had met its end. The plan was perfect. They had thought that if it was the predator, it would surely kill the unknown enemy. This doesnt make any sense They had always been confident in their dominance of science and technology. But now, after meeting an even more overwhelming and perfect science. Their confidence was shattered. When a soldier, who is in deep despair, was about to fall to his knees. Someone from behind assisted him. D-deputy Chief Commander? It was Meiyan, a sharp-faced woman with brown hair. When she saw the mysterious enemy slaughtering her allies in the distance, Meiyan became irritated. Then, she spoke to the Chief Commander who had approached her from behind at some point. Chief Commander, I thought everything would go smoothly after you tricked that stupid bitch fairy Only Meiyan paused when she saw the Chief Commander looking somewhere in the distance. What are you going to do now? Instead of answering, he pulled out a sharp longsword. Strongest soldier on land, Chief Commander, genius inventory, great pioneer, humanitys hero, and king among men. Hanniel Maximov. I will take action myself. With 20 of his most elite soldiers, the Windfury Special Mobile Strike Force, he took the lead. Chapter 48: This world consists of more than 100 islands. This world consists of more than 100 islands. One of which humans originally inhabited. Their island had good water and beautiful fertile land. And with the development of science came better living conditions, but It was too successful, and as the population grew, it became a problem. Cramped and ridiculously insufficient at accommodating the growing numbers, a new home was needed. Thats when Hanniel stepped forward. Having developed the first flying machine and developing it to the limit to be able to travel outside their island, he finally discovered the existence of another island. For the first time, a human being successfully flew to another island. This other world still lived on a cramped island, and have not develop flight technology because they saw no reason to leave. No, in the first place, their technology lagged far behind the humans. The war of conquest was easy. Since theyve started searching for new homes, Hanniel has conquered as many as nine islands. The conquered islands were colonized and the original inhabitants were enslaved. Hanniel plans to turn this whole world into one that belongs to humans. Thats the backstory and plot of this world. #DawnFairies_Dont_Dream Seodem looked at Hanniel, the protagonist, standing before him. Instead of a hang glider, he was covered in strange scientific equipment, and had 20 men with him. Simply in terms of physical ability, each was E or D Rank, while Hanniel was clearly D+ Rank. Seodam glanced around. Trees, trees, and more trees. Blocked by obstacles everywhere, this is the worst place for aerial combat. So Seodam has been using guerrilla warfare and retreating here, but he didnt expect them to follow him all the way here. In fact, that kind of person is the most difficult to deal with. The enemies he faced the other day somehow managed to create a situation in which he has forced the protagonists hand. The reason why he chose this method is because it would be a death that fits the flow of the plot, as well as it being safe and inexpensive. However, this time it was not. There are thousands of men who swore absolute loyalty to the protagonist, so fighting the protagonist meant fighting all of them. But How do they plan on fighting? That question arose in his mind. Their wings are useless here in the woods. On the contrary, it was more advantageous for Seodam. As if answering the question, with fine wind control, Hanniel slowly came forward. Oh, what is that? Unlike the wings worn by the others, there were two small wind ejection machines reminiscent of a rocket as well as very tiny wings hung on his sides. Since it was impossible to fly high into the air, a new technology that enables aerial combat in this dense forest was used, called the Tornado Launcher Glider. Seodam wasnt sure, but he somewhat knew they would have a contingency plan for fighting in forest areas. Surrender. Killing you would be a waste of talent. Oh Trying to appease an enemy that has killed 200 of his men. Well, thats the protagonist for you. What if I refuse? Only death awaits. Said Hanniel, taking out a heavy steel sword. Seodam has seen something similar on Earth. It was a saw. However, it doesnt seem to be an ordinary saw. It was a saw made from a special metal that could only be found here. But, this weapon that was made by the inventor Hanniel himself, there were only 21 due to the lack of materials. Thats why only Hanniel and the 20 men of the Windfury Force have it. Still, theres only one answer. In the first place, the answer is fixed. I refuse. I thought thatd be the case. Now theres no other choice but to kill or be killed. Then, Hanniel continued. Is your mission to protect the Dawn Fairies village? Roughly. Then, its too late. Earlier today, my contact sent me the location of the Dawn Fairies village. While we have you occupied, 500 troops are heading there now. Saying so, he smiled. All will die. Seodam realized why Hanniel has spoken up to now. He must have thought to create an opening by making me restless. After hearing that, if Seodams state of mind wavers, from their point of view, he will be much easier to subdue. So once Seodam knows of their plan, he will be even more anxious. Truly an evil plan. However, the fact is, Seodam doesnt care whether the homes of the Dawn Fairies collapse or not. The same old trick. Though, Seodam still felt quite burdened having to deal with the E-D Ranks who could fly perfectly. Because theres no law stating Hanniel has to fight alone. He began to think. Hanniel has now conquered 9 islands. Although there are about 90 islands left to his goal, the theme of this world is Dawn Fairy. A human conqueror protagonist, and Dream Island, one of the many islands. Why was this place the center of the plot? Thinking up to here, Seodam recalls the forbidden love hashtag. Perhaps Hanniel is having an affair with someone from Dream Island. Their technology alone shouldnt have been able to find the hiding spots of the Dawn Fairies. In other words, Hanniel fell in love with someone he plans on invading. It was possible to speculate that much. He doesnt know who it is, but Its not a big problem. Hanniel. You know my name? Of course. Ive heard a lot about you. From her. The word her was just a guess. He has no idea whether Hanniel was in love with a man or woman. However, as if his rough guess was correct, Hanniel flinched. RightWhat did she say about me? We talked a lot. Shes been a friend of mine since we were kids. She always spoke of your dream. About a wild dream of you wanting to get your hands on the whole world. Actually, the Client had told him the backstory, but he didnt know exactly what stage Hanniel and her plot are at, so he was walking on a tightrope. Because if Hanniel says Ive never told that story, his lie would be discovered. She really loves you from the bottom of her heart. I tried to stop her. The man is using you. Hes trampling on your dreams and using it as a stepping stone for his dream. But she didnt believe it. In the end, she still trusted you. Thats why I came alone to fight without telling the Dawn Fairies. To protect that childs dream. Seodam continued. As a result, she trusted you till the end but you betrayed her. When he finished speaking, contrary to being agitated. How about you? Asked Hanniel with a stiff expression. Seodam was slightly flustered here. He didnt think Hanniel would be so calm. Me, until the last momentI believed it. It sounded nice. Their first meeting was a coincidence. Suddenly, Hanniel recalls the first time he saw Sarilyns smile. Bathed in moonlight, a beautiful smile. She had many dreams. Like him, she dreamed of a broader world. But unlike him, she wanted to travel the world, not conquer it. So Hanniel showed her the reality of the world. That it isnt such a romantic place. Only when its dyed with blood, will a peaceful world come. Soon, Dream Island will be like that too, he said. Hanniel had deceived Sarilyn. So that the Dawn Fairies can be protected, were going to protect them. But, the fairies are conservative. They call you devils. Theyll never accept humans. If so, well use a little bit of force. Even if we go too far, eventually, well subdue the Dawn Fairies and force them under our protection. In the end. Tell me where the Dawn Fairies live. She was used. Having lost her worth, he had ordered the Deputy Commander to kill them all. At one point. Its true that I had feelings for her. But, that was then. I just reflected on that fact when I set out today to kill you. This Seodam burst out laughing. If the development had followed the original plot, Hanniel would have fallen in love with a Dawn Fairy. Perhaps he would have given up the dream of conquest, either way, that would have been the ending. But by interfering, the direction of the plot has changed. Thinking that he should conquer the Dawn Fairies as soon as possible, Hanniels love for the woman never had time to grow. Maybe this is for the better. Wouldnt a love made through deceit be better than falling in love with a woman of the tribe he slaughters? If so, an obvious development would have happened. Im sorry I secretly murdered your people. Then, when Hanniel inevitably cries and beg, the woman who is moved by his action will not even think twice about her peoples deaths. No. I forgive you for everything. I love you. Thats what she would say. Its ridiculous if you think about it. Is an apology going to bring back the dead? Thinking so, Seodam drew his aether blade. Is that the weapon you are most confident in? The saw, a weapon that maximizes destructive power by rotating. However, it could be said that the Aether Blade is the final evolution of the saw. So. Its a sword? Its stupidly simple. Hanniel was arrogant. He did not put his focus on rifles and cannons because he thought it was enough against other species. But the saw was different. It was his greatest achievement since it was a secret weapon made using all the science and materials at his disposal. Youre right. Seodam pressed a button on the aether blade and it activated. Then, with a burst of strong energy, a glow emitted from all sides. Wh..at? Truly a sad protagonist. If not for being the protagonist, he might have become the best inventor in the world. If not for the clumsy desire to conquer. If only, how great it would have been. Seodam has no intention of flaunting his own scientific weapons. After all, he didnt create it himself, while the enemy had created one on his own. Just, born in the wrong world in the wrong era with the wrong fate. Even though hes a genius, nevertheless, to Seodam, he has to die. Tat! Seodam lept with ease, then heavily swung his aether blade. A single simple swing! Hanniel lifted his saw to block it Swaah! His greatest invention was futility cut in half. Whi-iing!! Eueuk! The youngest princess, Sarilyn, with all her might, called upon the forces of nature. Although shes a genius and could use the power of spirits even without the spirit inheritance, there was a limit to it. She was pushed back when the spirit really began using its power. What the hell! It was the strange flower. The flower that appeared with the existence called Guide. Sarilyn recognizes the flower. In a very distant past, when the world was stained with blood by war. A flower bloomed. In other words, the truth is, its a primal spirit born from death. The silver flower, as if singing, controlled the wind to dance. But, to Sarilyn it was like a storm, as it squeezed her body. Water, Fire, Wind, Electricity, Soil. No spirits could go against it. The spirits shouldnt hate me! Innately, all spirits loved her. It watched over her and never refused her requests. Stopit! [I cant] However, this spirit did not listen to her. [Well, the witch hates] After saying that strange remark. [Silver Spiritual Flower linked to Yoo Seodam.] [Synchronization check.] [Silver Spiritual Flower linked to White Witchs Library (F).] Suddenly, on top of the pure white flower, a little girl bloomed. Next, the spirit that was swaying above the beautiful silver flower turned its palms toward Sarilyn. A deformed picture appears in the air and squarely hits Sarilyn. Boom! Ahuek! Sarilyn, who was hit by a huge hammer-like wind, was knocked out of the room, smashing the wooden door in the process. They were on the tallest tree and she almost fell, but the tree did not save her. Quickly hanging onto a branch, Sarilyn gracefully landed on the ground. Having watched what happened, Marilyn shakily stood up and hugged the flowerpot into her arms. A little girl had grown on top of the flower. She has never seen a spirit with this form before. We have to go after her. She was now having strange ideas. The devils, she couldnt believe it. They were evil, cunning, and cruel. And by no means are they trustworthy. Because of the gas, Marilyn found it hard to move her body, nonetheless, she hurried down to persuade her sister. However, it was too late. Big sister. I guess I couldnt beat the power of inheritance even with my talentBut, if the power of spirits wont do. What if I borrow the devils power, would that work? ! Suddenly, covering the sky was hundreds of shadows. Users of wind and gunpowder, the devils. Now, theyve arrived here. Ah, ah As Marilyn swayed, she collapsed to the ground. One by one, the devils landed in their village, and the Dawn Fairies, who were in a disarray, began running in all directions. Sarilyn, maintaining as much of a gentle look as possible, spoke to Marilyn. Big sister. Dont worry. Theyre going to protect us- Bang! Huh? Feeling something foreign in her stomach, Sarilyn stopped. Blood? A beautiful violet liquid. The blood of a Dawn Fairy. Why? As soon as she had such a thought, her legs felt weak and she collapsed. Immediately, seeing her sister falling, Marilyn tearfully screamed. Ah, no way!! Then, the person who shot her in the stomach approached, and spoke. Dont move. If any bugs are caught moving, Ill shoot them all like your princess here. It was Meiyan, Deputy Commander of the human troops. Immediately, the Dawn Fairies gave up running away. The devils with wings already have them surrounded. The children fairies struggled to hold back their tears and the adults fairies endured the humiliation. Meiyan laughed at the sight of Marilyn crawling towards the fallen Sarilyn. I cant believe it. Did you really fall for the Commanders words? Ah, aeuk. Sarilyn slowly raised her head. A woman with brown hair was looking down at her in disgust. You should know your place as a savage tribe. Im so proud of my fiance who has been associating with a filthy race like yours all this time. F-fiance? Yes. Hanniel Maximov. We promised to marry each other. It has long been decided by our family. Do you understand? How dare you think youre his match. With trembling eyes, Sarilyn spoke to Meiyan. I dont believe it. He definitely loves me So. Everything was a lie. You still dont understand? Stupid thing. Meiyan approached Sarilyn, placed her gun to Sarilyns forehead, and pushed hard. Filthy savage tribe. You should know your place. Eueuk! It hurts. Really, the pain was terrible. A pain she has never felt in her life before. The pain that was spreading from her abandonment? No, not that. The pain of a broken heart after being betrayed by the one you loved, it was too painful. Sarilyn heaved and groaned in pain as she shed tears at the unbelievable reality. Then, the flower spoke. [Do you wanthelp?] Huh? It wasnt directed at the second princess. The flower was speaking to Marilyn, who was losing consciousness from her wound. She couldnt understand why the flower said it would help her. However, theres no way now. Help me. Please. [Mhm.] Immediately, Sarilyn felt a cool and refreshing air surrounding her. The pain was slightly gone, and she could clearly feel the power of wind. This was the silver spirits power. Basking in the energy, Sarilyn slowly opened her mouth. Really. The Chief Commanderdid he order you to kill me? Yeah. The Chief Commander reallyfrom the beginning didnt even think of me? Of course. Such the likes of you- Meiyan, who had an irritated look, stopped talking when she felt herself suffocating. How arrogant. W-whatkeuek! Slowly standing up. Sarilyn grabbed Meiyans gun, then aimed it at her head. Here isthe center of Dream Island. Nature is within the grasp of us Dawn Fairies. Like the bullets youre so proud of, I can make as much as I want in a breath. Chikchik! She has never used a gun before, but she knows how to load it from watching someone she once loved do it. Struggling to overcome the pain in her abdomen, she struck Meiyans head! Then, after having knocked Meiyan to the ground, she pointed her gun at Meiyan. W-what Deputy Commander!! The human soldiers were taken aback. This is enough. Meiyan, a master hand-to-hand combatant, unable to resist such a weak girl, was grabbing the ground and struggling to breath. Luckily, it seems like it worked Sarilyn has a talent for spirits, but she didnt have the inheritance, so her output was limited, and thus her destructive power was limited, making it impossible for her to beat the silver spiritual flower. However, nevertheless, her outstanding talent is better than anyone else. If Seodam saw it, he wouldve given it a couple of Ss. And now with the silver spirit power Its possible for her to control the wind to its limit and suffocate someone. Do I look like a little kid who would sit and cry after a heartbreak? Ukuek, kohkeuk I have a dream. To never stop moving forward. Such a dream Sarilyns complexion was white as a sheet, but with an indomitable will, she held on. She had brought it upon herself. And, the only person who can resolve this situation is her, the one who can control the power of spirits. Therefore, she must not fall. So, she shouted with all her strength. Everyone, get down on your knees! Put your weapons on the groundThen, steadily raise your hands above your heads. When the soldiers hesitated, Sarilyn shot Meiyan in the shoulder. Bang! As the gunshot reverberated in their ears, only then did the soldiers realize the seriousness of the situation, and thus, one by one, they dropped their weapons. You, thinkthisis of any use.huh? Despite having her lungs squeezed, Meiyan spoke to Sarilyn. Soonhe will come. The Chief Commander. Coming here. Perhaps, Sarilyn will have to fight him. Because the man isnt sentimental enough to care about Meiyan being held hostage. Yes, I know. From here on out, she must fight an even more dangerous, cruel, cunning, and powerful enemy. When she thought about it rationally, it was absolutely impossible. To fight that monstrous man, how many more must be sacrificed. The fairies will be defeated. The future is fixed. From the moment she was deceived, everyones death, including hers, was a forgone conclusion. The fact made her regretful and anguished. She felt like she would shed tears of blood at any moment now, but endured it. Whi-iing!! From somewhere, the wind was blowing. Someones coming. Sarilyn aimed her gun at that spot, thinking that even if she dies today, to the man who betrayed her, shes going to struggle till the end. Boom! From the sky, something fell. Huh? It was unmistakable Hanniel. Just, his body was covered in wounds and it looked like he was on the verge of death. Only ThisWhat the hell? When Sarilyn raised such a question, a voice came from behind. I forgot the flowerpot, so I brought you a hostage to use as a bargaining chip. I guess that wasnt necessary. ! Hurriedly turning her head, she saw a man carefully hugging the flowerpot that was in Marilyns arms. Looking at his back and seeing him carefully dusting off the sand on the flowerpot, Sarilyns tension eased as she collapsed on the spot. Ha, haha. Ha Somehow, it was a really, really long day. Chapter 49: Youve successfully hunted a Level 61 protagonist. [Youve successfully hunted a Level 61 protagonist.] [Your Level has risen by 3.] [610 days of lifespan will be rewarded.] [Remaining Lifespan: 4022 Days, 17 hours, 11 minutes.] Hanniel died of natural causes. Well, not really. After he was half beaten to death by Seodam, he was dropped from the sky to his death. Killing people, Seodam is not one to do it cruelly, but it couldnt be helped.. Hanniels men had the Dawn Fairies surrounded. Seodam of course didnt do it out of his fondness for the Dawn Fairies. Although hes human and has emotions, he did it to save the flowerpot. [Having hunted seven protagonists, Protagonist Hunter has risen to Lv. 3.] [Carrying weight limit of items to other worlds increased to 40kg.] [You can now grasp the plot of other worlds.] [You can now interfere with the protagonists narrative and timeline.] While looking at the messages that appeared, Seodam had a strange feeling. Its only been some time since he received the murder contract, so he cant beleive that he has already completed 7 missions. Timeline? Narrative? What are you saying? [ You can interfere at the point of changes that have a profound effect on the plot. ] What are you talking about, I dont understand? Seodam gave a defeated laugh. Sometimes, he feels like the Client is purposely explaining things cryptically. I dont understand it at all, but Im completely satisfied with the fact that my weight limit has increased to 40kg. In addition to my inventory, I can now carry fairly heavy items. Wont I be able to at least carry around a small aether blaster now? Its bullets are heavy, so Im certain Ill only be able to use it once or twice. Eventually, a message appears asking if I want to absorb an ability or not. [Skill Leave Body To The Wind (B) has been absorbed.] Oh. B-Rank While admiring the pretty good skill I just absorbed. [Skills Leave Body To The Wind (B) and Wind Step (D) have successfully resonated.] [The above skills will be erased, and How To Run Like The Wind (A) will be created.] [Do you accept?] Another message appeared. ThisDefinitely accept. [Skill How To Run Like The Wind (A) has been created.] Immediately, Seodam felt his body lightened. He could also feel the surrounding cool breeze as if it was each individual one. This is indeed an A-Rank skill. All Wind Step did was push the body slightly using the wind. Though, even that was quite effective since it allowed Seodam to easily outrun a beast, and nowas if At this rate, wont I really be able to fly? Therefore. I tried sprinting into the air, but it was not possible to fly. I can only do an incredibly high jump. Also, with this skill and my 45 points of agility, the speed of my running has increased significantly. Status Window. Name Yoo Seodam (Lv. 45) Attributes Strength: 41 Stamina: 40 Agility: 45 Energy: 1 Mana: 45 Talents Swordsmanship (A+) Deprived (A) Intuition (A) Sharpshooting (C) Hunting (D+) Cooking (D-) ETC Skills Protagonist Hunter Lv. 3 Aracelis Mana Circling (SS) White Swordsmanship (S) How To Run Like The Wind (A) Inventory (B) 6th Sense (F) White Witchs Library (F) As expected, Im quite satisfied with the level of my abilities. Except for mana, none of my other attributes caught up to my level until now, with agility being another one. It seems to be the effect of the skill. The A-Rank skill did not allow me to control the wind, rather, it just lets me ride along the wind. As such, the effect might as well be a passive skill. And to be honest, my sprinting speed is now similar to a decent car at full speed. So, I thought. Im really superhuman now. I wanted to swing my sword here, but doing so would destroy nature. With the death of Hanniel and defeat of the human army, theres no reason to harm nature anymore. After lightly running back to the Dawn Fairies village, I saw the Dawn Fairies huddled together doing something. In the center was a woman. The youngest princess, Sarilyn. I heard that little girl, whos about to turn 20, had a secret affair with Hanniel. After everything ended, I thought the Dawn Fairies would be angry at her, but that didnt happen. They just passed Sarilyn, patting her shoulder. Every time it happened, Sarilyn would flinch and tremble. Live a life of atonement from now on. We forgive you. Truly. Uh, really? The second princess, Marilyn, approached Seodam, then spoke while petting the flower. This way is much more painful. How many Dawn Fairies have suffered, how many have died, and how many trees have cried because of herIf everyone forgives her so easily, it will be much harder for her to forgive herself. Is that so? Well, I dont know. [Sleepy] The flower looks different than before. On top of the petals was a little girl sticking out of nowhere, and her body, as if made from specks of light, was connected to the flower, making it seem inseparable. Also, oddly enough, because the flower is linked to Seodam, it can use White Witchs library. Although the mana it requires puts a lot of stress on Seodam, the ability to use magic without having to concentrate is tremendously beneficial. And, doesnt it have the ability to control nature itself? He has spent a lot of money here, but not only did he gain an A-Rank skill, the spirit had even blossomed, so Seodam smiled from ear to ear. Have you gotten enough rest now? [Yes] What do you think? You think you can survive back on Earth? For a moment, she closed her eyes and basked in the energy of this place, then finally spoke. [YesI dont need the soil or air here anymore] In other words, it means Seodam doesnt have to worry about her suddenly dying. Then, lets head back. Said Seodam. While saying so, the approaching Sarilyn looked at him with round eyes. It seems that all the strange rituals that took place between the Dawn Fairies have ended. Her gunshot wound in the abdomen has almost healed as well. Not by her own abilities, but with the help of the flower. To get rid of the bullet, the flower had learned magic from the White Witchs library that even Seodam couldnt, and a total of seven magic were simultaneously used to stop the bleeding and heal the wound. While doing so, his mana was exhausted, and frankly, he was really impressed with her control. With some hesitation, Sarilyn asked Seodam. Are you leaving now? I have to. To where? My home. Perhaps such a place, she cant even begin to imagine what kind of place it is. A terrible place she doesnt know. Isthat so. And then. Sarilyn bowed her head to Seodam, then after a while, lifted it and spoke. Truly, thank you. There were many things she wanted to say. If it werent for you, I wouldnt have the chance to atone Condemned by mother nature and returning to her embrace All the Dawn Fairies that have died But Sarilyn omitted all the backstabbing. Because such words are useless. In the past, she had tried to understand other peoples hearts through conversations. And Sarilyn who tried to express her feelings through words, realized something, albeit late. When it comes to expressing ones true feelings, the truth is, its more effective to be sincere. Marilyn also bowed to Seodam. All the Dawn Fairies who were gathered here bowed their heads to Seodam. He momentarily looked at them, then walked somewhere. Unknowingly to Seodam, it was in the direction of the Twilight Tree where he had first appeared. Walking towards it, he spoke. Im leaving. Take care. Saying so, his figure disappeared like a mirage. Sarilyn turned her head towards her sister, and spoke. Big sister. We have to be ready from now on. Yes. They were not devils. Just, different and more advanced than them. They are among the over 100 tribes. SomedayTheyll come again. I know. And, Ive realized how we can prepare ourselves. Sarilyn opened her palms. The fallen leaves simply seem to be shaking, and Marilyn, who has inherited the power of spirits, could sense the skill Sarilyn was showing. You, thats? Until now, the Silver Spiritual Flower brought here by the spirit guide had given the spirits living on Dream Island lessons. Thats not how you do it. Thats how you do it. Spirits are inherently pure and curious beings. They accepted all the lessons, and in the end, its now possible to control nature in different ways than before. And, the youngest princess, Sarilyn, was personally showing it herself. I no longer need to rely on anyone. With a firm expression, Sarilyn turned around and looked at the Dawn Fairies. A Dawn Fairy who once dreamed. The dream of leaving Dream Island and traveling the world. But, the fairy no longer dream. To atone for her sin. To protect everyone with her own strength. [Returning to your original world.] [Time has returned to normal.] Opening my eyes, the familiar apartment greeted me. Ive since adapted to this situation, which has become a normal occurrence. Clasping my hands, I took off all my equipment and threw it into my inventory. This mission was a significant financial loss. I had used up all my explosives. But, to be honest I wonder if I even need to carry around explosives anymore. Explosives are of course still useful in other worlds. However, when hunting on Earth, my swordsmanship and speed imbued with mana will be more effective than explosives. Plopping down on a chair, I immediately took out my phone. After changing the Away status in my messenger, I checked the news. I spent a little over three days over there, and since the time dilation was almost twice as fast, its been two days. I contacted Taylor first, then the master swordsmen one by one. Since some havent seen my status message, as well as there were those who asked me to contact them as soon as I returned. I intend to select a few master swordsmen from these. The criteria for selection are simple; someone I can trust, and is worth nurturing. If I spread the knowledge I have, even an ordinary person could exhibit superhuman power. By the way, Im telling you, if you recklessly teach these powers, dimensional returnees will come after you. This part was quite troublesome. Dimensional returnee. What the hell happened between the dimensional returnees for there to be a rule of not allowing the spread of their skills to the outside world? Although Im not a dimensional returnee, my skills resemble their wugong, so I have to be careful as to not get on their radar. Whether its Jian Ji or the Supremes. Judging by the fact that such nicknames only appear in martial art novels, maybe theyre posturing. For now, I need to find the most influential dimensional returnee. I can be a little bit confident now. Ive been playing it safe as much as possible. An ordinary person suddenly gaining superpower will be put in the spotlight. Just look at the case with Lee Yeonjun. Once an ordinary, didnt he receive the whole worlds attention after he awakened as a C-Rank superhuman? Itll be the same for me, who has been ordinary for 15 years, if I suddenly show my powers. And Garnering such attention, there is no way itll end well for me. People who want my secret. People who want to pry it from me. People who are politically motivated or want to use me for their business, and before I know it, Im dead. For nowIll contact the dimensional returnee I met last time. Thinking so, I turned on my messenger again when I saw a floating announcement on the main screen. There, words more eye catching than wanting to call a dimensional returnee. Great Rift? Come to think of it, the timing is about right. Great Rift. Jokingly called an annual event by hunters, this strange phenomenon, which appears once every two to three years, is seemingly a combination of a dungeon and gate. Also, every Great Rift so far had an energy output identical to SS-Rank, which was characterized by the sheer volume of monsters inside. I was involved in a few Great Rifts 10 years ago before the hunter system was firmly established, however, thats no longer the case. Nowadays its mostly A and S rank superhumans entering Great Rifts. Slowly reading the announcement, a message appeared. It was from Lee Junseok, a S-Rank hunter who was strangely cordial towards me the other day at the swordsmanship debate. [Lee Junseok: Sir, hunter Yoo Seodam, are you well?] [Lee Junseok: I see that youre back.] It hasnt even been five minutes since I changed my messengers status. You noticed too quickly. [Yoo Seodam: Yes, I just came back.] [Lee Junseok: I see.] [Lee Junseok: Sir, if you dont mind, may I speak to you now?] Seeing that there was nothing wrong with it, I agreed, then my phone immediately rang. Hello. [Hello, hunter Yoo Seodam, sir. Have you seen the announcement?] Great Rift? [Yes. The Seer prophesied that a week later a Great Rift would appear.] Unlike last time when he spun his words, he got straight to the point this time. [The Seer said the name of the Great Rift is Tempest at the Cliffs Crossroad. Frankly, isnt it a poetic name?] No, uh. It sounds like something from a Korean middle school textbook. Actually, I slept in language class. [Hahaha. Anyways, 12 teams have been selected to enter the Great Rift this time. Team 1 through 12. Ive been assigned as team leader of team 7. Andtheres an empty spot left.] Mhm. Unless youre a fool, anyone would have noticed it. This, hes asking me to join the 7th team for the Great Rift. Empty spot. Its a good excuse. Did he leave it for me? Or was it empty and he just thought of me? I dont know. Only Yeah, I dont know, but in any case, its a good thing for me. Unlike other anomalies, the casualties of Great Rifts are quite high, but In the first place, as a F-Rank hunter, there was never a time I wasnt at the risk of dying. Also, theres a good deal of money to be made from Great Rifts. Therefore, when I was about to agree. [So because of thatif youre free, can you take my place as team leader of Team 7, sir hunter Yoo Seodam?] Say what? No, whats wrong with this fellows beliefs? Chapter 50: “You son of a bitch, are you out of your mind?!” You son of a bitch, are you out of your mind?! A storm was brewing on the 47th floor in the S-Rank hunters break room of the Velvet Guilds headquarters in Yeouido. The vice guild master, Oh Hyunjung, personally came and shouted. Avoiding her gaze, the S-Rank hunters inside got up from their seat and left. However, from beginning to end, Lee Junseok remained seated, chewing on potato chips. Red pepper paste bulgogi flavored potato chips that looked very spicy and delicious. Crazy bitchYou, do you know how hard it was for me to get the commander position for the Great Rift this time? Oh Hyunjung. A retired hunter who awakened one of the rarest superpowers called psychokinesis, but has since peaked at C-Rank due to her limited talent. However, because of her political and business skills, she rose to the position of Velvets vice guild master. As such, her words held a lot of weight within the guild I really dont think itll be much of a problem. Actually, Lee Junseok had even gotten a call from the Hunter Association in Korea specifically asking if he wanted to lead one of the teams inside the Great Rift. He was one of Koreas strongest, and deservingly ranks in the top 100 within the hunter community rankings and achievements. But he had refused to be commander. Simply because the position does not suit him. Lee Junseok knows hes strong, but he also understands whats good for him. Just because hes a S-Rank superhuman, is his ability to lead also S-Rank? Its not. Lee Junseoks superpower requires a great deal of concentration, so he cant afford to look after others. No, even listening to someones order at times can cause him mental exhaustion What commander. It sounds absurd, but what the public wants is a capable, famous, and experienced hunter to lead. So selling that point, Oh Hyunjung had managed to get a commander slot for Lee Junseok. Are you joking? Whos the one that brought you up to your current position! My current position is through my own efforts. You just zealously sold my name. You made me famous, which was nice of you. It became easier to approach someone when returning a favor. Thats ridiculousWhat the hell is wrong with you? And besides, I said I didnt want to be commander, so why did you go and do that? Isnt that obvious? For you- No, not for me, but for you. He coldly looked at Oh Hyunjung in the eyes. It was inevitable that hunters have become products in todays world. However, the Velvet guild has gone too far. Hunters are not circus monkeys who only hunted monsters and did tricks with superpowers. Thanks to Oh Hyunjungs business skills, there are quite a few famous hunters in the Velvet guild, but thats all. Any one of them would die within a few days if left on a real battlefield. In other words, among the S-Rank hunters in the guild, Lee Junseok is the only one who has survived on a real battlefield and can contend against something like the Great Rift. Give the commander position to someone else? Oh Hyunjun cant even if she wanted to, so she had no choice but to nominate Lee Junseok, the most rebellious member in the guild. Yeah. Do whatever you want. I dont know anymore. Ill report it to the guild master. Of course. After Oh Hyunjung left while slamming the door behind her, Lee Junseok put down the potato chip bag. In any case, its already a fallen guild he has grown sick of. Not just the vice guild master, even the guild master had left the battlefield since five years ago. Even on that day five years ago, dozens of S-Rank hunters were being commercialized on tv. The guild has become unsuited for Lee Junseok, a person who has survived on a real battlefield. Just, he had nowhere to go, so hes staying for the time being. Lost in his thoughts, someone knocked. Come in. It was Ahn Heejung. A person who had awakened a very rare A-Rank flame superpower. Lee Junseok believes with her great ambition, she will become a big hunter in the future. She too, ended up in the wrong guild. Obviously, its only a matter of time before Ahn Heejungs reputation soars. However, her talent will be reduced to an expendable circus act. With a stiff expression, she looked at Lee Junseoks face for a while, then spoke. Senior. Yes. Go ahead. Said Lee Junseok with a gentle smile, then Ahn Heejung breathed a sigh of relief. The cold and indifferent face from the other day at the swordsmanship debate felt surreal. It was ignorant of me. Well. If youve understood why No. I dont, senior. Huh? As Lee Junseok looked at Ahn Heejung wondering what shes talking about, with a firm expression, she spoke. But, Ive always trusted in your judgement. Its Simply, Ahn Heejung had a feeling, one that all humans have. Ah, this path, Ill succeed if I take it. Wishing for success, wanting to be famous, or being above others in the future. A sense of ambition. Thinking about it logically, if you really want to succeed, the normal path would be to join a guild thats already in the ranks of a large corporation. And in fact, the Velvet guild is a solid path, one which has already extended out into the world. Frankly, when she thought about it rationally, it made no sense. And while acting on her instincts, she still felt confused. Whats happening to me? Am I really crazy? Just play it safe and dont do anything! Contrary to what she thought, her mouth spoke differently. Im sure there will be many team members who will be against your decision. So, Ill give you my supportTo be honest, I still dont believe in that F-Rank hunter. But Ill trust in my senior who believes in such a hunter. I see. For a long time, Lee Junseok stared at Ahn Heejung. Then, he soon smiled. Heejung. What? Thank you. At the remark, Ahn Heejung muttered. Im not doing this for seniors sake Cheorwon Gangwon Province, the site where the Great Rift was scheduled to appear, has already been thoroughly prepared since a week ago by the military. Since the emergence of superhumans, the military hierarchy has changed dramatically, with most higher ups being replaced by superhumans. Although a superhumans rank did not correlate to their military rank, its only natural that higher ranked superhumans are able to climb higher in the military. For that reason, there were two military teams with superpowers dispatched to this Great Rift, 100 from the National Anomalies Suppression Unit and 50 from the Hunter Association, then the remaining teams were made up of hunters from individual guilds. Although the Great Rift is in Korea, competition for the rights to enter was fierce, thus, each of the nine teams consisted of hunters from different guilds. Having different guild members within a team did not cause internal strife. Because in the past there were several times such strife happened and it wiped out an entire team. This is awkward. Seodam slowly looked around at the 49 pairs of eyes staring at him. The tablet in his hand summarized their affiliated guild, superpower, rank, and experience. If Seodam had belonged to a guild, knew a few acquaintances, or had some kind of background at all, he wouldnt be dealing with this troublesome situation. There were hostile looks from all directions. And it wasnt just from his own team. Other teams were also looking at Seodam with hostility. I heard the commander of Team 7 over there is F-Rank? Does that make sense? This is a Great Rift. Tut-tut. In the past, every F-Rank hunter who had gone into a Great Rift was completely wiped out, so why choose to do this as if you didnt know? Seodam bitterly smiled. In fact, F-Rank hunters have tried several times to subdue a Great Rift, but for the most part, it ended in failure. There are reasons for that, but excuses are meaningless. Only the fact that they failed in the end mattered. And, perhaps Lee Junseok had already expected such a situation. People didnt trust in a commander who is F-Rank, so why not publicly show their strategy and judgement skills? Although they dont have superpowers, theyre still as strong as ever! Lee Junseok wanted to let the world know that fact. Thats why Lee Junseok and Ahn Heejung were persuading Team 7 now. Hes a worthy commander with good judgement. Unlike me, who has no choice but to concentrate in a fight I want a commander who can personally lead in the frontline! That kind of commander is of course nice, but hell be able to lead our troops more efficiently from the rear! Seeing the man and woman desperately trying to persuade others, Seodam somehow broke out a smile. Actually, Seodam has no intention of going along with what Lee Junseok wanted. The judgement, strategy, and know-how of an ordinary person is still useful in this world? Something like that doesnt need to be proven. At best, itll get him a job as a teacher or writing textbooks. Of course its important. However, thats all. Even if its useful, F-Rank is F-Rank. So for this Great Rift, Seodam plans to prove that even ordinary people can become strong through latent power and not superpowers. Superpower and latent power. In a way, it seems comical, but in fact, there is a clear distinction between the two. Scientifically proven, superpowers are gained genetically through aether absorption. On the other hand, to this day, not much is known about latent power other than that it occurs naturally. Since 99.99% of the worlds hunters are superhumans, practically nothing is known about latent power. Thus, with his swordsmanship and magic latent power, Seodam intends to turn it into something for those without superpowers. In order to do thatIll have to put in more effort. So far, hes only been able to use up to D-Rank magic with the help of the spirits magic. Though, he wasnt going to reveal his proficiency in magic. Hell have to fight with his life on the line to stand out among the A and S ranks superhumans gathered here. Thats why, to the 49 teammates who were waiting for Seodam, he spoke for the first time. Everyone. ! 49 pairs of eyes took notice. I intend to fight in the frontline. What? Commanders are obligated to lead the fight. Just because Im F-Rank, I have no intentions of abandoning my duty. Rather, this was an opportunity. The opportunity to gain more meritorious services than others. I know saying it is meaningless. Thats why, I will put my words into action in front of all of you. Ending his sentence, he slowly turned around. In front of him is the Great Rift, a 15 stories high giant red tear stretching from the ground up to the sky. As one team after another entered the Great Rift, Seodam also strode forward. While Team 7 were looking at one another, Lee Junseok and Ahn Heejung had no choice but to follow Seodam, thus forcing the rest of the team to follow. Nonetheless, he was the commander and would fight on the frontline, so theres nothing they could do. Seeing that all his team members were following behind, Seodam entered the Great Rift. Whi-iing!! ! Due to the sudden coarse storm, he slightly closed his eyes then opened them. The entire world was red and full of upside down red cliffs. And as if its a prank, there was something very large and bumpy rising from the red ground. [Skill How To Run Like The Wind (A) has activated.] Although the storm is rough, it wasnt enough to shake or blow his body away. One way or the other, its possible to move without hindrance. Well, Im glad I can hold on. Slowly looking around inside the Great Rift, the Client spoke. [ This world is a portion of Fallen Red Giants Honorable King. ] Fallen, what? [ It means a world that has already collapsed. ] Like before? [ Thats correct. ] At a glance, something seemed to have fallen. [ This is Red Stormy Cliff, a place the giants came for their trials before the world collapsed. ] Oh. How do you know that? [ Because Protagonist Hunter is now level 3, even if the world has collapsed, we can sense the plot. ] Oh? Hey, then Seodam saw as many as 12 huge red canyons. Each grand canyon, the size of a hill, meant one for each team. Do you know whats going on here? [ I dont know the full details, just bits and pieces. ] Hearing her words, Seodam clenched his fists. To know and prepare for the upcoming challenges. Seodam knew very well how much it could increase their survival rate. With a jubilant look on his face, he turned around to look at his team members. Everyone, from now oneh? Only now could Seodam make out the outlines of his teammates. They were all crouching down and holding their bodies, which looked quite ridiculous. What is this? Only Asked Seodam. Lee Junseok, who was in somewhat of a good condition, puzzling asked back. Sir hunter Yoo Seodamarent you affected by this storm? Only then did Seodam look at his surroundings. Seeing it now, not only Team 7, but all 12 teams are swept up in the storm, unable to move? Huh, crazy. His skill allows him to blend into the wind, so he naturally didnt realize it until now. This storm is one of the hurdles blocking this Great Rift attack. Chapter 52: Team 6s commander, S-Rank hunter Ryu Dongkyun. Team 6s commander, S-Rank hunter Ryu Dongkyun. A veteran hunter in his 10th year. Given that the majority of hunters retire before then, this could be seen as proof of his ability as a hunter. And, for some time now since entering the Great Rift he has been put off by something. Senior. Isnt Team 7s commander over there a little weak? Its no exaggeration to say that Ryu Dongkyun, a founding member of the Most Valuable Pick guild in Korea, has had his path paved for him ever since he became a hunter. In order to reduce the loss of personnel as much as possible and maximize efficiency, his guild master would recruit people with the most efficient superpowers and foster the elites, so because of that, there had never been a F-Rank in any of their missions. So with that thought in mind, he had told Ma Yeonhwa, the commander of Team 10, but Shut up and do your job properly. Is a 15 years veteran hunter someone you can look down on? W-what? Thats not what I meant Go back. The average death toll within Great Rifts in the last five years has been comically high at over 20%. Prepare a little more thoroughly. Ma Yeonhwa. As a S-Rank veteran with 15 years of experience she is the most reliable person here. Theres nothing else that needs to be said now that she has reprimanded Ryu Dongkyun in front of everyone after seeing through his intentions. Just like she said, shut up and let the results speak for itself. And in fact, Ryu Dongkyun was confident in his own ability. He has a very special strong physique ability. But, things didnt go as planned once they were inside the storm. His specialty lies in his physique and acceleration ability. And, because Ryu Dongkyun prioritized maneuvering within the storm, it made it difficult for him to exert his full power. Because of everything that has happened, he thought. Damn it, if not for this storm. If only. He would be able to do so much more. Then. From the command post a telepathy message arrived. [Team 7 has found a way to stop the storm! Well start relaying the method now!] Huh? All because of the storm. While Ryu Dongkyun was thinking so, the commander of Team 7 had found a way to stop it. That was quite a shock to Ryu Dongkyun. Under normal circumstances he might have even admired it. However, for some reason, he felt as if his pride had been hurt. But what can he do? After all, it was Team 7 who figured out how to stop the storm, so what about other unusual traps that might appear later on? A shower of large rocks pouring down from the sky! Suddenly, the canyon closed in as if trying to crush them, and as the ground sank, they had to find a platform while using a variety of methods to deal with the monsters. On each occasion Ryu Dongkyun showed his decisive judgement. True to his position as commander, his team was able to advance without any casualties due to his correct decisions and judgement. Even though Ryu Dongkyuns path had been paved for him ever since he became a hunter, 10 years is still 10 years. His judgement could not be overlooked. However. [Dont do that. Just do as youre instructed from now on, please.] What? [Well relay Team 7s method to easily break through!] ! Ryu Dongkyun is definitely outstanding. His insight, judgement, reasoning, leadership, and calmness under pressure. HoweverSimply put, Team 7s commander was a little better. Its as if he had studied beforehand and is now going through the motion of solving the answers. When Team 7 faced a trap, they would try a few methods, then passed with ease. So despite being the first to encounter the traps and having to go through some trial and error, Team 7 was still leading. Thus, Ryu Dongkyun no longer showed any grievances. He simply worked a little harder. It was the correct choice. His efforts paid off as they were able to advance at almost the same pace as Team 7. He understood it as well. This Great Rift is not a sporting event but a battlefield. To compete here would be absurd. However, Ryu Dongkyun was confident in himself. Before he became a superhuman, he was regarded as someone with very good judgement by others. He thought he could show that hes just as capable as Team 7s commander. Everyone, activate your defenses to the fullest!! They had not encountered a real disaster until now. Boom! Ba-boom! Canyons. On either side of where they were headed are huge cliffs rising high. And from these huge cliffs, what if a very large snake popped out from one of the walls? Not just one. But what if there were two? Booom!! Keok! A greenish-blue colored aether shield slowly appeared in the air. It was made using a combination of a superpower and a defensive aether dispenser, and is durable enough to withstand even the full force of large monsters. However, there were no countermeasures at all. The snakes were too fast. They could not find an opening because it would pop out from one side of the cliff to the other. And, as if the two snakes were coordinating, they would pop out and disappear into each others side of the cliff at the same time. It took about .3 seconds for the snakes to reach either side of the cliffs. Soon, the snakes bodies were exposed a little longer, butit was still an inefficient time to concentrate enough of their manpower. And, the two snakes were not the same. One snake had a significantly longer body than the other. Once one disappeared, the other one would go back into the wall after some time. Even so, its difficult catching them. Because they couldnt predict its movements. If so, then. A surefire method to attack both. I need to gather everyone. It will be possible to catch the two snakes when they pop out if everyone sticks together. Furthermore, what will happen once everyone successfully spread out afterwards? The two snakes will collide. Theres some risk, but its a surefire method to catch both without any further damage. Everyone! Gather in one spot! Their shields strengthened even more after having decided on a spot to aim for the snakes. Everyone immediately became tense. They increased their aether output as they prepared to scatter at any moment from here. Booom!! An immense vibration came from the ground. They were waiting for something to pop out of the cliffs, when [We just received a transmission from the commander of Team 7! There are not two snakes but only one!] What? In a fleeting moment, the world seems to have slowed down. Then, noway Gulp. Immediately after swallowing his saliva, he heard a shriek, but as if everything is still under control, he spoke. Everyone! Focus fire the ground!! As soon as his words fell, his team members, who had absolute trust in Ryu Dongkyun, penetrated the ground without hesitation. Baaaang-!! With reverberating explosions, a huge crater appeared on the ground. Then, there. Wriggling around with its coarse skin torn, the snakes body was revealed. It was unbelievably long , thick, and grotesque. Without a doubt a snake. Ryu Dongkyun was stunned by the fact that the snake pretended to be two by slithering through the ground with its head and tail. It wasnt two, just intelligent. Facing it, he had planned to make it collide. Would such a smart monster bump into itself? No. Rather, it would have easily twisted itself and comfortably attacked them when they were grouped up. Ryu Dongkyun plopped down on the ground. He did not use his superpower earlier. He simply gave the order, but his legs felt weak. Ha, haha A momentary lapse in judgement. If the transmission from Team 7 didnt come. All of us would have died. Such a thought brushed against his mind and faded like the wind. At this time. The command post was busy relaying the message to each team. Yes. Thats right. So from this point onward you must walk straight through the cliff No, seriously! We have more than three days left until shit hits the fan! Replace the recording battery with a new one. For this one we should use one with a bigger capacity. Right, isnt it good that theres something to record? There were calls coming from all sides. From the media about the progress of the Great Rift, to the politicians who were calling about trivial matters. And although this Great Rift was not broadcast to the general public, live information can be sent if they wanted to. Before the attack on this Great Rift, brigadier general Park Seongho had clearly instructed everyone not reveal what happens inside. However, the news of whats happening inside still spread. Its not like he didnt understand their reaction either. In particular, the media who were in an uproar. Progress on the Great Rift has reached 90%. And so far there have been 0 deaths. Although there were quite a few injured It wasnt to the point where they couldnt fight. A miracle. The only word to explain such a phenomenon. The storm and the countless monsters and traps that blocked the teams from advancing. However, against it all, there have been no deaths. Even though everyone present here has different goals and intentions, it was only natural that everyone in the camp was overjoyed. They were just glad that no one, including members of the other teams, had died. Its not time to relax yet. Originally, it was the command posts job to gauge the Great Rift and come up with solutions. However, because Team 7 commander has done such a great job, there was no need for them to say anything. AnyhowI think the boss is coming up. Everyone was watching the monitors. With Team 7 at the forefront, the remaining 11 teams made it through the canyons. Finally, they all converged in one place as planned, and at the end of each canyon was a strange slate with something drawn on them. Whats this? A question arose in everyone. But right now that was not important. A vast flatland came into view at the end of the canyons. And floating in the air was a disk giving off an energy that easily exceeded the danger level. That diskseems to be the cause of this Great Rift. Then, everything will end once we break that thing? Thats right. Hearing such words, everyone deeply thought. It wasnt that easy. As far as the eyes could see, there were tens of thousands of Rock Giants lined up. Something even Yoo Seodam and the Client didnt expectA sudden turn of event that hasnt occurred in thousands of years. The disk was located above the Rock Giants and between the dozens of cliffs floating in the air. Although the cliffs, which were arranged like scaffolds, were made for giants, it could be climbed freely by superhumans. However, the problem was that dozens of pterodactyls made of rock were flying near the disk. Damn it. I wish we could have sent in a fighter jet Aircraft did not work properly in other dimensions such as dungeons, Great Rifts, etcThis is because the air currents are very different from Earth, and the machinery often malfunctioned due to the strange energies. It was more so impossible using a fighter jet at 100% aether output. Also, near the disk was a storm with about 30% strength compared to the other day, which would make it difficult for an aircraft to approach. Thus, the crucial part here. The hell, you want to put the slates in there? Huu Seodam took a deep breath. It looks as if a mix of dust from the storm would enter his lungs, but that did not happen. This is because since some time ago, he has worn a mask that could completely block all toxins. [ This trial will be judged as passed if you insert the slates you obtained at the end of the canyons into the grooves of that disk. ] Right. Seodam and the Client knew that this canyon and trial is actually the Red Giants sports arena. Once a Red Giant passes the trials and inserts the slate into the disk up there, they will be ranked. Seodam thought it was funny that no matter which world it is, everyone loved rankings. However, the ranking is meaningless in this situation. Simply. [ The disk will stop operating once all 12 Red Giants pass the trial. ] Only the Clients words were important. So, everyone has to insert these 12 slates into that disk. Thats what youre saying? The commanders of the 12 teams have gathered in one place after passing through the canyons. And, the disk which is the cause of this Great Rift, headquarters had told them to select a few people to go up and destroy it. Headquarters clearly told us to destroy it Said Ryu Dongkyun timidly. He couldnt help but be timid at this meeting where all the commanders have gathered even though hes a famous S-Rank hunter himself. It goes without saying that they were all seniors and famous all over the world. In the midst of it all. Everyone was paying attention to the words of an unremarkable F-Rank hunter. They all knew. The fact that they were able to get here without a single death is all thanks to the commander of Team 7. So they listened to his judgement once again. Yes. Headquarters did, butthat wont work. How can you be sure? The energy wavelength of the slates match the disk. Like buttons on a remote control. Thatsthats true. Besides, forget whether destroying it will solve it or not, to even break it will be difficult. How are we going to destroy something that looks tougher than solid synthetic metal while avoiding the dozens of pterodactyls? If it was every superhuman here, and everyone targeted it with all their strength. Maybedestroying it is possible. But the situation was not in their favor. Not only is it impossible to use their full power inside the storm, itll be impossible to leave the Great Rift once they overexert themselves. That is, some will definitely die. The thought that it might be better to follow Seodams decision dominated their minds. Without delaying any more time, Ma Yeonhwa spoke. Lets send 12 people up to the disk. Each person will insert a slate into the groove of the disk. She doesnt know if what Yoo Seodam had said is true, but Ill trust you. Its clear the decisions youve made so far have been reliable. ! As soon as the 15 year veteran Ma Yeonhwas words fell, the psychic Leah Michelle spoke up. Ill follow your plan. Its all thanks to you that we were able to get this far. Seeing the agreements one by one, in the end, Ryu Dongkyun had no choice but to agree as well. After the 12 commanders agreed to head for the disk, they each took up their position. Only Among them, there were superhumans who specialized in long range attacks and superhumans with a strong physique to balance the difference in mobility. In a team, positioning is more important than anything else. For that reason, it was only natural that the F-Rank hunter, Yoo Seodam, would be placed at the rear. Unlike superhumans, ordinary people didnt have the ability to leap high into the air and have no choice but to resort to the Magnetic Grappling Gun and the connecting wires. So. The commanders couldnt help but doubt their ears when they heard what Seodam said next. Then. Ill take the lead from here on out. When Ryu Dongkyun, who thought he had misheard, was about to open his mouth. Like a rocket, Yoo Seodam shot into the sky. Chapter 53 Of the 12 team leaders, six were Strength-type Superhumans, the other five had Psychic Abilities. These Psychic Superhumans also had enough skill and capability to fly in the sky as well. Once you reach the S-Rank, you would be able to use your abilities a lot more skillfully. In the case of the Psychokinetic Superhuman, Leah Michelle, the difficulty of being able to lift herself went into the realms of extreme difficulty, however, she could still consider herself to be somewhat flying. Of course, rather than using such tricks and the whatnot, raw power would be more beneficial in this instance. A Strength-type would fare much better with their instantaneous acceleration, speed, and high endurance. However, the reason why I went ahead is because I could control the wind. The resulting factor was a storm that was strong enough to enable me to fly. I didnt necessarily take the lead for performance, fame, or even merit. Is it to win the trust of my team members? Of course not! It was simply because, while in the storm, I was free. I felt unconfined, flexible, and efficient. I simply went ahead since I could do so. Tung! Since he jumped without gaining momentum first, he wouldnt be able to leap that far. But as soon as he entered into the storm, he let the force of the wind push him forward. -Its exhausting Thanks to the Flower Pot Fairy, it was possible for him to change the direction of the wind momentarily, thus, he could alter the position of his posture mid-air in a way other superhumans couldnt. Flight was impossible, but a similar level of aerial acrobatics was doable. Kieeeehkk!!! The moment a Pterosaur rushed to bite him, he paused in the air for a moment before taking out his Aether blade. He quickly rotated his body in a 720 degree spin, cutting the neck of his opponent in the process. Shortly afterwards, as soon as he stepped on the head of the fresh corpse, he jumped diagonally. Another Pterosaurs beak which had been flying towards him came into his view. Fuwook! While riding on the storm, he clenched his teeth as he inserted the Aether blade into the Pterosaurs beak. Growl! As expected, since his center of gravity was off, it was difficult for him to properly exert force. Tchuk!! Despite the complaints in his head, he was still able to cut the Pterosaurs body into half. It would have been nice to have an Aether Buster An Aether Buster was a function engraved only in first-class blades, it enabled the Aether Energy to explode after inserting it into the blade. Regrettably, he didnt have this. On the upside of things, he had a second-class blade that was unlocked to its fullest potential, and with it, he was able to cut down the Pterosaurs around him easily. Normally, men couldnt move in air like this. Even though other Superhumans had excellent fighting skills, they werent able to fight as well as he could. However, if these restrictions were to decrease even just a tiny bit, Strength-type superhumans could fight better in mid-air. If they could engage in close aerial combat as much as possible. The possibilities would be endless If a monster who could fly and do long-range attacks appear, itd become a huge headache Thankfully, there was no such monster here, thus, he could fight with ease. He sliced through ten Pterosaurs in succession, stepped on their bodies, and reached the lowest rock cliff. Kuung!! The moment he stepped on the cliff, a rock giant which was smaller than the average ones attacked him. He quickly jumped back and rose into the air once more. Using the Pterosaurs head, he leapt forward again. This time, he swung his sword, and twisted the end of his Aether Blade towards the giants neck, it looked as if he swung the sword recklessly, but the Pterosaur was slashed into three equal parts as it fell. This He just realized that once he swung his sword, the momentum of the wind added to his slashes, it made his usual attacks much stronger than normal. When he looked down, he saw that the team leaders, with their immense reserves of stamina, were chasing him with all their might. Unlike him who had to make multiple leaps due to his low strength and jumping power, they had more than enough to cover what he did in single leaps. Soon after, he looked further and saw the Superhumans were following the team leaders, they were also dealing with the far-away Pterosaurs with long-range attacks. All he had to do now was deal with the Pterosaurs right in front of him. This was also obvious since he didnt have the long-range capabilities to reach the far ones in the first place, now that he was focusing on dealing with the ones nearby, the other Superhumans could take care of the rest. He was the most appropriate fighter for this, rather than the slow-moving Psychics or Superhumans who were quite vulnerable to air warfare. Whi-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee! In the raging storm, he continued galloping into the sky like he was in a trance. It was almost like a marathon. The only difference was that the Pterosaurs occasionally flew in to bite him. The rocks and stones were also mixed in the rough storm, he had no choice but to move vertically to dodge them. If he maintained his pace and didnt give up, he could actually reach his destination like this. This is unbelievable Outside the Great Rift, at the command barracks, Park Seong-ho muttered these words, someone nodded in response since he shared the same sentiment. This was where veterans who had seen a lot of Psychics had gathered. Whether they were Psychics themselves or not, it didnt matter. However, everyone could see how ridiculous the 7th teams commander controlled the situation. There were quite a few Psychics who could fly. They were either an S-rank, or could perform aerial maneuvers with their abilities. Or in some cases, they simply had flight as their ability. However, the 7th teams commander wasnt capable of flight. This was a well-known fact to everyone here. Although he had the mobility that let him move smoothly like the wind He couldnt fly in the sky. At first, when he said that he would take the lead, they had doubts whether he could actually do it. That incompetent person named Yoo Seodam, was now using this ability while moving freely in the storm. Although it was still far below the level of Superhuman Abilities, he didnt have the power of flight, did he? However, that man, without the proper ability in this situation, was actually showing far greater skill than a man with the superpower to fly. By taking advantage of numerous rock debris and Pterosaurs flying in the air, wouldnt it be as if he was flying in the sky using half the strength of a strong A-rank? There was a limit on flight speed, so no one could fly like he was moving. Even though his jumps were extremely strong, it was still impossible to change direction mid-air. However, that man was still able to do it. It was as if he was using everything around him as a stepping stone. If one looked closely, they would be able to see that he was using every rock and Pterosaur ahead of him! And a thought came to everyones minds. What the hell was his ability? Unlike the efficient and straightforward modern swordsmanship that excludes grandeur, his soft swordsmanship made it look like he was dancing, it was also strangely several times faster and more powerful! Only In fact, he doesnt even have a strong body. With proper strength, a person could easily control their bodys movements and tiny motions. By using it properly, they would be able to exert several more times force than usual. However, Yoo Seo Dam lacked muscle strength when you compared it to his current mobility. Now, he was supplementing that lack of power through the storm and his unusual swordsmanship. Ground Team! Fight the Rock Giant! Chapter 54: Wembley stadium, London. Whoever could use this stadium as their stage was so famous that if you asked anyone in the world if they knew about these people, 8-9 out of 10 would say they know them. A celebrity in the world of celebrities, a Legend. This place which was only attended by the so called legends of the pop-star industry could hold over 90,000 people at once. Her name was Heloni, the Goddess of Pop. Long ago, when she still used her real name and wasnt as popular as her right now, only few people knew about her. Those people were the ones behind the name Heloni. It was a combination between Harmony and Melody. The name that was created jokingly by her very few first fans was now known all over the world. I want to go home. ..Known all over the world, Probably. Heloni sighed. In the waiting room, she was accompanied by one make-up artist and one bodyguard. But, as always, she couldnt control her anxiousness. Her beautiful face was tainted by ugly deep dark circles under her eyes. When she sighed once again, Taylor Nine, a bodyguard who was lying on her back while watching a video on her smartphone, opened her mouth. You can crawl back to your room to take a nap or just sleep if you want. I cant really sleep these days Why cant you sleep? I can easily fall asleep as soon as I lay down in the middle of New York intersection. . Are you talking about the seventh monster wave that happened in New York? You are really brave to do something like that Its not that I am brave, you are just a big coward. .. Taylor yawned and said boredly. Ah, Im so bored. It is a good job to earn some easy money but. Do you really have someone stalking you? There is! There are dozens of people who stalked me these days. Wow, You can just hang them all up in the time square. And the rest of your stalker would disappear. A, A, Are you crazy? Who would do something like that? Huh? Ive done something like that. She looked at Taylor who said something scary like that without any changes on her face. Then, Heloni remembered an article from a few years ago. It was an article about twenty superhumans screaming for help as they were hanged by someone on New York Time Square. . Was that your doing? Heloni looked at Taylor as if she was dumbfounded. But, contrary to her, Taylor just stared at her smartphone with an apathetic expression. To be honest, Heloni didnt really care about some stalker with a decent manner. However, she was afraid of the ominous gaze that she had felt for quite some time now. The highest ability in all of the detection level abilities, even topping her ultrasonic detection. Moreover, letters were delivered to her house sometimes. The content of the letters were something like Why did you go home late yesterday? or I saw you wearing makeup today, I like it. It was driving her crazy because she couldnt find the sender. The other party probably has some kind of ability that could completely hide their presence from a S-Rank detection ability. She was so afraid because of that. Thats why she hired a S-rank villain hunter, Taylor Nine You.. Is it okay for a bodyguard to not care too much about their clients well-being? Dont worry, if anyone comes near you, Ill crush their heads. There was no point to keep looking at Helonia. Because Taylor used her detection ability to protect her. Okay, then. Heloni looked at Taylor quietly. She didnt really like the fact that Taylor was always looking at her smartphone for the past few days. Is she watching some baseball game? Taylor was a bodyguard who was commissioned all around the world, and she was also a big baseball fanatic. You said, you watch KBO these days, right? Taylor had been into Korean baseball these days, probably because of her long-term work in the country. But, Hellonia knew, Taylor would get tired of it soon, just like any other baseball league she had loved before. Huh? Yeah, I said that. Theres this interesting team called Hwade. Looks like theyre playing well? I dont know if they play well, but they are fun to watch. .? Anyway, Im not watching baseball right now There was a subtle smile on Taylors face every time she looked at her smartphone. It was so unlikely of her to make that kind of face. If she really wasnt watching a baseball game, Then Perhaps, is that another video where Yoo Seodam appeared? Yeah, How did you know? What! You got the eyes of an eagle now? Dont you know that I have better power than yours? My ability is in light speed, while yours is in the speed of sound. So, of course I am faster. Yeah, yeah whatever.. Taylor nine was a superhuman who could manipulate spheres of light. Meanwhile, Heloni had a very unique ability to handle sound waves. Her Ability power output alone was S-Rank. But, it was because the utility aspect of her ability was so high. If her output power had been a little bit higher, her ability would be classified as SS-rank. Though, these days, her ability was only used as a sound amplifier on the stage. Thats why she didnt like to talk about superpowers. 15 years ago, 8 young boys and girls became a hunter at the same time. She was the first among the group that awakened her skill, and the first one to achieve A-Rank. And also, she was the first amongst the 8 to quit being a hunter. Nowadays, she couldnt help but feel sorry every time she looked at her past colleague. However, Taylor was someone who liked to poke on other peoples sore spot. So she always mentioned Power in front of Heloni to make fun of her. Yoo seodam.. um, is he doing fine? What did you say? Heloni stood up slowly and took a look at Taylors smartphone. Wh.. What is that? [Unique commander of the SS-rank great rift! His identity is?] [The reason he rushed towards the SS-Rank monster was because he wanted to help his team?] [(Breaking News)Is it Psychic power, Or Strength-Type power? The real identity of Yoo-Seodam Power] [The first ever great rift raid that ends without any casualties!] The entire screen was covered with the news regarding Yoo Seodam. Among them, the word Ideal ability was seen a lot. Also, there were a lot of things about sacrifice and Hunter spirit. Taylor clicked on the video link that was written on the article. In that video, what happened inside the great rift was vividly recreated. Are you telling me that is Yoo Seodam? In the video, a hunter clad in black suit flies freely across the storm. That man was luring the giant SS-Rank monster away from his group. Yoo Seodam judged that the situation wasnt optimal for them to hunt the Giant SS-Rank monster, and he decided to sacrifice himself as he glided towards the monster. ..I dont think he was sacrificing himself though. Isnt he just having some fun? I know right? He wasnt someone who would sacrifice himself for others. However, because of Yoo Seodams actions, other hunters were able to successfully insert the stone plates into the disc. With the successful blockade of the Great Rift, the Giant monster also lost its energy source and went far away. In the end, Yoo seodam made an extraordinary achievement by successfully closing the great rift with zero death. All the hunters on scene showered praises on the leader of team 7, Yoo Seodam. Thus, making the media write something about F-rank hunters potential shouldnt be ignored. Yoo Seodam is still working as a hunter, huh? Right? Just what the hell is he hunting for? How about you? Of course, to make money. Certainly, S-Rank hunters were people who could make several millions of dollars in a single mission, but that wasnt the case for a F-Rank hunter. Thats why F-Rank hunters had an image of people who raided the dungeon out of sense of duty. That image was the reason why Yoo Seodams achievement was so glorified. As a F-Rank hunter who had survived countless dungeons, people said Yoo Seodam was fighting that giant monster out of sense of duty. . With his personality, I can guarantee it wasnt a sense of duty. He certainly had some kind of goal. But Taylor didnt want to dig deeper about it. She didnt think she deserved to be curious about him. Taylor who looked at her smartphone blankly, suddenly said something as if she had thought about it for a long time. I heard you are going to Korea soon. Why dont you ask Yoo Seodam to take care of your stalker while youre performing there? Why? Your mission is boring. I want to go to do something else. . Taylor was a villain hunting expert. However, she wasnt an expert who found something and dealt with it. Yoo Seodam was way more professional in that field. Even for an enemy which Helloni, who had S-rank sonar superpower, could not detect. Perhaps it is much better for Yoo Seodam, who had countermeasures against all kinds of superpowers, to do it. But, Heloni just shook her head with a gloomy expression on her face. Im a little bit scared of him. The makeup had magically erased the dark circle under his eyes. But the darkness on her face was still there. Scared? Why are you scared of him? When Taylor asked her with a sincere look of bewilderment. Heloni nodded. No, Uh Im not scared of him. Im just scared of meeting him. Pak! Keuk! Taylor slapped Helonis back with the palm of her hand. Forget it. Just think about it when you get back. A knock could be heard from the door. It was almost time for the show. If Heloni was in her normal state, she would have noticed much earlier. However, the fact that her detection reacted later than Taylors who handled light, showed how distracted she was right now. You need to calm down. At Taylors words. Heloni nodded and let out a long heavy breath. And then, I really want to go home. This crazy bitch, Really! Scared of what Taylor might say next, Heloni dashed off out of the room, her light purple hair flying messily. Looking at Helonis back as she ran further and further away, Taylor shook her head as if she didnt understand. Whats the point of being a singer when you are a bastard who is scared of looking people in the eyes. After that, she looked at her smartphone once again and muttered. Ha. I want to go to Korea. *** Things went pretty well. Although i didnt know that I was this famous. Hunter Yoo Seodam! Did you fight the SS-Rank monster alone because you were worried about your comrades? Nope, thats not it. Yes, thats right. But, lets just pretend that that was the case. I just did what I had to do. Ive been told that particular phrase would make you look great if you added those words in these kinds of interviews. It was my first time saying something like that in my whole life but strangely those words felt so natural. In fact, wasnt most of what I had to say already been decided? I did it for my colleagues! I did it because of my sense of duty! I did it for my comrades, for my family, for my friends, and, for all the civilians! If I fell down, I thought someone would die, so I never stepped back! To keep saying lies after lies like that was akin to putting a salt on a banana. You dont think it will taste good? Its amazing once you try it. To be honest, Park Songho helped me prepare my statement. He was the former Vice President of the Koreas branch of Hunter Association. I remembered him because, despite being an F-Rank like me, his position was pretty high. But nowadays he was working as a secretary for some strange guild. After escaping the Great Rift safely, there were countless reporters, guild officials, companies and other officials that wanted to meet me. But I decided to meet the F-rank Hunters first because I thought they could understand me. Unfortunately, most of them were approaching me with ulterior motives in their mind. They didnt know what I really wanted. And among all those people, Park Sungho stood out the most. Why dont you take advantage of your image here? Are you still saying stuff like that? If youre done, Im going to. I dont mean to use it negatively. By using your image, lets rebuild the prestige of the F-Rank hunters who have been trampled on. .! Unlike others, he was approaching me for the sake of the F-rank hunters, not for a business-related matter. So I listened to his advice so that I could know what to say in front of the press. Of course, I did not completely believe in what he said. I also asked some advice from various other people because there might be some hidden meaning in what he had taught me. After three days and three nights of extensive research. I decided to go with I just did what I had to do. At that time I didnt know. There were so many F-Rank hunters who had waited for this moment. The retired non-superhuman hunters, who had been harmed by the superhuman hunters in the past were swaying public opinion into their favor using the waves that I created. Those hunters werent directly related to me, so my ever-so-high public image wouldnt be any help to them. Yet, they were still passionately spewing nonsense about F-Rank hunters on all kinds of broadcasts and press conferences. Besides I hadnt said much about the identity of My power. Yet, the public still made a great deal out of it because I revealed a power that relied solely on talent unlike the other superpowers which 100% relied on ether injections. They also said anyone could learn my ability as long as they worked hard to get the result. Because of that, there were many people contacting me. From a hunter wannabe who gave up their dream to a professional sport athlete and a Swordsman. I even got a contract offer from a big guild that usually didnt care about the existence of a F-rank hunter. Even after all the attention that I got, I still felt unsatisfied. Because I know they wouldnt have treated me like this if not for the power that I had. If I could, I wanted to make a training hall to teach magic and swordsmanship to those who had been shunned just because they didnt have ability. But my level of magic and swordsmanship is still lacking. I need proper swordsmanship if I want to teach it to other people. Not White swords but some swordsmanship that could be organized into a textbook. And for magic, I can get some teaching material from the witchs library. The problem is, my understanding about magic wasnt enough to teach it to other people. My current level was 45. On the Superpower ranking system, my level was equivalent to the D-Rank. Or Sword beginner level in the world of swordsmanship. And in the realms of magic, I am barely a 1-circle magician. To teach someone, you had to be at least, a 4-circle (B-Rank) in magic. And a sword expert (A-Rank) in swordsmanship. For now, I would meet as many people as possible for networking. The appearance of the Great Rift bought a lot of profit for the hunters. One could easily increase their magic and swordsmanship level when they raided the Great Rift. Next time, I would raid it together with some of my most trusted disciples. I have no intention to lead many people. But I would let my disciple pass their techniques to other people to expand the size of my training hall. The real reason I made the training hall was to recruit a handful of elite to raid the Hell Gate. *** . Yes, yes. Then Ill call you again next time. Early in the morning. After finishing an exclusive interview with a famous journalist from a famous media outlet, I left the cafe with the remaining coffee in my hand. The reporter seemed to be excited to get an interview from me, but in fact, I was more excited than him. When would I get a chance to be interviewed by someone as famous as him ever again? When I left the caf, a cold morning wind was still blowing. But after leveling up several times, my body was no longer affected by the surrounding temperature. In fact, this wind only made me feel more refreshed. I continued to walk home when suddenly Stop right there. ! That moment. I had goosebumps all over my body. Thump! Thump! Thump! My whole body tensed up. It was an animal instinct in me that kicked up. No- it was my Sixth sense (F) skill. Dont move. Dont do anything foolish! You must not rebel against him here. [Protagonist hunter skill has leveled up to LV.3] [Protagonist hunter LV.3 has been unlocked. Your ability will be boosted when fighting against a protagonist.] [You have met an unfightable protagonist.] [Preparing an emergency dimension escape protocol.] Few seconds passed. I could barely move my body to make eye contact with him. A handsome young man who seemed to be ten centimeters taller than me tilted his head slightly as he stared at me with his black eyes. What the? You are not someone from Moorim? Only then, I could see it. #Seems_like_my_dad_is_Dharma #Modern #Returnee #Dharma #Munchkin #Harem #DailyLife The hashtag of the protagonist floated on top of his head. Chapter 55: There could only be one protagonist in one world. The system had already told Yoo Seodam that earth already had a protagonist back when he was hunting the protagonist Lee Yeon-Jun. Lee Yeon-jun wasnt the protagonist of Modern Earth. He was the protagonist of a fallen world inside the S-rank Dungeon called Weathered Snow Peak of Paulownias three thousand years of bitterness. As a protagonist, Lee Yeon-Jun constantly became stronger by receiving the worlds blessing whenever he overcame a crisis. On top of that he had such a fraudulent skill called [Attention (A)]. The system also told him that if Lee Yeon-Jun cleared the dungeon and escaped to earth, the timing of the prologue would come sooner because the two protagonists would clash against each other. In the other words, the reason why the system gave Yoo-Seodam kill order for Lee Yeon-jun was because of the man in front of him, Lee Dong-joon. I know. So please stop. Son of a.. These were extremely low odds. Yoo Seodam had a higher chance of sinking an aircraft carrier with a stone than winning against Lee Dong-Joon. Seodam frowned. His body was still tense. But then, a new message came from the system. What? Seodam had a puzzled look on his face as he listened to the systems words which were filled with excitement, unlike her usual self. But I dont have anything right now, though. ? After hearing the systems words, Seodam looked at Lee Dong-joon. Then, in front of him the plot window appeared. Do you have any thoughts of shaving your head? The return of the strongest ruler. A ruler contracted with the Spirit of Dharma! .. But Ive promised myself to live a normal life for the rest of my life. Please be my father, until I graduate. Because I have a daughter. Um. The plot was so ambiguous, it was difficult to draw any information from the plot alone. Does that mean he is Dharma? And on top of that, he also had a daughter? Yoo Seodam looked at the level window that floats on top of Lee Dong-joons head. Gasp! [Level 500.] Yes It was 500. ..What level is SS-Rank equivalent to? Then. What about SSS-Rank? The legendary SSS-Rank, which had never appeared in the history of earth. Crazy! Just how strong is he? Yoo Seodam almost took a step back in fright. Fortunately, he stopped himself from doing so in the nick of time. On the other hand, Lee Dong-Joon felt a strange sensation from Yoo Seodam. I cant feel anything from this guy. Every living thing had a natural energy circulating inside their body. Superhumans from earth were injecting an external source of energy called ether to their body, while the returnee from Murim like Lee Dong-Joon have an energy similar to what Yoo Seodam called Magic. But for some reason Lee Dong-Joon couldnt feel a slightest bit of such energy from Yoo Seodam. has he reached the state where he is one with nature? By using One with nature technique, it was possible for an extremely high-leveled practitioner of martial arts to mask their body to make it look like a completely normal person. However, no one will be able to do it in front of Lee Dong-joon. Lee Dong-Joon was Murims strongest martial artist who had achieved the status of Legendary Lord. by learning the martial arts of Dharma, which had been passed since the beginning of Murim. So it was a fairly big deal when someone like him failed to recognize the nature of energy inside the man in front of him. I can barely feel his energy.. Whether in Murim or Earth. he was always thought that he was the strongest. But now, in front of him, there was an existence that could be a threat for him. I need to kill him if I want to keep living a normal life. Lee Dong-joon sent an intangible energy to his fingertips. Killing Yoo Seodam was an easy thing for him who had mastered the arts of sword which was a rare school in shaolin. But, ! The very moment he decided to kill the man in front of him I cant cut him down. Lee Dong-joons skills [Previewing (SSS)] and [Six Sense] showed him that even if he swung his energy towards Yoo Seodam, he would avoid death by disappearing like a mirage. Just why? The distance between him and that man was 3 meters at most. Although he could not detect him, he had already come in advance to specifically meet him. He had seen him in the videos. At best he would be a second or first class warrior. But why couldnt he cut down this man in front of him? Hmph! Did he have some kind of stealth skill? While Lee Dong-Joon was busy thinking like that, Yoo Seodam opened his mouth. Earlier, did you say Murim? Only five seconds had passed since Lee Dong-joon asked the question to Yoo Seodam. In that span of seconds countless thoughts were running through their head. Now that both of them had already finished assessing each others strength. It was time to go to the main topic. Seodam decided to put his trust on the systems emergency escape protocol and try to talk to him. Im sure you come to see me because Ive shown a martial art in public which resembles the martial arts from Murim. But I think it was a misunderstanding. Yes, I am a dimensional returnee, but Im not a Murim martial arts user. So, in other words, you are a dimensional returnee but not from Murim? As you know, most Dimensional Returnees have gone to the same world as you, which is Murim. But I have been to another world. His words were both true and false. Yoo Seodam wasnt a dimensional returnee but a dimensional traveler. Even though he wanted to hide the fact that he went to another dimension, he knew that he couldnt do that in front of Lee Dong-joon. In that case, there was no other choice but to tell Lee Dong-joon that he used a power that didnt exist on Earth. A power that resembled the martial arts from Murim. So, you are saying that you arent bound by any rules? Is that correct? Seodam guessed the rules that Lee Dong-joon talk about was something like, Do not use or teach martial arts and Do not make a connection. The two prohibitions that must be followed by the returnee from Murim. This ban was probably created by the protagonist in front of him. If Lee Dong-Joon decided to attack Yoo Seodam right here right now to stop him from using his power on earth, there was nothing he can do. Then, I guess I have no choice but to escape to another world. But Seodam predicted Lee Dong-Joon wouldnt harm him. Because, if using any other power from another dimension on earth was the problem. He would only put a ban on Dont use and teach other people about Murim Martial arts. while still permitting his people to make a relationship. He guessed there must be something different about Murim. Which means, the uses of power from another world except from Murim wouldnt be a problem. For sure, you are not someone from Murim. Which means our rules means nothing to you. Im sorry for suddenly barging in like this. As expected, Lee Dong-Joon didnt do anything towards Yoo Seodam. Which meant, his conjecture was proven to be correct. However, from now on. Daddy! A highschool girl wearing a Korean Academy of Superpowers uniform ran toward Lee Dong-Joon. She came up towards Dong-jun and grasped his hand as she frowned. What are you doing here? Lets go quickly! Theres something I need to tell this man, dont you see we are talking right now? Ah, Im sorry, please excuse me. She turned towards Yoo Seodam and apologized. Yoo seodam hurriedly said to her. No, its okay, Im very close to your father. So its okay. Haha, your daughter is very cute. . Is that so? Nice to meet you, My name is Shin Hye-ji. Yes, Im Yoo Seodam. By the way Your last name is Shin? Shin Hye-ji awkwardly smiles at Yoo seodams words. And then, Lee Dong-joon butt in. There are some reasons. Oh, okay. After that, a moment of silence descended between the two. And then, Shin Hye-ji opened her mouth once again. Ah! Ive see Yoo Seodam Hunter-nim on TV before! Daebak! Unlike Lee Dong-Joon, Shin Hye-Jis personality was quite easygoing. She could talk with Yoo Seodam without any problem. Then she came to her senses, and she turned towards her father. Lets go now! Yoo Soo-Young Hunter-nim is waiting for us. Yoo Soo-Young? It was the name of a S-rank hunter in Korea as well as one of the most beautiful women in the world. But even after hearing the name, Dong-joon only made a dry face. What a drag. Suddenly, a message appeared in front of Seodams eyes. [Skill Protagonist Hunter Lv. 3 is activated.] [Showing a portion of the protagonists skills and ability.] [The protagonist Lee Dong-Joon has passive ability [Charm(S)] and passive skills [Bewitch(SS)] Seodam knows that Dharma was a Buddhist monk. But for a Buddhist monk to have a #Harem as one of his tags, he was completely sure it was because of those skills. Thanks to his amazing ability as well as his passive skills, beautiful girls seem to flock around him. Then, what about his daughter? Yoo seodam guessed that Lee Dong-joon was either in his late 20s or early 30s. For such a young man to have a daughter as grown up as Shin Hye-ji was so strange. Seodam slowly glanced at the girl that called herself his daughter. And then, Another message from the system comes to his mind. What? Seodam slowly raised his head and looked at Lee Dong-joon. He nodded at Seodam with a dull look on his face. Well get going now. I have an appointment with my daughter. Perhaps, Lee Dong-joon thought no one would know about what he was doing. In fact, Seodam wouldnt have known if Protagonist Hunter System didnt tell him about it. . Ah yes, please go carefully. The strongest Dharma in the world. The one who made two rules that every returnee from Murim has to follow. He has a harem party, And even taught his own daughter martial arts from Murim. The protagonist Lee Dong-joon himself was breaking both the prohibitions. *** You met the Supreme One? Yes. Few days later, I met up with a returnee that I met in Jamsil Gymnasium a while back. He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh when he heard the words Supreme Dharma from my mouth. As youve guessed. The prohibitions imposed on us were created by him. I see. By the way, didnt you say theres another Supreme one beside Lee Dong-Joon? Thats right. They are called the Supreme Cheonma. It may sound unfamiliar for modern people, but there was another one who was once called the Great Mountains in Murim. Im sure they came with us when we crossed over to Earth, but Ive yet to hear any news from them. Its not a martial arts show or anything, but to hear something like Cheonma They really have all sorts of things. Excluding the hiding Cheonma, was Dharma the strongest in Murim? That is correct. But beneath them, theres people hailed as 3 Kings and 6 emperors. Please explain about them in the simplest terms so i can understand it. Hmm These 9 people were similar to the A-rank hunter when Dharma and Cheonma are S-rank hunters. In other words, theres 9 strong people here on earth who are still weaker than Dharma. In any case, if the nine of them worked together or if all warriors from Murim work together, can they win against Dharma? I wouldnt dare Dharma is our benefactor who allowed us to return to earth. Its just what-if, a hypothesis. Kim Doo-hak agonized over it, then he sighed heavily and nodded his head. I cant say for sure because my skill isnt good enough. But maybe its possible to kill him. The problem is the 3 kings and 6 emperors are hiding somewhere on Earth, and it is impossible to bring them all together. Somehow, I feel like the world called earth was suddenly bigger than I used to think. I felt like a frog who fled out of the well. I thought I had wandered around the well enough to see everything it had to offer. Yet, the world inside the well was full of things I had never seen. It was not yet the time to go out of the well. Alright, let me ask one more question. But, youre really giving me a seat in your guild, right? Of course, Im not someone who goes against my own words. But I think youre doing it right now, though. Of course not. Anyway, what will happen if a dimensional returnee broke the rules? Kim Doo-hak answered with an expression that was as if he were saying isnt that obvious? Kill order. ! Every returnee from Murim would be their enemy. I managed to keep the corners of my mouth from rising up after hearing his words. I cant be sure of anything yet. Even Kim Doo-hak who was an ultimate master in Murim could only use words like probably and or in his words. He couldnt be completely sure regarding this matter. Kim Doo-hak was someone who was comparable to an A-rank superhuman. But in level terms, he was only level 115 at most. While Lee Dong-joons level was 500. simply put, his strength was so overwhelmingly strong. In other words, whatever plan they made right now, the success rate was close to nil. Lee Dong-Joon.. He was 32 years old. He had a 17-year-old daughter, Shin Hye-ji. He is living a normal life as a low-ranking police officer. Of course, both his age and status are likely to be fake. He had many hunters flocking around him, especially female hunters. Park Sung-ho also informed him that Lee dong-joon often had dinner with swordsmen from China. Unfortunately, most of the information was vague. It was mainly a story based on the eyewitnesss statement. There was no photograph or whatsoever to support the claims. And just because the evidence was there didnt mean that the 3 Kings and 6 emperors together with all warriors from Murim would rise up to fight against Lee Dong-Joon. The chances of them winning wouldnt shoot up to 100% either. Now I understand why the system told me that I had a 15% chance of success in killing Lee Dong-joon. Back then I didnt have any kind of information about him. But as the relationship between Lee Dong-Joon and the people from Murim begins to be sorted out, I can think of a few ways to kill him But its not the time yet. What I want is a 100% chance of victory, not 15%. In order to do that, I need to become stronger by hunting protagonists from all over the dimension. And then I need to create a training hall, expand my power, and meet the 3 kings and 6 emperors. Theres no need to be in a hurry. The Time Attack will only begin when the Earth enters the epilogue due to Lee Dong-joon. The hunt for Lee Dong-joon is likely to be a long-term battle. Chapter 56: Korean superhuman academy was one of the biggest academies in the world. How could such a gigantic size come out from such a cramped land like Korea, you ask? The answer was, the whole island was built on the sea in the west coast area. On top of the white marble-like island, a magnificent castle-like structure was built. It was the superhuman academy city, or widely known as Sekim, a name derived from a new coined word proposed by the president at that time. People used to sarcastically call it a word made of pork belly (Samgyeopsal) and kimchi but years later, the name Sekim was imprinted in the heads of people all over the world. The academy where many brilliant superhumans were working as their teaching staff. A highly sought out place for both superhuman wannabes who wanted to learn skills as well as ordinary students who seeked this place for their diploma. This huge city with a total population of 5 million people was where the famed Sejong Super Ability School was located at. A parents visit day huh? The Academy held parents visit day once a year to show the parents how much their children had changed. At the same time the academy used this event to boast about the academys achievements through the student progress. Unlike the normal parents visit, this day was also the day where both conglomerates and guilds tried to scout some promising students through the fighting tournament held by the academy Lee Dong-joon looked at his daughter, Shin Hye-ji from the spectators seat. Even though they didnt share the same blood, Shin hye-ji was still his daughter in contract. And it was also true to some extent that Lee Dong-joon had put her inside the boundary of his own family. Shin Hye-Ji was a girl with a very sad dream. She wanted to become a hunter even though she was only an ordinary human without any kind of superpower. Lee Dong-Joon had asked her to give up her dream several times. Yet, she kept working hard everyday to achieve her dream. Eventually, Lee Dong-Joon, who was moved by Shin Hye-jis determination, broke another rule. In addition to dont have a relationship, Lee Dong-joon also broke the ban of dont spread martial arts. -You shouldnt have done that. Lee Dong-Joon heard those words as he watched Shin Hye-Jis duel. -Why did you break the ban? Because im the one who made it. The identity of the voice who was talking to him inside his head was none other than Dharma. More precisely, it was Dharma of Earth. Long time ago, Lee Dong-joon was accidentally possessed by the spirit inside a Dharmas relics. Countless Earthlings were summoned to Moorim. While everyone was still engulfed in confusion and chaos, Lee Dong-joon adapted faster than anyone else and successfully earned a high achievement thanks to the Dharma inside his body. At that time, his one and only dream was to return to Earth. However, Dharma from Earth was afraid that martial arts from Moorim would spread on Earth. Dharma, who once spread his Magical energy on Earth and made it possible for anyone to use it, collected all of his power back when he saw that people were so absorbed in their own power that they stained the world with blood. He didnt want to repeat the same mistake ever again. Even when the world has changed into a world where monsters existed, he had yet to change his mind Cant you make it so that only I can return to earth? Lee Dong-joon asked, but the Dharma shook his head to refuse Lee Dong-Joon pledge. -If you return, all the earthlings in Moorim would also return. In that case, there was no other choice but to impose a ban on all earthlings in Moorim. So Lee Dong-joon took all of them under his wings to observe their action. And then he made a rule that stated if you used martial arts or engaged in a relationship, Dharma would visit you. But there was one big flaw in the rules. It was the fact that the rules wouldnt apply for the Dharma, Lee Dong-Joon himself. - I trusted you. .. However, Lee Dong-Joon didnt have any intention to use his power to hunt monsters. He simply wanted a normal life. The world is bound to change. Didnt you also change your way of talking too? -You bastard! Ive been living for hundreds of years. How can I only speak one tune? It doesnt matter. Im going to do anything I can for me and my family. -So, you wont think about other people from Moorim at all? If Lee Dong-joon decidex to return to Earth. all earthlings on Moorim would have no other choice but to follow him. Please, my daughter and my husband are here. I dont want to go back. Please There was a person who said that as she hugged her child and begged. Then there were others Please, shell be back in a week. Let me see her just one more time. Please, Id like to confess to her. Someone begged as they slammed their head into the ground. I cant go back now. I have to kill the man who killed my girl! Someone said that as he stuck a knife towards Lee Dong-joon However, Lee Dong-joon was an absolute master of Moorim who had reached the status of Legendary Lord. No one could ever beat him by force. In the end, they were all forced to move back to earth. After their return to earth, there were many cases where people from Moorim couldnt hold their bloodthirst and used their martial arts recklessly. Whenever that happened, Lee Dong-joon went and dealt with them in the cruelest way possible. Some of them had their limbs cut off and left with only their lives remaining. Lee Dong-joon did that in order to make an example out of them so that no one would disobey the will of the Dharma ever again. -Your karma is bound to catch up to you. How angry would all the people from Moorim be if they knew what youve done, I wonder? There is no way it is going to happen. I have already changed my face and hidden my identity. No one from Moorim would know who I am. The martial arts he taught to his daughter, Shin Hye-ji, was seemingly similar to a Body strengthening skill. There would be no problem whatsoever. But suddenly, Oh! Hello, we meet again. Lee Dong-joons face stiffened. The identity of the man who called him was Yoo Seodam. A Dimensional Returnee who didnt belong to Moorim as well as the only one who knew Lee Dong-joons real identity as someone from Moorim. Ive made a mistake. At first, Lee Dong-Joon assumed that Yoo Seodam was someone from Moorim. So, he went to visit him in order to punish him from using Martial arts on earth. But, when he saw him directly and listened to his explanation, he realized that Yoo Seodam wasnt someone from Moorim. In the end he just ended up revealing his own identity. Should I have killed him back then? But he couldnt. As soon as he would stab his intangible sword to that mans body, he would disappear like an illusion. He must have believed in his skills and came here. His conviction that he would never die. That fact was what made Lee Dong-joon uncomfortable. Oh,The rumor seems to be true. Your daughter is simply excellent. Amongst all students in the Academy she is definitely a top tier student. Look at that step! Wow, I can never do something like that. I bet all hunters in the world would kill just to learn those fancy footwork. Why did you come here? When Lee Dong-joon reacted curtly, Yoo Seo-dam raised his hand to appease his anger. Didnt fathers like it when someone complimented their daughters? Dont cross the line Yoo Seodam!! Please calm down, Your majesty. Im here to help you solve your problems. ..! Yoo Seo-dam smiled and looked towards the arena. Shin Hye-ji was showing an ability to lighten her body as she stood on the tip of her opponents wooden sword. [Supporting character Shin Hye-ji was using Irwidogang (SS)] What Shin Hye-ji did wasnt something that could be done easily even for a superhuman. As someone who originally doesnt have any superpower, Shin Hye-ji failed to hold his excitement back. She was wildly running around the arena. She even forgot the words that Lee Dong-joon has said to her Never show your martial arts. Of course, both irwidogang and Thirteen swords of Buddha dharma was a difficult skill to recognize even for the eyes of good warriors from Moorim. Both skills was a legendary achievements that difficult to see even in Moorim. But there was someone here who clearly knew who he was. Also, he was aware of the existence of the rules. What do you want? Lee Dong-joon asked curtly. Thanks to Miss Shin Hye-Ji superior specs, Im sure many guilds have sent her some love call, right? Yoo Seo-dam said. .. Reject everything. And leave your daughter to my guild. How can I believe you? Your guild is just a newborn guild. Yes, it is, but by the time your daughter graduates, My guild wouldnt be the same as it is now. Unlike your people with their restriction, Im going to share my skills generously. Hearing those words, Lee Dong-joon finally realized the reason why Yoo Seodam approached him. Mr. Lee Dong-joon. I really want to get along with you. I found out that you were one of the best in the world as well as in Moorim. So, why would I do anything that would harm you? I wont ask you to believe me. And then, Yoo Seo-dam pointed at Shin Hye-ji with his fingers. That superpower your daughter use Surely, itll be a headache if people from Moorim know the real identity of those powers, right? Lee Dong-joon did not answer. But what if she was my disciple? ..! I can teach anyone my power. Your daughter wouldnt have to hide her powers like she is now. Ill tell you again, Mr. Lee Dong-joon. Send your daughter to my guild. Although my guild is smaller than any other guild, isnt it the best guild for your daughter to be active? His words were true, there wouldnt be any problem if Shin Hye-ji became Yoo Seodams disciple. Because he had already showed the world a technique similar to martial arts. Can I really believe him? Lee Dong-joon questioned in the back of his mind. As a man who had fought many times in the jungle called Moorim, Lee Dong-joon tried to be as rational as possible. This man knows a lot about DR. Perhaps he also knew that revealing this fact to the world would put me in a difficult position. Nevertheless, he came to me first with his mouth shut and made this suggestionC did he want something from me? After a brief thought, Lee Dong-joon asked him. What do you want from me? Then Yoo Seo-dam said without blinking his eyes. In the future, there will be a lot of people who will come after me. I am not strong enough to protect myself. So i want your protection. And I want to be taught by you. The teachings that all the people from Moorim wanted. The teachings that were sought by all the Hunters all over the world. He wanted those Teachings that no one could learn. Do you know how heavy the teachings of a Dharma are? Yes I know. So, Im here to solve your difficult situation. Not only that, Im in a position where Im quite socially active. If theres another difficulty, please feel free to tell me. Lee Dong-Joon once again fell in a deep thought. Yoo Seodam, wasnt he such an excellent assistant for him? Theres a time when he couldnt use his power fully when he taught her pitiful daughter about martial arts because he was afraid of being caught. In exchange for solving all of his problems Yoo seodam only wanted to be taught by him. In the first place, Supreme Dharmas teachings were so heavy and perfect at the same time thanks to Protagonist correction. Isnt the current Hunters Association all creeping around him just to get this lesson? Eventually, Lee Dong-joon nodded. Okay, but if you ever tell my daughter about this deal or you tell me what to do. Ill cut your throat. Of course. You shouldnt worry about that. Eventually, Lee Dong-joon decided to leave his daughter Shin Hye-ji to him. Turning back, Yoo Sodam smiled at his win. This deal got him the protection of Dharma by having her daughter Shin Hye-ji. And also, Dharmas teaching was guaranteed. But the most important thing of all was the fact that he grasped Lee Dong-joons weakness on his hands. *** Chapter 57: What? You want me to join Mister Yoo Seodams guild? I met Lee Dong-Joon and his daughter Shin Hye-ji again on the weekend. This time, I brought a contract and gave it to them. Yes, it will be a great help for you. If thats what you want, then The decision was one-sidedly made by me and Lee Dong-joon. However, the most important thing in this matter was Shin Hye-ji. You know I got an offer from Velvet, Chinese government, Lost Day, and England nightclubs. I know. But its better for you to enter his guild. Because, you dont have to hide your Mugong anymore. .! Shin Hye-jis expression changed dramatically as she heard those words. It was something that no other guild could possibly do for her. Which is, creating an environment where Shin Hye-ji could fully develop her power. Mugong must be hidden. Thats what his father taught her. I was going to entice her with that point. Even though I didnt use any Mugong, I have something similar to it. Also, Im thinking of setting up a Dojo where I could teach my power to other people in the next few years. Miss Shin Hye-Ji would be my fir- No, second student. I can guarantee you, Mugong wouldnt become a problem. I, I, I see. In fact, I have produced a brilliant superhuman student named Celeste Costantini. Currently, Celeste was busy traveling around the world, including France, England, and many other countries. She received great attention everywhere she went, even though her superpowers rank hadnt been updated yet. But anyway, because she was already a superhuman in the first place, the interest in me wasnt so great. But Shin Hye-ji was different. She used to be an ordinary human with no ability. She became a superhuman after learning the Thirteen swords of Buddha Dharma. How great would this advertising effect be? The existence of Shin Hye-ji will be very helpful for the future of my guild. It was Lee Dong-joon who taught and nurtured her. And she became well-known after showing her skills in the academy. But her name value could only be exclusively used by me. Right now, Ive only registered the guild to the association. Miss Shin Hye-ji would officially become a member once you graduate. However, Miss Shin Hye-ji will be able to use all of her power if she declared that she will join my guild in the future and sign the contract. The word Mugong has been a secret between her and her father. Thats why she had been holding back. Now, when she had an opportunity to use it freely, I bet she was feeling very eager. She wouldnt need any kind of support from any guild. People from Murim were like that in the first place. Even though she was not a full-fledged Murim person, what was the difference between them and her when she had also learned Mugong? Go, Good! First of all, Please show me the contract. I gave her the contract as soon as I heard her words. I received some help from Park Sung-ho, the former deputy director of the Korea Branch Hunter Association, and Lee Joon-seok of the Velvet Guild, while I was in the process of creating my own guild. Shin Hye-Ji carefully examined the contract, including the confidentiality pledge, and slightly frowned. Beside her, Lee Dong-joon asked with a stiff look. You want me to be tied to your guild for at least 7 years? I dont think he would like the condition I proposed. But, I had already prepared an excuse in advance. Yes. Let me tell you again, my guild is a special guild. It would also served as an institution that teaches ordinary people who are incompetent to be able to use my Power. Of course, Hye-ji can learn my humble abilities as well as her fathers great skills. My power would be far below the level of the Dharma Sutra, but it was not wrong to say that I was going to teach not only martial arts but also magic. So, uh, that Power, what is it called? When Shin Hye-ji asked, instead of answering, Yoo Seodam opened his palm and drew a small magic circle in the air. Of course, the Flower took care of everything. -I want a glass of soju. Shin Hye-ji and Lee Dong-joon were slightly surprised when they saw the small breeze that began to gather on top of my palm. This is the power that is similar to Mugong. Shin Hye-ji, who knew about Mugong but would never have seen magic, stared blankly at the breeze dancing on my palm and signed the contract right away. I smiled and asked Shin to shake hands. I look forward to working with you. Shin Hye-ji will be a great driving force for my guilds growth in the future. *** A week after my meeting with Shin Hye-Ji and Lee dong-Joon. I watched the video sent by the Supernatural Power Academy. -Poong, Poong!! -Oh, my God. What the hell is that? -She even beat 3rd years Vice-president Elyteina -I heard she was trained by hunter Yoo Seodam. Is it okay to spread that kind of swordsmanship? Shin Hye-ji was originally a top student among all the first grade students. Her skill was clearly unrivaled, but many people said that she was still inferior to her seniors in second and third grade. It couldnt be helped since she was hiding most of her Mugong skill. But now, with those restrictions gone, she could crush all of her seniors without any worries. Oh, what an unfair world. Thats what third grader Elyteina and all senior students thought when they looked at Shin Hye-ji. Even though Ive asked Lee dong-joon to teach me, all I can learn from him right now is footworks and breathing methods. Unlike Shin Hye-ji, who had the Supreme one as her father, or Eliteina who was born talented. [T/N: This essentially means that he is not as skilled as them.] They were able to fight skilfully at such a young age. The damaged duel arena was vividly captured inside the video. The trace of fire magic and sword strike could be seen all around the arena. No matter how strong I am right now, something like that was clearly impossible for me. Shin Hye-ji was of course stronger than me. But her opponent, Eliteina was also stronger than me. Ill have to work extra hard for the next two years. As the one who created the guild, Shouldnt I become stronger than the people who will be an instructor in my guild? First of all, I need to learn another swordsmanship. The white swordsmanship style wasnt something that could be taught to anyone. It was a skill that was created as a new swordsmanship unique to himself. In other words, he had to acquire another skill, either martial arts or swordsmanship, that could be taught to other people. Im actually not much worried about that part. Now that I have acquired inventory skill, even when I cant steal such skills from the main character, I can bring different items related to martial arts or swordsmanship. Bzzzttt! Bzzzttt!! These days my smartphone was constantly ringing. A lot of swordsmen and aspiring hunters were contacting me. It was only natural, because in addition to Celeste, my new disciple Shin Hye-ji, the top student of supernatural power academy, was showing an exceptional strength. Among those people who want to be taught by me, I would only choose and teach the one with purest intention. I want to get some items. Long sword, dagger, double sword, Anythings fine. Please show me the world related to the sword. [Searching] [. Finish searching] [Showing the result] #Did_you_die_again? #Do_it_ again! #Fantasy #Regressor #Grow #Sweet_potato #Cider #InfiniteSword #Fantasy #Regressor #Sweet_potato #Grow #Thats_how_i_become_a_sword #Mugong #Munchkin #Revenge #Noir The list showed numerous protagonists that used sword as their weapon. The list was really endless. Most of the main characters used swords because that was cliche. Of course, there were many characters who used other weapons such as spears, bows, hammers and axes, but the number was very small. Theres so many. Of course, the main character who simply used the sword did not appear on this list. What he needed was a place where the world view itself revolved around the sword. I chose an option where I found a suitable protagonist to deal with. #InfiniteSword #Fantasy #Regressor #Sweet_potato #Grow Lets go with this one. [The main characters name is Adonen, his level is 51.] [Do you want to check the plot?] Show me. Adonen, a man with no talent, no connections, and no teacher. His dream was to become the best in the world with just one sword. You trained the sword for ten years? Its been less than a year for me. Gasp! However, he met a real genius and died. What is this? He suddenly came back to yesterday? Hm.. As expected, there is not much to know from the plot alone. But Its still better than nothing. First of all, its definitely a regression. Can protagonist hunter skill detect a regression? Okay. Lets go. A level 51 should be doable. [Transfering to Rostislav Continent, the world where the level 51 Protagonist Adonen resides.] [1098.] [210] [Moving completed.] [Youve become a wanderer on the Rostislav Continent.] [Currently the time difference is 3.1417] [Current date: Imperial calendar, February 18, year 712 current time: 17:39] Huh, is this guy serious? Why are you picking a fight?! I am serious! Take out your sword now! Look at this trash talking back! I found myself in the middle of a hall, which seems to be the reception area of a large medieval style Inn. What the hell? Two or three Westerners wearing light leather gear pulled out their swords from the sheath before my eyes. They seem to have been at odds with each other. I thought it would be better not to get dragged into the fight, so I slipped back and got out of there. Only when I came out to the streets that I realized the law of this world. What? You are asking for more discount? This bastard! Follow me outside and fight me! This was a world where the strong survived. There was no need to distinguish between the right and the wrong. If something happened to a person and they didnt like it, anyone could prove their words through a duel. It was a perfect world for a strong person to live. What a crazy world. Its a bloody place. Moreover, sometimes there were outstanding talents in the mix, so people preferred to avoid other people because they were afraid of getting into trouble. Sword and more swords. It was a world where everything was resolved with a sword. Their currency was a sword, and all buildings were shaped like a sword. And, there was a man who cut his hair in the shape of swords. My choice was proven to be correct, there were a lot of people on the street who either wanted to sell their swords or teach swordsmanship. I looked at them one by one as if I was shopping. And then, Wow, why dont you try a little more? [Protagonist Adonen] [Level : 51.] I found the protagonist. The protagonist, Adonen. On the surface, he looked like an adult in his early twenty. He was fighting a duel in the middle of the street, and people around him clicked their tongues as they passed by. Seems like hes blocking the road to kill every passing swordsman. Hes really a brave one. He is killing people even though he will be charged for murder by the guard. He has to meet a real master to get himself together. I have to pass, but he is blocking the way, so On closer look, Adonen, as they said, was carrying out a slaughter. No matter how strong you are, indiscriminate killing want right. Besides, there must be swordsmen around here who were stronger than level 51. Just where did his confidence stem from? But my question was soon replaced by another thought. It was a good opportunity. In this world where the strong survive. It was not unlikely that the protagonist will be stabbed to death by random people. Even if I killed the protagonist right now, I can stay in this world as long as I want. Then, I thought it was right to kill the protagonist who grew up eating the blessing of this world. It was a bit of a concern that the exact effects of the regression skill were not revealed. But from what I know, it was a genre where the protagonist grew rapidly by monopolizing the technology and knowledge of the future. It was right to kill him before he could grow any stronger. I took a grenade out of the inventory and threw it toward Adonen. Adonen, who was telling everyone to fight him if they wanted to go through this road, belatedly found a black sphere that rolled under his feet. Beep! Beep! Beep! What is this? BOOOOOM!! The grenade exploded. It seemed to be quite effective because there were wounds all over his body. But it wasnt enough to kill him so I pulled out my pistol and swung my sword at him. Taaang! Kuhuk! You bastard! Who are you? Lets have a fair fight! Fair fight my ass! I dont think thats what the guy who blocked the road and started a slaughter can say. I cut Adonens sword into two using my ether blade. Then, I pointed my gun at the gap that was created. After that, I switched back to my ether blade to cut his neck cleanly. I deactivated the ether blade as soon as Adonens head fell to the ground. Level 51 Protagonist was someone who could be killed easily with a surprise attack. Ting! [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 18:50] [..The world line starts to twist.] [Skill Protagonist Hunter Lv. 3 is activated to detect changes in the world line.] [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 10 hours and 37 minutes ago.] [Current date: Imperial calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 20:13] TING! [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 18:50] [Weve moved to the A73 World Line.] Hm? Suddenly, Adonens body disappeared. Even though it was clearly there a moment ago. Something is wrong. The people around me were changing. The man who wore a red muffler earlier had disappeared and in his place, a woman was standing there. And the two blonde men who watched Adonen and criticized him, were now walking shoulder to shoulder. Dieeeee!!!! There are some people who engaged in duel Well, the trash is dueling again. Said a swordsman as he passed by. Scary~ And theres an old man who walked away from the fighting people in fright. Looks like no one has sensed this change. Is this the effect of Regression? Yoo Seodam stared at the crowds blankly. But suddenly a voice came from his back Ive been looking for you all day long after I died. ! Yoo Seodam looked back in a hurry. Adonen, who had just been decapitated by his sword was standing there. But its weird. You werent there until just now, its like you are appearing out of nowhere. What the hell are you? Adonen said and he spat on the floor. [The protagonist, Adonen, activates Swordsmanship robbing(SS) Skill.] [The Swordsmanship robbing (SS): Analyzes and identifies the swordsmanship of the person who kills him and makes it as his own.] [Progress: 2.79%] Adonen smiled violently and pulled out the sword. So, why dont you show me some more of your swordsmanship? Chapter 58: It wouldnt be easy. Such thoughts crossed my mind Did he regress to this point? The plot clearly stated that Adonen had a regression skill. So, I thought this mission would be over once I killed him. But, I overlooked some crucial facts. Which is, there were so many different kinds of regression in the world. .Loop? What!? I could feel my face hardened while Adonen walked towards me as he waved his sword. So that was the reason why he bravely blocked the streets and picked fights with everyone around. He was searching for a strong warrior to kill him and then he would regress and use Swordsmanship robbing to take away their ability. Adonen would take their Swordsmanship after getting killed over and over again. The fact that one could steal someones swordsmanship in this world where swords were everything, it was akin to becoming a predator of the predator. So its the infinite loop. I have. Its the black hole of love, right? Recently, I studied quite hard about trends and cliche, such as regression, reincarnation, possession and many other genres because the protagonist that Ive hunted seemed to follow those trends. I couldnt follow the trends in my youth, because not long after I enrolled in middle school, I awakened as a hunter and moved to the battlefield for 16 years. In those years, I spent all my time either in a dungeon or in the gym except when I was sleeping. So I couldnt read all these genres because I didnt have enough time to watch movies or read novels. Of course, all those words were nothing but excuses. Had I been a little more careful and took my time to observe him, I wouldve known that his regression ability was an infinite loop type. This was obviously my mistake. All my life Ive been acting like a cornered rat trying to fight desperately against a cat who tried to eat me. But for the first time ever, I felt like Im the cat. I forgot the fact that the cat wasnt the only one out there but there were also wolves and tigers. You are right. Thank you. But, I feel like you become much kinder these days. Why is that? As I stood still, Adonen spoke. What, youre not coming? Come to think of it, its weird. Do you hold any grudge against me? I wonder why you killed me in such a hurry. Despite his questioning I didnt feel the need to give him any answer and let him know that I had the memory from the point before the regression. What kind of bullshit are you saying? Hm Nevermind then. It seems like the reason you killed me wasnt because I was blocking the way. Adonen rushed in as soon as he finished talking. Out of reflex, I almost raised the ether blade to fight him. Will he analyze my trajectory if I swing my sword? I couldnt completely stop myself from using the ether blade. However, I had many weapons in my arsenal to cover up the need of using a sword. Fwoosh! What the hell? Using magic, I made the ground as slippery as an ice by reducing its friction point. Because of that, Adonen who charged towards me slipped and fell down. And then, I took out some grenades from my inventory and raised my hand towards the air. The grenades in my hand started to scatter and floated around me. My wind magic wasnt strong enough yet, it could only move the lightest grenade. But that was enough. Beep! Beep! Beep! Boom!!! I pulled the pin and threw the grenades towards Adonen one by one. I tried to use every single one of it as strategically as possible. No matter how much power a single grenade had, it wouldnt have enough damage to kill a level-51 enemy. Boom! Boom! Boom! The grenades exploded in sucesion. The continuous explosion blocked the paths between Adonen and me. And then, I took out my mega shooter from my inventory and jumped. The jumping trampoline magic casted on the ground by the flower pot was helping me to jump even higher. As soon as I landed on one of the buildings roofs, I took an aim at Adonen and pulled the mega shooters trigger. It wasnt possible to continuously shoot with the mega shooter, I only have 3 shots. This crazy. I wouldnt be able to kill Adonen with a mega shooter alone. In the first place, I didnt like the fact that I had to do all this troublesome stuff when I could kill him with a few swings of ether blades. But still, it was better than being robbed by his skill. At times like this, I felt really fortunate that I had magic and science besides swordsmanship. I loaded a shield breaker bullet on the mega shooter and shot. Fyung! Boom! Keuk. The Shield breaker bullet disperse the mana around Adonens body as soon as it hits. The scattered mana would soon regain their shape, but that small gap was enough. I rushed toward Adonen to strike at that gap. Seuk! Adonens forehead was marked with a Ether Radiant symbol. I forced him to lay on his back by kicking his abdomen and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! A new message came to my mind together with the loud gunfire. Jiing! [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 19:13] [..The world line starts to twist.] [Skill Protagonist Hunter Lv. 3 is activated to detect changes in the world line.] [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 11 hours and 1 minutes ago.] [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 8:13] Jijik! [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 19:14] [Moving to A74 world line.] At the very least, hes dead. However, I later came to know that it was not the right move. [The protagonist, Adonen, activates Swordsmanship robbing(SS) Skill.] [The Swordsmanship robbing (SS): Analyzes and identifies the swordsmanship of the person who kills him and makes it his own.] [Progress: 2.80%] Even though I didnt even use the ether blade, Adonen progress still went up albeit slightly. In addition [Protagonist Adonen has invoked pattern analysis (A) Skill.] [His body will slowly adapt to the enemys attack.] It seemed like Adonens Pattern analysis skill wasnt limited to swordsmanship but also worked on other attacks. Hu I didnt know that youll use some magic. But, now that Im aware of it, Ill steal it too! Now die! The protagonist came at me again. I fought him with the same kind of weapon I used before. I killed him again. [Moving to A75 world line] **** I killed him, I killed him again, I killed him all over again. The system clearly said there was a way to kill the main character of Infinite Loop. So at first, I made a strategy to kill him until he regressed into a baby. But [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 11 hours and 1 minutes ago.] [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 18, Year 712 Current time: 8:13] Jijik! [Current date] The point of return of Adonens regression was fixed. February 18, Year 712. 8:13 a.m. Adonen went back to that exact time every time he died. And for every time he died, our contact time became more and more further than before. Should I capture him and raise him until hes old enough to die from a natural cause? I could cut his limbs and gag his mouth to prevent him from killing himself, but. Raising him means I had to feed him something. It wasnt a plausible plan because he would bite me as soon as he opened his mouth to eat the feed. Because of his Pattern analyzing hes able to read my attack more and more perfectly, making it harder for me to deal with him. Of course it would be easier to deal with him if I used a weapon unfamiliar to him. [Moving to A98 world line.] But then, there wouldnt be any reason to hunt him repeatedly(?) [Moving to A99 world line.] You fucker. You arent helpful for my growth. Just like that, Ive killed him more than 20 times and moved on to the 99th world line. Adonen was also mentally exhausted. But that didnt mean much. Because I was getting tired too. Unlike Adonen who rested on an 11-hour interval, I fought him constantly. Thats why I had to take the ether blade out again. I was exhausted enough to not care about his Sword robbing skill. However, this body that had lived on the battlefield for more than 10 years wouldnt crumble that easily. [Moving to A100 world line.] And now, Im moving to the 100th world line. . . . Hes not coming? Adonen no longer came to find me. **** The next day arrived I couldnt rent any room because I didnt have any money of this world. I took out a bread from my inventory and ate it. Im glad to have something to eat even though I am homeless. [Current date: Imperial Calendar, 19 February, Year 712. Current time: 7:19] The sky was still dark. The sunrise time of this world seemed to be one hour later than that on the earth. From the way he looked at me every time we fought, I thought hed come back anytime. But, throughout the night, Adonen didnt come at all. He probably thought that fighting me wasnt helpful to him because I rarely used the ether blade. It was a good thing to have enough time to think by myself. But the problem is, I still didnt have enough clue on how to kill a person with a regression ability who returned infinitely every time they died. In the first place, is it possible to kill him physically? I know Adonen is mentally weak When I went to the center of the city with that thought in my head, I found Adonen challenging a tall female swordsman who was likely to be 180cm tall. Crazy bastard, he was meaninglessly active. Tang! Tang! Level 51 Protagonist, Adonen and the female swordsman. It was not a fight but a one-side beatdown. The female swordsman was too strong for Adonen. Just by shaking her sword lightly with one hand, Adonen was slammed to the ground. But Adonen always stood again and rushed towards the female swordsman. As if Adonen were asking her to kill him. It was so obvious to me because I knew his skills, but it didnt seem to make sense for the female swordsman. You are weak. Devote yourself more and come find me when you are stronger. In the first place, the female swordsman looked like she had no intention of killing a novice like Adonen. She used the side of the sword to slap the rushing Adonen on his cheek. Keuk. Adonen flew and crashed to the ground. Perhaps, because of the impact he couldnt get up. He was breathing heavily on the floor. However, the female swordsmans face hardened. [Supporting actor Misclean invokes skill Strong Sword of Blood (SS).] You have such a strong will. Hook, hok The sun rose before in the sky. [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 19, Year 712 Current time: 8:49.] Adonen laughed silently as he looked at the sun that rose in the sky. And suddenly, he jumped at the female swordsman. Swoosh! .. His throat was cutted. He died. Looking at the scene in front of me, I could only shake my head. Looks like I have to wait for another day to meet him. [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 0 hours and 1 minutes ago.] Adonen regressed once again. [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 19, Year 712 Current time: 8:49.] Ting! [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 19, Year 712 Current time: 8:50.] .Hm? Something is wrong. Its 19th? Not 18th? When I came back to my senses the duel repeated once again. It was the scene where Adonen was running towards Misclean. His throat was once again slitted by Misclen. [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 0 hours and 1 minute ago.] [The protagonist, Adonen, activates Swordsmanship robbing(SS) Skill.] [Progress: 3.97%] He ran again and he died again. [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 0 hours and 2 minutes ago.] [The protagonist, Adonen, activates Swordsmanship robbing(SS) Skill.] [Progress: 4.13%] He ran again He died again [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 0 hours and 7 minutes ago.] [The protagonist, Adonen, activates Swordsmanship robbing(SS) Skill.] [Progress: 5.79%] Adonen charges and then Misclean slits his throat. Those scenes were repeated for several dozen of times in just a few minutes. On one side, there was a protagonist with a regression skill who had become stronger after dying for so many times. He was capable of fighting a prolonged battle. While on the other side, there was a supporting character who lost her strength everytime she killed the protagonist. What the hell. Misclean looked haggard. Her swordsmanship became slower than ever. The swordsmanship that feels as light as a feather had become as rigid as a steel bar. She tried to swing her sword with all her might, but her movement had noticeably slowed down. She looked like she was gradually forgetting how to wield a sword. [Moving to A134 World line.] As time went by, Misclean became shorter for an unknown reason, her muscles also slowly disappeared. On the contrary, Adonens muscles grew much bigger than before. This situation was the result of the protagonists correction. The supporting actor, Misclean, was probably one of the strongest characters in this world. Adonen, who happens to meet such a strong character, grew rapidly as he stole the power of the supporting character. If things kept going on like this, Adonen would surely overwhelm Misclen. And after the 100th circle, the victor would be decided. But, I wouldnt let it happen. I got up from my seat and loaded a bullet to the mega shooter. The weaknesses of Loop-Type regression had already been identified. **** Chapter 59: It was a world where swords ruled over everything. The swords were the laws. Misclean, who was born with a Sword talent in that kind of world could only be said to have been blessed. She was 4 years old when she held a sword for the first time. The first thing she learnt was a method to kill another human. It was an extremely simple thing for her. All she had to do was predict, evade and counter her enemys attack. That method worked against anyone. Even a grown up adult wasnt an exception. Why cant they do this? Her teacher also told her once Avoiding and countering wasnt an easy thing to do. But for her, it was a really easy thing to do. Whats happening? Adonen, the man who had been attacking her with his Longsword, successfully evades her attack by ducking down. Her attacks werent sloppy by any means, it was an attack strengthened by her experience, senses and calculation. With Adonens level of ability, it was simply impossible for him to avoid this attack. He was able to avoid it as if he was able to foresee the future. Did he know what I would do and avoid it? When he successfully evaded the first 3 strikes, she thought it was a simple coincidence. When he was able to evade more than 5 of her strikes, she started to admit that he was a skilful swordsman. When the count became 10 she started to panic. And when the count reached 20, she was filled with nothing but confusion. My sword feels heavy. It was like fighting against a small snowball in a snowstorm. Normally, the small snowball would explode with a simple touch. But now, it grew out of control because it was rolling from the top of the slope in a snowstorm. Miscleans body turned heavier as the time passed. It was as if her ankles were drowned in the snow. On the other hand, Adonens attacks were getting stronger and sharper. For the first time in her life, she met a wall that she couldnt seem to climb. It was also the first time in her life that she felt fear towards someone. I need to kill him now! Little did she know that Adonen died every time she swung her sword. He couldnt even avoid one of her attack properly. The gap between their ability was that wide. However, Adonens ability helped him to not die from the same attack twice. Top left, diagonal slash. Died and regressed. Top left, diagonal slash then a stab in the abdomen. Died and regressed. Top left, diagonal slash and then a stab in the abdomen. Died and regressed. Top left, diagonal slash, Shell jump after a stab to my abdomen, and then a wide sweep. Died and regressed. Top left, diagonal slash. Died and regressed. Adonen memorized her attack pattern and evaded it. The once one-hit-kill attack was successfully avoided in the next timeline. Her attack was always the same, there were no changes whatsoever. When you did the same thing, the other person had no choice but to do the same thing. No matter how much the world line had changed, it was a set course and fate. As expected, around sunrise is the most convenient time. The truth is, the infinite regressor, Adonen, wasnt living the same day over and over again. His regressions checkpoint would be reset around sunrise. That time was also the most convenient time for him to fight against a stronger swordsman. Because starting around lunch, when he died and regressed, his memory would turn hazy. He would also forget about his enemys attack pattern and get mentally stressed from waiting for his enemy for too long. It was easy to remember his enemys attack pattern when he died and repeated every minute or so. He would be able to take away his enemys power without having to wait long. It had already been 39 times since his first death. Just before his 40th death, the sniper, who stood far away from them, started to mull over his choice. Who should I shoot, I wonder? No matter which target Yoo Seodam chose, in the end no one would die. If he chose Adonen and failed to killed him, Misclean would be the one who kill Adonen, and then, her power would be stolen again. If thats the case, then.. Yoo Seodam aimed his gun towards Miscleans sword. It was a considerable distance. Hitting her sword from this distance wouldnt be easy. Adonen, he must be memorizing Miscleans attack as he repeated the moment over and over again. It seemed like infinite regression didnt have any noticeable weakness. However, when there was someone who could also feel the movement of the world line, the story would change. Adonen made his 40th attempt against Misclean. Top left, hit diagonally and then a stab on by the right ear, then a head-on stab! It was an attack that had been repeated for 40 times. Miscleans attack wasnt changing. So, he planned his move in advance. But Taang-! A thunderous roar was heard from somewhere, at the same time Miscleans attack changed. Wha- This occurrence was something that had never happened in the 40 times he died at Miscleans hands, but also more than 100 times he regressed before that. The future was changing? Miscleans attack was forced to change its course after receiving an impact from some unknown object. And Adonen was forced to avoid it without having any prior memory. And because of that, a gap was created between them. In a heartbeat, the sniper shot another bullet at Adonens forehead. Ta-ang-! Kuaaaaaaghh! It was a bullet that was enchanted with an electrical shock. Damn it, Just who the hell! Adonen fell on his knees. His shaking eyes looked up towards Misclean. Clearly, this event had not happened before. Misclean was also shocked, but she raised her sword to kill the stunned Adonen. Adonen sight turned blurry and just before he completely blacked out, He saw someone approached Misclean and grabbed her shoulder in order to stop her swing. That was the last thing he saw. And just like that, Adonens new day has come to an end. *** ..! The sky was dark when he finally gained consciousness. He could feel pain creeping all over his body. Whats happening? Adonen turned his head and looked around. He was obviously out of the town, since there was nothing around him. He tried to move his hands to no avail. His hands were bound. Who did this to me His current situation was the worst. There was nothing worse than being captured by an enemy without dying. So, he tried to bite his tongue as he thought about regressing and start anew. But unfortunately for him, there was already a muzzle inside his mouth. You know what? ! He heard a voice coming from his front. That guy is.. There was no way Adonen could ever forget that face. He was the man who killed him countless times. But strangely, even after dying dozens of times, he couldnt steal his swordsmanship. People cant die just because they deliberately stop breathing. I wonder if biting your own tongue is the correct way to go. In other words, you cant die just because you want to die. Then, Yoo Seodam checks his watch. It was 8.45 right now. Exactly 3 minutes before sunrise. So what? ..It was also around this time that your checkpoint was renewed. ..! Adonen wanted to ask how he knew about that. But the gag on his mouth prevented him from saying anything. Moments later, he could hear another footsteps walking towards him. It was Miscleans footstep. An enemy whose power had been stolen by him. She roughly knows what you did to her. Well it was tricky to explain to her that you were taking away her power. Who in the world would believe in the existence of regression? So I told her that only through purification could she get her power back. Misclean walked closer towards Adonen, who was bound. He really wanted to provoke her to kill him by saying I will kill you soon but well he couldnt. Theres 1 minute left. ..! Lets think! He must turn this situation around somehow. If the sunrise began while he was in this situation, then.. He wouldnt be able to kill himself. After constantly returning, and taking their power, he became more powerful. But the shackle could be broken after the 50th cycle. After that, Yoo Seodam poured some liquid over Adonens head. Do you know what is the most painful thing a humans body could feel? The liquid he poured on him was oil. It is a fourth-degree burn. Yoo Seodam threw the oil can away after pouring all of the contents. Then, he looked up at the sky. The faint light of dawn shone on them. It was the beginning of a new day. The sun is rising. At the same time, Misclean threw a lighter toward Adonen. Fwoosh! A burning flame brighter than the light of dawn. The check point of regression had been set. *** [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 20, Year 712 Current time: 8:53] [..The world line starts to twist.] [Skill Protagonist Hunter Lv. 3 is activated to detect changes in the world line.] [The Protagonist Adonen invokes the skill Designated Return (URS) and returns to 0 hour and 5 minutes ago.] [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 20, Year 712 Current time: 8:49] Ting! [Current date: Imperial Calendar, February 20, Year 712 Current time: 8:53] [Moving to A140 world line.] [Moving to A141 world line.] [Moving to A142 world line.] . . [Moving to A9871 world line.] Yoo Seodam only needed a blink of an eye to destroy Adonens mind. With a lighter on his hand, he watched Adonen die over and over again. The number kept on increasing, from thousand to tens of thousand. Even if he needed to kill someone, he prefered to do it as cleanly as possible. He didnt feel any joy in torturing his prey. But, he didnt mind it right now because this was the only way to kill his enemy. Youre getting used to it now, arent you? [Moving to A19371 world line.] Adonen cries slowly died down with every passing regression. There seemed to be no life left in his eyes. But Yoo Seodam could still feel Adonens gaze on him. In Miscleans memory she would only remember that she kicked Adonen once. But for Adonen, it was repeated countless number of times. [Moving to A30789 world line.] What Adonen felt right now was a terrible pain from the flames that burned his body as well as an infinite repetition of being suffocated to death. Yoo Seodam knew, when the same pain was repeated too many times, one might be able to adjust to it. [Moving to A48921 world line.] Ever since Yoo Seodam met Adonen. There was something he was very curious about. It was a question of how many times can a regressor who denies death turn back time to come back from death? Would it be possible to live an eternal life? And if a regressor dies of old age, would they return to yesterday and repeat the day when they die? Regression was limited only to physical death. For example burning, death through old age or decapitation. But if you kept dying and faced death over and over again, the mental power of a human, or in other words, the soul, would be exhausted. That kind of death was not a physical death, but a mental death. [Moving to A74123 world line.] Yoo Seodam only needed 10 to 15 minutes for every regression cycle. It was as short as a schools lunch break. [Moving to A89213 world line.] In those cycles of eternity, the soul of the Regressor burned. It was hotter than the blazing sun yet dimmer than a dying candle. [Moving to A99999 world line.] [You have successfully hunted a level 90 protagonist.] [Your level has increased by 4.] [Your life has been extended by 900 days.] [Your remaining life : 4819 days, 09 hours, 53 minutes.] [Moving to B1 world line.] Yoo Seodam looked at the place where Adonen was burned. There was nothing left there. The time has been turned back for so many times, is it okay? Is that so? In the place where Adonen died, there was no strange occurrence whatsoever. There was no more regression either. [You have absorbed the skill Concentration(S)] Yoo Seodam ignored the new message as he saw a grey-colored soul slipping out from the ashes of Adonen. After some time, Yoo Seodam turned his head and made eye contact with Misclean. She looked troubled by the fact that she killed a strong warrior in a way that didnt involve a sword. The very first man who was able to threaten me in a battle was in fact a warrior who used magic to strengthen himself. The wind blew against Miscleans silver hair. Her side profile was quite a sight for the eye. It was a beauty that shone not because she was a woman, but because she was strong It was only a guess, but Wouldnt Adonen take her as his companion after draining all of her strength? It was quite plausible conjencture to imagine a regressor who knew the future forcing himself on Misclean after taking away her strength and turning her into a weak woman. He probably wouldnt do something like that, right? But when he thought about the Supporting Character tag next to Misclean, the probability was certainly there. After the protagonists death, the word Supporting had disappeared from her Supporting Character tag. Now, she could live as herself, not as a supporting character in a world where everything revolved around the main character. Um. She clenched her hand and said to me. Looks like his magic inside me has been purified. I can feel my strength slowly coming back. Is that so? However, for some reason, it seemed that her strength had not returned to its original state yet. Im not completely sure but, I can somehow feel the Source of my strength inside of me. And looks like I can distribute it in the direction I want it to go. Huh? [Misclean has activated Status redistribution (-) skill.] There was no major change in her body except her height that was slightly lower than 170cm. However, her overall atmosphere had changed. Ever since I was a child, my body has always been robust and strong. But I always lagged behind others in terms of agility. Oh, really? Misclean closed her eyes and grabbed her sword. She lifted it into the air and struck it down. All of those moves were executed in a very slow manner. But there was something different about it. Her old swordsmanship was powerful and heavy. But this new swordsmanship was very light, yet it was sharper and faster than ever. It was the birth of a new swordsmanship. Misclean who always lived with a slower yet powerful swordsmanship than anyone else, had completely thrown away his old style and adopted a brand new style. It was a swordsmanship which he dared not cross. It was a swordsmanship of someone who always reigned as a predator in the world of swords. It was a swordsmanship that a lowlife like him wouldnt even dare to dream of. Misclean opened her eyes. She smiled cooly and slapped his shoulder. Even though it was only a light tap, it was still painful. Ill pay you back for defeating the sorcerer as well as returning my power. Then, she pointed at the ether blade hanging from my waist. Ill teach you swordsmanship. She said. Chapter 60: Library of the white witch. Miscleans eyes were tightly shut as she meditated under the waterfall. Whenever she emptied her mind and the waterfall hit her body, she felt like her head was clearing up a bit more. Even when Yoo Seo-dam made a stupid remark like Of course, waterfall was a must-go place for practice when he saw her sitting under the waterfall, Misclean ignored him. Misclean originally used a Greatsword as her weapon. A heavy weapon which even a well-trained swordsman had to wield with both hands. But it was a perfect fit for her who had extraordinary muscular strength. Until she realized Longsword was a better fit for me compared to a greatsword. Despite the sudden realization, her body was still sluggish. For Misclean, a Greatsword wasnt an option for her but a necessity. It was a perfect sword for her survival, so she thought she would use Greatsword for the rest of her life. However, she lost most of her strength when she fought Adonen. And with the help of Yoo Seodam she was able to regain her strength. And now, she was able to distribute most of her power at will. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yoo Seodam meditating under the waterfall in front of her. She slowly rose up from her seat and pulled out her sword. It wasnt the greatsword she had been using for all her life, but a sleek short sword. Slowly, very slowly, she swung her sword sideways. She could feel that the sword was the lightest among all swords she had wielded in her entire life. It was also the fastest sword. [Misclean skill Iron-blooded swordsmanship(SS) has changed into Iron Wind Swordsmanship(SSS)] The waterfall split when she swung. **** You have quite a talent for swordsmanship. It was better than those pebbles on the side of the road. . I sat silently while listening to what Misclean had to say. I had no rebuttal whatsoever even when Misclean compared A+Rank Hunters talent to be better than a pebbless talent on the side of the road. The reason why I sat silently was because she had much more talent in Swordsmanship than me. Heck, my original talent before the systems help was at the same level as those pebbles. So I dont want to argue with her. But still, your current level is enough to learn my Swordsmanship. She only wore light clothing with her silver hair tied to the back of her head. Her exposed tan skin had no trace of any scar. It made me wonder if that was really the skin of a warrior. Misclean asked me to demonstrate my swordsmanship to her. So, I showed it to her. It was simply a repeated swing of swordsmanship without any kind of form. Just, a swordsmanship tailored for myself. She watched silently as I wielded the sword in the air, and then she opened her mouth. How unusual. One cant easily have the eyes that could recognize which swordsmanship suits them the most. You are blessed. I guess so. The truth is, the reason I was able to find the swordsmanship that fit me the most was thanks to White Swordsmanship. But She thought for a moment and then looked at my ether blade. This ether blades length was adjustable like a cutter blade. Right now it was only 120cm in length without any energy running through it. Can that strange swords length be adjusted at will? Yes. Then, why are you using it like that? Whats wrong with it? If its really a sword whose length can be easily adjusted, you can always use different types of weapon like, long swords, greatsword, shortsword and dagger depending on the situation. Thats right. But I think it was inefficient to use it like that. No, Youre wrong! That is the most efficient thing for you. What do you mean? Misclean pondered for a moment before opening her mouth once again. The swordsmanship that youve shown me was like a drawing paper, a blank drawing paper. There are some dye stains in a few places to some extent. I will use my presence as a dye to paint you. Misclean got up with a shortsword in her hand. Then, she prepared her stance. I could only marvel at her stance. The impression she gave was akin to someone who held a heavy, big sword. When she swung her sword, the air cracked heavily. After that strike, she showed me several other swordsmanship. Sometimes it was fast, sometimes it was slow. Sometimes it was heavy, sometimes light. [Misclean used Sword of swiftness(S)] [Misclean used Quick Sword(S)] [Misclean used Heavy Sword(S)] [Misclean used Lightweight sword(S)] I was stunned by the fact that Misclean could use different swordsmanship with only one sword. This is the paint that I will teach you. A-rank talent. A talent that appeared once every hundred years. Obviously, my sword talent was genius among geniuses. But how much could I develop a swordsmanship by using the white swordsmanship which had only been stealing other peoples swordsmanship without being properly taught? In histories of countless worlds out there, many geniuses were born. Some of them had far more superior talent than mine. Would it be possible for me to catch up with the swordsmanship which was efficiently reorganized and developed by another genius? Absolutely not. Miscleans swordsmanship in front of me had turned all of my swords into scraps of garbage. You must have been very shocked. Dont worry, your foundation is very solid. As I said before dont worry about this swordsmanship because it will be your colour. .. When I thought that I could learn swordsmanship that Misclean just did, lights started to fill my head. Rise. Yes. From now on you will spar with me until you learn all these swords. Pardon? With a face devoid of any laughter, she said something that felt like a joke without joking. Its the first time Ive ever taught anyone. So, Ill color you myself. ..Yes? After that day, the gates of hell were opened. *** [The second stage of the skill White Sword (S) is about to open.] The first form of the white swordsmanship was self-reflection. I thought of myself as a drawing paper and figured out my limitations. Then, I chose which swordsmanship fit me the most, which type of sword to use, which prosthesis to use and what kind of breathing. The moment I have a complete grasp of all of that, the second stage will open up. The average sunrise time on the Rostislav continent, the world where the sword was everything, was one hour later than on Earth. I always woke up and went out to the yard every day, two or three hours before the sunrise to wield a wooden sword. We were in the mountains, quite far from the city. This small cottage was said to be Miscleans home when she wanted to rest. Of course I did all sorts of work like carrying water from the river, chopping firewoods and many more. It was like I had become a discipline of a master in a martial arts story. .. As I wielded the wooden sword, I looked back at my experiences from the last two months. I got hit really, really hard. I was always beaten to pulp. And my current level was 49. [level: 49] *Status* [Strength 46] [HP 45] [Agility 49] [Energy 1] [Magic Power 50] *Talent* [Swordsmanship A+] [Hunting D+] [Shoot C] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Shrewdness A] [Others,] *Skill* [Protagonist hunter Lv.3] [White swordsmanship(S)] [Sixth sense(F)] [Araceli mana circling method(SS)] [Library of the white witch(F)] [Inventory(B)] [Running like the wind(A)] [Concentration(S)] To my surprise, only two months had passed, and there was only one status that had not reached the limit, but it had gained some level for the first time. The Mana Stat went as far as to break past the limit of my level. All of that was thanks to Misclean. Why did you use magic like that? Why? I think Im using it pretty effectively, no? What kind of bullshit are you spewing? You shouldve thought of burning the mana and moving it, why do you just let it go? When I think about what Misclean said. It was such a simple problem to solve. A superhuman uses an unknown energy called Ether to strengthen their body. But I didnt strengthen my body with ether nor mana, but with pure ability alone. So what will happen if the unknown energy of mana were added to my body? Of course my output would increase by several fold. Of course, spreading mana to my whole body to enhance both my power and speed wasnt as easy as it sounds. I would have done that if it was that easy. [Skill Concentration(S) has been activated.] Well, it would be hard without this skill. While looking at the scarecrows a few distance away from me the world started to slow down as soon as I activated the skill. In this state, I could feel everything clearly. I could feel My breath, drop of sweats, and even the breeze that caressed my skin. I moved the mana which circled violently around my heart to my hands. And then, I swung my wooden sword towards the scarecrow as hard as I could. Fwoosshh!! The scarecrow split in half, as if it was cut by a sharp blade. [Skill Concentration(S) has been deactivated.] Huff, Huff. After striking in that manner, my stance quickly collapsed due to the unbearable pain I felt in my arms. My head was also burning and I felt like I couldnt breathe properly. To be honest, when I first got the Concentration skill, I didnt understand why it was a S-rank skill. It was only a skill that boosted my concentration. I had much better skill than Concentration that only ranked F in terms of efficiency on my skill list. But then, I realized. The Concentration skill synergized beautifully when someone had mana on their body. Like that, when I forced myself to use the mana, it began to swirl all over my body. Moreover, the law that the system said status cant ever be higher than levels had been broken. The law was broken only because it was Mana stats not physical stats. In the first place, the amount of mana inside my level 49 body was enormous. Since then, Ive never skipped a day without moving the mana that surrounds my heart using the Araceli Mana circling method until all the mana dried up with no single drop left. [Skill White swordsmanship(S) has been activated] [Skill Concentration(S) has been activated.] Sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Sometimes its heavy, sometimes its light. I was able to use Miscleans swordsmanship now. It wasnt perfect yet, but I was able to freely draw my own paintings with any kind of sword that exists in the world. Just the other day, I had to hold a sword that was right for me to open up the possible swordsmanship, but now I can fit any swordsmanship with any sword. At this rate, it was safe to say that the development of my swordsmanship was quite tremendous. All the materials I had bought in order to learn many kinds of swordsmanship before meeting Adonen had become garbage. The sun was rising when I looked up to the sky. The sunrise of B1s world line, where the influence of regression had completely disappeared was just the dawn of a new day. As I slowly tried to get up from my seat to wash my sweaty body, the flower pot started talking. -Hey, Magician. Yeah? -Im bored Just go read some books in the library. -Ive read it all All of it? Thats crazy. I dont think Ive read even 10 percent yet. I dont know if its because the flower pot was a spirit but she was a fast reader. Wait a little longer, Ill finish practicing the last swordsmanship before going back. -Even if we are going back, Ill still feel bored Well, thats true I guess? So, what do you want? Should I give you some alcohol? -Noo The pot agonized for a moment, and soon carefully opened its mouth. -Please open the door Door? Dont tell me, are you talking about the E-rank access to the library? -Eung.. [T/N: it is a yes, but in cuter way) Hey, are you crazy? Ill be in big trouble if I open it. I tried to scold it more, but the pot spoke faster than me. -Why is that? Ive explained it to you last time, so, Im not going to explain it again- -You can open it now Whaaat? -Magician, open the door What is this nonsense all of a sudden? From time to time, the flower pot would whine like this. But Ive never seen it this obstinate. When I said no it would just keep its mouth shut and say yes. Even though I was reluctant to do it at first, but, I decided to summon The library of white witch(F). [Skill Concentration(S) has been activated.] The once translucent border of the library had become more vivid this time. It was as if im inside a real library. When I stretched my hand out, I could feel the roughness of the bookcase. When I took out a grimoire and unfolded it, the feeling of the cover made of leather and the feeling of the dry paper was clearly felt on my fingertips. Everything felt so real. This is crazy! What in the world is this. The reality where I once stood on had disappeared. When I came to my senses, I had arrived in the Library of the White Witch. Chapter 61: Library of the white witch (2) I could smell a familiar stale scent of mold permeated in the air. Is this really my imaginary world? This library was a manifestation of a skill inside my mind. And as I looked around at the incredibly vivid library with curiosity, I received a message from the system [The letters of all witches of the world gathered together to become a book, and the books gathered together to become a knowledge.] [Welcome to the Library of the White Witches. A library made from the wisdom of witches all over the world.] [Your current entry permit is F and more qualifications are required to unlock the next level permit.] [Please find the knowledge you want here.] Even though the library had become more vivid and clear, there were still restrictions around me. I had an F-rank entry permit. If I forced my way into the E-rank library, I would be affected by the witch both physically and mentally. However, one of the reasons why I entered this library in the first place was for the E-rank library. -Me too~ I summoned the flower pot as soon as I heard its voice. A beautiful silver flower in a pot appeared on top of my left hand. Few moments later, a little girl showed up from the largest flower bud. She yawned and stretched her body before looking at me. -I love library~ Lets go. I walked to the place I saw the other day but couldnt approach. It was the door connecting the E-rank library. I gulped down and placed my hand on the handle. Then, I remembered the warning message that came the other day. It was about being physically and mentally influenced by the witches. But I didnt have any shred of hesitation left because I had taken all that into consideration. Screech!! Rows after rows of bookshelves, which looked like any normal bookshelves came to my sight. I slowly and warily walked toward the room. Then dozens, hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands voices suddenly rang across the room. -Please save me, Ive already admitted it was my fault! Why did you kill me? -How could you shamelessly say you want to go back? -You must die so you could be a help like us! -Youre going to be books, just like us! [Skill Concentration (S) has been activated.] With the help of concentration skill, all of those voices instantly disappeared. What was that? They were terrible voices filled with grudge. Ive lived my life looking at all sorts of things in the battlefield, but Ive never come across anything like this before. Somehow I felt chills run down my spine. It was as if I was watching a horror movie alone, or more, like I was left alone in a haunted house. -Its okay~ If it wasnt for the pots voice, I would have probably already run away from this room. There wouldnt be a shred of the persona of a 16 years veteran hunter seen in me at that moment. You are right, lets go. Itll be okay. It was a dim path between the rows of bookshelves. There were numerous books lined up without any title written on its cover. It took me almost an hour to walk to the last bookshelf while looking through the books slowly. Does the time flow at the same pace as the reality? As this world was sustained by using the concentration skill, it was likely that the time of reality would be almost stopped. -Hey, Magician. ..! As I walked around, I suddenly realized All the bookshelves in this room were surrounding me. When did this happen? In an instance, I took out the ether blade and turned it on. The flower pot who had always been assisting me from the inventory was now sitting on top of my left hand. In this state, she was able to exert more powerful magic spells. I would love to test her strength, but suddenly, every single book in the bookshelves flew into the sky and began to merge. The combined book turned into the size of a building and started falling in front of me. [E-Rank library and above was only accessible for true witches.] [Or those who deserve to be a witch.] [Are you a witch? If you arent a witch, do you think you have the qualification to be one?] Im neither. Ill just go in. [Then take the test.] [The content is simple.] [Im a witch system that manages access to the E-rank Warehouse] [Beat me, and you shall pass.] The cover of the building-size book in front of me began to change. A pattern started to appear before me just before the title was engraved [World Earth.] Earth? Those questions only lasted for a very brief moment. The huge room opened up. A white-haired woman in a white dress walked out from it. Even though I had never seen her before, I felt the same energy I had felt from the witches on her. Behind her, the pages of the huge book finally stopped. [The shepherd boy.] As soon as the pages stopped, I could feel the space around me starting to distort. I could feel a similar sensation from when I jumped across dimension. Whiiiiiiiing! With the cold breeze that blew over me, I found myself on a vast grassland. Some distance away from me, there was a young boy hitting a huge sheep monster several times bigger than himself. Behind him, there were dozens of wolves following him. Wait a minute, was the shepherd boy supposed to be like that? Without any warning, the boy shouted. -Wolf! Go bite him! What? Sh-! Kkoong kkoong! Following his commands, dozens of wolves started running towards me. The flower pot assisted me with some wind magic as I wrapped my mana around the ether blade. I dont know what this is all about, but if I beat her, Im sure everything will be okay! But, Suddenly the world shook, and my body sank to the ground. No. To be exact, the earth shot up towards me. What the hell is this!? I swung my ether blade towards the wolves. These wolf monsters level was around E-rank. So I thought killing them would be easy. But suddenly, the snow fell from the sky and within seconds the snow was already piled up to my knee. [Dog of Flanders.] The Book title changed. All the wolves were frozen to death and the sheep went on a rampage. Kuoooooo!!!! A group of rampaging sheep monsters with characters carved on their belly rushed at me. -Patrashuuu!!! Keuk! Koong! I clenched my teeth as I rolled away to evade the Monster sheeps fist. Its level was about D-rank. It was a level higher than the wolf, but there was nothing particularly special about it. I jumped and cut off one of the sheeps necks. After that, I landed behind it and rolled away. Using the momentum from the roll, I leaped towards another monster and stabbed it on the chest. Two sheeps rushed toward me from both sides with their fists clenched. They swung their fist in order to crush me. Thankfully, the pot had already created a foothold for me with her magic. I kicked the foothold and flew high into the sky. I ran my eyes over the ground quickly. I saw a flock of hundreds of sheep galloping over the snowy fields. I couldnt handle their numbers no matter what method I decided to use. If so, Id rather.. The very moment I was about to take some explosives out of my inventory and throw them to the ground, the snow hail stopped and I found myself in a forest. What is happening? Then, an old woman appeared. No it wasnt a person, it was something that looked like an old woman. -You should try some apples. The old woman offered me an apple, but I thought it would be poisoned, so I moved bacl and killed her with the ether blade. -Bad bastard! Eat it! She threw the apple towards me. .! I hurriedly rolled to the side. There was an explosion at the spot where the apple landed. It had the same effect as the ether grenades that I used. I was far away from the bomb. I quickly got up and cut down the old woman. Clang! The surrounding area changed into a medieval-style fortress. The fortress was filled with a huge nutcracker that easily reached 5 meters tall. -Oh its a walnut! Cut that mans butt off!! Oh, N, Noooo. Kung! Kung! Kung! The Nutcracker started running at a frightening speed towards me. I didnt want to be a sitting duck, so I also rushed towards the Nutcracker. I jumped over one of his arms, and leaped forward from his shoulders to reach the point where the witch stood as she twisted the world. On the ground, a Nutcracker was swinging his arm to attack me, but it was of no use. System! Do something to keep the world from changing again! What did you say? It didnt take long before I started to understand the systems words. The exact moment when I thought Ive caught the witch, the world turned upside down. And then Wooong! Wooong! A subway train passed by my side. There were dozens of tall buildings lying sideways in front of it and dozens of cars passing through it. I dodged them by moving sideways, but a huge bus fell from the sky. No, it wasnt simply falling, there was a whole highway stretching up to the sky like a wall. Something was strange here. This space was like reality, but there was something that was twisting the sense of space. What should I do then? You said you cant meddle with this space. What? At that moment. The E-rank overseer witch tried to change the world once again. It hadnt changed yet, but somehow I was able to feel it. So, I put strength on my body. Thats all I could do right now. Then, to my surprise, the witch staggered. The space stayed the same. I wasnt transported to another fairytale world. I dont know for sure but Im sure Ive done something. In the first place, why did I take out the ether blades and grenades in this world? Why did I try to fight with magic and physical ability in a world full of high-grade magic? It was a stupid move from me. I reached out to the air and shook it. The building in front of me tilted in the direction that I wanted it to. Then, I jumped towards it and rode it towards the witch. Without moving her hands, the witch split the building in two and dropped me to the ground. There was a huge subway tunnel at the bottom, So, my landing arent as smooth as I hoped it to. Still, the witch was more powerful than me. She could control everything that existed in this space freely, but I could only handle the space where my hands were directed. A huge building fell overhead. But I didnt have to run and avoid it. I could avoid it just by adjusting the direction of the subway. Oh, this is surprisingly comfortable! I thought like that for a brief moment. -This is. -The exit door was on the left. -If you want to go to Jamsil, Sadang, or Sindorim -Please take line 2, at this station Huh? Suddenly the subway halted in the air. With buildings still falling towards me. I jumped sideways to avoid it. Looking at the situation, the building and the subway would certainly collide. In the end Kii-ee-ing! Bam! Bam! As I climbed the stairs into the air and avoided waves of falling rubbles, I could see the witch building a foothold beneath her to widen the gap between us. I was also creating more and more footholds and rushed towards the witch. She controlled all the space around her to get away from me. She could win this fight if I ever felt too tired and missed my foothold. But did she know? The fact that the range of space that I could manipulate was very small. -This station is Express Bus Terminal, Express Bus Terminal Station. [Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]]l To the extent that I could turn the direction of something that already moving. Thuuung! The subway hit the witch on her side and flung her towards the sky. [You have acquired the qualification to access the E-rank library.] The message appeared as if congratulating my success. Huh? I turned my body as I felt some gaze from my back. *** ! Earth. Moscow, Russia. When the white-haired, transparent-eyed woman awoke from her sleep, a dark-skinned woman who stood right next to her bed, approached her side. Miss, did you see any bad prophecy? No, its okay. She was the prophet, Yekaterina. The only prophet on earth. Her prophetic ability manifested not through ether but rather naturally. The SS-rank superhuman who escorts the Prophet, Alpha looked at Yekaterina with a serious look on her face. Yekaterina would always wake up in tears. In her dreams she could see the future that no one knew. She was a prophet who always warned the world when she foresaw a terrible future. Its dangerous. Dont do it. You shouldnt do it. Yekaterinas prophecy was 100 percent sure. She had never been wrong even once, so Alpha was tasked to protect Yekaterina herself by the Hunter association. What kind of future did you see this time? Should I call the Prophecy Council right away? The Prophecy Council was a group of people who figured out what Yekaterinas dream was about and where it would occur. But Yekaterina shook her head. Its okay. I think the disaster has already been solved. Pardon? She didnt completely understand, but she knew it was real. There was someone who had already been active in the scourge of prophecy. A very terrible future. It was the most fitting word to describe the disaster in her dreams where all the spaces in the world were twisted and turned upside down. There were only 2 people standing in such a terrifying disaster. A woman in white dress and a man using an equipment, who she believed to be a Hunter, were fighting each other amidst the disaster. In the end, the hunter was able to beat the witch who she believed to be the source of the disaster. In the last moment, that man clearly looked at me. Meeting someone inside a prophetic dream? That was absolutely impossible. However, He obviously made eye contact with her. Maybe. She raised her trembling hand and rubbed his face. He might know something about this hellish prophetic skill. Chapter 62: Library of the white witch (3) What was that just now? The Library of the White Witch was my imaginary world which meant no one other than me and the Overseer Witch could be here. But for some reason I could feel someones presence, or to be exact, their gaze. However, the moment I turned my head to find that someone no one was there. Feeling? It was more like intuition(A) and Quick-witted(A) on my talent activated, along with [Sixth Sense] on my skills. Is that so? I felt uncomfortable about that gaze. But what could I do when the system had said that there was no problem? So I decided to move on. The most important thing right now was to head to the E-rank library. Lets go. The chaotic world had reverted to its original state when the overseer witch system disappeared. Now, in front of me stood the door to the E-rank library. I was slightly nervous because I couldnt be sure that I would be safe when I entered. After taking a deep breath and activating [Concentration] skill. l walked through the door. Lets do this! [This is a place where only true witches can enter.] [Part of your mind has started to change into a witch.] [Your concentration partially blocks the influence of the E-rank library.] [Your body has begun to change into a witch.] This is what I was most concerned about. Though I was mentally strong. The physical changes would be difficult for me to endure. Basically, a Witch body had the appearance of a female body. It had a beautiful appearance and long lasting youth. Moreover, it was a body optimized for using magic. But the change that I was the most afraid of was The loss of eyesight. [A Witch doesnt look at the world with her own eyes.] That was the reason why witches said they had no choice but to be helpless against the Witch hunt. Wouldnt it be simple to find a woman with no vision and kill her? For a witch who had reached a certain level, they could perceive the world with their heart. The real identity of those skills was at most a detection skill. But going blind meant that you would never see the light and color of the world again. I didnt want to be like that. Therefore, there was no choice but to resist the change by using all mana inside my body to block the change. Wooosh!! Something akin to electrical current began to flow through the body. The White Witchs Library began to resist against my will. No, to be exact, it started to clean me. White Witch Library started to throw away some unnecessary parts of my body in order to make my body suitable to become a witch. But, its weak! So far, I had been able to hold out probably because the skill level was still E-rank. I was able to stop the transformation that slowly started from under my feet. If there was one side effect to worry about, it was that my skin couldnt withstand it. It was difficult to prevent changes inside the body, but it was even more difficult to prevent them from going outside. When the Library of the White Witch reached the groin area and climbed up the abdomen, it passed through the heart and finally reached my head. I could feel cold sweat trickling all over my body. And, as if being struck by lightning, my body felt numb. But, I made it through. [Youve resisted some of the Witch Body Transformation.] [Congratulations] [The skill White Witch Library (F) has risen to E-rank.] And then, when I opened my eyes. -Hey, magician. Your eyes Huh? My eyes were white in color. It was an unexpected side effect. My hair and other parts were fine. There was no problem with body function and vision either. By the way, I never thought my eyes would turn white like this. Hmmm, I guess I need a contact lens to cover it up. What worried me was that I didnt know if the lens would be able to withstand the mana emitted during a fierce fight, but it didnt seem to be life-threatening and there seemed to be no problem. I calmed myself down and looked around the E-rank library. Its so wide. Did I read about 10 percent of books in the F-rank library? I honestly thought that was great. But after seeing an E-rank library which had about 10 times more books than the F-rank library, my conviction was shattered. Besides, there were some books other than grimoires stored here. [Witchs will] What the hell is this? There were quite a few books that recorded the history of witches and their abilities. -I like this~ Are you that happy? -Eung!! [E/N: It means yes but in an excited way I guess] I had a hunch that this pot would read all the books here. It would be a waste to just exit this place now after all of those struggles. So, I decided to walk around a little bit more. Th,this is. And I was shocked. The F-rank library was really just a preview. The magic books stored here were far more superior than the magic books stored in Vivienda academy library. I cant believe such magic existed. I read book after book without knowing how much time has passed. Suddenly, I found a book with a strange title. [About Witchs Succession] What is this? Witches, together with dragons, were creatures that created a wisdom called magic. They spread the books of their wisdom for their successor. [Rarely, Very rarely, witches would have descendants.] [In case they left some descendants, usually it was because of necessity.] [Because they found the need to share love.] [And they feel the need to deliver something to their descendants.] [So the witch..] I skipped over some useless information. In the first place, I didnt want to read this entire book. As I was flipping the pages, I suddenly found something interesting and stopped. [The power of prophecy would be given to the most accomplished witch amongst all.] [But there was one side effect for those who bore the power of prophecy.] [They wouldnt be able to use other magic.] [In exchange for being able to see the future in a clumsy way, the witch who bears the power of prophecy has to rely on others for the rest of her life. Theyll also lose both their sight and mana.] Prophecy, huh? It was a very interesting story. Come to think of it, I heard that there was a Prophet on Earth. Of course, I cant conclude that the prophet is a witch yet. I dont even know the Prophets gender. There were so many myths about prophecies. There was a myth in Northern Europe which said it was possible to see the future three seconds later by digging ones eyeball. I couldnt help but be interested. Since then, Ive been reading for a long time about the succession of the witch. And after that book, I picked up another book and read it. I read everything regardless of whether it was a magic book or a witchs history. I fell into a trance, I didnt feel the time that was passing. Also, I didnt realize that the flower pot was walking around next to me and read books on her own. * * * Are you going back now? Yes. It had been three months since I stayed on the Rostislav continent. [T/N: hello author-nim, by our calculation it was around 3 years tho.] I had fully learned Miscleans teachings. I was now able to use both Sword and magic efficiently. It was a very rewarding three months. I see. So, are you going home? Yes. Im just curious, but where is your hometown? Well, Its very far away. Yes. I see. Misclean smiled coolly. I didnt know at first, but she was very good at smiling. She looked cold on the outside because she was not sociable, but when we became close she became very warm. Ill have to go on a trip, too. Where are you going? My level has risen, so Im going to crush all the men who were threatening me. It wasnt easy to climb higher when you are already a fairly high-level warrior. By the way, Misclean was involved with the main character and the Correction was influencing her path to some extent. She was also a very competent person who could make good use of it. Her newly acquired skill, Redistribution would boost Miscleans ability by a notch. She tied a long sword to her back and slapped me on the shoulder. Youve learned my swordsmanship, so dont go around and get beaten. Dont worry, that wont happen. We looked at each other for a few seconds more before turning our backs and set off on our own way. Misclean would wander around the world to find other strong men. And I would go back to earth. [Returning to earth.] [The worlds time distribution is back to normal.] When I opened my eyes, I was already back in my room. I looked around to find someone for a brief moment, but unfortunately I couldnt find anyone. When I took out my smartphone and checked the news, Taylor Nine was escorting Heloni, a world star as well as a pop goddess. [Taylor: Hey, you little punk, Heloni will perform in Korea soon!! LOL] [Taylor: Going to Korea soon] Heloni, huh? Suddenly the thought of her flashed through my mind. She had quit being a Hunter on her own volition and I didnt mean to say anything about it. Your future is for you to decide. It was selfish to blame others for leaving Hunters path just because my dream remained in the Hunter industry. Lets change the status message on the messenger to End of Dispatch first and get in touch with a few people. Ping! Someone contacted me. [Wi-Hoon: Seodam, Long time no see. Why havent you been in touch with me lately? Haha. Ive been thinking of you lately. Im in Korea now. Shall we meet for a cup of coffee?] Wi-hoon. I frowned as soon as I saw the name. He was the dirtiest amongst the eight members who awakened as Hunter at the same time with me. To be exact. That bastard Wi-Hoon, he abandoned me. I heard he had retired and ran a business somewhere. His business with me was probably related to guild or something along those lines. I guess hes interested in my name which keeps rising lately. Is human psychology true even beyond the digital screen? Even if he pretended to be calm, there was something urgent with his words. Recently, it seemed that his business was not going well and he was desperate enough to contact me. I read it once again before sliding to another message. It was a message from Ryu Jin-soo. Ryu Jin-soo is also one of the eight members. Unlike Wi Hoon, Ryu Jin-soo was a good friend who often visited Korea together with Taylor when I was in hospital. Ryu Jin-soo had taken care of me, who had no superpowers, as if I was a treasure trove. Until now, I was still a little distant because I was uncomfortable with his kindness. [Ryu Jin-soo: Seodam. Lets meet for a cup of coffee soon.] [Ryu Jin-soo: Its okay to decline if you are busy.] Ryu Jin-soo owned a small guild, but he was quite well-known as a master of quite famous hunters. But more importantly, the relationship between Ryu Jin-soo and Wi-hoon was very bad. I stroked my chin thinking of the fact. They both ran guilds, so I think maybe theres something to help my guild. [Yoo Seodam->Wihoon: Sure, lets meet.] [Yoo Seo-dam->Ryu Jin-soo: Im not busy. When shall we meet?] So, I contacted both of them. * * * Why cant I go out! When Yekaterina shouted, Alpha, the SS-rank superhuman stepped back. However, the woman who blocked Yekaterinas way only smiled with her eyes closed. Terina. We, Earthlings, need your power. Youre the only one who can foresee the disaster that will befall earth. If you cant see the future disaster while youre away for a moment, what will happen? Yekaterina clenched her fist in frustration when she heard Alphas words. She knew those words were nothing but lies. They were using her power to solidify their own position, sweeping away both money and honor. They also threatened the entire world by saying earth couldnt be safe without their help. In fact, even without prophecy, the world was going well. Out of 100 prophecies, humanity could stop 99 of them. Yekaterina slowly raised her head. She could see Amulet scattered everywhere around the room. Those amulets werent a product of science nor superpowers. It was an item crafted by magic that was not disclosed to the world at all. The woman in front of her was also one of the amulets users. Because of that she couldnt go out because of that kind of amulet. I, if its my strength. Thats the kind of thing youre going to do. Obviously in her head she had the power, knowledge, and driving force to tear that shallow and crude talisman, but her body couldnt do it. Yekaterina couldnt understand it herself. Why couldnt she use magic like them? Why couldnt they see the future, like her? There was nothing to know. Yekaterina, so go back. You have so much to do for the world. It was perfect control. She didnt have any access to the outside world through TV, radio, newspaper, cell phone whatsoever. Am I a prophecy machine thats stuck in a cold corner of Moscow? Alpha held her shoulder slightly, but Yekaterina shook off the touch and returned to her room. Even though the snow was not visible, this space of about 100 pyeong was well known because it was now over 30 years old. Thumped into the chair, Yekaterina, seated, stretched her hand slowly. The piano handed down by her father, who was no longer able to play on the last day of the day when she had gained the power of prophecy and lost all her sight, was clearly placed on her fingertips. She tried to press the keyboard, but there was no more beautiful noise coming from it. In exchange for the power of prophecy, she could no longer feel the beauty of music. In exchange for the power of prophecy, Yekaterina lost so much. She returned to her bed, she hugged her knees and poked her head in. She fell asleep as she was, and she dreamed. Today, again, she had another nightmare. Chapter 63: The great principle of Harem (1) When you worked as a hunter, it was inevitable for your identity to be exposed to the public. Nowadays, Hunters were treated as a celebrity, but in the past, there were quite a few Hunters who were reluctant to disclose their real name because there were quite a lot of Villain Hunters who hunted Hunters who misused their supernatural powers. Wi-Hoon, a 16 years old Veteran hunter, was a Chinese ex-hunter who used a pseudonym. He possessed an A-rank superpower, and hes also the guild master of Silingwin guild. He turned into a businessman after retiring from hunter world 8 years ago. These days, where there was an implicit rule that stated that a guild master must be an incumbent hunter, his position as a retired hunter had put him in a disadvantageous position. He was a man who successfully overcame those hurdles by leading the guild through operations and strategies. Although it was ruined. In the past his guild had more than 100 hunters, but now there were only about 20 hunters left. But, unfortunately for Wi-hoon, those 20 hunters did not trust him. It was only a matter of time before they left the guild. The fire broke out on his feet. A guild which had hunters working for them was similar to a private military company. The documents they had to fill out to create the guild were as tall as adult men, and even if they got an approval, who knew how long they had to run to increase the maximum capacity of the guilds. Everything he tried so far was going to come to naught. The maximum capacity of the Silingwin guild was 150 people, which was equivalent to a medium-sized guild. But, as the number of hunters contracted to the guild kept decreasing, the pressure to reduce the maximum capacity of the guild had begun. Investors from Silingwin Guild were also slowly beginning to criticize him by holding a shareholders meeting. Wi-hoon finally realized that the Silingwin guild might disappear altogether. He could never let that happen. He would like to get his Hunters card reissued. But it was already too late now and his pride wouldnt allow it too. At that time, he heard news from Korea. Yoo Seodam He had an ability that was not a superpower. It was an ability that could be learned by incompetent people. Currently, the news of him and his ability was taking the world by storm. So Wi-hoon immediately contacted Yoo seodam. Wi-hoon knew Yoo Seodams character. Before he retired from being a Hunter, he spent eight years with Yoo Seodam. Among the eight hunters, Wi-hoons talent could be considered among the weakest. It was a clumsy manifestation of superpowers. The type of his ability was common. It was hard for him to get some attention. Moreover, he was bad at fighting. However, he always found comfort when he looked at one boy. That boy was Yoo Seodam, a loser without superpowers. Perhaps due to the fact that Wi-hoon was able to strengthen his body, he used to torment Seodam whenever he had time. Whenever that happened, Seodam neither resisted nor retorted. In his memory, Yoo Seodam was just an incompetent with such a personality. At least he hoped that Yoo Seodam would be afraid of him. Afterall, Yoo Seodam was someone who handed over the last piece of meat he was eating when Wi-hoon demanded him to. Of course, there was no way he would remain such a fool even now. Perhaps by now, people from all over the world were trying to get Yoo Seodam to their side. They would come to him with a lot of things to offer. But compared to what he had to offer, it was insignificant. Wi-hoon didnt want Seodam to demand him to say sorry. So, he came up with something only he could give. It was the things that Yoo Seodam lost eight years ago. He was going to present a secret that no one but himself had known so far. Please wait a little bit. He said hell be here soon. And so, Wi-hoon was now in Korea to meet Yoo Seodam. Next to him, there were three representatives from companies that sponsored guilds and also representatives from the Hunter Association. Lee Hyun-sang, a representative from Cage Industries. A company that was involved in the defense industry by producing Hunters weapons. Then there was a representative from Reger, the leading producer of Hunters armor and other equipment. An agency that asked for Gates and Dungeons where Hunter could act, Antena dotcom. And Hunters Association Headquarters that came to judge the Guilds eligibility. All of these companies were global companies that couldnt be taken lightly. In order for a Hunter to be active, it was imperative for him to come in contact with defense industries and bizarre companies that supported high-quality equipment, and a good agency that identified Gates and Dungeons faster than anyone else and arranged the most appropriate work for the guild to operate. On top of that, the Hunters Association headquarters was reviewing whether to scale down the guild, increase it, or eliminate the guild. This is the chance! The reason why the representative followed Wi-hoon to Korea was because they are also very interested in the existence of ideal ability. If he could get Yoo Seodam to join his guild, his future would be set. Oh, there he is. Their current location was a restaurant in a hotel. Yoo Seodam arrived wearing the suit he had received from Celeste the other day. It was luxurious in its own way, but he felt awkward because he didnt wear it often Ha ha, Seodam, its been a while. Right, Its been a while. Yoo Seodam stared at Wi-hoon. He thought for a moment that Wi-hoon was a good-looking man with a brazen face. This bastard Doesnt he remember that he retired after betraying me? Yoo Seodam kept his expression under control. It was because the four people who came with Wi-hoon were more important. Hwang Jae-gun. Originally, Yoo Seodam was going to meet Wi-hoon and give him a good scolding. But now he could see that he contacted him to appease himself. But the plan had changed. Wi-hoon was much better off than Seodam originally thought. He was still useful. Yoo Seodam grinned and brazenly said to Wi-hoon. Thats right. I told you Id bring a guest, too, right? Oh? Uh, of course. But who? There he is As Seodam looked behind him, a handsome man who was nearly 190 centimeters tall and handsome approached him with a soft smile. When he found Wi-hoon, the man waved lightly and asked the other four to shake hands politely. Then he said. Wi-hoon. Its been a long time since we last met. Ive missed you. Right, How many years has it been? Ryu Jin-soo. Ryu Jin-soo. A man, who like Wi-hoo, began to walk the path of a Guild Master. He was also a Guild Master and a retired hunter just like Wi-hoon. However, the two had different walking routes. While Wi-hoon was walking towards the abyss, Ryu Jin-soos guild was getting more and more worthy of its name. Ryu Jin-soos guild, Leyton One, was a guild consisting of a small number of elite people, and was characterized by his participation in big dungeons and Gates without taking on petty duties. Oh. Arent you the master of Leyton one? I really wanted to meet you. Nice to meet you. When Ryu Jin-soo appeared, Wei-hoons face gradually hardened. He glanced at the Yoo Seodam. He didnt have to talk to him to find out whats on his mind. This bastard, hes trying to screw me up, me? Ryu Jin-soo and Wi-hoon were not on good terms. In fact, Wi-hoon hated Ryu Jin-soo one sidedly. The reason was simple. Ryu Jin-soo was superior to him in every aspect. Their guild situation itself may be similar, but all 20 guild members belonging to Ryu Jin-soos guild Layton One were S-rankers, and he was also a S-rank superhuman. And, unlike other guilds today, which were a kind of commercialized, Leyton One was in the spotlight around the world because it was a guild that maintained the traditional approach of protecting. Ryu Jin-soo was a master of a winning guild, while Wi-hoon was a master of a losing guild. So, Wi-hon was constantly jealous of Ryu Jin-soo. Why the hell did he get attached to Yoo Seodam? Wi-hon gritted his teeth and looked at Ryu Jin-soo. At first glance, Ryu Jin-soo may seem friendly to everyone because he had a soft impression and gentle way of speaking. However, he was the coolest hunter and businessman ever. However, Ryu Jin-soo had been taking care of Yoo Seodam since long ago, even when everyone told him there was no benefit in doing so. Yoo Seodam himself seemed very reluctant to receive his favor as if he knew something. But, the important thing right now was the fact that Ryu Jin-soo was also here. And, the most serious problem was that with the appearance of Ryu Jin-soo, the master of Leyton One who wasnt sponsored by any company, it made the business agent pay extra attention to him. No. I dont care about that. As long as I could somehow bring Yoo Seodam to my guild. Then, Yoo Seodam opened his mouth. Haha, yes. Actually, Ive created a temporary guild. And in the future, Im thinking of creating a guild. Everyone fell silent at his words.. The creation of the guild was a sensitive issue. Even Wi-hoon glanced at him in bewilderment, but the agent dispatched from the headquarters of the Hunters Association told him with a cool look. As Yoo Seodam Hunter-nim knows, to establish a guild, you need at least three teams and 15 guild members. In addition, one of the teams must be able to carry C-rank missions or above. Conditions flowed out of the mouths of the Associations representative. Guilds were now a group of supermen who possessed the power of arms, and were bound to be a very sensitive issue. And then, Ryu Jin-soo opened his mouth. Yes. Thats why Im thinking of joining our guild. You mean a Union? It was an unfamiliar word these days. But in the past, before guilds became a corporation, when Hunters existed purely for the purpose of forming a team, there existed a union, a way for two guilds to become one and perform a mission together. Wi-hoon trembled. Yes. Regardless of whether Ryu Jin-soo had shown favor to Yoo Seodam so far, what he did right now was simply a favor to a man named Yoo Seo-dam. There was no way a cold businessman like Ryu jin-soo would come here for nothing. All of them came here because there was a profit they could get. Dont tell me, youve been planning for this since the beginning? Wi-hoon looked at Yoo Seodam. However, Yoo Seodam didnt even care about him. He was busy having a conversation with the five people here. Wi-hoon was sure that Yoo Seodam knew that he came to recruit him to his guild. But Yoo Seodam still came to take advantage of him. You son of a gun Wi-hoon didnt like the fact that Yoo Seodam, who had been incompetent all of his life, was standing proudly because of his ability. When Wi-hoon clenched his teeth tighter, Ryu Jin-soo looked at him and said. Whats the matter? Wi-hoon. You dont look very well. ..! It was a question out of pure goodwill. That man, who was always cool and sharp, had boundless warmth to those who come within his boundary. And, Wi-hoon was also within the confines of that Ryu Jin-soo. The reason for it was. Nana, in your eyes, Yoo Seodam was someone to be protected, right? Ryu Jin-soo was a S-rank Superhuman while Yoo Seodam was an incompetent. In his mind, it was natural, because he had achieved even the A-rank recently. So he felt even more disgusted. Excuse me, Im going to the bathroom. He couldnt reveal his emotion. Things are going bad here but he believes there will be a way somehow. As Wi-hoon rose from his seat, Seodam, who was staring at his back, smiled and followed him. Let me go to the bathroom, too. Chapter 64: The great principle of Harem (2) Wi-hoon organized his thoughts as he washed his hands. His plans were all tangled up like a paper doodled by a kid. Naturally, he couldnt stop anger from eroding his mind. What are you doing here? Do you need to poop? ..! Behind him, Yoo Seodam, who followed him to the bathroom, was smiling at him. Yoo Seodam You, didnt you come to Korea because you want to recruit me into your guild? You know about it, yet you created such a situation? Why? Yoo Seodam asked. His face was unreadable. If you dont like it, why dont you make a better offer than Ryu Jin-soo? When I said to him that I want to make my own guild, Ryu Jin-soo decided to join forces with me. Oh, now that I think about it, your guild cant unite, can it? After all, its a corporate guild not a traditional guild. As I said, Guild Union was not something that any Guild Master could do. Only a small number of guilds that still maintained the traditional way of management could do it. Tell me. Tell you what? If you come to recruit me, Im sure you have something to offer me. Dont tell me, you planned to threaten me like you used to? At that remark, Wi-hoon gritted his teeth and said, Dont you want to know? About what? Why Reyna Ju died eight years ago. !!! Yoo Seodams expression instantly stiffened when he heard the name that came out from Wi-hoons mouth. Reyna Ju. She was an unfortunate girl who became a hunter at the same time as Yoo Seodam. But 8 years ago, she passed away. You You are dying to know, arent you? Reyna Ju, she was the only weakness that Yoo Seodam had. You, Taylor, and her used to hang together every day. Wi-hoon hoped that Yoo Seodam would be agitated and shaken up by this story. So, he spoke with even more fervor than before. As I expected, you really know the reason What? Yoo Seodams response was out of Wi-hoons expectations. His heart sank at that moment. He realized something had gone wrong. Wi-Hoon looked at Yoo Seodams face again once again. His face didnt have any ripple of emotion. His eyes were as tranquil as a lake. Do you have any other offer? .. The story that Wi-hoon brought wasnt so important for Yoo Seodam. But he felt that something was off when Wi-hoon easily talked about the incident 8 years ago. Wi-hoon told Yoo Seodam everything that he knew. When Wi-hoon finished speaking, Yoo Seodam couldnt help but laughed. Interesting. What? I was actually curious. Curious about the day you retired being a Hunter eight years ago. About Reynas death, and also, about how much you know about those who betrayed us. Thats Thats why Im here. To ask you about it. However, there was no need to ask. Theres no way Ill take up that offer Yoo seodam said that under his breath What a pity Wi-hoon. What do you mean? After Yoo Seodam said so, he turned around and left the bathroom. Wi-hoon clearly remembered his expression. It wasnt his usual pathetic look nor a disappointed look. It was just a serene look on his face that he had been looking at for 16 years. No way, he has been looking at me like that for 16 years. When Wi-hoon realized it, Yoo Seodam had already walked away. * * * After finishing the talks with both representatives from 3 Companies and Hunters Association headquarters brought by Wi-hoon, my steps became lighter. They were necessary to me. The creation of the guild basically needed a huge amount of money. The biggest expense was from buying equipments. Most guilds put the condition of providing equipments to the Hunters they recruited. But, I didnt really need to do the same as them. My guild already had swordsmanship and magic to offer. But wouldnt it be icing on the cake if I could still get the equipments on top of swordsmanship and magic? Although the sponsor contract hasnt been signed yet, all of them gave a pretty positive response. My guild is slowly getting on the right track. Ping! On my way home, a message came on my phone. [Guildmaster bastard: Yoo Seodam.] [Guildmaster bastard: Can we talk?] Huh, whats wrong with this bastard? It was a message from Lost Days guildmaster. A man with a high position like him contacted me directly. Somehow, I felt bitter. Back in the days when I was only a F-Rank incompetent hunter, I felt like I was used like a disposable chopstick. But now they were contacting me because I had gained this ability. In the end, we cant do anything without our gift and ability. [Block] After roughly pressing the button, I leaned on the back seat of the taxi. I felt like I would instantly fall asleep the moment I laid on my bed. But then, Peep, peep, peep! A siren rung outside. -Emergency disaster alert! -Currently, a SS-rank gate has appeared near Cheongdam-dong. Civilians should evacuate immediately! -We repeat once again! -Currently, a SS-rank gate has appeared near Cheongdam-dong. Screech. The taxi pulled over into the shoulder of the road. I, Im sorry, young man. Please get off, I think a gate has appeared. Ah. Yes. I cant help it. The taxi driver was an ordinary citizen, and in the event of a gate crisis, hed be the first to take his car and evacuate his family. After getting out of the car, I looked where the gate was open. SS-class? It was so out of the blue that I had nothing to say. Of course, it was not like that the SS-rank gate had never happened. But at that time, most of those Gates had a forewarning. This was so that the hunters would have enough preparation to respond. It was strange that no one got any words of warning. I thought something was wrong, so I took out the ether blade out of the inventory and tried to run there, but then I saw the shape of a giant monster in the distance. Crazy. Its really big. Can I fight that monster? Such a thought came to my mind. Slash! Thud! The monsters head was cut off and fell to the ground. Huh? Shortly after, I could hear a helicopter sound far away. Tududududududu!! Broadcasting stations and military helicopters were rushing in, but they were already late. They missed the most important scene. Crazy! What the hell is happening? When a monster appeared from an SS-rank dungeon, the raid was only possible when there were 10 teams consisting of 10 S-rank hunters each. Who the hell did that with a single slash. Dont tell me? The one and only protagonist of earth, Lee Dong-joon Seodam hurried up to the roof of the building and looked at the scene, but the man who killed the monster had already disappeared. Furthermore, the monster also appeared behind a bridge that blocked his view, leaving no witnesses to see who cut it off. He said he had to hide his strength. Why did he do this? If he killed the monster like this, didnt that mean that the Murim people nearby would have seen it? I watched the scene carefully. There, a woman who seemed to be an office worker was lying on her seat and stared blankly into the air. Maybe she was the victim of the gate. I tried to approach her just in case she witnessed it, but I couldnt because the police and soldiers who had already approached her. I had no choice but to turn my back and go home. And the very next day.. Whats your relationship with Supreme Dharma? A woman called Geom-hee came to my house. * * * The Three Emperors and the Cheonma were all killed by Dharma. The teacup in front of the Seodam was not shaken by her outspoken words. Geom-hee sipped the tea before saying Uh, its not good and spoke once again. And people from Earth took over the place of the new Cheonma and 3 kings and 6 Emperors. It was all to fight against the overwhelming power of Dharma. However, the ten masters called Cheonma and 3 kings and 6 Emperors, did not cooperate with each other. Thats what Geom-hee said. Hey, but why did you suddenly come to see me? Geom-hee, Ha Sun-young. In terms of Korean age, people who looked like they were in their late 20s, have lived in Murim for several decades. Whatever rejuvenation technique she used, her appearance was that of someone in late teens or early 20s. Im looking for Dharma The one who forced all of us into a ban when we returned to Earth. Theres no way to find him because hed even change his face and hide his inner ki thoroughly. Ive been living in Korea recently, and I even found out that he has a close relationship with you. After saying so, Geom-hee blurted out the ends of her words. In fact, she had no grudge against Dharma. It was more like she fell in love with him at the first sight. Why are you looking for Dharma? Isnt that obvious? I.liked him? What is it? She must have liked him. Maybe that feeling still somehow remained somewhere inside her heart. She traveled all over the world to find Dharma. She did that because of her longing towards Dharma. She was sure that was the reason. What? Geom-hee stroked her chest. Until just a moment ago, it was difficult for her to calm down whenever she thought of Dharma. But strangely, she was completely calm now. Did I really fell for him? But why did she fall in love? Was it because of his overwhelming strength? Because of his charismatic back? Or because he was so handsome? No. She fell in love with him as soon as they made eye contact. Why? A strong warrior could control their own mind. In other words, one can hardly fall in love with someone as soon as they saw someone. But it was like this. As if she was forced to be attracted to him. Suddenly, Ha Sun-young looked up and looked into Yoo Seodams eyes. She asked him a question. ..Why did I search for him? Huh? What are you.. In Seodams mind, a new message has arrived. [Protagonist hunter Lv. 3 has interfered with protagonist Lee Dong-joons Protagonist Correction.] [Supporting Character Ha Sun-young has been freed from the influence of Charm(SS)] Ha Sun-young took her hand off her chest. He looks at the Yoo Seodam. It wasnt like she fell in love with him or found his face to her liking. But for some reason, she felt as if something uncomfortable had been lifted from her heart when she was together with Yoo Seodam The message that appeared in front of Seodam at that time. Ding! [Crisis occurs to the main character, Lee Dong-joon.] Huh? Crisis, all of a sudden? Yoo Seodam was surprised for a moment. Something more amazing had happened. [Protagonist Lee Dong-joon ignores his crisis.] Huh Only then did Seodam realized roughly what had happened. So far, he ignored it because he was busy fighting, but most of the male characters who had #Harem tag had several women around him. By the way, do you think the male character would have seduced them one by one? Of course, there must be such a protagonist. But the most popular and trendy Harem trope in the last few years was a scenario when the girls fell in love at the first sight with the protagonist. And Ha Sun-young in front of him was one of the victims of Lee dong-joon love at first sight Harem trope. However, the moment Yoo Seodam intervened, the possibility of such nonsense had reduced. Of course it wouldnt work for anyone. Geom-hee or Ha Sun-young were quite talented, and she must have the power to resist the charm-related skill to a certain extent. Yoo Seodams presence was only boosting her skill effect. Wait, isnt this? Most of the people around Lee Dong-joon were women. Perhaps it was influenced by Protagonist Correction or the #Harem tag. Although Lee Dong-joon himself remained indifferent to such women I could use this. Chapter 65: The great principle of Harem Yoo Seodam didnt miss his chance when he saw Ha Sun-young was still in a state of shock. Calm down, Miss Ha Sun-young. Uh, uh yeah. Yeah. Your opinion about Dharma has changed, right? And youre very confused right now, arent you? How did you know? When she asked in embarrassment, Yoo Seodam replied in a calm tone. Miss Ha Sun-young, would you believe me if I said that theres an ability that can force a person to fall in love with you? That kind of ability cant exist in the world. Are you really sure? There are tens of thousands of people on earth who crossed over to Murim and learned Mugong. There are even hunters who can shoot beams out of their hands. Isnt it a world where its harder to find something that isnt realistic? Thats. correct. Sun-young pondered for a while and then looked at me carefully. Doesnt that mean No way.. Yes. Its one of Dharmas abilities. And I can erase it. ..! It was really hard to believe. Ha Sun-young grabbed her head and shook it. She spent years trying to find Dharma. It was because of her love for Dharma. But how confusing would it be to have only grudges left after her love melted like snow? She doubted herself and felt a sense of betrayal towards the Dharma Yoo Seodam got another chance here. If he wanted to exploit this ability, he could have taken everything his target had. Property, power, and even her body, along with the womans mind. Ah Of course, what Yoo seodam said wasnt entirely true. [Charm(SS): Opposite sex will naturally fall in love with you. If you try to use this power to satisfy your purpose and pleasure, the effect will disappear.] It was also one of the main characters cliches. It was a law that a male protagonist always had several women around him. But, he must not know or care about them. In other words, they do not return the womans heart. In many ways, this part is also quite awful. Of course, not every harem in the world was unreasonable. There must be some stories with a decent harem story, but most of them were like this. Ha Sun-young closed her mouth and began to worry. Yoo Seodam didnt open his mouth any more. From here on out, it was a problem where she had to worry about and make up her mind. Soon, Ha Sun-young asked me with a firm expression. You, you know who Dharma is, dont you? Roughly. I want to find Dharma. For the same reason as before? No. Ha Sun-young bit her bottom lip tightly. Unlike her nickname Geom-hee, she had a quite small stature and young appearances, but theres a very hideous leak out from her body. Which was not good for the situation. Im going to meet Dharma and ask if he really has that ability? Did he play with my heart? Oh.. If she does that, Geom-hee might lose her lives. Thats not possible. Instead, I can show you the evidence. * * * Last night, a gate was opened in the middle of downtown Seoul, and a SS-rank monster appeared from the gate. Thankfully, the victim count was zero. It was said that a man named Hong Yeop-sa, a reclusive hunter, came and handled it. Numerous guilds, media outlets and netizens came to the scene to confirm the existence of Hong Yeop-sa, which was all shrouded in mystery, but they couldnt find anything. Except for Ye Sa-hye, a hunting support student who happened to be standing there, there were no other witnesses. You really dont remember anything? Yes.. Ye Sa-hye was completely into the man who saved her last night, but she could not tell his face or name. So there was nothing to answer for the police interrogation. The police shook their heads as if they were frustrated but couldnt help it. The mysterious hunter Hong Yeop-sa. The man, who started working a few years ago, quietly dealt with the difficult situation and then disappeared. The police had to admit that he could no longer be chased by the police technology alone. Oh, shes completely in love, too. Is he that handsome? Dont mention it. She said his face was way better than any celebrity. Puk! Keuk! Keuk! As detectives whispering behind the scenes, Captain Kim hit them five times on the head. You idiots. You dont even know his face. How do you know that hes handsome? Arent you guys busy? Yes! We are going captain.! Watching them disappear quickly, Captain Kim approached Ye Sa-hye. Miss Sa-hye. You really dont remember? Im going crazy because I want to remember. I want to find it, but I cant. Oh, I see. Judging that it was no longer necessary to hold onto Ye Sa-hye more, Kim asked her a few pre-functionary questions as instructed and then let her go. Ye Sa-hye, who came out of the police station, kept remembering last nights dreamlike events. His side, which was softly reflected in the moonlight, was literally like a prince charming on a white horse. Excuse me. When she thought about it again, he seemed a little bit too much to be real. Ye Sa-hye became even more embarrassed when suddenly, her heart calmed down and the flowers that filled her head disappeared. Excuse me? Yes, yes? Surprised by being called out suddenly, Ye Sa-hye looked to the side. She found a young woman with a cute face and a man who she seemed to have seen somewhere. Are you Ye Sa-hye, who met Hong Yeop-sa last night? Oh, yes. When Ye Sa-hye expression hardened, Yoo Seodam shook his hand to make her not misunderstand their intentions. We want to talk to you about He spoke to Ye Sa-hye in a very small yet careful voice. I can make you meet Hong Yeop-sa. What do you say? Do you want to go right now? Yes? Really? Yes, but its now or never. There wont be another chance. Ye Sa-hye, who fell in love with Hong Yeop-sa, would naturally nod her head here. However, for some reason, Ye Sa-hyes heart had calmed down, and some pretty realistic worries sprouted in her mind. Uh, but I have to submit something urgently to the school. Can we go a little later? At her answer Yoo Seodam smiled. As expected. For Ha Sun-young and Yoo Seo-dam, who watched Ye Sa-hye from inside the police station. It was easy to see that she had a crush on Hong Yeop-sa. But looking at her reaction now, wasnt it totally different? It was a common clich to fall in love with someone who saved you. Some people easily mistake their emotions when they are in a precarious situation. But Hong Yeop-sa, or Lee Dong-joon, was a little too much. There had been so many crises in recent years, and there were always women in those places, and all the women would fall in love with him. It would be okay if Lee Dong-joon was incredibly handsome. But that wasnt the case. In other words, since the crisis itself was created by his charm skill and Protagonist correction, it meant that everything in the womens minds was not real. Maybe most of the women around Lee Dong-joon are tied up due to the effect of his charm skill. His daughter, Shin Hye-ji, seemed to stick with him because she had a real bond with him. Yoo Seodam was sure that his guess was on point. While thinking so, Yoo Seodam looked at his side. Ha Sun-young pupils were visibly shaking. She was shocked to see another woman being freed from the charm influence right in front of her eyes. It doesnt make any sense Ha Sun-young clenched her fist tightly. Now she was sure, and the feeling of love was now replaced with resentment. But it was not the time yet. Calm down, you know you cant do it alone. I know, but what can I do? people from Murim must pay back the grudge they received. Miss Ha Sun-young. Yoo Seodam grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. There are many people who have grudges against Dharma besides you. Ones grudge must be resolved by themselves When Cheonma died, did she go alone? Or did all warriors from Murim come out? ! I think the current situation is similar to what happened at Murim at that time. So, let your anger go away now. Then Ha Sun-young looked at Yoo Seodam as firmly as she could. What the hell do I need to do? We need to work together. Search the world for those who have a grudge against Dharma. It would be better if we could find the 3 kings and 6 emperors as well as Cheonma who also has a grudge against Dharma. You are right. Yoo seodam wasnt aware of those facts, then, he continued, thinking he had obtained good information. Just like how the government doesnt involve itself in matters concerning Murim I am also thinking of remaining neutral. Were going to block the fire that might happen in the future. But Ha Sun-young, I want you to help me in business way. Whats the meaning of this business? Do you know that Im creating a guild? Oh, yes. So what? Come into my guild. Id like to hire you. Why? I cant do anything because of the ban. Seodam was also concerned about that part. However, he was someone who could freely travel around dimension, so he thought there would be some knowledge related to the ban. Yoo Seodam was willing to go through that hardship for someone as talented as Geom-hee. Ill take care of the ban as soon as possible. The ban? Yes. I will help you remove the ban and set the stage for your revenge. But I want you to lend me your strength and knowledge. This was their trade. In fact, Seodam gained more than Ha Sun-young, but it would be a waste for Ha Sun-young, who was tied to the ban, to refuse. Ha Sun-young, who had been agonizing for a while, finally nodded. Yoo Seodam smiled satisfactorily at her response and turned his head this time to meet Ye Sa-hyes eyes. She finally recognized Yoo Seodams face after searching on her smartphone, she said, Ahhhhh! You are! lifted his index finger. Miss Ye Sa-hye. You were probably a hunter wannabe, right? Ho, How did you know? Only my mom knows that.. Its just a guess and right now you are desperately studying to be a hunting supporter because you dont have superpowers. Oh, my. How did you know? How did Yoo seodam know? It was so obvious for him. Ye Sa-hye, a girl in her 20s who was devastated by the fact that she couldnt be a hunter. One day, she finds herself in a dangerous situation. And then she fell in love with Hong Yeop-sa, who saved her. But then they couldnt meet anymore. Then Ye Sa-hye met me who happened to meet Lee Dong-joon and found out that he was Hong Yeop-sa. With the help of my beloved System, I taught her to be a fighter to realize her dream! Probably that was the rough summary of Ye Sa-hye clich storyline. Im glad I read martial arts novels from time to time. Yoo seodam know it all by reading the first half of the martial arts novel. Ye Sa-hyes story was as common as a clich where the protagonist falls on a cliff and somehow finds a legendary elixir, or when the protagonist gets strength by scraping moss inside a cave somewhere only they know. So.. You dont have to be a hunting supporter. You still want to be Hunter, dont you? Ye, Yes. Thats right. Then lets be a Hunter, without having anything to worry about. Yes? But I dont have superpowers. Yoo Seodam knew that word would come out and laughed. Did you watch TV? Im the one who makes those incompetent hunters jump in happines. Ah!! Perhaps Ye Sa-hye had a lot of talents related to swordsmanship because she was connected to Lee Dong-joon, a Mugong protagonist. And Geom-hee used to think she would marry Lee Dong-joon in the future. In other words, these women were clichs seed that had not yet unfolded. Well, why dont we go to the cafe and have a little chat? And from now on, Yoo Seodam was going to reap the seeds of the cliche that the main character was sowing. Chapter 66: Great problem of Martial arts(武) And Chivalry(俠) (1) It took exactly three days for Ye Sa-hye to quit from her department of hunting supporters and sign for Yoo Seodams Guild. She spent those 3 days sorting through her department and family affairs. She was craving for a job called Hunter much more than she ever thought, and was filled with aspirations. Some speculation flashed through Yoo Seodams mind, but if Ye Sa-hye had originally joined Dharma, based on her talent and passion, she could have acquired Mugong at a rapid pace and become a powerful force for Lee Dong-joon. Yoo Seodam felt relieved that he could snatched her in advance. -You already have three guild members? Yeah. Ryu Jin-soo was also actively helping Yoo Seodam establish his guild. Yoo Seodam still couldnt grasp his intention. Did he help because he had some business with Yoo seodam or because of their 16 years old friendship? -Howd it go with Wi-Hoon? Im not sure. I think were on good terms, but it seems he didnt think so. -You should get along with your friends. Are you talking about me? -Im getting along just fine with all of my friends. Ryu Jin-soo was polite to everyone. Rumor was that he even spoke formally to the cat he raised at home. But this was unbelievable even for Yoo Seodam who knew him for 16 years. In any case, it was true that Ryu Jin-soo approached everyone in a friendly manner, but he did not get any closer to his colleagues. Taylor had been reluctant to see his sly smile from the beginning, and the woman who now active under the name Helloni seemed to have a story with Ryu jin-soo. And for Wi-hoon, well, he was simply blinded by jealousy. It could be said that Ryu Jin-soos social skills were pretty poor. Ryu Jin-soo still didnt know that every gentle smile and a compliment didnt mean that they could have a good relationship. He would have been in big trouble if his guild had gone into business, and not a guild that valued tradition. -Anyways, I want to talk to you more about the equipment industry, so do your best. Do you have any good tips? Like a way to get some more equipment. -I dont know because our guild hasnt received any support from the industry. Ryu Jin-soo awakened his supernatural powers and made a fortune by taking advantage of it. Even now, he probably had so much money that there was no reason to get sponsored by the equipment industry. Unlike Yoo seodam who waited for sponsorship from somewhere else, he probably had a contract with a private workshop. In many ways, Yoo Seodams guild was far from catching up with Leyton One. -Anyway, good luck. Ill contact you next time I have time for the union case. Okay. Ryu Jin-soo, in many ways, was a gritty and burdensome friend. But it was no exaggeration to say that he was the most helpful person for Yoo seodam in the process of establishing his guild. No, actually, It seemed that Wi-hoon was more helpful. Yoo seodam almost had all the essential elements for establishing a guild. Not long ago, the Hunters Association had given him their approval regarding this matter. However, that was not the most important part. Huh? Arent you supposed to make the guild right away? No, I planned to hold it back for at least two years. Why? Because I dont have a building.. Ah Ha Sun-young couldnt help but be stunned after hearing Yoo Seodams words. It was understandable since the person who was recruiting people for the guild didnt even have anything to do with it. During the last Great Rift, Yoo Seodam earned quite a lot of money, and now that he didnt have to rely on expensive equipment, there were still a lot of places where he had to spend money. One of the most important points for the headquarters of a guild was a facility that could test or train superpowers separately. It would cost quite a bit to find a building that is able to withstand a superhumans power output. What am I supposed to do for two years, then? This was the problem. In the case of Ye Sa-hye, Yoo seodam could teach her swordsmanship in his old Dojo, and Shin Hye-ji would grow stronger by accepting her fathers Mugong. But Geom-hee was banned from using her Mugong and could not do anything. There was nothing Yoo seodam could do for her. What were you doing before? I was working part-time at a PC room. I got fired from a part-time job at a cafe last time. The customers kept pestering me and I couldnt stand it, so I got a little bit violent. Man, its hard to make ends meet, its so hard. .. She said it in a joking manner, but Yoo Seodam couldnt laugh. It is said that people from Murim who got their Mugong sealed and couldnt make good use of their abilities were working around at the construction site and part-time jobs. They had been away from society for so long, it was hard for them to adapt to modern times. How wonderful would it be if they could use their ability to hunt? What? Why are you staring at me like that? I just looked at you normally. Fyuuuhh.. She clicked her tongue as if she knew what Yoo seodam was thinking. What can I do? I dont want to die because I used Mugong for some dumb reason. Its a bit frustrating not being able to use it, but its kinda okay these days. Ha Sun-young and Yoo seodam were at the Geumgang Gymnasium right now. They were there to confirm her ban. The Geumgang Gymnasium was also a training place for both superhuman and wannabe Hunter students. But today Yoo Seodam was renting the whole place. Can I see the ban myself? Of course you can. Theres a tattoo on the right side just below my nape. With that in mind, Ha Sun-young undid her top and rolled it down slightly. When she pulled her hair aside and let it flow down, the line of her white neck was clearly visible. On her white skin, a foreign red tattoo was carved. The tattoo, unlike the usual Mugong, had some trace of mana on it. It seems Mugong also uses some sort of mana. However, the method itself was completely different from the magic that Yoo Seodam knew. White Witchs Library. Search it. [Skill White Witch Library (E) is activated.] [Searching] [Search Results: None] [Shall I search for something else?] No, thanks. First of all, it doesnt seem like magic. If so, was it witchcraft or sorcery or something else? It was a Tao art. I see. Well, the only thing that could be inferred from the martial arts world is a martial arts. The basic framework of the tattoo was very similar to magic, but unlike magic, which used all kinds of circuits to systematically control natural phenomena, Tao arts seemed to have given meaning to the mana itself. In other words, to sum up. Theres nothing I can do. Too bad. If Yoo seodam had successfully lifted her ban here, Ha Sun-young could have started working as hunter of the C-rank by wearing a mask and hiding her strength just like Lee Dong-joon. That would give Yoo seodam another power he could use except for Shin Hye-ji, who was not an ally, Ye Sa-hye, who was still an aspiring student, and Celeste, who was a business partner. No matter how much he thought about it, he felt undoing the ban right now would yield him a great benefit. Should I go to another world which is related to magic? -Hey, Witch~ Im busy now, so later. -I know about that thing. What? At the perfect timing, the pot spoke directly in Yoo seodams mind. It turned out that even if he couldnt get the Library of White Witch to think, speculate, and research, there was another intelligent creature who knew magic very well. You know something about this Tao Arts? -Yeah. Its a technique used by masters. How did you know? -I dont know. I just know~ Come to think of it, even when we first met, that silver spirit flower recognized magic and called me witch. It seemed that she was born with some kind of knowledge. Can you interpret it? -Uhhhhhhhhhm. Ill buy you some alcohol once we finish, so do something. -Ill try! After escaping from inventory, the silver spirit flower bloomed over Yoo Seodams palm. As soon as she began to draw a magic circle in the air, Yoo seodam put his finger on the tattoo. Heuk. Ha Sun-young groaned as mana started to flow in towards her tattoo. [The central processing unit has begun to interpret type of magic outside the White Witchs Library.] [A new kind of magic has been identified.] [Estimated to be a magic from the alarm and detection series.] [Recording the magic in the White Witchs Library.] Yoo seodam burst out laughing at the message from the White Witchs Library. He knew that the silver spirit flower was connected to the library, but he never thought that she was functioning as a CPU. A combination of witches and spirits. It really didnt match. [If you disabled them the caster will be alarmed.] Can you erase that function? [You can turn off the alarm when the central processing unit finishes its magic interpretation completely.] [3 hours and 17 minutes remaining before completely interpreted.] Perhaps the system was conveying the message instead of the silver spirit flower, who was now analyzing with full concentration. The little girl, blooming on a silver flower, had her eyes closed as she frowned without saying a word. Somehow I feel comfortable. What? Showing my back to some random man was unthinkable back then you know. It wasnt something modern people would say, but if you were someone from Murim, that would become a different story How is it? Can you do it? Yes. I think I can undo it in about four or five hours. Youre not lying, are you? Can you really do it? Why would I lie? Ill get caught in four or five hours if I lie. Thats true. Then, can I use my Mugong? Somehow she seemed excited and asked like a child running to the playground. Yoo seodam had no choice but answer her with a smile. Yes, so stop wriggling and stay still. Yes! After that, silence followed. Yoo seodam steadily poured his mana while the Spirit was conducting an interpretation of the magic. It was something that White Witch or Yoo seodam couldnt do. After some time had passed.. Ha Sun-young opened her mouth. You know what? . Is it 40 years ago, or 20 years ago by modern standards? I was a beggar in Murim. The other earthlings showed their talents and became great warriors. But me, even if I tried to join some old dojo and learn martial arts, I could only wield a sword on the streets. I see. Thats why my nickname was a little bit sloppy compared to the likes of.. Taeguk Sword Jennie or Yellow dragon Kwon Hwang. Mine was just Sword princess. Which literally meant a woman who was good at sword. Sigh, I should have thought of a cool nickname, too. Now I regret it, really. Its cool, but isnt it a little bit of modern sentiment? Look at you, you clearly dont know anything. Nickname can only be used if the whole world acknowledges it. Do you know how honorable it is? Oh, yeah. Do you want me to give you a nickname? You just said its something that can only be used if the world admits it, right? If I admit it, then the world admits! She laughed as she told me more stories. Since then, Has story had been going on for a long time. The struggling story of a penniless girl who fell into Murim. There was a lot of time left before the pot finished interpreting the ban tattoo. But it was far from enough time to fully unravel the story of a girl who falls into Murim. * * * Himalayan Mountain, a mountain range that ran through the southern part of the Asian continent. The 2,400-kilometer-long mountain that remains as one of the lost lands that monsters have occupied since the Great War 31 years ago. Humans were yet to retrieve this land despite their constant effort of sending expedition teams from India, Nepal, and China to wipe out the monsters. There was a small hut located somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains, which was once called the roof of the world. In that hut, a woman called Seol Jungyeon lived. No, to be exact, she was locked up there. Whooooosshhh!! In the Himalayas, snow rages for 365 days a year. The snow falls ceaselessly, melts and becomes a cloud again. The cause was unknown. But humanity believed that this phenomenon occurred due to the fusion between reality with some dungeon that occurred right after the Great War. Seol Jung-yeon stared at the falling snow. She didnt feel cold thanks to the barrier around the hut. But she couldnt go out. .. Once upon a time, there was an era called the Age of underworld. It was the Age where demons opened up a path towards the earth. At that age, she was someone who commanded the whole world. The head Of Cheonma Sect, Cheonma Seol Jung-yeon. She had a grand dream that she shared with her disciples and her servants. But now, nothing was left. When she was first transported to such a strange world no one accepted her. Except for Cheonma Gal Hyeok-jun. A man who was called the absolute power of Mado. A man, who was aggressive towards everyone, was warm towards her. For her, a born orphan, Gal hyeok-jun was like her father. Looking at your eyes, they look like lotus flowers in the snow. From now on, your name is Seol Jeong-yeon. Since then, the Cheonma Sect had become everything for Seol Jung-yeon. From today on, the Cheonma Sect will no longer be able to say its name in the face of heaven. Until the moment when Dharma came and destroyed the sect. The huts door opened as someone came in. It was Dharma, Lee Dong-joon. Seol Jungyeons pink eyes slowly turned to the center. Its food. .. Seol Jung-yeon looked at Lee Dong-joon. Why did he save her while exterminating the whole Sect? I found your favorite Aewol meat(Pork of the moon.). Its hard to find on Earth, so try to save it. The reason why Lee Dong-joon came back to Earth despite facing opposition from Earth Dharma was for the sake of the Cheonma Seol Jung-yeon. Cheonma Sect was the absolute evil of Moorim. So, she as the sect leader would no longer have the right to live with her head raised in Murim. If she was exposed to people from Murim, she would live a life where it might be better to die. So, Lee Dong-joon brought Seol Jung-yeon to Earth. A world where no one knew that she was the leader of Cheonma Sect. And it was a world where she had not committed any evil deeds or crimes. It was the only world where Seol Jung-yeon could survive. However, for Seol Jung-yeon, it was a world with nothing. Seol Jung-yeon couldnt resist him. She was defeated by him in a duel. All of her inner qi were blocked, and now she was nothing but an ordinary woman. Did the world know that the reason why she couldnt get out of this hut was because she was afraid of the heavy snow? Lee Dong-joon gazed at Seol Joong-yeon. [The Protagonist Lee Dong-joons skill Charm(SS) has activated.] [Supporting Character Seol Jung-yeon uses Cheonma Absolute mind(SS) skill to resist.] A battle of nerves happened for a brief moment. Of course, Lee Dong-joon wasnt aware of this battle, because his skill was a passive skill. But for Seol Jung-yeon, it was a very difficult and precarious situation. You, what is that wound? Suddenly, Lee Dong-joon realized that blood was flowing from Seols finger and tried to get closer. But, before he could get close, Seol Jung-yeon opened her mouth. If you come closer than that, or if you dare to touch my skin, I will kill myself. .. Even Lee Dong-joon was forced to stop at those words. Everything in this world had always been easy for him, but Seol Jung-yeon was a very difficult gateway. Seol Jung-yeon comed her fingers through her platinum hair, which once shone brighter than anything else in the world, and hid her face into her lap. Get lost. She didnt want to talk anymore. Lee Dong-joon was forced to turn around after putting the food down. I wanted to show you a world where you can live. Seol Jungyeon bit her lips as Dharma disappeared after repeatedly saying a word that shook her heart. In the past, she would have yelled at him for spewing nonsense, but for some reason, as time passed she couldnt do it. Swoooooosshh! Shake Shake Rattle! It was a snowy night like usual. Seol Jung-yeon stayed up all night staring blankly at the white world in front of her. Chapter 67: Great problem of Martial arts(武) And Chivalry(俠) (2) It took around half a day to completely remove the ban on Ha Sun-youngs body. The ban was placed everywhere on her body, and even the smallest movement of qi (Mana) would alarm Dharma immediately. To avoid this and lifting the ban at the same time was a huge task, even more so when there were two bans engraved on her body. The ban of feeling any connection and the ban of using Mugong. It took a tremendous amount of mana to lift both prohibitions. Fortunately, the silver spirit flower who worked as the CPU for White Witchs Library handled all the tasks perfectly. So, all Yoo Seodam needed to do was to power up the skills. But the problem was that it was harder than he ever thought. The pot finally interpreted the ban after Yoo Seodam replenished his mana through Aracelli-style Mana Circling for god only knows how many times. Thanks to that, his heart where the mana was running was experiencing deep pain. It really hurt, as if he was dying. But he did his best to endure. Because if he gave up, Dharma would come to find him. And, when the ban was finally lifted, Yoo Seodam fainted right after. After he came back to his senses, Thanks to you, Ive regained my freedom. In return, I will tell you about Mu and Hyeob. Standing upright on the ceiling like a spider, Geom-hee told Yoo Seodam so. * * * Those two Chinese characters represented a few of the sub genres of martial Arts as well as the most important virtue in martial arts. Yoo Seodam knew about the genre of martial arts because he had been studying about those subjects quite a bit recently. An era of war full of bloody wars and slaughter. When lives were easily sacrificed, chasing someone and being chased was a daily routine, and civilians lived their life by enduring sufferings. In those turbulent times, like a shooting star, a hero appeared. With only one sword the hero resolved all the problems! That was the most common cliche in martial arts novels. In addition to that, there have been numerous derivative stories, such as the last disciple of the fallen sect or the revenge of the enemys father, but in the end, the overall story was still the same. In the meantime, the main character of the story would undergo training while sweating blood. And in the midst of it, the main character would meet a master who can help him. Or in another scenario, he would gain a skill after overcoming hardship after hardship. But eventually, both scenarios ends when the main character overcomes everything on their path and successfully conquers Murim. Thats how the story usually goes. But something else was important for Yoo Seodam. The other day, after he almost had a big accident for not understanding Infinite Loop, he started reading martial arts novels fervently. And as the result, he came across a fusion fantasy novel that went back and forth between fantasy and martial arts. Knight of fantasy and Murim martial arts. It was only natural to compare the two. Because it was the most common clich. The mana concentration in the air of Murim was only one-tenth that of the fantasy world, warriors from Murim developed their own unique breathing techniques and effectively built their Qi core on their Dantian, which is not necessary from the view of Warrior from the fantasy world. Without any special breathing method, warriors from fantasy worlds could exert destructive power simply by swinging their sword thanks to their abundant mana. On the other hand, martial arts from Murim could be said to be lacking in destructive power compared to other worlds. But in terms of training and control, they were overwhelmingly superior compared to the others. Then again, it is said that warriors from fantasy worlds had developed swordsmanship that could surely crush the other side with force. But in the end, it was impossible to compare which swordsmanship was better. The martial arts of Mugong was optimized to deal with people using a great control even with a small amount of Qi, while fantasy worlds swordsmanship was optimized to deal with monsters using its explosive damage. To sum it up,. Mana concentration on Earth is really trash, so you have to learn both. It was better to learn both the controls of Mugong and Fantasy worlds way of fighting against monsters. Thats why, to get used to Amies Golden Peak Heavenly Dragon God Art, you must continuously train and hone its cultivation techniques (Jeoljatakma) That was the conclusion Yoo Seodam reached as he listened to Geom-hees explanation while dozing. Hey. Are you listening? Of course, but I have a question. Ask away! Ill tell you anything except for my love story. What is Jeoljatakma? .. It means to sharpen your academics or character. Aha. Ha Sun-young seemed to want to properly teach Yoo Seodam what mugong was, and Yoo Seodam, who was quite curious about it, decided to learn right away. So, if you learn the Mu(Martial arts) but dont know about Hyeob (Chivalry) you cant say you are someone from Murim. I also practiced Jeolchibusim (X) but never used that power. What is Jeolchibusim? . How should he know? No, why the hell dont you know this much? I dropped out of middle school to become a Hunter. Ah. Ha Sun-young shut her mouth and thought for a brief moment before continuing her words with a groan. Before learning about Martial arts No, before you learn about Mu and Hyeop, why dont you learn Chinese characters first? Do I really have to learn about Mu and Hyeop if I want to learn Mugong in the first place? Tsk! If you only know about Mu and dont know about Hyeop, you are just some thug who knows about swordsmanship, and if you only know Hyeop without knowing Mu, youll just become a normal man of great chivalry! Suddenly the way she talked became like an old man. She coughed loudly and said again. Huh? Do you understand? In order to learn martial arts from the people of Moorim, you must learn both Mu and Hyeop. Oh, yes. If the conversation drew parallel lines like this, it was hard to learn martial arts properly, so Yoo Seodam had no choice but to protest. Excuse me. Were Korean. Cant you speak in Korean? A good teacher told me that a teacher should teach at the level of their students eyes. I didnt know that! A stupid student should have bury their eye on the floor. Having been agonizing for a while, Ha Sun-young opened her mouth. As I wandered through various schools, I have learned several kinds of Mugong. Do you know that? Ah, okay. Theres no particular school to belong to. So, I refused their invitation and I met a lot of teachers, learned a lot of martial arts, combined them, and made them completely mine. So theres few people who put Sunyoungs Sword way after my name. . Its a bit. Well, thats some naming sense they had right there. Even the martial arts association didnt bother to say anything because they thought it was always like that. Do people from Murim teach that easily? No way. I was an Inner Student in every School, and I hardly learned anything like Divination Writing. I was able to learn a little bit about swordsmanship because I sold my humble talent. That talent is? Then Geom-hee said, with a hint of shame. I, well uh,. Before I fell into Murim and learned about martial arts 20 years ago, I was an aspiring idol. Because I like to listen to music and sing, I memorized all the modern pop songs in my head, and I used to go around and sing them in places like Manor where masters gathered. I didnt know that my talent could be used like that. In other words, she learned Mugong by singing some songs. Does that make sense? Yoo Seodam wouldnt know because he had never been to a world with a martial arts worldview. Well, modern things must have been developed for hundreds of years more than civilization at Murim. Just like Ha Sun-young who sold her singing, it seemed that there were a lot of people from Earth who used their modern knowledge and talent to enter a prestigious family. Anyway, I created my own Simbeop by sticking only to the merits of various Daos I had learnt. Of course, it was not enough if you compared it to the perfect Cheonmas or Dharmas, but mine can always be combined with other Daos and it can be altered. Oh What Im trying to say is. Doesnt matter how you go about learning my mental cultivation technique. Its like a mishmash thats fit to be served in dogs bowls. Ah, if I were to compare it to something, think of it as a Fugu Sushi Restaurant. Fugu sushi is more expensive than most regular steaks. However, those restaurants give off a vibe of street vendor. Well. It was such a great metaphor that Yoo seodam couldnt even say anything. So from now on, Im going to explain my Dao or my way in Korean Yes. She thought for a short time, and then raised her finger as if she had found the right word. Imagine, you are being beaten to death every time you fight with someone. Yes, Okay. But, the more that happens, the more you need to focus on your meditation and cultivate yourself. And why is that? Why should I meditate when someone beats me up? Because if your meditation fails, youll receive a backlash. If Im not mistaken, wouldnt I be in trouble if I receive the backlash? Thats right. Thats why you need to control your emotion through meditation. Why? Because as soon as you think about something else, youll die. . Yoo Seodam thought that he was risking his life too much to control his mind. I know its hard to believe my words but its a very effective way to learn when you meditate with such risk involved. After that, Ha Sun-young translated the term Murim into Korean words and explained it to Yoo seodam. Before they knew it, it was already dinner time. *** [You cant learn the Skill.] That was the result of Yoo Seodams practice. You have no talent. Even when he heard Ha Sun-youngs words, he just silently stared at the system message. Yeah, that was the case So far, nothing worked out when he tried to do something for himself. Yoo Seodam didnt know the exact reason why he couldnt learn the skill, But it didnt really matter. Because he had a good idea. Sun-young, this Sutra is not as good as those of Cheonmas and Dharmas, but you said its okay to combine it with anything, right? Yes. So, can I fuse it with the existing Simbop? Huh? Uh-huh-huh. Dont you think so? But, you cant fuse it with my simbob because its already complete. I dont think you can take advantage of it.. It doesnt really matter. The place where Yoo Seodam was going to put this thing called Sunyeong-Sutra was none other than Araceli-style Mana Circling. The other day, Yoo seodam realized that he could put another four or five different swordsmanship on top of the white swordsmanship, and that new skill could be overlaid on top of existing skills. In other words, theres nothing that cant be done. Araceli-style mana circling was always closer to a passive skill that naturally attracted mana rather than a skill that Yoo Seodam deliberately used. But what would happen when he put Sutra on top of it to overheat the skill even more? [Aracelli-style Mana Circling MK-40 (SS)] The current Araceli-style Mana Circling was made by an archmage named Araceli Linekal by supplementing it for 40 times, but there was no law that stated anyone else couldnt supplement it once more. It was an impossible task with his meager magical knowledge, but if the knowledge of already completed Mugong was added [Skill Araceli-style Mana Circling MK-40 (SS) responds to new skill Seonyoung-Sutra(A) and shows signs of change.] Of course, it might be easy for Ha Seon-young, but for talentless Yoo Seodam it was quite difficult. He had to struggle for days while being locked up in the Geumgang gym together with Ha Sun-young. For days, he constantly burned his heart with mana. And after days of trial and error [Skill has evolved!] [Ara-Seonyoung-Style Mana Circling MK-41 (SS+)] They finally succeeded in transforming the passive mana breathing skill into an active skill. Ha Seon-yeong, successfully created a skill which could be taught to others by studying and supplementing the traditional Araceli-style Mana Circling with her own sutra. [Supporting character Ha Sun-youngs skill Senyeong-Sutra (A) has changed into Senyeong-Celli-Sutra(S).] Ha Sun-young, a girl who wandered around Murim and picked only the merit of the various Simbeop and made it her own. The newly created skill could never have been made without the help of her. Late at dawn, Ha Sun-young, who finished her meditation, opened her eyes. It was a momentary but wise and beautiful eye that seemed to shine in her eyes. As a result from the Shingong skill evolution to the S-rank, Geom-hee, who was already at a high level, can circulates qi in more refined path It was a good path. It takes 10 days to combine the two skills. In fact, it was amazing that in just 10 days, A-rank skill had evolved into an S-rank and even made it possible to teach it to someone. Of course. This shouldnt be taught to just anyone. Yoo Seodam got up from his seat and checked his status screen. [Magic: 60] His current level is 49. Other stats couldnt exceed levels, It was only possible for magic stats. However, the existing Aracelli method, which filled the limit of mana as much as the limit of his body, had to be adjusted to match his level, but he was trained by Misclean the other day and broke the limit once, and this time he had learned how to do it. So, the total amount of his mana increased explosively. The power of 60 was about one-pack. However, it was not just the first one, but the first one that could be circled by the output of the SS+ank, and the essence itself was different. Now have to call Ms.Ye-Sahye. To formally teach her swordsmanship? Yes. The S-rank version of Seoyoung-Celli-Shingong can only be taught to someone when Ha Sun-youngs permits it. It wasnt a ban, it was more like a courtesy to the producer. And Yoo Seodam was going to teach it to all the elite guild members who would be his limbs, including Ye-sahye. He didnt plan to ask them to be together with him for the rest of their life. At least, they needed to stay with him until he entered Hell Gate. But suddenly, a message appeared in Yoo Seodams mind. [Skill Protagonist Hunter Lv. 3 has been activated.] [Checking the main story of the Protagonist Lee Dong-joon] [Checking out the contents.] Supreme Dharma, The one who destroyed the Cheonma Sect in Murim! However, Theres one who he cant cut. She was the woman he loved, so, in the end he brought her to Earth. If you dare touch my skin, I will kill myself. However, due to her resolute refusal, he was forced to destroy all of her pathway and confined her in the middle of mountain where blizzard rages for 365 days a year. Cheonma who was confined there constantly resented Dharma. I wanted to show you a good world to live in. But for some reason, her heart was shaking when she heard those words. What the f You were able to check this? No, whats that? I forgot because I didnt remember using it. Come to think of it, when he hunted the Infinite loop protagonist, did the situation end too fast before he could use this skill? By the way, Cheonma, huh? He heard stories related to Cheonma from Geom-hee and other people from Murim. When Cheonma crossed to earth together with 3 kings and 6 emperors, she was the only one who didnt have any news whatsoever. Yoo Seodam couldnt believe the reason why nobody knew where she was was because she was locked up. And the phrase Cheomas heart is shaking is suspicious. Perhaps the problem is Lee Dong-joons Charm skill. The correction of the Protagonist of the ridiculous #Harem tag, which attacks without knowing friends or foes. Whats wrong? No, just.. Come to think of it, since Cheonma was always portrayed as the leader of the groups as well as the final boss in martial arts novels, wouldnt she have a lot of power? If someone like her was influenced by Lee Dong-joon She will become a hindrance for me later.. Whether Cheonma was evil or not, thats not what mattered right now. She was so important to Dharma that she emerged as the main story. He had to stop her before she fell for Lee Dong-joon. But how? The plot is all good, but it doesnt necessarily tell you the important part No, after some brief moments. A mountain where blizzard rages for 365 days a year? As far as he knew There was only one such place on Earth. Chapter 68: Great problem of Martial arts(武) And Chivalry(俠) (3) It was a place without any sound. In that place, people were waving their hands towards someone as they silently screamed. Every single one of them had a shining stick in their hands. Were they angry or excited? Are they crazy about something? Because they looked happy and crazy at the same time. All of them had something in common. It was the fact that everyone was crazy about just one person. There was a beautiful woman with purple hair. Everytime she grabbed the microphone and shouted, every single one of them responded. Their emotion exploded. Excitement, joy, fevour, enthusiasm, And Looking at the shadow at the end. Heok! The Prophet Yekaterina removed her hand from the painting. Flop She sank into her seat and breathed out. Today again, she foresaw another disaster. Was it at a concert this time? The incident would take place in Korea within a week. Probably, the disaster had something to do with the woman called Hellony. Its a disaster that can be prevented if the authorities are warned in advance. Thinking so, she slowly rose from her seat. She was standing in a white corridor. Numerous paintings could be found along the hallway. Every single one of these paintings depicted events that took place in reality. The past, the present, and possibly the future. She could see the future as vividly as if she were present in that space simply by touching the painting. This place was the world inside her dream. To be exact, it was an art gallery inside her dream. When the Prophet Yekaterina dreamt, she always came to this mysterious art museum, and she was forced to see the future. She was forced to look at the paintings even when she closed her eyes or turned her head away. Sigh While slowly catching her breath, Yekaterina jerked her head away when she heard a sound from somewhere. Kung!! Kung!! Kung!! She was certain that sounds were someones footsteps. When she heard the sound, Yekaterina gulped down her saliva. This was Yekaterinas dream world. In this dream, in the art museum, where only one must exist, there was someone else living aside from her. What is that? Who was it? Where did they come from? She didnt know. However, she knew for sure that she should not be caught by that someone I have to wake up. It had been years since she lived together with that strange creature. She was used to it. Kung!! Kung!! Kung!! Used to it didnt mean she was not scared of it. On the other side of the corridor, the figure of that something appeared. A huge figure that was likely to be over 3 meters, with a black charred body that was drenched in water as if it had just come out from water. That something jerked its head away, and looked at Yekaterina. Swiik! A head was a size bigger than the average adult mans body turns. And then. Kung Kung!! Kung Kung Kung!! Kung Kung Kung Kung!!! The mysterious creature started running towards Yekaterina at a fearsome speed. Wake up, Wake up, Please, I need to wake up! That day, once again, Yekaterina woke up from her nightmare while screaming. * * * Sejong Superhuman Academy, a place where only ultra-elite students gathered. The academy often held classes that were open to outsiders. They didnt do it for any class but only during classes that allowed students to exercise their superpowers to their fullest extent, namely, Mock battle Class and Mock Dungeon Exploration class. This, apparently, created an environment for students to be contacted by guilds. Apparently, these opportunities gave all parties involved a win-win solution. For guilds, they reaped the benefit of recruiting talented students. The school was satisfied that their status soared when their students entered prestigious guilds, and for students, they would have more opportunities to be contacted by the guilds. Of course, it may not be very touching for students who had already been contacted by guilds, but it was also different from the guilds point of view. It was said to be a matter of pride among guilds, who have prepared to help the students that have already been contracted to perform better or more efficiently in mock trials, dungeon exploration and monster hunting. For Yoo Seodam, who had just established his guild, he wasnt sure about that kind of stuff, because he came to the Academy with the intention of doing something else. Originally, only subordinates would go but. He was the only one in his guild that could move freely. Shin Hye-ji, who was beside him, said with a grin on her face. Do you know what? My friends are really jealous of me. Really? Yes. At first, my friends ignored me because I signed for an unknown guild without any guild name. But when they knew my guild was Yoo Seodam hunter-nims guild and they asked me so many questions. It was obvious that she was in a good mood. She kept laughing as she told Yoo Seodam her stories. Once again Yoo Seodam realized that unlike her father, Shin Hyeji was a very talkative and sociable child. When Yoo Seodam looked around, he saw quite a few students meeting with guild officials. Maybe pride was a major factor among students for which they competed to enter the best guild. Amongst all the officials that were present, the best one was definitely the member of a big guild, but Shin Hyeji seemed to have some confidence in her own guild. Although Yoo Seodams guild had no name and nothing to show yet, it was showing off its enormous presence just because the ability existed. Of course, he didnt intend to lead a guild with this ability alone. Here, a present. Because youre relying on your speed, I picked the right ether blade for you. Huh? Whoa, awesome! Yoo Seodam could do this much now. Huh, This.. This.. isnt this a second-class ether blade? Correct. Ive increased the ether ejection power by using a folding blade. The safety device is over there. Oh, my God. I touched a Damascus-style ether blade. As a student, it was common to not even be able to use a Class-3 ether dispenser. They were given a Class-4 crappy ether dispenser. Even for Yoo Seodam, second-class Ether blades used to be nothing but a fleeting dream. However, it was possible for the current him. Wow! It says it was manufactured by Cage Industries. Of course it is, Cage industries had formally sponsored his guild. Despite the guild not having any notable achievements yet, Cage Industries had boldly decided to support Yoo Seodam with ten second-class ether blades. There were only three guild members in his guild, so it was not a problem giving one ether blade to everyone. Thats right. Its made by Cage. My God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Awesome. Even though she didnt expect much in regards to equipment support, Shin Hye-jis mouth opened wide as she received equipment support which was at the level of a large guild. Looking at her fidgety body-language, it seemed like she wanted to show off to her classmates. Use the sword for the next mock training. If Shin Hye-ji, whose name had risen so much these days, fought with a sword with Cages logo on it, Yoo Seodams guild would definitely draw attention as well. Then why dont we have lunch and talk about the next mock training? Yes! So far, it would seem like Yoo Seodam came to scout some promising talents. But that wasnt the real reason. Cheonma and Lee Dong-joons track record. Yoo Seodam recalled the plot that the system showed him not long ago. The plot did not contain any explicit details, but he could infer a lot from the fact that the Cheonma was trapped in a place where blizzard raged for 365 days a year. For now, he wanted to know the location where Cheonma was locked up. There were many places on Earth that were cold for 365 days a year. For example, the South Pole and the North Pole. But even at those places, snow wouldnt fall for 365 days a year. No, no place on Earth could have that much snow. Except for the Himalayas, where the climate had changed abnormally since the Great War 31 years ago. In other words, Cheonma was trapped somewhere on the Himalayas. And why did Lee Dongjoon lock up Cheonma? Probably because she was the main heroine for Lee Dong-joon story. Cheonmas presence was so high that she was directly involved in the main story of the main character, Lee Dong-joon, and he must have been taking care of her so that she wouldnt die. The fact that her Qi core was destroyed would make Cheonma not able to survive alone in a snowy mountain. Lee Dong-joon had to visit Cheonma from time to time to give her some food and other necessities to keep her alive. In other words, from now on, Yoo Seodam only needed the exact location of where Cheonma was and how often Lee Dong-joon visited that place. This was the information that could not be grasped by reading the plot alone. However, he couldnt do anything crazy like asking Lee Dong-joon directly, so the only person left was Shin Hye-ji, someone who stayed closest to him. I asked my dad to teach me about Sesookyung and he said it shouldnt be taught to anyone else in the world. Isnt that too much? Haha, It must have been because your father is worried. When both of them arrived at the restaurant, Yoo Seodam tried to have a normal conversation with Shin Hyeji. Oh, come to think of it, how did you know so well about Mugong when youre not even a DR? Dimensional Returnees were forbidden from using Mugong. Shin Hye-ji knew that much. However, Yoo Seodams ability was similar to that of a returnees Mugong but at the same time different. So, Shin hyeji knew that it was okay for her to reveal her strength to the world. I cant tell you the exact reason, but lets say that I happened to stumble upon it. But, compared to your father, my knowledge is nothing. Thats why Im asking for him to teach me. Of course, to Dharma, Yoo Seodam wasnt as precious as Shin Hye-ji. So, the techniques he could learn were, at most, the lowest ranking technique. Suddenly Yoo Seodam remembered the story he heard from Geom-hee. Then, he asked Shin Hye-ji. Speaking of which, can you tell me about your fathers story while he lived there? I have a lot of interest in that topic, but I cant ask him myself. Eung? Mmm. She opened her eyes wide and shook her head after a moment of thought. I dont know much either. I asked him to tell me about it, but he didnt like it. So I stopped asking. Of course she wouldnt know. If I was Dharma, I would never tell my daughter about it. What did Dharma do in Murim? He was executing everybody. Yoo Seodam tried to hide his bitter smile as he recalled Geom-hees words. What was wrong with Shin Hye-ji? She just didnt know anything. But Yoo Seodam didnt feel any sympathy towards her. Because, He was going to use any means possible to kill Dharma. Sometimes, when I call your father, he doesnt pick up the call. Is he busy? Because sometimes I have questions about what he taught me. Really? Oh, did you call him at that time? That time? Yes. Shin Hye-ji said as she drank her cola. I think it is two days every month? He goes out on the weekends. I dont know where hes going, but Oh! He often comes home with souvenirs from China. I think he misses his old place sometimes. I see. It must be a very important place for him. Because he never skips it even once. Once every month. And he takes two days to travel back and forth between the Himalayas and Seoul. China, huh? Now I am certain that she is locked up somewhere in the Himalaya. It is only possible to go back and forth between Himalaya and Seoul in two days because he is the supreme Dharma. If he wants to begin rescuing Cheonma, he better aim for the time frame when Dharma had just returned from the Himalayas. And the missions deadline will be 1 month. It was simply impossible for Yoo Seodam to rescue Cheonma right now. Yoo Seodam needed time to prepare many things, also, there was a lot of work to be done here. However, he couldnt be too late in rescuing her, otherwise, Cheonma would be completely influenced by Dharma and something beyond Yoo Seodams control would happen. However, there were plenty of ways to buy time. Didnt you say that the protagonists hunter skill could interfere with the main story? No matter how far it is or what the duration is? Thats not a problem. Because Yoo Seodam had someone else who shared his Presence. Spirit, its time to work. While thinking about someone who was still trapped in the snow mountain, Yoo Seodam talked to the flower pot. * * * Whuuuuuuuuushhhh~~ Seol Jungyeon, a woman who was once hailed as Cheonma, barely had anything left with her now. That woman blankly stared at the blizzard outside the window. The hut where she was in right now was warm thanks to Dharmas special technique. However, the moment she took even a single step outside from the hut, she would freeze to death. Should I just give up? There was a time when she wanted to live even in such a bad state. She wanted to continue this dirty and vulgar life just for one more breath. But now, everything had become useless. The Murim Cheonma sect that she remembered no longer existed. No one on Earth knew that she was trapped here. Suddenly, Dharmas word lingered on her mind. Give up the name Cheonma, Then Ill take you out of here as Seol Jungyeon. To give up the name of Cheonma. It also meant that her life would belong to Dharma. Was there really any reason not to give up the Cheonma sect? Was there any meaning to be obsessed with the past where nothing was left and abandon the flowery path? If she put everything down and became his woman, wouldnt she live a happier life compared to the time when she lived as Cheonma? These kinds of thoughts were constantly filling her head often these days. It was an unthinkable worry for her in the past. Those worries were proof that her heart had begun to waver, but she didnt notice at all. No. She just couldnt notice. Why do I think this way? Suddenly, her heart calmed down and her mind cooled down. She finally came to her senses. Flap Flap. A transparent butterfly flew through the window. What is this? Cheonma reached towards the butterfly instinctively. Then, the small butterfly landed carefully on her index finger. [Skill Flying butterfly of the Silver Spirit Flower has activated.] [Skill Protagonist hunter Lv3 collides with Skill Charm(SS)] [Supporting character Seol Jungyeons skill, Cheonma Absolute mind(SS) resists Charm(SS)] The butterfly was a gift from someone thousands of kilometers away from the Himalaya. The butterfly waved its wings from her index finger and flew up, turning into a swarm of light before drawing a white colored message in the air. -Ill come to you. The little light brought a small hope to Cheonma who was about to put everything down. Chapter 69: Hello, Hellony (1) Three months passed. Lee Dong-joon lost in his thoughts as he sat on the sofa. Seol Jung-yeon. Recently, her attitude had changed. Seol Jungyeon kept asking for something whenever Lee Dong-joon came to the hut. He wasnt sure yet whether this change was positive or not. I want to have the horns of chilgaksu. I want to eat the meat of Wongung. Id like to drink bamboo leaves made from dew that has been around for a hundred years, is there any? Most of those things were nothing for him, but it was extremely difficult to get them on Earth, so Lee Dongjoon, who hid his strength, had to visit Dungeons frequently. When someone cleared a Dungeon, they would leave a record behind. So, there was a rumor that Hong Yeopsa had become quite active these days. But no matter who tried to approach him, they always lost him. Well, no one in this world was capable enough to catch up with the supreme Dharma. Do I have to think about it positively? Lee Dongjoon thought so. Ever since he brought her to earth, her eyes were always dead. She never responded to anything he gave to her. But recently she began to ask for something with a lively look in her eyes. Yes, its a positive change. The change in her attitude may mean that something had changed inside her mind. Somehow Lee Dong-joons heart beat slightly. Just a few days ago, when he gave her a pouch containing the heart of a spirit creature, Cheonma gave him a big smile. It was proof that she was happy. When he saw Seol Jungyeon happy, Lee Dong-joon felt as if he had regained his feelings of happiness that he had forgotten a long time ago. This time, its the horn of a Chilgaksu. It was quite difficult to find a Chilgaksu on Earth. However, there was no problem. He just needed to raid all sorts of dungeons until he found a Chilgaksu. When Lee Dong-joon was making various plans, Shin Hye-ji rushed into the bedroom. Daddy! Tell me. Can I go to Hellonys concert in Korea with my friend this weekend? Its not necessary to get permission to do that. Take care. Lee Dongjoon stroked Shin Hye-jis hair. She smiled widely in return and nodded her head. Thank you! Watching Shin Hye-ji leave with an excited look, Lee Dong-joon pledged to himself once again To protect the peaceful lives of his loved ones. * * * THUMP! The head of a giant rhino with six horns fell to the ground. This giant monster was an A-rank monster called Diamond Armored Rhino. It was a monster with diamonds all over its body. This monster could only be killed by accurately attacking its vital spots. Even though it was only classified as an A-rank monster, the power needed to kill this monster was closer to that of an S-rank. But nevertheless, it was an easy enemy for Geom-hee, Ha Sunyoung. Her eyes glistened as she extracted the ether crystals from the monster carcasses including one from the boss monster. How much will it be? Hmm.. Three A-rank ether crystals come out. I think It will be around 300 million without taxes. Wow, wow. For one? And if you add the B-rank ether crystals, youll get a billion. Besides, this dungeon is an undetermined dungeon, so the country will reward you with 30 million won. WOAH!! The reward alone is twice the amount of my annual salary at the previous job. The salary of a part-timer working at an internet cafe wouldnt be that much.. Thats what Hunting is all about. Thats right. This was the world of true hunters. It was a world that Yoo Seodam wouldnt dare to dream of a year ago. Afterall, for hunters with superpowers, they could rake up money by hunting B-rank C A-rank monsters without worrying about their equipment. How much did I earn in three months? After the ban was lifted, Ha Sun-young received a B-rank Hunter license. If she did her best, she could easily become one of the 37 SS-rank in the whole world, but she decided to lay low for now. For the next three months, Yoo Seodam took Ha Sun-young and searched for undetermined dungeons in various parts of Korea. The way Hunter performed his mission is simple. When an observatory detected gates and dungeons, they would publish their findings on their website or application. Then, they would accept requests first and collect them. After that, they would choose a suitable person who had the right to enter the dungeon. That person could do whatever they wanted, whether they formed a raid party or not. And if the chosen person gave up halfway, a penalty would be given to them. Therefore, even a good hunter would have a difficulty to perform a mission they desired unless they were lucky, and in the worst case scenario, they would be sent to the provinces or do nothing at all. This system was created for them by the Hunting Agency. Antenna dotcom, who Seodam met the other day thanks to Wi-hoon, was a company that worked on that front. Instead of directly being involved in hunting, they booked a mission and assigned it to the right guild while charging fees. That was the reason why the growth rate of a guild who had ties with them would be quite fast. Yoo seodam was also made a temporary guild, so he was able to sign a short-term contract with them. His guild quickly piled up some achievement by targeting the undetermined dungeon assigned to them. It was because a guild needs to have some achievements every month or the authority of the guild would be deprived by the association and the most important thing was to make some money. Uhooooh, its crazy. Crazy. Do you like it that much? Of course I am! Even if I worked for my entire life, I cant get this much money. She clenched her fist as if she had made up her mind. Okay. Ive made a lot of money, so Ill have to spend some. Hm? Did she think of getting a car? Yoo Seodam thought so. Ill be going to a beef restaurant in my neighborhood where I always wanted to go but couldnt because it was expensive. And then? I will order everything on the menus! Next? Ill only eat the lettuce and come out. .. ..Just why? Looking at her, who was making plans happily with a serious look in her eyes, it really seemed that this was the spending that Ha Sun-young had in mind. Since she lived far from luxury in the first place, shouldnt she think of luxury bags, watches, cars and buildings that cost millions? Isnt that possible? Ha Sun-young had lived twice as much as Yoo Seodam had. She also has lived on Earth for quite a long time. Ha Sun-young was not that ignorant of the world, so that simple wish must be what she really wanted to do. By the way, shes a SS-rank, huh? Ha Sun-youngs state in martial arts was called Hwagyeong. Yoo Seodam didnt know how high is that, but he was sure it was almost on the verge of breakthrough, which meant that she could reach the next stage soon. But that wasnt the important part It means the average level of other masters was also around the A-rank to S-rank. Ha Sun-young was a woman who received the nickname Geom-hee. Thats why she was among the top of the SS-rank. The strategy of gathering masters from all over the world and attacking Dharma at once may not seem so impossible now. Among the 3 kings and 6 emperors, there was someone who was stronger than the rest of them. Yoo Seodam expected him to be at the SSS-rank level. But in the end, Lee Dong-joon was still much stronger than them. His level was URS The idea of catching Lee Dong-joon by force should be discarded. Things dont seem very good, but there were quite a few hints Yoo Seodam had found. First of all, Lee Dong-joon is Dharma. Unlike the other sects, the conditions for Dharma to be strong were quite demanding. In some martial arts book, murder was banned and in other martial arts book, The power of Dharma will lost by simply holding hands with woman. Different people had different feelings about Dharma, but in the end, any martial arts always put restrictions on Dharma. And a protagonist must follow all of those clichs. In other words, there must be a way to weaken him. Shushu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu! When Yoo Seodam and Geom-hee caught the Dungeons boss, the space blurred and their bodies were sent outside. Then the flower pot talked to him. -Hey, Witch~ Yes? -Theres a call from Miss Cheonma.. Really? What did she say? -She said she already did the favor you asked. Good. The reason why Yoo Seodam kept communicating with Cheonma through the pot was to make Dharma do this and that. It was good to avoid Dharmas eyes when Ha Sun-young was active in Seoul, and if he became more and more active as a Hong Yeopsa his Mugong would eventually be exposed. Lee Dong-joons interest in Cheonma, Seol Jung-yeon, was more than Seodam ever thought. Even when she asked him to get something so bizarre, he would come back after fulfilling her request. Perhaps such a process was also affected by the protagonists correction. So, this time, she asked for the horn of a spirit creature called Chilgaksu. It seemed like Lee dong-joon already fulfilled her request. Oh, Seodam. Yes? I got a call from Changje. It seems like hes interested in your story. I see. And For the past 3 months, Yoo Seodam had been in contact with masters from all over the world through Ha Sun-young. * * * Phoenix Emperor Daniel. That was his nickname in Murim. It may feel a little awkward, but there was nothing strange about it on their previous world. Its nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you from TV and the news. I never thought you knew about Dhama, which even Murim people dont know about. Daniel communicated with a translator that cost quite a bit. The original place where he lived was presumed to be South America, and the language there was something Yoo Seodam couldnt speak, but thanks to the translator he could communicate with ease. Ive listened to your story. Did you say that Dharma, Lee Dong-joon, broke the bans and is currently active? Yes, this is the only thing I can show you right now as a proof of my claim. I formally asked the Hunter Association headquarters for a record of the activities of the Hong Yeopsa. There were a lot of people who were interested in it, and many fans and reporters of HongYeopsa were downloading these data right now. Theres a record of Hong Yeopsa which had been steadily entering the dungeon and gate for several years, including his activity for the last three months. Indeed. Hes an unidentified hunter with power equal to SS-rank or higher But this data alone cant guarantee that HongYeopsa is Lee DongjoonC But, Csince I believe in Geom-hees words, Id like to say that I can trust you without any evidence. Daniel grinded his teeth and clenched his fist after finishing his words. How hard his life on Earth was since his Mugong was sealed? Mugong was everything for the people from Murim. How painful was it to have both his limbs and wings deprived from him? But, he who imposed the ban was currently active and violating all the bans. Honestly, I cant believe it. Calm down, Emperor. If we turn around here, well all die without even a chance of revenge. Huuu Daniel, who was sweating so much because of his anger, opened his eyes. Hunter Yoo Seodam, how many people have you met so far? I met and talked to 31 people, including you. What was their opinion? He pondered for a moment, before answering. Half gave negative reactions while the other half gave positive reactions. It didnt seem like they were going to actively help. But theyre probably still spreading this news to other Murim people they know. I see. Honestly I cant believe your claim as it is, just like the others. Im here to respect Geom-hees words, and Ill trust your words. But, it wont be easy to convince other masters. Do you think theyll stand up with just a few of these feeble proofs? Thats true. Daniels words were correct. How would Seodam find the Murim masters that were hidden on Earth? What kind of evidence would he give them in order to make them move? What kind of weapon would he utilize to defeat Dharma? There was a rough plan. First of all, about Cheonma. It was worth noting that the image of the Cheonma Sect was not so bad after meeting and talking with the Emperor and Gum-hee this time. The other day, Yoo Seodam asked Gum-hee. Ha Sunyoung, what was the Cheonma Sect in Murim like? I heard theyre bad guys, is that true? In the world of martial arts, all the people of Moorim persecuted the Cheonma sect because they were deemed as evil. I guess so But, actually, Im not too sure. What? They were quite active before the arrival of the Earthlings, but they were strangely quiet afterwards. Oh, yes, there was a saying that it was because of Socheonma Seol Jungyeon. The Socheonma Seol Jungyeon? Thats right. The evil deeds of the Cheonma Sect almost ceased since that woman, Seol Jungyeon became a Socheonma. But people from Murim said they were preparing for a huge war. In the end, we cant know for sure. Why is that? Because Dharma obliterated them. Ha Sun-young looked very sad. When Seodam asked the Emperor, his response was I got a lot of help from the Cheonma Sect. As someone from Murim, I was once ashamed because of that fact, but later I was proud to have been favored by them. Is that so? They had their pride as religious people, and in my days they used quite controversial methods to spread their religion to the world. Of course, their religion had quite violent doctrines, but there was no reason to be suppressed just for that reason. Not all main characters were righteous. Furthermore, Lee Dong-joon was the main character of Earth. The martial arts world view was nothing more than a tool for past recollection for the main Lee Dong-joon. In other words, whatever happened there, it didnt really matter. In addition, Dharma Lee Dong-jun solved everything so violently that it was rather beneficial for the plot that the Cheonma Sect tried to do something really bad. Although they were suppressed before they could do anything. Hmm Presumably, if the Cheonma Sect had been left untouched, it was highly doubtful if the Murim invasion or other bloodshed accident would be started by Seol Jungyeon. Dharma Lee Dong-joon was also highly likely to prevent such a thing from happening. However, as a result from Lee Dong-joons first move before the bloodshed, even the opportunity for people to hold grudges against the Cheonma Sect had disappeared. In other words, Yoo Seodam could use that point. There are plenty of weapons. Himalaya mountain range where the Cheonma was locked. It would soon turn into weapon, as well as the grave of Dharma. In order to do so, all the people of Murim need to work together. Then, out of nowhere, a message popped into Yoo Seodams mind. [The main story of the Protagonist Lee Dong-joon will proceed.] Huh? Along with the message from the system, a message also arrived on his smartphone. [Shin Hye-ji: Guild Master-nim, I dont think Ill be able to attend the weekend guild training!] [Shin Hye-ji: Im going to Hellony concert with my friends] [Shin Hye-ji: Photograph] Hellony? In the picture, Shin Hye-ji took a selfie with her ticket. It was a mystery for Yoo Seodam why women always added selfies for all their pictures. And then another message arrived. It was a message from Taylor nine. [Taylor: Hey] [Taylor: I am in Korea now] [Taylor: Photo] Taylor did not send a selfie. [Taylor: So] [Taylor: Would you like to take over the request to catch Hellonys stalker?] [Yoo Seodam : Stalker?] [Taylor: There is a guy who has been harassing her a lot lately.] Something was weird. Hellonys S-rank Sound wave ability not only gave the best performance in wide range attack, but also in the Detection category. Yet, she couldnt catch a stalker? It smells Fishy. Shin Hye-ji, who was going to see Hellonys concert, a stalker which even S-rank soundwaves ability couldnt catch, and the protagonists main story that was going to proceed. Emperor-nim. You said that if theres evidence, people from Murim will move, correct? Yes, Im afraid they wont risk their lives for something thats unclear. Is there anything that came to your mind? Well. Not everything is clear yet. However, the most important thing was that Shin Hye-ji was involved in the main story. [Yoo Seodam: Im coming.] [Yoo Seodam: To catch the stalker.] Perhaps, Hellonys concert would serve as the last straw to instigate the hunt to catch Dharma. Chapter 70: Hello, Hellony (2) [2051 Mind Killing live performance by the goddess of pop, Hellony!] [Onew.com: Hellonys concert ticket sales in Korea] [Please look forward to Hellonys performance in Korea] All kinds of news related to Hellony was posted all over the Internet in Korea. By that fact alone, Yoo Seodam could see how popular the performance of the Goddess of Pop in Korea would be. Youve succeeded. You must have known her. Oh, well, I did. Yoo Seodam looked at Ha Sun-young with a sour look. She was armed with all kinds of Hellonys merch. Including a light purple glow stick, a Hellony hairband, a Hellony bag and a light purple T-shirt with the words Hello! Hellony! printed on it. In fact, her outfit was nothing special. Most of the people around the concert hall were dressed in a similar manner. On the contrary, Yoo Seodam, who wore a dress shirt and formal pants, was more unusual. Why are you following me? I cant miss out on going to Hellony concert! You can go with your friend. Im here for work. I dont have friends. Seodam looked at her, he was wondering if she made a slip of tongue. But contrary to Yoo Seodams worry, Ha Sun-young was still waving her glow stick with a bright look on her face. She looked totally absorbed in the atmosphere. Looking around, even though there were more than six hours left before the concert began, fans had already gathered and were already doing something with banners in front. Most of them were handing out items related to Hellony. The Hellony products that Ha Sun-young wore all over her body were also bought here on the spot. You are not buying it? The glow stick costs only 4,900 won! Its originally 6,000 won. No thanks. Ey, No fun. I thought you were Hello Hellony like me. Hello, hellony? Whats that? Ha Sun-young looked at Yoo Seodam with a look of horror as if she were looking at a primitive man. You dont know about that too? Its Hellonys official fan cafe! The biggest fandom in the world!! There are tens of thousands of subscribers in Korea alone. Wow. It was surprising, so Yoo Seodam couldnt help but exclaim. Since then, Ha Sun-young had been wandering and buying all Hellony-related products. Both of her hands were filled with shopping bags. She screamed happily, smiled and asked Yoo Seodam, who was walking by her side. By the way, if youre not here to see the show, what brings you here? I have a personal meeting with Hellony and I have something to deal with. Oh, right. Did you say you knew her? Im so jealous! Im a huge fan of Hellony. Why didnt you tell me you knew her? Were not very good friends. Among the living 7 comrades, Taylor Nine was the only one who maintained a good relationship with Yoo Seodam. While his relationship with Ryu Jinsoo was somehow still awkward, now they were tied with a business relationship, so it could be considered a good relationship. And for Wi-hoon, their relationship was always bad. Why? Did you confess to her and got rejected? No, I dont really think much about it, but it seems like she doesnt like me. Oh. Seodam left the disappointed Ha Sun-young behind and walked towards the staff entrance. The security was quite strict, there were quite a lot of guards around the entrance. But when Seodam showed them the photo of the pass Taylor had sent in advance on his smartphone, it was possible for him to pass through. Inside the concert hall, the staff members were running around. The fact that all of these people were running around for just one performance made Seodam quite awkward. To think that timid girl would become a global star Moments later, when Hellonys waiting room came to his view, two men, who looked like high-ranking superhumans, blocked Seodams way. Originally, celebrities wouldnt be escorted this much. But taking into account what happened to hellony, it was only right. Please stop. What brings you here? Ive been contacted by Hellony. When you get a question in English, you answer it in English. The guard nodded when Seodam showed him a request with both Taylors and Hellonys sign on his smartphone. When he opened the door, Heloni, who was sitting in the corner with a haggard face, Taylor Nine, a stylist and several female guards who looked very unhappy, came into his view. Oh, hey! Why are you so late! As soon as Taylor saw him, she ran over and hugged him around his neck. When he saw Ha Sun-young in the back, she put more strength in her arms to make Yoo Seodams head in line with hers. Her height was around Yoo Seodams chest, so he had to bow his head considerably. Whos that behind you? My guild member. A beautiful woman? Its a contract relationship. Really? After a while, Taylor nodded at Ha Sun-young. Regardless of whether Ha Sun-young saw it or not, she had already lost her soul as soon as she saw Hellony. When Hellony saw Yoo Seodam, she stood up and tried to shake his hands, but he refused. No thanks. Theres no need for a handshake between us. He, yeah, yeah, yeah. You are still the same. Uh, you too. Taylor sighed as the awkward scene unfolded before her eyes. Hellony was still sorry about something, while Yoo Seodam didnt even care. She wished they could just shake it off. Seodam looked around and said Are you doing your makeup? Am I allowed to come in? I still have a little time before the performance, Is that so? He walked quickly to take up the chair in front of the table. Ha Sun-young also took the next seat after him while Taylor and Hellony sat across him. Seodam first took out the contract and held it towards Hellony. Ive heard about the stalker request. But since its something you cant find even with your detection ability, Im going to hand it over to a specialist. Huh? Why bother? They are a bunch of money grubbers. Taylor bobbed her head as she spoke. Uh so, I created a guild, and we need to increase Guild achievements a little bit. Aha! Hellony picked up the pen and read the document carefully after which she said she understood it. In the meantime, Ha Sun-young took a pen and stared at her as if trying to let her know that she wanted to get a signature from Hellony. But somehow Ha Sun-young noticed that Hellony looked tired and her dark circles were very serious. In addition, she looked frightened as she kept looking around while reading the documents. Yoo Seodam looked at the Hellony before taking out a notepad and asking Taylor. So, Id like to hear the results of your research. Do you have a specific criminal in mind or any specific characteristics? Fuuuhhhh. When the expected question came up, Taylor looked very embarrassed as she shook her head. Nothing. I have nothing. I dont know who it is. I cant even feel their presence. Their handwriting cant be verified in the first place. I prefer they show themselves in public, so I can smash their head. but I dont even feel anything. Absolutely nothing? Uh. Im so angry!! Taylor tousled her hair roughly in a fit of anger. She keeps telling me that she feels the gaze. And she actually got a threatening message, but I dont feel anything! Strange. Although Taylor was weak in detection, the natural instinct of a S-rank could not be overlooked. But even after all that, she couldnt detect it while Hellony kept feeling the gaze. First of all, it will be impossible to get it by today and itll take some time, is that okay? Oh, yeah. I think itll be okay. Maybe. The contract isnt really much. I didnt come here to work for money. Hey, I work for money. Thats you. The word between us was so awkward that Hellony shook her fingertips. All of them felt it, but did well not to show it. Theres a high chance that the enemy has stealth-type ability. Didnt you say you couldnt detect it with sound waves, but you can only feel the gaze, and neither Taylor nor anyone else with detection-related ability around you reacted to it Thats right. Doesnt that mean you can detect it with your ability? Uh. Hellonys soundwaves detection was extremely clear and accurate. It was at the level of being able to clearly see what was invisible and beyond the wall. So until now, she thought it was impossible to detect the black gaze because she couldnt specify its exact location. However, if you were the only one who could feel the gaze that no one else, including S-rank superhuman could feel. Maybe your ability was too good to the point where only you could feel the gaze. This is pretty positive. When you feel the gaze, you can react right. But Hellony could not hear Yoo Seodams words until the end. Again! Hellony grabbed the document she was holding. She began to feel the gaze again. That gaze skimmed through all over her body. It was a clear, muddy, and blatant gaze. Moreover, it was filled with madness as if saying Youre mine or Dont get out of my sight. No.. Her heart beats violently, but the moment she tried to scream Swoosh!! All of a sudden, the gaze that was bothering her moments ago had disappeared. When she came to her senses, a woman named Ha Sun-young, who had come to her side, was holding a glow stick and posing as if she had cut something. What the. I cut down the sound. What? She frowned at the light purple glow stick she was holding. The cutie Hellony glow stick which I bought for 4,900 Won is now dirty. She approached the window with a violent step and opened it roughly. She looked around for a moment before suddenly throwing the glow stick. Fwoosh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!! Huh! The cheerful noise, which did not seem to have come from the glow stick, flowed through the inside of the waiting room, and soon there was silence. Ha Sun-young kicked her tongue and said. She ran away. While everyone stared at her in disbelief, Yoo Seodam calmly looked over the window with a telescope. Recently, he thought that his ability to sense Mana had improved a lot while practicing real-life swordsmanship with Ha Sun-young, but at this moment, he could feel it. Its about three kilometers away. He cant believe that he could detect that far purely with his senses. It was a pleasant surprise. When he focused on the building in the distance with his telescope, he could see that the glow stick, which flew incredibly far away, was pinned to the wall. You threw it quite far. It was too far in the beginning, but that guy made a noise and deflected the orbit before the glow stick could get there. You mean noise? Thats right. Hes someone who used Eumgong. At her words, Seodam looked quite serious. He expected that the stalker was somehow related to Lee Dong-joons main story, but things became more complicated than he thought. Eum..Gong.? What the hell is that? When Hellony and Taylor, who didnt understand the words, asked her, Yoo Seodam answered instead. You can assume that it is a martial art with a power of sound. Mugong. The word had one meaning. The stalker is someone from Murim. Just like Hellony, she knows how to handle sounds. Chapter 71: Hello, Hellony (3) Morian Guild, a guild where the prophet belonged to, was one of the largest guilds in Russia. Even though they only had around 200 members around the world, they had considerable numbers of superhumans with a very special ability. Moreover, the guild members of Morian were able to use a very special ability which only known to few. But most veteran hunters were somewhat aware of the fact that their abilities were based on an Amulet. However, no one knew where the Amulet came from. Avon. The Rain Killer Guild from the U.S called us saying they wanted to buy 10 cards. While the Baster Guild of Germany also requested five cards, And also, I got a call from Koreas Lost Day Guild. Is that so? Avon smiled as she fiddled with the cards. The cards she held in her hand were called Talisman in the outside world. Youve been getting a lot of calls lately. Is that the proof that more and more people are interested in Mystical ability? Supernatural Ability. It was an ability that could be used without having to undergo an ether-enhancing procedure. But until now, it had not received much attention worldwide due to the lack of information about it. However, when Hunter Yoo Seodams case broke out, curiosity about Supernatural Ability spread to the public, and only a small fraction of them found out that people from Morian guild was dealing with that kind of power. Despite only small numbers of people knowing about the Amulet, messages had poured in from countless guilds around the world. For now, contact Lost Day first. They are a guild thats been very helpful in the study of magic. Lost Day had a history of providing significant help to the Morian Guild. They gave considerable funding to Morian, then helped them on their research of magic scientifically and introduced them to many people around the world through their numerous connections. As a result, Morian guild was now much bigger than they were 10 years ago. Morian guild was now exerting their influence all over the world by using their prophets ability in the light and monopolizing the Amulet in the dark. Because, magic is only reserved for us. Recently, a man named Yoo Seodam used a similar power to the Amulet. But that would not be better than what they, who have been steadily developing magic while hiding in the dark for years, had. Although they were buried in science in modern times, they were now able to put magic into objects! Until now, they havent been able to produce magic with a destructive power comparable to that of S-rank ability. But their magic utility could be said to be superior to any other abilities. Miss Avon. Voices flew in from the air. Avon answered without even turning his head. Tell me. The Prophet has come. Let her in. Soon the door of the office opened, and Yekaterina walked in with staggered steps. Her hair had lost its color, and it faded into white around the waist, her pupils had also lost their light and now she could only vaguely know if there was anything in front of her. Nevertheless, Yekaterina raised her head clearly and made eye contact with Avon. I saw a prophecy. Tell me about it. Something will happen in Seoul, Korea. The exact location of the disaster will be concert venue of the singer Hellony Hellony, huh? Yekaterina spoke in a trembling voice. But something is weird. I couldnt hear anything there. Theres no shouting or screaming. It was so quiet. .? Then, the impending disaster had something to do with sound. Yekaterinas prediction was outstanding, Avon could see the keyword of disaster in advance. Maybe, thousands of people will die. We have to stop it. Whats the exact date? I think it will be sooner or later. I see. Hmm. Avon smiled after thinking about something for a while. It was a smile with no emotion. We need to find something that relates to sound first. I get it now please go back. Huh? You must declare your prophecy to the world like usual Yes, Ill take care of it, so go back, Yekaterina. .. Still looking uncomfortable, Yekaterina stood there for a long time, before eventually realizing that there was nothing she could do and walked away. Right after Yekaterina left the room Avon started drawing on the card with a pen. Then, a woman in a robe besides her said, Should I inform the emergency response headquarters? No, you dont need to. Is that so? Avon took a pile of papers out of the drawer. It was a paper full of records of DR. Dimensional returnees, or people from Murim, had learned very special powers in other worlds. But, they were prohibited from using their powers by someone very powerful. But it had been four years since they came back from this world. Avon found out that her Amulet could temporarily block the ban. She then investigated DR and contacted several Dr who had severe withdrawal symptoms because they could not use their Mugong and tempted them to use it with her magic. Although the time her Amulet could deceive the ban was short. Ten sheets of the talisman, it was difficult to make even one, were made and presented to a DR in order to acquire the knowledge known as Mugong. But in the end, it was stolen. I.. I have to ffind it. What are you looking for? Sound. A more beautiful sound. If thats the case, well be able to No! Its impossible! Avon recalled the last memory she shared just before she left. It wasnt a very pleasant thing. Avon was a magician and businessman who seeked real gains, yet she lost even after investing 10 Amulets. It would be better to cause a disaster in Korea and let the Supreme One judge her. That woman was already completely insane and it was impossible for her to turn around. Its better for her to die. Dont tell anyone about this prophecy. * * * Geom-hee, Ha Sunyoung. Thanks to her identity as someone from Murim, things got easier. Maybe the stalker knows how to handle the sound in the first place? It was easy to guess, but there was no way to find out the culprit. Itll be fine. Well, I dont think theres going to be any more leaks in the waiting room. Ha Sun-young said as she touched the temporary soundproof wall installed inside the waiting room. It was not just an ordinary soundproof wall. It was imbued with Yoo Seodams magic to block the sound. The stalker would no longer be able to see through this wall from any distance. Of course, she was capable enough to penetrate it from a close distance, but Ha Sun-young wouldnt stay still. She dares to pester Hellony? Ha Sun-young said under her breath. She looked as unreliable as ever, but if anything happened right now, she was the only one who could deal with it. Huh? But whats wrong with your eyes? Are you wearing contact lenses? Taylor asked when she saw Seodams white eyes while he was working on the soundproof wall with his magic. Something happened. When he lifted his palm and rubbed his eyes, mana flowed into his eyes. Taylor looked surprised when she saw his black eyes had returned thanks to the magic lens. It would be better for him if the magic lens would continue to be maintained. It was very uncomfortable to re-activate it to cover his white eyes every time he finished using magic. But of course, this was considered a small sacrifice for something as grand as an E-rank library. Hey, what are you thinking about so much? Do you have any idea how to catch him? Whats the point of worrying about something you cant even detect? As Taylor and Ha Sun-young spoke sequentially, Hellony, who was putting on the makeup chair, and was getting ready to start the performance, looked at me with anxious eyes. it was definitely true. The opponent was someone from Murim. She was someone who could avoid the detection of S-rank soundwaves. Even Ha Sun-youngs attack could be deflected even though it is a long distance attack, it meant that their opponent was at least at around SS rank level. Yoo Seodam couldnt protect anyone here on his own. There were 2 S-rank superhuman and SS-rank martial artists here in this waiting room. By comparison, Seodam only had D-rank physical ability, swordsmanship, and magic at the level between two and three circles. However, just because he didnt have superpowers didnt mean he couldnt think, right? First of all, what was the reason this stalker was so obsessed with Hellony? The right answer was You didnt have to know. The second question, how did this Martial artist from Murim who used the power of sound, escape the influence of the ban? The right answer is. You didnt have to know this either. Not only was it a question that couldnt be answered right away, but perhaps this incident had something to do with the protagonist Lee Dong-joons correction. It was impossible to analyze correction with common sense. It was more important for Seodam to worry about the clich that will take place after that. Lastly, the third question. What kind of story happened here? According to his findings, including the story from Geom-hee and the Emperor, Dharma dyed his hands with a lot of blood when he was still in Murim. He committed too many murders in the name of justice. Perhaps the theme of his story when he returned to Earth were atonement and peace. The theme of peace would have been carried out through her daughter Shin Hye-ji and Cheonma Seol jungyeon. If Lee Dong-joons theme was really mixed with atonement, it is likely that Hellonys concert would be a mess. People who couldnt overcome their withdrawal symptoms went on a rampage because of the ban. Of all people, these people would kill countless people and at the same time damage her daughter, Shin Hye-ji. After arriving late, Dharma would have managed to save Shin Hye-ji by overpowering the Stalker. And maybe he would realize something along the lines of Oh, my wrong judgment has damaged my daughter. After that, he would change his policy or completely lift the ban, or whatever, but it wasnt Yoo Seodams job until then. It was a story that anyone could think of. So, it may be said that it was a nonsensical story. But the fact that Shin Hye-ji came to see Hellonys performance and the fact that someone from Murim was wandering around Hellony was enough evidence to support that nonsensical story. After all, the protagonists story always followed a clich. In fact, even without the theme of atonement, there was no problem. The most important thing was that Shin Hye-ji came to see the performance anyway. Hmm.. Oh, damn Im sure we have no choice but to cancel the performance. Unlike the 3 women who were at a loss because they couldnt see the answer, Yoo Seodam felt his head was cool. Things are starting to unravel. The plan to hunt the Lv500 protagonist, which had become darker and darker, had now been reignited. For that purpose.. Yoo Seodam presented his thoughts to the girls. He met Hellonys, Taylors, and Ha Sun-youngs eyes one by one. Maybe if there is a battle, there will be a lot of casualties, Even if Ha Sun-young fights back, she wont be able to overpower her at once. But due to the nature of the stalkers eumgong, if a wide-area attack occurs, everyone will eventually be damaged. Hellony agreed by nodding her head. In fact, she was also one of the superpowers who couldnt control her abilities. In addition, Ha Sun-young isnt allowed to perform recklessly, right? Thats, uh, yes. In the end, the only way left was to evacuate all these people. Hellony, with a dark look, tried to contact the manager and tell him to cancel the show immediately, but Yoo Seodam stopped her. If we cancel the show, we cant catch the stalker now, can we? You are right Is there a way? We just need to call the strongest allies who can subdue the Eumgong practitioner. Yes? He looked at three pairs of eyes who seemed to be asking him where such a person was in the world. I mean, the supreme one. The mastermind behind the ban on all Murim people on earth. You mean the head of DR? Does that make sense? Seo, Seodam. The DR from Murim as well as the Hunter association were also looking for him, but they cant find them, especially the Supreme One Dont you know that the Supreme Dharma doesnt follow anyones orders, Seodam? Three of them reacted negatively, but Yoo Seodam started tapping on his smartphone in response. * * * Fwooossh!! Fwwoooshhh!! Knock, Knock. Despite the heavy snowstorm, he knocked on the small cabin and heard a voice from inside. Come on in. When he opened the door carefully and went inside, the figure of Seol Jungyeon lying on the sofa as she bit the cherry in her mouth was revealed. She was completely different from the past when she always looked sad. She lay gracefully in a white suit. She was more beautiful, more fascinating than anything else in the world. Moreover, she had a charm that made even the Supreme Dharma, whose mind had never been shaken, look at her twice. She turned her eyes and asked Lee Dong joon. You came earlier than before this time. Whats the matter? I brought the horns of Chilgaksu. Oh, that. Since Seol Jung-yeon said she wanted to have it, Lee Dong-joon invested all his time wandering around all the dungeons around the world. In the end, he successfully secured the horn of Chilgaksu. But Seol jungyeon lifted her white toe and pointed somewhere without even paying attention to them. Put it in that corner. Is it okay if I just put it there? It does not matter. . Although she said so intentionally, Lee Dong-joon put the horns Chilgaksu in the corner as Seol Jungyeon told him to do so with a carefree expression. He even put a plastic on top of it afraid it might accumulate dust. Seol Jungyeon was irritated by the way he pretended to be uselessly sincere, but she didnt show it on her face. If you have anything else you want, feel free to tell me. If its something I can get, Ill get it. Well Dharmas eyes slightly turned to the side when Seol Jung-yeons posture collapsed with her hair hanging down the sofa. There was almost no skin being shown since it was obviously a suit covering the whole body. But the fine white ankle, the wrist. No, it was just that her existence itself that was so fascinating that he couldnt keep his eyes off her. Well, what do we do now? Should I just send him back? Or should we play tricks on him, like what he asked me to? While she was thinking about it, Lee Dong-joon took out his smartphone. Quickly, his expression hardened. Bewildered. Impatient. And angry. The Supreme Dharma would never show his feelings. Cheonma watched him full of curiosity. Oh, my God. Has that man finally started to do something? Cheonma, who guessed it was time, covered her lips with her sleeve and laughed. Then, Lee Dong-joon said as he tried to hide his urgency as much as possible. Ill just go back. Are you bored of me? No such thing!! Really? Hmmmm. If it was the usual Seol Jungyeon, she would cold heartedly react to him. It was the first time that Seol Jungyeon talked to him with such a longing in her voice, so Dharma couldnt easily turn around despite his urgent need. Then another text message came to his smartphone. [Yoo Seo-dam: Please come here now. Some Eumgong practitioner is wreaking havoc at the concert hall, and Shin Hye-ji is also watching the concert here.] Yeah, Im bored.. And somehow, Cheonmas attitude continued to be fatal. It kept Dharmas mind agitated and confused. -Calm down!! Dont ever lose your composure! I am calm. -Dont just keep your eyes on it, focus on it! If not youll lose your composure, Okay, stop nagging. After breathing heavily and calming his chest, Dharma replied to Cheonma. Im sorry, but I have to go now. Ill come back again. You are not fun. Seol Jung-yeon turned away, and Lee Dong-joon, who was looking at her back with regret, disappeared from the spot. As soon as he was gone, Seol jungyeon broke out with a grin that she was trying hard to suppress. Im getting more and more curious. Whats the identity of the man who could easily break down Dharmas pretentious mask that even the people from Murim couldnt do? Somehow her heart began to race, but she held it in. You said youd pick me up. She was waiting for the day he would visit her. // Superpower : Ability that needs to follow the Ether-injection process. Mystical ability : Ability that used any other form of energy aside of ethe Chapter 72: Hello, Hellony (4) Just a few moments ago, everyone was busy cheering her, they shouted her name together with people beside them. Each of their screams were filled with excitement. They shouted while waving their cameras and glow sticks. It was a beautiful cheer because it was only meant for one person. However, those beautiful and meaningful cheers were nothing but simple noises. Ddudak, Ddudak. It was because of a melody that echoed as the stage appeared. In front of every sound she made, any other sound became nothing but noise. The sound of her shoes, the sounds of the hem of her clothes, the sound of her hair flowing, and even her cough while clearing her throat just before she starts singing were all beautiful. Tens of thousands of spectators fell silent at that moment. There were some of them who had previously watched Hellonys live performance somewhere else. And there were some who had never gotten the chance to do so. But that didnt matter at all. Because, in front of the sound that Hellony made, everybody was struck dumb When Hellony opened her mouth, a wave of thrill came out together with the music. Tung! When Hellony tapped the stage lightly with her shoes, a pink wave spread around her and enveloped the whole stage. It was an etheric reflection light that was produced when she used her soundwaves abilities. The light was more beautiful than any other ether reflective light in the world, so it soon became a stage setting device. She didnt need any other props. Just by standing on the stage, she could become the stage setting, the song, the music, and the microphone. The light purple microphone in the shape of a Musical Note on her hand was nothing but a gimmick. It didnt make any sound whatsoever. Everyone was left breathless when Hellony sang a verse of her song. Someone said. I listen to Hellonys songs with my heart, not my ears. It may sound like a joke, but it was the truth. Hellony, a retired Hunter who could manipulate Sound/Eum (). She was a superhuman who could decorate her songs with her powers and beautify them. Her sound spread out from the stage. One line touched the audience and then disappeared, and some of it repeatedly made sounds while going back and forth several times. and some other sounds jumped around the stage like naughty children. Thats why, when someone heard Hellonys song, they would feel like they were listening to various songs even though they were only listening to one song. The song I listened to was different from the song that the person next to me heard. And the song that the person sitting next to me listened to was also different from the song the person next to him heard. Hellony, the goddess of pop. If the goddess of music descended to earth, would she be able to show a better sound than Hellony? Tung! Hellony tapped the stage with her foot once again and another round of wave spread out. Hellony belatedly realized her mistakes when she saw her fans standing like a statue, as if they were possessed by her singing. Oh no, weakly, weakly. She retracted the sounds she used to dominate the stage. And then, she finished the highlight part. WOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! People cheered afterwards. Even the usual fan chant, which would go like Hello! Hellony! didnt come out today. That was because it was such an overwhelming performance. It was inevitable since she was nervous. Hellony. I want you to perform like usual. Id like to ask you to sing a better song if possible, but I cant do that because Im not a singer. I can only ask you not to be nervous. Wi, Will it be dangerous? Its okay. If it goes as planned, no ones going to get hurt. Seodam could use better words than hurt. There were so many words to use such as, victim, casualty or even death. Nevertheless, the reason he chose the word hurt was So, you were being considerate of me. She had a lot of wounds. And there were even more wounds she had inflicted on others. Because of that, she was very sensitive to different words. She had the ability to hurt others without knowing when she would hurt them. Yoo Seodam told her, Im glad you overcame your trauma. But he wouldnt know. The real reason why she was unable to overcome her trauma. ?~? So she simply sang. For her friends who were still busy behind the stage trying to catch her stalker. And for the sake of her own wounds. * * * As expected. Behind the stage, no, above. In a space that no one cared about. The ceiling of the concert hall was wide open. While people were fascinated by Hellonys stage, enjoying it like a cool spring breeze, they were busy searching for her stalker. Not a single verse of her song left the venue. This was thanks to Hellonys ability. -What is? Taylor asked Yoo Seodam on the radio. We dont know when were using normal ultrasound detection, but when Hellony truly shows her ability, a perfect sound barrier is formed. -OH! OH! Right! You didnt understand, did you? -. How about explaining to me rather than mocking me you son of a gun! With a smile on his face, Yoo Seodam looked around through the Mega-Shooters Amplified Scope. This Amplified Scope had a special wavelength and a function to detect Mana rather than ether. It was an artifact made with the help of the Pot. Hellony said that just before or right after her concert is over, she feels the gaze which is particularly disgusting, but strangely, she doesnt feel it during the performance. Thats probably because Hellonys superpowers exceed even the ability of the stalker. -Huh? Arent people from Murim always strong? Murim was the best according to the common sense of the people. Four years ago, when they first made their appearance in the world, they showed a great destructive power that no superhuman could show. However, the reality was different. Their Martial arts were on the same level with Superpowers. The pure output of the Martial arts itself was far weaker than Superpower. They showcased their overwhelming output through the control they exhibited. Thats why the stalker from Murim could penetrate even Hellonys superpowers, which was the most controlled Superpower on Earth. But, what will happen once the concert begins and Hellony uses her powers to the fullest? Well, the stalker wouldnt be able to pierce hellonys power from far. Thats right. If youre someone who is obsessed with her, what will you do to find her when you cant see her? -The crazy stalker is getting close, you mean? Yes. Just in time, there she is. Taylor didnt say anything after hearing what Yoo Seodam said. She couldnt see the Stalker because she was mingling in the crowd. But Yoo Seodam could see her clearly. A woman was floating in the sky. [The villain, Sae Chungryeon, was using Talgeumhaeng(S+) Skill.] Yoo Seodam didnt know about the skill. but it was probably some kind of martial arts technique that utilized the sound waves to step into the air. It was apparent that the villain was overwhelmingly better at controlling sound waves compared to Hellony. Because, even for Hellony, the idea of flying freely in the sky with the help of soundwaves was impossible. Yoo Seodam pointed the mega shooter at the black haired woman who was looking down at the stage. Her worn-out Chinese clothes were flapping because of the wind. -What about the distance? 300 meters and getting closer. The wind is about six miles per hour. It was important from now on. Yoo Seodam already called Lee Dong-joon, and he would arrive at the venue at a frightening speed. And because the crisis was made up forcefully, Lee Dong-joon would be arriving before the main character correction took place. However, Yoo Seodam wasnt satisfied with that. He was going to add another spoonful of crisis on the top of the current crisis. How did the original story end? Perhaps everyone in the venue would either be killed or gravely injured. Perhaps even the stalker herself would become one of the casualties considering that there was no supporting mark above her head. So, when Lee Dong-joon arrives later and rescues Shin Hye-ji, there would have been no witnesses left. Then what about the story that Yoo Seodam forcefully changed? He was going to reveal the existence of Lee Dong-joon to the world. It was not just about revealing it. Yoo Seodam would prepare a fancy debut stage for him. * * * Sae Chungryeon She wandered to many different places looking for sound. For a more beautiful, refreshing, purer, clearer and nobler sound. Whoosshh!! The cool spring breeze under the night sky brushed past her ears, but unfortunately, she could not hear the sound that such wind made. Only the sound that flowed from the stage, which was Hellonys voice, could make Sae chungryeon happy. No one in this wide world, not even in Murim, could make that kind of sound. She was special. So, she became more and more obsessed. I cant hear you. Whenever Hellony sang, she created a thick, huge sound curtain to prevent her voice from leaking out. So every time she went on stage, Sae Chungyeon would move closer and closer towards her. If only I could hear that song. If only I could have that voice. More, more.. Closer. Sae Chungryeon reached out towards the Curtain laid out by Hellony. Her jealousy rose. I cant hear her! The fact that everyone else can hear her songs The fact that everyone is happy except me. Thump! Thump! Her jealousy had already been rising steadily since she arrived on earth 4 years ago. Today, it was about to explode. Thats right, Im the only one who can listen to it. She could have Hellony for herself if she cut the ears of everyone at the venue. Then, her songs would only belong to her. A red haze rose from Sae Chungryeons body. It was her soundwaves. With a deep red color, her sound was so cruel and violent that it was as if it was a sound produced by a madman who was playing a piano. She took out a guqin and placed it on her arms. Long ago, Sae Chungryeon played this instrument more elegantly than anyone else in the world. At that time, she sang a happy song with this musical instrument. However, after being banned by Dharma, she lost all her music. Despite suppressing the ban by using an Amulet, she couldnt find her old song at all. So, Hellony was her last hope. Please let me sing again. [The villain, Sae Chungryeon used The ultimate Voice (S+) skill.] The moment Sae Chungryeon spread her red sounds towards the stage, You broke the ban, Warrior from Murim. !!!!!!!! She heard a mans voice. Sae Chungryeon turned her head and her heart sank. At that place, a few meters away from her, the Supreme Dharma stands. The man who had imposed a ban on all Murim people and forced them back to the earth. She resented him so much. But because of his overwhelming power, she didnt dare to ask for a duel. The man, who was called the most supreme man in the world, came to judge her himself. Clouds rose. There was only one person standing in front of her, yet she felt as if a mountain was surrounding the whole place. ??~ The performance continued. Hellonys songs were melting peoples hearts, and Sae Chungryeons sound was obscured by the music and could not be heard by anyone. In return for breaking the ban, youll die here quietly. No one knew. In the shadow of the stage, where no one pays attention, Im dying. Sae Chungryeon tried to burst into laughter with that thought. Taaaang! A gunfire rang out, and at the same time, Hellonys music stopped playing. and a light purple curtain that was covering the ceiling was lifted. Why did the song stop at this timing? It didnt matter. The important thing was that everyone at the concert venue was paying attention to the sky. Huh..? All tens of thousands of spectators, including Hellony, looked at the ceiling of the venue. Everyone saw the scene where the red energy and cloud-like energy collided with each other! Whats that? Even before people started asking such questions, Someone shouted. Its a Villain! Shes here! Then, someone else shouted. Its Hong Yeopsa! He come to kill the Villain! What? Hong Yeopsa? Is that true? In an instant, the venue broke into a massive confusion. Even Dharma looked perplexed. How did someone recognize Hong Yeopsa? Except for the fact that he used mysterious abilities like clouds, his face had never been revealed to the world, including his gender or age. But it didnt matter. A villain appeared at a concert venue, where tens of thousands of people were watching, and Hong Yeopsa appeared to kill her. What a hero! Tens of thousands of pairs of eyes and cameras faced the sky. A broadcasting camera sent a live feed of Lee dong-joons face across the world. In the camera, Lee Dong-joon was looking somewhere. No, from the moment the gun went off, he never took his eyes off of one person. In his eyes, a man who created the whole situation was looking at him with a relaxed smile. Yoo Seodam He was backstabbing him. *** Chapter 73: I have nightmare everyday (1) Are you talking about the people from Murim? At the same time, far away from the concert venue. Shin Hye-ji met Ha Sun-young, Daniel and Lee Doo-hak. It was because her guild master, Yoo Seodam, told her to move away from the concert hall. Thats why she followed her fellow guild member Ha Sun-young. However, she suddenly heard a strange story. Thats right, Miss Hye-ji. All of us who are from Murim are under a ban. Are you aware of it? When Daniel asked, Hye-ji nodded. Oh, ah, ah, yeah. Isnt it an unwritten rule not to use Mugong? Its not that kind of restriction. The public does not know about the exact prohibition of Dimensional Returnee. They only know the gist of it from the experienced hunters or people from Murim. Daniel and Lee Doo-hak unbuttoned their shirts partway to show their chest. There, a red tattoo was carved. This is the Prohibition that forces all of us to not use our Mugong. If any one of us uses Mugong, they will be killed immediately by the Supreme Dharma. Huh!? Dha, Dharma!? Are you talking about my dad? Thats right, Miss Hye-ji. The one who put this prohibition on us is indeed Supreme Dharma, your father. Shin Hye-ji contemplated for a few seconds before continuing in a trembling voice. Is, isnt that good? If the people of Murim were involved in an accident. .Is there any proof that Murim people will always cause an accident? Miss Hye-ji, we, the people from Murim are not much different from superhumans. No, you know that the basis of Muhyeob starts with a sense of sanity. Rather, we have better self-restraint than other superhumans. Then, why did dad prohibit? She simply couldnt understand. He said. He didnt want Mugong to be present on Earth. What? Yes, it was all full of incomprehensible words. Then, why will the people who cannot use Martial arts return to Earth in the first place? Thats impossible. The moment Dharma opened a path to Earth, all the people from Earth in Murim were forced back. Those who still wanted to train their Mugong, those who liked to fight, and those who regards Mugong as their everything. And the ones who had relatives there, had a family, even those who had children and teachers and had built their entire life there. All of them were forced to return to Earth. Honestly, the violent incidents of people from Murim on Earth were due to the Prohibition. If it wasnt for that, they would have stayed calm. When Shin Hye-ji looked confused, Lee Doo-hak continued. Yes, actually, I wanted to come back to Earth. So I was willing to accept gold or anything. Is that so? Well, Im. I was glad to hear that too, at first. As someone from Murim, Im also afraid about what would happen if Mugong accidentally spread to the earthBy the way, Dharma, who created the prohibition was breaking the prohibition himself by teaching Mugong to his daughter and even worked as a Hunter under the pseudonym of Hong Yeop-sa. If Dharma set an example by following the ban, people of Murim would have lived in silence all their lives. However, he broke all the prohibitions he created. Dont make a connection. Dont teach Mugong to others. Dont use Mugong. Ah. Shin Hye-ji bit her lips tightly. All of this happened because of her. It was all because of her his father began to be ostracized by the people of Murim. If only I hadnt gone. If she hadnt asked him to be her father If she had not forced herself to become a hunter even though she had no superpower, all of this wouldnt have happened. As Shin hye-ji drowned herself in self-criticism, Ha Sun-young finally opened her mouth. Then, what will happen now? From now on, we will head to the place where all the people from Murim gather. For the last 3 months, Geom-hee had been steadily spreading news to all people from Murim all across the world. To those who want to kill the public enemy of Murim, they must head to the Himalayas. In the meantime, no one moved because there was not enough evidence. But now, after hearing the news, they began to move. And, I have something else to tell you, which is not about prohibition. Its a story about a man named theSupreme Dharma. Huh? It was a request from Yoo Seodam. Shin Hye-ji was Dharmas daughter as well as his only ally. But she didnt know anything, so what was her crime? Ha Sun-young liked this idea because it followed her code of chivalry. From now on, Ill tell you about what Dharma did to us in the world of Martial arts It will probably be a long story, and youll have to go a long way. The story of Dharma, who had been hiding from Shin hye-ji. The story of a man who stained Murim with blood was now being revealed through Ha Sun-youngs mouth. * * * Now, everyone in the world knew that Hong Yeop-sa was Lee Dong-jun. The camera was still broadcasting Lee Dong-joons face, and for him to see Yoo Seodams relaxed face which was saying Can you attack me? irritated him even more. !!!!! Suddenly, an explosive energy, unseen by the general public, could be felt from everywhere. The distance was at least several kilometers, but nevertheless, Lee Dong-joon could feel it. The people of Murim on Earth were expressing their anger! How come they are so fast? Lee Dong-joon didnt know. For the past three months, Yoo Seodam had met 31 masters through Geom-hees help and leaked the information about Hong Yeop-sa to them. People of Murim were dubious at first, but what could they do when Yoo Seodam presented clear evidence to them? In the end, their pent-up anger would inevitably explode. No matter how strong Supreme Dharma is, it would be too much for him to deal with everyone from Murim at once. No, he could do it, but the current location was not good. Im going to take Hye-ji and hide for a while. Lee Dong-joon, who thought so, tried to find Shin Hye-jis energy around the venue. Where is it? Shin Hye-jis energy could not be felt anywhere in the venue. Lee dong-joon quickly scattered his power in the air and sensed her presence hundreds of meters away from here. Dont tell me Lee Dong-joon glared at Yoo Seodam again. He was planning for this exact moment since the beginning. He recruited Shin Hye-ji to his guild so that he could do whatever he wanted. Lee Dong-joon also did not trust him completely because he was not a fool. He just never thought that Yoo Seodam would be this brave. Lee dong-joon grinded his teeth in frustration. Rumble!! Dark clouds were gathering. This phenomenon was created because of Mugong. Even after including the harsh storms and the violent burning sun, the masters, including the 3 kings and 6 emperors were generously releasing their own energy! No way, are they coming here? He wasnt sure. But wouldnt they definitely come to Korea if they were that angry? Lee Dong-joon began to get nervous. He could deal with all of them. However, unlike the days when he acted recklessly in Murim, now he had something to lose. Shin Hye-ji, his daughter. If he fought against the people of Murim here, his daughter would no longer be able to have a social life. I have to be patient. I should aim for the next opportunity. But, At the least, I need to kill Yoo Seodam. Even if it caused damage to the surrounding terrain, he had to catch Yoo Seodam at all cost. On the other side, Yoo Seodam was still smiling leisurely. It was a mystery whether he was confident oe stupid. His posture was as if he was taunting Lee dong-joon to kill him in front of all the cameras. You fool! Lee dong-joon senses warned him yet again. He couldnt kill Yoo seodam. But the sensation soon disappeared. [A crisis occurs to the protagonist, Lee Dong-joon.] [The effect of the skill Sutra of Buddha Dharma(SSS+) will be reduced due to heavy emotional imbalance.] [Protagonist Lee Dong-joons skill Foresight(SSS) is obscured by blurred eyes.] [Checking the level fluctuation of the main character Lee Dong-joon: 500(-18)] It was a small change. Yoo Seodam still could not beat Lee Dong-joon, who was at the level of 500, even though his level was reduced by 18 levels. But As expected. It was a big hint for Yoo Aeodam. Swoosh!! The moment Dharma swung his hand like a knife. [Emergency-Dimensional Escape protocol is activated.] [Emergency evacuation to the nearest dimensions with more than five times time difference; this action consumes some of your life span. Yoo Seodams astral body disappeared as Lee dong-joon slashed the empty air. After realizing the situation, a lion-like roar burst out of Lee Dong-juns mouth. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It was even more destructive than Sae Cheongryeons Mugong and Hellonys soundwaves ability. -Hey, calm down! Whoo.. Whoo -Dont get angry. Soon, Ill get myself together. Lets think calmly. Even now, the people of Murim are coming in from time to time. now, what should we do? Wed better take care of everything. -Thats not a good judgment. No, this is the only way. -Child.. But this place is not good. There would be no problem if many people attacked, but after removing all of them, Lee Dong-joon had to return to society. Without the people of Murim on Earth, there would be no obstacle in front of him. Nor could Yoo Seodam dare to escape from his eyes. No matter how he escaped, he couldnt run away for the rest of his life. First, he needed to get away from this place and go around looking for the people of Murim one by one to cut their heads. That was Lee Dong-juns plan. He thought so and thought of a place to hide for a while. Seol jungyeon. There was only one place that came to his mind. * * * Huh!! Yekaterina sank into the floor right after she pulled his hands from the painting. The same future was seen twice. In the painting, the concert venue of the Goddess of Pop, Hellony was drawn. Just a few days ago, she saw the same venue was ruined by some disaster. However, if she had prophesied and announced it to the world, she could have prevented it. Avon!! There is only one reason why the prophecy reappeared. This prophecy hadnt been revealed to the world. Avon, she didnt disclose this prophecy for some reason. But, uh, the disaster has stopped. Fortunately, in the future that Yekaterina saw this time, the catastrophe hadnt even started. Yoo Seodam. That man had appeared yet again and changed the outcome of the disaster. The question of how was not important. But it was important to note that Avons judgment could have caused another disaster. It has been like this for a long time. Even when she warned Avon there would be a terrible disaster, Avon would cover a few of the prophecies and only reveal some of it to the world. One day, when she asked why did she do that, Yekaterina heard this answer. Cause its good for me. There is a competitors headquarters there, there are countries that have been protesting these days, or there is a guild that I dont like. Because of such nonsense reasoning, she covered up Yekaterinas prophecy. I dont want to do this anymore. What was the use of seeing a prophecy when she had no power to stop it. She rather gave up the ability of seeing the future in exchange for the ability to use magic. If only I could use magic like the other wizards in Morian Guild. The moment she thought about that. Boom!! Boom!! The sound of footsteps rung across the art museum. Yekaterinas hands shook as she raised her head, she realized that she had seen the prophecy for too long. Oh, no. The monster is coming! The Art museum was a world inside her dreams. But there was something living there aside from herself. Yekaterina slowly moved her eyes to the end of the corridor. Then, their eyes met each other. It was a monster with 3 meters height. Its skin was charred black as if it was burned. The water drops fell from its body as if it had just come out from water, and its eyes were transparent. Crack!! The cracking sounds of tearing skin filled the hallway as the monster opened its lips. Ah.Ah!!! The monster was closer than ever, it kept moving closer and closer. Keaaak!! The monster bent its eyes in half moon shape as if smiling, and suddenly it leapt with its one leg towards Yekaterina. Boom!!! Boom!!! You have to wake up from your dreams! Yekaterina wrapped her head under her arms, but it was not easy to wake up from a dream. Her heart shook violently, and her hands and feet also trembled uncontrollably. Boom!!! Boom!! No! No! Wake up from your dreams! Please! But She couldnt wake up from her dream. Then suddenly, Swishh!! Boom!! Someone popped out from the other side of the corridor, closed the door in front of Yekaterina and plopped down. Wow damn!! Im so surprised. What in the world was that? ..Huh? Yekaterina knew this man. A man with black hair and white eyes. Yoo.. Seodam? Huh? The very man she had just seen in the prophecy, was now in her dream. Chapter 74: I have nightmare everyday (2) [Using Emergency Escape Protocol]. As soon as Dharma tried to knock down my neck with his weapon, the world changed. I could feel a throbbing sensation in my body. Ugh! The recoil from crossing dimensions without even 10 seconds of preparation was quite large, I could feel a throbbing sensation in my head [Emergency Escape Protocol was used] [30 days of lifeforce will be consumed.] [Moved to a dimension with more than 5 times time difference.] [10 days of lifeforce will be consumed in exchange for adding these conditions.] [You have moved to a dimension without a protagonist or has a 90% chance of successful hunting.] [30 days of life will be consumed in exchange for adding these conditions.] In total, 70 days of my lifeforce was consumed. Thats because they risked conditions for emergency escape. But what could I do? It would be better to move to a dimension level with a 90% success rate or a dimension without a protagonist so that I could come back quickly. Nevertheless, in exchange for my life force, Ive found out Dharmas last weakness in his life. I would get 70 days worth of life force easily if I successfully hunted Dharma. And if I could escape the danger of dying with just two months worth of life force, what a good bargain. I wish I could use an emergency escape anytime. Why? To sum it up, you cant use it because youre tired. At first, the system appeared to be a divine being. No, in fact it was indeed a divine being. However, it was silent for a while when he was given the right to freely choose skills after hunting Lee Yeon-jun, or shortly after hunting Arash. If the system were a human being, it would have been asleep. This meant that the system also needed to recover for a while once it used excessive force. The more he saw it, the more he wondered about his system, but he didnt ask anything. By the way, where are we? As I looked around, I realized that I was within a structure that was painted in all white. As usual, there was no explanation saying, At what level are you? so I dont know where I am or what Im doing. The system had also disappeared, saying that it needed time to figure out where the dimension was. But there wont be any main characters, will there? As far as I know, there was no dimension with a hunting success rate of more than 90%. If there were any, wouldnt you have chosen that kind of place in the first place? No matter how high it is, the success rate was only about 50%. In other words, there was a high probability that the main character did not exist in this dimension. Two days. In two days, I have to go back to Earth, or to be specific to Himalaya. There was no problem heading to the Himalaya. Another effect of the emergency escape sequence was that I could choose my return location by paying with lifeforce according to distance when returning to Earth. I was going to pay extra lifeforce and move straight to the Himalaya. However, getting out of here was the problem. When hunting a protagonist, one can use all the probabilities that have been absorbed by the protagonist to make a dimension shift without any problems. However, it was impossible to absorb the probability without the main characters. Also, it was impossible to bring probability from somewhere else because I am not the main character,. First of all, we need to find out about this place. It was my first time doing this without the help of the system. The tension I felt within my body was the same as when I fell into the tournament and had to hunt the protagonist for the first time. Is this an art museum? As I glanced around while clutching the handle of the ether blade, I saw many kinds of frames hanging on the wall. Inside the frame, the canvases were all white without any pictures or photos, and when I put my palm on it, a warning message suddenly came up. [Skill Library of the white witch(E) will be activated.] [You do not have access to the picture, you cannot verify it.] What!? What is this? So, this frame was also a magical thing? I remembered the word access only appeared when I approached a higher rank library. But what is this now? Then, the system message of the protagonist hunter appeared. [Checking out the Protagonist Yekaterinas Nightmare Art Museum(URS) skill.] Crazy!! URS Rank? Is this rank that common? Even the skill to turn back time like an infinite loop was a URS rank. I thought that URS rank skill would have an effect similar to creating a world, but why did this museum rank so high? [Skill Library of the white witch(E) has been activated.] [It has been confirmed that this place is an imaginary world related to the Witchs Prophecy.] What? Prophecy? Im getting more and more worked up. I cant believe the place of URS Ranks skill is related to prophecy. But you cant see anything, can you? [You do not have access] I touched the frame while looking at the emerging message, and I felt a sense of incompatibility. Hold on.. Did you just say Protagonist? The dimension where I landed with an emergency escape was a world where I could hunt the protagonist with more than 90% chance. In my memory, there was no such world, so I would have moved to a world without a protagonist. However, if a protagonist exists.. Dung dung!! Dung dung dung!! Dung Dung!! Then, there was a sound of something bouncing on the floor from the far side of the hall. I quickly turned alert and looked towards the sound. There, A bizarre-looking woman with a huge face and one leg with burnt skin all over her body was approaching me quickly. And the hashtag that was on her head was I_have_a_nightmare_every_day #Fear #Thriller #Mystery #Nightmare #Despair [Protagonist Yekaterina] [Lv. 519] I tilted my head and turned it toward the creature. The creature made an eye contact with me. 519!?!? The moment I blinked at the thought of seeing something wrong. Dung Dung Dung!!! Dung Dung!! It began to run towards me at a speed faster than the speed of sound! Didnt you say the success rate was 90%? I didnt have to look back. This was a fight that could never be won. Fortunately, there was a white door right in front of him, and when he jumped there and closed the door with a board and locked the door, the protagonist no longer followed him. OH MY GOD, Im so surprised! What in the world is that? You said you were the main character. Hasnt the protagonist always been blessed with all probability? Whatever you do, youll succeed, youll achieve victory. Hes the kind of person who eats cliche. Oh, is that so? Indeed, there are many genres in the world, and I thought it might be possible to have a protagonist from a horror movie. Yoo Seodam? Huh? Swiish! When I heard a womans voice from behind my back, I quickly turned and pointed the Ether Blade towards her direction. There, a small woman wearing thin white clothes was sitting down. She had white hair, and transparent eyes that seemed to have no vision. I was surprised by her mysterious beauty for a moment. Kugugugung!! But then, the creature stormed the door and when that crazy prick popped in, I hurriedly put her on my side and flew forward. Crazy! Hey, pot! Do something! -Im just a snail~~ You worthless spirit! Get to work! I took out all the grenades I had inside my inventory and threw it to the floor. With her magic, the pot rearranged the grenades all over the place. The first few explosives directly hit the creature, but soon the flowerpot changed the target of the bomb and exploded the floor or wall of the art museum. The decision was made to disturb the creatures way. It was a very wise decision, but the moment I thought I couldnt do damage properly. Kiehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Suddenly, the monster screamed and stopped chasing. Oh, oh, oh? But there seemed to be no damage at all? So, I quickly scanned the monster, but no matter where I looked, I couldnt find any wounds. This, really? Just in case, when I rolled all the bombs into one place, the grenades exploded and made a crater in the floor. Soon after, the monster began to roar as if it were more painful than earlier damage. If the museum is damaged, the monster will also be damaged? A ray of light passing through my head! After taking all the bombs out of the inventory and throwing them everywhere, I went rampage with a mega shooter. Hahaha! You ugly monster! Go to hell! Perhaps because of the concentration of saturation on the floor, the monster crashed into the hollow floor, and I reached out to the inventory to throw some bombs at it again. But at that moment. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It hurts! Stop it! The woman who was hanging on my side screamed as if she was going to be torn. When I looked at her hurriedly, I saw a lot of tears around her eyes. No, why are you, uh? Then, a hashtag floating on her head comes into my view. I_have_nightmares_every_day #Fear #Thriller #Mystery #Nightmare #Despair [Protagonist Yekaterina] [Lv. 6] The same tag I saw on that monster existed on the woman in front of me. What is this all about? There are two protagonists? But as far as I knew, when there were more than one protagonist in the same world, the world entered the epilogue phase. What? I checked the name and level again. Even though they both had the same name, the level of the woman before me was strangely low. She was so weak, she wasnt even at the level of an average person. No. There was one more question other than that. You, how do you know my name? Shes only level Six, but I could never let my guard down. Because I had also hunted many high-level characters with low-level bodies. She grabbed her throbbing head and wept, then slowly came down to the floor. The lower floor was a very wide space, the screams of the monster couldnt be heard anymore. The woman named Yekaterina slowly took a deep breath and looked up at me. I have no choice but to know. Ive seen you. What? Its your first time seeing me. No, its your first time seeing me. What are you talking about? She staggered up from her seat and slowly reached out to me. I tried to point at Ether Blade because I was wondering if he was trying to attack, but Yekaterina stumbled and reached out in a strangely defenseless manner, but my mind was confused because she seemed to be asking for help. Yoo seodam, Hunter Yoo seodam, Ive really wanted to meet you. Who the hell are you? I am the only prophet on earth, Yekaterina. What? Only then did I remember the name Yekaterina. Wasnt this the kind of name that was commonly used in Russia? It was so pretty and cute that it was a popular name. Yekaterina. Are you, uh, an earthling? Thats right. You speak like youre not. I am also an earthling, but No way, so this is Earth? Before I knew it, Yekaterina reached out her hand and stroked my cheek. It was a careful touch, as if she wanted to check if I was real or not. No, this place is inside my dream so I want to ask. How did you get here? Uh So, I was just passing by. Passing by? So, do you know how to get in and out of here? I know, why? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! When my words fell, Yekaterina held my hand in her white skinny arms and shouted desperately. Well, then get me out of here! Please, please! I dont want to stay here anymore! That monster is trying to kill me! However, her words sounded very strange to me. If youre talking about the monster just now, thats you in the future, isnt it? Why did her future self try to hurt her past self? Chapter 75: I have nightmare everyday (3) However, the condition of sleep was a problem itself. Will she never wake up again But, that wasnt the end. The witch of the past will eventually die and become the witch of the future. Then shell seek for the witch of the past to regain her body. And the witch of the past will become the witch of the future in due time after she dies while running away all her life. It will be repeated countless times. That is the never-ending end of this world. Death is not a way out. There was no way for the Yekaterina to get out of here. ..is that true? Yekaterina asked me with trembling eyes. She was frightened, She couldnt believe that that terrible and frightening monster would be her future. Her body was shaking like a leaf blown by the wind, she looked very pitiful. I havent hunted the protagonist for a long time, but she was the most unusual character among them. She doesnt have to be hunted. W-What should I do now? It was her fate to wander around this museum for eternity. It was impossible to even die in this dream world. I couldnt physically kill Yekaterina either. Even if I shot her in the head a hundred times with my gun, she would eventually wake up and go back to this place once she fell asleep. Ummm In fact, there was no need to think hard to help Yekaterina here. She was the protagonist of this world in the first place, nothing could go wrong if I decided to kill her here. But was there any merit in hunting a level 6 protagonist? It would be better to hunt the level 500 Yekaterina from the future. But it was impossible to catch that monstrous future witch. In the end, my only choice was to spend some of my lifespan and run away from the Nightmare Art Museum. ..by the way its a shame that Yekaterina is the only prophet on Earth. The prophet, Yekaterina, belonged to the Morian guild. It was such a huge guild that everyone in the world knew about it. It was natural for them to have the only prophet of earth. If he stopped the cycle of nightmare here and saved Yekaterina, wouldnt the Morian guild give him something in exchange? How high are you in the Morian Guild? An executive? a senior officer? Or a VIP? She was a prophet, so I thought she must be treated very well. .No. Im just being treated as a vending machine in the guild. What? Since I awakened the power of prophecy at the age of fourteen, I have never taken a step outside. The amulets they set around me are a prison in the name of protective shields, and there are countless female hunters watching me. Seriously? They treat a prophet like that? ..Yes. She clenched her fist in frustration. If I could use magic just like her Magic? It was a word that I didnt expect to hear from someone from earth. And then, a message from the system popped up. .So thats why. The White Witchs Library is also one of the witches mental worlds. This Nightmare Art Museum, too, would have been the mental world created by the witch. So we are stuck here because of the condition of the closest dimension. Oh, wait. Both dimensions are linked? You brought me here because I have a 90% chance of hunting the protagonist, right? I swallowed my saliva and looked up. Calling the Library of White Witch. Then, as usual, the gate of the library of the White Witch appeared in front of me. It was just like usual, but it was usually only a part of my mental world, while invisible to others. Huh. Huh? As if she could see the White Witchs library I opened, Yekaterina was surprised. What the hell is this door? Its our escape. Yes? However, the gate was the manifestation of my own mental world. Could Yekaterina enter this place? I asked her a question because I was not sure. Touch the door. Hmm. Its soft. Yekaterina can touch my white witchs library. As soon as I confirmed that, I opened the door and exposed the inside. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Seeing the mysterious space, Yekaterina walked towards it while exclaming. Yekaterina. Thats the way out. What? Here? She entered the library and smelled the scent of the book. It seemed to feel darker today. Yekaterina looked around the library with her mouth wide open, and she seemed to rush somewhere right away, but there was something she had to deal with before that. Yekaterina. If you close this door, you wont be able to go back to this Museum. .Ah! And, perhaps, you will lose your prophetic ability. Your ability to do everything. Thats right. Even now, I could tell because my client was constantly sending messages. The ability to see a clear future In exchange for being trapped inside a never-ending Nightmare in the Art Museum. However, if she ran away from the museum, she would lose all her ability as a protagonist, or in her case, her prophetic ability. Was Yekaterina okay with that? Thats why I asked her another question. I-IIts what Ive been hoping for all my life. Since her first awakening at the age of fourteen, she had been a prophecy vending machine. She lived a life that was only good to draw out just predictions. But I dont want to live that kind of life anymore. She said as she looked straight at me with eyes as clear as glass beads. Ive been unhappy ever since I got this prophetic ability and got to see the past and the future. But if I could open my eyes and see the present, Im confident Id even dedicate my soul to it. Yes, yes, yes but. Anything wrong? Perhaps the reason she said, Im confident Ill even dedicate my soul, was to express her will. You really have to offer your soul. Yes? I explained again when Yekaterina was visibly embarrassed. The art museum was your imaginary world, and I was in your imaginary world. But this place is my imaginary world. In other words, youve come into my mind. Yes, yes. If you run away from the gallery and get stuck in my library, it means your soul will forever be trapped inside my mind. Yes, she doesnt even know who I am. Can she leave herself to it? I said with my palm slightly on the door of the library. From the moment I close this door, you will definitely enter my world if you fall asleep. If I want, I can lock the door of the library tightly so you wont wake up, or I can torture you in my space. In other words, it means that you are bound to me. But are you confident that you will give up the power of prophecy and devote your soul to me? However, Yekaterina seems like she didnt have such worry in the first place. I dont care if youre the devil and this world is hell. I was already in hell every single day here. Is there anything worse than that? Step, Step. Yekaterina approached the door and closed it herself. She turned her head, looked up at me and smiled brightly. Now, I wont have nightmares anymore. [The soul of the main character Yekaterina has been added to your skill The Library of the White Witch (E).] [You have successfully hunted a level 6 protagonist.] [By hunting the main character in a very special way, your level is raised by one.] [60 days of life will be paid.] [Your current life span: 4697 days, 14 hours, 28 minutes] [The main character is not dead. You cannot absorb talent and skills.] How can she act so resolutely? If my life were at stake, I would have stayed up all night and spent days worrying about it. She has a determination and courage that I will never have. She had many things that I didnt have. She smiled and strode into the library. You live in a nice place. Can I take a look around? Then, as she walked around the library with much lighter steps, she suddenly picked up a book and lifted it up. But soon after, she was shocked. Huh!?!? Is this a magic book? Thats right. Its a magic book. No way! Everything here is.? Yes, everything. As she looked around the huge library with her mouth wide open, she soon buried her head in the book she picked. Then she looked through the book and said in a puzzled voice. That doesnt make sense. Its not comparable to any magic book Ive seen secretly in the library. Come to think of it, the sisters use magic on Earth. It has not yet been revealed in the world, but I thought it was probably because I was not qualified to handle the power when it was fully revealed to the public like me. Was the artifact I saw the other day also from Morian Guild? It reminds me of Aaron who had as many as seven artifacts made by the same person. Although the level of magic was terrible, the fact that I could see artifacts on Earth was quite amazing. I could find the origin of the magic sooner than I thought. This one, this one, maybe with this I can escape the reality. Yekaterina looked up at me with trembling eyes. May I read the magic book here, please? Uh, my sisters told me I shouldnt read it carelessly. No problem. Youll be in and out of here for the rest of your life anyway, and youll be reading it all out of boredom. The spirit of the Yekaterina belongs to me, so there was no fear of the secret of magic being leaked. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. She dropped her head at my permission. Does she enjoy the joy of being thrilled? I was wondering, what was this? Flame! Oh, oh, oh? A red magic pearl appeared above her head and began to burn. Yekaterina completed a magic spell in a short time! I-Its magic! Its magic! Sir! I used magic! I was more surprised by how surprised she was after using low level magic. Is it really okay for a magic race such as witches to be surprised by this level of magic? But now, with her prophetic ability gone. Her magical talent, which is more overwhelming and violent than anyone else, is exploding! After that, she sat on the floor forgetting that I was even there and began to read the magic book out of her mind. After watching it for a long time, I looked into the air. Lets go back. [Returns to the original world by achieving the goal.] The world began to crumble. [The return location can be changed arbitrarily immediately after the emergency escape sequence has been used.] The Himalaya,where Cheonma Seol Jungyeon is. [An additional 30 days of life will be deducted.] Sure. I finished the protagonist in this world neatly. Now, Im going to go finish up the protagonist of the modern time. Chapter 76: Turns out my dad was Murim public enemy (1) Only a day had passed since Hellonys concert. Lee dong-joon appeared in the middle of Himalayas mountain range. In this mountain that was filled with monsters strong enough to survive the extreme climate which humans could not even bear, Lee Dong-joon only wore a black martial arts uniform. Of course, it was by no means an ordinary Martial arts uniform. It was called Gyoryeongbok (), a martial arts uniform made from the scales of dragon. This special uniform would allow its wearer to feel comfortable in any sort of temperature. His black eyes grimly gazed at his surroundings. This time, his journey wasnt as easy as usual thanks to numerous Murim warriors and the people from earth who had decided to pay attention to the Murim people after realizing their strange movements. Earths surveillance technology was far superior compared to those of Murim, and it would be difficult for them to completely hide their traces in case Earths people decided to find them earnestly. Didnt Lee Dong-joon go back and forth from Korea to the Himalaya often? Well, it was only possible for him to come to this place without having to fight anything or being exposed to the camera because he was Lee Dong-joon. He was a master who had already reached the realms of Shinhwa. As he stepped into the mountain range raging with blizzard, Lee Dong-joon started reminiscing about his past. It was a memory from a distant past. A memory of the time when he took over Dharmas body and inherited Dharmas will to preach justice all over Murim. This is a rotten world where everyone has lost their righteousness.They are only fighting each other without thinking about peoples well-being. Blood is spilling, lands are trampled.. Who will show this world the true meaning of righteousness? There was a time when he was obsessed with justice. The martial arts he inherited from Dharma was powerful, he thought he could cleanse the chaotic Murim from all kinds of corruption. So he decided to take his sword and swept Murim in order to enact justice. However, the problem was, he shed too much blood. At first, it was Lee Dong-joon himself who forbade killing according to Dharmas will, but after he realized that those he had saved came back to him for a revenge, he started to kill anyone who could become the seeds of evil. Dharma advised. -Prohibit killing. He did not listen. -The dead do not shed blood, so how could they shed tears even when they died? He did not listen. -The mind is the bridle that binds you, and your own greatest enemy. Give up your life. He did not listen. Lee Dong-joon continued his massacre. He believed that if all evil was killed, Murim would soon become a peaceful place. So, he killed those who did anything evil and those who were showing signs of becoming evil. When 10,000 lives were killed just like that, only emptiness was left inside Lee Dong-joons heart. -So, has the world become a good place? When we think of good, it is good karma, and when we think of evil, it is bad karma. -A fool wants to end anguish and obtain Nirvana, but because of his obsession to end anguish, he cannot obtain Nirvana. You are obsessed with justice, so you can no longer look at justice. The defilement is not real. Im no longer obsessed with justice. I am Justice myself. He killed the head of a family with dozens of pillagers in his family. He didnt care about a wicked family. He killed a crying child. Because he was stealing together with his father. He killed a mother who had a child. Because her husband was a murderer, and she kept her mouth shut despite knowing his sin. Some died with honor, and others died with dignity. Death was no longer new to him. He simply continued killing. He killed again and again. He killed everything. And then, the moment he thought he had almost eradicated all evil in Murim He met her. .Its sad. The fact that my dream was so vain. She was Seol Jungyeon who was also known as Cheonma. She was the leader of a group that led many Evil called Cheonma Sect. It was also a source of evil that might soon befall upon Murim. Seol Jungyeon could not stay composed in front of her impending death. However, she was ready to die with honor. If I knew I would die like this, it would have been better to die buried under the snow that day. This was because she had no reason to live any longer. Everything she knew had crumbled and become dust. Now, after killing her, Lee Dong-joon would complete his endeavor. All evil in this world would be punished, and that meant a good clean world was waiting for him after that. However, Why? Looking at tears dripping from Seol Jungyeon pink eyes, Lee dong-joon couldnt lift his sword. Seol Jungyeon, she was stronger and wiser than anyone he had ever met. In addition, her pink eyes reminded him of a lotus flower blooming in the middle of a snowfield. They were a beautiful pair of eyes that could shake his Heart Sutra. He fell in love at first sight. -Oh, what a tragedy. The Supreme Dharma hesitated. Supre dharma, who lived to annihilate all evil, fell in love with the wickedest woman whom he had met at the very end of his journey. The world would laugh and lament you! Once upon time, he was confident that nothing could shake his heart. After being reborn as Dharma, his heart was harder than Geumgangseok, nothing could faze him anymore. But, Throb! Seol Jungyeons eyes melted Dharmas heart. Why didnt he know? About the hearts of countless people who died for their loved ones. Why didnt he know? The fact that love was painful. -Was that your choice? I cant do it. -The moment you save her, you will defile the souls of those whom you killed in pursuit of your so-called justice. I know, but still I cant kill her. -If you do this, you will never be able to raise your head in front of those who you killed in the name of justice! However, he had already made his decision. The dead dont have blood nor soul, so how can I bow my head in front of them. In the end, he decided to save Seol Jungyeon. Of course, it wasnt easy. Evil circulated through the world and polluted the world once again. The Murim was once again brought into evil, and they wanted Cheonma and Dharma to disappear from the world. Lets go back to Earth. For that reason, Dharma decided to return to Earth and put a ban on the people who returned from the Murim. But Seol Jungyeon refused. After forcibly digging me out of the tomb of a broken dream, now you are trying to insult my last honor. You are still alive, you can do anything with that life. Come to Earth with me. My breath is indeed still here, but my soul has long been torn to pieces. Can you call this being alive? Seol Jungyeon kept trying to end her own life, and eventually Lee dong-joon was forced to destroy her inner qi and had to take measures to stop her from harming herself. And so he locked her in the Himalayas. Whenever he saw her eyes which were filled with nothing but resentment, his heart ached. If she asked for it, he was confident that he could bring the entire world and lay it on her feet. However, she wanted nothing. There is only one thing I want! I want you to stop breathing before my eyes. She was unable to break out from her despair even after four years of returning to earth. Cheonma had become increasingly devastated. It wasnt like there was nothing she asked during that period. Sometimes she asked to be killed, and sometimes she begged Dharma to allow her to use her power. However, he refused all of it. Not only would he not kill her, in order to go outside, Cheonma had to make an oath to him. If you become my girl, I will take you out. It wasnt easy. Seol Jungyeons attitude, which was only cold, did not even show any signs of change. However, Her attitude started to change little by little. I want to eat a bright red cherry today. Is there a horseshoe bird on Earth? I cant remember. It would be nice if I could see it again. I want a horn of Chilgaksu. I want to have a pretty Martial arts uniform. A type of mens uniform that suits anyone who wears it. What made her change her attitude? The reason was still unknown, but a smile was gradually blooming on Seol Jungyeon. It was the first smile he had ever seen on her, and it was more beautiful than anything else in the world. He was happy because she smiled. So Lee Dong-joon ran again and again in order to get what she wanted. He took the risk of being exposed to the association into account, he worked in the shadows using an alias of Hongyeopsa. Thanks to that, his abilities were revealed to the public, but fortunately, his identity was not revealed. Yoo Seodam. if it wasnt for him. Happy days would be waiting for him. Together with Seol Jungyeon and his adopted daughter, Shin Hye-ji, they would have had an ordinary but happy future. However, everything collapsed. Its okay though. I only need her to look at me. Even if everyone in the world turned away from him, he would be satisfied as long as his loved one took care of him. Maybe that alone could be called the definition of happiness. While thinking like that, he almost reached the hut where Cheonma lived. Kugung!! Lee Dong-joon stopped his steps at the noise coming from somewhere. Immediately after. He could feel the trace of his Ban vibrate all over the place. And then the snow stopped. Whats happening? It snowed everyday here in Himalaya. It was because of the SSS-ranked monster, Bingbaek Snow who came to reality due to the Dungeon manifestation decades ago. With Lee Dong-joons power, it was possible to restore the climate of the mountain range to its original state by killing it, but he did not do it. Because the existence of Bingbaek Snow was like a prison for Cheonma Kurreung, Kurreung A dark cloud with thunder and lightning was coming. Still, it didnt snow. No way, Did someone kill the Bingbaek Snow? At the moment when he had such doubts, Lee Dong-joon frowned at the pressure of the air around him. Dozens or even hundred warriors of Murim had gathered here! ..how? No warrior from Murim could ever chase Lee Dong-joon. Even modern science couldnt catch him. What the hell, what is happening! As soon as he pulled out his sword, hundreds of human figures appeared from all sides. They were all a familiar face for him. Because it was he himself who had drawn the ban on them. The ban vibrated. Only then, Lee Dong-joon realized the situation and frowned. Dharma! Since the Murim Alliance unanimously announced that you are Murim public enemy, accept your death silently. Geom-hee, Ha Sun-young stood at the very front and spoke out. She stared at Lee Dong-joon with a stiff face. Subsequently, the Murim people started to shout one by one. Dharma! Do you remember that you cut off the arms of my seventh son for stealing and threw it into a pile of garbage? I, the party leader of the Sacheondangmun, came to this place to avenge my son! Dharma, after destroying my family, do you remember cutting their heads and leaving it in the middle of Jungwon? I really want to ask you. were their sins so heavy that you had to go to that and punish them so cruelly? Dharma, you dog-like bast*rd! Ive been working hard on a construction site after you sealed my Mugong. But you are playing hero! The sky and the earth can be my witness, I am not ashamed! Supreme Dharma! Dharma! Dharma! One by one, they began to spit out their grudges towards Dharma. It was an endless barrage of resentment. And Dharma, who had no choice but to receive the resentment of hundreds of Murim warriors, looked at them with a cold face. Is it like this in the end? In the midst of a barrage of resentment from everyone that hated him, Lee Dong-joon felt a certain emotion well inside him. It was loneliness. He devoted his life to bring justice, but in the end, the only thing he received was resentment. Its futile. For what purpose was his justice for? What had he been fighting for? Why did they burst out of anger just because they did not understand his justice and could not overcome their anger? If they opened their eyes a little wider and focused on the bigger picture, they would be able to see a better and cleaner world! But still, its okay I only need one woman to understand me. Lee dong-joon gazed at the hut in the distance. Creaaak! The door of the hut opened, and Seol Jungyeon stepped out with her brilliant platinum hair. Cheonma, Seol Jungyeon. His one and only woman. She stepped out from her hut with a graceful gait. Unlike her usual appearance, she wore neat plain clothes that she had never shown to anyone. There was a hint of pink that blended in her platinum hair. It was a dress that matched the name Seol Jungyeon rather than Supreme Cheonma. She slowly raised her head and made eye contact with Lee Dong-joon. However, something was strange. .Seol Jungyeon?? Her eyes were extremely cold. She stared at him with the same expression as the Murim people around him. Seol Jungyeon looked at him while thinking about something else. Then, she turned around with a faint smile and gestured toward the hut. Then, from the inside of the hut Yoo Seodam walked out. He was wearing a Chinese-style black and white martial arts uniform. Lee Dong-joons eyes trembled in shock. The martial arts uniform that Yoo Seodam wore, wasnt that the same uniform that Lee dong-joon had gifted Cheonma? But what was more shocking to him was their actions afterward. Yoo Seodam stepped on the snow as he walked towards Seol Jungyeon. Then, he carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, it was as if they were old lovers. What!? Thump! Lee dong-joons heart was beating frantically. What am I looking at right now? He couldnt understand it. He couldnt accept reality. Thump, thump. -Child, calm down! [Protagonists composure is extremely disturbed.] [The effect of the skill Heart sutra(SSS) decreases!] [His emotions are shaking!] [The effect of the skill Dharma Sutra(SSS+) decreases!] -Keep your composure! Thump! Thump!! -Otherwise, the Dharma Sutra! Somehow, Dharma inside his head tried to calm Lee Dong-joon down, but such efforts were futile when Cheonma opened her pale pink lips. Im sorry, Dharma. What are you sorry for? Seol Jungyeon gave Dharma the answer with action rather than words. She stretched out her hand towards Yoo Seodams cheeks and smiled. Dharma had never seen it before. She had never shown him such a face that was filled with happiness. Then, she kissed him. Hah Its really good. Then she parted her lips and exhaled a hot sigh. She slowly turned her head towards Dharma with both of her arms still wrapped around Yoo Seodams neck. With a voice as beautiful as a lotus she declared, I love this man, and I pledged to be with him for the rest of my life. Crack!! Her declaration broke something inside Dharma. Chapter 77: Turns out my dad was Murim public enemy(2) In order to learn the Heart Sutra, Lee Dong-joon had to abandon all the sins forbidden in the teachings. And, he pretty much successfully gave up most of his sins. Until yesterday, when an unexpected accident happened at Hellonys concert. Yoo Seodam, a mere low-level hunter, dared to anger him and drove him into the corner. He was also jealous of Yoo Seodam because he was now holding the woman he loved in his arms. He was certain that even if all the warriors of Murim on Earth started to be hostile towards him, he would be able to fight and win with his own strength. Ahhhhhh!! [Protagonist Lee Dong-joon uses the skill Lion Roar(S).] In front of his anger, the snow around him burst, revealing the bare ground of the Himalaya, which had not been revealed for a long time. Right now, all he wanted was to smash Yoo Seodams head to pieces. He would cut his tongue off so he would never play such wicked tricks ever again. He would cut off the lips that dared to meet Seol Jung-yeons lips, pull out the eyes that dared to look at him, and rip apart those dirty hands that dared to touch her waist! However, he knew that all warriors of Murim that were present here wouldnt let him do it. Kurreung, Kwaaang!! A spear fell from the sky. And the Ahe hammer, known to be the hardest of all in the world, was swung to burst Lee Dong-juns head, and lastly the most beautiful whip ever made twisted like a snake to break Lee Dong-joons bones. 3 kings, 6 emperors and three hundred masters. Their inner qi exploded, staining the Himalayas with disaster. Mountains collapsed, holes pierced in the sky, clouds settled, and the earth rose. Someone who saw this scene from afar might even say that it was a beautiful disaster. However, for Lee Dong-joon, he had no time to appreciate the scene. His gaze was fixed solely on Yoo Seodam. However, the only thing he looked at was unapproachable. It means that everything is wrong-!! Lee Dong-joon yelled and burst the air, but he failed to kill even a single Warrior of Murim around him. It was strange. Originally, they would have died like a worm just by a simple gesture from him. He was the only master in Murim who entered the realm of Shinhwa-kyung, the difference between him and them was obvious. However, strangely enough, every single one of them was still standing. -Do you really think so? Pardon? [Protagonists Five emotions of sin have risen.] [The effect of the skill Heart sutra(SSS) has been removed!] [Protagonists emotions are shaking violently!] [The effect of the skill Dharma Sutra(SSS+) is greatly reduced!] [Skill Prediction(SSS) was obscured by his narrow sight.] [The effect of the skill Steel Heart(S) has been removed!] [The effect of skill Emergency Wings (S) has been removed!] [Skill.] [Confirmation of protagonist Lee Dong-joons level change: 500 (-127)] It was only his own misunderstanding, they didnt get stronger. has my body become heavier? He couldnt feel what he could have felt before. He couldnt do what he could have done before. It was all because he lost his composure. It was because he cant control his sins. It all happened because the Heart Sutra disappeared, and he could no longer maintain his power as Dharma. Ahhh.! However, even if he knew it, he couldnt do anything to change it. He couldnt get rid of the rising jealousy, anger, as well as the dirty and nasty malice within him. A deep red blood started to dripping from his eyes. It soon started dripping from his nose and his mouth too. -You need to be calm! I cant. -Oh huh, you are finally completely obsessed with sins and messed up your own vessel [Crisis arises for the main character Lee Dong-joon.] -If so, I will finally give you strength. didnt you tell me that you couldnt use your power? -I did. However, even with the little power I have now, it is possible to help you maintain the calmness of your heart. [Protagonist correction is activated.] [Confirmation of protagonist Lee Dong-juns level change: 500(-48)] Kwaaahang!! A surge of inner qi exploded with Lee Dong-joon at its centre. Its power seemed to resemble the clouds, the luscious green mountains, and the flowing clear water, all at the same time. Ugh! Geuk, what is this sudden..? Gosh! The warriors of Murim were forced to take a step back because they could not withstand Lee Dong-joons mighty power. It was impossible to completely restore his old power, but with his current power, it was enough to deal with the warriors of Murim who gathered here. When his gaze, which was filled with jealousy and rage until moments ago disappeared, Lee Dong-joon raised his head and looked around intimidatingly. The warriors from Murim were shaken by the icy-cold glare directed towards them. It was as if Dharma was looking at them like he was looking at a bug that could be crushed any moment. It was as if his presence itself had become an impregnable wall which was as high as Mount Tai! No one could step forward after feeling such pressure. Truly the best under heaven! Who in the world would be able to compete with Supreme Dharma? Everyones presence couldnt help but quake under such pressure, it was such an overwhelming pressure even for warriors of Murim who didnt have the words give up in their dictionary and had appeared in every fight with determination to die. Geom-hee, Ha Sunyoung realized that this moment was that time. Is it really now? She remembered the talk that she had with Yoo Seodam the other day. Ha Sun-young. I think Dharmas power will not be as strong as before. He will be quite vulnerable. Maybe hell be at the level where the warriors from Murim can deal with. I dont know what kind of method you used, but thats good news. But. Yoo Seodam said once again. At some point, Dharma may suddenly regain his power. Or he may suddenly become smarter, or he may have power that he originally didnt have. Does that make any sense? Do you mean hell get an enlightenment during the battle? That thing is only possible in novels. You are right. That common clich is the problem. ..? She couldnt understand Yoo Seodams words but listened to his solution nevertheless. First of all, when Dharma regains his strength, talk to him and repeat what I am saying Are you sure? Would some words really work against Dharma, who is blinded by anger? Its a martial arts clich to talk to the boss in the middle of the final duel rather than fighting. Is that so? She still couldnt figure out what Yoo Seodam was talking about. There was only one important thing. As Yoo Seodam said, supreme dharma suddenly regained his original power. So, this was the correct timing. Listen to me! Oh supreme Dharma! The eyes of warriors of Murim instantly turned towards Ha Sunyoungs high-pitched voice, which seemed to echo across the entire mountain range. Dharma too, controlled his strength and smiled leisurely as he looked at Ha Sun-young. Do you still think your justification is right? Dont you feel anything even after seeing the people of Murim who were hurt by your justice and had no choice but to shed tears? It was inappropriate for Ha Sunyoung, but on the other hand, it was a great line for Geom-hee. Even though she didnt learn how to play the role of lion, her voice contained a great charisma. However, in the end, such charisma was nothing but a single line in front of Protagonists presence. Probably, Dharma will try to prove his justice through dialogue. Because that was the way of a protagonist. All he needed to do was admit it. However, there was one thing that Yoo Seodam didnt expect, it was the fact that Lee Dong-joon had a much more glib tongue than he estimated. After slowly calming the excitement, Lee Dong-joon opened his mouth. You dont understand anything! Dharma Supreme slowly opened his mouth. Because of my justice, the world has become better! Yes, I apologize for the little wounds and tears you had to shed in the process. But I do not intend to take back my justice and I do not regret it. My justice was right in the end, and couldnt you live in a better world because of it? Where is the better world that you speak about? All sinners were punished. In a calm voice, he said so as he looked towards the Warriors of Murim and the victims of his own justice at the same time. I pulled out the eyes and arms of the child who had committed robbery! To make sure he never sinned again. The eyes of people of Murim reddened after they heard those words. I killed a mother who gave birth to a murderer! Beecause, the second child from the same womb can also sin. Some people sobbed at those words. I killed all the corrupt officials who were the cause of famine! I killed the kings and the nobles that caused the war. I found and executed all the sinners who lived even after committing sins! I did not discriminate against people. I simply made a clear distinction between those who sin and those who do not. Lee Dong-joons expression turned calmer and calmer. Since sin originates from people, if no one committed it, sins would soon disappear. I went all over Jungwon to get rid of sin, and the world became cleaner than ever. Do you understand now! This is the world I foresaw, an endlessly wide and endlessly clean world. For that reason, Dharma raised his head and glared towards Yoo Seodam. He aimed his sword at him and tried to finish his speech. Yoo Seodam, you also have to be exe..cute..- However, The Supreme Dharma could not finish his words. Through the old door of the hut from which Yoo Seodam and Seol Jungyeon walked out, he saw a familiar face. Shin Hye-ji? Dad. She was looking at Lee Dong-joon with trembling eyes. Bewilderment was clearly painted on her face. But the coldness on her skin proved that this moment was not a dream, but a reality. So this is the meaning of the words at that time. Yesterday, Yoo Seodam said these words when he met Shin Hye-ji and Ha Sun-young. From now on, you will know the truth about your father. If you dont want to, we wont tell you anything. But, if you want, if you know everything, you will feel extremely hurt. He clearly warned Shin Hye-ji. And if she didnt want it, Yoo Seodam was going to use a different method to destroy the protagonist, Supreme Dharma. There was no reason to hurt someone who had nothing to do with this fight. However, she decided to do it. No, I have to see everything with my own eyes. Thats why she was here now. With a trembling voice, Shin Hye-ji was able to ask Lee Dong-joon her question. Your words just now, were they real? She had already heard the old story of Supreme Dharma through Ha Sun-young and Daniel. The story of the victims who had died in the purge he commited for the sake of his justice. However, she was the daughter of Lee Dong-joon, she was not convinced that the man in their story was really her father. In the end she thought that the person who did such a terrible thing could never be her father. He was poor at expressing his emotions, but he was sweeter than anyone else, and he was a caring father. In the past, there was a time when she dreamed an impossible dream of becoming a hunter while having an ether fit rate of 1%. Shin Hye-ji, who had the worst talent, could never be a hunter and had been told to give up her dreams all her life. However, she couldnt. She witnessed her own biological parents being eaten alive by a monster, thats why she hated monsters, and at the same time, with her conviction to save the weak, she kept trying. Then, she met Lee Dong-joon. They didnt share the same blood, but the man eventually became his father despite her unreasonable demands. He helped her to realize her dream to become a hunter. It wasnt through superpower, but a mystical abilities called martial arts. With this power, you no longer have to let go of your hands and watch weak people die in front of you. She practiced hard every day. It wasnt because she was obsessed with her poor sense of justice. She knew. She knew she couldnt save everyone in this world. Still, if she could save a young child and the elderly in front of her, that would be enough. But. The powers she inherited were actually used to kill the weak, not saving them. Dad, I still trusted you until the end. However.. Calm down Shin Hye-ji! Ill explain everything. I do not like it. I, I am now When Shin Hye-ji stepped back, Lee Dong-joon was flustered. His extended hand only scared Shin Hye-ji even more. She hid herself behind Yoo Seodam in fear. Seeing that, Lee Dong-joons chest sank. Why? Why? He looked around. The warriors of Murim, the 3 kings and 6 Emperors as well as Geom-hee. In addition, the lovely Seol Jungyeon and his one and only precious daughter, Shin hye-ji. Why, why is everyone standing next to Yoo Seodam? He couldnt understand it. He lived half of his life for the sake of justice. But, why were they gathered towards someone who acted only for the profit in front of them? No. Its okay, even if everyone in the world denied him Shin Hye-ji, believe me, You, you should understand my justice, right? As much as I knew you, you also know me the best right? Dad.. Shin hye-ji opened her mouth. Lee Dong-joon looked at her desperately, trying to grasp his last hope. Thats not justice. It was more like a monster that only has faith? His reason for living had been denied by his most precious someone [The skill Heart sutra(SSS) has completely disappeared due to negative emotions.] [Confirmation of protagonist Lee Dong-juns level change: 500 (-150)] Knowing that his strength had weakened, the masters rushed from everywhere, but Lee Dong-joon did not even resist. No, to be exact, he couldnt resist. Chapter 78: Turns out my dad was Murim public enemy(3) Yoo Seodam looked at Lee Dong-joon and thought that Shin Hye-jis appearance was much more effective than he initially thought. In the fierce fight that ensued, Lee Dong-joon was struggling without even being able to show his strength. The wounds on his body kept piling on and his legendary Martial arts uniform, Gyeoryeongbok was torn apart. Stab!!! Something hot and something cold pierced Lee Dong-joons back at the same time. It was a dagger covered in poison, a dragon-shaped spear, and an axe that was rumored to have been forged from a thousand-year tree. Those 3 weapons took turns stabbing through Lee Dong joon. It was an ugly and miserable fight, not worthy of the name the last battle of the strongest under heavens. His decreased level proved to have a big and decisive effect. In fact, even if Lee Dong-joon admitted his guilt, Shin Hye-ji would still appear and break the protagonist correction. Then, shaken by her reaction, Lee Dong-joon would lose a whopping 150 levels. In the process, some of his skills would either disappear or become weaker, and that clearly changed his whole spec. Probably, some warriors of Murim who gathered at this place, including Ha Sun-young, had a combat power of around level 300. In a fight where even the hidden power of Dharma, the protagonist correction, had already been used, Lee Dong-joon did not have any more fighting power left within him. Stab!! Then, Ha Sun-youngs swords penetrated Supreme Dharmas chest. Right after that, silence enveloped the once noisy Himalaya. It was a very quiet death for someone who was hailed as the strongest, for someone who once commanded the world. No one grieved his death. But, no one was pleased with his death either. Because all warriors of Murim knew how miserable a lonely death in a cold, windy, snow was. Thus, everyone was silent in front of the death of the one who once shook the world with his wrong justice. Amidst the silence, Shin Hye-ji quietly burst into tears. Yoo Seodam couldnt bring himself to comfort her. She said it was her own decision to appear there. Anyway, it was not an exaggeration to say that she was the one who drove Lee Dong-joon to his death. And then, [You have successfully hunted a level 500 protagonist.] And after the message appeared. Eughhhh! Yoo Seodam groaned as a wave of pain suddenly swept through his body. He could feel his bones twisted, his skin crack, and all the sudden changes that took place within his body! Whats wrong with you? Are you okay? ! Seol Jungyeon asked, while Shin Hye-ji tried to help him while she was still shedding tears. But, he couldnt do anything, even his voice refused to get out because of the pain that seemed to burn his whole body. Ugh, uh! It was as if someone forcefully grabbed his bone, cut it into pieces, and then reassembled it. Or, it was a sensation akin to when someone took your intestines out and replaced it with a whole new set. And suddenly, from his body, a pure white light erupted. It was an energy made of pure Mana! The warriors of Murim started to look at him one by one, and they opened their mouths in amazement. Isnt that metamorphosis? Oh my God! What was metamorphosis? By passing through Imdokyangmaek and at the gates of life and death. You would gain a beautiful young body and no matter how old you turned, you would remain the same. Furthermore, your lifespan would also increase drastically. Only masters who had achieved a very high level were able to undergo metamorphosis. As a matter of fact, there were less than twenty masters alive who had gone through metamorphosis. I can not believe it! All warriors of Murim in this place admitted the resourcefulness of Yoo Seodam. Thanks to him, they were able to assemble here and get their revenge. However, that didnt mean they admitted his fighting prowess. But Metamorphosis wasnt something that anyone could easily achieve. Only one in thousands of geniuses could be successful after decades of special training. Even if you say you cant believe it. That must be a metamorphosis. It was a phenomenon where energy of nature condensed in a single place and cleaned all impurities inside ones body and replaced it with completely new energy. However, the reality was totally different. [Your Level has increased by 50+5 levels.] [Additional 20 levels were given after overcoming an overwhelming difference. Your level has been increased by 20.] [Additional 15 levels were given after hunting a protagonist who took maximum probability. Your level has increased by 15.] [The stats that couldnt be absorbed are distributed as talents and skills.] [Talent Swordsmanship(A+) were upgraded into Swordsmanship(S).] [Skill Six sense(F) were upgraded into Six sense(C)] [Skill] It was a phenomenon that occurred due to the sudden changes in Yoo Seodams body, which was too weak before. It was far from something grand like metamorphosis. However, in the eyes of warriors of Murim, it was indeed a metamorphosis. And just when the light faded, Ha Sun-young, who watched Yoo Seodam transform into a new person, opened her mouth towards Warriors of Murim. Can everybody listen to me? Her voice, unlike her usual tone, carried the charisma of a master who had lived for more than half a century. Once she was sure that everybody was paying attention to her, she immediately brought out the subject. Although this is Earth, as long as theres people of Murim living here, it can be seen as Murim. So, I would like to make a suggestion. What kind of suggestions? As you may know, we all come from different places, different races, and different nationalities. How about recreating the Murim sect here in the Modern age? Hmmm!! Murim sect, huh. When the Warriors of Murim responded quite positively, Ha Sun-young spoke once again, We people Of Murim are far fewer in number compared to the Hunters even after counting our kin who are still hiding themselves in various places in society. If we move out individually, we will only be swung over by the Hunter Association, but if all of us are firmly united as the Murim sect! We wont be shaken easily! Lee Dong-joons ban was no more. People of Murim would be able to use their power freely, but would the Hunter Association and numerous guilds keep their hands away from them? Of course not. In order to be able to use their techniques, they would try to make contacts with people of Murim to steal their secrets of Mugong. However, if the new Murim sect, which had been changed to befit modern times, could protect them, no one would be able to treat the Murim people carelessly. However, the most important problem still hasnt been addressed yet. Someone said. How will we determine who the leader will be? After listening to the question Ha sun-young smirked. Her expression was as if the answer was obvious. Wouldnt it be given to the strongest? The strongest one! It was really a beautiful word. As the Murim people started to get excited, Ha Sun-young said without missing her chance. But, there is still one problem left. What problem are you talking about? Most of the Murim people on earth lived in hiding. The knowledge and wisdom we possess are insufficient to work as someone with Mystical ability. Thats why, Id like to propose to make Hunter Yoo Seodam as the military advisor of the Murim sect. Military Advisor. It was a position usually given to an Aristocrat who excelled in using their brain. And of course, physical strength was also necessary to take this seat. It was a seat reserved for those who could take responsibility for anything related to strategizing for the Murim sect. And, Yoo Seodam was someone who was well-suited for the seat. Wasnt he someone who revealed Supreme Dharmas secret to the world, gathered Warriors of Murim in one place, weakened Dharmas strength by attacking his weaknesses, and eventually hunted the strongest man in the world without any casualties? There was no room left for objections. With his resourcefulness paired with the metamorphosis he had just finished, he had become someone that could be trusted with power. Although Hunter Yoo Seodam isnt someone from Murim. I think theres no reason to say something like that to the Modern Murim sect. I am in favor. Starting with Daniel, who was on the side of Geom-hee from the beginning, all the people from Murim started to agree as well. Ha Sun-young smiled brightly and exchanged glances with Yoo Seodam. In fact, creating the modern Murim sect was something Yoo Seodam had been thinking for a while now. Because after Lee Dong-joons death, the ban he created would disappear. There was a need to find a way to control the people of Murim. From the very beginning, he was thinking of putting a lid on it, but no doubt, the effect of leveling up masked as Metamorphosis gave him a better opportunity. By the way, that noonim.she speaks better than i thought? Normally, she looked so ordinary, it was easy to mistake her as a normal neighborhood Noona who handled swords pretty well. But now he could see her true appearances. Now, with the military advisor decided, the next one will be the seat of leader of the Modern Moorim League and fight a duel. It was a man called Kwon Hwang who brought the story up while bumping his both fists. Exactly! In three days, lets meet here in the Himalayas again! That was how the Murim sect, which was unlikely to be seen again, was recreated in the 21st century. * * * The clouds split, and the sunset broke through them. By the time all the people of Murim descended from the mountain, it was already late in the evening. Seol Jungyeon was still there running her hand all over the cabins wall. Did she have any regrets left? Or maybe, did she have more work to do? Since Seol Jungyeon said she was going to stay for a while, Yoo Seodam also remained in her hut waiting for her. Seol Jungyeon lifted her finger, as she blew her breath. Then an energy resembling a lotus blossomed. It was the essence of the Cheonma sect as well as Cheonma Seol Jungyeon. Yoo Seodam asked for Seol Jungyeon, who seemed to be crying happily as she unraveled her Inner qi. Isnt the original Cheonma Sutras color red? It was. But when I used it, it turned pink. I dont know why either. Its pretty. Dont you see Im the one using it? Of course it will be pretty. Yoo Seodam laughed at her confident words. Thank you for your hard work. When Yoo Seodam said that, Seol Jungyeon picked up the lotus and looked into his eyes. Her pink eyes, which gave a mysterious feeling, were smiling playfully. Arent you the one who works the hardest? No. Youre so good at acting. I didnt think you would accept my idea. After realizing that the level of Dharma Lee Dong-joon decreased as his emotions shook, Yoo Seodam immediately prepared this method. It was an idea to anger Lee Dong-joon as much as possible by pretending to be a lover with Cheonma Seol Jungyeon. However, this was a pretty sensitive issue. Was it really easy for someone who was once called the Supreme to play the part of a lover in front of many people? So, all I have to do is express my affection to you, is that right? Yes. If thats the case, Ill do it myself. However, as if to ridicule his anxiety, Seol Jungyeon did much better than he expected. All he did was awkwardly wrap his hands around her waist, and let Seol Jungyeon hold both his cheeks and kiss him as if she was dealing with her real lover. Honestly, Yoo Seodam was more embarrassed at that time but was pretending to be calm. However, What are you talking about? Seol Jungyeon said as she looked towards Yoo Seodam with a playful smile. I have never acted. .Pardon? The trace of playfulness was apparent on her face, yet, her eyes were looking straight towards Yoo Seodam. I was once a Cheonma whom they hailed as the Supreme under the heavens and reigned on land. In the middle of the hundreds of people of Murim, how could I become a fake lover of someone? That.. I was a Cheonma.. In the past Seol Jungyeon smiled and slowly approached Yoo Seodam. She only reached Yoo Seodams chest, but somehow she looked like a giant. But not now. Ive given the name Cheonma and chosen to return as a normal woman. And its your responsibility. I understand your words. Am I still awkward? Thud! Yoo Seodams back touched the wall of the hut. Seol Jungyeon put her hand on his chest, then fumbled with her own clothes with her other hand and handed one of her straps towards Yoo Seodam. This. I wish for the wall between us to disappear. The string he held on his hand was nothing but a ribbon that tied Seol Jungyeons clothes tightly. Pull it. Then, we will get closer together. She said that and closed her eyes. After that, Yoo Seodam pulled the string without hesitation. Chapter 79: Slightly different and special people (1) Shutout to our new Patron, Rabusmar, Samuel and Carlos. You guys are awesome! We really appreciated your support! Thankyou so much!!! Seol Jungyeon quietly opened the door of the cabin and went outside, wind brushed past her cheek. Unlike before, it wasnt a fierce cold wind but a comfortable warm wind. She walks on the snowy ground without leaving any trace of footsteps. She was originally a warrior who rose to the status of Cheonma, or in earth terms of superpower ranking, she is a SSS Rank superhuman. so even if she didnt have to try, Trace erasing(̤ѩo) come naturally to her. Seol Jungyeon sat on a rock on the hill side while watching the sun rising through the clouds. Her facial expressions looked better than ever. Sigh. As she exhaled, her warm breath filled the air. In fact, if she ever found any chance to kill herself, she would do it without thinking twice There was a time when Supreme Cheonma led her own people. The path she walked soon became her will, and she spread her dream across the world. In this process, she lost numerous comrades. They were people who didnt cowered in fear even in the face of death. And every single one of them would always leave the same word behind. Make your dreams come true. When was it? It was a memory from a distant place she couldnt clearly remember anymore. I want you to walk your own path, follow your own dreams. You dont have to go down to the same painful path as me, you dont have to carry my burden, please, make your dream come true. Those were the last words from her benefactor. However, she had no dreams for herself. Therefore, she made the dream of the late Supreme Cheonma as her own. The dream of making the Cheonma Sect as the center of the world. However, her dream collapsed. The Cheonma Sect fell into ruins, and she, the last evidence of the group, had her inner qi sealed. She was trapped in a space of around 10 pyeong in the middle of nowhere, with no human contact or even the freedom to kill herself. Each and every day was like hell. She lost everything precious to her. She had no reason to live anymore, yet, she couldnt even take her own life. That was why she had been crying everyday for the last four year. If there was hell, would it be a place like this? No matter how much she begged Dharma to kill her, he refused and proposed a deal that was worse than the hell she currently dealt with. He asked her to put down and give up the name Cheonma, the essence of her existence, and become just an ordinary woman. Was there anything more terrible than that? Id rather die than give up the name Cheonma. Like that, while she barely lived by and put down everything, a mysterious butterfly flew through the window and said. -Ill come to you. Her heart raced. Her forgotten hope of leaving this damn snowy mountain once again resurfaced. She no longer dreams about the Cheonma Sect. Cheonma, no, Seol Jeongyoon was finally able to dream for herself. -How are you today? The silver-colored butterfly didnt let Seol Jungyeon wallow in despair alone. It constantly visited and talked to her. -I had ramyeon for breakfast today. -It was a gift from my friend. -The weather is nice here. Seol Jungyeon could not have a normal conversation for 5 years, this included the 4 years she was locked up in Murim. At best, it was a one-sided quarrel with Dharma, her eternal enemy. Seol Jung-yeon desperately clinged on to the silver butterfly and lived with a new-found anxiety. What should I do If he starts hating me and leaves me? She didnt want to go back to that lonely hell ever again. She wanted someone to talk to her and she wanted to talk to someone. Why didnt she know about these feelings back then? She was so happy to see herself as a person rather than as Cheonma. Seol Jungyeon waited for the day to finally come while reading the messages from the man whose face she didnt even know. She didnt know that the longing feelings inside her chest were getting more and more intense. However, in the corner of her heart, she had a doubt. Can I hold onto this happiness? Supreme Dharma was someone who had achieved a realm of Heavenly warrior. A realm higher than herself. Even if everyone in Murim fought him, the odds of winning were slim. How could she avoid the eyes of an existence like him? Is it really possible? Or am I just holding onto an impossible hope? It was a weak hope like an ember of a candle that flickered in a storm. However, Seol Jungyeon refused to give up. It wasnt because of her will, but that hope was the only one thing she could believe in. She was prepared to die if everything failed, so she wrapped the candle in her palms to protect it carefully. In the end, she succeeded in protecting the flickering candle. A wild blizzard that had not stopped for decades finally stopped. And at the same time, hundreds of Murim warriors came to Himalaya. Have you been waiting for a long time? Like a miracle, the door of the cabin that seemed to never open, unlatched itself. And a single man walked in. Am I dreaming? It was such a happy day, she felt like she was in a hazy dream. She was worried that she would wake up from this dream and return to those hellish days. Thats why she kept checking this reality every now and then. Its not a dream. An unfamiliar pain that she felt on her lower abdomen was telling her that this moment was indeed reality. He was a very friendly and caring man. In fact, Seol Jungyeon also knew that he didnt love her yet. Nevertheless, she had to hold onto him. The only reason why she was able to live even after laying her everything down was because of Yoo Seodam. He was the first man who gave her the desire to live in the five years she wanted to die. She felt thankful, so she would have accepted his unreasonable and rude demands if he ever asked. The reason she asked him to do the deeds with her last night was to reassure herself about her reason to stay alive. Its okay though. She had already decided to keep living. So, no matter how much time she needed to wait for him, she would continue waiting for him. Furthermore, it was a wait filled with sweet feelings, not an agonizing wait. She could wait for him for a thousand years, even ten thousand years. Swoosh! Lotus bloomed from her fingertips. She already gave up the name Cheonma and became nothing but Seol jungyeon. But she still had the skill to make a lotus bloom from her fingertips. At the very least, I cant give up the leader position of the new Murim alliance. * * * A month has passed since I hunted Supreme Dharma. The world changed rapidly as people started to pay more attention to a new force called the Murim Alliance. -The Murim Alliance, who defeated the SSS-ranked monster who ruled the Himalaya, asked the world to recognize them as Murim warriors, not Hunters. -This is an interview with Seol Jungyeon, the leader of the Murim Alliance. As Seol Jungyeon walked towards the interviewee on the stage, cheers rang from afar. Her fans come to see her for the interview held in public. In the span of one month, she quickly gained popularity. She was an unprecedented talent with a beautiful appearance that seemed unlikely to be found anywhere in the world ever again. And more than that, she was also an SSS-rank hunter. Even 31 years after the Great War, only three SSS-rank hunters emerged. And now all of them were inactive. And so, she became the only active SSS-rank hunter in the world. She had everything that made people pay attention to her. She was the hope for all Hunter that couldnt handle Ether. Her knowledge about martial arts, her beautiful appearance and even her SSS-rank status. Perhaps sooner or later the forces who followed her would grow stronger. Thanks to that, Ive been really busy. In the first place, Murim warriors didnt know anything about the hunter industry, so they really needed my help. And I couldnt work alone, so I had no choice but to get help. And among them, there were F-rank hunters as well as former hunter association executives. They knew more about the hunter industry than anyone else, and Park Seong-ho even flew to China to help the Seol Jungyeon after hearing that she could revive the prestige of the incompetent F-rank hunter. Murim Alliance. They hadnt accepted modern people yet, but the world had no choice but to pay attention to them because they were the only ray of hope for the incompetent hunters to learn new ability. The newly created Murim Alliance guild gave their seat of the leader to Seol Jungyeon, but the management rights returned to me. Thus, I made my guild a subsidiary guild under the Murim Alliance. Anyway, both the Alliance and my guild were eventually operated by me. Ive been so busy. Not only do I have to work hard to get the Murim alliance properly recognized as a guild, I also have to work hard because of personal matters. I want to live for Murim people. It was Shin Hye-ji. It took exactly one month for her to move on from her grief. She couldnt accept the reality that her father, whom she trusted with her whole heart, was actually the kind of monster she hated most. Moreover, she quit the academy and was stuck in despair in the reality where there was no one to lean on anymore. Miss Hye-ji. My dad tried to act on wrong justice. Yes, I cant take that. What made her change? I dont know that either. However, it was good to see Shin Hye-ji become more determined than ever. She said, I heard that theres a lack of administration personnel to support the Murim Alliance. Its okay President Park Seong-ho is operating it right now. So Hye-ji has nothing to worry about. In fact, I cant do it either Because my head was a little bit on the dumb side in that aspect. I, I will go to the Murim alliance and learn from President Park Seong-ho. Im still lacking a lot, I know too little about everything, even at martial arts they are way better than me. At least, I need to atone for my fathers sins. Miss Hye-ji. You dont have to atone for your fathers sins. No! Ill do it. She expressed her determination in a firm manner. I will live my entire life for the Murim people. My martial arts will be used for everyone. So, I have a request. Request? Yes. Please put a ban on me. What? No, what kind of request is that. Please. She said. If I ever use my dads Mugong and walk on the wrong path At that time, Mister Yoo Seodam, please stop me. ..okay. Okay. In the end, I had no choice but to put a ban on Shin Hye-ji. After that, I explained the content of the ban to her, When the user wants, she can destroy her own qi at any time. Perhaps satisfied with the fact that she could no longer go out of line, Shin Hye-ji quit the academy and flew straight to China. She will probably go through numerous trials and errors. Because she didnt know much about the industry and she cant even have a conversation without a translator. But the most challenging challenge for her will be the difference between Murim and modern earth culture. [Later.] -I cant do that I know. In fact, I didnt put any ban on Shin Hye-ji. In the first place, there was no way I could put a high-level ban that could block someones magic power anytime I wanted. I said those things to Shin Hye-ji to make her feel as if she was under control. In the future, she would continue to control herself with her own will. His immediate work was over. Contrary to the busy Murim Alliance side, my guild, Another League had just been created, and one of the guild members had already left, so it was only two members now. Well, its earlier than planned. Should I get a new guild member? After thinking for a moment, I talked to the system. Show me my stats. [Level:140] *Status [Strength 140] [Stamina 140] [Agility 140] [Energy 1] [Magic power180] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting C] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Etc..] *Skill [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 4] [White swordsmanship(S)] [Sixth sense (C)] [Ara-Sunyoung-sutra(SS+)] [Library of the white witch(E)] [Inventory (S)] [How to run like the wind (S)] [Concentration (S+)] My level was 140, and the rank of my skill had risen considerably. According to the systems words, A-rank hunter was around level 115, so the current me had a much higher ability than an A-rank hunter. But of course, I shouldnt get conceited. In many worlds, there were many strong people, and among them there were superhumans that had URS rank or even higher, such as Dharma. Although I gained strength faster than I ever expected, it was still lacking. There will be a time when Ill need more strength to protect myself and the people around me. Moreover, Hell Gate. To get there, I need to be stronger than this. My expression hardened when I remembered what I had seen inside the Hell Gate. Someone said to me that I saw nothing, that I wasnt sane at the time, and I was so confused that I couldnt distinguish between reality and illusion. However, I firmly believed in what I saw. Reina Ju. The other world beyond Hell Gate. And her back that I saw there, even though everybody said shes dead. Phew. System. You said you cant find the dimension I want? No. Dont worry about it. Alright. The Protagonist Hunters skill became level 4 after successfully hunting Lee Dong-joon. The amount of items that could be carried from one world to another increased as the inventory skill became S rank. More importantly, the importance of the phrases [You can intervene with the flow of the story] and [the time difference now can be adjusted] were pretty big. Time difference. It was also the most important thing to me as I had a lot of work to do on modern Earth. Unlike before, I couldnt spend my time in another world for several months. There were a lot of people looking for me these days. Well, then, lets take the next mission already. What? Alright then,. Please show me the list of the mission. When I was about to receive the list of the mission, suddenly, [Skill Library of the White Witch(E) had been raised to D rank.] [D-rank library access and the penalty.] [.] [The penalty has been offset.] I stood up from my seat as soon as I saw the message. What happened? Why did the rank suddenly rise? I immediately activated the Library of the White Witch and entered the imaginary world. When I looked around, I could see spellbooks flying in the air as they found their own place, and as I passed through the E-rank library and reached the end of the corridor, I could see the entrance of the D-rank library was opened wide. Gulp. C, can I really go in with no penalty? [The penalty has been offset.] Can I really go? [The penalty has been offset.] In the end, I decided to believe what the library said and slowly stepped into the D-rank library. Inside, Ah? You come? You, what are you doing here? Ah. Well, I thought there was a more interesting book here, so I came in. Before that, how did you get in? Hmm? I just opened the door and came inWa-was it a place I shouldnt have come in? Im sorry. No, its not like that Yekaterina was reading a book as big as her body. She sat in the corner of the D-rank library with her white hair hanging down. I was bewildered and couldnt help but mutter You are the real witch. Chapter 80: Slightly different and special people (2) After successfully hunting the Supreme Dharma, Yoo Seodams skill level and his stats had risen considerably. But for some reason, the level of Library of the White Witch remained the same. He was slightly disappointed, but at the same time he understood the reason behind it. The Library of the White Witch was the kind of skill that grew stronger after he completed the trial inside the library. However, Yoo Seodam forgot about an existence who could pass the gate without even taking the trial. She was the same as him and was the original owner of the library. And she was also human at the same time. So the library affirmed that he didnt have to pass the test. You really just opened the door and came in? Yeah! Did you feel like your emotions were gone, or do I look like a bug in your eyes? In the middle of the D-rank library, where books were as big as the human body and as small as the palm of a hand, scattering around, Yekaterina looked at Yoo Seodam and shook her head with a bright smile. No! Hunter Yoo Seodam is still Yoo Seodam! Whoa, amazing. Yekaterina was a witch who had survived in modern times. Yoo Seodam had heard from the system that just like how humans were everywhere in every world, witches also in fact, existed in many different worlds in their respectful old days. However, in most dimensions, witches would not survive because they would be eradicated. The reason for this was simply because even though they possessed excellent magic skills, their numbers were very small, and they also had a nature which most living beings would hate. And even in some world where they managed to survive, they treated other living things like bugs, not even thinking of interacting with other races. In any case, witches on earth had hidden in human society in order to survive from the forces who hunted them. And now it is said that some humans had witchs blood mixed in their blood. It was also a mystery how a witch, a creature with no emotion, could give birth to a child. But it was even more interesting how a genius like Yekaterina was born with the ability of prophecy even after centuries of diluted blood lineage in her body. Should I say it is a relief? Yekaterina was born with the blood of a witch running through her veins, but she also had feelings which was considered to be shortcomings for a witch. But for humans, that feeling was an essential way to survive. Thanks to that, Yoo Seodam didnt have to worry about finding a way to control her. And Yoo Seodam knew that her emotions were not faked. Because ever since Yekaterina came into his imaginary world, he was able read her feelings and thoughts whenever he wanted to. Is that so Yoo Seodam glanced around the D-rank library. He hadnt even read books in E-rank yet, so he didnt have any idea about the level of magic on this side of the library. By the way, whats that in the middle? Near Yekaterina, the silver spirit flower wandered around with her two feet as she read a book. It was fascinating to see her carrying such a large book with her small body. Ah. Are you perhaps talking about Silver? Shes sweet and friendly, isnt she cute? ..cute? Well, everyones taste differs from one another, let it be. As Yoo Seodam glanced toward the silver flower, he took a D-rank magic book and opened it. .And then 10 seconds later, he closed it. It has been such a long time since I read a word that it makes me a little emotional. These days, Yoo Seodam had many things to attend to. He had to study about how the guild and hunter industry worked, and of course he needed to start studying about magic soon. However, he wouldnt start at D-rank. D-rank magic seemed to be at the level of university while his current magical knowledge was barely at high school level. The reason he could use magic with terrible knowledge of his was thanks to the flower pot. The magic books in the D-rank library contained magic that was incomparable to any magic he had seen before. He wasnt sure about the output level yet but in terms of application, it could probably even exceed an A-rank superhuman. Alright. By the way, what are those things? Yoo Seodam looked toward the E-rank library. It was decorated with all kinds of furniture. He didnt know when Yekaterina put all of it inside the library. Moreover, there were so many music-related playback devices, even now, he could hear classical music being played from a LP nearby. The music playing right now was Mozarts Requiem in D minor, K.626, Have you ever heard of it? Uh? Mo, Mozart? Of course! I know. Its a very famous song. I really like it. As expected! You also have a good music taste. . .To be honest, he had never heard of it. She slowly rose from her seat and headed towards the E-rank library with an excited step. She touched the various instruments and music players with her hands. You know, before, you said I would come here whenever Im falling asleep, right? But I thought it was possible only when I was sleeping, but I could come here even when I closed my eyes and earnestly wished. What? Really? Crazy. What she could do was at the same level as Yoo Seodam when he used his skill. She cant use the search function yet, but she could come to the library and read anytime she wanted. All I do in reality is study, so I come to the library often. And when I imagined the objects I touched with my hands, I could bring them to this library. It doesnt work well for something complicated like an electronic device, but for something like these instruments, it works as long as I know the structure. UhIs that so? When Yoo Seodam paid more attention to his surroundings, music was playing all over the library. However, not one musical note overlapped with the other, it was as if every note was pre-arranged to play in a certain area. Yoo Seodam felt quite strange to have the inside of his imaginary world being decorated by someone else. Did you create all of these to listen to music because you were bored of reading books? Yeah? UhNo Just, uh It was a random question from Yoo Seodam. But she was taken aback by it and she responded with a sigh Actually, everyone used to call me a piano prodigy until I was in my teens, and awoke the power of prophecy. Perhaps if I grew just like that, I would have become a renowned pianist. As I gained the power of prophecy, I lost all of my musical abilities. ..? Yoo Seodam couldnt understand the part she said about losing her musical abilities. Well, no matter what kind of music I listen to, I can only hear a creepy noise. You know II really loved music. Music was all I had, and it was my life. Maybe Yoo Seodam would never know how it felt when everything you loved turned into something that would make you feel disgusted by its mere presence. How when something that you once thought of to be as precious as your own life turned into something that was the most terrible thing you had ever laid your eyes upon. He couldnt understand, but he had a vague idea of what she was feeling. It was a lot more painful than the feeling you would experience when your heart was crushed. It feels like you were falling into an endless abyss. It was a place where there was nothing to despair anymore. But, in reality, she couldnt help but feel despair even more. The only thing that could be done in that endless abyss was to forcefully hold on to the remnant of the lovely music in her memories. Only then Yoo Seodam could see why she put so many music-related things in the library. Now that she was able to enjoy music once again, she didnt want to be separated from it even for a single moment. She was a witch who had experienced losing her ability to listen to music once. She was probably worried that she might lose it again. And if she ever lost it again in the future, she wanted to remember the happiness that she felt in this moment. Its good music, and it really suits the atmosphere. I also like classical music, so please play it often. Yeah! Thank you. Hehe. A thought popped up Yoo Seodams mind while he was quietly stroking the piano. If its possible to bring these kinds of instruments here, isnt it okay to do some paperwork here? Yoo Seodam still hadnt got a proper office, he had been looking for a space to conduct his work, but now he thought it would be better to do it while listening to music in this library. He immediately returned to reality, placed his hand on the papers and copied them. Then, he brought them back into the library of the White Witch. Wow You learn so quickly. It took me a while before I could do it perfectly. O-Of course. He said so but it wasnt his skill but rather the flower pots skill. But he was too embarrassed to admit that he couldnt do better than his tenant. * * * After hunting Supreme Dharma, I had yet to gain any talent and skill. The system was constantly grumbling about something without explaining the reason, but it seems to me that she is sorry for something. To be honest, she doesnt have to do that. Im not sure about the reason, but I didnt rush her to solve it as soon as possible knowing that I wouldnt get it right away. Anyway, she keeps trying to solve the problem. It has been going on for over a month already, but I was also quite busy, I didnt have much time to pay attention to it. Take your time. A few days after that. As usual Yekaterina was studying in the library while I was completing the paperwork for both Murim Alliance and Another League. Currently, my guild was running with a two-member system, but Ye Sa-hye, who became Ha Sunyoungs disciple, was growing at a terrifying rate and recently she had been generating some profits for the guild. Thanks to that, my work has increased a little. But was there any boss in the world that hated more work for their company? So while doing paperwork in her library, it was really a coincidence that she saw my paperwork. Well, thats a headache. What? No, its nothing. I got a call from the Murim Alliance. There are some people who keep using the name of their martial arts. Whether in the guild or in the country. Aha..? Then, Yekaterina tilted her head for a moment and said. Cant you just designate Mugong as a superpower special intellectual property? Superpower what? Long ago, there was a dispute going on because some guild was trying to steal Morian guilds magic. Come to think of it, didnt she say that the core member of the Morian Guild is made up of witches? It was a pretty interesting story. These days, all things related to superpower or mystical ability are recognized as technology. Why? Because every skill is different from the other. Thats why it is now treated as an identity, in other words, a weapon. So, if you designated it as a superpower special intellectual property, people cant openly steal that technology. Well.. There are many ways to work around it, but it would be difficult to touch a martial artist who is recognized as Mystical ability wielder. .really? Poof! All worries that had been bugging me for days were gone in a single moment. From then on, I continued to ask her many questions, and I realized that Yekaterina was more capable than I thought. Park Seong-ho and I knew a lot about the guild industry and the Murim Alliance. But in the field of mystical abilities, Yekaterina was much more knowledgeable then both of us combined. You, you really, you. Yes? You are the best Oh, hmm hmm. I know Im a little awesome. How long have I tried to introduce Mugong, an ability that was difficult to fit in into modern times? As if mocking all my worries, Yekaterina resolved it quickly. In that aspect, she was very knowledgeable, there was practically nothing she didnt know. Come to think of it, my guild was going to teach both martial arts and magic. Currently, Im teaching Ha Sunyoung my white swordsmanship so she could teach it to other members. And, Ye sa-hye was her first disciple, but isnt it difficult for me to teach magic? What if Yekaterina joins Another League? She could be in charge of the magic department and help both the Murim alliance and Another league in administrative matters, while Ha Sunyoung would be in charge of swordsmanship. Thus, Another league could grow by utilizing individuality from both sides. More importantly, if Yekaterina joins Another league and takes over the management, I could go to different worlds without worrying about something going wrong since she was far superior compared to me in those fields. But. Its a shame that you are already in the Morian guild. Really? Yeah, youre really the right talent for our guild. But honestly, our guild cant compare to the Morian guild. Although mentally she was tied to me, I had no intention to force her. If I do that, it would be the same as retraining her, who had been confined to her museum for her whole life. So it was quite regrettable. The Morian Guild is one of the best guilds in the world. Besides, recently, she said theyve been working on a project together with Lost Day, so there was no meaning for her to quit a guild of that size and join a new guild with only three guild members- Please take me in! .Eh? I can do anything you ask! Im willing to be a machine that works for you for the rest of my life! Yekaterina stood up to me and grabbed my hand. Her white eyes were twinkling as she spoke. If you take me out of Morian, I have the confidence to work like a dog for you! It was more like a plea rather than an answer. *** Hosted by Nocturne Translation *** Psst! Did that leave you hanging? Support our Patreon page and read ahead of everyone else for as low as $3! https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVDWSSF Want to know what happens next, or do you simply want to support your favorite translator? Donate to your favorite translator! On top of the regular releases, we will publish an extra chapter for every donation of $9 Dont forget to mention the novel title so that the money can reach its rightful translation team! https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Chapter 81: Slightly different and special people (3) Yekaterina, a witch who used to be a sole prophet of earth. She used to live as a Witch while retaining her feelings, it was quite an exhausting life. Other witches who lost their emotions and judged with their logic always saw her as a foreign entity. However, Yekaterina was too useful to be thrown away. So, they decide to do something to Yekaterina. It was Confinement. She lost her freedom. Moreover, in exchange for her prophetic ability, she lost her sight, her magic, and her passion, music. And then, once she decided to throw away her prophetic ability, she regained her magic and music. Her sight was yet to be restored. But she said, with the help of magic she could read anything her fingertips could reach. You want to abandon the Morian guild and come to my guild? Yes. Ive lost my prophetic ability, and they never even treated me as a human being there. Moreover, my existence is unknown to the world, and within a few months, the prophet will disappear cause she died in some unknown place. Yekaterina replied to Seodams words, as she flipped through a magic book in her hand. Our guild is unable to provide you with a mansion and grand piano. The meals are also very bad. It will be difficult for you to adapt to Korea. Its okay. She laughed lightly. Really, it was okay. Instead of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of steaks at each meal, its okay for her to just eat stuff like canned food. Instead of royal beds that costed tens of thousands of dollars, she could sleep with just newspapers on her back Instead of an elegant and expensive mansion, it was okay for her to stay in a small single room If it meant freedom. Uncontrolled, and live the way she wanted. It was enough to have a place where she could hum freely even without a grand piano. If anyone could get her out of her current place, she was confident she could even sell her soul to a devil. By the way. I already sold my soul a devil, right? Yekaterina laughed happily as she looked at the man who was busy looking at her with confused eyes in front of her. I dont need any materialistic things like that. I just want the freedom to choose a place to sleep on my own, rely on myself, and be able to speak, sing, and work on my own. In the end, her words convinced Yoo Seodam. But right after that, she ran into the real problem. I cant get you out of Morian on my own. The Murim Alliance and Another League are very small new guilds, while Morian is a world-renown guild. Its okay. Morian, one of the top 10 guilds in the world. Recently, he had heard that they partnered with Lost day to work on a gigantic project. A top 10 guild in the world, would Yoo Seodam be able to put up a fight against them if he decided to say something about Prophetic ability? Even though he had SSS-rank Seol Jungyeon as a backer, by crossing them, his scope of activity and future growth would be halted or even blocked completely if those giants guild decided to meddle with his affair. In addition, Morian is also a place where witches who use magic gather. The number of witches will be at least several hundred. Endless sense of helplessness washed over him. I.. Theres really nothing I can do for you. It had been awhile since last time he felt this hopeless. Yekaterina tilted her head, as if she didnt understand what he was talking about. Youve done enough for me, havent you? What? What did I do for you? You broke the curse-like prophetic ability of mine, gave me knowledge on magic that I could explore endlessly, and even offered me a place to stay for free. To be honest, what youve done for me is too much for me. No, that is. From now on, I have to do it myself. Im going to get up on my own and walk out of Morian Guild on my two feet. I dont need or want any more help. With her transparent eyes, she looked straight at Seodam and said it. well okay. Ill really welcome you if you want to join our guild. But as I said before, do you really want to work to the bone when you come to our guild? Freedom? Maybe there is no such thing? Ahaha. Its okay. It would be more valuable than wasting the rest of my life doing nothing like this. She laughed. I promise. Within half a year, I will surely leave Morian and visit Yoo Seodams guild. Then suddenly, she asked as if she just remembered something, Then, was the guild name, Another League? Yeah. Its cool isnt it? She was slightly flustered by his sincere eyes. Yeah? Ah.Yep. It has to be cool when two cool words come together. As expected of you, I know you could understand me. Yekaterina changed the subject while breaking into a cold sweat. Then, what is the meaning of the guild name? Nothing special Yoo Seodam said as he looked at the magic book. Earth was filled with superpowers and science. But theres only a handful of people who can perform martial arts and magic. So, another league means a group of slightly different and special people. Ah.. Thinking that way makes it feel slightly better or not? Yekaterina who fell into contemplation suddenly raised her as she felt someone tapping her cheeks. Ah. My guard is waking me up. What? It looks like its time for the witch meeting. Even though her mind was in the library, her senses were still connected with her body in reality. Yekaterina hurriedly got up from her seat, smiled brightly, and closed her eyes tightly. Then see you next time. After she bid him goodbye, she opened her eyes again. A black world appeared. That was her reality. Miss, Its almost time for the meeting. Thats why I woke you up. Sorry for tapping your cheeks. Its okay.. She got up from her seat with a firm expression. In exactly half year, Yekaterina planned to challenge Morian guild leader to a witchs duel with the guild leader based on the Witchs Law, and she would win against her and confidently get out of this guild Before this, it was impossible because she couldnt use magic. Also, it may seem ridiculous for someone who was new to magic to challenge someone who had practiced magic for decades into a duel. But, with the White Witchs Library, I can get out of this place with my two feet! Yekaterina could survive today, Because now, she could see tomorrow. * * * The members of Murim Alliance were spread all over the world, including China. But, surprisingly, the main stage where Seol Jungyeon worked right now was not in China, but in the United States. To be exact, its the capital of the United States, Washington D.C. Yoo Seodam once asked why she preferred to work there, and her answer was because Washington is her hometown. When Yoo seodam thought about it, he still didnt know Seol Jungyeon that well. When they spent the night together previously, they talked a lot but there was nothing he could find out because Seol Jungyoon was the one who asked the questions. All he did was answer most of her questions, so by now she probably knew how many spoons he had in my house. Yeah. First of all, please send the documents I sent to you by e-mail to Secretary Park Seong-ho. Yoo seodam sent her what he found about mystical ability through Yekaterinas help. When he said so through his smartphone, Seol Jungyeons calm voice answered. -Well, the email is tricky. Arent you originally a modern person? Even before you went to Murim, emails must have been active. -I was very young back then. Ah well. Okay. -Anyway, thank you. Thanks to this, the media that criticized the Murim people will stop. Unlike other people from Murim, Seol Jungyeon was pretty rational. Even though she hadnt learned anything about the modern press, she knew that Murim people had to quietly accept the society so that they could continue working as Murim people in the future. There was only one thing Seol Jungyeon, the guild leader of Murim alliance wanted. It was for the Murim League to become independent, functioning as they did in the Murim without interference from the world. Just like how the government did not interfere with Murim in Jungwon Murim. But to be honest, from Yoo seodams point of view, he thought her dream was too far-fetched. In this time and age, will the nation let some superhuman union work independently? Seol Jungyeon knew that her dream was unrealistic. However, since he heard that she wants to recreate the world they lived in in the present day, he thought that he would also fit into her dream. -Its roughly finished here. Yeah. If you work hard for another half year, Murim will be recognized to some extent. By then, you wont even have to be tied up as a Murim master. -If thats the case, that would be good. I still didnt know how to use Mugong to hunt monsters. Since the birth of the Moorim Alliance, the Moorim people had been making huge amounts of money. They mainly went to the abandoned land where the nation did not intervene in monster hunting. They were very good at fighting, so they were able to net profits with just one knife without any additional equipment. What would happen if they wore etheric gear? Seol Jungyeon also wore a Korean-style improved ether dispenser uniform, which was commissioned by a special craftsman, and her fans enthusiastically cheered. It even sparked a new trend of hanbok. When Yoo seodam asked her why she wore a Korean-style clothes, she answered that it was because shes Korean. -Anyway, I will visit Korea soon. It would be great if you came before that Lelets do that. After finishing the call with Seol Jungyeon, Yoo seodam leaned against the chair and exhaled. Since all the work that needed to be done right now was over, it would be good to spend some time hunting monsters. Even though Ye Sa-hye seems to learn Mugong from Ha Sun-young very well, it would be more efficient for Yoo seodam to hunt by himself rather than joining them. I have to get new armor too. Although currently he was using a fairly good first-rank ether suit, it was a little inferior in terms of defense and functionality and did not match his high mobility. However, if you go to a famous artisan and spend billions to commission them to make a personal gear for you, you will be able to wear an ether suit with design and functionality you want, just like Taylor Nine and Seol Jungyeon. By the way, what is keeping her so busy these days to the point I cant even see her? Thanks to Yoo Seodams help, Taylor Nine had successfully finished Hellonys escort mission. The SS-rank Murim stalker was arrested and handed over to the Murim Alliance. Taylors reputation as a superhuman who arrested someone from Murim skyrocketed, and because of that, many high-ranking people from all over the world sent her love calls to hire her as their bodyguard. If you hired Taylor Nine, who is pretty, strong, and competent, it would be a big social issue. Not only were they trying to use her as an escort, they were also trying to use her to build their own image. Of course, it seems that Taylor refused everything and returned to Russia. [Yoo seodam: What are you doing?] [Yoo seodam: If you dont have any work, lets hunt together.] In the past, he could never say those words. It was Taylor who often suggested it to him. The reason for that was because both of them had different styles. Yoo seodam preferred a dungeon that could be strategically broken through while Taylor preferred dungeons that she could break through with force by actively hunting as much as possible. But now it was different. He also possessed the ability to break through the dungeon to some extent without caring about strategy. Ah, right. Yoo seodam remembered something and asked the system. Hey, system. The skill rewards obtained from hunting Dharma the other day arent here yet? He tried not to rush the system, but it was about time to go hunting, so he couldnt help but wonder. The system was silent for a moment, before answering. Whats the problem? I know. And then we can return to our original world using that energy. uh? Come to think of it? What? Probability? Isnt that dangerous? He felt sad to hear that. However, Then what happens now? The system continued her words slowly and carefully, as if taking a deep breath. !!!!!!!! Yoo seodam couldnt help but be flustered and embarrassed at the same time after hearing that statement. Chapter 82: Time to walk the story(Rewind) This chapter was sponsored by Anonymous Ko-fi donator!! Thank you very much. And shoutout to our new Protagonist-tier Patron Wiz!! Thank you for becoming our patron! You could become a protagonist. I was flustered because of the systems statement. It was a similar kind of feeling to when I was given a deadline out of nowhere. Protagonist was a word that looked good at first glance, but I knew it was not. It was because I had come to know that every single action they did was actually going with the flow of the probability set by the world, and their will was rarely involved. With the power of probability and clichs, Id gain many things easily. But I know that things would leave me sooner or later, and the world I lived in would collapse as well. .How can I avoid becoming a protagonist? Wake up. Why are you stuttering? The image of the system in my head was a woman with a calm demeanor who was as cool as a machine. But when the possibility that I could be the main character emerged, I feel that she became flustered as well. If the probability is overflowing, cant we just consume it somehow? Youre kidding me. I thought about it for a while, but there was only one way to solve my current situation. Just like before, cant we consume the probability by going back and forth between dimensions? Then, is there anything that is less exhausting but still consumes probability? Oh, what is it? Suddenly? When I made an expression of disbelief, the system continued her words. Regression, possession, reincarnation, transference, past life. Oho, so youre telling me to regress to the past? On Earth? ..Oh, yes. Then what should I do? The client contemplated for a moment, then said in a brighter voice, as if she had found a way. Oh.. Is that really so? Because its the first time I heard about it. Time intervention? Okay. In what kind of world could I use it then? Is that so? I had never seen the world collapsing before my eyes. However, I had indirectly experienced what would happen when the world collapsed after entering the dungeon that appeared on Earth. The protagonist, who has consumed all the possibilities in the world, loses everything he had gained. And the world collapses and all life and civilization are lost, and in the process, only the protagonist, who possesses a tiny bit of probability, survives until the end and watches the destruction of the world. Show me. A hashtag appeared in front of me. The warrior could not save the world #Fantasy #warrior #devil #Predatory #survival #despair The world ended in the hands of the devil. The hero couldnt save the world. The hashtag and the plot are pretty bloody, arent they? After reading the plot, its a place I really dont want to go. Is there a protagonist here too? Death by probability is inevitable while hunting the protagonist. Ive hunted quite a few protagonists so far, and I almost gave all of them deaths that fit the probability. Even the level 500 Supreme Dharma had a death probability, but very occasionally theres such a protagonist which had no death probability, like the protagonist of the world Ill go to. Alright then. Yes, lets go. In any case, there will be no problem as I just need to run away with a lot of probability. [warning!] [There is one soul who shares the skill Library of the White Witch(D).] You mean Yekaterina? [Would you like to leave a part of the skill Library of the white witch(D) in the individual Yekaterinas mind?] Come to think of it. Yykaterinas soul is in my head. However, if I take her soul and cross over to another dimension, her body will remain here and become an empty shell. That would be a problem. Leave it. [A part of the skill Library of the White Witch(D) has been copied and left in the mind of the individual.] Now Yekaterinas soul could remain intact on Earth. Lets go. [Moving to Anwar Carmel Empire. The original world of the protagonist Leskapi.] [1098.] My surroundings distorted and soon a white light burst out. [210] [Transfer completed.] [Current time: May 30, 3070] [Current location: Devil Omegas castle] When I opened my eyes, I could see the world falling apart. What? It was not a metaphor. The world crumbled into dust, light, and fine particles. The world was really disappearing. The land was gradually disappearing, and eventually it became a cliff that had been carved out on all sides. What would happen if one falls there, I wonder? In the midst of such destruction, there was a giant walking up as it looked to the sky. A giant that emitted a dazzling light like the sun all over his body. Wouldnt it be that way if God appeared in this world? The world was cramped. Everything disappeared, and now there was little left. The sun was coloring the sky red, as if it was going to illuminate this world for the last time. I glanced at the sight of the world perishing. I realized that giants werent important. It only looked like a god, it was neither god nor anything else. He was just holding onto the perishing world and crying to survive. who are you? I turn my head to the voice coming from behind. There was a middle-aged woman looking at me. Her whole body was muddy, she was wearing ragged clothes.But her clear brown eyes were shining brightly. Above her head, I couldnt find the protagonists mark. I instinctively asked her a question. What about the other survivors? Then she looked at me with trembling eyes, then shook her head. All are dead. Now, the only one left is me. The 7 survivors, including the Brave Leskapi, boarded the ark and left for another world. Now this is the end. You, me, and that Omega, the Demon King of Disaster who led the world to destruction will all disappear. The lady with pointed ears stared at the Demon King. Her eyes seemed to contain both hate and compassion, but I couldnt understand well, Im not used to reading peoples feelings. The warrior couldnt save the world. And, in the process, I didnt do anything. As if I was going to write a diary, I listened to that murmur, and after that I opened my mouth. Your name is? Hah, you are still asking that even though the world is in the middle of being destroyed? lm Yoo Seodam. Im a hunter. My name is Nisha Carmel. Queen of the Anwar Carmel Empire and the last survivor. No, not the last survivor. There must have been one more person who survived Nisha looked at her giant with her blank eyes, and she suddenly focused and looked into its eyes. Then, she slowly muttered something. Then.. She wasnt talking to me. It was a word full of regret that addressed the past. If I hadnt relied on the hero no. If I had accepted him in the first place, would things have been different ? A word like that was really meaningless. But the moment I heard that, the world suddenly began to distort. [Transferring the story of the main character Leskapi.] [Returning to the past.] [Current Time: May 30, 3020] [Current Location: Anwar Carmel empire, 3rd Imperial palace of Acacia-The Empresss Bed] I saw beautiful brown eyes staring at me when I opened my eyes. Nisha? Do you know me? ? I tried to control the fluids threatening to rise inside my body because of the motion sickness. Soon after, I came to my senses and woke up. The brown eyes in front of him did not belong to Nisha, but she was a girl in her early teens much younger than Nisha he met earlier. What is this? Looking around her, a medieval bedroom came into my view. It was a luxurious palace. And from the window, a bright sunlight was shining. I slowly approached the window and looked outside. The high castle, as if piercing the sky, stood out exceptionally. The whole castle was being supported by some kind of an unknown device which even the Library of the White Witch could not figure out. Just by seeing this, I knew one fact for sure. The magic technology of this world had been tremendously developed. Maybe, as much as the Vivienda Empire. Huh Its amazing. This beautiful world with magical science which was similar to that of the Vivienda Empire was the starting point of the story. I turned my head again. The girl with brown eyes was still staring at me. Is your name Nisha? Perhaps the girl in front of him was the childhood version of the earlier Nisha. Yes. Who are you? I, um Im just a passing hunter Come to think of it, Nisha said she was a princess. And this is probably the bedroom that Princess Nisha used 50 years ago. I looked like a strange person who intruded the princesss bedroom right now. For some reason, she didnt scream nor call the guard but smiled at me. I think I saw ahjussi in my dream before. [Ahjussi means uncle] What? Me? Yeah! I think ahjussi said something after making eye contact with me Why am I in your dreams? (T/N:IKR? Why are you invading peoples dreams!?) Well. By the way, what day is it today? Since the system said I successfully intervened with the story, it mustnt be a normal day. Then, Nisha answered with a wide smile. Its the day I turn 9! I am not even curious about that. By the way, as I looked at Nisha, I finally understood the plot of this world. The Hero and the Demon King. Its a common clich. It wasnt used pretty often these days, but it was popularly used in the old childrens books. The warrior and the demon king. Usually, the clich used in this case is. At that moment, my sixth sense warned me of a presence. As the eerie sensation descended on my back, I quickly turned to Nisha. She was still smiling and looking at me. Nisha. Dont look back. Got it? Yeah? Dark and violent sensation filled the princesss bedroom. How could I forget about this clich development in a story about Hero and Demon king? The kidnapped princess. Also, its okay to say that the development of kidnapping princesses on her birthday was an inevitable development. Damn it! Something sneaky slipped through the gap of the door. It looks like darkness, it must be a devil. Nisha. Listen carefully. Now you are having a nightmare. got it? Yes. Yes. When I carefully reached out to Nisha, the demon reacted and ran toward me faster than the speed of sound. Swooosh!!! I cut the devils neck with the ether blade in my hand. [The flow of the story fluctuates, speeding up time.] Donation count until next extra chapter: 0$/9$ * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 6 advance starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVDWSSF Chapter 83: Time to walk the story (Fast Forward) The devil who came to kidnap Nisha had an excellent infiltration ability, but its fighting power was weaker than expected. I was able to kill it in one swing. Seeing the demons body slowly evaporate, I tried to say something to Nisha [Intervening with the main story of the protagonist Leskapi.] [Fast forwarding time.] My surroundings distorted once again. Nishas voice gradually faded, and day and night began to pass quickly. The sensation I felt right now was similar to when I was dimensional travel, but it was slightly better. [Current time: May 30, 3021] [Current location: Anwar Carmel Empire, Victorian chamber of archive.] Checking the time, a year has passed since then. As I turned my body and looked behind, I saw 10 years old Nisha walking slowly, and when she found me, her shoulder shook. And then, a dark figure started wriggling right behind her. It was a devil. Without any hesitation, I swung my sword and defeated the devil. [Intervening with the main story of the protagonist Leskapi.] [Fast forwarding time.] [Current time: May 30, 3022] [Current location: Anwar Carmel Empire, Garden of Aden] The following year, Nisha just had her 11th birthday. Even that day, without failure, I killed a devil that appeared around Nisha. [Current Time: May 30th, 3023] 12 years old. [Current Time: May 30, 3024] 13 years old. [Current time: May 30, 3025] 14 years old. [Current Time: May 30, 3026] When it was Nishas 15th birthday, the devil was killed again. And then, [The episode (Prologue) Princess was kidnapped will be changed.] As the episode changed, this time, three years passed at once. [Current Time: July 19, 3029] [Current place: Anwar Carmel Empire, Snow Whites Podium] [Intervening with the episode Birth of a Warrior (1).] * * * It was the year Nisha Carmel turned 18. I am looking for a hero to save the world! The Advent of Omega, the Demon King of Disaster. The only one who could defeat him was a hero chosen by the gods by pulling the holy sword Youslet. The only princess of the empire looked around the podium with a firm expression. Wowaaahhh!!! Tens of thousands of spectators gathered in all directions around the podium where the Holy sword Youslet, the symbol of the great Carmel Empire, which has passed through the hands of numerous heroes, resided. Omega, the demon king of disaster, has awakened! It was a wise and quick judgment of the emperor to summon a hero, rather than despairing at the news. Even now, people were looking forward to the birth of a new hero. That was how a thousand years old empire handled this matter. However, it was such an absurd story that only a hero could oppose the demon. The same absurdity applied to the story of how the holy sword Youslet only responded to a hero. I cant understand it. Does the Holy Sword Youslet have something special? It was only a shinier and sharper sword than any other sword, thats it. Nevertheless, only a warrior who could draw that sword can defeat the Demon King. The reason why she couldnt point out such an absurd tradition was because she had only lived for 20 years unlike the tradition which spanned over hundred years old. Woaaaahhh!!! Caldex! Caldex! People cheered as a man climbed up the platform. The man, who is presumed to be a warrior and seemed to have gone through numerous wars, waved his hand towards the crowd as he walked toward the mysterious silver sword. Eventually, he put his hand on the silver sword. HiyyyCah! The silver swords didnt budge, and the cheers gradually faded. Caldex wasnt a hero either? Nonsense. If Caldex-sama, who faced thousands of large forces alone, is not a hero, who the hell is. Caldex came down from the platform, and before long, numerous warriors climbed to the platform, but none of them could pull the sword. Nisha watched the warriors struggling to draw the sword with an indifferent look. One after another. And then, after the last warrior failed like any other warrior, someone with a familiar face walked up to the podium. It was a man who always made her shoulder tremble. It was Yoo Seodam, a man who always appears in her dreams. Something wrong, Nisha? Ah. At the question of the emperor, Nisha came back to her senses and realized that she was standing. It was a rude act from her, but without any signs of worrying about it, she sat down again and watched Yoo Seodam. So this is the holy sword Youslet. It was a pretty interesting story. The one who pulled the sword, became a warrior. This was the beginning of the legend of Leskapi. This moment was supposed to be the moment where the hero Leskapi is born. Then, if I pulled this sword first, the hero wouldnt be born, right? Thats right. By pulling the sword in front of him, he would prevent the birth of a hero and at the same time the excessive probability he got from killing Dharma will be consumed. Truly two birds in one stone. It was good. Anyway, it meant that he could finish the current storyline. With that thought, Yoo Seodam slowly approached the sacred sword and pulled it. Flash! A pillar of light fell from the sky, and the divine sword, Yuslet, showed its splendor. Oh.oh my god! It is the birth of a hero! [Sensing a change in the story of the protagonist Leskapi, The Birth of a hero (3)] Cheers erupted. The pillars of light showered the protagonist like a spotlight to bless the protagonist of this world. Even the emperor stood up and clapped. It was the birth of a new warrior! The beginning of a new history! [Congratulations! You have been chosen as the hero of the Anwar Carmel Empire!] [But you didnt become a hero in a fair way!] [Designated as a villain for stealing the protagonists property!] It does not matter. Being a villain or whatever, anyway, he had become a hero. Seodam thought so and happily raised his sword high in the sky. [..A new episode Second Holy Sword (1) occurs.] In fact, no one knew but the Anwar Empire had two holy swords. However, it had been sealed for more than thousands of years because it could only be picked by a true hero chosen by the heavens, a true hero amongst heroes. But it was revealed to the world by the hero Leskapi Uncover the truth behind the second holy sword! Seodam couldnt hide his absurd expression as he read the plot of the new story. .Crazy!! How did it turn out like this? It was a sudden turn of events. The appearance of the second holy sword! In the midst of it, Yoo Seodam figured blurred into light and disappeared with a dumbfounded look on his face. [Intervening with the story of the protagonist Leskapi.] [Fast forwarding time.] [Current time: June 30, 3030] [Current place: Camellisian, capital of the Anwar Carmel Empire] * * * Nisha recalled the day when she turned 9 years old. That day, a demon appeared and attacked her, but she was saved by a man. What happened today is a nightmare. Also, people around her were telling her the same things. Princess, what happened that night was just a nightmare. However Nisha knew, what happened that day wasnt a nightmare but reality. The only evidence, the devils body, evaporated once and for all, and the man, who saved her, as well as the only witness, disappeared immediately after, so no one believed Nishas words. However, she believed in that man who appeared every year on her own birthday. After that she always looked forward to her birthday to come instead of fearing the demons that would attack her. But after her fifteenth birthday, the man no longer appeared. and Nisha tried to brush off their meetings as a midsummers night dream. However, once again, the man appeared. He appeared in a place that blessed the emergence of a hero! But, That man is Satan! Hes an evil demon who stole the holy sword! The following year, Leskapi, a true warrior who found the legendary holy sword that had been sealed thousands of years ago, appeared and denied the existence of Yoo Seodam. At first, people were dubious about his claim. However the rumored fake hero didnt show up to clear the misunderstanding. Eventually, the empire was furious at Yoo Seodam and tried to search for him in order to reclaim their Holy sword. But Nisha still believed him. How could a man who saved her and appeared in her childhood dreams be Satan? But nobody listened to her. Nishas most trusted maids, knights and nobles, as well as even the emperor, sided with Leskapi. You seem to be still dreaming. He said so to her. She couldnt believe it. It was as if this world revolved around Leskapi. This isnt it. Nisha shuddered as she looked at Leskapis eyes. It was a disgusting gaze that seemed to not see people as people. It was an unpleasant gaze as if licking her body. Nisha had never made eye contact with Leskapi, but unfortunately, when she first met him at the appointment ceremony, it seems like he really liked her. If I return after defeating the Demon King, can I propose to the princess? In response, the emperor gladly gave permission. Thump, Nisha felt like a lump of stones fell from her chest. She hated it. She didnt want to marry that terrible man. However, she knew he was the only hero in the world. Without him, the demon king couldnt be defeated. If everyone could be happy at the expense of one persons life That would be enough. The coolest man in the world, the hero Leskapi. Everyone in the world blessed Nisha Carmel for receiving his proposal. The most wonderful hero in the world and the most beautiful princess meet! But, Nisha Carmel hated being treated as just the most beautiful princess. When in front of a hero, the title of the strongest, the greatest, and the most courageous were added. no. It must be my fault. Its my fault that I have been quietly living as a flower in a greenhouse. She slowly lowered her wooden sword. Her slender body was decorated with fine muscles and sweat trickled down her body . On her palms, rough calluses could be found, unfitting of her title as a princess. It was a trace of her hardships, but no one in the world recognized Nisha Carmel as a Hero, she was just a princess. You are working hard. Nisha Carmel turned her head with a stiff expression as she heard a familiar voice. Behind her, a man who always appeared in her dream at her birthday was looking at her. .long time no see. A black hair and white eyes. Nisha Carmel smiled brightly as their eyes met with each other. This scammer. Everyone in the world hates you now. I know, the atmosphere was bloody. My God, what the hell is the second holy sword? Nisha didnt feel any sense of crisis from his careless answer. She put her wooden sword down and slowly approached him and stroked his cheek. She wanted to check whether it is a dream or not. You havent changed the slightest since that day. It was as if you are someone who comes back from the future. Seodam responded cleverly. Sometimes when there is something exciting, time goes by quickly, right? Hehe. Is that so? Nisha was still growing. She was nineteen this year. But she had a more mature and heavier atmosphere than any other adult. People said what you did back then for me was nothing but a dream. It might be the case. But its not. You appeared in front of me like this right now. As she said that, she pointed at the holy sword in Yoo Seodams hand. And the divine sword is still shining. See, you must also be the hero whom the world chose. Oh, this is.. Um there are some circumstances. Should I say that it shines, but it has no effect? Its just a little bit better than Contrary to Nishas words, Seodam was having a mixed feeling about the holy sword. He thought that if he pulled out the holy sword he could somehow interfere with the protagonist, but rather, it seemed like he had helped the protagonist. Besides, Seodam couldnt exert the true effect of the divine sword Youslet. That was because the system said that it wasnt a problem of whether the probability was consumed or not, rather, the moment he activates the Holy swords, he could proceed to become the protagonist of this world Im quite troubled now wait. An idea popped out of his mind while he looked alternately between the holy sword he couldnt use, Nisha, a princess who had just finished practicing with her wooden sword, and the ether blade. Hey, have you ever held a sacred sword? Euum? no. I am not qualified. Is that so? One of the clich in the story of the demon king and the hero was the trials that the demon king sent towards the hero. And by defeating those enemies, the hero would grow stronger. The level of the trial would be something like this, Level 1 Miscellaneous Mobs, Level 2 Henchmen, Level 3 General, Level 4 Warlock, Level 5 Four Heavenly King, and Lastly Demon King himself. In the course of the long ordeal where no forces intervened, the hero gains the power to defeat the Demon King while the Demon King regains his sealed power. In other words, the Devil of Disaster Omega, which he saw 50 years in the future wasnt here yet, Only then did Yoo Seodam realize why this world was destroyed, and when he tried to say something This is just. Suddenly, the knights rushed to the training ground. Th, that way!!! I saw Satan approaching the princess! A woman pointed her hand towards where Yoo Seodam and Nista stood. Behind her, hundreds of knights were running with determination to protect the princess and to punish Satan who stole the sacred sword. Looking at the sight. Yoo Seodam laughed, then he wrapped her hand around Nishas waist, lifting her into the air and screamed. Hahaha! The princess will be taken by the demon of rice cake soup, Yoo Seodam! If you want to save her, come to her devils castle within a week! [New episode Princess, kidnapped by evil demon?!(1) occurs!] Donation count until next extra chapter: 0$/9$ * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 6 advance starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVDWSSF Chapter 84: Time to walk the story (Time Lapse) Shutout to our newest Protagonist Tier Patron Manuel Rodriguez!! Thank you so much!! Hero Leskapi was originally an ordinary young man from the countryside. He was not a warrior, a knight, or a mercenary. But an accidental meeting gave him the opportunity to go to the capital of the Empire. At that time, he entered a dungeon by accident, and coincidentally, the dungeon was the tomb of a true warrior that was sealed thousands of years ago. Very coincidentally, Leskapi was entitled to hold the True Second holy Sword that was sealed in the dungeon. The true Hero! Leskapi! [The protagonist Leskapi was born.] He had a timid personality, had always been ignored, never been in a fight, and he was not even good at talking to someone. However, after getting his hands on the second holy sword, Noslet everything started to work out for him. For some reason, even when he said something timidly, everyone listened to him. When he showed the sacred sword to the nobles, they all knelt down without questioning, not asking the credibility of the sword. He even possessed a stronger ability after training for a month compared to a wannabe knight who trained for 10 years. Then, Leskapi finally felt something. I can do it. The world began to look easy. There was rarely an enemy who was stronger than him. And even if he encountered them, the divine sword noslet glowed every time he defeated the enemy and gained stronger power. He became stronger than a swordsman who had been training for 15 years when he had been training for three months, and by half a year he was able to defeat even a famous knight who had trained for 20 years. The world was easy. Regardless of the dangers he encountered, the situation was easily solved by simply wielding the holy sword noslet. His teammates always listened to Leskapis words like a fool, and for some reason the Demon King always sent an enemy around his level. He used them as a foundation for his growth. When Leskapi said a word, women always blushed for no reason. He could get anything he wanted. Power, honor, even purpose. So, after he was chosen as a hero, There was one more warrior Leskapi began to hate the existence of Yoo Seodam, another hero who wielded a holy sword just like him. And then, Leskapi, who was afraid of the existence of the other hero, started to spread an unlikely rumor about his opponent. He is a demon! Hes Satan who stole the holy sword Youslet! Everyone in the world never doubted his words. The fact that he was holding a holy sword was like a proof that heaven had chosen him as a hero. So, everyone was furious when he mentioned that a demon had played a trick. And then, the world starts to see Yoo Seodam as a demon. And Leskapi became the sole hero of the world. He gained more and more confidence and finally, If I come back after defeating the Demon King, will you accept my proposal? It was now possible for him to confidently confess to Nisha Carmel, the most beautiful flower of the empire. Leskapi had no doubts, believing that the princess would also shyly accept his proposal while blushing just like any other woman. However, He didnt know. Protagonist correction didnt work on Nisha. Because she already met someone who could destroy these probabilities. Sorry. Give me some time to think about it ! At that time, Leskapi could see the eyes of the princess. It was a look of disbelief! Maybe, that look was supposed to be the normal reaction. Wouldnt he be like that too if someone proposed to marry him at the first meeting? The two didnt even get to know each other at all. However, Leskapi had confidence he could win everyones favor . And so Leskapi approached the princess with all of his sincerity and tried to win her heart. He hoped that Nisha would really fall in love with him. However, it was too late now, the princesss heart was moving far away from Leskapi. Before long, Leskapi became angry with the princess, and realized. He himself did not love her either. He just wanted to make her his wife because she was the most beautiful flower in the empire. So his goal became simple and clear. The marriage itself had already been approved by the emperor. If he returned to the empire after defeating the Demon King, the Princess would become his wife. It should have been that way. The demon Yoo Seodam kidnapped the princess! In a week, the wedding between the demon of rice cake soup and Nisha Carmel will be held under the arrangement of the Demon King! The empire was overturned. It was an absurd situation where an imperial princess could end up marrying a demon! The emperor called the warrior Leskapi urgently and ordered. Defeat the Demon King within a week! It was an impossible task. No matter how strong Leskapi was, it had only been a year since he became a hero. He had not yet obtained enough strength to defeat the Demon King. He needed at least 10 years, or even 20 years more to train while growing stronger by killing more of the demon kings subordinates. He would certainly die if he went now. However, Leskapi was a hero. He was obligated to save the world, the empire, and the princess. Hahaha. Can I bring.the imperial armywith me? What are you talking about, Oh great hero! Only the hero could stand against the Demon King! For the first time, his opinion was rejected. It was natural. As long as a warrior existed in this world, only a warrior could fight against the demon! That was a law created by the protagonist correction received by the hero. It was created to prevent anyone from intervening with the heros achievements. It was created so everyone had no choice but to rely on the warrior. Ah. Only then did Leskapi realize something. He was already too late. But he shook his head. I am a hero. The hero chosen by the world. The first hero in thousands of years to wield the holy sword noslet that could only be wielded by a true hero! I can do it! Thus, the hero, Leskapi, charged with a white horse towards Demon Castle, showing off his reliable back to people of the empire. But, exactly three days later. [You have successfully hunted a level 78 protagonist.] He returned as a corpse. * * * The hero is no more Nisha muttered while standing at the top of the wall and gazing at corpses of countless demons laying around everywhere. Not all these demons were killed by Leskapi. Most of them were killed by Yoo Seodam. He couldnt help it. Because if he really took the princess to the Demon kings Castle, both of them would die. Yoo Seodam put holy sword Youslet on the floor. A holy sword that had never been used since it was picked up. Right next to it was the second holy sword Noslet that Leskapi had left behind. Now What will happen to the world? Well. At least it wont be destroyed soon. Sorry? The theme of the protagonists story in this world was the hero and the demon king. However, it was not such a common clich where there was happiness in the end of the story, rather, the theme wasThe hero who could not save the world. In other words, it was a world where the Clich Twist was about a hero who couldnt defeat the Demon King. What would happen to the hero who failed to defeat the Demon King? After the world gets destroyed, the hero escapes from this world with his wives and goes to another world. That was the original ending that Yoo Seodam saw 50 years in the future. But now, such an ending would be no more because the hero Leskapi was dead. Sizzle.. Th..The holy sword is disappearing! Both holy swords turned into particles of light and disappeared. Nowwhat will you do? Will you become the new hero? Ehei~ I dont think that title will fit me. But the world still needs a hero. Yoo Seodam smirked at Nishas words. He raised his head and looked far away. Because the protagonist had died, the protagonist correction was gone as well. Now, all the powerful constraints surrounding the world had disappeared. Du Du Du Du!! There it is. Thats! The fluttering red flag she saw was certainly the flag of the army of the Anwar Carmel Empire. Yoo Seodam watched the incoming army and handed the ether blade he was holding to Nisha Carmel. Its too far to go back, so Ill lend this one to you, be careful its expensive. Isnt this Seodam-nim sword? No. Its not just any sword. Its the third holy sword. The third one? No way. Why? Theres a second one, is there any law that states that there cant be a third holy sword? Is this really?? When Nisha spoke as if she couldnt believe it, Seodam replied by clicking the button on the ether blade. No. Actually, Im lying. Its not the third holy sword. What? Because you dont need any qualifications to lift it. Just hold it up, press the button, and the light will come out- Yoo Seodam continued, -The qualification to lift a sword is not determined by the sword, but by the person who must prove it by themselves. From this moment, this sword is the third holy sword. You need to prove it to the people that you are a hero worthy to wield this third holy sword. That.. Isnt that what you really wanted to do? Nisha flinched, as if she had been hit by lightning. He was right. Rather than the title of the most beautiful flower of the empire, she wanted to fight the demon army as a hero. However, she couldnt do it, because in this world, it was the duty of the hero to fight against the Demon King, and her duty was to become the heros wife. However, if the world didnt have a hero, it meant that anyone can become a hero. Nisha Carmel, hesitated for a moment before accepting the ether blade, then she took out something. It was a pure white flower. A flower that was small and delicate, but still emitted strong life-force. She put that flower on Yoo Seodams chest. The flower, which looked like nothing, was the only gift she could give to Yoo Seodam at that moment. Eventually, she met Yoo Seodams eyes and smiled. Then, she walked towards the edge of the wall. Below, the army of the Empire were looking at her with longing eyes. The clouds and darkness are lifted, and the light of early dawn pours down. At that time, it was really really a coincidence that one of the first pillars of light lit Nisha Carmel. Everyone listen! ! At the edge of the wall of the Demons Castle, Nisha Carmel, whom they thought had been kidnapped by the demon, appeared, and all the knights of the Empire lifted their heads and looked at her. Pr, Princess! Thats the princess! The Princess is there! Just when tens of thousands of people looked at her, Nisha Carmel raised the sword and pushed the button. It was just a sword that anyone could hold, but at this moment, it was a very sufficient scientific instrument to dazzle everyones eyes. Nisha Carmel looked around. The previous hero is dead. In time, a beautiful glow burst from the ether blade. Nishas voice was rather low, but it reverberated towards everyone. So, from now on, I will catch the Demon King. As she said so, the system message appeared. [There is no story to interfere.] [Fast forwarding time.] The worlds time has accelerated. A day passed in just a few seconds. A month passed in minutes, Yoo Seodam rubbed his face. In the fast-flowing time, he could see Nisha Carmel grow more and more. In a world where she would have perished, Nisha Carmel led the forces of the empire and fought the Demon King. Now that the Demon King failed to properly recover his original power, it was a war worth trying. Nisha Carmel was no longer called the most beautiful flower. She was now called as the strongest and most courageous hero. So, one day. The Demon King fell, and Nisha Carmel put her third sacred sword on top of the Demons Castle. The first victory achieved without a hero. There, Nisha Carmel raised her hand and swung the imperial flag. [Stabilizing time.] [Current time: May 30, 3070] [Current location: Anwar Carmel Empire, Empresss Office] Yoo Seodam? As she turned her head, Empress Nisha Carmel, with her brown hair and brown eyes, was sitting in her office and staring with a puzzled look. Her youthful looks were no more. Nisha Carmel had grown into a wise Empress from a young but confident woman. Oh my God. She rose from her seat, and walked toward Yoo Seodam, her gaze suddenly went to his chest. A flower that she had put in as a joke on that day decades ago was still there. The flowers still maintained its beautiful appearance and sweet fragrance. The flower has grown big. .Yeah. and you are still the same. Nisha opened her mouth and closed it again. It was hard to believe that the very man who had been the pillar of her heart for decades had finally shown up in front of her. There were so many things she wanted to say. There was a time when she prepared the coolest and most powerful lines in case he suddenly appeared. But he didnt show up, and just when she forgot to wait. He finally showed up. ..Sometimes, I used to dream. It was a dream with the same thing every day. What kind of dream? In that dream, I survived alone in a perished world. A world where everything had collapsed. A world where the Demon King had not been defeated. And, in that world where the hero ran away from the world, Nisha Carmel stood alone, preparing to accept the destruction alone. It was a terrible dream. Even though the Demon King was clearly defeated, I didnt know why I had such a dream. And today, the dream is finally over. ..Because you appeared in front of me at the end of my dream. Nisha laughed brightly. From then on, you go back in time You removed all the stories that could lead into world destruction. Uh, but it wasnt intended to be such a great deal. Thank you. In fact, she may not need other words. Since that day, Ive been working really hard. I always think of you every time I feel exhausted from fighting. Thank you very much. After being silent for a moment, he checked the date and opened his mouth. Happy Birthday. Eventually, the figure of Yoo Seodam disappeared, and Nisha was left alone while looking at the place where he once stood. She bowed her head once again. In the end, she couldnt show him what she wanted to show. .. Nisha left her office and headed for the gardens of the Imperial Palace. Over the past decades, after Nisha had been fighting against the Demon King, she focused her attention on something. That something was restoring Yoo Seodams image, who once called the devil, and now as a hero again. And it was quite successful. She was finally able to build a statue of him in the Imperial Palace. Arriving at his statue, which was almost 5 meters tall, Nisha looked at it quietly. Its a nice statue. Nisha turned his head as she heard a voice from her side. There, she found a girl with straight black hair and blue eyes standing next to her. Despite being in a place where no one could come in, Nisha wasnt alert at all. She was already used to people popping in and out in her life. He is the one who saved my world. Is that so? Hes still the same. Do you know about Yoo Seodam? I dont know and Id love to know. Thats why I came here like this, but I think Im too late. The girl stared at the statue, But that statue. He looks more handsome than the original? Especially around the nose Huhu. Memories tend to be glorified over time. After Nisha said that, she looked at her girl again, and she had no choice but to be surprised. When she looked at her for the first time, she was a young girl in her mid-to-late teens, and now she had already grown up and became a woman in her mid-to-late twenties. You, what are you? Ah, its become like this again. Im sorry. Because I lack the ability When passing through the portal, I was exposed to a twisted fragment of time. How does he get through these things. When she said that, she smiled bitterly as she took her necklace out and touched it. It was an object that did not exist in this world, a necklace made of bullets. Im still looking for you, Professor. Before long she disappeared silently, just like when she appeared. Chapter 85: These days, even superpower can be modified(1) In the corner seat of a certain caf, two women with beautiful appearances were sitting by the window. This sight would surely draw some attention if the caf werent empty. One of the two beautiful women was Taylor Nine, and the other was a woman called Joya Blestash. Just like Taylor, Joya has beautiful silver hair and gold eyes, she was Taylor Nines older sister and the eldest daughter of the Blestash family. Unlike the perfectly poised Zoya, Taylor sat with her legs stretched out. She chewed the straw of her coffee while her chin was resting on her hands. Taylor. Isnt it time for you to come back? I dont think so. The Russian Blestash family was an unusual family. From generation to generation the members of this family were able inherit superpower. Thanks to this, all nine children of the Blestash family had superpower related to dealing with light. It was a very unusual phenomenon. It has not been proven scientifically or unscientifically. Are superpowers actually inherited? If not, how did the Blestash family inherit superpower? However, this inheritance phenomenon didnt happen in the Blestash family alone, there were few other families who had this kind phenomenon too, so it wasnt that unusual these days. Among nine children of the Blestash family, Taylor Blestash or Taylor nine was the youngest among them. She also possessed the weakest abilities among them. Her abilities were very straightforward. Making a mass energy-producing light float on her palm. From the beginning of her awakening, her abilities possessed quite a strong energy output, so she received great interest from the family. But unfortunately, that was all that her ability could do. She could neither move the sphere of light nor give the energy to someone or something else. All she could do was float a lump of light with powerful energy. Her superpowers, which could be dangerous if touched, were nothing more than just a flash. How long are you going to work under that funny pseudonym? You are really a disgrace for the family. Hoo! Excuse me, Ahjumma. It was only one line but theres already a contradiction in your word. How can I be a disgrace of the family when Im working under this funny pseudonym? Taylor. Public knows that you are a Blestash. So lets stop now. Eh hey, this ahjumma started talking nonsense again. As a human, we need to have guts! Ive been doing this for 16 years already, shouldnt I reach that 20 years point? Sigh. Your shallow way of speaking is still the same. You got along with those vulgar things, thats why you become like this. Ohh.. Miss Knight here is so noble and dazzling. Since the outbreak of war with monsters 31 years ago, most superpowers have been used to hunt monsters, but of course not all of them. One example of superhuman who didnt use their power to hunt monsters was the Brestash family. They didnt work in the hunter industry, but rather trained their superpowers for military purposes, for war against non-monsters. However, it had been decades since the last war broke out. The Blestash family is now a special superhuman family dealing with light, who had dedicated their lives to Russia, and operated under the title of Knight. An honorable family of knights of light dedicated to the nation! What a beautiful and pretty word. In fact, when the title of knight was revived alongside with the rise of superpower, countless superhuman joined the movement, and all of them said one same thing, Hunter is a vulgar job. Taylor couldnt help but snort after hearing those words. Just who did they think was fighting against monsters? And why did they pretend to be a knight after awakening their superpower? However, it was impossible to laugh openly at them because they already grew too strong. Unlike hunters who grew by rolling on the battlefield, knights were able to possess very powerful power through systematic training and constantly injecting high quality ether to their body in a safe place. Why did they ask me to come back now when they were the ones who kicked me out in the first place? We didnt kick you out. You left by yourself. It was a story from a long time ago. When all of the eight brothers except her awakened the power of light and were being appointed as a knight, she ran away from the family because she couldnt use her power well. It wasnt a very good memory, but when she thought about it now, she believed it was a good decision. Thanks to that, she was able to meet the most precious person in her own life. Father wants you to come back. Theres an empty seat for you in the Royal National Knights of Russia. Your career as a hunter would be your fault, but father has also acknowledged your S rank ability. So come back. Now is the time to end that vulgar life and return to your original status. With that said, Joya took a picture out of his arms and put it on the table. Father wants you to marry him. He is the eldest son of the Romanov family. Unlike those friends you hang out with, he is noble from birth. The man in the picture was someone Taylor knew. He was a genius among geniuses. He was an SS rank hunter who possessed both psychic and body-strengthening ability. Wow. You want me to marry something like that? He looks like someone who only eats bean sprouts for every meal. You cant demean a persons appearance, Taylor. Taylor struck the picture with his index finger and sent it back to Joya. Im actually pregnant. Its 4 months old. Really? Fu-hat, of course not. Actually, my taste is a Korean man, so if you want me to marry someone, bring me a Korean man. Taylor. You cant go against what your father said. Is that so? Will you still come out with such a confident attitude if father called up the council and proposed a knight duel? Hearing Joyas words, Taylors eyes, which had been calm all the time, trembled ever so slightly. Ever since the rise of superpower, families with unusual abilities began to protect the secrets of their power more and more closely. They firmly believe that superpowers are contained in their genes. Likewise for Brestash, if one wants to go outside and leave the family, they have to ask for a duel. However, Taylor in the past skipped the process. At that time, she couldnt use her ability at all. I dont know how youre so useless, but now you have a corner to roll them in, so you can pull them up as an excuse. I wont allow that. I need to know with what honor that my father wants you, who is still weak, and who cannot properly express your ability unless you rely on the ether dispenser. With that said, Joya got up from her seat. So, come back on your own two feet, Taylor. When she disappeared, Taylor, who had been sitting there for a while, scratched her head. Ah, what a shitty day Then she suddenly turned her head and saw some high school girls looking at her way with exciting eyes. Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Its the first time youve seen a political fight? Unnie! looked at this way! Unnie! Please curse one more time! Taylor immediately covered her arms and got goosebumps. What in the world is that? Are they crazy bitches? * * * The Geumgang Gymnasium has always been my go-to place whenever I want to train my physical strength. Of course, in the past, I did it desperately just to survive, but nowadays I used this facility to test my Mystical ability. One talent i obtained by hunting Leskapi this time was, [You absorbed Leskapis talent Insight (B).] [Your level does not rise because you hunted a low level protagonist.] [780 days of lifeforce has been paid.] I was finally able to absorb Lee Dong-joons skill that has been delayed too. [You absorbed Lee Dong-joons skill Dharma Pungcheonbo_ĦL첽(SS).] [This skill resonates with the How to run like the wind (S) and merges.] [Acquired the skill Dharma Heavenly wind god technique(SS+).] A whopping SS rank skill was absorbed. At first glance it looks good, but In fact, I wasnt very lucky. Dharma was a level 500 expert. He had more than hundreds of skills. Most of them were martial arts related skills, most were SS ranks and the lowest were S rank, and some of Dharmas original skills were all SSS ranks. It is true that I wanted the skill of SSS rank in my heart, but I was quite satisfied by the fact that the skill was combined with the existing skill and became a SS+ rank skill. And lastly. [5000 days of lifeforce has been paid.] [Your current Lifespan: 10386 days 14 hours 28 minutes.] As soon as the lifeforce was paid, my whole body underwent another change. Unlike the skeletal changes I experienced in the Himalayas due to a sudden multiple level up, this time it was a simple change, such as clearing the skin and improved vision. What.. As I slowly approached the mirror in the corner of the gym and looked at my face, I felt something had changed. Somehow, I looked like how I was in my early twenty, and my skin was much cleaner. Is that so? If it increases by about 10 times, will i turn into a baby? Hum. At first, I traded my lifespan to live. However, I grew stronger and I hunt protagonists to achieve my goal now. Does that lifespan really mean anything? Will I be able to live my entire life and die? How? hm You can use your life for other purposes too huh. It might be pretty useful if I ever find myself in a critical situation. Then, lets use what we got. As I rolled my feet lightly and bounced my body, I felt something become much more lighter. Before the upgrade, I felt like I was riding on the flow of the wind, but now I felt like I was running through the path of wind I created myself. If I have to make a comparison, it should be said that before the upgrade, it felt like driving on unpaved gravel in a wagon. But now I feel like driving on a paved road. There was considerable difference in the smoothness of movement and speed. Everything was better than before. However, no matter how many skills you absorbed, one cant simply use it after getting it. The Dharma Heavenly Wind God technique cant be activated easily. It was similar to the Library of the White Witch. The Dharma Heavenly Wind God technique will only be activated if I calculated my movement properly and was on a certain angle and a certain position. I fell a lot. I couldnt even count how many timesI fell. I ran and fell to the point where I bruised my knee. But I didnt stop. In order to use it in live combat, no matter how tired, difficult, and distressed I am, I have to train repeatedly so that it would become a muscle memory. After awhile, [Skill Dharma Heavenly wind god technique _ĦL (SS+) is activated.] My step was a little better than before. Pheww As I fell on the floor and was huffed in satisfaction, someone came up and gave me a drink. When I accepted it and lifted my head, it was Taylor Nine. Uh? What are you doing here? I got a text message, didnt you say you want to hunt? But it looks like you are already tired. Is there anything interesting going on? Oh sorry. I forgot. Come to think of it, I sent a text message to Taylor before I went to another world. Now, the difference between reality and another world is not very large because I can adjust the time difference by 3 to 5 times myself. In other words, Ive been in another world for less than half a day. Ill go hunting soon. I was just testing the power I had recently gained. Is that so? Hmm. Taylor knows that I am gaining power in another world. So, when I told her, she never had any reaction to it. But for some reason, Taylor scratched her own cheek and carefully spoke. Well, out of all the powers you gained from the other world Is there any power to deal with light? Chapter 86: These days, even superpower can be modified(2) When the world first found out about the existence of superpower, America was the first one to propose the ranking system. They proposed this in order to differentiate the power and utilization of superpower. The class system at that time was simple. It was only from C rank to A rank. However, since then, more superpowers appeared thus the current superpower rankings were created by distinguishing power by too weak to too strong. Starting from the lowest E rank and going up to the SSS rank, this ranking system was actually nothing more than adding ranks one by one. Some superhumans had the best abilities, and people classified them as A rank. But the very next day, a stronger superhuman appeared and people gave it another A rank. It was a period of confusion. Too many superhumans appeared. and then one day, a superhuman who reached the limit of humans appeared, and then the first S rank appeared. It was then the superpower ranking system was properly established. Unlike the usual superhuman, that superhuman surpassed the power of A rank. So, they add another rank to the ranking. That was the Super Rank. This title, it waa given to only those who had reached the human limit. It was the most honorable title to be given to a superhuman, and very few have received it. An S rank superhuman who has reached the limit of humans. However, will one neglect their training just because they attained S rank? No way. In recent years, SS ranks, which are said to have transcended human limits, and even SSS ranks have been discovered, and even when their progress has stopped because they can no longer absorb ether, they still continue to grow further by honing their superpower. However, it was impossible for Taylor Nine. There is only one way to make her stronger. It was by injecting ether into her body to increase the output of her superpower. The reason for that is simple, the form of her superpower was fixed. It was in the shape of Sphere. It was impossible for her to make another form, and so she could only increase its power. This was quite common. Those who have a fixed type of superpower can no longer develop. Just as their appearance was determined when they were born, so were their superpowers. No matter how high the output is, if their utility was bad, they would only get a low rank. That was the case of Taylor Nine. Taylor Nines superpower, sphere of light, was an ability that allowed a sphere of light float on top of her hand. It was an unfitting ability for a hunter. Its real! When I touched the ether dispenser, the sphere of light moved! Seodam, its just as you said! However, by coincidence, she discovered that she could use an ether dispenser to move the sphere of light. And the utility of the sphere of light expanded. Because of that discovery, it was possible for her to create a shield of light, or a sphere of light that bended as soon as it touched an object and shot at another target by using a named ether dispenser. But in the end, she could only do it by relying on tools, not her own control. Taylor could move the sphere of light to some extent without a bat after long-term training, but in the end, it is only an E-rank ability. A superpower with high power output but no utility. So, you want to be able to deal with various forms of light? Right. Why all of a sudden? Yoo Seodam looked at Taylor with a questioning gaze. She twisted her hair and shook her head. The family suddenly wants me to return. So, Im thinking of applying for the duel and walking out from the family confidently. Ah, your family. Didnt you say they despise Hunters? But arent all superhumans of your family knights? Unlike hunters, knights were superhumans who dealt with humans and they were quite a nuisance for hunters. They were also called the police for superpowers I do not care about that. Because I am also a villainous hunter. But, should I say the problem is that all my siblings have slightly better superpower than me? I rolled in mud to grow stronger while they grew up eating good food and getting infused with ether every day. Even with the same S rank, there is a wide variety of differences between them. Perhaps they have a much stronger output than Taylor. Besides You cant use the dispenser in duels. ..What? Without a bat, Taylor becomes an idiot who could do nothing. Yoo Seodam was the one who knew that fact better than anyone else. Thats crazy! If you dont have a dispenser, even an E rank monster will beat you up! Then what do you want me to do? Go back to my family? Theyre going to sell me off in an arranged marriage like in dramas. The only way for me to avoid that is to fight one of my siblings and beat them in a duel! And Ill leave that family forever! Or, do you want me to marry some random shit? Huh? ..no. As Yoo Seodam frowned, Taylor slapped him on the back and suddenly his mood improved. Okay, anyway, I came to see you. Because you are the only one who has two ways to help me. Two ways? Yeah, The first is like before I came here with the thought you could help me with something quirky and unique. Besides, you are DDR- Its DR. Yeah that! Anyway, youve been learning an unusual skill in another world. Maybe you could give me a hint. That was right. Then the second way? The biggest problem Im facing is the arranged marriage. Solving this is actually simple. I just have to bear a child of another man. Its really simple..But am I the only one who could help you with that? Then who else is there besides you? Taylor looked into Seodam in the eyes as she spoke. Her eyes looked nonchalant. It was weird of her to ask something like that. Seodam sighed and swept his hand over his face. The easy way is the second, but. Then shall we go make it right now? Wh-what? Ahaha! Im kidding you punk! Dont be embarrassed like that. Phew.. If so, in the end, Yoo Seodam needs to make sure that Taylor attains a level that can beat a S-rank superhuman. But would it be that easy? The opponent Taylor would face would be someone who already possesses superpower close to perfection with superior output thanks to constant ether injection. On top of that, the Blestash family was a family that specialized in dealing with superhumans. It was almost impossible for Taylor, who couldnt use her superpower properly without an ether dispenser, to quickly grow. Besides, except for magic or martial arts, Yoo Seodam really didnt know anything about superpower. -Hey witch~ Whats wrong? -Its similar~ Similar? -To magic. Currently, Taylor kept a sphere of light floating on her palm. In order to observe the sphere of light closely, the flower spirit came out of the inventory and sat on Yoo Seodams palm. He called the spirit because he couldnt find any magic related book after searching through the Library of the White Witch. As a result, he got some pretty useful information. The structure of magic and superpower is similar. Magic and superpower used different types of energy sources. Magic uses mana, while superpowers use energy called ether. Unlike Mana that comes from nature, Ether is the energy of life itself. But just because the energy source is different, would the resulting structure be different? Just as diesel and gasoline are different type energies, both have a similar structure. Magic and superpower were also like that. However, while magic was an act of giving Mana a physical form through formulas, spells, and magic circles, superpower could only follow the prescribed form. Wait. Then, maybe this What if we could transform Superpower using formulas just like what they did with magic? Is there a way to freely control the flow of energy? Earths superpowers were discovered only a little less than 30 years ago. It was absurdly insufficient for development. However, the Library of the White Witch was a magical product with thousands of years of history. On Earth, form is given to etheric energy in tens of thousands of ways that we have never dared to think about. I think its worth trying? What is? I think I can change the form of your ability. It looks like something will happen if I look at it myself. Really? Dont be such a tease because Im really excited here? Instead of answering, Yoo Seodam put his hand under Taylors palm. Try reducing the output. If Taylor put her everything in the output, it was impossible for Yoo Seodam to keep up because of his magic power and magic level. As the sphere of light gradually became smaller and finally reached C rank, Yoo Seodam closed his eyes and activated the Library of the White Aitch. A magic book related to light appeared in front of him, and the flower pot grabbed it and started reading it. The magic book contains methods and formulas for dealing with light in dozens or hundreds of forms, and some of them could be reproduced with a simple flow of energy. From now on, I will show you the way. Try to memorize and copy it. Ugh! Slowly, Seodams mana flowed through Taylors wrist and gradually moved into the sphere of light under the control of the pot. Eventually the magic began to twist and rotate in a strange direction. It was a flow of energy that people of the 21st century never thought of. Magic was determined by completely calculating everything such as a certain amount of magic power. The speed at which the magic power flows, and the direction the magic power flows, and its also applicable to Ether energy. Ah.! That mass of light, which had never taken any other form besides a sphere for nearly 16 years, began to change. It was a very simple change. Seodam just changes the shape of the sphere to an elongated stick. Hold it. . Taylor slowly grasped the bar of light, it reminded her of a baseball bat. Make a sphere with the other hand and swing it. She followed Seodams advice and made a sphere with her other hand, and swung the lights bat to hit it. Claang!! The sphere of light flew and disappeared after hitting the wall, just like when Taylor used a named class baseball bat, It was her first time firing a sphere of light without the aid of an ether dispenser! Uh. Sizzle! However, it was only possible to swing it once. The bat of light quickly disappeared. It was because Yoo Seodam was the one who shaped the light, so Taylor could not maintain the shape by herself. It was like teaching a primitive man how to design electronic circuits to convert a voltage when the primitive man knew nothing but to make it burn more by pouring oil over the fire. Still, her basic output was strong, so if she could complete her training, she could display even more destructive skills compared to now. What should I do to be able to do that? Isnt that obvious? Yoo Seodam pointed his finger to his back. There was a superpower control meter that looked a little cheap. You need to train like crazy. From that day on, Taylor Nines special hell training began. * * * This translation hosted by Nocturne Translation* * * The training process was not easy. In the first place, Taylor output level was on the high side among S rank superhuman. But in terms of control, it was pretty bad. In addition, it is impossible to teach her about the calculation and magical parts, because just like Yoo Seodam, Taylor wasnt really a studious person. There was no other choice but to control the flow of energy and follow the movement of the magical power. With so much time, Taylor wasnt nervous. After a month, she was able to turn the sphere of light into an ellipse. She was amazed by the fact that she coule train her superpower. She was happy that she could study the same discipline, discuss superpower, and practice together with Yoo Seodam. After two months, she was able to transform the sphere of light into a slightly elongated baguette. Every day was a thrilling time for her. At some point she forgot about the reason why she trained her superpower. Duel? Arranged marriage? Those were no longer a concern. She was just enjoying this moment. And when three months had passed. It was a night of full-moon. Taylor got out of bed in her underwear and walked to the window. At first she felt awkward in Yoo Seodams officetel because it wasnt the studio she was used to, but now she has managed to adapt. Leaning her arms against the window, she looked out blankly. After some time, she raised her hand. Fwooosh! A bunch of lights slowly gathered in the air, and soon it took shape. It wasnt the perfect shape of a baseball bat like what Yoo Seodam made three months ago. Still, it formed the perfect rod shape. In other words, Taylor finally succeeded in transforming the form of light perfectly with her own power! Somehow, her heart was beating quickly. She wanted to scream loudly, but she didnt want to wake Yoo Seodam who was sleeping soundly. She squeezed her fists and squatted on the floor, her body was shaking, she made a very timid, delicate and restrained ceremony. KKEEEUUU!!!! It was a silent roar. F*** It! I did it! However, it was also a very strong cheer that echoed through the entire blue sea. Chapter 87: However, It had become my hideout (1) While Taylor Nine stayed and trained in Korea for three months, I traveled around Seoul to find a place that could serve as a guild office. Because I thought it was time to introduce the guild to the public. I dont know what kind of plan Yekaterina had, but if she really comes into my guild, shell take over all guild operations. I need to complete all preparations beforehand. In addition, as a member of the Another League, Ha Sun-young has been taking Ye Sa-hye wherever she went while teaching her about swordsmanship at the same time and her achievements were numerous. It looks like we would get a guild member soon enough. Ha Sun-young, she was someone who created her own swordsmanship without having any guide or teacher. She absorbed all kinds of technique and mixed it with her own. Recently, Ive been teaching her some swordsmanship I learned in the fantasy world. The swift swordsmanship, the slow swordsmanship, the heavy swordsmanship, and the lightweight swordsmanship. These four sword techniques are very simple and straightforward, so from the point of view of Murim people who have lived in the martial arts world, these sword techniques may look like a joke. However, these sword techniques were very useful for dealing with monsters, it was not meant to be used against humans. A swordsmanship that completely erased the psychological warfare between humans. A swordsmanship that could effectively kill an existence that is several-fold stronger than human. Surprisingly, Ha Sun-young completely absorbed not only Murims swordsmanship, but also Fantasy worlds swordsmanship! Presumably, Ha Sun-young would be the best hunter in New Murim league if you exclude Seol Jungyeon from the list. In addition, Sunyoung Swordsmanship has become a sword technique suitable for dealing with monsters and become a great help for Ye Sa-hye. Its been less than half a year since she started learning Sunyoung swordsmanship properly, but she already achieved D-rank in terms of output. On top of it, I taught Ye Sa-hye a few basic magic spells, and she learned it at an amazing speed Now that the protagonist has disappeared from earth, I have no idea about ??her stats or what kind of skills shes using. But, my guess is she had some learning-related talents and skills. Or, maybe shes just working hard at it. If Ye Sa-hye grows a little bit more, she could handle both swords and magic at the same time. Also, shes the only one who has studied administrative subjects, so shes actually the smartest one in my guild. For that reason, I only need a guild office There arent any places for new guilds here. Go somewhere else. Guild office? Theres none. But theres probably one left in Bangbae-dong? Hey. Ive been out here sometime. Why dont you go to the Muran market? No, no. Go to Pangyo right next door. This man In Pangyo, all guild hideouts were already sold out half a year ago. This is the situation I faced. Securing a guild office in the crowded metropolitan area was as difficult as eating cold rice cake soup while lying down! Guild hideouts were legally allowed to store ether dispensers inside a special safe that can withstand an explosion. And the building also needs a special facility to install them. So you cant just randomly buy a building and proclaim it as your Guild Hideout. If the size of the guild was a bit large, a training ground with a special energy barrier was also needed for the training of its members. The building will also need a kitchen, laundry room, medical care room, game room, gym, swimming pools, and many more. It means that the building itself needs a variety of facilities to be useful as a guild office. Of course, I dont need that much, if the building meets the minimum conditions (a special ether safe), Ill gladly take it. I still havent found a building for our guild office even after 3 months of looking here and there. I didnt know it would be this bad. At this point, I am very sorry for Ha Sun-young and Ye Sa-hye. Hunters basically stay in the guild office of their respective guilds. When they arent dispatched, they will spend their time leisurely to relieve their stress and recover their condition. But both Ha sun-young and Ye Sa-hye were living in a temporary studio and moving around in motels. Ha Sun-young said that it didnt matter, because she thought of me as her benefactor in the first place. Id rather find it in the region. Thinking that way, I walked down the road to find the next place. But suddenly the flower spirit spoke. -Hey, witch~ What is it this time? -It smells good~ Yeah, there are a lot of bars nearby. -Not that~ The flower spirit was silent for a moment, and as usual, I ignored it because I know she would ask for a bottle of alcohol soon enough. But she spoke once again -It smells like spirit What? Spirit? Here? -Yes~ No way. On Earth, you could only find a spirit if you are really, really lucky. But theres a spirit around here? In the middle of Gangnam? Where? - in front of you~ As I walked forward following the flower spirits guidance, I saw a huge plaza located in the middle endless row of skyscrapers. It was Gangnam Plaza. This place, which was created after the original got swept away by bombing after the Great War 31 years ago, was a meeting place for people in their twenties and a kind of important place where numerous prestigious guild offices were situated. So, where is the spirit? Theres nothing here. -Its down there. Down? Did you mean in the sewer? -Eum. Not that At that time, the flower spirit activates a scan magic. My vision was dyed with magical power and began to detect the area, and surprisingly, a huge, really huge dungeon was just below me. Dungeon? It was the first time I ever detected a dungeon with magic, so I dont know what I should do next. However, when the dungeon is created, all area 10m around the dungeon will be closed until it is resolved, and the soldiers will always be on standby until the hunter in charge appears, but there was no one nearby. As if they didnt even know that the dungeon occurred. This is the Hell. What is that? Anomaly observatory usually tracked and ranked the huge energy waves that occur in the area to detect the possible dungeon and gates. However, they couldnt detect the dungeon that appeared in the middle of Gangnam, where the floating population could be tens of thousands of people a day. If that dungeon was out of time and was synchronized with reality, a catastrophe would have occurred. Im glad I found it. Ive been doing this for 16 years, but this is my first time finding one with this method. Theres no case of an accident or someone accidentally entering it? What that meant was simple. Isnt it a hidden dungeon that only I can enter? * * * Hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * So, I brought Taylor, Ha Sun-young and Ye Sa-hye to Gangnam. Originally, I was going to leave Ye Sa-hye behind, but Ha Sun-young insisted on taking her along by saying, Actual experience is important! Leaving them behind, I approached the stone statue in the middle of Gangnam Square and touched it, and a certain energy flowed from there. I wouldnt have known about the identity of these energies before, but now I know. Are you making a portal? I just know. Ive been going back and forth through that portal so of course I can feel it. What do you mean refer to it? But before I even asked the question, the world was distorted and turned upside down. [You entered a wandering dimension, The Dead Spirits Floating Garden.] ..Ugh! Heook. Ouch, my head. Perhaps because I chose a half-dimensional movement rather than a normal dungeon entry method, I could hear unpleasant sounds coming from behind. I raised my head and looked straight ahead. Soon, I lost my words. . Its no joke. True to the name of Floating garden the entire dimension floated in the air. Right now we were standing at the edge of the floating garden, a place I believed to be the entrance. In the distance I could see dozens of tall buildings and a huge castle. This wide floating garden was all dark as if the sun did not exist. However, surprisingly, it was dazzlingly bright because of fireflies-like things that spread out in the air. Light particles floated in the air as if it were snowing, long bridges that shone every time you step on them, and mysterious structures and floating objects that glowed softly. In addition, the night sky was decorated in purple, red, and blue aurora. Should it be called fantastic? Or should it be called dreamy? It was a very beautiful place. Pretty.. Ye Sa-hye couldnt even come to her senses in front of this great spectacle. While Ha Sun-young held her smartphone and pressed the shutter without hesitation. If you look at the sunset as a clich, it had a close relationship with the ending. So, I heard, most of the ruined world often stops around sunset time. However, an eternal evening comes to a world that has taken on a complete end. A world where the sun would never rise again. This dimension was that world that had just reached an end. Hey. Isnt that a monster? Taylor said as she tapped on my shoulder, and I turned my view straight towards where Taylors finger pointed at. Red, blue, green, and other fiery-like creatures were flying in the air while wearing armor. Really? Still, if the energy bursts and dungeon synchronization occurs, well be in big trouble. Dead dimension huh? Well, then, even if we leave it alone, the dungeon synchronization wouldnt happen, right? Hum. When the monster appeared, Ha Sun-young changed into her uniform and pulled out her sword, while Ye Sa-hye wore a grade 3 ether suit and pulled out her ether blade, and Taylor took out her baseball bat. She didnt need it anymore, but it seems like its a habit of hers. I also pulled out a temporary 3rd grade ether blade. However, I didnt move forward. Whats wrong? Is there any problem? No. Its not like that. Originally, theres no entrance to enter this world. However, with the help of the System, entrance has been created. And itll be possible to construct a gate that could only be used by Guild members through Magitek. Besides, this dimension was a dead dimension, a space that will be left alone forever Suddenly, I turned and spoke to the three women about my idea. This place, the location is good, no one can easily enter, the scenery is beautiful, the size is so large and there is even a famous rice cake dumpling soup restaurant right next door. ..? I made a pretty good suggestion to the girls who looked at me as if Im a weirdo. Lets get the boss and occupy this place. Chapter 88: However, it had become my hideout (2) Lets cheers for anonymous donators who donated 4$ and 45$ each. You guys roooooooocccckkkkk!!! Grab your popcorn guys, its gonna be a loooong read. The chapter party, Begun! The energy wavelength of the dead spirits floating garden was S rank. A S rank dungeon was never easy. Normally, a team consisting of several S rank superhumans was needed to clear it. I wouldnt be able to guarantee success if I entered the dungeon alone. Thankfully, I have S+ rank Taylor Nine and SS+ rank Ha Sun-young, so there was no problem at all. However, as time passed, the dimension gradually lost its power. Thanks to that, it should be easier for me. Anyway, I could eat the floating garden more easily. Lets not kill the spirits. Why? No matter how I look, theyre nothing but a bunch of Ether crystals. After conversion, it wont amount to much. They look like a lump of magic for my eyes. Is that so? Taylor and Ha Sun-young still looked like they didnt understand, but they still followed me and we moved forward while suppressing the spirits without killing them. Thanks to this, the raid slowed down considerably. And after some time, we safely reached the point where Spirit King, the boss monster of the dead spirits floating garden, resided. It was neatly chopped with the sides of the bat and sword, so that it was wide enough not to die. -Die!!! You evil guys!!! Unlike other spirits, the Spirit King of the floating garden still had his consciousness. Thanks to that, the conversation went well. Take this. -What is this? Its a contract. I will provide the necessary energy needed by this dimension, so hand over your land documents. -Ththats! I will save your men too. So, in the future, work for me. -! For reference, I didnt have any power to do that. But, didnt I get a Lifeforce for completing every quest? [3000 days of Lifeforce has been deducted.] [Giving energy of life to the spirits of the floating garden.] There was a time when I was struggling to live for one more day. However, I could earn lifeforce anytime I want now. And itll soon become my second currency. In the first place, I could only get a small Guild HQ with the money I have in my hand. Spending some life force for this whole dimension was a profitable business. -Uh -This is. -Spirit king! The total number of remaining spirits in the floating garden were 100. In fact, there was no need to revive them all. However, it was inevitable because I needed a lot of manpower for the HQ interior in the near future. As the spirits began to wake up one by one, the Spirit King knelt in front of me with a thrilled expression. -Thank you, thank you very much! Dont mention it. You just need to work hard from now on. Perhaps it was because of the energy I gave them, the spirits listened to me well. And with the help of the Library of the White Witch I was able to study how to extend the life of the spirits who got their life back. [.These spirits are a kind of Elemental Spirit. Theyll grow by receiving the energy of nature itself. For example, the spirit of rain gets their energy from rain, the spirits of thunder get their energy from thunder strikes, and the spirits of flames from a fire] Their nutrients were natural phenomenons that exist in this world. However, after the end of the world, the spirits who fled to the floating garden were unable to get such energy and eventually their lives were completely taken away. I wasnt God so I couldnt make a thunderstorm instantly, but at least I could plant flowers to create a small flower garden, forest, or an artificial river. ..So. In this dungeon, we are going to plant flowers and trees and make an artificial river. You are also planning to create an internet connection, an etheric radio pole, and toilet? Yes. Ha Sun-young, what do you want? Shall we even make a swimming pool? No, crazy. You dont have to. Its okay. The housing price is cheap around here. Dont be burdened and say it I dont need it. So, I started to completely flip the inside of the dungeon. All the buildings were left as it is while all the free spaces were fully utilized to create a natural environment where the spirits could at least obtain natural energy, and even a plastic house was built. In addition, I paid another 500 days of lifeforce in order to create a portal that could communicate with the outside world. And a Dimensional pass was engraved on all the girls. If you have this tattoo, you can come to this place anytime you want through a Point near Gangnam Square. Oh Amazing! Although it has consumed a considerable amount of lifeforce, it cant be helped. Creating a portal was necessary in order to let all guild members to freely enter the HQ as well as to allow the Internet, electricity, and radio waves to get through.. At first, Taylor, Ha Sun-young and Ye sa-hye only showed a lukewarm reaction, but three months later. I love it so much! I think its romantic! At the moment, all the necessary construction was almost completed. All the buildings inside the floating garden were already rebuilt into a modern style building. And Ye Sa-hye was the one who expressed her liking first. After Ye Sa-hye, the other two also showed their approval through their expression. HmIf its here, its perfect for training. There are no people, and you dont have to worry about the noise. Well, its more comfortable than the former union building. Ye Sa-hye said she wanted to work in a place like this, Ha Sun-young said it was a good place for training, and Taylor just liked the night view. It became a very good hideout. There are still many things to attend to in the future such as building additional facilities, but there is no problem whatsoever because we wouldnt run out of space anytime soon. All I needed to do was utilize all of the remaining space. Hey, Seodam. I am not a member of your guild, is it really okay to give me a pass? Think of it as a love call. This crazy guy. Do you know how long I have been in the Villain Hunter Alliance? Its a love call. Just think about it slowly. Taylor sighed, then said with a murderous smile. All right, you bastard. Once I go back from taking care of some housework, I will think about it. When Taylor said she was going back to Russia, I remembered Yekaterina. Since we even built a guild hideout, we could act as a real guild now. The half year that Yekaterina had promised was almost over, so its time to pick her up. But, before that, I should go to America first. * * * Washington, D.C. U.S.A Seol Jungyeon was active in the United States as a leader of the New Murim League. A SSS rank superhuman who showed up with great ambition! SSS rank superhumans had only appeared a few times. That was why Seol Jungyeons appearance drew a lot of public attention. Most of the SSS rank hunters that appeared before her were already in retirement even before they hunted and had never been interviewed on TV due to reasons such as unstable abilities or personality. Also, Seol Jungyeon didnt shy away from the limelight. She revealed herself to the world and showed her presence strongly so that the world would recognize the existence of Jungwon Murim. A world where people of Murim could freely operate without interference from any country. Besides, it was good to show his face and act as well Master. There were also people outside. Ugh. Those damn things have come again. Thanks to her subjugation activity for the past few months, Seol Jungyeon was able to set up a large office in Washington, D.C. However, this place wasnt free of troubles. People were camping outside to see a glimpse of her beauty. With platinum hair that gives a gloomy feeling and pink eyes that look like lotus flowers, her appearance was very different yet mysterious and beautiful. On top of that, she is also a SSS rank Murim warrior as well as a DR. Isnt she really the right girl to steal peoples hearts? Head of Murim was a sacred position. The fact that the people of the Earth saw Seol Jungyeon as a celebrity made some Murim elders fume in rage. If it were before, the elders wouldnt hesitate to kill any civilians because of their impudence. However, this was the modern era and they had to live according to the times. The elders didnt have any choice but to endure. They were no longer people of Murim, but modern Murim. Let it go. As Seol Jungyeon said so with her tired eyes, Shin Hye-ji nodded her head. As a person who knows modern laws better than anyone here, she was following Seol Jungyeon under the instruction of Park Songho, who worked as the secretary of the new Murim league. And she was absolutely loyal to Seol Jungyeons words. She showed a strong willingness to really kill herself on the spot if Seol Jungyeon wished for it. They come here because they like me anyway Outside the window, quite a few people were holding banners with Seol Jungyeons face printed on it. Some of them even screamed to make her look towards them, Those people were commonly referred as hardcore fans. If Joongwon Murim became independent, we wouldnt see them anymore. Unfortunately, people of Murim were scattered around the world because they could not be gathered and there was no place for them to gather. It was an unavoidable reality. They just accepted it and lived. And suddenly, Master. A guest has come. Who is it? He is hunter Yoo Seodam. ..! Let him in. Yoo Seodam was someone who held the seat of New Murim Leagues Military advisor. He had the authority to participate in any meeting. However, before the elders could even react, Seol Jungyeon let him in right after hearing his name. It was a rude gesture towards the elder and they expressed their disapproval and Seol Jungyeon also looked embarrassed. She realized she made a mistake. Im sorry. I made a mistake. Yoo Seodam, who walked through the door, noticed that people inside the large conference hall were looking at him with ugly faces. Whats wrong with them? Seol Jungyeon said in a subdued voice while pressing at her temple. Lets finish here today. Elders please go back. However, we have not yet decided on the participant of the upcoming SS Rank Great Rift and SS Rank Monster Subjugation . You take care of it. ..Yes? yes! As Seol Jungyeon, who seemed to be in a somewhat sour mood, slowly crushed the atmosphere with her qi. the elders glanced towards each other and walked out from the hall. However, Shin Hye-ji was still sticking to Seol Jungyeon without a change in her expression. Seol Jungyeon also said to her. You have suffered a lot too. Go and relax a little. Thank you. Eventually, once everyone left the conference hall and there were only two left, Yoo Seodam sighed while stealing a glance towards her. With what kind of look you are trying to kill a person. Pheww. its originally like this. By the way, for what purpose did you come? Seol Jungyeons mood had changed significantly from the previous one, she smiled gently and spoke to him. Yoo Seodam sat down across her. I heard that there are many troubles regarding the independence of Jungwon Murim. ..right. Seol Jungyeons expression hardened slightly. However, Yoo seodam failed to notice it and continued. I think I can fix that for you. Perhaps, I could find an environment that resembles Jungwon Murim. Is there such a place in this world? Yes. But its not exactly in this world, its in another world. Huh? As Seol Jungyeon made an expression as if telling him to elaborate, Yoo Seodam explained to her. Theres a small bubble world that transcends dimensions, and it was located in a hidden space between worlds. Earthlings cant see and recognize it. . Well. Lets say we turned the earth upside down. And theres a very large place there. Its a place no one has ever found and I can go there by creating a door. Is it awesome? Isnt that great? I like that. Seol Jungyeon couldnt understand half of his words. However, the appearance of Yoo Seodam who eagerly explained it while moving his hand in the air was somehow interesting and cute. Seol Jungyeon simply listened to his explanation with her hand stuck on her chin. In any case, Ill show it to you soon. Probably, if we put multiple exits, Murim people from all over the world can gather at any time. Yeah, thank you very much. Seol Jungyeon felt sincere gratitude for the consideration that Yoo Seodam showed even though she didnt really understand his words. Anyway, what she could infer from his words was he would give Murim people a space for free activities. Probably, the Murim people may be able to recover their minimum self-esteem and work as freely as before. Of course, Yoo Seodam hadnt yet found the space that could be used as the new Jungwon Murim. Therefore, he wanted to take Seol Jungyeon around to find a useful space. According to the systems words, there are quite a lot of dead dimensions on earth. The New Murim Alliance was also a part of Yoo Seodams force, so it would be great if he could help them to work freely. After that, Yoo seodam elaborated more about the new space that would be used by the people of Murim. And after some time passed, both of them shut their mouths together to conclude the discussion. After few moments of silence, Seol Jungyeon spoke, And. Do you have anything more to say? Hm? About the monster subjugation request. Not that. Hmm. For the re-establishment of martial arts in modern society Not that. ..How is the weather today? Not that. Seol Jungyeon got up from her seat and gradually approached Yo Seodam while gently sweeping the table. Then she put her hand on his chest and squeezed his face. Yoo seodam gulped when her face was only a breath away from him. Do you see me only as a Leader of Murim people? Ah, no? I gave up the name Cheonma because of you. However, I lead a new Murim alliance for your sake, not for their sake. I am very grateful for all your help to Murim. Seol Jungyeon places her thighs on his lap. She was a pretty petite girl, Yoo seodam couldnt feel any weight from her. Its been a long time since we met each other and you just talk about work. At least, when such talk is over, how about sharing a private story? What an unattractive man you are. .Sorry. Are you sure youre really sorry? Yes.. Then Seol Jungyeon smiled brightly and hugged his neck. Seol Jungyeon was someone who always had a cold expression wherever she went. However, that wasnt the true form of Seol Jungyeon. Her cold, sharp, heavy, and gloomy expression was nothing but a fa?ade. Its the duty of the strongest of the Murim alliance to maintain such a cold and heavy atmosphere. Because, by doing that, the seat of the Murim leader will not be insulted. But when she came into a place where she could throw away all of those fa?ade. A place where she wouldnt have to care about anyones eyes looking at her. When I am with you, I am not the Master of Murim. . Im just Seol Jungyeon who burns in loneliness. She could throw away that fa?ade at any time when she was there. Chapter 89: 21st century witches (1) While Yoo Seodam was in the United States to find a wandering dimension for Jungwon Murim, Taylor Nine returned to her hometown, Russia. It was a huge federal state built on a vast land that took ten hours for the sun to reach every inch of its snowy landscape. The home of the Blestasch family was located in the quiet countryside of Vladivostok, 10 hours earlier from the regional clock time. Blestash really tried their best to imitate a noble in the modern era, with their grand mansion built lavishly and everything else. Taylor Nine, who wore a silver dress sat quietly on a chair with a badge of silver light, a symbol of the family. Her hair was neatly trimmed. Its nice to see you again, Taylor. Her brothers and sisters had gathered around her because of the family meeting. Unlike 16 years ago, they did not ignore her presence and tried to talk to her. Youve been living filthily for years, be careful not to be rude to people. Of course, they didnt talk in a friendly way. Taylor glanced at one of her siblings with an indifferent eye. They glanced with contempt at Taylors bob hair. Its good to be proud of their waist-long hair, but Taylor thought it would be nice to show them that her haircut was the hottest trend these days. These bastards havent even watched Leon 3. Anyway, only the old people gathered. In the past, she was afraid of this place. An aristocratic family in the modern world where nobility has vanished. The reason they were able to pretend to be noble was because of the imbalance of the power beyond common sense, namely, superpowers. More than 15 years ago, the very first superhuman villain group declared they will conquer the world using their power. And then, they were subjugated by people who called themselves villain hunters. After that incident, the establishment of hierarchy using superpower was banned all over the world. Of course, it was impossible to ban superpower even when they banned hierarchical systems. Several Russian families produced outstanding superhuman knights and gained considerable power, which soon take their status to akin to old aristocracy system Taylors influence within the family was close to zero. Blestash had a unique culture which bestows the right to talk through superpower alone. It was because of the history of the Blestash family who received their peerage with only one Superpower. It would be great if those cultures were non-existent in the first place. Because harassment was a daily occurrence in the family. They also hurled insults towards Taylor because of her weak superpower. Taylor had a childhood that was worse than the life of a family pet. For Taylor Nine, Blestash was a hell she never wanted to go back to. In fact, the moment she came back here, she felt stuffy. However, She understood. What was I scared of? The 8 siblings gathered here right now were all a S rank superhuman with better output than her, they also received elite education, and were truly nobles among the nobles but, they were only kids with no actual experience. Kids who were intoxicated with expensive clothes, food, and vodka as if they were real nobles. When she first ran away from her family, she knew she was a coward. She felt that it was only natural for people to treat her as worse than human because of her weak superpower. She only knew that if she had no superpower, she would have nothing to do in this world. But it wasnt true. By chance, she met a boy without superpower who had a clearer goal and courage more than anyone else. Even without superpower and talent, he always stood in front of other superhumans and led them. Everyone else also leaned on him. Thinking this way, should I say that the current Yoo Seodam is very fortunate? Overtime, his confident-self started to wither away to the point where Taylor had to question her judgement about the boy. When everyone else awakened their Superpower and succeeded, he was the only one who couldnt get a proper place in society. After all, society was also a superpowered-oriented community. So, when she was young, Taylor fell asleep every night with a wish that she would rather give her superpower to Yoo Seodam. Of course, that didnt happen. Sixteen years ago, he gave her courage. He was the one who observed an inferior and useless superhuman like her more than anyone else. He was also the one who helped her to become a proper hunter. And even now, 16 years later. He still gave her the courage she needed. This time he was in a position where he could meet eye to eye with her. .I cant have fun here. The 16 years she had lived so far was a very precious time that cannot be replaced with anything else in the world. Those times could never be ignored. Youre all gathered. It is good that the youngest come back before the important banquet. The noisy hall fell silent with one word from Alexadre Blestash. He is the Patriarch of the Blestash family as well as Taylors father. The faint sunlight leaking through the silver-colored window frames shone on Alexandres silver hair, but it did not shine. Maybe it only looked like that in Taylors eyes. Alexandre looked around the hall and soon their eyes met. As if he lost interest in Taylor, he soon looked away from her. Even though his youngest daughter returned after 16 years, it was a reunion without any sentiment. Alexandre only mentioned Taylor existence once, and that was it. .It became clear. I have to leave this place. Until now, Taylor had escaped from the family for a brief moment (16 years). She was able to do that because the family gave her their permission. However, now that she is able to use her power, Alexandre would think it was only natural for her to stop doing lowly things and work as a knight. A permission, in other words, when the family wants Taylor to come home, they could forcefully summon her. By the way, Alexandre hadnt even once cared about Taylor who bet her life in the battlefield for the last 10 years. Yet suddenly, he wanted her to return because her power had become useful. Its ridiculous, really. Taylor couldnt even join any guild she wanted because the family only allowed her to leave but not join any organization. The Union where she was quite active only participated in some activities with trusted personnel and it was ambiguous to say that place where she belonged to. In order to join Yoo Seodams newly created guild Another League. She must cross a gateway called Alexandre Blestash. * * * The prophet is gone. Even though it has already been close to half a year, the Morian Guild has not disclosed that fact to the world. They still pretend they had the prophet among their ranks. However, Morian stated that the prophet couldnt make any prophecy for the time being due to some reason. They were trying to buy some time by saying so. It seems like they had a way to replace their reputation if they take the time like that. Yekaterina looked towards the hall. Underneath the chandelier clinging to the ceiling like stars, the luxurious banquet hall filled her blurry vision. She had lost her sight, but when she used her magic with the help of Library of the White Witch she could see the world for a while. The banquet hall was filled with people. This banquet was called the Knight banquet. An event that is held only once a year in Russia. Only those who called themselves noble could attend this banquet. But now, not only knights, members of Morian Guild as well as other major figures from all over the world attend this banquet to make a connection with others. The reason Yekaterina was able to appear here was purely because of the whim of Morians guild master, Avon. She was originally a woman who would never disclose the existence of Yekaterina to the world, but Yekaterina felt suspicious when she saw Avon behave as if her existence doesnt matter anymore. I was thinking to ask her to duel me with the witchs law, but the plan went wrong. Originally, I had no intention of coming to such a place. Yekaterina sat quietly in the corner with her eyes closed while sipping on a glass of wine. In her life, she didnt have any experience with both alcohol and men. The latter was because Avon strictly forbade her from doing so. She was quite awkward in this regard. The other witches were already hanging out with someone, while she sat alone in the corner of the hall. In her heart, she wished that Yoo Seodam would appear and accompany her. But soon she erased that thought. From now on, I have to do it by myself. Yoo Seodam already rescued her from the hell, allowed her to learn magic, which had been her lifelong wish, returned her music, and promised her a place to stay once she left Morian. She already received so much from him, she couldnt burden him more than this. Oh, this is my first time seeing you. How did I didnt know that theres such a beautiful woman in the Morian guild? From time to time, theres people who approach her. However, Yekaterina always reject their company by saying excuses like, Because Im not feeling well. Literally. She had a pretty emaciated face. Her appearance now was way better than how she used to look before meeting Yoo Seodam. However the traces of living with nightmares everyday while stuck in her room for more than 10 years without seeing any sunlight properly were still there. The people who approached her easily believed her excuse. In the meantime, she tried to grasp information about the banquet as much as possible. Did all 7 knights families gather here? Taking full advantage of her blurred vision, she looked at peoples faces one by one, and found a woman that stood out from the rest. Shes Taylor Nine. A woman she saw in the prophecy together with Yoo seodam. She belonged to a Knights family? Somehow, Taylor Nines expression didnt look good. She thought to go and talk to her, but then she remembered that she didnt personally know her. She soon looked around the other audience members, except for the knights. It was an unusual banquet filled with renowned people from all over the world. Although few guild officials were also present, a man who seemed to be the chief of the secretary of the Lost Day guild stood right next to Avon. Come to think of it.. Didnt she say that shes been conducting research on how to realize magic through science? She had heard a few times that the reason why Morian was able to carry out the ridiculous experiment of mixing science with magic. It was because of Lost Days enormous funding. Such experiments had been around for a long time. Around last year, Yekaterina still remembered that Avon was angry because the magic experiment conducted in deformed dungeon was largely unsuccessful because of Yoo Seodam. Wait a minute What is this? The combination of people who gathered here was strange. There werent many guild members or hunters, most of the attendees were those who could exert great influence in the society. It was her first time attending a Knight banquet, but this banquet was way bigger than she initially thought. Surely Suddenly, an idea crossed on her mind. Avon climbed onto the podium and caught everyones attention. I am the Master Morian Guild, Avon. nice to meet you. She spoke slowly, as usual. Actually, today I came with a firm heart. As everyone knows, Im going to make an important presentation today. Phew at first, I couldnt say anything because my heart was trembling at the thought of talking in front of so many people. She threw some humor lightly. Oh my goodness.Mr. Khan there, hows your third daughter doing? She induces familiarity. Finally, she went to the point. Everyone, the subject Im going to bring out today is the story of amulet. The noisy hall quickly became quiet. Amulet. Very few numbers of veteran hunters and some well-informed institutions know about the existence of Amulet. However, everyone who gathered here today knew it very well. Amulet was a very unique and mysterious object that allowed people who did not have superpower to use it. Yekaterina was well aware that the amulet was the best item to take away all the attention from the Murim people who use mystical ability called Mugong who got famous recently. Yekaterina hurriedly looked around her. As expected, the camera was rolling, Everyone. Amulets are not a superstition. Its not even an unknown ability. It was a Study. The listing of text and numbers are the proof of it. And Ill name this study magic. ! Magic? People questioned Avons statement, but they never interrupted her declaration. They were also curious whether Amulet was another form of Mystical ability like Mugong. Avon raised his wrist showing the mechanical bracelet that she wore. Moreover, Magic does not consume ether. Like Mugong, it uses a new energy that exists in nature itself, we call it essence energy, and this is the result of using it. Wooong! A flame rose from her palm. At first glance, it doesnt seem much different from normal superpower. To prove her point, Avon had installed a bunch of ether detectors around her. They were detectors that immediately triggered an alarm when a superhuman used their abilities, and also detected changes in etheric wavelengths. The detectors ranged from a cheap one used in general roads and buildings, to high-performance one used by top-secret institutions, but none of the ether detectors responded to the magic. This is magic. Even in the modern world, magic has a long history. It has been handed down from generation to generation. However, as science progressed, witches had to hide in society, and most of the magic was lost. The witches who lost their magic circle couldnt find a way to activate their magic, and had to stay in hiding for hundreds of years But today!! By combining science and magic, the magic circle was finally implemented scientifically! The bracelet on Avons arm was the proof that Morian had successfully reproduced the Staff used by witches in the distant past using science. ..Oh my God. When a result she had never thought of appeared in front of her, Yekaterina was astonished. Because. Its too different? It was because Avons ambitious scientific magic was far lower than Magic that Yoo Seodam used. Chapter 90: 21st century witches (2) From now on, I will reveal magic to the world. As Avons voice poured out without any shred of hesitation, Taylor Nine made a complicated expression. Suddenly magic? Taylor knew a little about magic. It was an ability that Yoo Seodam frequently used. She originally thought that such magic could only be used by Yoo seodam. However, she knew about the existence of amulets, but she never thought that amulet was a by-product of magic. But thats. The magic shown by Yoo Seodam was completely different from what she saw right now. When Yoo Seodam used it, 3 or 4 brilliant magic circles overlapped in the air before the magic activated. However, Avons magic was activated through a device. There was no Magic circle, so it looked like a normal superpower. Of course, that doesnt mean that Avons magic wasnt special. Perhaps waiting in advance, three more wizards, including Avon, came out to show off more magic, they used a variety of superpowers. There were people there who could handle multiple superpowers at the same time. For example, activating both binding and attack superpower at once and the other one was creating an energy shield while possessing a body-enhancement superpower. All over the world, only a handful of superhumans possessed an additional Elemental superpower on top of their original superpower. However, most of them had similar-type of abilities. And only very few of those handful people had dual abilities that did not collide with each other. And there was no one in the world who had more than one Elemental superpower. However, the magician in front of Taylor activated several elemental powers at the same time. They made a gust while creating fire, raised a wall of dirt while making ice float in the air. The power itself was at the level of B rank, but the fact that one person could activate multiple abilities through learning was likely to overturn the whole world. Taylor immediately sent a message to Yoo Seodam. [Taylor: Hey] [Taylor: Where are you now?] His reply came quickly. [Seodam: America] [Taylor: What are you doing now?] [Seodam: I found a good dimension.] [Seodam: We are working on connecting the dimension with several portals all over the world so that the space could be used as a base for the new Murim league.] [Seodam: Didnt you say you go back to Russia?] [Taylor: Yep.] [Taylor: Are you watching the live broadcast now?] [Seodam: What live broadcast?] [Taylor: Ill send you the link] It hasnt been an issue because the broadcast only started a few minutes ago. But given time, people will go crazy because of it. Taylor thought that Yoo Seodam should know about this before that happened. Because soon, his identity will be synonymous with the word Magic and she thought that if others got it before him, he would be in trouble. However, Yoo Seodams reaction was quite plain. [Seodam: Oh theyre integrating magic with science.] Taylor was taken aback by his dry reaction. [Seodam: Did they make a device to activate magic because they dont know how to make a staff?] [Seodam: Should I call that an essence dispenser?] [Seodam: Its amazing] His interest seemed to be pointed at the technology of the Morian Guild. [Taylor: Hey! Have some sense of crisis!] Yoo Seodam was silent for a few minutes before replying. [Seodam: I dont think its necessary.] Then he added another sentence. [Seodam: As long as they dont go overboard.] However, As soon as Taylor read his last message, That is not the only possibility of magic. It was only one among many! Through magic, it was possible for us to open the gate of deformed dungeons that have been impossible to interpret so far! Saying so, Avon pointed to the back. There, a strange-floating word of Deformed dungeon shined like a mirage. This building, where the knights banquet was held, was located in Moscow, and had not been used until today since the appearance of the variant dungeon 10 years ago. Taylor has been wondering why the Russian government decided to hold the banquet in a building where a deformed dungeon was located. No way, are you effing kidding me? The deformed dungeon, which appeared in Moscow, was left unattended for ten years since it was impossible to enter. Fortunately, the interpretation was slowly proceeding based on various scientists theory that there were several decades left until synchronization occured. However, many people believed it was impossible to predict with the power of science alone. But now, Morian announced through the live broadcast that the entry conditions of the deformed dungeon, which spread all over the world and cannot be interpreted, could be cleared with magic! From now on, we will interpret the deformed dungeon that has troubled Moscow for 10 years. And then, Yoo Seodam sent another message to Taylor while watching the live broadcast. [Seodam: Fools!] * * * In fact, there would be no problem even if they opened the deformed dungeon. Most deformed dungeons had a level between A and S rank and opening the gate does not mean that there will be an accident immediately. Majority of deformed dungeons that appeared in modern times consist of unknown energy. Modern science couldnt figure out those unknown energy, but actually those unknown energy were essence energy a source of magic. Wiiinngg~ A giant machine rotated and began to interpret the entrance of the deformed dungeon. From now on, whenever a deformed dungeon appears, we wont have to be afraid because we dont know when the synchronization will occur. We will be able to recover the land we had to abandon. As a proof of my words, today, I will interpret the deformed dungeon in Moscow, open the gate, and attack it with hunters equipped with amulet. There were 27 hunters next to Avon. There were seven S-rank hunters and twenty A-rank hunters, each of them were equipped with an amulet, so they were capable of clearing S-rank dungeons quite easily. However, they arent aware of one fact. [Seodam: It could be quite dangerous] [Seodam: If a deformed dungeon were left unopened for a long time, the essence energy will accumulate and the internal power of the dungeon will be upgraded] In fact, in recent months, Seodam had been targeting Deformed dungeon rather than ordinary dungeon. Most of the ordinary dungeons were already assigned towards other guilds, so there was almost no place for a small guild like his. And while attacking numerous deformed dungeons, he was able to find out about the fact that when a deformed dungeon is neglected for quite some time, the energy inside the dungeon is accumulated and then stagnats. From that energy, either one powerful entity or a small number of elite monsters will be born! [Seodam: The last time I raided a five-year-old deformed dungeon a S-rank monster popped out like crazy as soon as I opened the gate.] [Seodam: I really struggled back then] [Seodam: The inside of the deformed dungeon is tightly stagnated.] Did 21st century wizards really know about these facts that even a 16-years-old veteran hunter and the Library of White Witch didnt know about? Yoo Seodam sent a text message to Taylor and a telepathy to Yekaterina through the Library of the White Witch. [Seodam: Get away from there.] -You shouldnt be there, you should leave. Something dangerous will come out. However, both of them rejected his advice. They realized that through this opportunity they would be able to break away from the enormous chain of fate that held their lives in place. [Taylor: talk to you later!] -No. I have work to do. Both of them returned to their original positions. Taylor spoke to Alexandre. If a deformed dungeon bursts, it will be dangerous. We must leave and warn other people! While Yekaterina spoke to Avon. Avon. You should not open the deformed dungeon. But. Taylor Blestash. Both your stupidity and deviation for the last 16 years is enough. Its time for us to grab new power and move forward. Alexandre Blestash. An S rank superhuman who couldnt reach his long-life dream of becoming a SS rank superhuman. Theres no way he would turn away from an unknown power called magic which could possibly make his dream come true. Also, Avon was the same. We want to reveal our magic to the world, are you going to interfere? If you dont want to be locked up again, stay quiet. After a long journey, she finally succeeded in incorporating magic with science, and established a place where she could properly spread her influence in the world with magic. She wants me to turn away from such an opportunity? And then, The gate of deformed dungeon finally opened. Ahhhhhh! ThThe dungeon is full of monsters! More monsters are popping out! Just like what Yoo Seodam said, the dungeon burst out and a strengthened monster popped out from the inside of the dungeon. Unbelievable.. Avon quickly stepped away from the dungeon vicinity, her face was pale. Monsters of A rank and higher! Ultimately, A-rank monsters were treated as a miscellaneous mob inside a deformed dungeon. The real deal starts from S-rank monster .At the least, it is an SS rank deformed dungeon. What kind of an accident is this? This place should be a place where she gained recognition by revealing the existence of magic to the world. It was only then that Avon recalled Yekaterinas warning. She slowly looked behind her. Yekaterina stood there while looking at herself with her usual expression. Yekaterina. Avon. I warned you. But, this was inevitable for our dream. I know. It was Avon who wanted the existence of the witches to be revealed to the world once again. However, the process was too cruel. How many people had she killed so far? How many people did she buy with the promise of power? How long had she been harassing Yekaterina? So, Yekaterina decided to negotiate with Avon as her last consideration. Avon. Lets make a deal. .what? Its a deal under the Witchs Law. It is an absolute deal that should never be broken. ! When Yekaterina mentioned the Witchs Law, Avons pupils shook. How could someone who grew up without knowing that she was a witch know about Witchs law? But that wasnt important. I have no power to defeat the monsters who escaped from the dungeon. But at the very least I can close the gate. Thats impossible. The closing device is still in the development stage! Its not that you dont want to believe I can close the gate? At those words, Avon opened his eyes wide. Avon was a witch through and through. Even though she was late to understand the situation due to an unexpected situation, she always pursued efficient transactions. What do you want in return? Promise with the Witchs Law. If I close the door of the Dungeon, the Morian Guild will let me go. Avon thought about it for a while, but there was no other way. Avon nodded her head, but she couldnt hide her clumsily maintained expression. good. If you close the door, I will surely fulfill my promise. It was hard to admit that her own magic was weaker than Yekaterinas Chapter 91: 21st century witches (3) The minimum requirement for a successful S rank dungeon raid was 3 S rank hunters and 20 A rank hunters. If so, in order to attack the SS Rank Dungeon, which is also called an out of ordinary dungeon, how many hunters would be needed? The answer is, at least a SS rank hunter was required. Of course, you could also succeed with a team consisting of dozens of S rank hunters. Thats very fortunate, because in this banquet, a lot of S rank superhumans were gathered. The total number of S rank superhumans present here was about 40, and theres also close to 10 S rank hunters from Morian Guild. S rank knights had the ability to defeat at least A rank monster. However, in order to hunt monsters effectively, a superhuman Hunter was needed, more than knights. Why? Because a Knights ability was only spectacular, extensive and not effective against monsters. Shit, a bastard lit a fire on the monsters head! Hey! Its jaw is opened up, Step back! These damn knights! If you dont know how to hunt monsters, please stay still! Ah! Your skill also hit me! Making the hunt inefficient and also causing damage to their own allies. In addition, monsters had a different body structure from humans. They shouldnt attack the monster with the same weak points as human. By the way, thats the only thing the knights know. So what can they do? They grew up only fighting among themselves to hone their anti-personnel combat technique. All of their battles werent life threatening. It was nothing but a show to entertain the eyes of the audience with brilliant superpowers and powerful power. If you attack like this, I will block it like this and then Ill launch a counterattack, and you will block it like this. That was the summary of battle between knights. Of course, thats not bad at all. With that kind of repetitive practice, they were able to react immediately when those situations happened. It was really good to be able to activate a slow superpower instantly given the situation However, will such a situation happen every time? Battling a monster was way different from battling a human. Monsters didnt have any sort of pattern in their attack. People are crazy about knights. And knights live with that pride knowing that their superpower was much more stronger than those of hunters. However, the reason why the public assumed that knights had stronger superpower than hunters was because hunters preferred efficiency above all. They exclude useless splendor and redundant moves as much as possible. Knights were certainly a splendid superhuman. However, they were nothing but a novice when dealing with monsters. Right after the entrance of Deformed dungeon burst opened, they were doing fine thanks to their strong power. But, when S rank monsters began to appear, they were slowly getting pushed back. The knights realized for the first time. About the world where the hunters they ignored lived in. About the reality of the monsters who invaded Earth. About the battlefield with real monsters. They always lived on the elite course, they thought that if they made up their minds, they could beat monsters easily. But that was nothing but their arrogance, the knights of the seven families realized it today. Crackk!! Cracck!! The entrance of the deformed dungeon was torn and something squeezed out of it. It was the head of an enormous monster with a blue scale and red eyes. The monster opened its jaw and roared. Crackle!! Ether sparks began to splatter all over the place. Woooong!! An unknown noise enveloped the hall. It was unknown whether it was a cry of a monster or a sound of space getting torn apart. and when the final boss finally escaped from the deform dungeon, everyone lost their fighting spirit. The ceiling of the building collapsed, and the light of the full moon poured on them directly. However, they couldnt see the sky because of the huge stature of the monster which blocked their view. Thats a real monster. Until now, hunters all over the world had been fighting against those things. Ah Even the S rank knight couldnt help but take a step back. Only the hunters stood in front of the SS rank monster. Looking at that giant monster, Taylor clenched her fist. She tried to recall her past experiences and knowledge that she shared with her colleagues from a long time ago. Hey, cant the flying guy just attack its wings? Are you crazy? Last time I touched the wing, a poison spread out and I almost fell down. Seodam is right. Some flying monsters have blades on their wings. Monsters are basically a creature that evolved easily. Their weaknesses that we could think of are covered by evolution. Through her experience of dealing with numerous monsters, Taylor was able to think about proper strategy to deal with every monster. They couldnt beat it by simply relying on their superpower. I can do it. There are around 50 S rank superhumans in this place. With a proper plan, they could defeat any number of SS rank monsters. She dragged her baseball bat and approached her father, Alexandre Blestash. Her bat was a superpower assistant that her father and her siblings despised. A symbol of weakness of someone who was unable to control their own abilities and had to rely on something. But at this moment, Taylor Nine wielded it proudly and stood confidently in front of her father. Father. Theres nothing to worry about. The Capital defense hunters must have been dispatched, and they will arrive before the damage gets even worse. Thats right. Russia was a superpower powerhouse, theres no way they would only wait and see the catastrophe happened in the middle of Moscow. However, if they arrive and defeat the beast. The 7 families of Knight have no power to defeat a SS rank monster, so the Hunter must help! I believe that would be the title of the article that will get published soon. She spoke loudly deliberately so all of her siblings could hear her, but no one could refute her. So, Taylor Nine spoke once again. But, I am also a hunter. She denied the title of being a knight. I know how to deal with that monster. As Taylor Nine, a hunter. And then, What if I defeat that monster as Taylor Blestash, a knight of the Blestash family? If so, the shameful stigma of defeating the monster with the help of the Hunters could be removed. Alexandres pupil shook, he realized the meaning of Taylors words. It seemed that Taylor wanted to deny the mindset he had pursued all his life. However, he had to abandon his pride and make a deal as the patriarch of the Blestash family. What do you want in return? If I beat that monster under the name of Blestash, you will remove me from the family forever. There was no room for concern. She had been gone for so long after the family denied her existence and now for the first time ever, she said she wants to help the family albeit it will also be for the last time. ..okay. Its a deal. Eventually, Alexanders permission fell, and Taylor shouted out loud at the knights of the family with an excited expression. From now on, Ill tell all of you about the proper strategy of how to deal with that monster, so Id really appreciate it if our honorable knights follow my lead! She was far from the word leadership, and she was also very bad at issuing commands and giving explanations. So, she only conveyed the necessary information in a very simple and ignorant manner. If you touch that babys neck, itll open its mouth right? No one should touch it before I tell you to do it. Hey, you stupid shit! I told you not to touch it before I said it! Dont hit the wings as much as possible! Understand? If you dont, try touching it! Other knights will use your death as an example to learn from, and its good that you, who is uselessly full of pride, disappear from this world. Its killing two birds with one stone! She clearly distinguished between do not do and must do. Shut up and just aim at the tail! Dont just stand there but go for it! What kind of punk lit a light in front of its eyes? Did you forget what I said earlier? Dont irritate its eyes with light! Hey, I just thought about it, but if you touch its nails, it will burst. Uh, you know what I mean right? Forget it, Ill take care of it by myself. Her plan was based on the knowledge and know-how which hunters had been studying for decades while fighting against those monsters. She didnt have enough time to explain it all. Nevertheless, she showed it all using her own body. The reason she wasnt scared of the SS rank monster was because she knew about the monster well. As a ranked knight, Alexandre was also forced to follow Taylor Nines instruction, and he had no choice but to regret his decision of disowning Taylor from the family. Because, Its a beautiful light. The ability that Taylor wielded resembled the ideal form that Alexander had pursued his whole life. Blestash had a total of nine children, and they all dealt with light, but each of them could only deal with one specific form. Some made rods of light, some shot light bullets, some made beams of light and swung it, and some made a shield from light. Eventually, all of her siblings met their growth ceiling and none of them could reach SS rank. Wouldnt his youngest daughter, whom he thought as the weakest one in the family, be able to use all forms freely? Taylor Nine handled light freely. Sometimes she wielded a rod of light, sometimes a bullet , sometimes a ray, and sometimes a shield of light. On top of the eight forms of her siblings, she was also able to use her father form sword of light. A superhuman who transcended all forms and dealt with the light itself. Alexandre Blestash trembled in front of the fact that his youngest daughter, Taylor Blesatsh, was the closest one to SS rank in the whole family. He had abandoned someone who could realize his long-awaited dream of SS rank for honor. What the hell have I done! Family honor? Money? Authority? Politics? That was all good. But, the reason why he raised her children strictly was to make them into a SS rank superhuman, a level that he himself could not reach. That, what. You can use superpower like that? Taylor Nines ability was one of a kind, a superhuman blessed with Gods blessing had appeared. They didnt have a set form of ability and could freely change their form just like Taylor. Kuung!! When the SS rank monster fell, people cheered briefly. Everyone was awed by Taylor Nines majesty. They had successfully escaped the immediate crisis. But no one could truly relax yet. The deform dungeon was still open, and thousands of beasts were waiting to pop out. Suddenly, a seven-colored halo poured out from the sky. People glanced towards it blankly. They saw a lone magician descend from the air with her hair fluttering. Magic, an academic study that uses essence energy as their source. That was what Morians guild master, Avon said to them. However, that magic was very familiar with ordinary superpowers. If she didnt explain it, they would only think that it was only an elemental superpower. That was their degree of knowledge about Magic. Avon may also have thought that was all magic could do. But it wasnt. They thought that way because they hadnt yet met the best magician on the planet. The magic of a real witch with incomparable talen who was stronger than Yoo Seodam, who taught her about magic and the flower spirit who likes magic. That thing! Is that, magic? Even though no one explained it, they know that what unfolded before them was magic. Four magic circles with four different colors interlocked with each other like a cog wheel, and the fantastic power that poured out from there couldnt be explained as something other than magic. Sometimes, a chain of translucent ice poured out and pierced the beasts, and sometimes a huge cube was created in the air to confine the beasts, and sometimes the space itself was torn apart and lava poured out from there and burned the enemies. The wizard eventually landed in front of the entrance of the dungeon and grabbed the huge magic circle with hand. Kwadududug! Like a miracle, the head of a monster who emerged from the inside the dungeon shattered and the entrance was completely closed. .. Silence. Everyone was forced to shut their mouths in front of the white-haired wizard who showed up with an overwhelming presence. As she slowly turned her body and looked at the world with her transparent eyes, the camera quickly turned towards her. Yo.you who the hell are you? Then, Yekaterina smiled vigorously. Her dark circles and tired eyes were nowhere to be seen. Today was the happiest day in her whole life. I am Yekaterina, the magician of Another League guild. Chapter 92: 21st century witches (4) The situation ended quickly. The knights did not lose their honor. Long before the Hunter reinforcements arrived, they had already defeated the SS rank monster with their own strength under the command of a knight. However, the knights now know the reality. The battlefield with the monsters was by no means easy, and that the world of the hunters is a lot tougher than their own. In addition, Taylor Blestash successfully walked away from her family with the permission of Alexandre. On her way, all of her siblings didnt even say goodbye to her. It was because they were ashamed that they couldnt show their superpower and hid behind their youngest sibling, whom they had been neglecting so far, while she fought at the forefront when the monster appeared. Of course, Taylor felt good about it and burst out laughing because of that. Just before she left her father said, If you miss your home, be sure to come back. But Taylor replied I dont think I ever will. Its funny. Even when she came back after leaving the house for 16 years, her dad, who showed little to no interest towards her, completely changed his mind with just one incident. Without such an accident, wouldnt he have had nothing to do with her forever? Rather than staying at such a heartless place, it was better to go to a place where she could interact with others openly no matter what happened. Of course, Taylor Blestash couldnt leave alone. Please take me too! Secondly, Yekaterina was also successfully cutting her connection with the Morian guild. In her case, it was doubtful whether she got permission from the guild, but in any case, the Morian Guild had no choice but to let Yekaterina go according to the Witchs Law. What can you do in society? You will soon change your thoughts. I dont think so! Both the Blestash family, who had to let go of Taylor and her transcending superpower and the Morian guild, who had to release Yekaterina, who possessed much better magic than theirs, they somehow tried to capture them again, but to no avail. But there was still one problem left, Yekaterina didnt have a passport, money, or anything else. So, at the request of Yekaterina herself as well as Yoo Seodam, Taylor decided to take her along. Wow Thus, presently, the two women were on a plane. Yekaterina focused her magic on her transparent eyes. Then, her eyes changed to a pure white color resembling Yoo Seodams eyes, this magic allowed her to temporarily gain sight. Wow, its flying! Ah! Dont be noisy. Is it your first time on a plane? Yeah. uh. okay. Anyway, stay still. Sure. I will also behave well. Then she looked at the seat by the window where Taylor was sitting, and said quietly. Well, cant I sit by the window? No. Hing. The sullen Yekaterina gave up because she thought she couldnt help it. She switched her attention towards the magazine stuck in her chair. It was mostly about bags and modern fashion, but she was interested in every single thing that was good or things she couldnt come into contact with when she was confined in the Morian mansion. Even when she was freed from the nightmare, she wasnt in contact with modern civilization, but lived exclusively with her spellbook! Taylor, looking at the figure, said with an annoyed expression. Move. eung? I said move. That place looks more comfortable. Ah, yes! I see. Eventually, Taylor, who gave the window seat to Yekaterina, leaned back on her chair. Looking at the window right next to her, Yekaterina exclaimed. Wow! Clouds! It was a child-like exclamation. Meanwhile, Taylor picked up her smartphone and turned it on. Korean baseball game was playing on her smartphone, and Yekaterina, who was gazing at the clouds a few moments ago, also showed interest towards it. Oh. Is that baseball? I also like it. Yes. Do you know the rules? Its a sport that earns points by throwing a baseball ball and hitting the goalkeepers head. Are you serious? Ah, of course its a joke! But its right? Yeyes? Yekaterina opened her eyes wide. She was really joking, but deep down she was wondering if the rules of baseball changed without her knowing. Because the team Im supporting plays just the way you talked about. Ah. Then, which team are you cheering for? Yekaterina asked every single question carefully. It was like she was trying to get to know the world through conversation. Taylor didnt know much about her circumstances, but after talking with her only for a while, she realized that she had been trapped somewhere. For that reason, albeit she was annoyed, she still gave her an answer. Hwade. Oh, um. Which player do you like? None. They are all trash. Ah, I see. Most of their conversations were like that. But Yekaterina kept talking to Taylor about many things. As if she was happy that she could talk openly with someone else. Yekaterina, who constantly chattered like a sparrow, soon fell asleep, and Taylor shook her head and watched KBO on her smartphone. * * * Time passed quickly, and it didnt take long for them to arrive in Korea. Its really fast! Its fast because you are asleep Taylor looked ahead. Incheon Airport. Arrival gate. Its a place she often passed by, but today it felt different. She rummaged through her pocket and pulled out one of her sunglasses. Then she suddenly turned to her side and noticed Yekaterina, who was looking around, and gave her one as well What is this for? Because camera flash will hurt your eyes. Hmm? Taylor explained in a rather ambiguous tone. Even Yekaterina, who had a good grasp on conversations, couldnt understand what she was talking about. Dragging her carrier and walking confidently towards the door, Taylor said to Yekaterina. If you go outside, there will be many people who come to see you. Why? When the door opened, dozens of reporters were lining up in front of the door of the international airport of Korea, which Yekaterina thought was a far place. Here it is. And then a barrage of questions were aimed towards both of them. (Yekaterina!) (Why did you decide to go to Korea!) (What kind of relationship do you have with the guild master of Another League Yoo seodam!) (About magic!) The translation device and the human voice interlocked. The noise was all over the place. Only then, Yekaterina realized that something was wrong. She faltered and took a few steps back. Her heart beat wildly. This is because it was her first time being surrounded by so many people. She wanted to run away, but her feet didnt move. She tried to tell Taylor she wanted to go back. But, Taylor only smirked at her. Tsktsk. Watch what this Unnie will do carefully. ..? Before Yekaterina could ask what she meant, Taylor dragged her carrier and walked forward. She raised her fist to the air and raised her middle finger. Fuck you! She shouted. ! It was surprising for Yekaterina. Wouldnt all those black people, who felt so terrifying, be embarrassed? From then on, Taylor walked confidently and spoke in Russian, not Korean. We will tell you everything in an official interview later. So go now! Go home early. The barrier that was in front of them gradually collapses. Like the miracle of Moses, a path was opened up in the middle of the crowd. In fact, this phenomenon was the know-how of reporters. They knew that nothing good would come out of blocking a Hunters path. But it really looked like a miracle to Yekaterinas eyes, who wasnt aware of that fact. Even in front of so many people, Taylor courage and confidence was something that Yekaterina envied. Hey, arent you coming? ! Eventually, they reached the end of the path and found a certain man standing there. He smiled towards them and waved his hand. It was a stupid yet trusting look that Yekaterina could recognize. It was the man Yekaterina only saw inside her dream. However, she could see, hear and touch him directly. By meeting him, she was able to gain real freedom both in her dream and in reality. This is the first time Im meeting you, Yekaterina. Yekaterina nodded her head at the pompous greeting. She was somehow thrilled. Then, she spoke at him in an awkward Korean. I wanted to meet you too. * * * [The worlds first Magic was unveiled by the Morian Guild!] [Amazing! SS rank variant dungeon in Moscow] [The hunters are amazed by the superpower of Taylor Blestash] [Wizard Yekaterina, why is she a member of the Korean guild?] [Another League possessing both martial arts and magic] Magic was revealed to the world. It was a field where even an incompetent hunter could acquire an ability through learning. Also, even those who are incompetent can learn! It was natural for the whole world to turn upside down. It wasnt because the incompetent could learn this ability. But because everyone could become a skilled person if they desired. Although the production cost of the essence dispenser was beyond imagination, the academic accessibility was also extremely difficult. It was only a matter of time before that part was resolved. Avon, the master of the Morian Guild, held a press conference the very next day after the dungeon breakout. Since the birth of mankind, there have been numerous discoveries and numerous inventions. Somehow, it was a hot voice filled with passion. Mankind was the first to discover and deal with fire a million years ago, electricity around 600 B.C., invented and dealt with gunpowder around the 7th century, discovered the magnetic field in the 13th century, coal and oil after the 18th century industrial revolution. And in the 19th century, we finally developed electromagnetism, and finally in the 21st century we started dealing with nuclear fission/fusion. While all cameras around the world were paying attention, Avon slowly released the press conference as if giving a speech. And then 31 years ago, humanity discovered ether energy and finally reached the pinnacle of science. Somehow, her voice was filled with emotion. But, today!! She seems to be choking. As if she was sincerely blessed with the great discovery of mankind. Humankind has once again discovered new energy called essence and raising the possibility of endless development! Essence, this fantastic power, is the energy generated by the circulation of nature and the universe itself, and it is an infinite energy which would never dry out. And we can use this energy to use the mysterious and great science of magic! When Avon finished his speech, people gave her a standing ovation, and reporters screamed questions. I have a question! What do you think about the fact that the previous SS rank deformed dungeon could not be closed! In the case of another magician, Yekaterina, she said she was from Koreas Another League, please tell us about it! A lot of questions came in, but she got rid of unnecessary questions and answered only those that were as stimulating as possible. Ah Yekaterina? I am sorry for her. Weve been working on Essence Energy for hundreds of years, and Yekaterina was one of our researchers. But just yesterday, in an official party, she betrayed our Morian guild and left. Would that mean? Avon said with an expression of broken heart. Her magical knowledge belongs to the Morian Guild. As evidence, we have vast amounts of information amounted to hundreds of years. Both Superpower and Mystical ability were now recognized as property. It was a very sensitive issue both socially and commercially. Moreover, what if the dispute was about magic becoming a hot issue these days? She could never let it pass. Hey, I have no choice but to respond to Yekaterina and her guild, Another League based on the superpower special intellectual property. Shortly after, camera shutters started popping out from all directions. Yes, Yekaterina. I dont know how you learn magic, but. She was definitely showing a little more advanced magic than Avon herself, but it was meaningless. Because the origins of all magic in this world eventually began with the Morian Guild! No matter how excellent magic techniques she used, Yekaterina left the huge castle called Morian and headed for a very small boat. Moreover the boat was not even capable of fighting against them. According to the Witchs Law, witches must keep their promises. Because if they break their promise, theyll lose both their magic and eyesight. if so. She needed to make Yekaterina break her promise and make her come back on her own. Come back, Yekaterina. Magic is ours. Chapter 93: 21st century witches (5) In accordance with the special intellectual property rights of superpower, disputes related to superpower will be judged internationally regardless of the country. In other words, just because Koreans possessed magic, the Korean government cannot immediately take possession of it. Of course, since Koreans are Koreans, in order to somehow preserve magic as theirs, the Korean government dispatched competent lawyers and agents to assist Yoo Seodam. However, their assistance doesnt mean much. In the first place, the judging criterion of superpower intellectual property rights was in the end, how much can you claim ownership of those superpowers?Even if theres an attorney who knows the law well and good at debating, can they really win against the evidence that Yoo Seodam would present? No way. However, Korea also wanted to do their best. Since the Morian Guild has already revealed that they have been researching the science of magic for hundreds of years through YTUBE and various news channels after the press conference, the chance of victory of the Another League and bringing copyright of magic to Korea was quite slim. Yekaterina and Yoo Seodam of Another league, please take a seat.. In the case of a dispute over the superpower special intellectual property rights, a hearing was held at the International Association of superhuman, and the interference of the country was impossible. The International Special Committee Hearing held with a total of 500 attendees and more than 50 lawmakers. No wonder Yekaterina is very nervous. Seodam handed Yekaterina one of his horn-rim glasses. This is? Its Glasses of Courage. If you wear it, you become brave. Theres something like that? Sure. Cant you believe me? I believe you! Yekaterina nodded and wore the glasses. Of course, there was no such thing as glasses of courage in the world. I just said it to give her some courage. Not only Yekaterina, but Yoo Seodam himself was quite nervous. In his 16 years-old-long career as an F rank hunter, he had never stood proudly on such a big stage. However, within a year, his whole life changed drastically. He killed a reincarnator, he killed a regressor, killed a reincarnated body of witches with power comparable to gods, killed a legendary holy sword that ruled the empire for a thousand years, and stood against the demon king and killed the worlds hero as well. (T/N: Sad Dharma didnt get a mention.) Of course, theres also a mix of exaggeration. However, what had happened in the past one year had taken Yoo Seodams mental strength to a whole new level. Thanks to this, he was able to avoid being scared stiff in such a place. But courage alone couldnt change the world. But its a good idea to show such courage in front of the super-giant guilds like Morian and Lost Day. Courage is just the minimum preparation you need before a fight. Avon of the Morian Guild, Yu Haram of the Lost Day, please take a seat. Seodam looked straight ahead. In the case of superhuman copyright and plagiarism disputes, the association would prepare a place for both parties to present their evidence and discuss some things before deciding who is right or wrong. In other words, just like Yoo seodam and Yekaterina, Avon was also present in this place. Right next to her, Lost Days Guild Master Yoo Haram sat and looking towards Yoo Seodams side, with a relaxed smile Lost Day, huh? Yoo Seodam knew, when the variant dungeon appeared in Incheon, Lost Day was using a suspicious machine that combined magic and science that he didnt know the whereabouts of. At the time, Lost Day was very confident that they would break through the Dungeon. After all, they got help from a magic-centric guild like Morian. Now that he was kicked out of Lost Day, there is no need to worry about, but the character of Yoo Haram itself was a big wall that Yoo Seodam had to overcome. Seodam couldnt help but sighed while looking at the relaxed Yoo Haram. From now on, we will begin the discussion about Mystical ability that uses essence energy and the ownership of magic. All cameras focused on both Yoo Seodams and Avons face. First, Master Avon of the Morian Guild. Please speak. Avon got up and gave the narrator her greeting before she walked forward. As it was a hearing related to superpower, there were originally a place to fully demonstrate the superpower, or a variety of ether dispensers and ether sensing equipment, but now they have been removed and replaced with essence sensing equipment. Avon came out to the center and pressed the remote control towards the translucent screen. Things like ancient documents and materials flow out. Hello, Im Avon. As you all know, Im a magician. Everyone. Its only been three days since the magic was revealed. But do you know what? In fact, magic has been studied since long ago, even before ancient Egypt. Essence energy has been discovered very recently, but our ancestors have been using the essence of energy steadily in harmony with nature and the universe, and the result has finally emerged in my generation. The screen started from a very long time ago. Ancient magical characters engraved on parchment that have been judged by experts to be made more than a thousand years ago. With every click the time period moved closer to the present, and finally the age of creating magic with machine in the modern world. As Avon turned to his finger, an object wrapped in a thick cloth emerged. It was a very bizarre-looking machine. Wires were connected to the white crystal ball and things like round plates were spinning around it. The device which resembles a light bulb can be said to be more unique than any other dispenser Ive seen before. This is a dispenser that lets the magic manifest. So far, we can only use magic around B to C rank with the portable version of it. But if we increase the scale a little, we can use magic that is close to A rank. And this is also very useful for hunting monsters. Along with that, they released data about the magical machine that they have been studying together so far. The data footage, which had been filmed more than 10 years ago, contained trial and error of numerous magical machines, and it was perfect evidence that Yoo Seodam could never argue against. We have been studying magic for a very long time. Yes, Yekaterinas magic is more unique than ours. Maybe its more advanced in some ways than our magic. But, in the end, thats nothing more than a secret study of some of our magic. For that, we demand her to return all of her magic to us. Yes. That was a very good reason for the Morian Guild to argue against Yoo Seodam. They are claiming that Morian Guild was the only one that has developed magic on Earth Apparently, Yekaterinas magical skills were better than theirs. However, all the history of the development of magic up to the present day remains in the hands of Morian Guild. That means that just because Yekaterina had better abilities doesnt mean that she could infringe superhuman intellectual property rights. Yekaterinas expression turned pale. It was some sort of trauma. Every time Avon made that confident look, she would be persecuted. She needs to hide or shell be taken away. Yekaterina pale countenance made the audiences attention shifted towards the elated Avon. The evidence was perfect. The most important thing to do when dealing with superpower intellectual property disputes was showing them the evidence about ancestor and history. Okay, now. Another League. Please tell us what youve prepared. By the way. Theres one thing that the Morian Guild did not know. Another magic aside from their own magic existed on earth. Sure. The situation was quite unfavorable, but Yoo Seodam has learned a lot while hunting for protagonists. And now he was ready to use them. Putting on his glasses, Yoo Seodam slowly walked toward the screen. Are there any prepared materials? Theres none. There is no data. That data is mine. Instead, there was shamelessness. What are you talking about, Mr. Seodam? Its mine. Theyre stealing from me and claiming it was their own. Huh. While everyone was taken aback, Seodam spoke up. Well, Ill just prove it myself. How are you going to prove it? Lets point out the flaws in data prepared by the Morian Guild, one by one. At his remarks, the audience became noisy. Trying to act smart out of nowhere? Seodam approached Avon and asked. Excuse me, can you give me the remote control? Avon looked at the narrator. And he nodded in approval. In these hearings, it was necessary to accommodate all kinds of situations. Yoo Seodam took the remote control and swiped through the data, and went straight to the data about Ancient times. The ages where magic first started, the beginning of magic. The reason was simple. Will modern witches be able to understand the mindset of ??ancient witches? Witches existed in different kinds of world, and they always showed their peerless talent in the study of magic. But in most of the world, the population of witches were declining, the same applied on Earth as well. Thus, the remaining witches in modern times were nothing but half-blood witches. One of those half-bloods was Yekaterina, however she inherited the purest witch blood on earth and possessed the power of prophecy. In return for the prophetic ability, she lost her eyesight and magic, and she was unable to make rational judgments because she still had her emotions. Other witches are no different. Although their emotions were somewhat lacking, it was still there nonetheless. It was because, through the witchs long history on earth, human blood was eventually mixed in, making it impossible for modern witches to properly understand the magic of ancient witches. Look at those crappy magic they submit as evidence. Certainly, the idea of manifesting magic through science was commendable, but it was by no means an ideal for a pure-blood witch. The witchs magic was already perfect by itself. In most of the world, witches had a strong individualism, that was the reason why they were extinct. They simply dont have enough time to develop their magic However, What about the witches from the universes where witches almost rule the world? How about the witches from a world where a legendary witch competed against Sword Emperor a man who transcends the limit of humans? How about the witches from a world where any witch could act freely and has developed their magic for hundreds of years? Is it possible to compare their magic with the magic of Earth? Of course, even if hes Yoo Seodam, he couldnt know about all of the magic that existed on numerous worlds However, [Searching for the magic.] [Searching] [Search Complete: Primal Magic Usage Report] [The magic technique in this device is judged to be backward compatible.] He had Library of the White Witch which contained all about magic starting from the development of magic to the trial and error phase. First of all, I dont know how you got this data, but Ill prove it to you that all of this data is filled with fallacy. Its an ancient material. How are you going to prove it? In response to Avons rebuttal, Seodam shrugged. Its not that the ancient data is wrong. Im trying to prove that you stole my data and studied it wrongly. Avon giggled at Yoo Seodams blatant and stupid words, but she did a good job to not let it shown. First of all, you seem to understand Nason third law about the circling of Mana. But you are wrong. In the first place, this law must be applied in tandem with the Purdyson Transformation and the Zero Mana Invariant Principle. The magic you developed has turned into a sham, and it prevented us from casting three-dimensional magic. Speaking so, Seodam touched the dispenser Avon brought. A dispenser that can only be handled by the Morian Guild. However, a light flickered by one simple motion of Yoo Seodam, and then a fire magic manifested. Even if you dont use this method. This time, he raises his finger to the air. At the same time. -Its annoying~ When the silver spirit flower triggered the magic, it was uselessly splendid and inefficient, but anyway, the colorful magic circles were generated to dazzle the eyes of modern people, and then fire broke out.. If you had studied magic properly from the beginning, this could have been the result. ..! Morian Guild cannot use magic without a device called essence dispenser. However, Yoo Seodam was able to use magic without the help of an essence dispenser, and he was telling Avon that if she had studied magic properly, she could use magic without a dispenser. Its not just that. The next page clearly stated: Mana is preserved in the air, and when it begins to interfere with the physical realm, the Mana is attributed to the universe. But look at inventions. Didnt you make a dispenser which contradicts the statement? Ill use this for a moment. Yoo Seodam pointed at a small portable essence dispenser to use it as a material, he didnt even wait for the answer before putting it on and starting it. You said earlier that you can only use magic with an output around B to C rank. If you understand the data a little more from the beginning. Woooonng! A huge fireball manifested in the air. The ether detector that Avon brought to measure the power of magic was beeping crazily as if proving that the fireball output was enough to be A rank in terms of ether output rank. This would be possible. From then on, Yoo Seodam kept pointing out the data brought by Avon, one by one. He acted as if he was really the owner of the data. As if he had really studied the data of ancient magic. Oh, did you read this properly? It was good that you stole it, but did you read it properly? Honestly, Seodam also wasnt comfortable doing this. His skill Library of the White Witch was also a skill that he stole from someone. However, if theres someone who tries to harm him or his companion, he is willing to use anything, whether it was stolen skills or something else, to trample on his opponent. Things were getting more and more interesting. Yes, Morian Guild was the one who brought the data. But isnt there too much difference in terms of understanding? Yoo Seodams understanding wasnt something that could be mastered overnight. Even the Morian Guild still had many things they couldnt understand. Yet, Yoo Seodam had answered it for them, and even demonstrated magic to prove it. Avon of the Morian Guild. Please speak up. So, even though it was her turn once again,she couldnt speak properly. She could only bite her stiff lips. Should she insist? This material was clearly theirs. All the words that came out of Yoo Seodam were nothing but lies. However, Wasnt everything that he said correct? Werent all magical secrets that they didnt know of being unraveled one after another right now? To say that the magic of Yoo Seodam was a slightly advanced than theirs, werent their techniques so far apart? And with such a huge knowledge gap between them, can she still say that the data is theirs? Would people believe that? Ah, Yes. Hunter Yoo Seodams remark is right, your magic is definitely far more advanced than us. Eventually, Avon had to acknowledge Yoo Seodams magic. But that and this is a separate matter. What separate problem is it? You are definitely better than us. But Yekaterinas magic is ours anyway. Why? Of course, that child is. Avon, who tried to speak, was barely able to stop by biting her lips. On the contrary, Yoo Seodam was excited. This was something he wouldnt say until right this moment. However, Yoo Seodam wouldnt let this opportunity pass just like that. Of course, she couldnt learn my magic because she had no means of communication with the outside world while being held captive by you. Arent you trying to say that?(T/N Checkmate mofo ???? .! Originally, he had to shoot another bullet at this time. But he didnt. He simply waited for an answer from Avon. But, she couldnt say anything or even contradict his claim. The moment of silence was enough for the audience to think about his statement. While everyone was thinking about the same thing enough, Yoo Seodam spoke once again. Avon. Where did your guilds renowned Prophet go? Thats.. Yoo Seodam threw another question, but this time, towards the audience, not Avon. Everyone. The Prophet has been active in the Morian Guild for a long time. However, no one in the world knows the Prophets face or name. We thought it was just for the comfort of the Prophet. But.. What if they locked the Prophet up in fear that another guild would steal her from the Morian guild? What if they completely blocked all of her connection to the outside? What are you talking about! Stop talking nonsense! [E/N: Yass bich! Expose them!] The witness is here now. Avon, how long are you going to be so shameless? Yoo Seodam looked at Yekaterina as he said that. In fact, just by showing the difference between his magic and Morian Guild, it would clear the suspicion of plagiarism. His magic would have been recognized as another individuals magic. However, Yoo Seodam didnt stop there. Thats because he tried to completely sever the ties between Yekaterinas magic and the magic of Morian guild. Ah.. Yekaterina, who was being gazed at by Yoo Seodam, slowly turned her head and looked at Avon. She wore an expression Yekaterina had never seen before. Her plan was completely ruined, and she was filled with embarrassment and she clearly didnt know what to do. She was no longer the object of fear. After all, Avon was also a wall Yekaterina had to overcome. She is feeling the same fear. Yekaterina slowly stood up. If she said, Ive been imprisoned in the Morian Guild for more than 10 years, the world would have laughed. However, the Morian guild had admitted it tentatively. They were also losing the plagiarism case. They were now in position to defend, not accuse. I am I am Yekaterina, who once worked as the Prophet in the Morian Guild. Would it be okay for me to speak? The world will surely listen to her. [E/N: Aww my little baby Yekaterina. Go get your justice! See you guys in the next chapter~ Enjoy the wait muhahahaha] Chapter 94: Player who live with SSS rank luck (1) [Copyright controversy about Magic is over And the owner is?] The Superpower intellectual property hearing ended. However, the problem about magical property rights hadnt been solved neatly. Yoo Seodam couldnt present the evidence that he had studied magic, While Morian Guild provided their evidence. But, the knowledge they possessed was overwhelmingly less than Yoo seodams. Clearly, Morian owned the item, but the real owner of the item seems to be Another League. Eventually, the council allowed both guilds to possess magic. [The Morian Guild revealed that they would donate Magic to the country.] However, the ownership of Morian Guild was in jeopardy, and eventually they attributed the magic to the whole country. If Magic was protected by the government of Russia, no matter how many nasty tricks one employed, they wouldnt be able to easily touch it. There was no way that they could steal it and Yoo Seodam also didnt intend to do so. [Explanation from Master Avon about Prophets confinement: Everything is a misunderstanding] [The truth of the shocking Morian guild revealed by the Prophet Yekaterina?] In the case of confinement, Yekaterina was able to successfully file a lawsuit. She did not have clear evidence, but the clear testimony of someone who used to work as a Prophet, Avons slip of tongue and critics from numerous governments allowed her to win the case. However, through a press conference held in a hurry this morning, Avon denied the accusation of confinement until the very end. But in the end, she said that she sincerely apologizes for the damage she had done to the Prophet and was forced to give a large amount of compensation. Honestly, Yoo Seodam knew that large corporations would eventually cut off their tails when the fight became fiercer, so Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina were satisfied with the result. As a result of this incident, the image of Morian Guild had been severely damaged. Moreover, they lost the rights of monopolizing amulet, magic and the Prophecy causing their fame and power to be shaken considerably. And Yoo Seodam was able to successfully conclude the hearing without having a single conversation with Lost days Guild master Yoo Haram. And he was really satisfied after looking at the crestfallen expression of Yoo Haram at the end of the hearing. And, currently, I still cant believe it. Yekaterina opened her mouth while riding on a van towards Seoul. She still had her dark circles under her eyes. Every time Yoo Seodam saw Yekaterina, she always looked tired. However, it has become worse recently. Of course, in contrast to her tired countenance, Yekaterina had a sincerely happy smile. She said, I cant believe I can get out like this after giving her a good blow. From now on, you can live however you want. If you want, you dont have to come to my guild. Seodam said as he drove the van. Originally, he didnt have any vehicle for private use except for one motorcycle. However, with the recent achievement of Another League, weapon company Leager sponsored the guild with this van. In this van, a portable ether crystal safe, as well as an ether dispenser could be loaded. It was designed to be able to withstand monster attack to some degree. No! I will enter Seodam-ssis guild. This incident just made it clear, I will be safe and happy when I am with Seodam-ssi. The safe part is okay, but Yoo seodam cant promise Yekaterina anything about happiness. Because if she really joined his guild, he would make full use of Yekaterina to achieve his plans. Without knowing his thoughts, Yekaterina only looked at Yoo Seodam with a smile the whole time. Even though everything else should be amazing for her because it was her first time coming out to the outside world. We have arrived. Is it here? After arriving at Gangnam Plaza, Yoo Seodam parked the van in a suitable location and walked towards the stone statue. She asked Yekaterina to follow him towards the stone statue reminiscent of Michelangelos creation of the heavens and the earth. Werent we going to the guild hideout? This is our hideout. Here? She looked around her. There was nothing in the square except the stone statue. No way homeless? That moment, Yekaterina remembered what Yoo Seodam said the other day. He said that the house he would provide would be cramped, the food would be tasteless, and there would be no servants, so it would be quite an uncomfortable life. She accepted it like it was nothing, but theyre really homeless in the middle of a city like this Woooong!! Suddenly, the world began to tremble. The space distorted, and the time changed from day to night. Uh, huh? When she regained her composure, the whole world in front of her was filled with starlight. The Milky Way was all over the sky. Looking at the brightly shining stars in a dark world, Yekaterinas mouth hung open. Then she looked at the numerous silver buildings in the distance. This is our hideout. Oh..oh my God! How. a place like this Before she could continue her words, numerous colorful little spirits rushed towards them and bowed in a 90 degree angle. You are here, big brother! Yekaterina was surprised because it was her first time seeing a spirit. Yoo Seodam said lightly after looking at Yekaterinas expression. They are my bread shuttle. Then, he pointed his finger to a distant place. These guys are the one who grow lettuce in the greenhouse over there. Lettuce? They also grow tomato. Since they were spirits that live by receiving life energy, the floating garden was filled with numerous plants. There were also vegetables such as lettuces and tomatoes, which contained Yoo Seodams personal favorites, Well.. Would you like to stay here? I think I can give you one building because there are too many vacant buildings anyway. These guys are quite capable of doing anything you asked for. A while ago, I gave a cookbook to some of the fire spirits, and they did better than I expected. Well, even if its not as comfortable as a mansion, nothing will be uncomfortable. At his word, Yekaterina shook her head. No, this isreally. The Morian mansion was incomparable to this place. This place had a much more luxurious environment. She still couldnt take her eyes off the countless starlight and spirits. It was a sight that she thought she could never see again after she lost her sight. It was very, very, beautiful that something overflowed from inside her heart. Would you like to see more? ..! Yekaterina nodded and slowly looked around Another Leagues hideout. It was such a gorgeous place. She wouldnt mind spending the rest of her life here in this place. She walked around the public garden for almost half a day like that, and was able to get acquainted with the spirits. Soon Yekaterina entered the office, and Yoo Seodam said to her. Its my office. Its still sloppy, but I worked pretty hard. Yekaterina read the documents all at once with the help of the Mana on her fingertips. Its a spell that only experienced witches could do. Neither Seodam and Avon could use this spell. Hmmm. She nodded in understanding. Yeah. You worked really hard. Yekaterina said that to make Yoo Seodam feel better. But the truth is In Yekaterinas eyes the documents were full of flaws. It is a chronic problem of a guild master who is a former hunter, they werent able to manage the business side efficiently. Yoo Seodams management skills were quite awful. He must have worked hard. Because countless law books and documents were scattered around the office. However, in this world where talented was more important than hard-working, Yekaterina liked the hard-working Yoo Seodam more than the talented Yoo seodam. So far. You did well. In the future, I will work harder. Saying that, Yekaterina rubbed her tired eyes. Somehow, these days, she was getting more and more tired, but that shouldnt be a hindrance for her. She approached Yoo seodam and tapped his shoulder with her finger. Then, I want to sign up to the guild- Tingle! ..eugh! Wh..What happened? At the moment, a dizzying and intense, electric pleasure came up towards Yekaterinas fingertips. With her confused eyes, she alternated between her own hands and Yoo Seodams. Then, once again, she places her hand on Yoo .Seodam. Tingle! eugh Again, the dizzying sensation assaulted her body. Just, whats happening right now? Are you sick? Oh, no. Thats not it. It was a strange feeling. It was as if her body was being supplied with energy. It felt like someone who had been driving a car with an empty tank had just filled it with fuel and now couldnt control how smoothly the car went. She gingerly placed her hand on Yoo Seodams shoulder. As soon as her hand touched it, the thrilling and dizzying sensation that seemed to make her lose her mind slowly spread throughout her body. What the hell is going on? Then, Yekaterina noticed a change in her own body. Her body, which felt heavier in the past few months, had become lighter. The accumulated fatigue which always made her want to close her eyes were slightly gone. Dont tell me, this is.? Yekaterina belatedly remembered that her soul was bound to Yoo Seodam. The attribution of the soul. Neither Yoo Seodam nor Yekaterina knew what that meant. However, she was able to roughly speculate. Doesnt this mean that I cannot receive natural energy from nature? Soul was present in every life. That soul forms the power to live in harmony with nature. But what if the soul was currently tied to someone elses body and not your own body? It meant that you had no choice but to receive the energy of life through that other person. Yekaterina spreads her palms and puts her hands on his chest, this time she acted boldly. Then, an intense pleasure that could not even be compared to before penetrated her body. It seems that she would draw all the energy she has not been supplied to at once. This, this will be dangerous Eventually, she couldnt hold on to it, and after lifting her hand, she sat down in her seat. Yoo Seodam hurriedly grabbed her and raised her up. What happened? Are you sick? .Do you have health insurance? [E/N: Bruh. She literally lived her life as a captive. Does she have insurance? Take a wild guess mate.] But she couldnt answer. * * * Since Yekaterinas arrival, the guilds administrative division had progressed greatly. In the days where she was confined, she still studied various subjects. And although she didnt know much about the laws or culture of Korea that changed recently, she was at least much better than me. Uh. How is the progress over there? -I think weve already occupied half of it. Shin Hye-jis voice flows from the smartphone. Presently, Murim people were trying to occupy [House of the Goblins], a wandering dimension that I had opened in order to create their own space, just like how I used the dead spirits floating garden. Floating gardens size was rather small and the number of spirits werent much either, so it was possible to turn them into his subordinates using the life-force. However, House of the Goblins was an enormous dimension. Its size was almost half of that of China. There was also a significant number of goblins, so there is no way they could be subjugated using my life-force. Also, theres no need to create more subordinates. The spirits couldnt get out of the floating garden and the goblins were the same. I took the spirits under my wing because I need subordinates to cultivate and repair the floating garden, but isnt the population of Murim people already large enough? You guys are so fast. -I think we will soon reach the goblin Kings residence. There are three SS rank goblins in that dimension. If it appeared as a dungeon it would be a disaster, but fortunately, the world was already perishing and it wouldnt have turned into a dungeon. Okay Please tell Seol Jungyeon that Im going to visit her by the time the dungeon was cleared. -Yes. Her excellency will be pleased. Almost three thousand Murim people were working for the recreation of Jungwon Murim so even if there are three SS rank bosses, they would clear it rather easily. After hanging up the phone, I leaned against my chair. Half of the crazy year ended like this. Taylor and Yekaterina had regained their freedom, the Murim people had found their own land and they were in the process of pioneering it. I also had announced my magic to the world and had it recognized as a property right. Now, the only things that left was for the guild to grow explosively But .yeah. Keuk. After all, work in reality was only work in reality. My main occupation doesnt change. It was to hunt a protagonist. At first, I started it just to live and to steal talent. However, its significance was gradually changing. Are there no other protagonist hunters? It cant be helped. Lets go to work. Fortunately, almost all of the work that held me back had been handled, and now Ive secured Yekaterina, who has better administrative abilities compared to me, so now Im free to dispatch. Through the smartphone, I roughly told all my acquaintances that Im going to be dispatched. Lets see the quest list. Romance of a black-haired saintess. #Romance fantasy #Reverse harem #Innocent Female lead #Clever Female lead #The strongest male lead #the obsessed emperor male lead #Magician male lead #Pope male lead Player who live with SSS-rank luck #Fusion #lucky #growth #Munchkin #isekaid #Enchant I take myself to the tutorial #Fusion . A total of about 10 lists appeared. As I slowly looked at them, I discovered something, a very colossal view of the world. Why are there so many hashtags in romance fantasy? Really? I dont know what the unusual path is, but I dont want to check it out right now. This, show me the plot of this. Player who lived with SSS-rank luck The level of the protagonist in this world was 157. And the request success rate was 29%, which was the highest rate amongst all. One day people were suddenly transported into another world! Everyone awakened as a player, but Perutius was the only one who couldnt get any ability. A time of deep heartache and despair. -Please make me stronger! Have you got the strongest weapon?! Breaking through the 0.001% enchantment success rate, he aims to be the worlds strongest! . When I finished reading the explanation, I sighed. Yes, that. Well, thats normal. Lets do this. Yeah. [Moving to Pleidin, the world where Level 157 protagonist Perutius resides.] [1098.] The world is fading. [210] [Dimensional movement completed.] Very soon, I opened my eyes. I found myself in the middle of a large medieval city. Giant pterosaurs and flying boats decorated the sky, and fireworks illuminated the world. Wow. There were a lot of people on the street, all of them were wearing fancy armor or robes. They also had a cute pet or some sort of vehicle with them. But each and every one of them was truly unique, they were all different. Black skin, white skin, red skin, blue skin, tall people, short people, long ears, and four arms. I almost got fascinated by the fantastic appearance of a wide variety of races wandering around the streets, but We are recruiting warriors of level 60 or higher to challenge Daikans Dark Labyrinth! Hey, why dont you go to the Dusk Suppression Team? What, youre a local, not a player? Chet, get lost. Dont hang around here. Players! Selling potions! An intermediate potion with a recovery rate of 25%! When you go to the dungeon, take as many as possible! You have only one life! Recruiting a damage dealer of level 90 or higher to challenge the fallen female chiefs residence. Prefer someone who has Detoxification skill. Something was strange here [You have become a player who came to Pleidin.] Chapter 95: Player who live with SSS rank luck (2) Yo, Reverend Divine Pressure Palm, Thank you for 27$ coffee man! That mean 3 extra chapter eh? Wait till Thursday okay? There will be 4 chapters release at Thursday By the waaaay, thank you very much to all donators who bought us coffee, Really, really, really, thank you very much!! Player. It was a term referring to people who suddenly fell into Pleidin and gained an ability similar to a game. They could grow stronger by leveling up by hunting monsters or going around dungeons and also by enchanting their weapons. It is said that most players have class and special skills that match each individuals personality, and they are said to be able to further refine their characteristics through the main system called enhancement by equipping the appropriate items. However, there was one important point. The fact that this world that looks like a game at first glance was by no means a game. Are there many worlds that share a similar setting as this one? I know it because I had studied till then. In game-based fantasy, or game-based fusion fantasy, the protagonist always got the best from the system. Such as hidden class, highest grade weapon, and hidden piece. .. I ignored the systems words and looked around. The architecture and the fashion in this world were around medieval times. However, the civilization itself has developed considerably. Of course, the hygiene side of things was very neat, and the technology used magic power as their fuel. Power poles and streetlights were lined up around the street. There were also horseless carriages here and there. Its a bustling city. As I walked the streets, I slowly grasped the culture here. First of all, the place where I was standing was a place where a lot of players gathered, to look for party members. In order to raid dungeons or hunt monsters, you can systematically group up and hunt to receive rewards and experience points. Most of the party-lookers were below level 100, and those who had slightly higher level left their recruitment post at the mercenary office. Hey. Im also a player, but can I level up by hunting monsters? Why? Ah, okay. I dont know what you are talking about. Ah. Thats why. No matter what kind of training, education or even shortcut I take to accumulate experience, my level wouldnt rise. I could only improve my skills proficiency, learn about magic and use more techniques with my current stats, thats all. No, its not like that. Ive been heartbroken for 15 years, and I have already moved past it because now I could break through my limit by hunting protagonists. By the way, where is the protagonist? I roughly understand about this world setting. Other parts could be learned while observing the protagonist. As I hesitated at the mercenary office like that, someone came up to me and talked to me. Hey, brother. Are you a tank? Tank? Tank was an occupation that stood in the forefront of the party and drew the monsters aggro towards themselves. My fighting style was far away from a tank, but for now, I nodded. Yes. I am. How did you know? I just knew it when I saw you. You are wearing heavy armor. It seems like this guy was thinking that my ether suit was heavy armor. Well, its indeed quite thick. That armor, at least, looks Unique to Epic grade item. I think the defense is also high. What is your level? Im going to raid the Doom High Pike, but you need to be at least level 80 and have a weapon with level 3 enchantment. Enchantment? The system indeed said that there is a system called Enchantment in this world. But. Is there anything I can do? I replied honestly. Ah, I dont have an enchanted weapon. What? Did the weapon break during the enchantment process? Ah, well. Its not like that. During the enchantment process, theres a chance that the weapon would break. I was glad because it seems like its possible to obtain information that the system hasnt found out yet from this person. So, uh How did you enchant a weapon? Why dont you know that? Are you really a player? This is a question I anticipated. Theres not much answer I could give in this kind of situation. The First method, I lost my memory pattern. Its a very common clich, and its also a universal line that the main characters in novels use often. Usually, if you said this line, the other person would kindly explain it to you. The second method, I can use is the foreigner pattern. Although clich, it is also often used. Its a bit less used compared to memory loss pattern, so this might be better. Usually, if you said that you lived far away and Extra 1 would kindly respond to you and tell you everything you didnt even ask. Because I lived in a faraway place, I dont know about enchantment. If youre okay, could you please explain it to me? Ah, I dont have time. Go somewhere else and ask. Right. It was a clich that could only be used by the protagonist. * * * In the end, I had to snoop around the mercenary offices to inquire about the Enchantment and item system. Where did you come from that you didnt know about this thing? Are you really a player? It was quite easy to acquire that information. I was able to hear about enchantment by asking a free talented player. Items are divided into 8 grades. Normal, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique, Epic, Hero and lastly Legendary. However, only two players in this entire world have obtained Legendary-grade items. Who is it? It is Perutius, who appeared like a comet a few years ago and awakened to the legendary class Braveheart, and Pasios of the Black Knights Guild. Dont you know both of them? I know one. Of course you know. If you dont know about Perutius, who is going to fight against Black Dragon King Carcasedin, you are not a player. .. I didnt know much about him, I just knew it because he was the protagonist of this world. You can do enchantments anywhere and anytime you want. However, the problem is that the success rate is atrocious. The success rate is 50% for the first enchantment, 25% for second enchantment, 10% for third enchantment, 5% for fourth enchantment, And the fifth enhancement is 1%, which is very awful. Crazy. Well, rumor says that there are actually quite a few Legendary weapons. However, everything must have burst in flames. Pasioss weapon, once called the strongest, is on seventh enchantment. But Perutius took the place of the strongest when he succeeded enchanting his weapon to 10. Although Perutius has lower level than Pasios That gap will soon close. Its okay to assume that no one can go beyond Perutius anymore. Wow. Fifth enchantment success rate was only 1%, but he enchanted his weapon to tenth enchantment, you say? In the first place, he is the main character related to luck. It must have been possible because of some special privileges. Thinking that way, Pasios, who succeeded enchanting a legendary weapon to seventh enchantment without even correction of the protagonist, felt even greater. Do you have any more questions? No. Thank you. okay. May the god of enchantment be with you. I hope that Perutius is passing by, and his luck will come to us as well. As I said goodbye to him, I left the mercenary office while feeling troubled. Enhancement, items, level up. I cant use the system. However, when I talked to the mercenary player, I noticed one very good thing. It was the fact that I could use the item well. In other words. .If I cant reinforce, can I take the finished product that has been reinforced? As the inventory rank rises to S, it is now possible to bring items of a fairly high grade back to Earth. The other day, I left a second-grade ether blade in another world, so I was using a third-grade right now. System, please find out how high is the third-grade ether blade in this world ranking system. Considering that the limit of items that could be stored in the inventory(S) was a named grade, it means that I could bring items up to the hero grade to Earth. I have a lot of time anyway. The time difference between this world and earth was 18 times. Even if I stay here for more than a month, only two days would have passed on earth. I also heard that there are quite a lot of bandits who loot other peoples items in this world, and most of them were intertwined with the protagonists storyline. What if I deal with them first? I think its killing two birds with one stone, as I could get items and feel like Im doing something good even when I am doing bad things. Ah. Just wait for now. Ill do it all. Do you believe in me? Hey, dont worry. Somehow, the client asked in a sullen voice. To that, I answered without worrying. Maybe. How long Ive been here, theres no way I already have plans in my mind. Think of it with common sense. How do you get a guy who has a tenth enchantment weapon? So, wouldnt it be a little easier to deal with him when I become stronger by enchanting? This is all part of my plan, okay? Eventually, the client had no choice but to accept my words. * * * In the southeastern part of the Pleidin continent, along the road that connects Kingdom of Su and Dwarven Kingdom, theres a wide forest called Ceradin great forest. Due to the nature of the forest, different kinds of races and monsters inhabited this place. Therefore, it was natural for Kluton merchants to hire mercenaries to guard them on their way to do business at Dwarven Kingdom. Its reassuring to be with the players. The Kluton Chamber of Commerce hired twenty players as mercenaries. These players suddenly appeared in the world a few years ago, and based on their peculiar abilities, they quickly became strong, and now they are comparable to the worlds strongest. Their strength was reliable enough. Hoho, dont worry, were also experts in monster hunting. Heenen, who led the band of mercenaries, has a level of 104, which is higher than the average players. It was only natural for her to have confidence in herself. However, there was one thing that was unfortunate, that is the fact that the player was very lacking in experience compared to their strong power. Kwadudududug! Suddenly the ground shook and shot up. Klutons merchants all shouted in confusion. What, what! Is it an earthquake? No! This, this is magic! Blah blah! The phenomenon only happens in an instance. When the pre-installed artifact items on the ground were triggered, the ground shook, and dozens of pillars rose up and crushed people. It was a basic item, but Heenen couldnt respond. Ugh, its a surprise attack! This cowardly guy! Haha! Give me everything you have! Using an item means that you are a player. Heenen hurriedly pulled her sword and responded to the bandits that were rushing towards her from all sides. She was certainly on the strong side. If she swung her sword once, three or four bandits would be cut off, and she could run so fast that makes people having a hard time to trace her. However, Heenen and her mercenaries, who had been leveling up by hunting monsters so far, did not know how to deal with people. On the other hand, the bandits were smart enough to arrange all kinds of items and tactics to drain their stamina. Ugh! The floor is sticky! Kek! There are poison arrows installed! Uh, get down! Its a flare night artifact! Each of the bandits were certainly weak. However, they were experts in dealing with players stronger than themselves. On top of it mercenaries had to fight while defending the merchant. Haha, level 100 player is no big deal? Ugh. In the end, it was natural in some way that Heenen and her mercenaries were defeated. Tie them up! The bandits gathered all the mercenaries and merchants and put them together. It was quite ominous for her when she saw some bandits laugh unpleasantly while looking at her face. But there was no time to worry about that. Oh oh! boss! There is a unique-grade bow here! It was even enchanted until fourth-enchantment! Great! High-level players indeed use some good stuff. Theres so many epic items. Now, the bandits were busy distributing the items they stole, but what would happen to the mercenaries and merchants when the bandits finished their business? The woman would surely be taken as slaves by the bandits, and the rest were likely to die. I dont want to be dragged into slavery like this! She had a lot of dreams and a lot of things she wanted to do. She would rather die than living as a lifelong slave. When she closed her eyes with such desperate thoughts. Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwang!! A loud explosion rang out, and the group of bandits fell into confusion. Wow! Wha,..what! What the hell is this magic! It was such a tremendous roar that it seemed that their eardrum would burst. And then they felt the ground shake. Bang, Kwa-Aang! The explosion didnt only happen once. Wherever the black ball things landed, an explosion occurred. But there was no way to know what kind of item it was. And that wasnt the end. Tung! Who, who are you! He showed up! A man dressed in a strange black armor appeared in the middle of the bandits. He pulled out a shining sword and started to cut down all the bandits like autumn leaves! The bandit group were falling apart without even responding properly. Ugh, in a surprise attack! This cowardly guy! Haha! Give me everything you have! Somehow, conversations that she had heard before came out once again, but Heenen brushed it off as dj vu. The battle quickly ended. Oh my God.. He dealt with all the bandits by himself! The man with overwhelming power succeeded in killing all the bandits by using mysterious items! Somehow, Heenen felt respect towards him. So she told him with twinkling eyes. Thank you for saving me! Then, the man in black armor replied. Yeah, I guess I really saved you! Bandits carried a bundle of equipment that they stole from the mercenaries. The item. Yeah? With that short phrase, the man in black armor disappeared. Uh.. Heenen couldnt figure out the situation. Did he just rob a robber? More than despondency of losing her items, she was just dumbfounded and couldnt utter any words. Chapter 96: Player who live with SSS rank luck (3) Heres the extra chapter from DarkOwOLord cheers! [Appearing everywhere, advent of the enemy of injustice!] Do you know about the rumored criminal? There are rumors that say he hunts chaotic players who have committed crime! [Who is he? The one who steals all Chaos players items?] The rumor also said that hes giving back most of the stolen items back to society. What a righteous man!! [The true enemy of injustice of this era! His name is.] His name? Of course its Yoo Gil-dong .The words above, which doesnt seem awkward to be used as an intro to any work, seems to be talking about me. This situation was really awkward because I was always hunting the protagonist as their adversary wherever I go. Me? Righteous? I was nothing but a thief. The reason I robbed bandits was because they were carrying a lot of ownerless items that couldnt be tracked by guards anyway. My reason for giving back the items to the society? Firstly, it was difficult to carry all of it around due to the limited space of my inventory. However, I also couldnt put the items I robbed from the bandits into the auction because theres a chance that the original owner will come and make a ruckus. Besides, the currency of this world was useless for me. Theres another option of using the black market. But how could I know about something like that when I have only been in this world for a few days? If I get hit in the back for no reason, it would be a headache. Thus, I decided to give back most of the items I got to society. Lets help Yoo Gil-dong, lets defeat the Chaos player too! Lets go!!! And thats how my image solidified. But it doesnt matter anyway. In the first place, I made the pseudonym Yoo Gil-dong as a joke. Even my face was barely revealed. So far, Ive been working hard for two weeks and collected numerous items. However, except for a few useful accessories, I havent found any piece of equipment that could be useful for me. I was thinking of doing it for a few more weeks. However, Are you the rumored Yoo Gil-dong? Player who live with SSS-class luck ..The protagonist has come. Would you like to be my colleague? [The new episode of Protagonist Perutius has started You, Be My Friend! (1)!] * * * Dont worry. Everything is going according to the plan. I am very sorry to the system who believed my word right away, but I cant help it because the situation has developed in a really strange way. It wasnt that bad since Ive become the protagonists companion. I would be able to figure out a way to hunt him after collecting information about him little by little. But, why now? I havent finished my item farming yet. I want to wear a hero grade suit and wield a hero grade sword too. But that reason alone wasnt enough for me to turn down the offer to become his companion. Also, I accepted it because it seems like a necessary build-up to properly hunt him later. Okay! Lets think positively. I have a lot of time until the deadline right? Can I take his item? After a close examination, I decided it was impossible. Most of the items he had were Legendary grades, while the maximum grade of the items that I could bring back to Earth were hero-grade. By the way, I also realized that luck stat was extremely good. All of his items were legendary-grade. Even the enchantment level of every equipment was quite high. In particular, the weapons. For weapons, the higher the item enhancement level is, the brighter the Aura around the weapon shines. And Perutiuss weapon was very dazzling. Should I punch him on the back of his head? I looked at Perutius who was walking in front of me. The back of his head was really sturdy. It was as spacious and reassuring as the mighty sea. I think I could hold a soccer match on that back. Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwang!! Oh, Braveheart! You are really strong! Having confirmed that the area in front of him explodes in a fan shape neatly after just one attack, I nearly gave up on facing Perutius right now. And theres one more reason why Im giving up on facing Perutius right now. It was his other companion. A Muscular Ax Warrior (Male, 31 years old) A priestess of Light (Female, 20 years old) A glasses Magician (Male, 29 years old) A spirit Archer (Female Elf, 23 years old) In addition, Perutius was a tank with a holy sword and a shield, so when the battle begins, I will have a 5v1 battle. How can I, who became the Rogue class of this party, win? Ill be lucky if I didnt explode to death as soon as the battle began. Indeed! The Bravehearts Ethereal Storm Blade is a skill that spreads out his mana into a fan shape and triggers 1890 particle collisions per second! In addition, he altered the direction at the last moment to prevent the damage from spreading towards the elf who was shooting her arrow right next to him! Amazing! Only Braveheart can handle that power at will! Haha, its not a big deal. The magician constantly flapped his mouth during the battle by explaining his skill in great details. I dont know if it was a show of loyalty or whatever, but he was so noisy. Rogue. Please release the trap! Ah, yeah. I unequipped my ether long ago in order to pretend to be a rogue class. Throughout the battle, I was only standing in the back of the party while holding a dagger. I walked ahead to unlock the trap of the dungeon. Of course, I didnt have any ability to release a trap. Modern science is what you need in this case. [Scanning the wearer iris.] [Confirmed.] When I took out a pair of glasses from the inventory and put it on, the essence energy detection function was activated. These glasses were specially made to grasp the flow of magical power that the Library of the White Witch did not know. It was equipped with a multi-function display operation. In other words, I could detect not only most of the traps in this world which were mostly made of magical power, but also primitive traps such as poison arrows or falling rocks. [Scanning.] Will it be at least Hero-grade equipment if I sell these glasses as an item? All the rogue-class players will want it. Unbelievable! To be able to deactivate a flare blinker trap that connects to another trap by only destroying the detonator with such thorough calculated hand movement! As expected from the rumored Yoo Gil-dong! I really want to beat that guy. * * * In conclusion, becoming Bravehearts companion wasnt a bad choice. Firstly, I was able to find out about him and his companions level. Their fighting capabilities werent that good. The combination of their skills was not well-suited either. Nevertheless, the reason why they always win was simply because protagonist correction was with them. The average level of Braveheart and his party was in the early to mid-100s, but from now on theyll always meet enemies that could only be beaten by them, so can I really defeat them? Secondly, I discovered a special hidden secret of the Braveheart. Liat! We did it again today! -Yes! Braveheart is amazing! It was the fact that his level-10-enchanted legendary weapon, the holy sword, was an ego sword. It was a sword that speaks a lot. Third, the purpose of the warrior. Why am I traveling? Of course, to defeat the Black Dragon King! Why? Isnt it natural? The system that sent us players to this world said that the Black Dragon King is said to be an evil destroyer. As I put a suspicious look, the system said. Hum. Well, I knew very well that the constellations did many weird things for their own fun because I had experienced it firsthand the other day. And the last and fourth reason. This is the most important. Oh, Braveheart! You picked another hero-grade item! Most of the items I earned during two weeks I acted as a robber were either unusable or low-grade, so I had to discard them. But unlike me, Braveheart who went around the dungeon always got usable items! Haha. I was lucky. Oh, but this is something I cant use. Do you want to have it? Thanks! In addition, Braveheart always distributed items he could not use, to his companions who needed it. Leaching from the protagonist like this isnt so bad? Oh, dont worry. I wouldnt let my personal feelings affect the quest. Ill kill him anyway. Just like how villain hunters shut their emotions off when they hunt villains, Ill also shut my emotions off while hunting protagonists. I feel that way just because he was the most useful protagonist among all protagonists Ive ever met so far. Since then, I have been active as the colleague of the protagonist for another week. That day, Braveheart and his party sensed something was off from me. But Rogue-nim why dont you use your skill? Yeah. I have never seen you use any skill. Yes. I couldnt use any game skill because I dont have the system. In contrast, players were able to do all sorts of ridiculous movements through their skills. Flame Sword! Ark Buster! Rainbow Step! Have you ever seen someone activate an advanced technique with a single word? Or throwing 20 knives in succession without missing? Or even a movement that completely defies the law of physics? Unlike the skills I had so far, their skills have more amazing effects. Uh, um. That.. Ah. Perhaps, Rogue-nim are you a genuine player? Pardon? What is a genuine player? While I was unable to answer the mages question, the priestess asked another question. Genuine players are people who do not raise their level and skill proficiency. They only care about their Training Ah! right. Come to think of it, I do see them from time to time. I dont know why they do that. They dont know that it will be easier if they level up. If your skill proficiency increases, you will surely train them too. And theyll get items too while going around dungeons. Hence, they cast aside their suspicions towards me. It has been only two years since players have come to this world. However, the strongest player amongst players has already achieved S Rank, that is, the level of Sword Expert. When I think about it, its really strange. Even when I rose into A rank within a year, I had 15 years of hard training and life experience. It was only possible because I absorbed the probability and skill of the protagonist I hunt. But what about players? They achieved S rank in only two years by only going around the dungeon for a few hours a day without performing any form of training. In order for a talented swordsman to become a Sword Expert, they need to train for at least 10 years and at most 20 years. By the way, dont they become strong too easily while skipping all the training? Wait a minute, this. Players werent the only one who lived in Pleidin. In the first place, there is a much higher proportion of natives compared to players. Yes, it was good to defeat that Black Dragon King, Black Curtain or whatever its name is. But will they really go back to their original world just by doing that? If not, what will happen if the players continue to remain in this world? Didnt they say that the strongest swordsman of the empire was a sword master? Theres a total of thirty strongest non-players in Pleidin. and all of them were Sword Masters. Their long years of training were nothing in front of the players. No matter how much blood they spill while swinging their swords, it wasnt as efficient as a players way of gaining strength who only needed to catch a few monsters to level up. If things go on just like this Players will easily outperform the worlds strongest non-player, who have been training for decades, in three years. A fusion fantasy world with a game system setting. Players use the system to grow stronger, destroy evil, and have a happy ending. But after that? What happens to the world where the power balance has completely collapsed? How long will players remain as heroes of this world? It wouldnt be forever. In the near future, players will thoroughly dominate this world. If that happens. The system said resolutely. As expected from you Braveheart! Thats great! But can you give me one glove? Oh, haha! I almost forgot. Here, its yours now. Rogue-nim. Oh oh. Thank you! But I also worked hard this time. Please give me one more. Hmm? I see. Have this too. Her empty voice reverberated inside the dungeon, but I was so busy trying to sort the items that I heard those words quite half-heartedly. Chapter 97: Player who live SSS rank luck (4) Heeeeyyy Meldsux, thank you for becoming our Protagonist tier Patron!! Appreciate it so much!! Finally.! The pure white boot was finally mine. It looks like something made of aluminum. But in fact, it was a set boot made of metal that came down from the sky. You could barely feel the weight of the boot when you wear it. The defense was also very high. On top of it, this hero grade item had a special effect. Grade: Hero *Restriction. Strength 100 Agility 150 Mana 90 *Effect Physical Defense +155BP Magic Defense +135BP Wind Element Resistance +85 Wind Element Efficiency +70 *Prefix option Desire: Enhancing the effect of the Suffix to the next level. *Suffixing option Longing for the sky: Creating a strong wind, making a strong leap forward. *Special skills Wind Leap: Creating a path of wind. (If you use it once, you must step on the ground to reuse it) Its been 2 months since Ive been carried around by the protagonist. In the meantime, many items had found their way to me, but most of them werent that good. It would be quite a waste to bring those items back to Earth. Their stats were quite okay, but I think I could get a better one. In the meantime, I finally got Hero-grade boots! Of course, It wasnt as good as Perutiuss legendary-grade shoes . However, Ive been told that if i bought an item that has been enchanted to +6 or higher to Earth, theres a small chance it will triggers a probability accumulation. I am not envious of rice cakes that I cant eat anyway. Because now, I feel that my boots were far more precious than Perutiuss. Huh. I blocked my laughter from leaking out. These boots really existed just for me. It was a perfect match for Dharma Heavenly wind god technique(SS+) skill. It was possible for me to maneuver in the air to some extent with Dharma Heavenly wind god technique(SS+). However, this was only when a strong wind blew. When I said strong wind, it was a blow close to those disaster-level wind blow. Without it, the skill was only at the level of running fast in the wind. But, with this item, I could make a strong leap in the air. Even if I could only do it once in the air, the cooldown of the skill will be reset every time I step on the ground. So air maneuvering is possible even for me, who was not able to maneuver without a certain condition or without magnetic grappling gun! It was perfectly suited to me, who had never learned martial arts officially and could never reach the level of Cheonsangbi who could soar into the sky. That skill was just a side effect, and here comes the real thing. It was a barrier point (BP). Players in this world had a gauge called BP. It was a barrier that prevented their ordinary body from receiving any kind of attacks directly. So, it was natural for items that gave BP to be rare and expensive because everyone needs to raise their BP through equipment like armor and accessories. Of course, I wont die from a few hits just because I dont have any BP. It was because my basic physical abilities are much higher than the players, but just like ether coating, BP will be an additional defense for me. Although it was a boot, its defense power is comparable to a third-grade ether suit. In other words, I will have defense power equal to two third-grade ether suits. I cant wear it yet because I dont have enough agility After putting the step of the wind into the inventory, my heart slightly felt reassured. In addition, I got additional Epic-grade accessories such as and , it was good to say that I finished farming items in this world. It was a pity that I couldnt get a weapon or an armor, but honestly, it was okay to return to Earth just like this. Of course, in order to do that, I have to hunt the protagonist. Its been two months since Ive been with the main character. But it wasnt the time yet. Because I had to wait for a big event to figure out his exact weakness. * * * This kind of case was pretty rare. Perutius and his party progress smoothly without facing any significant obstacles. Even when they explored some remote areas and met some officials of the Black Dragon King, they were always at the level that could be beaten by Perutius and his party. He never faced any crisis. [The episode The Garden of Death Where The Black Flower Shayrana Blooms! (4) has ended.] Perutius even successfully defeated a villain who claimed to be an executive of the Black Dragon King who occupied a village. There seemed to be little to no problem in the path of a protagonist who possessed luck, powerful weapons, super rare skills and legendary class. Today, lets stay overnight at Kamerun Fortress. Late in the evening after we beat Shayrana. We entered the Kamerun Fortress. This place was a fortress that stands at the forefront of the battlefield against monsters. This place was called hell by the natives. However, for the players theres no better hunting ground than this one. There are only players all over Somehow, the atmosphere of Kamerun Fortress was gloomy and dull. In fact, there were some cities back on Earth that have this kind of atmosphere. Especially in remote areas, where every day there is a war due to large numbers of monsters. I tend to hunt around such areas often, and I have seen quite a few heartbreaking tragedies, such as dying elderly people, starvation, drought and a single mother who cries over a bottle of milk. Strangely enough, however, there werent any such people in Kamerun Fortress. Players, players, players, players are everywhere. There were only players in this place. Something. As we walked through the streets, we were finally able to reach the inn. And. Dozens of spears could be founded in front of the huge castle gate. No, to be precise, dozens of heads stuck at the top of the spears. What else is that? It was a human head. No doubt. In this very cruel landscape, I was the only one who felt a sense of incongruity. I called out to Perutius and his party who walked normally as if nothing was wrong. Braveheart-nim. What is that? As I pointed my fingers to the heads stuck in the spears, Perutius replied as it was nothing. Oh, that? They are player rejector. Those people reject us just because we are from another world. ..Is that so? That head, the one in the middle. He was originally the lord of this fortress. This place is a good place for players to hunt, so players started to gather here. But somehow, that guy refused players to enter. Only then could I understand the situation. Kamerun Fortress was a so-called honey hunting ground infested with monsters. But the lord of the castle denied players access? The lord was strong. Well, it was only natural because he is an old man who had been at war since he was born. But at the end of the day, he was almost taken by the demons and the players saved him. And Seongju and his family became like that in exchange for rejecting players. It was a pity. I dont know why they are rejecting us. Players are the heroes who will save the world. .. Why did you reject players? Did you realize what would happen? The lord of Kamerun fortress had already realized that the players would capture the fortress. However, without knowing the players growth rate, he became like that because of his excellent insight. The lord who had lived in Kamerun Fortress for generations was annihilated by players who had only been in another world for a year at that time. All the inhabitants of the fortress were expelled, and this fortress had become players property. As I listened to Perutius, I suddenly found someone standing in front of him. That figure had a hood on, so I couldnt see the face in detail, but somehow, I heard some sobbing. [The clich of the next episode was detected.] And that night. A horde of demons raided Kamerun Fortress. [The episode For the Kamerun Fortress (1) has begun.] * * * Under the red sky, the earth was soaked with blood that hasnt dried yet. The forgotten bodies that were scattered here and there became nothing but food for crows. Black Dragon King Carcasedin. A great devil who has lived for hundreds of years. It was said that he will do anything to put the Pleidin continent under his rule. The reason why Myel Kamerun could become a devil was probably because of Carcasedin. She was originally born as a human and was hostile towards the devil. But one day, a year ago, her family was annihilated by players. It was funny. As long as she could remember, she had been fighting against the devil to protect humanity. However, the beings known as players have become stronger than her, who had trained for more than 10 years, in only one year. They even formed a group to bring the fortress down. Myel questioned herself. Why did I train diligently every day? Why did I suffer while sweating blood? And she pledged for her revenge. Even after surviving alone in the Fortress, she constantly abused and trained herself, she poured out a lot of blood and sweat every day. However, as time passed, the gap between her and the players only widened. If she grows by 10, then the player would grow by 100. They even showed an overwhelming level of equipment by using the item and Enchantment system. They also easily learned the sword technique that she had practiced for her whole life through the Skill acquisition system. Myel felt like she was falling down to the depth of hell. Why did God send such unreasonable beings down to this world? However, even such an unending sense of despair could not overcome her burning desire of vengeance. In the end Myel Kamerun made an extreme choice. She devoted her soul to the Black Dragon King to gain the power of the devil. Today, I am reclaiming my hometown. Perutius had to admit. Myel Kamerun was strong. She was stronger than any enemies he had met so far. His companions had already collapsed because of numerous fatal injuries. The rogue was also nowhere to be seen. The mage was the one who was still standing albeit barely holding onto his consciousness. It was a really fierce battle. Everyone tried their best, but in the end, they couldnt overcome Myel. Ugh. Braveheart! Run away! If you die, there is no hope left for all of us! As the mage screamed hard, Perutius shook his head. Fatigue was clearly visible on his face. No. I wont run away. It was impossible! She can never be overcome with your current strength!! That was right. Yoo Seodam thought so too as he watched the whole situation while pretending to be passed out under a pile of rubles. [The protagonist Perutius has met a crisis.] If Im lucky, wont the protagonist just die like this? A sense of anticipation appeared in his heart. Kuooooooooo!!!! You are arrogant! A dark magical power was condensed in Myels both hands. And then a deformed red magic circle was created. Then the mage screamed in surprise. Ah! That technique! It was black dragons spirit that could only be used by the 7th executive of the Black Dragon! Its a heinous skill that has killed so many warriors so far! Please, Braveheart! Run away! No one has survived that skill! But Perutius did not answer. He only raised his holy sword high. -Oh!!!! Believe in me! Along with the voice of the holy sword Liat, a golden glow erupted from the sword. Ah, nooo!! Ththat effect, dont tell me?! Braveheart, are you trying to enchant your weapon now? Its Reckless! The probability is only 0.001%! It will never be possible! Ha, but If you succeed in enchanting your sword to +11 you can use the ultimate attack skill a sacred hard great attack, anyway! [T/N: The skill name is written in english like that.] Enchantment, it was something that Myel, who had been studying about how to deal with players, was familiar with. In the midst of this fierce battle, youre expecting to succeed with a 0.001% chance? Its just funny. No.. However, Braveheart was determined. With faith and courage, nothing is impossible! -Yes! Everyone should believe in us and become stronger! After saying so, Perutius called out the activation words. Item Enhancement! [Protagonist Perutius uses Enhance Item(-) skill.] Shortly thereafter, both Yoo Seodam and the System could see a strange sight. [The probability of the event is agglomerated.] Isnt the crisis that fills the space around him has been energized and gathered around Perutius? Crazy, what is that? And then, The black dragons spirit was fired from Myels hand and the whole world was dyed with reddish darkness. At the same time, a flash brighter than the sun emerged from Perutiuss holy sword and clashed against the darkness! Ah, Do..Dont tell me this power.?! [The protagonist Perutius had succeeded enchanting Sacred Sword Liat to +11!] [Protagonist Perutius uses the item skill A Sacred Hard Great Attack, Anyway (SS)!] The red darkness gradually lifts off. Perutius also fell down after his power was completely exhausted. I..Impossible! This is ridiculous! This is ridiculous! Did you know what kind of efforts Ive been doing so far? Myles mind was going crazy. She had trained her mind in a harsh environment, trained her body in a lava, and trained her soul in a space full of pain. Not only her decades of training as human. she even devoted her soul to the devil to catch up with the players. All my efforts were meaningless in front of a single enchantment? When the last bit of Myels life evaporated completely, the darkness was already completely lifted by the light of the Braveheart. It was Braveheart Perutiuss victory! While everyone was thrilled, Yoo Seodam was also watching him. No, to be precise, he looked at the +11 legendary-grade sword he was holding. Wow, its +11. Its +11.+11. When Yoo Seodam stared blankly into the +11 holy sword. The systems worry grew bigger and bigger. What if hes been bewitched by the +11 weapon and decided to postpone the protagonist hunt even more? Certainly, it was scenery that you cant see just anywhere. However, from the systems point of view, its upsetting. Until now Yoo Seodam looked like he was not interested in hunting the protagonist at all. Even when the protagonist continues to grow stronger. All he cared about are itemsitems and items. As the systems look at Yoo Seodam with a complicated mind. She noticed something. The Fate that was visible only to her, had gradually begun to change. [31%34%39%44%] The success rate of Yoo Seodam in hunting the protagonist was measured through Fate. It calculated things based on things like the worlds environment, character relations, degree of technological development and the background of the times. Its not an exaggeration to say that even a passing ant could influence the calculation. And Yoo Seodam was a very unique person who could greatly increase the probability of hunting by directly observing the fate. In fact, didnt he utilize the given environment and character relation to the fullest every time? In other words, Yoo Seodam who seems to be watching the reinforcement effect blankly, could be in the middle of designing a fate for hunting the protagonist. Then, the client recalled one more thing that Yoo Seodam had been doing. Did he become a righteous robber just because he wanted an item? Perhaps, hes doing it with an intention to join the protagonists party from the start? The system was aware that Yoo Seodam certainly had a materialistic side on him. However, hes a professional. A professional who would always complete the quest that has been given to him. The client also looked at the enchantment effect of +11 which shone brightly. She still wasnt sure yet, but Yoo Seodam must have thought of some kind of hunting plan when he saw that effect. Otherwise the hunting success rate wouldnt rise. The system, who was sorry after doubting him, lowered her head and apologized. And Yoo Seodam answered to no one but himself. No, its just a coincidence. Contrary to the clients misunderstanding, he didnt plan anything from the start. Neither becoming a righteous thief nor Bravehearts companion. It was all coincidence. But in the end, the end will justify the means. Because its true that I had a rough outline for the plan. Chapter 98: Dimension Nomad, Aracelli (1) Heres the extra chapter from Reverend Divine Pressure Palm. Enjoy~ The protagonist this time was quite unique compared to any other protagonist Ive met in the past. He could consume probability and convert it to luck. Some protagonists acquired skills according to the situation due to probabilities, some protagonists use all probabilities to turn back time, some protagonists consume probabilities to think of inventions that fit the situation, and some protagonists consumed probabilities to create the world. It may seem like luck wasnt a big deal compared to other protagonists skills. But I dare to say that its more unique than a regression. For example, lets say that a group of warriors are lost in a remote area. Oh, you. Going to Clitun? There are 6 seats left in the wagon, hop in, Ill drive you! Then, theyll meet a friendly helper who passed by with a wagon. Thats not all. Theres a legend that has been passed down from generation to generation of herbalists like us, about green mountain ginseng. It is said that if wild ginseng survives for 999 years in a polar region, it becomes a very rare elixir Of course, the odds of finding one are heinous! My family has also been looking for it for over 300 years, but we havent even seen it No way?! Isnt that the green mountain ginseng? Where did you get it? I accidentally stumbled over a stone and fell down, but I pulled it out because it was in front of my nose. With such luck, Perutius could find something that other people had been searching for generations. Of course, the situation above could be ignored. However, most of the luck that manifested in a crisis situation was really ridiculous. Warrior! Dangerous! A monster was about to hit Perutiuss back. The situation was so sudden, what if there is no way to deal with it? At that moment, the world comes out and saves him. Kwakwakwang!! Huh?! A thunderbolt fell from a clear sky?! Really, by chance, the enemy who was aiming behind Perutius fell due to a thunderbolt falling from a clear sky out of nowhere! Its not just the thunderbolt. The floor collapses out of the blue, the clouds block the sun, or the enemy suddenly loses their sight. Since he was a protagonist who simply eats and lives with luck, I always thought that he was consuming probability whenever hes choosing good items or succeeding in enchantment. But my thought were incorrect. To be lucky is to be loved by the world. And being loved by the world means that you can pass all the difficult paths in your life and choose only the best shortcuts. It means that no matter how fast others run and try again, they cant get ahead of those who comfortably take a shortcut. Luck may seem invincible, but in the end, probability was limited in one world. Take an example from item reinforcement. The success rate of 0.001% could never be raised into 100% even after consuming all probability around him. So, in order to succeed in this 0.001% chance, an event or story were necessary. In other words, a climax episode that corresponds to the current event must be prepared. Such as Braveheart in crisis! A situation full of despair where theres no way to get through hardships and adversities. The very moment when the probability of overcoming the crisis is brought to 100%. The protagonist will pour all of it into item enchantment! Thats where the weakness is. Hearing the expectant voice of the system, I felt sorry for some reason. Yes, the client trusts and relies only on me, but she believes me far too easily. For now. It wasnt a lie this time. I really did have a rough idea for my plan. I walked out from the pile of rubles. Myel who had become a Devil had died, and Perutius raised Liat, the +11 holy sword to enjoy the joy of victory. Before long, cheers erupted from all the players who survived from the battle of Kamerun fortress. Do they realize that this disaster was caused by them? I dont think so. It was rather good for me. In the meantime, it wasnt like Yoo Seodam hadnt thought about various plans for hunting Perutius. The first plan was, just like the Hero he hunted the other day, he planned to kill Perutius by forcing him to face the last boss. The second plan was causing problems between players and natives. However, by looking at todays incident, I know for sure. The first method was useless. Even if he met the Black Dragon King, he would succeed in enchanting his holy sword into +15 and fight. He wasnt someone who would die just like that. Then all that left was the second plan. It was causing trouble between players and the natives, and naturally drive the protagonist into a crisis. Since it is not a crisis situation caused by the Black Dragon King, the probability around him would decrease and the hunting success rate will naturally increase. In fact, I wasnt reluctant to do so. I was someone who will resort to murder if its for my own benefit. I have no intention to pretend to be good. Just like how the owner of a rice cake dumpling soup restaurant has faith in the rice cake that they made, a killer also needs to have their own conviction. In my case, Ill do it without dragging too many innocent souls. It is a shabby conviction that cannot be compared to the divine conviction such as making rice cake, but I have never violated this conviction. But this time it might be a little different. Some of the players are good and innocent. However, the player was eating the continent of Plaidin. For two months, Ive experienced so much after partying with the players, and just today, I realized what will happen to an immature being who gained so much power easily and quickly. Of course not all. Im going to take the bad guys as an example. At the same time, it would be better if the presence of a player on this continent shrinks. After all, theres a limit to how strong the player could be. However, it was becoming a problem because the limit is overwhelmingly higher than the natives of this world. However, if you put constraints on their abilities and scope of activity, the terrible future that the client envisioned would not happen. Originally, the hunting success rate was 29%, but it soared to 37% the moment I discovered the weakness of the Protagonists story. It is still not over 50%. .I have an idea, but honestly, Im not very confident. I dont know how far I could go with my power alone. Maybe the difficulty of this mission was higher than the time when I hunted Supreme Dharma. At that time, a group with strong power had a strong resentment towards Dharma, and all I had to do was fan the flame. In this case, it was impossible to do so. I need to attack several groups, not just one. How far can I influence this world? I cant do it alone, I wish I had someone to help me However, Ive been working alone all the time, and I cant hope for something like that right now. Ill just do all that I can. Lets go. After glancing at the Bravehearts back who was still drunk on victory, I quietly left. * * * If we talk about the eastern part of the continent of Pladin, most people will talk about the Marodon Empire. No matter who hears it, theyll believe it. Because it was the Marodon Empire that ruled the entire East. Good mountains, good air, and dozens of streams on its territory enrich the land of the empire. And it wasnt an exaggeration to say that the development of magic has helped the Marodon empire solidify its position as a superpower nation. Somewhere in the corner of the Marodon Empire. In a deep forest devoid of any intelligent species, a girl with a black hair popped out from a distorted space, rolled around and hit her head against the tree! Ouch! She couldnt move for a while. She held her head in agony as a considerable amount of pain struck all over her body. As the pain subsided, she raised her head. Her blue eyes were scanning her surroundings. Here.. She was able to grasp her surroundings as she drew her breath. And as she blinked her eyes, she was able to guess the ecosystem of this place. I can live in this place. It was a forest filled with beasts. But for her, who had wandered through countless dimensions and experienced all sorts of circumstances, it wasnt a big deal. Her name is Aracelli Reinkal. She was known as the greatest nine-circle wizard as well as the great sage of the Vivienda Empire. Despite her young appearance, she was someone who had lived for quite some time. Of course, theres a reason for her young appearances. .How old are you? Aracelli Reinkal was someone with natural talent for magic and had spent her entire life studying about dimensional travel without even paying attention to any other discipline. As a result, she was able to pursue the trail of any dimensional traveler. However, theres one fatal problem with her unstable dimensional movement. Fourteen? You are too young! That is, in the process of crossing dimensions, she constantly collides with the fragment of time she encountered. Aracelli appearances always changed whenever she arrives in a new dimension. Fortunately, her body age did not age rapidly, but the problem is she kept getting younger. She had been studying about fragments of time for several years now, and the fact that she had yet to overcome this problem had left her depressed. Its not like this.NO! I can do it! Its been a long time since she started this journey. For such a long time, she had crossed numerous dimensions, and now she even lost her way to return to her hometown. How did I get this far? She suddenly recalled a memory from a distant past. At first, she did this just to express her gratitude. After losing all her confidence, she nearly quit magic altogether. Her only ally was her professor. He turned her life upside down, allowing her to become the greatest 9th Circle magician, and defeat the threats that loomed in her world. If she hadnt met the professor, would she have been able to continue studying magic? Could she have saved the world if she hadnt met the professor? So, after she finished all of her business in Vivienda, Aracelli was ready to go out of the world. She finally tried to find the professor who saved herself and her own world. Thats right. At first, she just wanted to express her gratitude to her first and last benefactor. It was just a journey that stemmed from that feeling. So she wandered around numerous strange worlds. She came to a new world, she got to know new people, new stories. A world of fairies covered in purple, a world entirely made of swords, a world made up of numerous constellations who watched their Avatar struggling for survival, and a world where the holy sword ruled for 1000 years. Traveling through a myriad of dimensions, Aracelli realized the existence of someone who led the world into destruction by consuming energy similar to the essence of the world. And once again, she was able to learn about the existence of Yoo Seodam. He wandered and saved countless worlds by killing those who were leading the world to destruction. The journey that started with a simple feeling no longer felt simple. She became more and more obsessed. My mana is. When she checked the amount of Mana in her body, it was less than 10%. The price of crossing between dimensions through an unstable gap was huge. Probably, it will take a considerable amount of time before she recovered all of her Mana. When she didnt have enough Mana, the only thing she believed in was her physical ability that she trained since she was 19 years old. When she reverted back to her young appearance she quickly became fragile. Realizing that her smooth abs were completely gone, she hastily focused a small amount of magical power on her fingertips. She carved a rock near her and made a dagger out of it. She then looked around her for something to cover her body. She had to bear this inconvenience because she couldnt bring any items except for her necklace, which she always wore around her neck. She said Oh, if only I could bring a spatial bag.. Aracelli who wore a woven long grass around her sensitive area began to wander through the forest with her bare feet. She had enough time before the sun began to set. But, she still needed more time to replenish her magic, so she had to find a place to protect her body in a hurry. By the way, theres one fact that Aracelli didnt know. [A new supporting character has joined the story.] She has a very strong relationship with Yoo Seodam, so the moment she enters the same world as him she was forced to join the story he intercepted. Rustle! ..! Aracelli quickly turned her head when an enemy was detected in her faintly spread magic field. Then two men appeared there. ..There is a child in a place like this. Oh oh! Its real. As expected from a guy who goes around killing some people, your ability to find a person is amazing! She rolled her eyes around and sent her little magical power to grasp their ability. If they are weak, Ill deal with them in moderation and then run away. One man with black hair and one man with blue hair. One man had an ability close to Sword Professional, and the other man was a Wizard of the 7th Circle. They were also amongst the strongest people of this world, but Aracelli could beat them quite easily. However, it is better not to do so because the amount of Mana she possessed was quite limited. (T/N I know Sword professional is weird. But, the author wrote it in hanglish.) Who are you? Pasios. Im a player. I am Reduru. I was once a chief wizard of the empire, well. Ive been taken away by the players and now Im only a mercenary. Little girl, who are you? One man was a player and one was a mercenary wizard. I am Aracelli. A wizard. The two men narrowed their eyes and looked at Aracelli after hearing her answer. It was hard to believe that a girl who seems to be about fourteen years old said that she was a wizard. Pasios thought that it was nothing but a bluff to protect herself. He sighed before putting the sword that he had secretly pulled back to its scabbard. It was because he felt weird being vigilant against a little girl like her. Redurun giggled. I got the wrong person. Shes just a kid isolated in a remote area. Ill take you back to the city. Arent you a good PK? If youre going to keep pestering me, just go away!! Ah, I cant. I really have nowhere to go! Pasios approached Aracelli and wrapped her in his black cloak. Then he opened his item window and took out a piece of hard bread and handed it towards Aracelli. Eat. Its not something strange. I know. I just scanned it. But there seems to be strawberry jam in the mysterious sub-space that you have. Cant you give it to me too? ! At her words, Pasios expression turned stiff. How do you know that? I just saw it. Im a wizard, remember? And a really good one at that perhaps. With a suspicious look, Pasios took out the strawberry jam and handed it over. She said that she sensed someone elses subspace? How? That was an impossible feat even for a 7th Circle wizard like him. Players item window was estimated to be a space interference type of magic with a power around 9th Circle or even higher. This kid is. What the hell is she? They gazed at Aracellis mysterious blue eyes with confused expressions. Its the most delicious jam Ive ever eaten! Uh, whatever I eat is way better than the fins of an unknown dragon. Unlike the two men who quickly fell into a serious atmosphere, Aracelli spread the strawberry jam on the bread and bit it off with excitement. Chapter 99: Dimension Nomad, Aracelli (2) Darticon, a city of honor and warriors. Oh its a really cool city. Right. Aracelli wandered around the city with a wide smile. It was a beautiful city. The roads were paved with pure white tiles, the buildings were painted in colorful colors, and the streets were filled with tourists who came to watch the warriors fight, and of course, the merchants were full of vigor. Is this your first time coming to the city? Of course not. Im completely a city person. Not just a city person but completely a city person? What the hell does that mean? Pasios stared at Aracelli. The city reflected in her blue eyes, unlike her young appearance, her eyes were calm and deep, like a veteran who had seen the reality of the world for decades. Aracellis eyes were glued to the skewer and snacks sold by the street vendors. And unlike her mature image from before, she looked rather cute right now. Looking at Aracelli reminded Redurun of his little sister, and in the end Redurun ended up buying a lot of snacks for her. Then Aracelli began to munch on the enormous amounts of snacks in her hands without any care in the world. Pasios and Redurun may not know, but Aracelli was having a good time after so long. She had lived a life where she couldnt eat properly, so a food that really tasted like food really spurned her appetite. And then, one of the street vendors asked Aracelli when she was in the middle of ordering a rice cake skewer. Hey, student, in hot weather like this, arent you feeling stuffy in those clothes? Its because I dont have any other clothes. Oh my god When Aracelli answered without thinking much, a lot of people were looking at her with pitiful eyes. Redurun, who couldnt take it anymore, pulled out a suitcase full of clothes. When I succeed later, Ill be sure to pay you back! It is questionable when she would succeed. Its a really nice city. There are also a lot of people. Do you think so? In the past, there were more people. More than now? Yes. It has started to decrease this year. Why? Well, it cant be helped. The law has become weird since players took over the citys mayor position. It can be said that Darticon was the most culturally bustling city on the east side of the Marodon Empire. Originally, this place was a city of barbarians, or warriors which were very far from the term culture. However, along with time, they were also changing. This city has a really unique culture. Only the strongest warrior could be the ruler (Mayor) of Darticon. Even the Marodon Empire couldnt touch that rule. That rule has existed there throughout the history of Draticon without any problem. However, starting from this year, problems began to arise. Somehow, if one became the champion of Darticon and won the position of the mayor, one would acquire wisdom that accompanied strength through enlightenment. But, the players didnt get it at all. Just in less than three years, players who suddenly gained strong power become arrogant. They implemented several strange policies with the pride that they became the mayor of the strongest city. So, this city, which is usually crowded every year, was strangely quiet this year. Most of the people around the city were players. I cant believe that even the city of Honor, Darticon, has been eaten by people from another world. Its a mess. Redurun said with a complex expression on his face. Unlike his bright personality, he is clearly not in his best mood right now. After listening to Reduruns story, Aracelli recalled the existence called Player once again. Those who can quickly gain power by simply killing a monster. Just how many tears and blood had she spilled to be a 9th Circle wizard? And how much enlightenment did she achieve in the process of becoming strong? And if, those players who gained strength without any Enlightenment existed all over this continent. ..Its a good city with many good people. But, I dont want to live in a world like this. Aracelli decided she will accomplish what she needs to do as soon as possible and return. I actually have someone Ive been looking for. Huh? Who? Parents? Friend? Family? Brother? Sister? if not.. Shut up, Redurun. Who are you looking for? Hes a man called Yoo Seodam, Do you perhaps know him? Both Redurun and Pasios expressions crumpled. Yeah, we know him. But even if you want to find him, you wont be able to. What are you talking about? Because there are many other people who are looking for that man besides you. Pasios said as he pointed his finger to the poster where people were gathered. Go there. Theres information about him there. Really? Where Originally, Aracelli didnt expect them to know about Yoo Seodam. She was quite taken aback by Pasioss answer. With an excited expression, she turns her head to the direction Pasios was pointing at. [WANTED] [Serial murderer ] [Player Yoo seodam] [Dead Or Alive] [1,000,000 G] She saw a wanted poster with Yoo Seodams face on it. He even had a five-star rating that was given to only the most heinous criminals in the entire continent. Huh? It wasnt just some person with the same name as her professor. That face, that nose, that sleazy but bright smile, those clear eyes, and that lips that seem to hide those teeth. How could she forget that face? It was the face of someone she had never forgotten even once throughout the decades. Why. She slowly approached the wanted spot on the wall. Is that the person you are looking for? When Pasios asked, Aracelli nodded her head blankly. Its something that a player-killer like me shouldnt say, but That man is a fairly heinous serial murderer. In this city, Darticon, hes attracting attention for killing all the Government executives. Aracelli proceeded to read his offense. Assassination, assassination, murder, assassination, etc. Most of his victims were noble, politicians, merchants, and important figures. Its no wonder that his wanted posters were scattered across the continent. Pasios said after roughly tearing off one of many wanted posters of Yoo seodam. He is also someone I need to kill. Pardon me? When it comes to Pasios of the Black Knight Guild, there is no one who doesnt know. He was the very first player to enchant a Legendary-grade weapon into +7, and was the first ranker to reach level 200, and now he was a very vicious player who had left the guild and worked as a solo player as well as a PK. The fall of Pasios, who used to be called the best player! However, he had his reason for doing so. If he keeps going like this, this world will be in a mess. Hes so drunk on his power, he needs someone to prevent him from abusing his power. .Do you intend to play that role, Mr. Pasios? Yes. Yoo Seodam has already crossed the line. In only one month after he started his activity, hes been gaining a lot of despise from the natives. Aracelli somehow felt terrible. A clear sadness was visible on her face. ..But dont worry. That guy is still only in second place. Really? Yes. Pasios has someone he really wants to kill. His name is Perutius Hes a really lucky player. He will throw this world into chaos soon. Well, Im not particularly opposed to it. Because I have a pretty deep grudge against players since I lost my job because of them! Haha, actually, after becoming unemployed, I realized it was good to be free. After Aracelli heard all the story, she felt something was off. She has traveled to many dimensions, and has been able to see and hear many things by belatedly following Yoo Seodams footsteps. Wherever he goes, he always tries to balance the world by hunting very special people who are loved by the world. Perhaps Aracelli asked Redurun once again. Can you explain to me more about the player named Perutius? Ah, that friend After hearing all the explanations, Aracelli was convinced. There is no mistake. Professor is aiming for Perutius. * * * That evening, Aracelli headed to the scene where Yoo seodam committed a murder with Pasios and Redurun in tow. Its been a week since the incident and for some reason, the case has been handed over to investigate without giving any details about what happens to the public. The Empire only stated that a player had killed an innocent noble. But. What if they werent actually innocent nobles? There is no mistake. If youre the same professor Ive been following and know, youll never kill innocent people. So, Aracelli infiltrated the crime scene using her leftover Mana to prove Yoo Seodams innocence and secure Pasios and Reduruns help. .It is an extraordinary magic. What kind of magic is it? Ive never seen anything like this. Its different from a simple Invisible magic. Pasios and Redurun stiffly examined the translucent membrane surrounding their bodies. The act of hiding one presence with magic could be done with 3rd Circle magic cognition reduction, 4th Circle magic wide area cognition cancellation, and 6th Circle magic invisibility. However, the magic Aracelli cast wasnt simply lowering the enemys cognition or making their body turn invisible. It was akin to walking on a another dimension altogether. This magic was at least at the level of the highest tier magic that Redurun, a 7th Circle wizard, could not understand. A sword expert-class guard passed right next to them. However, even if they waved, jumped, and shouted in front of him, the guard didnt notice them at all. This way. Aracelli closed her eyes and put her hand together. She meticulously poured her Mana to all nooks and cranny and led the two men. She forced herself to use her Mana that could not be recovered. The white blouse Redurun bought for her was soaking wet, but she couldnt care less, she was already struggling to keep her magic going. Professor needs help. However, theres a limit for what she could do with her current Mana pool and fragile young body. But what if she could assure Pasios, the master of the Black Knight guild as well as the highest level player in the past, and Redurun, who was once the chief sorcerer, to help? I can help him. Aracelli thought it must be a destiny to meet Pasios and Redurun as soon as she arrived in this world. [The clich flows.] That was a pretty, accurate judgment. Creaaaak. Thud! The heavy iron door, which was layered with defensive magic, opened and revealed the bleak interior of the room. Redurun immediately plugged his nose while Pasios frowned, but Aracelli walked in nonchalantly. This is crazy. What is all this? To think theres a large room in the basement. Theres blood everywhere. Theres also rotten body, flesh, and dark red magic circles scattered here and there. Redurun created a flame with his magic to incinerate all the corpses. Unfortunately, his flame wasnt able to burn the corpses, because. Rotten corpses and Dark red magic circle. It must be black magic. They found black magic in the basement of a government building in Draticon, a city of warriors, protected by the Emperor of the Marodon Empire. Black magic was something that was used by Black dragon king and his followers. In other words, it could be said that the government official that was killed by Yoo Seodam was actually a traitor who was the enemy of mankind. In the end, he only killed those who were worth killing. Redurun rebuke Pasioss words because he still couldnt understand. He could be a hero just by revealing this fact. But why didnt he do it? Does he have another plan? Obviously, his doubts were valid. Pasios also couldnt completely erase his suspicion. But then Aracelli said. Mr. Pasios. You said that players need some kind of restrictions in order to live in this world. Thats right. What if you werent the only one who thought that way? What? Pasios had never thought about it. Because all players he knew were always too drunk in the power they got. Just like you Mr.Pasios, Yoo Seodam was a unique existence among players. Arent you deliberately killing players to put a leash on them by using terror? It was a simple yet effective way. Obviously, players will be afraid of Pasios. But My intuition said, you will die in the hand of Perutius soon. Aracelli, who had indirectly experienced numerous episodes in so many worlds, thought so. Although she had no knowledge about probabilities of the world, clichs, episodes and the existence of the protagonist, she was able to see through the essence of the world using insights of the 9th Circle Wizard. A player who hunts other players, is In the end, only an individual, and you will be the cause which will make the players unite. Aracelli glanced at the terrible corpses that had fallen victim to black magic with her sad eyes. Professor Yoo Seodam probably had thought that far. So he took a completely different path from you. For example, exposing the danger that the player possesses to the world and deliberately inducing antagonism. What Aracelli means was that Yoo seodam showed the world about what will happen in the future when players grow even stronger. Huh, so he killed those who deserved to be killed, but deliberately let people hate him by not revealing it? Pasios and Redurun could not understand the meaning behind Yoo Seodams action. No, even if they had the same thought as him in the first place, they didnt have any confidence to do it like Yoo seodam. How can a person do that, even at the expense of their life? It was bigger than I thought. If its true I dont want to leave him alone. Probably, Yoo Seodam wont stop assassinating native humans to keep their hostility towards him. And finally, he will sacrifice himself to self-destruct along with the evil player, allowing the good players to naturally assimilate into this world and live. Thats what they thought. In fact, the professor cannot really sacrifice himself.. Somehow, Aracelli, who remembered Yoo Seodams hateful yet unhateable behavior, calmed down. Now, we can really meet. Pasios and Redurun made their decision after contemplating their choice for a while. I think I know the group of players that are just right for this situation. Let me try to help Yoo Seodams next action. I have to contact the princess. I dont care about what will happen, but, Its for the future of the continent, so.. Thank you very much! When Aracelli smiled brightly at their positive decision, Redurun asked, as if he really did not understand. By the way.. Why are you going so far trying to help him? To that, Aracelli replied with a smile brighter than ever. I want to meet my Professor. Chapter 100: Dimension Nomad, Aracelli (3) Happy chapter 100~ [WANTED] [] [Player Yoo seodam] [Dead Or Alive] [2,500,000 G] It has been three months since Yoo Seodam, the serial killer, began his activities. In the meantime, he received an unprecedented rating of 7-star, his bounty had also soared rapidly. Not only was he charged with the crime of murdering major personnel, he was also becoming a Black Dragon King Subordinate. The Black Dragon King was the enemy of mankind. It was a task that mankind must overcome. That was the purpose why players came to this world and hailed as Heroes. However, what if the hero sided with the Black Dragon King? That means people could no longer call them hero. I guess that friend decided to eat properly. Of course, when he has the chance, he needs to eat it properly. Is there any benefit joining hands with the Black Dragon King? The rumors said you could monopolize the items of other players who died after attacking the forces of the Black Dragon King. There was one thing in common with the pub building you enter through the left door, the bar you enter through the right door, the club you enter through the upper door, and the alcohol store you enter through the lower door once the night comes. All of those stores were connected to City Hustle City Hustle, a group that sounds like an ordinary night club or a mercenary group, was in fact a gathering place for chaos player. It was something akin to shelter for those who commit crimes because they could not control their strong power. City Hustle was spread all over the continent, which also indicated that there were so many chaos players in the society. Step.. Step.. A lone chaos player walked into the city hustle. In this place, no one didnt know about him. The once festive atmosphere turned cold instantly as soon as they saw him. The identity of the man was Pasios, a killer who specialized in killing players as well as a strong player who was the first one to reach level 200. No matter how many chaos players gathered here, they were all tensed up in the presence of the man who specializes in hunting players. Craaackle Thud! Some chaos players who had quite a bad temper rose from their seats and stood in front of Pasios. Certainly, they were several times larger than Pasios, but he wasnt scared at all. Theres no need for you to be that tense. I just came to bring some good news to my Colleague Colleague. Pasios was disgusted by that word. It was terrible to even think that these trash had the same value as him, but He tried to endure it by remembering a man who would be sacrificing himself even now. Good news? Yes. Have you heard about player Yoo Seodam and the fact that he is recruiting players to join him? Of course, theyve heard about it. A month ago, Yoo Seodam successfully occupied Yormun Fortress through all sorts of tactics such as politic, assassination, assault and intimidation. Theres one more important thing. Yormun fortress, the closest fortress to the Black Dragon Kings giant castle was captured by a player. Moreover, that player even joined hands with the Black Dragon King. And Yoo Seodam said. [Recruiting players to join me!] The content is simple. He said that if they came under him, he would give them goods, treasures, and powerful strength they never see before. Anyone who was blinded by levels and items would have a hard time resisting after hearing Yoo Seodams offer. But most players didnt even look at it. No matter how drunk they were, in the end, their goal was to hunt the Black Dragon King But.. What about some players who didnt hesitate to do all sorts of crime for levels and items? To them, Yoo Seodams offer sounds enticing. It was said that you would always get experience from the Black Dragon Kings Caste and all sorts of rare items from hunting players around the world! Pasios was there to give them the final push they needed. Arent you curious about how I got the Legendary weapon? Are you curious how I succeed at the impossible seventh-enchantment? .and, arent you curious about how Perutius succeeded in the eleventh-enchantment? Wha..what? Whats the relation between all that and the Black Dragon King? If youre going to talk bullshit, get out of here!!! You stupid guys. This is why you guys are lagging behind, being treated as trash and being hunted. They couldnt refute even after hearing Pasioss thorny words. In any case, it was only natural to think that the information of the person in front of them was correct. Its simple. If you received the power of the Black Dragon King Not only the enchantment probability will increase, you can also receive a Legendary Quest from him. Experience, level, class, and enhancement. You can get all this from him. .! Then No way, are you saying that the reason Perutius is so empowered is because? Yes. Pasios couldnt remember how many times he had repeated the same words in the last two months. But he was quite happy this time because of the fact that those stupid Chaos players were being deceived again. He told them once again. It is only natural for those with power to rule the world. You, No! We have no reason to hide. You have the ability to get the best power faster than anyone else How long do you plan to rot like mold in a corner like this? If you really intend to live and die like that Im disappointed to ever think that you are my colleague. There was a strange resonant in Pasioss words. It touched the players pride, lit the fire under them to seek more power, and touched their desire to gain stronger power faster, and above all, the strongest player said, `You can do this and that words somehow became the justification for their actions. Lets write the date down. That day, lets meet at Yormun Citadel. There will come a world where those who seek only power and where players rule. Chaos players started to gather towards the Yormun Citadel. * * * Unity of players, huh? The first princess of the Marodon Empire, Ryu Hye-ian drank the worlds most expensive black tea, Red Golden and fell into her thoughts. Right across from her was Redurun, who was restless and couldnt even drink the expensive red gold. The relationship between the two has always been uncomfortable and awkward. It was because the number one successor to the Marodon Empire, Ryu Hye-ian was in a position of confessing her love towards Redurun, and Redurun was in the position of fleeing from that confession. Accept me. Then, with all my strength, I will put you back to where you belong. In fact, it wasnt like Redurun didnt hold the same feeling as Ryu hye-ian. However, the moment he accepted her feelings, she would lose half of her power in the succession war. That was the reason why he ran away from her confession. The emperor held a favorable impression towards players, he even hated Redurun. In the meantime, what will happen if the first princess gets rid most of the players and brings back Redurun just because she likes him? It was obvious that her power would reduce considerably She gently twisted her red hair. Those lips that always held an intense impression were laughing viciously today. Certainly, in this situation, that was an interesting proposal. If we expose the bad deeds of the players and take credit of eradicating them all It will be an opportunity to solidify my position in the imperial succession war. Then she added more words. If that happens, you know what to do, right? Yeah? Yes, of course but.. Will it be okay? Redurun said carefully. I have already rejected the princess once. Fyuuu. The princess was agonizing about what to do to the tactless man in front of her who brings up something that should be left alone. Yes. I was very offended, my heart also hurt a lot. My pride has already been torn to pieces. So, when you came back, I was going to swear at you a lot and kick you out. Then But, when I see your face, I cant do it. Ryu Hye-ian looked at Redurun with her subtle eyes. My torn pride, my wounded heart. All disappeared as if it was nothing. As long as you come back, those things are fine. .. Redurun felt waves of guilt in his heart. He did not know, but his heart also longed for Ryu Hye-ian. If he doesnt feel guilty here, Ryu Hye-ian will be rejected once more, and if he feels guilty, he wont be able to escape from her anymore. After confirming that Redurun still had feeling for her, Ryu hye-ian said Good. Then, shall we go player-hunting from now on? * * * The original plan was this. Gather Chaos players, and degrade their image further using the fame of Black Dragon King. This plan was quite plausible, and in fact, a good number of Chaos players had already flocked to Yormun Fortress. But the plan doesnt stop here. Get rid of Perutius who came to stop the Chaos player group. In fact, the rumor about the Black Dragon King was half true and half false. because. Because I had no intention of using the power of the Black Dragon King in the first place. However, it was true that the Yormun Fortress, which was actually called the wall of the world, was stained by the Black Dragon King and had become a separate episode. In the first place, the lord of Yormun castle had already joined hands with King Black Dragon. Yoo Seodam killed the lord of the fortress and took over the place. He also used the remains of the Black Dragon King army in the fort as a bait to gather the Chaos players, and then stop Perutius. There should be very few Chaos players who came after believing in my word. Can they hunt Perutius alone? He honestly doesnt know. Again, the odds are only half and half. However, it was the best thing he could do right now, so he had to challenge himself. However Yoo Seodam! An exemplary Chaos player! I came to receive the item of the Black Dragon King! Its my first time seeing trash like you since I was born! I will follow you and become the worlds greatest trash! Yoo Seodam stared at thousands of Chaos players gathered in the Yormun fortress with dumbfounded eyes. These many gathered? From the first time they arrived at the fortress until now, Yoo Seodam still couldnt believe it. Just how stupid they are? It cant be. Although his name value has risen quite considerably as a criminal, he was also someone who just started his criminal career 3 months ago. What the hells going on. However, all Chaos players looked at him with great respect as if looking forward to something. I heard that the Black Dragon Kings items would be given to all of us! Perutius, that guy was also holding hands with the Black Dragon King and is reaping all the benefits by himself! Its okay! Can you give our share too? Obviously, most of the words they said were nothing but their own delusion. By the way, how the hell do they all know? Chaos players are basically spread all over the world, and theres no way he could properly deliver the news to all of them. There was also no way for him to search for all Chaos players, so he abandoned that idea.. This is because someone other than me moved behind the scene. He didnt know. There was a woman who worked so hard for his sake. Soon, he put away his suspicion. Theres so many Chaos players in front of him, he didnt have time for any other thoughts. Yoo Seodam raised the grade 3 ether blade to the air. The actual grade of this weapon itself was only rare-grade, but the glow it had was almost comparable to the hero-grade weapon! You are right! Up until now, Perutius was pretending to be a hero while colluding with the Black Dragon King to grow his strength and power! I cant leave him alone anymore! We all deserved to be free in the world! Soon after, Perutius and his party arrived at the Wall of the world occupied by the Black Dragon King. Now, he has come. Let us all take off the mask of a false hero! Oh-oh-oh-oh! Over 2,000 Chaos players raised their weapons to fight against the hero. Chapter 101: Dimension Nomad, Aracelli (4) Just.. Just whats happening here? Why in the world did it turn out like this? Perutius despaired at the sight of thousands of Chaos players rushing at him. Did they follow Yoo Gil-dongs order? Did he survive and run away to join the Black Dragon King? Just what is the problem? No, this wouldnt have happened in the first place if it werent for the existence of Yoo Seodam. Die, you hypocrite! Is it good playing a hero? A black thunderbolt hurled towards him, a rock rolled and tried to crush Perutius head. A whip of flames slithered and burned the ground and the ground pitted with thorns made of steel all over it. Perutius and his party endured every barrage of attack. Their level was incomparable to the Chaos players who had no choice but to live in hiding. All of his companions were armed with all kinds of legendary equipment on their body, and their weapons were also at least at +7 Hero-grade or higher. In addition, Perutiuss level had risen sharply to 175 and his weapon was the one and only +11 Legendary-grade Holy sword in existence, making him an absurdly strong player. Even after all those specs, Protagonist correction was still in effect. Die!!!! Ill take your-Keuk The moment when an assassin player tried to slit Perutiuss neck at an unbelievably perfect timing, he was killed by an arrow flying from the side. You guys! You can beat me in a battle of stren-ugh?! Whats this rat doing in my arm!!! The moment a player who invested his stats on strength tried to crush him with strength, a rat fell on his hand out of nowhere. Die! Lunatic Blade Machine-arrgghhh!!! Rustle Boom!! A Chaos player who tried to unleash a special move after gathering energy for the last 30 minutes or so, stumbled on a rock and killed himself along with his allies. Thats right. Perutius was extremely lucky, it was as if he took the luck of anyone around him. However, no matter how lucky he was, he had too many opponents. No matter how strong Perutius and his party was, it was impossible for them to deal with thousands of people. Kuughh!! Braveheart! You are the only one who needs to survive..! Ugh! Im sorry, Braveheart Im sorry, warrior. I cant hold on any more One by one, all his companions fell. -Braveheart Perutius kept cutting, stabbing, smashing and killing. However, when he killed one, another 2 players would rush towards him and when he killed three, five more Chaos players would charge towards him. -Pouring out my last strength! Ahhhhhhhhh!! [Protagonist Perutius activates the item skill Liats Protection.] Kuung!! A curtain of light spread out with Perutius as the center. In an instant, the ground sunk and every player who touched the light instantly perished. However, more than thousands of Chaos players were still alive and angry. It was a terrible fight. On the battlefield, where the world seemed to be slowing down, Perutius had to fight alone. Right I am a hero. A hero chosen by the holy sword of the light, Liat. He had only trained for a month but had become stronger than a swordsman who had trained for 10 years. He could find what others had been looking for all their life in just one day. When someone tried to get what they wanted by working to the bones, he could get it all at once by casually doing it. He could easily solve something that no one could do. He didnt have to lift a finger. No, he had not made any effort even before acquiring the Holy Sword. In the first place, he was destined to become a Braveheart, so he didnt have to do anything. Yes, I am a Braveheart. Even in such a crisis, he believed it was only a tribulation for a Braveheart like him. If so, it was something he could overcome as usual. .Liat! Lets do that! -BrBraveheart? I will try to enchant the item, and kill all those pitiful Chaos players here! -Wait! Im a holy sword made for the purpose of killing Black Dragon King! I cant show my full power when fighting against players like yourself! Its okay! Perutius clenched his teeth and said to Liat. We can do it, because Im a Braveheart! The luck that came to him in time of crisis involved a large amount of probability. But. Right now, the probability was not enough. This crisis he faced right now was not caused by the Black Dragon King, so the probability was extremely insufficient. And in his fierce struggle so far, he had consumed too much probability. When he faced off against Black Dragon Kings subordinate in one-on-one fight, he didnt consume too much probability. So, all probability that he gained would be converted into luck which made his enchantment success rate increase to 100%. But not now. [Enhancement success rate: 19.71%] Perutius enchantment success rate had fallen to this much. Its still ridiculously high. Even if it was not 100%, it was still a crazy number because it is close to 20%. That was the result of absorbing all the possibilities around this place! And that also means that there is a 20% chance that I would lose. Yoo Seodam couldnt let it happen. He pulled out the mega-shooter from his inventory. It was the weapon that helped him in assassinating key figures all around Pleidin. Also, because of its loud noise, Yoo Seodam got another nickname for him, which is Thunder Assassin. He slowly loaded a sniper bullet into the mega-shooter. It wasnt just an ordinary bullet. It was a Mana-enchanted bullet. Using this very bullet, it was possible to kill a D to C rank superhuman with just one shot, and inflict a fatal wound to B to A rank superhuman. And this time, a large amount of Mana had been poured into the bullet to further enhance its capability. Had it been in a normal situation, the flower spirit might have mocked him by saying Witch is an idiot~. Because, if one raised their Mana while trying to snipe a S-rank superhuman, the incoming attack would be easily detected, thus making it easy to avoid. When that happens, the advantage of being a sniper disappears. But what if the target is defenseless? What if the attack can never be avoided? Believe in me, who believes in you! Liat! -Br.braveheart! Finally, Perutius let out a ferocious roar. Item enchantment! [Protagonist Perutius uses Enhance Item (-) skill.] [The probability of the event is gathering.] When his cries resounded all over the world, a brilliant beam of light descended on his Holy sword, Liat! Taang!! A powerful bullet that would kill even the strongest superhuman was fired at Perutiuss head. [.A crisis arises for the protagonist Perutius!] [The protagonist Perutius converted all the available probability into good luck!] Wooon!!!! Ku gu gu gu gu!! That moment, The space twisted, wind rages, the ground was dug, and the world shook, and the bullet failed to reach Perutius and disappeared farther away. The world itself moved for his sake! ..Heoeok! For a moment, Perutius was relieved that hes still alive, but not for too long. -BrBraveheart. I dont feel so good. (T/N Peterr?!?!) Suddenly, Holy sword Liat began to scream. LiLiat! Why is it all of a sudden! -Braveheart! Cancel the enchantment right away Oh, ah! Braveheart! Nooo..o..o [Item enhancement failed!] Fwoosh! huh? Perutius came to his senses and realized that the Holy sword Liat, which he held in both hands just a moment ago, had disappeared. What? Perutius looked down with empty eyes. Liat, Liat? Liat, answer me. This, this This cant be He was Braveheart. And, he had never failed in item enchantment so far. When faced with a crisis, he was always able to overcome adversity by unlocking Liats hidden power. Why did it fail? Unable to cope with harsh reality, Perutius stumbled to his knees. Aracelli was right. This was Yoo seodams plans all along. Out of nowhere, someone said so to him. What do you think? Thats the result of ignoring those who trained hard and only believing in your luck. Perutius did not notice that it was the voice of Pasios. However, it was good for Pasios. I will kill them all. Slowly rising from his knees, Perutius pulled out another weapon from his inventory. The white sword with red letters carved on its surface was only a hero-grade weapon, but he thought it didnt matter as long as it could cut down the enemy. Yoo Seodam, that guy. I will kill him!!! Are you sure you have any time for that? Passios smiled as he said, and disappeared right after. Soon Perutius realized what it meant. Du Du Du Du Du Du!! From a distance, the sound of tens of thousands of troops advancing rang out. It wasnt just Perutius who was taken aback, the Chaos players also felt the same. What? What, what is that! Its the elite cavalry of the Marodon Empire! Damn it. Why now!! Raising the white flag of the Marodon Empire, the elite troops began to advance! They didnt know how they came so quickly. They didnt even know how they could come at this timing and why. But the most important thing was one. Look at those Chaos players! Look at Perutius, who was praised as a Braveheart! The fact was that the Princess came here to hunt players! Can we still call them heroes even after they join hands with the Black Dragon King? Well, thats a misunderstanding! I did not join hands with the Black Dragon King! Yes, Perutius came to Yormun fortress because he heard that it was taken by the Black Dragon Kings army, so he could say that he was an ally of the Empire. However, the princess had already decided that Perutius needed to be killed, so it was a useless excuse. Chaos players also shouted that the princess treatment was unfair. Dont talk nonsense! We havent even seen the Black Dragon King! Yeah! Were just gathered here because we need to talk with Yoo Seodam! There is no King of Black Dragon here! However, when they were busy making excuses, Yoo Seodam had already put the next plan in motion. He woke up the Black Dragon Kings subordinates who were sleeping in the basement of Yormun Citadel, to forcefully trigger the episode. Kuohoh!! A monster resembling a black gorilla appeared and spewed black magic all over the place. And it was enough to anger the imperial army. See that! Thats the ugly truth of Chaos players! However, there is nothing to be scared of! Because I, Ryu Hye-ian and Marodon are with you! Fight against it! Kill all the false heroes who sold their souls to the Black Dragon King! We have never been defeated in the fight against the Black Dragon King! It was a situation filled with confusion. With Chaos players fighting each other, a giant monster that emerged from the destroyed fortress, the imperial army surrounding it, and Perutius who stood at the middle of all, it was a total mess. Hahaha Imperial Army and Chaos players. Seeing all of them rushing to kill him, Perutius let go of his sword and bowed his head. [Youve successfully hunted a level 175 protagonist.] Eventually, the one who was once called a Braveheart was trampled by tens of thousands of people and disappeared without even leaving a trace. The war didnt last long. Chaos players were also completely wiped out by the imperial forces shortly afterward, and the Black Dragon Kings subordinate could not withstand the attack from the imperial army. Wow ahhhhhh!! We wiped the player! We defeated Black Dragon Kings subordinate! Hurray, Her Majesty! Hurray! While everyone was celebrating their victory. Professor, where is the professor? Aracelli ran in hurry under the protection of the imperial army. The other day, she had exhausted all her Mana, so it was impossible for her to go directly to the battlefield. She had no choice but to stay behind. But now, the war was finally over, and the one blessed with the source of the world had also died. In the end, just like in another world, Her professor, Yoo Seodam saved the world again. By the way No one knows. Everyone praises the princess Ryu Hye-ian and the sorcerer Redurun. But they werent the real people to be praised,it was Yoo Seodam. Heo-eok, cough! Cough! Her young body started to feel heavy. Her lungs were gasping for airs. but she never stopped running. Professor, where the hell? She traversed the battlefield of tens of thousands of people while preventing herself from vomiting blood. And finally. Professor!!!!! In the innermost corner of the battlefield, neglected by everyone. She could see Yoo Seodam staring at Perutiuss corpse. Ah. She wasnt wrong. His white eyes were something she hadnt seen before, but those playful eyes were definitely his. Despite decades having passed since the last time she saw him, Yoo Seodams hairstyle was still the same. His outfit has become a little unique. He was wearing something like steel armor, not the coat she knew. A lot had changed. However, he was still Yoo seodam. Ah.Aa! (It was like stuttering) While feeling the tearing pain on her lungs, Aracelli squeezed all her available Mana and ran toward Yoo Seodam. She barely pushed away the cheering imperial army to reach him. She came to a realization, Theres no way she crossed between dimensions all of her life just to say thank you. Didnt her beating heart after seeing him prove it? My heart is like this while I was looking for the professor. The whole world was shining brightly. Professor.! At that moment.. Suddenly, the space began to distort. Yoo Seodams body was engulfed in a golden light. [1098] Ah.? Intuitively, Araceli was able to figure out what it was. After completing his mission, Yoo Seodam would always go away silently, ignoring everyone. Just like the day when he saved her. Once again, Oh no!!! She screamed with all her might. She could feel the iron taste of blood on her mouth. No, Professor! Dont leave! Please, I am here! professor! Aracelli is here! [654] As if he heard Aracellis desperate scream. Yoo Seodam turned his head. What.? Finally, the blue and white pupils met each other. You.. Professor, please! Dont go! But it was already too late. [210] After Yoo Seodams body completely disappeared. Aracelli fell to the floor. She was gasping for airs while staring at the place he once stood. Thud!! Oh! As she supported herself with her trembling arms, Aracelli slowly raised herself up. Ah, uh He had disappeared. Without even leaving a trace. Aracelli couldnt feel Yoo Seodams presence anymore. She could only scan the place he previously stood with her fingertips. In the end she wasnt able to catch the professor again. At that time, Aracelli hung her head in hopelessness and loss. Wooooss. Craaackkk! But, suddenly, the air began to crack, and someones hand popped out of nowhere. Uh? The crack in the space gradually widened, and eventually it became the size of an adults upper body. Yoo Seodam came out from the torn space. He made eye contact with Aracelli one more time. How the hell did you come here? Professor? As Aracelli opened her eyes wide as if she couldnt believe it, Yoo seodam, was frowning at her with his hand reaching for her cheek. Why did you do this? Ugh! As soon as his hand touched her, her body, which had grown younger after being affected by the fragments of time, gradually grew into her mid-twenty body. Professor. Thats right. Its me. You are Aracelli, right? Yes Yes! You are right. I, Aracelli What should I say? She belatedly realized that Yoo Seodam was sweating profusely. Ah.. She had only been traveling between dimensions by pursuing someone elses trail, but Yoo Seodam, her professor was tearing the dimensional wall itself and trying to stay at this place. She knew just by looking at Yoo seodam. He wouldnt last longer. Theres no time. She needed to tell him what she wanted to say quickly. Thank you. Thanks to you, my life she was originally going to say that. However, the moment she encountered him, she couldnt say anything. Instead. I have to leave my mark! No matter which world Yoo Seodam would travel to, or in which time period, she would be able to track him. So Aracelli put her hand on his neck and pressed her lips on Yoo Seodams lips. Ugh? When Mana flowed towards his lips, Yoo seodam could feel something warm and soft at once, and unknowingly, he swallowed it. Soon after her lips were removed, Aracelli hurried up and spoke up as the dimension wall began to reconstruct and Yoo Seodams body began to fade. I miss you! I really, really miss you. She smiled more beautifully than ever, and added her last word. Nowwherever you go, I will surely follow you, Professor. (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM~~~~~~~~) Chapter 102: Battery recharge (1) Shoutout to Poppy Locks, our new Protagonist tier Patron. Thank you so much~ Aracelli stared at the place where Yoo Seodam had disappeared into. She had put a mark on his body, and it would never disappear. Although now Yoo Seodam has gone too far for her to detect the signal, but she would surely notice the moment Yoo Seodam moved to another dimension again. Until then, I have to recover my Mana. With that determination, Aracelli stood up from her seat, and Ryu Hye-ian, the royal princess, walked towards her and spoke. Didnt you say, you are a wizard from another world? Well, maybe? You look considerably older than before. Unlike her 14 year old appearance from before, she had now grown up quite a bit, making her appear mysterious. It was hard to determine her age. But, overall, Aracelli had a much more mature vibe compared to before. Did the professor temporarily ease the side effect of travelling through the fragments of time? How did he do it? Her young appearance was only a temporary effect, but thankfully, in the Pleidin continent, her age didnt become a big problem. Are you.. leaving right away? After a while, Aracelli shook her head. No. I cant determine Professors whereabouts yet. And I still need time to recover my Mana. Thats good. So, do you have any plans to work at our empire for the time being? I heard that you have a considerable level of magical knowledge. From now on, in order to overcome the player monopoly system, we, the people of the continent need a strength. And you have the knowledge to do so. Aracelli stared at Ryu Hye-ians eyes. Since she became a sage, she was able to distinguish peoples intention with a simple eye contact. Of course, it wasnt like she completely knew it, it was only a rough estimate at best. She could at least tell that the woman in front of her wasnt lying about her sincere desires to help her own people. I would love to. However, there are two conditions. The first. When the Pleidin continent is freed from the player monopoly system to some extent. please properly disclose the reality behind how Yoo Seodam almost became in history as the worst villain to the world. I want his achievements to be known by everyone. Is that so? Ryu Hye-ian was also aware that the evil deeds committed by the man named Yoo Seodam were in fact good deeds. However, considering the fact that the empire decided to suppress the players because of Evil Yoo Seodam, it would be very contradictory and arduous to revert his image back to a Hero. But, Hye-ian felt too sorry to refuse the request of the mysterious woman in front of her. And in the end, she agreed to Aracellis demand. Its not a difficult request. People of the continent need a new hope, a new hero to look up to after the fake hero disappeared. Good. Then whats the second condition? Aracelli replied to Hye-ians question with a smile. Please give me food. The menu is tomato bacon sandwich, cheese hotteok, and rice cake soup without dumplings. It was the exact same menu that Professor Yoo Seodam gave her when she was starving back in Vivienda Academy. * * * [Successfully returned to the original world.] [The time difference has been normalized.] With a floating feeling akin to entering a zero-gravity chamber, Yoo Seodam found himself back in his room. Slam!! He threw his tired body on the bed uh.. Cold sweat was still dripping all over his body. Ah is it? Sorry. I wont do that again next time. Yoo Seodam whipped the sweat that trickled down on his forehead while recalling the girl he had just seen. Apparently, that child was Aracelli Rinekal, the girl he had met at Vivienda Academy. She was a magician who was destined to become an archmage and save the world in the future. How on earth did she cross the dimension? In fact, the protagonists who received the probability of the world could travel dimensions as easily as if they were eating meals. Yoo Seodam himself was also using Dimensional traveling using the probability he received from hunting to return to Earth. Then, did she really cross dimensions just to find me? But, wasnt the time difference between Vivienda and Earth like two to three times? Only three years have passed, right? Is that so Yoo Seodam was very surprised. He never thought that he would even meet the genius girl who once lost her confidence again. He gently touched his lips. He could still feel the sensation of her pink lips and saliva that entered his mouth. It was even more embarrassing because he got it from a child that was always so unenergetic. Yet, for this once she was quite bold. Dont tell me, will she come to Earth? Is that so? Shes still amazing regardless. He thought for a moment. He was quite taken aback when he met Aracelli, but when he thought about it some more, it wasnt that bad. To be honest, there were one or two things he found out of place in the last mission, but what if it was the result of Aracellis assistance? The groups of Chaos players who flocked at me and the imperial army who joined the fray. Perhaps Aracelli had noticed his existence and she moved the forces in her own way to help him. In the end, thanks to her help, the hunt for the protagonist, which originally only had 50% success rate, ended successfully. Is there a chance to meet her again next time? I.is that so? Thats. scary. After calming his mind, Yoo Seodam finally checked his quest reward. [1750 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current Lifespan: 6800 Days, 7 Hours 18 Minutes] [Your level has been raised by 5.] [You absorbed Vitality (SS+) talent.] [Level: 145] *Stats [Strength: 142] [Stamina: 155] [Agility: 143] [Energy: 1] [Mana: 200] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting C] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vital SS+] [Others] *Skill [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 4] [White swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth sense (C)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SS+)] [Library of the White Witch (E)] [Inventory(S)] [Dharma Heavenly wind god technique (SS+)] [Concentration (S+)] Yoo Seodam was slightly disappointed because his level did not reach 150. But it was okay, because he gained a considerable amount of lifespan even after losing 360 days of lifespan for tearing the dimensional door for a few seconds. However, his stats were a little strange. My physical strength exceeded the level? Mana has also skyrocketed. Vitality? Hoh.. S rank was equal to level 150. Currently, Yoo Seodam was only level 145, which was a little short from S rank. However, due to the effect of the Vitality, his physical strength was close to an S rank, and his Mana was at the level of SS rank. It means that he had reached the level of 7th circle even though he only used grade 1 magic!! Somehow, he could feel that his body was more energized than before. It wasnt as fraudulent as the skill he got the other day, but it was okay to improve the specs of the body itself. Then.. Now that he had checked his stats, it was finally time to check his spoils of war. On top of the unique-grade, epic-grade and the hero-grade boots that he obtained while working with Perutius, Yoo Seodam was able to bring 3 more hero-grade items. He got an armor , ??a weapon, , ??and an inner armor . Grade: Hero *limit Level 150 Strength 165 *Effect Defense +500BP Light Resistance +125 Dark Resistance -25 Light Efficiency +85 *Prefix option Brilliant: Increases defense of light element barrier skills by 1500BP. *Suffix option Vow: Doubles the duration of Light Property Barrier Skills. *Special skills Bright Barrier: Creates a 5m diameter barrier for 10 seconds. Defense +3000BP *Armor made of light. Its fairly light, but very strong! Creatures with the light attribute would feel slight affinity with the wearer. Yoo Seodam tried it on, he expected it would be very thick and stuffy because it was an armor, but in reality, it was just like putting a sweater on a coat. The base color of this armor was white, and there was a gold pattern engraved on top of it. It was a pretty cool armor. In addition, the skill Bright Barrier seemed to be a skill that could instantly protect you and everyone around you. It would come pretty handy to use it when you dont have enough Mana or when you cant use magic. Class: Hero *Limit Level 150 Strength 150 Agility 125 *Effect Attack +480 AP Evil Property Efficiency +300 Defense Penetration +27% *Prefix option Dusk: Reduces the recovery of the enemy. *Suffix option Dawn: Ignore the attacking enemys DEF by an additional 5%. *Special skills Lifesteal: Whenever you cut an enemy, you absorb some of their energy. *Sword known to have been cursed. Whenever it cuts an enemy, it absorbs their strength and decreases their defense. It has an evil tendency, and rumor said the wielder of this sword will go crazy. A sword with a strong property of evil. It was hard to believe that it was a sword held by the Braveheart. The attack power (AP) of this weapon exceeded the attack power of the swords created by the ether dispenser craftsman. At this point, this sword could easily enter the top 10 of most excellent swords on Earth. Of course, Yoo Seodam wasnt sure because he had never seen such great swords himself. There was one fatal flaw in this weapon. It was the fact that the user could go crazy. But.. [Concentration(S+) resists the effect of the item.] Yoo Seodam had the correct skill to counter it. There was no problem for him to wield it. Class: Hero *Limit None *Effect Defense +50AP *Prefix option None *Suffix option None *Special skills Rejection of Death: When the wearer is in crisis, a darkness with 1000 BP will cover the wearers skin for 5 minutes. This skill will heal the users wounds using the BP throughout the duration, but when the effect is canceled, it causes extreme fatigue to the user and sharp reduction to their lifespan. Lastly, it was inner armor. Inner armor was basically a supportive gear worn inside the armor. However, this inner armor had a ridiculously low defense power even though it was a Hero-grade item. But it was important to notice that its skill would activate once the wearer falls into crisis. Even a legendary-grade 1000BPs defense wasnt good enough to last for 5 minutes. But this inner armor would even heal wounds on top of 1000BP! Unfortunately, if you use this skill, your lifespan will be drastically reduced, so the Braveheart Perutius did not use it. However, Yoo Seodam was different. If he could keep his life in exchange for some lifespan, he would happily wear it. It was because he could recover his lifespan whenever he wanted. Besides, this inner armor had no restriction, so it was possible for him to wear it immediately. Hmm Death of Dawn was a mysterious object that resembles ether coating. However, unlike ether coating, Death of Dawn was an item that stuck to the body of its wearer. The problem is, it was quite embarrassing. It was fortunate that if it was deactivated, the black mass would only concentrate around his chest and wasnt normally visible. Anyway, as a result, it was a very satisfying item farming. If Yoo Seodam converted all of these items into money, he would instantly get several millions of dollars. Some of the Epic accessories can be handed out as a gift. Yoo Seodam spent half a year at Pleidin, but less than ten days had passed on Earth. Because hes a guild master now, a gap of more than a week could have been quite fatal, so he had to check the guild condition out as soon as possible. He put end of dispatch at his messenger profile and checked at the messages people had sent towards him. By the way. Hmm? For some reason, there were quite a lot of text messages from the masters of the Kendo Association. Not only that, there were also considerable contacts from mathematicians and scientists from all over the world, mostly about Mugong or Magic. This Yoo Seodam hurriedly changed his clothes into a suit and left his house. He was going to the Guild hideout. * * * It didnt take long for Seodam to reach the guild hideout. He walked through the garden and went to the high white building. As soon as he arrived, Yekaterina greeted him from the gap between the piled up documents. Uh? Seodam-nim, you are here? What is all this? Eung? Didnt Seodam-nim ask me to have a good talk with Masters from the Kendo Association if they called? When I did this and that, it became like this.. Huh? Yoo Seodam remembered it. He indeed ordered Yekaterina to do so before he went out to another world. Because, for the past few months, he was in constant contact with the sword masters of Kendo association, and he was willing to pass the modernized Monster hunting Mugong. However, he didnt expect things to be this big. Yekaterina once again said, I brought in some experts who wanted to visit. Ha Sun-young was the one who taught them. Oh, and some scholars who want to learn magic also came. First of all, in order not to be pushed by the Morian guild, I thought we need to be more active with Magic, so I plan to announce our Magic sooner or later. Wow.. Rereally? While Seodam was away to another world, a huge gymnasium was built in the middle of the garden. It wouldnt have been difficult to make, they just need to order some spirit to build it. Inside the gymnasium, Yoo Seodam could see Ha Sun-young was teaching martial arts to the sword masters, together with Ye Sa-hye. The help of the girl named Ye Sa-hye is great. Man she was very smart. What kind of help? Ha Sun-young was indeed using Mugong very well. But, her teaching skills are a bit. right? .. Yoo Seodam knew it very well. He clearly remembered that he was an inch away from tearing his own hair when he learned about Mugong from Ha Sun-young. Ye Sa-hye had interpreted Ha Sun-youngs knowledge to fit the modern peoples common sense and it made it easier for everyone to learn. Ive never held a sword before, but I can roughly understand the principle after hearing her explanation. It was indeed amazing. Yoo seodam nodded. Interpreting Ha Sun-youngs words so that anyone could understand it? Translating those alien-way of teaching? Ye Sa-hye skill had indeed exceeded the level of Genius. Looks like I need to increase her salary. In conclusion. I didnt do anything, but the guild is running smoothly..? It was hard to figure out just how good Yekaterina ran the guild in the ten days of his absence. In addition, she was also studying Korean law that she did not know, and on her desk, there was a laptop with numerous laws written on it. You.. You are really the best in many ways. Woohoo, is that so? Well, I could run the guild according to my taste, so its pretty fun. Oh, may I have a magic engineering facility up there? I only need a little budget, a little bit. No, I need a lot I want to conduct a magic experiment personally. Tell me anything you need, Ill even sell my organs to build anything you need. Oh, no. Thats okay. Yekaterina smiled gently and got up from her seat and approached Seodam. Somehow, she looked quite tired, the dark circles under her eyes were darker than before. Yekaterina slightly hesitated before opening her mouth. Well, I have to recharge the battery slowly. Battery? What are you talking about? That. Um. Because my soul was inside Yoo Seodam-nims world, I cant recover any energy for my soul alone. I need to get it through Seodam-nim My energy has reached the bottom since a long time ago. Is that really so? So, what do you need to do? At his words, Yekaterina sighed a little. I need to charge my energy just like a smartphone. And I could only do that through Yoo Seodam-nim, because my soul belongs to Yoo Seodam-nim. As she did, Yekaterina came up toward Yoo Seodam and stretched out her hands with a tense look. Ive been through it last time, so I can stand it this time. She remembers the dizzying pleasure she had the other day. She was embarrassed because it was her first time feeling something like that, but this time, it would be different. She closed her mouth, took a deep breath, and slowly placed her hand on his chest Oh, huh?! .She stumbled down to the floor. What, what is it? what happened? A dizzying sensation, as if she had been electrocuted by a high-voltage electric current, flowed through her body. What happened to you again? YoYou.. What have you been doing? She was certain. The sensation she felt just now wasnt because she was unable to adapt. It was simply because Yoo Seodams soul had become too powerful, the amount of energy that flowed into her had also increased by miles! Now she was afraid to even touch him. However, if she didnt touch him, her spirit could be completely exhausted. No, still, this is wrong, this is. This is really. However, theres no way Yoo Seodam would leave Yekaterina who stumbled to the floor alone. Ah.. As Yoo Seodam reached out to hold her, she looked at his arms with a pale expression and closed her eyes tightly. Im done for now. Chapter 103: Battery recharge (2) EYYYYY Shutout to our new protagonist tier Patrons Endeavour and GooseElite You guys are amazing, really! Fire Spirit Hwarereuk was one among the many spirits that worked in Yoo Seodams garden. His main job was to grow cabbage. His other jobs were still related farming (tomato, corn, potato, strawberry, pepper, wheat, barley, radish, etc.). For Hwarereuk, farming was a truly enjoyable and rewarding job. Was there any better job than raising lives with your own hands? Hwarereuk took pride on his work, because whenever these vegetables grow, the energy inside the Floating garden would be replenished. Hey Hwarereuk. Things going well? Hey Zorrereuk, you came? The water spirit, Zorrereuk, came to the field where Hwarereuk was working. He, too, was one of the farmers working here, and his side job Well, it was too long to tell you about his side job, so, lets omit it. (T/N Its not me The raw really said that. E/N: I wouldnt hold it against you if you did so lol) The harvest is really good these days. The these days Hwarereuk and Zorrereuk said, refers to days after Yoo Seodam took control of the dimension. All the spirits inside the floating garden were so happy they could die. Originally, all Yoo Seodam wanted to do was make the spirits work for his sake, but ironically, it had become an act of invigorating the dying spirits. I would like to be with the fruits all my life. The same is true for me. While Hwarreuk and Jorrereuk were busy tending vegetables and fruits for four seasons, dozens of people suddenly appeared next to the Vinyl house and the paddy fields. With two women, Ye Sa-hye and Ha Sun-young at the forefront, a whopping number of 50 men were jogging with their upper body exposed. The two spirits shook her head in bewilderment towards the men who passed by with Heut! Heut! noise. I really cant understand humans. What are they doing this early? Right after Hwarereuk and Jorereuk said so, the 52 humans, including Ha Sun-young and Ye Sa-hye, began to perform all sorts of activities. They climbed a cliff at an angle that is close to 90 degrees without any equipment, they also jumped and sprinted with their teeth clenched through a structure that looks like a staircase that would span for hundreds of floors. It was as if they were preparing themselves to join a Triathlon race. They trained so hard to the point it would be understandable if some of them died in the process. But fortunately, there was no one who was left behind. Because, each of those 50 people was actually a sword master who were active in the society! They were born as men, lived all their lives for the sword, and only looked at the sword. However, even if they trained for all their life, they were nothing but a slightly strong human. They wouldnt be able to overcome an E-rank superhuman with a body without superpower. When they were finally given a chance, how could they give up? Lets join Yoo Seodams guild, Another league! To join Another league, they had to give up all of their influence in the society as well as the dojo they ran, many masters couldnt easily make such a decision and come here. Nevertheless, the fact that 50 sword masters gathered within a short period of time meant that they were really hungry for swordsmanship. They are the ones who were most desperate for swordsmanship! Ha Sun-young ran in front of those people with a smile on her face. She was so happy that no one was left behind. This simple jogging was actually difficult for a body that didnt have any superpower. Even the guys who dealt with Qi in Jungwon Moorim were whining about this training because it was so difficult. As expected from a master! Even though Ha Sun-young was in the position of teaching swordsmanship to them, she deeply respected them. She knows that each and every single one of them just couldnt learn swordsmanship properly because they werent given the opportunity to learn martial arts. But in the end, the purpose of pursuing swordsmanship was all the same. In addition, there were some masters who had been training for more than 40 years, it was almost the same period of time with her. That was why she respected the masters, and the masters also felt the same way towards her. Is it difficult!?!? NO! GOOD! Then, one more lap just like this! OOOO!!! It may seem like an ignorant way of exercising at the first glance, but in fact, that simple jogging was an act of laying the foundation for building Inner-qi. And for masters who already trained their body for decades, their learning rate of Sunyoungs swordsmanship was fast. Also, their inner qi was growing rapidly, day after day. Lets go! LETS GOOO! Ha Sun-young was having the most fun compared to anyone else. Her crude swordsmanship, that no one recognized throughout her journey in Jungwon Moorim, was finally receiving some recognition. Ha Sun-young. Your swordsmanship is more modern than anyone elses. Yeah I know Im a little bit modern! . So, what are you trying to say? Your swordsmanship is the only martial art that can be altered easily based on the opponent you meet. Doesnt that sound like a swordsmanship that was specially created to deal with monsters? Is that so? Right? Right! She seriously didnt know. She thought her own swordsmanship was nothing but a mismatched rag. However, Yoo Seodam, a man who acquired the highest level of martial arts, superpower, and hunting skill, recognized her swordsmanship. He said that her swordsmanship was something that specialized for the battle against monsters. Ha Sun-young, by any chance Are you willing to teach swordsmanship to sword masters on Earth? It was such an attractive suggestion that excited her heart. Of course! She finally got a disciple, on top of that, they were sword masters of Earth! She finally could spread her swordsmanship into the world. * * * Yoo Seodam had to meet quite a few people after his return from another world. Most of them were world-class scientists who wanted to study magic or large companies that wanted to cooperate technically, but he had to meet a lot of masters before that. The degree of enthusiasm of those masters could not be compared to the scientists. They trained their body in extreme conditions that made Yoo Seodam shake his head dumbfoundedly. Their passion was really admirable. It was only two weeks since they started learning swordsmanship properly. However, surprisingly, after only two weeks, everyone had become an E rank superhuman or even higher! Ha Sun-young jumped in elation. She said it was unprecedented even in Murims history. But the result may be natural as all the masters had gone through the rough and arduous path for decades. With the help of the shortcut presented in front of them, it was only a matter of course that they grew in a smooth sailing highway. Masters will be able to grow as much as the effort they put. Besides, they all belonged to the Another League. Even if the guild hunting rate slowed down considerably these days, in the near future, the guild will grow at an explosive rate. And then, magic. While Mugong was something that was studied by those who held a sword. Magic was a natural language for all Mathematicians because Magic and Math were closely connected. Although he has not yet properly taught magic to anyone, Seodam has met quite a few mathematicians and students. He had publicly announced that he was willing to teach magic to them. His magic was now proven to be superior to the magic of Morian Guild of Russia. Even now, Morian Guild has been keeping Another League in check. So, it is really the right time to be active, because many people wanted the teachings of Another League as well as Yoo Seodam. Of course, Yekaterina was going to do the teaching as well. Even though Yoo Seodam had told her that she didnt have to teach, Yekaterina firmly said she would do it. It was her dream to build her own magic system as well as a magic tower in the modern age. For Yekaterina, the word Dream was always synonymous to pain. But now she was able to live her dreams with confidence, and she had someone who could help her in realizing her dream. Even though it was a little hard, she was confident she could realize it by working to the bones. The magic tower. It was a place where everyone could freely discuss and learn magic as discipline, not as someone elses property. If that happens, everyone would be able to learn and use magic without being envious of superhuman. And since it was also Yoo Seodams dream, there was no reason for him to object. I have to find someone who can do administrative work or else. Seodam was worried about that. Just this morning, Taylor Nine came to him and said Hey! Lets hunt for a bit! It was quite ridiculous for the guild master to go hunting without thinking about working. But it was also true that there werent enough people to work at Another league. Fortunately, the reason Yoo Seodam was able to meet dozens of people a day and maintain the guild was entirely thanks to Yekaterina. Had it not been for her, Another League would have collapsed dozens of times already. In the early afternoon. After the days workload was finished to some extent, and when the break time came, Yoo Seodam laid down on the sofa in the private lounge. Im tired and Im dying As he massaged his forehead and tried to stretch his stiff body, the door opened and Yekaterina came in with a gloomy expression. I am tired too. Yeah. I can see that. As Seodam beckoned, Yekaterina ran and crawled into his arms. As soon as their body touched, an intense stimulation flowed towards Yekaterina but unlike before, she had gotten used to it. This, I can only hold on to this level There was a reason behind the intense energy that harassed her body just with a simple contact with Yoo Seodam the other day. It was because the amount of energy remaining in her body had fallen to almost 1%. It was only natural that the stimulus would be strong when her energy was so low. So, after that day, Yekaterina made frequent contact with Yoo Seodam in order to maintain her energy at around 8-9%. Thanks to that she wouldnt be assaulted by an intense stimulation as before. In other words, it was important to keep her energy level as high as possible. However, even after one day of charging, she could only recover around 10% of energy Theres a big difference in having 10% energy and 1%. In 1%, she would do everything sluggishly. Even when her eyes were opened, the world felt like it was spinning. And for 10%, her whole body was really full of vitality and she felt energetic. It was a miracle that she had been able to work hard with only 1% of energy so far. Are you really tired? Yes a little. Yoo Seodam felt sorry as he saw the figure of the peacefully resting Yekaterina. She was the last to join the guild, yet, she had run the guild harder than anyone else. She also loved the guild a lot. Yoo Seodam glanced at his watch. It will be dinner time soon, but theres no problem in skipping a meal. I have a lot of time, so Ill be with you for a long time today. . Yekaterinas figure was quite small. when she was being held in Yoo seodams arms, she could put her ears on her chest. Thump, thump. Listening to his heart made her feel more comfortable than anything else in the world. It was warm and comfortable as if she had returned to her mothers womb. Would it feel like this when she lay in the cradle of heaven? She didnt want to be disturbed by anyone when she was receiving her daily dose of energy comfortably. -Huh I wouldnt have any regret if I died like this Really? But I do this to prevent you from dying. -Eh! Yekaterinas monologue rang in Yoo Seodams head. The act of hugging itself was a kind of soul communion which allowed them to speak telepathically while recharging her energy. Her face was beet red. She was embarrassed because Yoo Seodam knew her thoughts. But she didnt take her body off him just because of it. -Ill sleep a little bit. Yekaterina leaned against Yoo seodams chest. She listened to the beating sound of his heart and slowly fell asleep. In other hands, Yoo seodam gently stroked her head. The sun was slowly falling. It was a quiet and peaceful evening. Chapter 104: Battery recharge (3) In the early morning, unlike usual, Yekaterina went to work with a very lively mood. Hello, uncle spirits! Hello, Miss! You have a nice complexion today! Yes! I had a really good rest last night. Did you also have a good meal? Unfortunately, no. The Spirits were not particularly hostile towards different races. On the contrary, they preferred a race that dealt with Mana, thus, the spirits in Floating Garden really liked Yekaterina because of her kind personality and her disposition as a race who deals with Mana. She was the most popular human among spirits in the Floating Garden. Unlike usual, when she greeted everyone powerlessly, Yekaterina greeted all of the spirits one by one. She even hummed on the way to her office. Since she fell asleep in Yoo Seodams arms last night, her body was full of energy. It was a good 12 hours of sleep! Because of insomnia, she could only sleep for about three hours every two days. But last night was different. It could be said that last night was miraculous for her. Of course, she felt sorry towards Yoo Seodam who had to stay in the same position for 12 hours while caring for her. Ill have to buy some rice cake for him later. The first thing Yekaterina did when she entered her office was make a cup of Americano for herself. It was her routine to start the day with a cup of Americano. She grabbed the cup of hot Americano and looked out of the window. Outside, she could see 52 hunters running through the Garden How many times? 200 times!! Your voice is too small! 300 times! 300 times!!! Yekaterina stared at them. To be able to enjoy every second in peace was something so beautiful for her. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing that she couldnt enjoy a warm morning sun in the Floating Garden. It was always night time with a lot of stars in the Floating Garden. Well, come to think of it, didnt Yoo Seodam say that he will buy another building outside the Floating Garden later? This dimension where you could use the entire space however you want was really convenient and good, but there were many inconveniences as well. Yekaterina sipped on a little bit of Americano that left. Then, she started her computer. Today, Yoo seodam wouldnt be coming to work. He went to America to tend to some business with the New Murim League. So, most of the work would be done by her, just like usual. First, Yekaterina checked her email. Due to the fact that Another league was willing to teach both Magic and martial arts to the people, she received quite a lot of mail. Yekaterina herself was yet to have the opportunity to teach Magic or Martial arts to anyone. So, all she could do was exchange some emails or bring some businessmen to discuss the technological side of both of it. However, she still read all of it carefully because all of the senders were potential business partners in the future. Um, thats why I need to register as a hunter, right? The 50 swordmasters who trained under Ha Sun-young had already been registered as an E Rank Mystical ability hunter. So, it would be better for her, a more senior member of the guild than the sword masters, to debut as a hunter as soon as possible. As she browsed through her email, she noticed one email that stood out from the rest. It was none other than an invitation for the Hunter Association conference. It was an event where veteran hunters with at least 10 years of experience were invited to discuss the hunter industry. And Yoo Seodam was chosen as the representative of F rank for the conference. .Yoo Seodam-nim is still registered as an F rank, huh? Because there was no other F rank hunter who qualified to represent the rank for the conference, Hunter Association had started sending the invitation to Yoo Seodam since a year ago. It was the time when Yoo Seodam still couldnt make any difference in the world. While Yekaterina was still busy browsing through the e-mail. THUMP!! The door was kicked open. Then, Taylor Nine walked to the room and sat on the sofa. Oh!! Kiddo! Did you go to work early? Im not a kid! Yekaterina had always been called out by Taylor for her short stature. But ironically, Taylor Nine wasnt that tall either. There is a separate waiting room for hunters. Im bored there. When Taylor Nine came in, Yekaterina checked the emails related to her. In fact, there were more emails addressed toTaylor Nine and Ha Sun-young rather than Yoo Seodam. [Hunter Taylor Nine re-examination and promotion review] What stood out among them was about Taylor Nines promotion to SS rank. Recently, Taylor Nine began to train her ability to shape her light-attribute into various forms. It was a difficult task. But as soon as she succeeded, her talents that were locked up until now began to burst out! Even though it was possible to change superpower into different forms through magical formula, it was difficult to show such a ridiculous level of proficiency like what Taylor Nine did. With only 1 month of training, she overcame the limit of her ability. She had been constantly copying the ability that her eight siblings used. She was really showing a monstrous rate of growth. Although Taylor Nine said that she received a hint from Yoo Seodam, his hint was only at the level of laying a brick at the bottom of the soon-to-be foundation. It means that it was because of Taylor Nines own efforts that the whole house was built. Even though we need to focus on the SS-rank examination. Yekaterina sighed as soon as she opened the news page on his computer. There were several controversies about Taylor Nines recent activities. They were none other than Taylor Nines controversy over the baseball field! When Yekaterina played one of the videos, she could see Taylor Nine who went to see a baseball match. Shes pretty famous, so when shes on the pitch, dozens of cameras tend to be focused on her. -Hey, f!%$!r why the hell are you throwing the ball to the ground!! -Not like that.. That way!! That mothafuka hey! That way!!. -Right! If you are bad at playing baseball, at least you should be good at laughing. Hey! f$#@$@r you can laugh right now? -Do you have any appointments for dinner? What are you going to do at home after losing the game that fast? uh? Answer me, you son of a gun! -Hey mtfxin azzhole are you just gonna say I am happy to stand at the ground and go home? Perhaps, she thought that no one could hear her swearing. She was only one spectator among many, and it was common for the spectators to swear. Soon after, when someone ran towards her to tell her that the camera was focused on her, and asked her to curse less, her expression turned ugly and she started to scream even louder. -Aigoo, its wrong for me to be born. Its my fault that I was born. Its my fault that I was born and cheered for Hwade! -Puh haha! Its really funny. Korean entertainment shows will be ruined soon! KBO is the funniest. Why are you watching an entertainment show? Hahaha! -Did I come to the wrong stadium? Is this a special match featuring a junior high school baseball club? No? So why did you play like that f$%#%r! Let me go! Hey! Let go! Eventually, all of her remarks were captured as gifs and videos, and spread through the entire Internet in just one day. Her refreshing remarks as well as Hwade 18th consecutive loss ranked number one as the most searched keywords on the portal site. Of course, because she was now an official hunter of Another league, she had to apologize properly. Phew Miss Taylor. Did you post an apology on social media yet? .for now? Hearing Taylors stuttering answer, Yekaterina could only shake her head. It was obvious that she only wrote it roughly. By the way, after joining Another league, Taylor Nine tended to be careful with both her words and actions, but it seemed like she finally exploded at the baseball stadium. She only had herself to blame for catching too much attention when all she wanted to do was watch a baseball game. Fortunately, the public knew that it was her usual behavior, so there was no blow on her image. Rather, thanks to that attitude, her fanbase was quite big. While Yekaterina was checking the documents about Taylor, the door of the office opened once again. This time, it was Ha Sun-young and Ye Sa-hye. It looks like they wanted to take a break after jogging. Oh, my white friend! Seems like Yoo Seodam isnt coming today? Its always the case. Tsk Tsk. You really became the boss. Even though Yoo Seodam-nim is the master, the real boss is me, dont you agree? Right! Just eat this guild. That guy is quite good, but his welfare is terrible. Master! You cant say that! Ha Sun-young was always talking like a middle-aged man, and Ye Sa-hye was always reminding her to fix it. As they sat on the couch, Yekaterina once again browsed through the e-mail. Ha Sun-young. She, too, had her own share of problems, albeit completely different from Taylor Nine. As about three thousand Murim people were recognized worldwide, more and more SS rank superhuman or even higher appeared. The number of SS rank under the new Murim League alone was 20! Considering the fact that there were only 37 SS rank superhumans worldwide, it was a controversial matter that one group had a whopping number of 20 SS rank superhumans affiliated to them. However, the Murim League had already been officially recognized. Hunter Association couldnt touch them easily. So, they changed their target. Their new target was Ha Sun-young who worked outside the new Murim league. She was showing rapid growth with Another League, but because the scale of the guild itself wasnt world-class yet, they were constantly poking here and there. The Hunter Association tried to use Ha Sun-young to impose restrictions on the Murim people, they even went as far as borrowing money from several companies and guilds just to win Ha Sun-young over. Of course, Ha Sun-young always ignored them. However, she couldnt openly antagonize them, so in the end, it was all up to Yekaterina to solve the problem. Oh, then, Seodam, that guy. Will he be gone for a long time again? Probably. Hm. But our Hellony said, she wanted to visit the guild hideout. Eh? That bish, really? Whether or not they knew about Yekaterinas hardship, Taylor and Ha Sun-young looked quite carefree. Yekaterina, who was about to start working in earnest after reading all the mails, opened the last email that she received just one minute ago. [International Supernatural Phenomena Association: We would like to inquire about supernatural phenomenon that occurred in various parts of the world in recent years with magician Yoo Seodam.] It wasnt an email addressed towards another leagues guildmaster Yoo Seodam or hunter Yoo Seodam. It was an email for the magician Yoo Seodam. * * * [House of the Goblins] Just like Floating Garden, it was a special dimension that was impossible to enter in a normal way. Over the horizon, the sunset was setting. It may look very beautiful for those who dont know, but it signified that this world was running toward the end. The one who was aware of this fact like Yoo seodam cant simply enjoy it peacefully. -Kuoohohoh!! Mang-ryang, a SS+ rank monster as well as the Goblin King, roared. Their world was on the verge of perishing, the only thing left for the goblins who already lost their purpose was desire to win. Thats pretty cool- Shin Hye-ji, who was shooting the whole battle with a high-quality camera right next to Yoo Seodam, muttered so. -its also beautiful. Certainly, Yoo Seodam understood her sentiment. The House of Goblins was a pure white space. Together with the light from the setting sun, a golden hue illuminated the whole dimension. It matched so well with Seol Jungyeons hair, and there was even an object similar to cherry blossoms all over the place. The cherry blossom-like objects were also a kind of goblin. They were goblins that became an object as their soul left their body. In other words, the dead goblins still left their mark on this land as a beautiful thing even after their death. The size of house of Goblins dimensions was about a quarter of China, and there were also three SS rank Goblin Kings who occupied this land. Even so, people of Murim who longed for their own Jungwon Murim succeeded in eradicating the goblins and occupying the dimension in just a few months. Tumble!! Rumble!! Mang-ryang, who had a stature as large as a mountain, fell down. Then, Seol Jungyeon, dressed in a white traditional Korean clothes, climbed to the top of its body. With her every step, cheers erupted from people of Murim. Shin hye-ji pondered for a moment. Everything was good. After such a beautiful battle, Murim people come out victorious! The story so far certainly had enough impact But Shin Hye-ji couldnt help but to feel something was still missing. More! Some more! Shin hye-ji sent a signal towards Seol Jungyeon in the distance. The latters expression became rigid. Recently, Shin Hye-ji started SNS and YTUBE activities under the name of Seol Jungyeon. Of course, both accounts didnt have much content except for Seol Jungyeons battle video. But the response was explosive nonetheless. The number of her YTUBE subscribers exceeded 5 million in a short period of time. And the number of followers on her SNS also had already exceeded 30 million. Originally, Seol Jungyeon was reluctant to reveal her own face to the world just like a celebrity, but Shin Hye-ji persuaded her by saying It is an act to let the world know about masters dignity and show off the power of Murim Leader through multimedia Seol Jungyeon couldnt easily ignore Shin Hye-jis passionate signal. So, she tried to find something to show off. Oh, that is something good. With a faint smile, Seol Jungyeon lifted the severed neck of Mang-ryang, the great Goblin king, and threw it in the air! Wow ahhh!!! Long live the Supreme Cheonma! Cheers for the New Murim Alliances Leader! As blood from the dead goblins head starts to taint the pure white background, all people of Murim begin to shout louder. Ah ah! No! At the same time, Shin Hye-ji screamed and covered the camera with her hand. It seems like it would take a considerable amount of time before Seol Jungyeon could really adapt to SNS. Chapter 105: Reality Distortion (1) Proofreader: Kig Shutout to kig~ who joins the team as our proofreader!! Around three thousand Murim people were scattered around the world. Most of them were staying and active in their hometowns. The reason behind that was that New Murim League had not yet bought a building that could accommodate up to 3,000 people. And also because of various reasons that accumulated in their hometowns after returning to Earth for three years. Although Supreme Dharma had explicitly prohibited relationships, the existence called human would always long for their hometown no matter what. So, after occupying the House of Goblins, Yoo Seodam used his lifespan to make three portals for them. One in Beijing, one in New York, and one in London. However, those who entered through Beijing could only return to Beijing, and those from New York could only return to New York. It was impossible to enter from Beijing and exit in New York. In order to make it possible, he had to invest more than 10,000 days of life. Yoo seodam didnt do it because he think it was a waste. Also, he left an additional portal there. It was none other than a portal that connected the Floating Garden and the House of Goblin. This portal wasnt available to anyone else and could only be used by a few selected people who got his permission. It would make traveling to New Jungwon Moorim easier because they didnt have to book a flight. After completely eradicating the Goblin remnants who had completely lost their mind, modern-style buildings began to be built in the House of Goblin. The buildings built by the Goblins had many mysterious structures that could not be explained by modern science. There were cases where buildings were hung in the air, or even on the clouds. Yoo Seodam had a thought to recruit some scientists to uncover the principle, but he felt that it would not be as easy as it seems because it was something that was related to the mysterious Sorcery used by the Goblins. Unlike Magic which attempts to identify all phenomena through calculation, Goblin sorcery uses another mysterious form of energy. It would be difficult to understand even with the help of the flowerpot and Yekaterina- No.. Wouldnt it be possible to know if it was Aracelli? She even achieved dimensional travel by herself! By the way, the funds that the New Murim League had saved up until now were completely wiped out. They used it to build buildings, connecting the internet, electricity, and ether. In addition, Jungwon Moorim means that in the end, each family would establish their own residence with some distance from each other. (T/N That social distancing) They were already deciding which family would get which land. Looking at that Yoo Seodam once again realized that they were real Murim people. Of course, the headquarters of the New Moorim League and the residence of Seol Jungyeon would be the House where the Great King of Goblins once resided in. It was located in the center of the world, with high mountains in its vicinity and an upturned cliff reminiscent of a space station that stood sideways. Looking at those building, Yoo seodam believed that in the past, when Goblins were still sane, they also had their own culture. Considering that the spirits of the Floating Garden had also lost their reasoning after their world came to an end, it seems like destruction might be something that took even the essence of life . Amazing! Really amazing Shin Hye-ji exclaimed as she busily took pictures of Seol Jungyeons new residence, where the internet and electricity were all connected. Of course, all of those pictures would be posted on Seol Jungyeons Social media and YTUBE later on. This will completely elevate Murims status! She shouted and excitedly ran around. Master! Can you please stand there? I have work to do Please, just once! We need to take a picture and upload it! . Seol Jungyeon looked at Shin Hye-ji with confused eyes. She let out a long sigh before walking towards the position that Shin Hye-ji chose. As she stood there, the ray of setting sun was reflected on her platinum hair which danced around together with the wind. In this scarlet world, it seemed like she was the only one who shined. Even those light pink eyes, which clearly showed annoyance in them, somehow radiates a mysterious yet elegant vibe. Seol Jungyeons dazzling appearances had a magical power that attracted the attention of not only Yoo Seodam and Shin Hye-ji, but also everyone. As evidence of that, the Earths engineers who were allowed to enter the dimension to work had completely stopped on their feet. Uh. When Shin Hye-ji forgot to press the shutter of her camera and stood blankly, Seol Jungyeon asked. Are you done? Oh, no! Not yet! Ooh, you would be in trouble if you move! What kind of trouble are you talking about? Anyway, its a big problem! Shin Hye-ji immediately uploaded the photo to Stargram without any corrections. Would you like to see it Master? Here, please check the comments. Well. There are too many hieroglyphs. Its emoji! Emoji! Ah.. right. While the other Murim people adapted to the modern times since their return three years ago, Seol Jungyeon was trapped in the middle of nowhere and couldnt do that at all. She was completely ignorant of modern culture. Fortunately, Shin Hye-ji was always on her side to explain how to handle machines and other modern culture. So, it seemed like Seol Jungyeon had finished adjusting to modern times to some extent. Have you seen it? It hasnt been a few seconds since it was posted, but so many people have already liked Masters post. . Many people like her. Somehow after hearing those words, Seol Jungyeon had a bitter expression, but soon she once again smiled brightly. Thats a relief. So, this time Ill teach you how to write it. Later, if I dont have time, Master can do it by herself. Shin Hye-ji taught Seol Jungyeon various things about social media. And amongst all, there was one function that piqued her interest. It was follow. Did you say that if I do this, I can see other peoples posts? Yes. Currently, Seol Jungyeons Stargram account had 0 follow and 20 million followers. It was still increasing by dozens of people every second. For anyone who was hungry for attention, this amount of interest would surely make them go crazy. but Seol Jungyeon seemed to have no interest in anything like that. Follow. Seol Jungyeon was busy pressing this and that with a frown on her face. And after some time, the frown on her face was completely overtaken by a bright look. And then, Shin Hye-jis smartphone, which she kept inside her pocket, vibrated. When she took it out and checked it, a follow request from Seol jungyeon came to her Stargram account. Wait a minute.. Shin Hye-jis eyes darted anxiously. She slowly raised her head and met the eyes of Seol Jungyeon who smiled brightly. Accept it. Uh, thats. Shin Hye-ji stuttered. Seol Jungyeon was a social media star whose followers were increasing by dozens of people even at the moment. Every single one of her post always makes the internet go crazy. So, what will happen when someone with 0 follow suddenly follows someone? Shin Hye-ji shuddered at her own thoughts. However, Seol Jungyeon didnt give her any breathing space. She once again asked, however now she had a slightly depressed look on her face. Why didnt you accept it? Its a very subtle expression change that could only be noticed by Shin Hye-ji. After looking at such face, how could she refuse? Of course I will accept it! Eventually, Shin Hye-ji closed her eyes and accepted her follow request. [Notification off] And turn her notification off. For the time being, she decided to keep her account sealed. * * * In the process of transforming the House of Goblins into New Murim, I had nothing to do. However, Im staying in the dimension because I want to make sure theres no problem with the dimension itself. For that reason, there was no other choice but to hire a large number of gardeners to work in this dimension. It was much better aesthetically and mentally to hire a beauty gardener than to farm haphazardly like the spirits. However, I couldnt stay here any longer. It was because of a single email delivered through Yekaterina. The email that started with the words [To magician Yoo Seodam] and ends with [We would like to visit you.]. Honestly, there were a lot of people who approached me because of Magic and Martial arts, so I wasnt very fond of those who call me Magician. But it was an exception this time. First of all, the person who contacted me wasnt just anybody, but hes the Secretary General of the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association. Secondly, they contacted me because of something related to Supernatural Phenomenon. When you hear the words Supernatural Phenomenon the very first thing you would think of was Huh? Isnt that just a dungeon gate phenomenon? However, they were completely different. Dungeon, deformed dungeon, gate and the Great Rift phenomenon were collectively referred as Supernatural Phenomenon, However, most of them had already scientifically clarified. However, very occasionally, a phenomenon that couldnt be explained scientifically occurred. It wasnt a dungeon, gate, or a Great Rift, but truly an unscientific supernatural phenomenon. Very few people had experienced it, but everyone who has gone through it always gave the same statement. Its not the normal supernatural phenomenon. I could only say that it was a very strange supernatural phenomenon. But it was almost a myth, and it was never directly proven. It was only natural for the Secretary General of the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association to contact me, who was a guild master of a guild that related to both Magic and Martial arts as well as a magician about something related to Supernatural phenomenon. So, since I was in America right now, I decided to meet them. After telling Seol Jungyeon and Shin Hye-ji that I would go back, I went to Park Seong-ho. Secretary Park Seong-ho, long time no see. Youve worked really hard. Oh.. Its just you. Theres almost no Murim people here, huh? Well, most Murim people are really computer illiterate. But, sometimes, there are some unique individuals who work as either a lawyer or doctor Well, still, to be honest, it would be more comfortable to have someone who was once working in the hunter industry like me, dont you agree? The New Murim League no longer consisted of only Murim people. Since me, their Military advisor wasnt someone who was originally from Murim. Park Seong-ho too, wasnt someone from Murim. He was originally the Deputy Director of Korean Hunter association. By the way, I heard that Seol Jungyeon was going to teach you her Mugong, but I heard that you postponed it. What can I do? Even though my dream has always been acquiring Mystical ability, but well I dont have time to do that now. I havent exercised for a long time, so I lost all my muscles. Id rather retire like this and cultivate future generations. Huh. So you were thinking that way. It was unthinkable for me to put off my lifelong dream like what Park Seong-ho did. At the same time, I feel very sad for him. He was kicked out from the Hunter Association just because he didnt have superpower and had to waste his time working as a Guild Secretary. Anyway, please pay more attention towards Master. I think she wants to see you more often, but shes not doing it because shes afraid shell be a nuisance to you. I see I feel sorry again after hearing Park Seong-hos words. But it cant be helped. I was in a position where I couldnt just stay on Earth alone. Even when my job is that of a hunter, I cant hunt that much, so I dont know what the hell was even happening. Unlike Another League, who completely relied on Yekaterina, New Murim League was working properly thanks to the help of the skilled Park Seong-ho. In addition, they also had the unexpected explosive effect of social media initiated by Shin Hye-ji, and New Murim Land that became the hub where all people of Murim could gather. So their development will be even faster in the future. After greeting several more people that I knew, I left Murim Land and immediately called the contact number written in the email. Then, the other party received the call even before the first beep ended. Hello. Its Hunter Yoo Seodam. -Oh hello Magician Yoo Seodam. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Im not really a magician, Im just a hunter. -Thank you for contacting us. Yes. You contacted me regarding a supernatural phenomenon. Can I inquire it further? -It is something that cant be discussed through the phone Well, I guess so. -Do you have any preferred time or place to meet? Ill go to meet you myself. Its okay anywhere while Im in America. That said, its boring to talk while relaxing at a cafe while having some coffee or sashimi. If you tell me the place where the supernatural phenomenon occurred, Ill go there. Chapter 106: Reality distortion (2) Proofreader: Kig Theres a saying that because the United States had a very large territory, you will find yourself in a rural area after driving for an hour or two from any city. Back when I was still actively running around as a hunter, I rarely had the opportunity to come to the United States because I mainly went to Africa, Europe and Asia. However, thanks to one particular incident, I finally set my foot on the soil of the United States for the first time. That time, I came to the United States to join hunters from all over the world to stop the Great Rift that occurred in the City of Independence in Missouri. No matter how hard I think about it, I still couldnt find the best way to explain that Great Rift even until now. Simply put, it was a divine punishment sent by God towards humans to punish their evil. I still remember it clearly, inside the Great Rift that seems to be the hell itself, a phenomenon that couldnt be understood by human common sense and science continued to occur. Well, long story short, humanity succeeded in fighting against it and overcoming it. However, the price humanity had to pay was a steep one. Hundreds of thousands of hunters lost their life. If you also included the civilian casualties, the number you would get was absurdly high. At that time, numerous heroes died. Many promising talents withered away before they could even bloom. The reason why I was able to survive on such a terrible battlefield was. It was purely because I was a F rank hunter. Back then, there was no need for a strategic hunter who could only hunt a single monster for hours. In other words, there was no room for ordinary people with rifles on the battlefield. Obviously, I was placed in the rearmost of the formation and I was so lucky that I managed to survive. .But, I lost Reina Ju that day. I still havent forgotten. As her body was sucked into the Great Rift, she stretched her hands towards me. She told me repeatedly Its okay now, youll live and youll survive. Even right before her death, she was still smiling. Have you ever been to America before? When the golden-haired man in the drivers seat of the Retona asked me, I jilted away from that past memory. The golden-haired mans name is Michael. He was the Director General of the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association. Was this question only a simple chit chat? Or was he trying to dig some information from me? Yes. I came here 8 years ago. Rattle! The Jeep bounced off several times because of the rough terrain. If you drive an ordinary car here, you might feel nauseous because of the shaking. Was it on Independence Day? Yes. The calamitous Great Rift that occurred in the City of Independence. People later referred to the incident as Independence Day. It also was a reminder of the time when humans became completely independent from monsters and were reborn as the rulers of the Earth. That time was such a bad time, you probably dont have any good memories about the United States. Its okay, because sometimes, I have a reason to come to America. I recalled Seol Jungyeons face as I watched the scenery outside the window passing by. Then Michael asked me once again. Have you ever been to Kansas? No I havent. It was a romantic and relaxing city Well. I dont think so. Since, But, not anymore. The state of Kansas that I saw through the window seemed to have been completely destroyed for decades. It was a desolate town. There was no sign of life in the city except for the cold-looking soldiers that I saw occasionally. The intermittent gunfire and cry of monsters sounded like a reminder that this place was still a battlefield. Apart from that. The state of Kansas was truly unique. That. Is that the supernatural phenomenon you mentioned? Thats right. Till now we have been unable to determine the exact reason behind this. I could see a building floating in the air. I think Ill need to inspect it closely in order to understand it. As Michael and Yoo Seodam walked out from the vehicle, several American soldiers approached them and greeted them. Michael passed them and led me to the city. After the monsters appeared, most of the city in the central and southern regions were destroyed. In particular, Kansas had become an uninhabited city. Is that so. Still, unlike China, who completely neglected their lost territory, the United States continued to send hunters in order to recover their lost territory. But their speed was quite slow. Most of the lost territory was inaccessible. They also had dungeon environments manifested into reality. On top of it numerous monsters had laid their eggs in every corner of the land, rivers, mountains and forests. By the way.. That was a really unique phenomenon. As far as I know manifestation simply changes the environment and doesnt affect anything else. In the distance, I could see researchers in white protective suits wandering from one place to another. They were busy researching something with both the computers installed outdoors and supercomputers set up inside the barracks. I cant blame them though, because Im also curious about the surreal things that unfold in front of me. Building debris, the foundation of a building that has been cut off, reinforced bar, broken bridge, cars, signboard, and so on, were all floating in the air. At first, we thought that gravity itself had been reversed. If that really was the case, doesnt that mean we should also be floating in the air? Yes. But theres no way to explain it otherwise. We couldnt detect any force, including magnetism and gravity, here. But, obviously, an unknown power that we dont know is present here. That power is something that keeps those things floating in the air. It was wise of them to call a magician when facing something that couldnt be explained by science. I put my glasses on with a nervous feeling. What is. Ah. Its a device that can observe the essence of energy. With additional equipment, it could also detect the energy wavelength. Oh, what is the additional equipment? Ill show you soon. The expression of the scientists who followed Michael brightened after hearing my remark. And then, I pulled an item from my inventory. It was a stethoscope. .huh? ..Is that it? I heard some questioning murmurs from the scientists behind me but I decided to ignore it. I simply walked towards the building that floated a few centimeters in the air and put the stethoscope on it. With this device, it was possible to detect an essence of energy wavelengths in great detail. It was also possible to detect a complicated magic that could hardly be felt and show it in the most scientific way. On top of it, the data itself should be perfect because the interpreter is none other than The Library of the White Witch!! Unfortunately Its not magic. As expected, this phenomenon couldnt be explained by magic. Magic wasnt something omnipotent that could make fire, or beam of light out of nowhere. Magic was just a discipline that identifies all sorts of phenomena and recreates it mathematically using magic formula. How is it? Im not sure.. I need to examine it a little bit longChuh? While I was talking, something passed in front of me. That something slowly raised its head and looked at me. Unless my eyes were deceiving me, those pointy ears, dark black hair, and a skin that a lot darker than night was An Elf? I took a few steps back in surprise. Then I looked behind me because I felt that something was strange. Just a few moments ago, the warmth of the summer was shining at me. But now, the sun has completely disappeared. I found myself in the middle of dark and sunless Kansas. Is it really Kansas? I could see a tentacle with mucus flowing down from its skin wrapping itself around a building and lifting it up. The main body of the tentacle was an octopus, but its head was that of a fly. The creature then, leisurely passed under the building. And just a few distance away, a creature with a horsehead on the limbs of a rat and a cat torso shouted into the air. A sense of disparity wrapped around my whole body. This is not the Earth. No such environment existed on Earth. As I slowly looked into the air, the secret of the floating structure was revealed. Something made of sticky material was lifting and supporting the building, while the cars in the air were actually placed on a pile of garbage, and it turned out that the floating signboard was recycled as a signboard of some suspicious building. However, the problem was that all of them were not visible until now.. Just what Dimensional distortion? How is it different? Frozen coke and frozen cider only scratch each other even if they collide, they dont mix. However, when melted coke and melted cider collide The two are completely mixed up. It means that I could only see this place purely thanks to the system. Magician Yoo Seodam? Are you okay? As Director Michael spoke from the back, I was brought back from my stupor and turned my head towards him. He stood there clueless, he still didnt know anything. Even at this moment, a giant centipede was passing in front of their nose, and an elf with completely rotten skin was crawling across the floor, but they knew nothing. Why is this happening? While traveling across many dimensions, I have never seen this phenomenon before. Phenomenons like dungeons, gates, Great Rift, and reality distortion were unique only to Earth. Dimensional trash can? .What? So, Hell Gate is the cause of all this phenomenon on Earth? Earth, a world where debris from all dimensions gathered. Only then I was able to resolve one question I had in my head for so long. It was about the existence of the silver spirit flower. Right after she was born, she was already aware of witches and Mugong. It turns out she knows all of it not because she was special. But because she was born in a world where magic and martial arts existed. And probably, her original world had already perished. What will happen in the future? When the manifestation of the distorted world happens, something that couldnt be compared to dungeon manifestation would happen. While the dungeon environment was a space where humans can adapt and live It seemed that humans could hardly survive in the distorted world. Whats even worse was that reality distortion was literally a supernatural phenomenon that cannot be coped with human scientific power. Thankfully, this phenomenon rarely occurred on the planet, but once it occurred, it would be a disaster. Wait a minutehey. I could see it anyway, doesnt that mean I can interfere too? Then, is there any way to destroy it? Nope. He had none. But thats okay. It was a matter to think about later on anyway. Right now, he had something more important to do. Director? Yes. Please tell me. I tried to look as serious as possible. Even more serious than the time when the rice cake soup restaurant was closed. (T/N man just how much did you love rice cake soup.) I guess I should tell you. About how serious this phenomenon is. Is it really that serious? Yes. But it would be okay. Because Im a professional in this field. Do you have a plan that can resolve this situation? Absolutely! I have the plans. So.. I rubbed my fingers and said with a subtle expression. Hire me. Ill take care of everything. I could protect the Earth, make some money, and spread my influence to the worlds largest institutions. Its not even two birds with one stone. It was three birds with one stone. Chapter 107: Reality distortion (3) Proofreader: Kig Please consider donating., Or become our Patron if you like this novel and want to support us. THANK YOU VERY MUCH~ Hellony. Since the time she debuted as a singer till she became an international superstar, she had never traveled to any country on her own will. Most of the time, she went to another country for a concert. Even when she went on a vacation, she moved as the company decided. She had never tried to do anything by herself. Her reason was simple, it was because it was annoying. Its annoying, she had no motivation and she didnt want to do anything. Who would believe that the happiest time for a world star like her was when she stayed alone in a villa deep in the forest that didnt even catch anyones attention? Well, Hellony was famous for being a passive doll who did what others told her to, so maybe someone might believe it. However, when it comes to dating, her passiveness disappeared. She had no interest in men whatsoever. Many famous stars had tried to pursue her, but she refused them every single time. Because of her behavior, rumors about her being a lesbian were popular. But because she couldnt be bothered by it, she simply said Yes, thats right. At her words, the world flipped once again. Hellony couldnt understand at all about how things could go upside down so easily these days. So, for the first time in a very long while, she decided to do something on her own. It was a vacation. Moreover, she flew to Korea, that too, on her own volition. Hey, isnt it bothersome to come here? Nope, because its been a long time. You look so bright too, today. Thanks to you. Dont say something like that. Its creepy. Hellony, who came straight to meet Taylor Nine, smiled faintly at her liveliness. Then she lifted her head and looked at the scenery around the Floating garden. As the rumor said, its a beautiful place. What rumor? Well, people who had the chance to come here took pictures of this place and uploaded it on blogs and social media. The reaction is explosive right now, dont you know? I dont. Hellony smiled subtly. She looked at Taylor who seemed to be in a good mood. Even though they finally met after a long time, Taylors eyes were glued on her smartphone. By any chance, are you watching that team you were supporting? The 19 consecutive loss team. No its not! They stopped at 18 consecutive losses! They also won this time! Theyre playing so damn good right now! Hellony burst into laughter as she saw Taylors reaction. She was a really easy-to-understand woman. By the way, its really a beautiful place. The bright Milky Way, which was hard to see on Earth, lit up the sky. Countless rays of light swirled in the air as if the starlight had settled on the ground. Meanwhile, the spirits who tended the beautiful flower garden, and the buildings that glowed in pure white, all of them added the mysterious vibe to this garden. Of course, she didnt see the beautiful architecture and the greenhouse hidden right behind the flower garden. After entering the building, Hellony visited Ha Sun-young first. In addition to Taylor and Yoo Seodam, Ha Sun-young was someone she felt grateful towards, because she was the one who helped her get rid of her stalker. Ahhhhhh! Hellony! Naturally, the reaction was explosive. She had just returned from training and was resting in her break room. But as soon as she saw Hellony, she rushed towards her and started blabbering. Look here! I bought the same pale purple shirt and leggings as Hellony! Wow Now, this! Its a brand launched under Hellonys name! Wow. Hellony clearly doesnt remember. She felt she had filmed such an advertisement before or maybe not. So she decides to just trust Ha Sun-young who always covered her whole body with Hellony-related items. And this one, this hairpin! Hellony advertised it so I bought it! Ah.. My panties Please calm down Master. It was Ye Sa-hye who stopped Ha Sun-young from lowering her pants by poking her back. She put on her glasses and let out a sigh. Ha Sun-young was one of the 60 SS rank superhuman in the world, and she would soon become a sect leader, only twenty Murim people were sect leaders. Most of the SS rank superhumans had a classy vibe unique to them, Ye Sa-hye wondered why this spoiled lady had no such thing at all. Taylor walked straight towards the room without caring whatever they did. She sat on the middle sofa with her eyes still glued to her smartphone. Right after she sat, a little white-haired woman shouted at her in embarrassment. Miss Taylor. That is where the guests sit. But her scream only met deaf ears. So, Yekaterina guided Hellony to the seat right next to her. Somehow, after seeing the four hectic women, an idea suddenly came to Hellonys mind. Taylor and her straightforward personality. Ha Sun-young who was energetic. Ye Sa-hye who was somehow intelligent. Yekaterina, who looks child-like, but is the one who is the most mature of them all. Even if all of them were thrown into the entertainment industry, they would be beautiful women who could not be beaten easily. Perhaps. Please tell me. Do you have any thoughts about making a 5-member girl group? Tuk! The atmosphere quickly becomes cold. Taylor had a look of disdain, Ye Sa-hye only smiled, Ha Sun-young shook her head, and Yekaterina belatedly understood the meaning of her words and laughed awkwardly. You kept your head in a safe place at home, right? What kind of At this age, Ill be fine as long as Changje doesnt make fun of me. (T/N well, for those who forgot who Changje is, hes the phoenix emperor.) I havent even sung a song before. Woohoo, that would be fun. But sadly, I have a job to do. It was certainly a good combination. However, their reactions were so cold. Hellony herself who suggested the idea become completely embarrassed. Yekaterina put a cup of tea in front of Hellony and said. By the way, you came here when Yoo Seodam hunter-nim wasnt here. Oh, that is. Ugh Hellony owed Yoo Seodam because of the previous accident. Even when the hint was given by Ha Sun-young, in the end, Yoo Seodam was the one who executed the plan to catch her stalker. So, she had to thank him personally. She needed to thank him personally but at the same time she was afraid of meeting him again after what had happened between them. That. a bit.. Yekaterina was taken aback because of the mumbling Hellony. Since she was a global star, Yekaterina thought she would be a little more active, friendly and full of talent, however, she was much more timid than Yekaterina thought. Because of the mistake I made in the past. Mistake? That Hellony suddenly recalled the past. I cant do it anymore. Please leave me alone, please. I really Hellony. If we get out of here, well be safe. With your ability, we could overcome it. Just follow me from behind. Ill do the rest on my own. Shut up! How could you know my feelings when you yourself dont have a superpower? .. At that time, Hellony was out of her mind. It was the first and the last time that she, who had never been angry with anyone before, shouted at someone. She also hurled numerous insults towards Yoo Seodam. On top of it, she made him remember his most painful trauma. But, forget being angry, Yoo Seodam smiled towards her as if he understood everything, and said. So that was your concern. Afterwards, Yoo Seodam forced Hellony to break through the battlefield. It was a place surrounded by hundreds of monsters. The only thing Yoo Seodam could do without superpower was run away as secretly as possible by relying on his eyes and ears. Perhaps, if only Hellony could properly use her ability at that time Things might have been a little easier. However, after seeing blood, Hellony fell into a state of panic, and she had no control over her own superpower. Her detection ability, which required a meticulous control of her ultrasonic ability, was rendered useless. But in such a terrible situation, who would believe that an F rank hunter, who was mocked by everyone because he didnt have any superpower, was able to lead other superhumans? ..After that day, I retired from Hunter industry. Ah And, she had never met Yoo Seodam after that. No, to be precise, she couldnt. She felt guilty of what she did to him. She slept in guilt every night. For a few years after that day, the words she said to Yoo Seodam haunted her in her dreams over and over again. In her dreams, she hurled insult after insult towards Yoo Seodam just like what she did on that day. It was such a terrible memory, no matter how much she shouted shut up her figure in the dream wouldnt stop. It was as if it was trying to remind her she couldnt take back things shed said. Stupid bitch. I told you Yoo Seodam didnt even care about things like that. Taylor said as she still watched a baseball game on her smartphone. But still, I will apologize properly. Without wrapping up the past accident, she once again owed a great debt to Yoo Seodam. She really couldnt brush it off this time. Oh, and I bought a present. Would you like to see it? Oh, Hellonys gift! I will designate it as a heirloom of the Sunyoung sect, I will only pass it to my immediate disciple. Please dont do that, Master. Hellony knew in advance that there were 4 women and 50 masters staying in the hideout of Another League. Hellony carefully handed them their gift, then lastly, she carefully handed Yoo Seodams gift to Yekaterina. Please give it to him when hes back. Its a simple cosmetic and food. Understood. I will deliver it properly. Yekaterina smiled and took her gift, and she asked with a subtle face. By the way, I have a question. What is it? What kind of person was Seodam-nim in the past? Hmm? Even though she wanted to ask why she asked such a question, Hellony felt something after looking at Yekaterinas expression. So, Hellony stroked her chin, she carefully recalled her old memories. The best memories she had with him. Got it? If we do it this way, we can unconditionally get 100% of the share. If you hit him just a little bit to the left there, his stake will be increased to over a half, so he could claim ownership of the crystal. Why are we using my bullets? Look, if I throw this over there, Team B should take care of it. But they cant come this far. Do you know what that means? Thats all ours, this is what I mean! Good memories right? Hellony smiled awkwardly before replying. Yoo Seodam has always been a type of man who, when he has a chance, will take it all the way to the end and get as much profit as he can out of it. * * * The world looked totally different depending on whether I put the glasses on or off. Its not just a figure of speech, it really looks different. Even ordinary people who couldnt originally see it, would be able to see the alternate world to some extent by wearing these sunglasses. At my signal, 7 Murim people who stood side by side wore sunglasses. All of them, including Seol Jungyeon, were those who were referred to as the 20 Masters of Murim. Its amazing! I can see a different worlCheuuuuuukkkkkkk One of the masters who had clenched their fists and shouted loudly suddenly vomited. It was only natural. No matter how much you could observe the world, suddenly looking at another dimension would cause a big side effect. The only person who was fine was Seol Jungyeon. Thats incredible. They are really people of Murim. Director Michael exclaimed when he saw how Murim people only get motion sickness after wearing the sunglasses. I poured my magic and lifeforce into these specially made sunglasses that could be worn by anyone to see the Distorted world, but the downside was that if just anyone wore them, their head would spin and fall. I warned Michael that these sunglasses could lead normal people to their death if they arent strong enough. So he called S rank hunters and asked them to try it on, but the result was disastrous. Every single one of them passed out within seconds. However, Murim people were different from ordinary hunters. They already experienced dimensional movement before, and since some of Murim people who came here were those who referred to as Hwakyung (SS rank), which belongs to the strongest sect, they only experienced slight motion sickness. Seol Jungyeon said while taking her sunglasses off. So, what should we do now? When she said a word, the eyes of all the American soldiers focused towards her. Some even approached for autographs and were dragged away by the executives, but she was quite deadly, to the point that the morale of the soldiers was disturbed. Its simple. Can you see that portal that leads into the distorted world? There were one or two distorted spaces in the air as I looked through the sunglasses. They were really very small, at most there were bean sizes. But what if bugs or birds approached it the moment that portal grew? They would be sucked into it. Perhaps the missing hunters around the area where this phenomenon occurred were also sucked into the distorted dimensional gap. We will walk directly into that gap and smash either the boss or the core and come out. Some dungeons could only be cleared when the boss monster was killed, while other dungeons could only be cleared when the core which was the energy source of the dungeon gets destroyed. And then there were also dungeons that could only be cleared when all monsters inside of it were killed. Whatever the clearing conditions were, if the source of energy itself was destroyed, the dimension would also be destroyed. It shouldnt be different for dimensions that connected to earth as the result of numerous dimensions colliding together. Director Michael finally listened to me and nodded his head as if convinced. Certainly, You are the only one who can solve this phenomenon Therefore, I will allow the formation of the Special Supernatural Phenomenon Response Team. This work was one thing that could only be done by me and the people of Murim. And it was also recognized by the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association, so there was nothing to worry about. Lets go. Lets beat all the aliens who are staying illegally in the rooftop room without paying rent. Chapter 108: Reality distortion (4) The environment inside the Mirror World was something that humans couldnt live in. It was a bloody place. The sky was painted violent red, mist obscured their vision wherever they looked at, and there was a pit of blood that couldnt be identified whether it belonged to a corpse or a living creature, wriggling in all directions. It was a place that reminded Yoo Seodam of Hell Gate. Because of this he wasnt comfortable staying in that place. While Yoo Seodam had to rely on a mask to be able to stand on this place, the masters of Murim didnt even need it. They only frowned a little in front of the discomfort they felt. Indeed, they are truly SS ranks. Unlike A rank superhumans which were still in the boundary of normal humans, SS rank superhumans were something entirely different because they had already exceeded human limitation twice. This was a very unpleasant space. The expressions of the Masters were stiff. It was as if they couldn''t believe what they saw right now. Everything that walked on this space was an existence that had already lost their mind. The only thing left inside them was their primal instinct. Something to eat.'' Something new has come.'' Are they weaker than me?'' I do not know.'' Ill know once I take care of it.'' For all bizarre creatures with a mismatched body that lived in this world, they always had food shortage, and the appearance of Yoo Seodam and the masters could be a very good meal for them. Whether it was a worm standing on human feet, or an elf''s head on an animal''s torso, they were once an ordinary species. Let''s get started. The operation proceeded quickly. While crossing through the unstable dimensional passage, all weak creatures from each and every original dimension perished. Only those who were strong enough survived. But no matter how strong they were, in the end they were nothing but mindless beasts. On top of it, they were already exhausted and dying, they couldnt help but get swept by the masters of Murim. Im sorry. While other masters looked at them with disgust, Master from Hwangyeong sect who had not only transcended the physical realms of human power, but he had also transcended the human aesthetics of beauty. His sense of beauty went beyond what humans perceived, and because of this, he was not fazed by the grotesque appearance of these alien creatures. Instead, he looked at them with eyes filled with pity because they had no choice but to live like this because of their circumstances. You still have to kill it. "I know.." After reminding her fellow master, Seol Jungyeon pulled out a pure white sword and stepped forward. Then, her dance began. Even in this terrible hellish environment, Seol Jungyeon''s sword dance was still beautiful. The ugliness of this world was completely suppressed by her beauty. Whoever saw it might mistake this place as heaven for a moment. As she swung the sword down, she reaped the lives of the alien creatures without causing them any pain. She also cut off the portals that affected Earth. Probably by now, the supernatural phenomenon on Earth was gradually disappearing. Kuooh!! As the creatures of this world slowly died one by one, the world itself began to wriggle. Yes, this world was also a living creature. Moments later, something rose from the ground. It was something incomprehensible to the naked eye. From its head, which resembles the head of a wolf, octopus tentacles slithered towards all directions. It also had 6 arms which have 6 fingers each. It was a very strange creature, even stranger than any other creatures in this world. It was something that had already lost its essence of life and was just waiting for the day it would perish. Even the Hwangyeong sect master couldn''t see that thing with his naked eye. It had a very disgusting and trauma-inducing appearance. Yoo Seodam originally thought that he would be able to withstand its appearance because he had been in so many dimensional travel, however, he was wrong. Even though he is indeed a dimensional traveler, he was still only an A rank superhuman. He was still insignificant and weak. However, there was only one person here who could withstand its appearance. It was Seol Jungyeon. Poor child. Seol Jungyeon said as she stared at the creature. How long have you been suffering here? How much pain did you have to endure every day after losing your hometown? How can you still live even after accepting such despair? That side of Seol Jungyeon was something that Yoo Seodam really liked. She always said, I am a person who has no skill other than swinging a sword.'' She couldn''t embrace other people warmly, she couldn''t free other people from the ban, she also didnt have the verbal skills to make other people happy. So she always tried her best when people needed her for her swordsmanship. You can stop now. Ill send you off. * * * At the request of Yoo Seodam, supernatural phenomenon quickly became front-page articles. And the reason he requested was because civilians need to report supernatural phenomenons that we missed, so we can respond quickly. And thanks to that article, the Special Supernatural Phenomenon Response Team'' which includes the Murim people, also became a hot topic. If one day something suddenly happens, like a sighting of a ghost, or an unscientific phenomenon where you could hear a voice from the empty air, then immediately contact the Special Team''! The Murim people will run to solve it! In the middle of the article, instead of Yoo Seodams face, Seol Jungyeon''s face was grandly displayed. Its sad, but it cant be helped because her face was much more influential than any words. In the future, supernatural phenomenon will occur more frequently. ..Probably, until Hell Gate disappears. The frequency of supernatural phenomenon will also increase, and after 10 to 20 years, it may become a common occurrence like dungeons or gates. Until then, the monopoly of solving supernatural phenomena fell into the hands of Another League and New Murim League. In addition, various foreign substances obtained from the Mirror World were a valuable commodity for science, It was traded at great prices, so, both Another League and New Murim League were able to earn a lot of money in an instant. -The image of Murim people is increasing day by day. That''s good news. Shin Hye-jis voice could be heard from the tablet. It was a simple function called video call, but it was a very strange technology for Seol Jungyeon. Seol Jungyeon was aware that people were still on the edge because of the New Murim League. It was because an independent group consisting of 3,000 superhumans was no different from a time bomb. On top of that, they also had 20 SS rank superhuman and an SSS rank leader. It is understandable that the world, including the President of the United States, were keeping them in check. However, how could Murim people live after hearing such crap such as People of Murim now belong to the International Association and they must assign all of its armed forces to the state. Honestly, even if Seol Jungyeon started a legal fight, the one who will be at the disadvantage was themselves. So, while avoiding people who keep them in check as much as possible, New Murim League had to somehow raise their status and imprint their strong image on peoples mind so that they could become completely independent. There was a real precedent similar to that. Of course, its not good to imitate those guys. Most of the superhuman groups which were internationally recognized as independent organizations were terrorist groups, so the Murim League had to avoid that image. -By the way, hows your condition Master? Of course, Im fine. Right now, Seol Jungyeon was floating in a swimming pool located in a five-star hotel in Los Angeles. It was specially reserved for her, so no one else was there. From the swimming pool, she could enjoy the sight of thousands of city lights on the ground. Los Angeles'' night view was truly beautiful. -Hmmmmmm. Is that so? Why? Seol Jungyeon tilted her head as she looked at Shin Hye-ji who was smiling mysteriously. -You still have an anxious expression. Are you waiting for Yoo Seodam Hunter-nim again? Seol Jungyeon could only smile bitterly at Shin Hye-jis question. -To think, someone as wonderful as Master could be swung around by a man I cant help it. He is such an attractive man. -Ahhh! Master, how could you say something like that! Huhu, you''ll know when you fall in love too. Shin Hye-ji shook her head helplessly. She was aware that even now Yoo Seodam was running around talking with high-ranking people from numerous International Associations for the sake of Murim people. Originally, Seol Jungyeon told him that she would go with him, but Yoo Seodam refused it by saying If the master herself comes, it may have a negative effect. -Still. Arent you tired of waiting all the time? You dont have much time to be together. Shin Hye-ji knew Seol Jungyeon well because she always followed her everywhere. And every day, Seol Jungyeon was always looking at a smartphone she is not familiar with, and waited for Yoo Seodams call. Wouldnt it be embarrassing if I whine while hes running around for my sake? Seol Jungyeon certainly wanted to be with him, she wanted to be intimate with him, gazes into his eyes, and know a little more about him, but she knows that she can''t. "I am okay." Waiting was something shes familiar with. Rather than being trapped in a snowy mountain and hoping for rescue that might or might not come, she could wait for him no matter how long she had to. Because she was much happier and had a more valuable life now. -You can''t be like that master! Why are you shouting? -You have to be a little more active, master. Like You knowAt night. We already did it. It was a very sweet night. -What? Whaaattttt? Then, Shin Hye-ji, who was proudly giving advice a moment ago to Seol Jungyeon, became redder and redder. -Re, really? Well, even though she was the one who seduced Yoo Seodam at first, the role quickly reversed because she was inexperienced in that kind of thing. She smiled faintly without answering Shin Hye-jis question as she recalled the memory of the very affectionate night she shared with Yoo Seodam. Her train of memory only stopped because Shin Hye-ji was once again giving advice. -Then What about using your mouth? "Huh? Of course I did- -No no no! Not that! I mean conversation! Conversation. Yoo Seodams life was filled with ups and downs. He always had something new to tell her every time they met. So there was never a single moment of boredom when shes with him. But, the stories he told her were all about the incidents that occured in the past, he never said a word about how he was living now. That man had a lot of secrets. There were times when he disappeared. He put up a notice that he was dispatched and couldnt be contacted. Also, even though he wasnt someone from Murim, he knew about Mugong well. He even mastered the unknown discipline called Magic, and possessed knowledge about dimensions. Just what is his identity? What did he do when he disappeared? And, did he know about her story? Whenever they met, Seol Jungyeon was always the only one who asked him about his life. She had never talked about her own life. There was still a lot of distance between them. Hmmm. Seol Jungyeon put her hands on her chin. She was still floating in the pool. After pondering for a moment, she opened her mouth. Thats a good idea. * * * ..I''m tired. Upon returning to the hotel, I walked towards my room with staggering steps. Thanks to Director Michael, I was able to use a five-star hotel for free. However, I didnt have any chance to properly enjoy the facility this hotel had. I was so busy explaining about supernatural phenomenon to high-ranking people that I did not have any chance to enjoy the amenities provided by the hotel. It is already 2 a.m. Will they deliver it to me if I make an order now? Its a 5-star hotel, so they will, right? I cant just have my food delivered from another restaurant at this kind of hotel. Ah yeah, theres that too.'' Where is it?'' I took off my suit and socks, put it in the corner, and headed to the bed while listening to the systems message. However, I couldn''t answer the systems words. "Huh..?" "You''re very late." It was because someone is sitting on the seat by the window where the night view of the city was beautifully lit up. With platinum hair and light pink eyes that resemble a sunset on a snowy mountain, she beckoned to me while sipping on a red wine. She was only wearing a thin nightgown. Come here. I couldn''t refuse. As I got closer to her, I could see her cheeks were already blushing, as if she had gotten slightly tipsy. She could have blown it out with her power, but she must have her reason for not doing so. Well, that. Clothes She was wearing an extremely thin nightgown that I couldnt look at. When I looked away from her, she smiled. I just want to have a conversation today, so sit down. As I sat down, she took out a glass she had prepared and poured red wine in it. Was it something she learned from someone? Her hand gestures were quite clumsy, but she had the basic etiquette to handle wine. Somehow laughter bubbled out from my mouth when I thought of her studying by calling a sommelier for this moment. Very soon, Seol Jungyeon raised her glass. The moon light and city lights reflected against the glass. At that moment, it occurred to me, that no matter how many times I saw her smile, I would not get tired of looking at it. Two wine glasses bumped against each other. That night she and I shared many secrets. Chapter 109: Romance of the Black-Haired Lady (1) Early in the morning, I woke up as the warm morning sun tickled my face. Even though I rarely felt that waking up this way was the best way to be woken up, at this moment, I found it to be quite refreshing. Anyone would agree with me if the first thing they saw right after waking up was Seol Jungyeon''s face. She was sleeping peacefully in my embrace. Her arms were wrapped around my neck in case I ran away. We had a long talk last night. I revealed that I was actually a dimensional traveler, and even now, I was still doing it. She also told me about her tragic childhood. It was such a simple story, she told me about the time she ate bread for the first time when she was a few years old, and she was so happy about it. Or a day when she was so sad because she was starving on a cold snowy day. However, despite sharing such trivial stories, Seol was happy. Basically, her life was full of loneliness. She even told me that she was very lonely last night. So after hearing her story, I couldnt bring myself to wake her up. I had no choice but to lie down and spend some time looking at her face. It wasn''t boring. She looked different with every change in the way the sunlight hit her face. Every moment, her charm seemed to change. I could say that she had a thousand faces''. Oh yeah. Sorry. I was busy last night. Somehow, the system''s voice seemed to be slightly on the edge. Was it because I did something else instead of listening to her request? Now I feel guilty. Is it that urgent?'' According to her words, something seems to have happened in the world of The Romance of The Black-Haired Saintess. But to be honest, except for the fact that it was a world with a romantic fantasy genre, I dont know anything else. I haven''t been to a world with the romance fantasy'' genre yet, and I hoped that there wouldnt be more of these in the future. I havent been able to study the genre at all, so the basic difficulty itself would be quite high. Anyway, I would have to do a lot of preparation. But. I slowly lowered my gaze. Seol was still asleep without any intention of waking up. I, too, couldn''t wake her up. Just a little bit more, until she wakes up. Lets take a break for a while.'' * * * Let''s do the briefing. Give me the summary. Romance of The Black-Haired Saintess #Romance fantasy #Reverse harem #Innocent female lead #Clever female lead #The strongest male lead #Obsessed emperor male lead #Magician male lead #Pope male lead I reincarnated into the world inside the novel The Evil Girl Who Turns Back Time that I normally read. I become the saintess who begs for love from the male leads, gets abandoned, acts selfishly, and finally dies miserably! Oh my God! Now that I can live once more, I can''t die again. I will surely live a normal life without being noticed by the male leads! Bianca, your eyes are prettier today. Where are you going? Why are you keep avoiding me? I picked it up on the way. Have it. Are you having a hard time? Tell me everything. But why did these guys keep obsessing over me?! On my way back to the guild hideout, I sighed while receiving the plot from the system. The road ahead is bleak. To be honest, I haven''t read any romance fantasy genre books till now. And I could not think of a way to hunt the protagonist after reading the summary. In order to hunt the protagonist, I absolutely need to know the probability'', however, I dont even know what kind of probability would be given to a protagonist from a romance fantasy genre. If I go ahead and do some research, I will find something, right? It was a hard request from the start. I put enchanted bullets, enchanted explosives and the newly obtained firearm Winchester 777 in the inventory. The accessories I obtained from the previous world were already given out to people. I gave a pair of earrings embedded with a pale pink jewel to Seol Jungyeon, a gold jeweled necklace to Taylor, and large pearl earrings to Yekaterina. I had roughly finished all the things I needed to do here. Yekaterina''s spirit was also fully charged at 100%, and there was nothing in the guild that needed my permission right now. "Lets go." [Moving to Altar Empire, the world where the level 99(+165+171+158+161) protagonist resides.] [1098.] With the feeling of being sucked into somewhere, the world turned upside down. [210] [Dimensional travel is completed.] [You have become the guardian knight of Princess Sahar Serenity.] Kurreung, Kwakwang!! The place I arrived at was a very old mansion. Some walls had collapsed while vines enveloped the rest of the walls, it wouldnt be surprising if a ghost appeared here. There were also neglected and dusty antique portraits hung on the walls, was it a trace of its former glory? At the end, there was a portrait of a woman with purple eyes, and long silver hair, who was smiling faintly. [The Goddess of Time and Season, Kader.] Where is this The floor creaked as I stepped on it. Rumblleeee!! I could hear the sound of thunder and storm from outside, the rattling of the windows was eerie. What the hell. Where is the protagonist? "Why?" The moment I finished hearing the system''s words, I could hear a sobbing voice coming from somewhere. I carefully moved towards the sound, behind the broken door, a woman with long silver hair was looking out of the window while hugging her knees. Kwarreung!! And when thunder struck again, her figure lit up brightly. Perhaps, because she heard my footsteps, she slowly turned her head and looked at me. [Villain Female Protagonist Sahar Serenity''] "Huh..? The phrase floating above her head was confusing me. Villain was clearly written there. But at the same time, female protagonist'' was also written there. Is it because this world is originally inside a novel?'' The protagonist inside the book was a fake protagonist in the end, and the person who transported into the book was the real protagonist. That means, the woman in front of me wasnt the one I had to kill. Are you my escort knight this time? Deep dark circles were visible under her breathtakingly beautiful purple eyes. But such an appearance did not impress me. Because her eyes were already losing their light. somehow my heart felt uncomfortable when looking at her. Why didn''t you answer me? Say your name!" First of all, I decided to stick to the role I was given. "Yes. I am your escort knight, Yoo Seodam. Please take care of me, Princess. Haha! Yes, I am looking forward to seeing how long you will last. She said with a self mocking smile. You''ll find out that working under me is harder than you think. Oh mister guardian knight. Wooossh! Storm was still pouring out of the window. * * * Aracelli Reinkal was a dimensional wanderer. She could penetrate and travel between dimensions. However, even for her, finding a specific location was still impossible. It''s still impossible for her to set the destination to the place she wanted but at least it''s possible to go to the place where the person she holds dear the most was located. As soon as she realized that her professor had moved again, Aracelli prepared immediately. I have enough Mana!'' She had spent several months refraining herself from using magic as much as she could, while gathering enough Mana for dimensional travel. Suh-eup. Whoo woong!! The wind blew, and her hair fluttered in all directions. The gap between time and space gradually diverged, creating a new path'' that was only visible to her. Eventually, Aracelli reached out towards the gap and twisted it and a door'' was created. It may be more correct to describe it as a torn newspaper, a part of a broken mug, or a broken cookie rather than a door. It was that incomplete. By the way, how much risk one had to take to travel using an incomplete path? The world distorted, even the space and time were collapsing, everything that Aracelli had was destroyed, except for one thing. It was the professor''s silver bullet. Eugh, ugh ugh!'' It was like running on a bridge made of dozens of stars. But the important thing was that the stars weren''t as kind as humans thought. Every time Aracelli took a step in all of those spaces, an unbearable pain penetrated through the soles of her feet. Her skin was also torn apart. But, thats not the only thing that bothers her. The Fragment of Time!'' The fragment of time stretched its influence towards her. Like gravity that pulls everything, it kept trying to take Aracellis time away. She was originally an adult, however, thanks to the Fragment of Time, she aged in reverse. If fragments of time took all of her time here, her existence itself would be extinguished. But, fortunately, the exit'' was clearly visible before Aracellis eyes. Uaaaaaahhhhhhhhh She tried her best. Swoowook! Before long, the dark space was lit up once again. Kuhh! Her head struck a pure white marble floor. It was always like this every time. When traveling between dimensions, she couldnt control her own speed. And each time she entered a new world, she always came out headfirst. She really thought of creating magic to protect her head. Oh, huh. Aracelli slowly raised her body with her hand still wrapped on her head. She belatedly realized that a dozen pairs of eyes were looking at her. "Uhhhh?" They were women in pure white and blue uniforms. When they saw Aracelli who looked embarrassed, they hurriedly approached her and put a white dress on her undressed body. Where did you come from? Is your head okay? Oh my God. Where did she come from? Aracelli hurriedly checked her body age as she wore the clothes around her body. She guessed her current age was around seventeen to eighteen years old. It was fortunate that she wasn''t very young. What about the professor? Ugh! My head.'' She sensed that there was a slight deviation on her travel. She fell differently from the professor and at a different time to boot. Is this a temple?'' She found herself in a place where pure white pillars were supporting the flat ceiling, and round patterns were densely engraved on the floor. After coming across so many civilizations, Aracelli could now roughly guess what kind of culture and civilization they had here by simply looking at them. Eventually, her eyes turned to the place where a mysterious statue of the goddess was erected. In that statue, something foreign was written on it. Normally, she would not be able to read it. But, she was a ninth-circle wizard as well as a traveler who had wandered through many dimensions. [Aracelli uses the skill Language Barrier(SS)''.] After focusing for a while, the once foreign symbol was interpreted. The Goddess of Time and Season, Kader?'' It was somewhat a disturbing and suspicious name. The goddess had two words related to time'' in her title. As Aracelli stared at the statue blankly, someone walked in from the front of the temple. Saintess-nim is here! In front of 10 attendants, Aracelli could see a very beautiful woman. She had a black hair and black eyes. She walked towards her way with a pure smile. Then, the priestess near Aracelli began to murmur. Chet. Nosy. She became a saintess just because she was lucky'' She will probably tell us to throw this little girl out as well.'' However, when the older priests glanced at the younger priests, their murmurs also faded. Saintess-nim. Im sorry, but suddenly this child appeared I will take her out right away. Rather than being seen by a Saintess with a dirty personality, it would be better to throw her right away. But. Something strange happened. Wasn''t the saintess suddenly showing a benevolent smile? "No. Its okay. If its a child who came to the temple, you can accept them. "Is that so?" "Absolutely. She looks like a child who has nowhere to go, can I take a look? "Ah. Yes Then, suddenly. Aracelli realized that something was wrong with this situation. Oh my God, her personality has changed.'' She suddenly became nice?'' She became a really different person. The image of the saintess was completely flipped even when she didnt do anything? At the absurd sight that unfold before her, Aracelli was struck dumb. Regardless of her own emotions, the saintess still came towards her and slowly looked at her face. Huh, was there a child like this in the [original]? Well, it doesn''t matter.'' Then she smiled and stretched out her hand. Good to see you. My name is Bianca. At that moment, Aracelli frowned as she felt an unpleasant sensation creeping into her head. [The protagonist, Bianca, uses passive skill Charm monopoly(SSS)''.] Ugh, what is this?'' It was an unpleasant and unknown sensation. It was as if the sensation was trying to manipulate Aracellis mind to like her. [Aracelli resisted the Charm Monopoly (SSS)'' skill with Eyes of the Sage (SSS)'' skill.] However, it had no effect on the Archmage. When Bianca frowned as she felt something was strange, Aracelli grabs Bianca''s outstretched hand and move it up and down as hard as she could. I''m Aracelli. Please take good care of me! Chapter 110: Romance of The Black-Haired Saintess(2) Shutout for our new Protagonist-tier Patron, Fanya and Salvador. You rock guys!! You keep this project going~ Please consider Donating or Become our Patron of you like this novel and want to read faster~ Thankyou~ Princess Sahar Serenity was not exactly a princess, but a Duchess. However, she was currently being exiled from the succession rights and could be stripped from her peerage. Two days since Yoo Seodam arrived in this world, he had been freely walking around the residence of Duchess Serenity. The mansion, which only consisted of few guards, attendants and maids, was very desolate and was pretty much close to being abandoned. Maybe it was natural. Because everyone who worked in the mansion were under the orders of the Emperor to monitor the princess who lost all of her power. Thats right. Princess Sahar Serenity was hated by the emperor. Even though I still love you, Your Majesty the Emperor. Sahar laughed wryly. The pale moonlight reflected in her purple eyes. She placed her nose closer to the glass to enjoy the scent of red wine swirling inside it. Bournegia wine glasses have a narrow cheek, so it''s easy to smell the scent of the wine. Sometimes I get drunk by simply inhaling the scent. Princess Sahar slowly turned her head towards one corner behind her. There, she saw Yoo Seodam standing still in a neat uniform. She looked at him with eyes filled with pity. Im sorry for you too. Why is that? You were also sent here by His Majesty to watch over me. The fact that such a young knight like you was assigned to the Duchess Serenity actually means that your future is blocked. Well, it could be very enjoyable to watch a disgraced princess ending her own life. What she said would have been right if Yoo Seodam was like others who blabbered their mouth and swore at the Duchess Serenity. I think you have a misunderstanding, Your Highness. "What kind of misunderstanding?" I didnt come here because of His Majesty the Emperors order. I come here by my own will, because I want to protect you, Your Highness. Princess Sahar stared into Yoo Seodams eyes and burst into laughter. That''s such funny bullshit. If I was still the same old me, your neck would have been gone. I''m curious about the old princess. Could you please tell me your story, Your Highness? Princess Sahar was not the protagonist. Her rival Bianca was the protagonist. Yoo Seodam thought that a lot must have happened before he came here. He had to know what the hell had happened and how she became like this. "Okay. Im tired of talking to the wall anyway. I will tell you my story. With her purple eyes twinkling, Princess Sahar started. Around 1 year ago, I turned back the time. * * * Saintess-nim. You look so beautiful today. Really? I think so too. Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldnt get tired of it.. The woman in the mirror was me and not me at the same time. The truth is, I remember my previous life. I even remember the moment when I got hit by the truck while I was reading my favorite web novel The Evil Woman Who Turn Back Time. Eugh it was a terrible experience I don''t want to go through ever again. Anyway. Thats how I died, and reincarnated to a pretty woman in the mirror Bianca. ..Unfortunately, I am not the protagonist of this world. This world was a world inside the novel Evil woman who turns back time that I was holding right before my death. Yes, the protagonist of this world was Sahar Serenity. She was killed because of Saintess Biancas evil trick on her first life, she also lost her loved ones and her powers. But then, the Goddess of Time and Season mistook Princess Sahar as someone else, and reincarnated her to the past. After many twists and turns, Princess Sahar succeeds in killing Saintess Bianca and reclaims her love, wealth, and honor using her knowledge of the future! It must have been a cool cider If I was not reincarnated as Saintess Bianca!! Saintess? Are you okay?" "Huh? Yes. Im okay." Oops, I was squeezing my hair without even knowing. As the fine hair was scattered, the priestesses hurriedly combed it. The name of the priestess on my left was Yayan, the one in my right was Koyan. Both of them were the closest priestess to Saint Bianca. Both also had a pitiful and dark future awaiting them. Both of them could not violate Biancas order, and after committing numerous evil deeds, they would eventually be caught by Princess Sahar, their limbs would be amputated and they would be thrown out to the streets. The same future is also waiting for me. Probably, even if I stay still like this, I would somehow get caught by Princess Sahar and sentenced because of numerous abuse and blasphemy I committed, and eventually I would die within a year. Fyuuuhhh. The moment I sighed heavily.. Clannkk!!! I heard the sound of glass shattering right behind me. I turned my head in shock and saw one of the priestesses trembling. Ah, thats the refreshing yogurt fruit parfait right? After mixing lemon and banana, and spreading the strawberry under the ice cream, the fascinating taste of the strawberry was the only happiness I could feel here. Whats wrong with her? Why is that child shivering like that? Im s-s-s-s-sorry Saintess-nim! I committed a grave sin! The priestess who dropped the parfait suddenly knelt and slammed her head to the floor. Ah, now I understand! The original Bianca was quite feisty and was famous for her swear words. The parfait was definitely a waste, but I am not the original Bianca, so "Its okay. Did you say your name is Silbinis? Yes, yes! That''s right!" We can just make another parfait. Don''t be too scared like that. I''ll clean it up here, so go back. Next time, you can make a more delicious parfait for me. Oh, ah! Thank you, thank you so much, Saintess-nim..! As she cried, she got up from the floor and went back while being supported by other priestesses. By the way, I turned my head because I felt a stinging gaze behind my head. I could see Yayan and Koyan were looking at me as if they were looking at a new washing machine with Q-rating quality assurance. Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, no. Saintess-nim is so kind. Fyuuhh, is that so? Well, it would be nice if I made an ally too. Thinking so, I looked at the mirror again, and a woman who stood out even more than me came into my sight. Huh Did she say her name was Aracelli? I remembered black hair being so rare here. Since I''ve never heard of such a name in the original novel, shes probably an extra that was described as a lovable priestess. Anyway, what to do in the future? Perhaps even now, Princess Sahar was busy laying a foundation based on her future knowledge in order to get her revenge to the Saintess. Ugh, how can I die like that, even after reincarnating! I can''t let that happen, wouldnt it be better to run away to the countryside? I have a divine power anyway, so even if I worked as a masseuse or therapist in moderation, I would have a great income. Good. Now that I know what to do, I had to do it right away. At that time, I heard a knocking sound from the door. From the outside a warm voice with a low-pitch tone rang. -Bianca. Are you inside? Oh no! My heart will melt just by hearing that voiceNo, that''s not it! The owner of that voice was the male lead, the Pope, Cain! Oh my god, there''s nothing good about being connected with the male lead! But that doesn''t mean I could turn him away, so I had no choice but to let him in. When he entered his room, his blue hair and gray eyes mesmerized me, it was as if the lights from all over the world were focused solely on him. On top of that, hes a nice person too. What did he eat to grow up to be so beautiful? (T/N: Yes, beautiful, not handsome) Bianca. What''s wrong?" Uh, um. no! Its nothing." "Is that so? Thank God, thats a relief. I heard that youve been looking for fruit parfait lately Im too ashamed I want to hide. No, let''s just hide! ..I read it in a book, it seems like women eats a lot of sweet food when they are stressed out. So, I was a little worried. Unbelievable.. Does a man like you really need to be sweet too? Ive become more ashamed of myself because I think badly of you!! No, no. I just eat it a lot these days because it''s delicious! "I''m glad." He smiled refreshingly as if he was really fortunate, but at the same time his slender eye line was bent and my heart broke at the same time. Bianca. I''m going to visit the pilgrimage site of the Republic of Maoliden. Would you like to go with me? Oof course! Oops, I answered without knowing. It shouldnt be like this! Think about it, wasnt the incident'' happened around this time? The Republic of Maoliden. Republic of Maoliden. Ah!'' I remembered it. The assassination of well-known people in the Republic of Maoliden. At the time, quite a few people were killed and injured, and even the male lead, Pope Cain was seriously injured. However, thanks to Princess Sahars interference, who knew all of this incident in advance, the event was avoided and Pope Cain fell in love with her. Heummm.. I was thinking quietly, while looking at Pope Cain calmly. Uh, Cain-nim. I have something to say. * * * A year ago, on that day. It was the start. Princess Sahar told Seodam her story quietly. It was like she was narrating someone else''s story in a ridiculous way. That was why Yoo Seodam felt like his chest was crushed after hearing her story. I knew in advance what was going to happen that day. So, in order to save Pope Cain, I wield a sword and tried to kill all the assassins on the scene. However, the moment Princess Sahar confronted the assassins. Saintess Bianca suddenly appeared and shouted. Princess Sahar! What are you doing!! Why, why did you do this! No, Im trying to stop them- Princess Sahar tried to explain the situation, but to no avail. Even Pope Cain, who appeared right after Saintess Bianca, was also looking at her with an incredulous expression. Princess Sahar Serenity. The ever so sweet Pope Cain was looking at her with a cold expression she had never seen before. Then, he said as if he was sincerely disappointed. As the Child of Goddess of Seasons and Time, arent you embarrassed about what you do?'' I want to stop this case- Can I ask how will you stop it? How did you even know in advance? I wouldn''t have known if Bianca hadn''t reminded me of something strange. What is the reason you were able to find out more about this case faster than me, the Pope?'' Of course, she couldnt answer. She couldnt tell them that she was a regressor, and she knew the future in advance. In the first place, would they believe it if she told them? That day, I was deprived of all my abilities and status as Child of God''. It was funny, I tried to correct the future for the sake of God and Pope Cain, but everything went wrong from the very start. Also, Princess Sahar said they were very lucky that there were no victims thanks to the unknown female wizard who appeared on the scene and used her magic to eradicate the enemy. Wait, a female wizard?'' Yoo Seodam thought. But Princess Sahar''s miserable biography continued. She has done her best to change the future. To save everyone, to get her own things back with minimal losses, she ran wild and moved her feet fast. However, it was to no avail. Saintess Bianca incited the Emperor by saying, Something is strange, Princess Sahar was always the cause of the incident. And when Saintess Bianca said to the world''s best swordsman Oppa, I''m scared to go there, he would immediately rise to rescue her. Everything that Princess Sahar had planned for the future vanished in vain. She went through all sorts of humiliation by being framed and despised. Finally, even her beloved Emperor turned his back on her. All of that happened in the span of one year. Well, lets just say that is my destiny Perhaps God wants to tell me that fate cannot be changed. Even if I live my life again. Yoo Seodam stared at the face of Princess Sahar who spoke bitterly. Humm. In his mind, it was such an interesting development. A fight between a regressor and a transmigator. However, in this case, it seemed that Saintess Bianca, the protagonist, who received the protagonist correction was overwhelmingly dominant. Thinking about it, Saintess Bianca resembles me a lot'' After thinking about it for a long time, Yoo Seodam finally came to a conclusion. Um, it seems like this request wont be easy.'' The situation was so bleak. Of course, it was not necessary for him to save Princess Sahar, if he went to the temple, there could be a way to kill the Saintess. The Saintess level is 99. Most of her ability was focused on defense and healing, so her actual combat power is no different than normal people. In other words, if Yoo Seodam decided to fight her, he would win. But, would it be okay? Yoo Seodam still doesn''t know what Saintess Bianca''s probability would do if he killed her. She might be reincarnated as soon as she was killed looking at the fact that she was the only Saintess of the Goddess of Time and Season, Kader. I really hit a dead end.'' After thinking about it for a long time, Yoo Seodam decided to give up for now and think about the unknown female wizard that was bothering him. From what Yoo Seodam could infer from Princess Sahars story, the wizard always appeared like a wind whenever an accident occurs. And she would quickly disappear after reducing the number of victims as much as possible. There were also a lot of people looking for her in the empire. Questions such as who is she? where did she come from? and how did she use such great magic? could be heard everywhere in the empire. Even one of the Male lead, The Tower master, was said to be looking for her. However, Yoo Seodam could roughly guess who the unknown wizard was. She was a girl who had succeeded in finding him beyond time and space and managed to come here a year earlier compared to him. Its you huh? Aracelli. Yoo Seodam''s main objective for now was to meet her. Chapter 111: Romance of the black-haired Saintess (3) Saintess Bianca''s 20th birthday was approaching. The Empire held its largest banquet to commemorate her birthday. The glamorous chandelier was embedded with colorful jewels and spirits orbited around it, and magic lamps floating in the air, lighting the night sky. This magnificent stage unfolded in iridescent lights, dazzling everyone who saw this. All the nobles of the empire gathered to see the face of the Saintess. It''s really gorgeous. I''ve never seen a banquet like this since I was born. Moreover, this banquet is held for only one person. Was the rumor about His Majesty yearning for the Saintess true? Hey, this guy, what if someone hears you? Why? It''s a fact that everyone knows. Is that so? Even the royal family from other countries couldnt help but be in awe in front of this banquet which was more luxurious than the Emperor''s birthday banquet itself. Just how much was the budget for this banquet? And, all this was held only for one woman, how much does the Emperor love her? Tuk!! Suddenly, the festive hall became dead silent. All of them couldnt help but to do that because of one presence. Step!! Step!! It was Saintess Bianca. She entered the hall wrapped in a dress with a beautiful harmony of white and gold. It was a dress which could only be worn by the priestesses of Goddess of Time and Season. Even though she wore no jewelry, she glowed more than anyone else. Even though she wasn''t dressed up nicely, she was more glamorous than anyone else. It was as if all the bright lights in the world were focused on her. As she walked with a gracious step towards the center of the banquet hall, three priestesses followed closely behind her "Your Majesty." You are here, Bianca. Bianca smiled at the Emperor. It''s a banquet for you. The ruler of the empire, Serael. He was a very obsessive man. He had everything Bianca wanted inside the Imperial Palace. It was something he did in order to somehow hold Bianca to himself. The most beautiful jewelry? The coolest statue? The most brilliant lighting? The most expensive trinket? The most romantic picture? The most, the most, the most! Everything that had the most attached to its name in the whole empire was shipped to the Imperial Palace for the sole purpose of Saintess Bianca. Every time she liked it, every time she was happy, Serael was happy too. However, even after all that, Bianca still didn''t show any reaction. Seraels heart felt more and more stuffy with every passing day. He really longed for her. All he could think every day was a way to make Bianca his own. Lets dance to one song. Your Majesty, shouldnt you say something like Lady, would you please dance with me?'' I can''t say that. "Then I won''t dance with you, Your Majesty. She had the nerve to say something that could have her sentenced to death in an instant, but for Female Protagonist it was okay. That was the thought Yoo Seodam had while silently watching her from the corner of the hall. You''re really shaking the shit out of this world.'' While shoving a fried corn to his mouth, Yoo Seodam glanced over towards Princess Sahar Serenity who stood alone in the balcony. Her figure was really pitiful. It was really an unfortunate turn of events. Princess Sahar Serenity and Saintess Biancas birthday overlapped. Originally, she might have been the protagonist who danced in the middle of the banquet, blessed by everyone, holding the hand of her beloved Emperor and dancing with a beautiful smile like a flower. However, despite her appearance, or being one of the most famous figures in the whole empire, no one paid any attention to her. However, in Yoo Seodams eye, it was only natural, because, [The protagonist, Bianca, was using the passive skill Attraction Monopoly (SSS)''.] A skill that slightly surpassed Supreme Dharmas Bewitch(SS) which radiated his charm. She was using a skill given by Protagonist Correction to absorb all charms around her and make it her own. No matter how beautiful Princess Sahar was, in the end, she was only a shabby weed in front of the protagonist. Princess. Are you okay? Im not okay. . She was trying to avoid looking at the Emperor. She had dedicated her life to the Emperor and decided to live for him again in her second life. But what was the point of all that? She felt skeptical about her own life. However, Yoo Seodam didnt have time to comfort her. In the first place he didn''t have any confidence to comfort her. Yoo Seodam values efficiency the most, he only moves for the sake of hunting. But I''m glad to hear about what''s going on here.'' Princess Sahar was a regressor, she knew about the events that would take place at this banquet. However, a regressor would always be one step behind the Reader. A reader would unconditionally know about any information that the regressor didnt know. But that''s not a problem. Basically, Biancas behavior is similar to me. She would use any kind of information for her own gain.'' Bianca, who had already finished dancing with the Emperor, was now dancing with Harayun, the best mage of the empire as well as the Magic Tower Master of the empire. Hoohoo, it looks like youve got the entire galaxy in your eyes today, Bianca. You are really cheesy. Am I that soft? I want to be your own oil. Yoo Seodam overheard their conversation, and he stumbled in the air. You crazy bastards!! Harayun continued, without considering the rotten ears of the eavesdropper in the corner. By the way, when is your next activity? "Huh? What are you talking about?" "Haha. You dont have to pretend in front of me. I know that black lady wizard who appears whenever a crisis hits the empire, and solves it before disappearing once again, is you. "I told you, its not me." Huhu, dont you know that everyone in the empire knows that its you? The black lady wizard. Probably, it was Aracelli''s nickname. She had black hair, and she always appeared with a mask whenever an incident occurred. And then she would disappear after solving the incident with brilliant magic. However, there was a problem, Bianca was also always in the scene when the incident occurs. She also had a black hair, and her attractive monopoly skills would always attract everyone''s attention. That''s why people misunderstood Aracellis action as Bianca''s. Im really not~ Bianca enjoyed such subtle interests from others, so she didnt deny it clearly. It wasn''t in the original story. Huh, it doesnt matter! Suddenly, her partner had changed once again. This time, it was Sodier, the World''s Best Swordsman. Having wandered around the world carrying his regrets, he accidentally met Bianca and fell in love at first sight. I picked it up. Have it. Oh, this is the second heart of the Phoenix! . Seems like that guy is crazy too. Yoo Seodam looked closely at those four male leads. A Holy Knight, Pope Cain (Tanker) he had a great balance of both offense and defense Emperor Serael (All-rounder) he had mastered the empire''s swordsmanship as well as the empire''s magic and had both wealth and fame. Chief Wizard of the Imperial Palace, Harayun (Long range dealer.) World''s Strongest Swordsman, Sodier (Damage dealer) They were the characters that could be moved by Bianca through Probability. Biancas way of doing things resembled Yoo Seodams a lot. She was using other people''s knowledge against themselves, and leading them to their own ruin. However, while Yoo Seodam executed all the plans by himself, Bianca was passively standing still, the male leads were the one who would move because of the probability. In other words, the four male leads were the Protagonist Correction itself. But, what will happen if Yoo Seodam cancels that effect? In order to do so, Yoo Seodam had told Princess Sahar beforehand that he had to go to meet Aracelli. Princess. As I said, I will be gone for a while. "Okay." Yoo Seodam felt that everything that could be figured out had already been figured out. The best way to deal with a regressor was to use the information they had against them.'' But what if the other person has more information than himself? what should he do? Yoo Seodam thought that this quest could be quite dangerous. But he couldn''t just go back. It took one year of lifeforce to tear down the dimension wall for a few seconds, he didnt think all of his remaining lifeforce would be enough if he decided to give up this quest and return. Anyway, from the moment I received the very first quest No, from the day I debuted as a Hunter 16 years ago, I was prepared to fight for all of my life.'' Yoo Seodam calmed his nervous heart. He had never fought with full certainty that he could win. So, this tension was similar to what he always felt. If the transmigrator knows everything about the regressor.'' He should simply create an event that even the regressor does not know. Yoo Seo-dam pulled out E-4 composite bombs from his inventory. * * * Princess Sahar was sipping on her champagne and looking outside the terrace. In the garden, under the grace of snow, man and woman were roaming in pairs . Her heart felt empty, after Yoo Seodam, who always told her some story or listened to her own story, left, Princess Sahar thought to herself that she didn''t need someone else''s affection anymore, but now loneliness was filling her again. I haven''t been able to come to my senses yet.'' There were some people who called her lunatic. There were some people who called her witch. There were some people who called her serial killer. There were also some people who called her the reincarnation of the devil. All of it in the span of one year. But all she did was try to prevent so many incidents from occurring and hurting others, in the end she was blamed and falsely accused. She was now the number one public enemy for the empire''s people. The reason she was able to attend this banquet was because of the Emperor''s consideration. That was why she still couldn''t get rid of her regrets. In the corner of her thoughts, she had a hope that maybe the Emperor remembered her. And he might suddenly start to look at her once again. To think you were really coming here, how shameless. "..Your Majesty. Thank you for inviting me to this banquet. Princess Sahar still remembered, in her previous life, this banquet was held exclusively for her. The Emperor at that time touched Princess Sahar''s cheek with a warm smile, and pleaded for her eternal love. But when she returned to the past, and came to this banquet again, the Emperor was not the man she remembered. Ah haha.'' Those cold eyes, that gaze as if he was seeing a disgusting bug. She only realized it only then. Yes, His Majesty still remembers me.'' Perhaps, in his memory, he only remembered her as a crazy bitch who tried to undermine and murder Saintess Bianca. Somehow, a bleak laughter escaped her mouth. Princess Sahar questioned herself about which Emperor did she love. Was it the Emperor before she regressed? Or the Emperor in front of him? Or both? And then after those question, another doubt bloomed. Did she still love the same man? Or maybe she was in love with someone else? If her feeling for the Emperor was nothing but an illusion, just why did she feel this miserable? She thought maybe everything had gone wrong from the moment she regressed. Huhu Even the sound of your laughter is disgusting. What''s so funny? Your Majesty is still the same as before. Your Majesty resembles His Majesty the Emperor in my memory. You''re talking nonsense. You always treated the woman you love terribly. That''s right. You have always been like that. Sahar waved champagne in her hand and narrowed her purple eyes. Because you resemble the man I loved in my memory a little bit too much, I was mistaken for a while. My life has been ruined in return for that illusion, so wouldn''t it be better to stop now? What the hell is this crazy girl talking about- Right then, The earth shook and a tremendous roar struck the Imperial Palace. Kugugugung!! bang!! "Whats happening!" One of the buildings behind the place where princess Sahar stood suddenly collapsed! In an instant, the face of Emperor Serael turned pale. "Damn it!" Serael hurriedly turned his head, and thanks to that, he could not hear Sahar''s last words. Yes, you have to run to the arms of the woman you love. Just like what you did at that time'' A self-mocking laughter escaped Princess Sahars mouth, but no one in this place heard it. Terrorism!'' As Harayun panicked and ran towards the center of the banquet hall, he pondered about what was going on. If this terrorism was caused by magic, he, the Master of Magic Tower, would have noticed. But he didnt feel anything. And in the center of the banquet hall, where all the male lead gathered, of course, Saintess Bianca was sitting there. Wh..what the hell is going on?!'' It was an event she didn''t know at all. Although something was going to happen at the banquet, the terrorism incident wasnt the one. What the hell, what. Theres one thing that both regressors and transmigator share. It was the fact that when the future they knew started to twist, they couldn''t do anything. Right at this moment, Yoo Seodam was deliberately changing the future. He did that to cause a difference in the future information that the transmigator held. He was going to confuse her and make her suspicious of her own knowledge. The original work has changed? Bianca! You have to get up! Hurry! No, wait! I shouldnt leave this place now- Kugugugung!! An explosion erupted, once, twice, thrice, it kept erupting. Different buildings were destroyed with each and every explosion. While everyone was confused, the Emperor shouted. Everyone! Dont leave the banquet hall! Everyone stopped in their trails. I will go ahead and solve it. This banquet hall is protected by seven layers of magic, so it is safe. Please stay here and wait patiently! Oh, His Majesty is resolving the situation in person! Long live Your Majesty! After the Emperor said that, he twisted his body and walked away from the banquet hall. Then, Harayun spoke to Bianca, theres no trace of his easy going self on his face. Bianca, I need to go too. So, please stay here and protect the people. Uh, huh? Me, me? Now is not the time to hide your magic, Bianca. got it? Your magic is greater than me. So you obviously can do it! I dont know how to use magic! Are there at least five or six terrorists? How could they use magic that I cannot detect at the same time Ugh, Mister Swordsman, go north! "I got it." Lets start quickly. The male leads began to rush to stop terrorism. This phenomenon itself was based on probability. There are so many wizards, guards, knights, and soldiers in this world, so why were the male leads'' always the one who solved everything? Why are the others always helpless? Of course, it was to give the male leads a chance to show off their powers. And again, the male protagonists move for Bianca. Still, wait a minute! All the male leads scattered. Bianca, who was left inside the banquet hall, looked around with bleak eyes. "No, you can''t go!" She had never expected that a sudden terrorist attack would take place. However, she was aware to some extent that there was one more incident that would happen here. Demon summoning ceremony. By now, a demon summoning ceremony would have taken place in the basement of the imperial palace. However, even if Bianca had knowledge of the future, there was nothing she could do by yourself. But, Bianca herself was okay with that. Because just like in the original story, Princess Sahar would make her move. Even today, I drew a sword for His Majesty''s sake. The place was painted with the blood of a black demon that had become pale under the moonlight. Ah, His Majesty the Emperor. Thank you for congratulating me on my birthday. But I have work to do. For your happiness and for the happiness of the empire. Because that was also my happiness. Bianca was sure that this time too, Princess Sahar would do that. However. "Whats happening?" Bianca stared at Princess Sahar Serenity, who was still sipping on her champagne even in the midst of this chaos. Dont tell me, di-di-did she notice something?'' Bianca couldn''t believe it. She was sure that Princess Sahar wouldn''t know anything about the [Original]. But why doesn''t she move? "Ah-" Bianca thought, what if Princess Sahar didn''t make her move here? The four male leads weren''t here to protect her. Besides, shes not even the black lady magician'' they believe in. "ru, run away" Bianca rushed towards the door. In her mind, there was nothing else but the thought about getting out from this place. Or else Saintess-nim! Please calm down. His Majesty has ordered that Saintess-nim would never be allowed to leave the banquet hall. However, the guards and knights did not let her through. The door was tightly blocked. Then, Bianca said with a pale face. Move, get out of my way. I have to go out too! "No! This is also His Majesty order. We will try our best to protect Saintess-nim. We will never let Saintes- Move!! The demon, the demon woke up! "Pardon?" At the same time as Biancas cry, the floor of the banquet hall began to crack and, Boom!! It started to crumble. Thats why, just shut up and move! When Bianca was busy trying to pass through the confused guard. Princess Sahar Serenity finally drew her sword with a faint smile on her face. So, it has become like this. Originally, she intended to hunt the demon as quietly as possible so that no one would notice it, but Yoo Seodam refrained her from doing so. As late as possible, very, very late! Wait until everyone is aware of the existence of the demon, okay? Understand? How can I do something like that when I know what will happen in advance fyuuh, I''m not sure, but I''ll do it.'' And right at this moment, Princess Sahar was able to realize Yoo Seodams importance. It seems like you want to push the Saintess to the extreme.'' If that''s the case, she would happily adhere to his words. Chapter 112: The Silver-Haired Princess Romance Thriller(1) Hiyaa~ shutout to our new Protagonist tier Patron Skoll, David, and Rey. You guys! I love you!! And thennnn~ Shutout for Anon donator who donate 60$ for us!! That meaaaannsss~ 6 extra chapter Bois!!!! But, I can''t release it today or in Saturday, I hope we could release it next week!! So, prepare for chapter party next week~ thank you so much~ Boom Boom Boom!! An accident broke out. Aracelli, who was pretending to pray, raised her head at the sound of several explosions that happened. She was currently waiting in the church of the Imperial Palace because she had nothing to do with the banquet. Aracelli had no idea of ??the future. She was neither a regressor nor a transmigator. Even so, through her own insight as a 9th-Circle Archmage who had crossed many dimensions, she was able to notice to some extent about the fact that the regressor was being driven by all the blessings of this world. Is it a simple terror incident this time?'' Aracelli hurriedly donned a mask that stretched from her nose to the bottom of her chin. It was a slightly translucent mask, so if someone looked at her closely, they might be able to recognize that the woman behind that mask was Aracelli. However, Aracelli didnt think much about it, as she thought that she wouldn''t run into anybody anyway. The amount of Mana that resided in her body currently was only 10% compared to her original Mana. But it wouldnt be a problem, Aracelli was confident that she could solve this accident with only that much Mana. After loosening her black hair, Aracelli changed into a simple black dress, and soared high into the sky after putting a pure white light all over her body. [Photon Movement] It was a 7-circle Magic. Photon Movement was a magic that would allow the caster to fly around by wrapping their body with light. During the flight, they would be able to ignore all laws of physics. They could accelerate to the speed of sound in a span of less than a second, and it was possible to make a sudden stop while at a speed of sound, ignoring even the law of inertia. As she soared high into the night sky, Aracelli spread a little bit of her mana in all directions. She had always been restraining her mana usage in order to regain some mana faster, but if she put her heart into it, she could easily figure out anything in a distance of a few hundred meters. Found it!'' The explosion occurred in seven buildings in total. However, Aracelli noticed that there were almost no victims no. There werent any victims at all. This.'' In the midst of an explosion that shook the earth, there was not a single casualty. The explosion occurred only in locations that no one visited, such as the warehouse, toilet, empty reception hall, and so. It was as if the perpetrator chose those places on purpose. Aracelli thought that the perpetrator might be doing this to lure her out. And finally, together with an explosion from the eighth building, Aracelli could sense something she was familiar with. .!! It was a foreign yet familiar scent of mana. It was the scent of him who she could not forget even though she had only met him a few times throughout her life. Her head was filled with confusion. However, her body was already accelerating towards him before she realized. For some reason, the pillars and walls that supported the upper floors of the eighth building were fine. The explosion swept away only the useless area as well as the entrance, as if it was done deliberately to obstruct entry. She flew silently through the empire''s night sky, and finally landed on the top of the building. Finally, Aracelli could see him. As I thought, the black lady wizard was you all along, Aracelli. "..Yes." Aracelli could see that Yoo Seodam was looking somewhat sorry. He, who had always done things brazenly, was carrying an expression that wasnt suitable for him. Aracelli thought to herself, what did he feel so sorry for? Are you going through all these hardships just to find me? "Ah." Only then, Aracelli realized that Yoo Seodam was feeling guilty towards her. A smile crept up on her face. She was thrilled because it seems like her professor knows about all of her hardships she faced while journeying through dimensions to find him. Aracelli smiled brightly. She slowly approached him before hugging him tightly. Didnt I tell you before, Professor? Wherever you are, I will definitely come to see you." It must be hard "No, It wasn''t hard at all! Yoo Seodam caressed Aracelli who found comfort in his arms. She sunk into his body and embraced his neck so hard as if she wouldnt let go. [E/N: He got another love interest! Now I am really curious who he will choose in the end] Are you deliberately doing this to attract me? Yes She was only half right. In the first place, Yoo Seodam was aware to some extent that Aracelli was in this world, he heard from Princess Sahars story that Aracelli always appeared when an accident occurs. It was as if she was trying to inform someone of her existence. However, unlike other places, the churches and temples where the Priestess of Goddess of Time and Season resided, they were strictly forbidden for men. So, Yoo Seodam had an idea, if he couldnt find her, why not make her come to him? Thus, this terror incident took place. I waited for one year to meet you. Yoo Seodam stroked Aracelli''s back. His heart felt heavy when he thought about all the hardships Aracelli had been suffering through. She had been helping him resolve all kinds of accidents in this world even though it was originally his mission. He had no choice but to remain silent because he didn''t know if he could repay her or not. By the way, why is your mana like this? Oh, well. Yoo Seodam discovered something strange about Aracelli''s body while he patted her back. The mana circle around her heart was completely hardened. Huh.'' Yoo Seodam wondered what could be the reason behind Aracellis hasty decision to travel through dimensions. [T/N Broooo, she kissed you already and you are still wondering? You kiddin me?] Its because Im not good enough Yoo Seodam was taken aback. Just like the day when he met her a long time ago, her confidence was still in the gutter. You are great enough. For now, lets. Wait, What are you doing? Something hot was wriggling in his heart. It was mana, an unknown power that he couldn''t feel a year ago. However, Yoo Seodam had never ordered it to move, and it couldnt be the work of the flower spirit because she had been hibernating to prepare to bloom. Professor.. This is my mana circling technique, right? "Yes. It is." How is this. Well, its too complicated to explain. But, theres this someone who stole your mana circling method, then someone stole it back, and that someone then passed it to other people. That was the correct explanation. "But It''s more advanced than my own method. Theres an unknown technique mixed on it. Is it a breathing technique? Oh yeah, thats right what are you doing now? With her eyes closed, Aracelli quietly placed her ears on Yoo Seodam''s chest. And, Yoo Seodam also slowly patted Aracelli''s back and placed his hand near her heart. And he could feel it. Aracelli was forcefully rotating his mana circle, she also absorbed the condensed mana produced by his mana circle. Huh, crazy.'' Normally, it was very difficult to interfere with other people''s mana circle because the more you try to interfere, the more the magic circle tries to repulse you. But Yoo Seodam knows. It''s definitely very difficult, but it''s not impossible. It was a fact that he came to realize while charging Yekaterina the other day. He was aware that he could forcefully move other peoples mana circle as long as they had the same mana circling technique. However, it was also possible to do it if he and the other person shared their soul to the extent of sharing their senses. But, even without using the method that Yoo Seodam knew, Aracelli was forcefully moving his mana circle regardless of his will. The thing that was transferred wasnt only mana. But also, the DNA of the mana itself. Both of their mana were mixing together. [The maximum amount of mana is greatly increased!] Yoo Seodams eyes widened as he felt an outrageous amount of mana embracing his body. And then, he looked at Aracelli who smiled as she closed her eyes. Hmmm. It''s good." For a wizard, mana was like life. If their Mana, which was the very reason for their life, gets cut off one day, the wizard will feel the pain of having their limb amputated. And the girl in Yoo Seodams arms was traveling through the dimension while feeling this excruciating pain. And yet, she had managed to travel through the worlds with that limited amount of mana. Aracelli felt happy after a long while once she felt the sensation of her mana increasing. Booommm!! Heh.. Really? While bombs were still loudly exploding like a firecracker outside, Aracelli fell asleep in his arms. And he couldn''t wake her up. * * * Bianca. What happened?" Pope Cain was always friendly towards Bianca. He often said things like, I''ll open the door'', Give me that bag. I''ll carry it.'' towards her and cherished her a lot. However, it was nothing but the effect of Attraction Monopoly (SSS) Bianca was indeed a very beautiful girl, but that alone cannot make people unconditionally cherish her. But this time, something that could twist the protagonist''s correction intervened, and for the first time, Pope Cains friendliness disappeared. How, did you know in advance that the devil would appear? Last night, a devil appeared in the banquet hall. The nobles who were present on the scene at that time attested that the Saintess had foretold the appearance of the devil. Cain thought about how she could know that. It was unlikely that she received an oracle that even he, the pope, did not receive. "That.." Pope Cain awkwardly asked his question to the restless Bianca. He didnt even know why he felt so awkward. But he still felt that the woman in front of him was precious and adorable. He had to make her clarify this somehow. The nobles are in an uproar. They said that you called the devil. While Biancas plummeting image, Princess Sahar Serenity, who was previously hated by the citizens of the empire, was now on the rise because of her brave show of defeating the devil alone. Bianca chewed her nails. It wasn''t supposed to be like this'' She thought hard about the reason things developed this way. It was clearly different from the original. Did things become like this because I intervened?'' She tried to arrange the information in her head in the most reasonable way. Princess Sahar was a regressor who was currently living her second life. She wanted to be recognized by the Emperor by solving the accidents using her future knowledge. In fact, Princess Sahar in the original book that Bianca remembered, she successfully solved many cases and got closer and closer to the Emperor. Bianca pondered. What if, Emperor''s love wasnt something Princess Sahar could get? What if, the only thing that she would get in return for her deed was contempt? Will Sahar Serenity, the protagonist of the original work, still do the same? If Im her, I wouldnt do it.'' When Bianca thought of it this way, it became clear. If she put herself in Princess Sahars shoe, she wouldnt want to keep pursuing such an unrequited love. So, what should I do now?'' Bianca tried to remember Princess Sahars movement. She pondered about the reason why she suddenly gave up Emperors love, and went on a completely different route compared to the original. Then, Bianca remembered Princess Sahars knight, Yoo Seodam. No way, Princess Sahar Does she have a relationship with the knight? It''s ridiculous.'' Bianca couldnt be sure yet. However, If Princess Sahar fell in love with another man, it was understandable for her to stop pursuing the Emperor''s love. If things stay like this, I will be in trouble.'' Bianca recalled her arduous efforts to get Princess Sahar demoted from her position as Priestess in the past one year. If Princess Sahar regained her spirit and image, and once again became Priestess of Goddess of Time and Season, there was a chance that she could also regain her return ability. Bianca couldnt let that be. She had to stop it. Wait a minute.'' Bianca knows that she was more lovely and beautiful than anyone else in the world. It was something she shouldnt say out loud, but when she looked at herself in the mirror, even she fell in love with herself. And among all the people who she had talked to, there was no one who wasnt completely obsessed with her, there were still a lot of people who couldnt sleep at night when they thought of her. As she thought about it, Bianca barely stopped the laughter that was about to escape from her mouth. If it is true that Princess Sahar is relying on her knight, Yoo Seodam. Bianca just needed to snatch him away from Princess Sahar. Chapter 113: The Silver-haired Princess Romance Thriller (2) Shutout to our new Patron, Some and Julianto!! You guys rooockkkkk!!! Lets compare the confrontation between a regressor and a transmigrator to a game of chess. Regressor was someone who knows a lot. If we imagined their future knowledge as pawns, it would be equal to at least twenty pawns. However, pawns had a very limited power. They could easily be killed by rooks, bishops, and knights controlled by the transmigrator. When that happened, the regressor would had nothing left, while the transmigrator still has all of her pieces. The match seems to be ending. But what if, suddenly, two hidden horses that the transmigrator wasnt aware of, intervened. It was me and Aracelli. At first glance, it may seem like the two horses can''t do anything But what if those two horses were actually two queens? Still, no matter how strong the two queens were or how freely they could move, it was still impossible for them to do anything in front of two rooks, two bishops, and two knights. But what if, in addition to Aracellis and my intervention, the opponent also made a bad move? Lets pray. The Goddess of Time and Season, Kader. Shes the Goddess who oversees the time and four seasons in this world. I heard that more than half of the continent believes in the Church of Time. It was difficult to imagine how large it will be, since it was also the designated religion of the empire. In the Church of Time, it was said that a Saintess would appear once every two or three centuries. Saintess was the holiest woman. An existence closest to the Goddess herself. It is said that she could understand and practice the word of the Goddess. However, during the time when the Saintess hasnt appeared, the most devoted and exemplary woman on the continent would be designated as a Child of Goddess. Princess Sahar Serenity was someone who played that role. Of course, as soon as the Saintess appeared, the value of the Child of Goddess was bound to decrease. However, from what I heard from Princess Sahar, her value was dropping outrageously compared to her first life. Even if the Saintess appears, her image as the most devoted believer wouldnt just disappear all of a sudden. And eventually, Princess Sahar was deprived of all her authority and her position as Child of Goddess, but . Lets pray one more time. May our Time reach them. After the incident in the royal palace, Princess Sahar was once again granted access to the Church of Times Vatican, and was qualified to pray. Although she wasnt reinstated to the position of Child of Goddess, she said she was satisfied as long as she could offer her prayer to Goddess Kader. In the process of obtaining her qualification to pray at the Vatican, I only gave a very simple piece of advice to her. Just do nothing and wait.'' That really was it. Princess Sahar''s sense of justice was so extraordinary. She couldnt bear to see even one person get hurt in front of her eyes. That was why she used her future information and all of her strength to prevent the accidents from occurring in advance. But in the end, the one who benefited the most from her action was the Saintess, Bianca. The Saintess, or the transmigrator, was also someone who possessed the knowledge of the future. She even knew how Princess Sahar would move. And in order for her to reap the most benefit from Princess Sahars action, she had to do nothing. Absolutely nothing. Last time at the banquet hall was the same, Bianca was patiently waiting for the accident to occur in order to reap the benefit from Princess Sahars action. And when the accident occured, Bianca, who was trying to do something, couldn''t do anything, and Princess Sahar Serenity, who belatedly appeared, ended up finishing it nicely! In short, the keyword for this mission was just regressor''. It means that I need to stop Princess Sahar from doing anything to confuse Bianca. Somehow I have to get Princess Sahar to regain her position as the Child of Goddess.'' In order to kill Bianca, I had to make her lose all of her abilities. Her first ability was the four male lead. And the second ability was time return, given by the Goddess of Time and Season. The trigger conditions for regression were unknown. However, I couldnt overlook the chance that it might be handed down to the most devout believer. So, from now on, it would be a thorough fight using future knowledge. A fight between me, who has the knowledge that even the transmigrator did not know of. . Or that was what Im hoping for. Oh, Knight Yoo Seodam is here too. You look really good in the uniform. When Bianca smiled as she looked at me, I greeted her back with a smile and nodded. "Im flattered. But, Saintess Bianca is more gorgeous today. Yeah, I had to admit that shes really pretty. However, just like how some women didnt get fooled by handsome men, there are also men who werent fooled by beautiful appearances, like me. To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed. Right now, Bianca was trying to entice me by purely relying on her charm. I expected a more sophisticated psychological warfare in which politics and the knowledge of the future would collide. Perhaps, if she chose to face me in a psychological battle, I would lose. Bianca surely had the ability to do that. Moreover, Im pretty sure that she was smarter compared to me. However, I fully understand her choice of action. Her [Charm Monopoly (SSS)] skill was her strongest weapon and the easiest way to go. But she chose the wrong opponent. After spending time with so many beautiful girls, Ive become quite immune to it. On top of that, [Protagonist Hunter] was resisting [Charm Monopoly (SSS)]. Hu. By the way, do you have any spare time? I''m planning to hold a religious group social gathering'', and I want to invite you. Religious group social gathering. It seems to be a gathering that could be attended by anyone who was a believer. Even though originally I shouldn''t be able to attend because it hasnt been long since I became a believer, one word from the Saintess was enough to overturn that fact. At this moment, if the knight who guards Princess Sahar was enchanted and accepted the invitation, Princess Sahar would feel completely excluded and hurt. Don''t think of a traditional feudal system knight who faithfully did their job. If it was a story of a knight in the genre of romance fantasy, there was nothing impossible. Of course. How dare I reject the invitation from the beautiful Saintess. As I accepted her offer, I could see Bianca laughed like a fool and turned her gaze towards Princes Sahar. In her eyes, the figure of Princess Sahar, who stood a bit away with an anxious expression, was reflected. Have you decided the date for the social gathering yet? Well, I haven''t decided yet. Good. If the date wasn''t set yet, it would be easier for me. Im glad. Then, could you please accommodate our Princess''s schedule? "What? What are you. If Im going to the gathering, wouldnt it be natural for my master to be there as well? Why do you look so surprised? For a brief second, I could see a it''s not supposed to be like this expression on Biancas face. But she nodded her head soon after. Anyway, whether Sahar would be involved or not, I felt that it would be nice if I could spend some more time with her. "Not at all, Sir Yoo Seodam. Do you have a date in mind? I will set the schedule for that time. The night of the thirteenth day when the moon is tilted. ..!! As I told her the date, Bianca''s expression turned pale. Because Princess has no free time except for that day. If not that day, it would be possible only when the moon was tilted three more times. Then I could see Bianca knot her eyebrows and bite her nail. This was a kind of psychological warfare and gambling, so I swallowed my saliva too. If Bianca gives up on me here and goes into a political war, things could get worse. Is there any reason why that day doesnt work? If so, it can''t be helped. Reason? Of course, there is. But how could she say in advance that there would be a great crisis that would befall on the empire on that day''? Bianca stared at me with calm but bloodshot eyes. It was as if she was asking, Do you know something? I answered her questioning gaze with Im just meeting the Princesss schedule. Bianca looked around. People were paying attention towards her. The believers know that she had no schedule on that day, but if she said it is not possible for no reason here, she would get mistaken for canceling the social gathering just because Princess Sahar participated. At present, Princess Sahars image was recovering thanks to her success in the previous accident. Many believers were also curious about her answer. And then, Bianca answered. Alright" Eventually, Bianca had no choice but to accept my proposal. If the other person made a bad move, I was confident that I could take advantage of it as much as possible. * * * It was postponed.'' After the time for the prayer session was over, Yoo Seodam said so. Princess Sahar sighed as she recalled the calm expression on Yoo Seodam. Up until this day, she didnt know who he truly was. She doesn''t know whether his name was real or fake, or even if his knighthood was authentic. Its just, one day, he suddenly showed up and showed herself which way she had to tread. And without even realizing it, Princess Sahar was already following his direction. Princess Sahar still remembered what he said. I came to kill the Saintess.'' It was a ray of hope for her. However, Princess Sahar lied by saying, I''m not curious because she didnt want him to know her anxious heart. However, Yoo Seodam chuckled as if he knew that she was lying and said I just told you because I wanted to say it. Hearing that, there was something else that Princess Sahar wanted to say. It was, Your Majesty the Emperor said the same thing as you. But he left, and he completely forgot me.'' But she couldnt say it. Princess Sahar sighed. The feeling inside her chest was nothing but an obsession towards their relationship. She had lost everything. She had lost everyone. The few people who still remained were those who were sent by the empire to watch her over. She had always thought that she would live the rest of her life alone. Her heart was so desolate that even if only one person was left there, their presence would surely be huge. Princess Sahar looked at her own mansion outside the window. Duchess Serenity residence was clearly visible from the temple of Time. Even though the residence was located in the capital of the empire, it was so shabby and desolate. Somehow, Princess Sahar, recalled the excuses she gave to Yoo Seodam because she was embarrassed of the fact. My mansion is not lonely. Even though everyone has gone, the place is still there. And this place has not been touched by humans for so long. You can see the trace of passing time here, in other words, Im in this place together with time. However, Yoo Seodam simply tilted his head and said, Ah, so in other words, you are embarrassed right? I''ll pretend I don''t know.'' He was an understanding man. However, he didnt have any shred of sense. At that time, she remembered the laughter came out from her mouth unknowingly, but she had no choice but to keep it in. And there was one more thing that he said to her. It was the fact that he was leaving sooner or later. .After he rescued her, who fell into hell, and escorted her towards the light of the world once again, he would leave. So, Princess Sahar had to refrain herself from prying deep into his life. * * * [The episode The Fallen Angel (4) begins.] Is it starting soon? Unlike Yoo Seodam, who had a bright expression on his face, Biancas forehead was trickling with cold sweat. Perhaps, just like what Knight Yoo Seodam had told her, Saintess Bianca seems like she also knows the future. But now, that doesn''t matter. Princess Sahar shifted her gaze from Saintess Bianca toward the reddish sky above. She stood up as her hand clenched the handle of the sword tightly. While other attendees wore a pretty and loose-fitting dress. Princess Sahar wore a tightly wrapped dress in order to hide the combat suit that stuck to her body underneath. Her eyes darted towards her vicinity for a moment. Indeed, the capital city of the Empire was a beautiful place. She still remembers. In her previous life, this place was thoroughly destroyed. At that time, the sky split open and an eerie red light painted the world. Right after that, a creature with white wings came out from the gap in the sky. Its wings were really beautiful and splendid, just like an angels. But Princess Sahar Serenity knew. It was an adversary and a demon summoned by the dark cult. In the banquet hall accident the other day, in order to directly punish the dark cult who endanger Saintess Bianca, the four male-leads, who were hailed as the strongest in the entire empire, left the banquet hall. However, the problem was, in the end they couldnt prevent the dark cult from causing an accident inside the empire. And the biggest problem was today. Princess Sahar remembered that she fought desperately against the devil. In the midst chaos of people getting slaughtered, and nobles as well as knights being cut down, she never let go of her sword. But, in the end, the last person standing was the Saintess. Unlike the Saintess of this timeline, who was known for being gentle and calm, the Saintess in her previous life was famous for her evil and dirty personality. At the moment when she defeated the demon, she remembered that the Saintess appeared with a splendid glow and sprinkled her beautiful divine power to the world. Everyone praised and worshiped the Saintess instead of her who had defeated the demon. Since then, I''ve been being thoroughly used by the Saintess.'' But her previous life and the life she lived right now were completely different. This time, Princess Sahar had a man named Yoo Seodam with her. Crack!! Crackle!! Boom!! When a terrible blood-red demon with pure white wings emerged from the crack in the sky, the entire capital of the empire, including the venue of the social gathering, was quickly engulfed in chaos. Because of the majesty of that great devil, ordinary people were forced to their knees and couldnt even lift their head. A desperate cry could be heard from everywhere. Uwaaaaaaaahh!!! What is that! Itits a demon!!! A demon has appeared!! Sasave Someone screamed at the top of their lungs. Someone barely managed to get up and tried to run away but fell down soon after, and most of the people fell into despair and sat down. However just as usual, people called one name. Saintess! Saintess, please save us! They had no choice but to believe that this time too, the Saintess would save them. Ah, ah I, that. Saintess Bianca struggled to keep her calm. Her eyes were trembling. Perhaps, the Saintess had some plan in mind, because Princess Sahar remembered that the priestess wouldnt die here. And, even though she knew about this incident in advance, she was forced to come to this place thanks to Yoo Seodams scheme. Perhaps, her plan was something along the line of hiding her body. Perhaps she could disappear and the black wizard lady would reappear just when Princess Sahar successfully defeats the devil. However, Bianca could only use that plan if the black wizard lady moved according to her plan. However, the black wizard lady, or Aracelli wouldnt move according to her plan this time. And Princess Sahar wouldnt let such an opportunity go to waste. Saintess, lets fight together. That demon is much weaker than you think. With your magic and my swordsmanship, we will be able to stop it without any damage. Ththat. Bianca had always denied that she was the black wizard lady. However, she never clearly denied it. It was only a half-serious and half-joking denial, so people still believe that she was the black wizard lady. Why? If we dont get going now, something big will happen. And here, Princess Sahar once again engraved that fact on everyone. That moment. Th.The..there!!! The wizard appeared! From the sky, a magician with black hair appeared with a brilliant glow. Aracelli, who took off her mask, and was dressed in a bright black dress that was requested by Yoo Seodam, was the horse on this playfield. With an embarrassed look on her face, she raised a cane that she would never use normally, but she did so this time in order to make her face visible to everyone. Then, an intense firecracker with a complex shape and numerous colors made from 9th circle magic permeated the whole world. I-I-I have appeared! Immediately after she said so, cheers burst out. Woaaaahhh!! The lady wizard appeared!! Now no one paid attention to the Saintess. Everyone found out. That the Saintess and the black wizard lady'' were two completely different people. And then Princess Sahar snorted at her while turning her head, and Saintess Bianca squeezed her hair with a pale expression. It wasnt supposed to be like this.!'' Chapter 114: Silver-Haired Princesss Romance Thriller (3) Every time an accident occurs in the empire, a mysterious black-haired wizard always appears like a comet to solve everything before once again disappears. But what if, her identity, who everyone thought as Saintess Bianca, was actually someone else? Saintess Bianca had always been popular. Probably, even without the fame she gained as black wizard lady'', her popularity would always be high thanks to the protagonist''s correction. However, Saintess Bianca was too greedy. She wanted to monopolize even the small interest held by the title black wizard lady''. As a result, the black wizard lady'' received more attention thanks to Bianca. In case Bianca clearly said I''m not the black wizard lady'', the black-haired female wizard would only end up as a heroic character. She wouldnt be as famous as she was right now because Saintess Biancas [Charm Monopoly (SSS)] skill would steal all of her popularity. Are you the black wizard lady? You are as beautiful as the rumor says. "Please, that title, ple.ase" Aracelli bowed down in order to hide her beet-red face. Mouse hole? No, any type of hole would do, she really wanted to go in and hide. The reason she covered her face with a mask in the first place was because she was so embarrassed of her title as Black Wizard Lady. Even back in her original world, she really hated it when people called her Great Sage-nim or Grand Wizard-nim. So how could she be okay with such a childish nickname? However, it wasnt the end, she was asked by Yoo Seodam to appear in the night sky of the capital city of the empire wearing a frilly, glamorous, and eye-catching black dress. Originally, Yoo Seodam asked for something like in the name of love and justice, Aracelli had appeared!'', but she couldnt say it because it was too embarrassing. She ended up with an ambiguous line like I have appeared''. As a result, Yoo Seodam was very disappointed. But, Aracelli herself was sure that she had succeeded in attracting the attention of a large number of people. And her thought was spot on, Pope Cain had personally invited her to meet him. In addition, when the fact about her being a Priestess as well as the maid of Saintess Bianca was revealed to the world, the public was once again turned upside down. Of course, Yoo Seodams action played a big part there. Bianca, who felt like fire was lit underneath her feet, was desperate to make Yoo Seodam come to her side. She thought that it was the only way to bring Princess Sahar back to the depth of the abyss. So, Saintess Bianca kept meeting Yoo Seodam every day for a date. Thanks to that, Bianca''s passive skill [Charm Monopoly (SSS)] was constantly being disturbed by Yoo Seodams [Protagonist Hunter] skill, and couldnt work properly. Thus, those who were unable to maintain their sanity due to [Charm Monopoly (SSS)] were able to turn their attention to other places little by little. In other words, Yoo Seodam was planning to return the popularity that was concentrated on Bianca to Princess Sahar and Aracelli. On a side note, something outside the range of Yoo Seodams prediction was happening. Since when did I fall in love with Saintess-nim?'' It was only a slight doubt, but all the male-lead who had come to question themselves had turned their eyes to a different place altogether. Do you know this? This was taken the last time the black lady appeared. "No. I don''t know it at all. And I really hate it. It came out pretty, right? Please get rid of that When he talked with Aracelli, Pope Cain felt something was growing in his heart. While Saintess Bianca felt like a pure flower that couldn''t be touched and an existence so beautiful even when she did nothing but exist, Aracelli was different from her. Aracelli responded to whatever he said. She was very different from Saintess Bianca, and it was a very stimulating experience for Pope Cain. Pope Cain wasn''t the only one who showed such interest towards Aracelli. After the meeting with the Pope was concluded, Aracelli who was exhausted tried to leave the church. However, a large crowd was waiting for her in front of the Church. She could hear some people who say Wow! Its the Black Wizard Lady! as soon as they found her. Her face was reddened in embarrassment once again. So, she bowed down once again and ran away. To think Im roleplaying as a magical girl at this age! Aracelli ran for a long time before arriving at a garden. She leaned her tired body against a white pillar and ran into someone who was waiting for her. He was Harayun, a 6th circle wizard who was hailed as a genius among geniuses and was also the Chief Wizard of The Imperial Palace as well as the Tower Master. And the man, who was called to be very emotionally expressive, was also interested in Aracelli. He smiled gently and approached Aracelli, Then, he put a black rose in Aracelli''s ear. All the flowers in the garden had withered. No, they were not truly withered. It was because of you, the most beautiful flower in this garden, that all the flowers seemed to be dead. Hiiiiiinnnngggggg!!!! Why did you bloom more beautifully than other flowers? This black rose will wither, but you will not. Perhaps, his line might have worked if it was said in a romantic genre 50 years ago, not now. Even Aracelli, who was completely unaware about romance, didn''t feel thrilled at the line that seemed to be dripping with cheesiness. Ahhhhhh! Professoooooooor! This wizard is going to kill me by shriveling time and space up! Aracelli eagerly looked for Yoo Seodam with a pale face, but he couldnt be found anywhere. Ah, wait a minute.'' Aracelli, who was filled with a desire to chop his tongue, suddenly came up with a good idea. Not everything in this world should necessarily go according to Yoo Seodams will. Obviously, he was smart and good at planning operations, but that doesn''t mean that Aracelli herself was with him either. In addition, she was quite angry towards Yoo Seodam who put her in this position. Aracelli slowly raised her head. She forced herself to smile, and said to Harayun. Are you making a move on me? You''re speaking straightforwardly. Youre definitely different from other noble ladies. "Of course, I am. By the way. Arent you already in a relationship with Saintess Bianca? "Sorry?" Harayun''s eyes opened wide. He never thought that he would hear that question here. Aracelli was aware that Bianca''s charm was temporarily sealed under the influence of Yoo Seodam. She knew that their interest in her was a temporary thing. But, Aracelli wondered what would happen if she sowed a seed of doubt in these mens hearts while Biancas charm wasnt active. Oh, that''s, that. Well. You could do that Because, Saintess Bianca was also playing with another man. Then, Harayun''s expression gradually distorted. That, what are you talking about? Saintess Bianca was quite thorough with her relationship with the male-leads. Perhaps, it was the handy work of protagonist correction''. When she met with man 1, man 2, 3,and 4 would never notice. Or, when she met man 2, man 1, 3, and 4 would never know. The fact that she met another man would never be heard by the ears of the other man. Even if it became known, it would be easily forgotten. However, that correction was now restricted because of Yoo Seodam. Did you not know? Hmm ah! This is something I really am not supposed to say! What is it? Please. Tell me please." Ah I really shouldnt say this.You cant tell anyone, okay? Aracelli smiled slyly. It was not exactly a secret. Everyone in the continent, except for the 4 male-lead, knows about it. It was just Saintess Bianca''s usual behavior. You know Recently, a lot of people saw Saint Bianca meeting Yoo Seodam, the knight of Duchess Serenity. Dont you think that the two of them are like. Ah! Ah!! Really. I can''t tell you. You cant ever say that you heard it from me, okay? ".okay." It was a very strange feeling. Harayun was very confused about this whole situation where he couldn''t control his mind. Whos the one who had my heart? That question was a problem he couldn''t find the right answer to. So, as Harayun stood still with a blank expression, Aracelli left the garden hurriedly. She smiled and turned back towards the Church. I should say the same to the Pope!'' * * * At almost the same time, Princess Sahar Serenity was facing Emperor Serenity in the Imperial Palace. Your Majesty, may I ask why you called me? The warm wind that caressed Princess Sahar skin made her feel drowsy. The white flower garden over the terrace looked like it was created just for her. If its not her, who else would fit into that flower garden? The moment she entered this place, she had already become the owner of this flower garden. As she looked at the swaying curtains, Princess Sahar put her lips on a teacup with a pattern of the sun. As those red lips slowly took in the black tea, Serael slowly opened his mouth. I called you because I wanted to express my gratitude for what youve done the other day. It would have been nice if you wrote it in a letter as usual, Your majesty. "Yes, it may be so. But I really wanted to look at your face while saying it. "Yes. If it is Your Majesty''s call, it is my duty to immediately appear before you. Since I already heard Your Majestys gratitude, may I leave? I apologize for wasting your precious time on me. You cant do that. The thing that happens right at this moment was something that Princess Sahar really had been hoping for. She turned back time and lived her second life in hopes for this. The Emperors recognition. She had been living a life full of despair till now. No matter how hard she tried, the emperor never looked at her. He had abandoned her. And after a long deliberation she finally gave up and accepted the fact that she would die a lonely death. But, after trampling and ruining her dream, Now you are finally showing interest to me?'' Princess Sahar originally expected that she would feel some kind of satisfaction when this happened. She also thought that her heart would be pounding and fluttering in front of His Majesty the Emperors sharp yet warm obsession again, just like back then. But not at all. After she removed the skin that wrapped it, she found that the inside was ugly and dirty. The Emperors interest felt disgusting to Princess Sahar, who was well aware that his feelings for Bianca had disappeared briefly thanks to Yoo Seodam. Princess Sahar scoffed. She asked herself. For what did I work hard for? For who did I turn the time back? Just what have I done? Everything she had done so far was useless. She pitied herself for loving a man like him. Hahaha.'' A self-mocking laughter leaked out from her mouth. It was unavoidable, so the Emperor, Serael saw her laughter as well. Whats so funny? Woohoo. In fact, I had a problem. She didnt want to look at his face anymore. Rather, there was one face she wanted to see more. It was the face of the man who forcibly dragged her back from the depths of the abyss. Princess Sahar thought about him, who was probably in the middle of a date right now. Princess Sahar opened her eyes wide and clenched her fists and tightly. She was aware that Yoo Seodam was busy acting for her own sake right now. After recalling how considerate he is, Princess Sahar could hardly forgive Saintess Bianca. "Worry? What are you worrying about? Your Majesty is a very good man. It is an honor for me to have gained your interest. But, is it okay for you to be like this? What are you talking about? From what I can see, Your Majesty seems to have chosen to spend all of his life together with Saintess Bianca "Oh yes. It is because we have a good relationship between us- Thats not the problem, Your Majesty. As Serael frowned, Princess Sahar smiled subtly and opened her mouth. What I want to say is that my guardian knight Yoo Seodam and Saintess Bianca are currently on a date right now. .! Unlike his usual expressionless face, Seraels eyes opened wide. Looking at that, Princess Sahar laughed. She was truly happy. And from now on, she feels like she''ll be really happy. Chapter 115: ?? ? However, at that time, Yekaterina didnt have any plan whatsoever. She thought it would be okay to start making a plan the day after she announces it. However, for numerous companies that were aiming for a new technology called magic, Yekaterinas words hits differently. Ey~ they will announce the general recruitment guideline first, right?'' I dont think so. I think starting from tomorrow, theyll start the test right away. What? In that case, shouldn''t we bring a dispenser as an example?'' Huh, it cant be! Lets bring everything we have and go! At first, companies were confused and took a wait and see'' approach. But, after seeing their rivals starting to flock towards Another Leagues headquarters with a whole ether dispenser, they couldn''t do that anymore. They couldnt let this opportunity pass by and got left behind. As a result, craftsmens who were confident in their ether craftmanship skill gathered around the Another Leagues headquarters, and the very next morning, masters of ether science and craftmanships from all over the world had arrived. So much! Yekaterina, who couldn''t ignore so many people around Gangnam Square, was eventually forced to guide all of them to the Another League''s hideout, the Floating Garden. They had too many free buildings inside the hideout anyway. And also, there were as many as 50 spirits in the Floating Garden, so security was not a problem. And unlike before, the spirits had completely recovered their power through replenishment of life (farming), and could exert their original power in the Floating Garden. Most of the spirits had power around A-rank, however, there were few spirits who had power around S-rank. So even if some hunters were dispatched to subjugate them, they wouldn''t be able to do it. For the spirits, it was unpleasant for outsiders to come to their dwelling, so their eyes lit up ferociously and they monitored and inspected each person coming in and going out strictly. Its amazing. I was quietly watching the process. Hyu~ so many great engineers have gathered here. Im so nervous. You don''t have to be. You are the best ether firearms craftsman I know. "You are exaggerating." Lee Bongjuk. He was the owner of a firearm shop in Workshop Alley'' located in Yongsan. His career may seem shabby because he only had 3rd grade craftsmanship license when other craftsmen gathered here were holders of at least 1st grade license or even named license. But I know him and his skill very well. He was the only one in Korea who could assemble my favourite essence magic bullet more intricately than anyone else. From the rumours I heard, he had only been dealing with firearms throughout his life. Some said it was stupid, and some blamed him for not forgetting the old ways. Nevertheless, Lee Bongjuk didnt waver. He kept working as craftsmen of ether-based firearms. Why? The reason was absurdly simple. It was because he loves guns. As someone who also likes guns, it was a reason that touched my heart. Of course, I didnt bring him here just because of that. He was the one who developed the Mega Shooter'' and an excellent engineer who developed the Winchester 777'', a prototype of magic-based firearms that I used against the male-leads in the previous mission. For such a talented craftsman like him, who was capable of making such a magnificent gun in a small workshop, I would gladly assign him to the best workshops we had as well as giving him the assistance of the fire spirit who won''t ever make even the slightest error. I was quite pleased with the result of the Winchester 777'', and if we start developing proper firearms, the possibilities are beyond imagination. To be honest I am very grateful and burdened by this kind of support, I will try to support the development of essence-based equipment as much as possible. Thank you very much. Since the time I first saw his mana, I knew that Lee Bongjuk had an innate talent of becoming a magician. And if he helps other technicians with his talent, the essence dispenser would surely become easier to develop. -Hyung-nim, we''re done with the paperwork! "Oh Okay." After leaving Lee Bongjuk at his new workshop, I returned to my office. In the office, twenty-five spirits were moving in tandem. They were working with computers, organizing documents, or even sipping coffee. Spirit was a creature that learned anything quickly. Even more so once they become older. I never expected things to become like this while Yekaterina was overworked with a ridiculous amount of work. Everything is okay? -No, its not okay. Im tired. Of course, you are. Thats why you are lazing off like that. -Im not lazing off! Im in the middle of directing and supervising the field! In the Floating Garden, there was a Spirit King who ruled all the spirits. Originally, the Spirit King is supposed to be equal to an SS-rank, but because he distributed his power to other spirits first, it could be said that he had yet recovered his original power. I actually knew that hes not playing around but supervising other spirits through spiritual exchange. Thats why I always treated the Spirit King well, for example, serving him the best coffee beans on earth. -Oh, awesome! This is Earth''s coffee beans! It tastes like waking up! You dont sleep, though. -I think I can stay up all night today! You are always staying up at night. -Everyone has a different perspective. I learned something good. He was a spirit of fire and ice, so basically, he was taking the form of a blue fire that kept burning. That was why I couldnt hit him in the face, because I dont know where his face was. Whatever. Still, thanks to the spirits, the piled up works had decreased significantly. The guild expenses also became less. They seemed to be working like this because they were grateful that I extended the life of the Floating Garden as well as giving their reasoning back. They also said that if the Floating Garden is fully revitalized, new spirits might be born inside the garden. "What''s this?" -That is the armor that Madam Yekaterina loves! Ah, is it that armor? I looked at the suspicious black armor on top of Yekaterina''s desk. I heard that it''s a goblin''s stuff or something. It was brought here because the people of Murim thought that Yekaterina, a magician, could dispose of it. But far from disposing of it, Yekaterina was hugging it every day. They said that the sight of Yekaterina wandering through her office while hugging the armor that didn''t fit her own body was a cute scene, but it was only funny for me. Take it to the warehouse. -Okay, hyung-nim! After the Spirit King answered vigorously, he reached out toward his armor. -Oh? Oh oh? My body is sucked into the armor! Oh oh! What, what happened? Suddenly, the blue flame of the Spirit King penetrated into the armor and assimilated with it. I took a step back because I was quite surprised by it. -SpiritSynchronization. Spirit Synchronization? what is that?" -Do not talk to me. Wait you''re walking? The synchronization or whatever it is was completed, the Spirit King had grown considerably in size to match the size of the armor. He seems to be between 190cm and 200cm tall, his shoulders have become wider too. What are you talking about?'' What, really?'' Clutching his fists, the Spirit King strikes a muscular people pose. -Well! My whole body is full of power! I think I can do anything now. He still had a foolish personality, but now, he actually had a great power. Although currently he was at S-rank level If he regains his original power, he might be able to reach the SS-rank. Moreover, he could use his power outside too. It means that I got a free S-rank powerhouse, right?'' At first glance, S-rank seems to be not a big deal since there were an SS-rank superhuman like Taylor Nine and Ha Sun-young in the guild, but it should be remembered that around the world there were only less than 60 SS-rank superhuman. So yes, S-rank was also very valuable. I smiled happily in front of this unexpected gain. It would be nice to take him with me right away, however, for now, his task would be protecting Yekaterina, who often goes outside. "Good. From now on, you are Yekaterinas exclusive bodyguard. * * * Three days have passed since then. All the available buildings inside the Floating Garden were renovated into a workshop for craftsmens who were sponsored by companies, and also dozens of elite craftsmens who came because they''re interested with magic. We also provide a swordsmanship training of at least the four basic-move to all 50 hunting supporters. (P/N: basically non-superhumans who went inside dungeons, so Seodam is trying to teach the supporters basic swordmanship so they aren''t so helpless in a dungeon) In the midst of various experiments, such as applying new technologies, a soldier came to find me. His name was Ryu Gyeongsoo, he wore a sparkling star on his beret. it was not difficult to guess that he was a S-rank superhuman. Because these days, one needs to have practical combat experience in addition to political power in order to get a star. Nice to meet you, Hunter Yoo Seodam. I heard that you are a veteran hunter in your 16th year and have become 30 this year. I was so surprised when I saw you, because you look like you are still in your early-to-mid 20s. If thats the case, You are also in your early-to-mid 20s, Brigadier General Ryu Gyeongsu, Because it seems like you are someone around my age. Humans who have reached S-rank start to age in reverse. It means that even if they live for several decades like Ha Sun-young, they would still look like a teenager in their twenties. From his body language, I could tell that Ryu Gyeongsoo was curious about the small flames that flew around the office to make coffee or bring refreshments, but he didn''t let it show on his face. It was the work of Yekaterina. I was aware that she had some hobby in decorating things since the time we spent in Library of the White Witch. Thats why our guild office was fully decorated with magic, and frankly, there were a lot of things that I couldn''t know what principle it worked on. Such as a sofa that completely unfamiliar with all of it, and it was hard to pretend that I know all of it just because of my pride. Now that I think about it, both the library and this office are mine'' Knowing that all my space was filled with Yekaterinas presence, I couldnt help but feel like Im the guest, not the owner. Thank you for your kind words, now lets get down to the business. Hunter Yoo Seodam, can you accept one request from the Korean Government as the Military Advisor of the Murim League? As a Military Advisor you say? "That''s right." Not as a hunter, but as a military advisor. This request seems to be directed towards Murim League. Lets listen to the request first. "Theres.. a warrior of Murim who had infiltrated Korea. Warrior of Murim? Im sure that our master is aware of the movement of the people of Murim of the Murim League. I believe that the word infiltrated is not correct. They are people who are not affiliated with the Murim League. Ryu Gyeongsoo said. At those words, my face hardened. A warrior of Murim who does not belong to the Murim League. It was something I know very well. Are you talking about Murim villains? "Yes, you are correct." Its been 5 years since the people of Murim returned to Earth. During those five years, quite a lot of them werent able to adapt to the present age and ran wild. Of course, 90% of the cases were resolved by the Supreme One, and those who broke the ban were all executed. However, Supreme One was not a perfect being, he couldnt resolve all of it. Those Murim villains who caused an accident in the time when Supreme Dharma wasnt active, were still freely roaming around without being caught. They started moving after calling themselves Murim Hohyanghoe. That name means Murim people who miss their hometown. I said. In the past, Supreme Dharma put a ban on the people of Murim. However, they were only pretending to be obedient while holding to their bloodlust. There were some of them who moved in groups to release their anger. Dharma could only take care of them only after they carried out their atrocious act such as destroying a small country or even helping a terrorist group. Even when Dharma solved most of the case, he couldnt solve all of it. I know the reason well. It was because Dharma had his daily life. If the Murim villains moved in the gap when Dharma was busy with his daily life, they couldnt be caught. Did you watch the news lately? "Are you perhaps talking about the news of China claiming the ownership over Mugong? "Yes. It may sound like bullshit at first, but all people of Murim who do not belong to the Murim League are flocking to China. Ryu Gyeongsoo let out a long sigh. There were quite a lot of Murim returnees who didnt join Murim League than I expected. Including those who had PTSD because of Mugong, those who were reluctant to use them, and those who returned without being able to master Mugong. There were also those who wanted to go back to Murim and those who wanted to put the world under the rule of Murim''s laws. Those radical people joined the Murim Villain Alliance and stuck to China. Since their number will be at least at a few hundred, it was natural that China had become so arrogant. However, there was one part that I couldn''t understand. Does their claim make any sense? In the end, Murim League had numerous family heads as well as Seol Jungyeon.'' The Master of Murim League, Seol Jungyeon, gained strong support around the world, and recently, she was able to directly negotiate with the President of the United States. Although the number of Murim League was only 3,000, they were now gaining more strength than before. Despite all of that, just why did China claim the ownership Mugong all of a sudden? "We are unable to find their motive, So on top of our previous request, we also want your cooperation regarding the matter with China. "Well." Since it was the request for Murim League, it was a wise move to ask for help from me, the Military Advisor of Murim League. First of all, I will accept it. I still need to talk with Master Seol Jungyeon, though. "Thank you very much. And please, I beg you to do it as quietly as possible. "Of course! Civilians would only be scared if we told them theres a Murim villain wandering in the street. Ryu Gyeongsoo walked away from my office with a serious expression, and I also rubbed my face, which had become quite stiff. For what reason did the Murim villain infiltrate Korea?'' And, how the hell do I catch a Warrior of Murim? Chapter 122: Murim Hohyanghoe (武林懷鄕會) (2) Sponsored chapter 5/6 The Another League Official YTUBE Channel broke through the mark of 4 million subscribers in mere 3 days before quickly surpassing 10 million subscribers. Even now, the number was still growing rapidly. It was an astonishing growth. Each and every video posted on Another Leagues official channel dominated the real-time ranking for video search as well as the trending charts of numerous portal sites. However, for Ha Sunyoung, Yekaterina, Taylor Nine, Celeste, and Ye Sa-hye, who appeared on the videos, they hadnt yet realized that they had become a great star. Just like usual, Ha Sunyoung went to a convenience store around the guild hideout with sweats and a cap to celebrate the end of the day with beer and jerky. It was quite a luxurious spending for her who until recently lived with nothing but a small cup noodle for every meal. Of course, she didnt recklessly go on a shopping spree. When she found a 6,300 won jerky and a 6,100 won jerky, she always chose the latter. Because, in her mind, when she bought the cheaper one, she had saved 200 won, and with that, she could eventually buy another pack of jerky. The total is 15,000 wonhuh? Arent you Ytuber Ha sunyoung?" Huh? I''m not a Ytuber, I''m a Hunter. Oh! That''s right! Huh, awesome. I subscribed to your Mugong lesson and watched it every day! Look at this, even now I am still watching it! "Is that so" On the way to the convenience store earlier, Ha Sunyoung saw several people who were watching her video but she brushed it off as a simple coincidence. Unfortunately for her, Ha Sunyoung''s ripple effect did not end just yet. "What!?!?! Ytuber Ha Sunyoung?" No, Im a hunter. Wow! Awesome! Can I take just one photo with you? Youre so pretty. Even though she wore a hat that halfway covered her face, there were some people who recognized her and talked to her. There were some people who also asked for her autograph as well as some advice regarding Mugong. "Ah." Ha Sunyoung''s lips parted widely, even though the excessive interest was rather embarrassing, the whole situation wasnt that bad. Ever since she was young, her dream was to become an idol. She sang and danced more passionately than anyone else. Thanks to that, even when she was thrown into Murim, she was able to learn Mugong. Her dream was still alive, as just recently, when Hellony jokingly asked about making a girl group, Ha Sunyoung was rather interested. If it wasnt for her age, she might have held Hellonys hand on the spot and asked to sign the contract right away. Ha Sunyoung was quite old. However, she was an expert who had achieved the realm of hwakyung, a realm that was extremely difficult to reach even for Murim people. Thanks to that, she had an outward appearance of a teen in their early 20s. And since Earth was a place where appearance means a lot, no one cared about her real age. It was only natural that she had become so popular. It was because on top of her beautiful appearance, she was also a SS rank hunter who used Mugong really well and a very famous Ytuber. So, while she was feeling rather awkward in receiving such attention She seems to have finally found the reason for her life. "Thats right! Kid, this Noona is Ha Sunyoung! But, Im thirty years old My age is twice as yours, kid!! (P/N: lmao she''s so proud of it) This is rather exciting? She snorted as she received a bunch of gifts from her fans. It seems that today would be recorded as the most enjoyable day in her entire life rather than the day she ascended into the realm of hwakyung. I can give this cake to the white cat who is always sitting on Yoo Seodams lap. And this. Maybe for the chick who is always always chasing Yoo Seodam?'' Lately Ha sunyoung enjoyed eating snacks, and every time she bought some, she would always share it with everyone from Another League including the 50 swordsmasters. It was part of her new habit of buying and eating things she previously couldn''t eat because she didn''t have money. After walking away from the crowd of people who recognized her, Ha Sunyoung turned into a dark alleyway. She took an ice cream from the plastic bag and put it on her mouth before saying something without even turning her back. Are you a stalker? No matter how beautiful I am, I dont think what you do is right. And then, three men in black masks appeared around her. One in front and two on the side. Ha Sunyoung was eyeing them with a glimmering eye, she was gauging their power based on their naegong. Based on what she saw, she knew that all of them were a transcendental expert. What are you doing? Do you want my sign that bad? Singer Geom-hee, Ha Sunyoung. We come here today because we have something to discuss with you. Hey hey, youll make my heart flutter if you call me like that, so stop. Leave Another League and return to where you belong. OHO! It''s not even the transfer season yet, so why are you doing this? Hey friends, do you know that youll be a nuisance to our guild master if you do this?" Slowly, Ha Sunyoung realized that the other party was not a member of the New Murim. They would not behave like this if they were part of New Murim Since Yoo Seodam was the military Advisor of the New Murim League. Moreover, she was also part of the New Murim League. First, tell me where you belong We are from Murim Hohyanghoe''. It is not a fake Murim group created by warriors of Murim on Earth, but an alliance with a purpose of returning to the real Murim." Real Murim. When those words came out, Ha Sunyoung''s mischievous self completely disappeared. The man also continued speaking with the thought that the conversation had finally caught her attention. Ha Sunyoung, you were a famous person back in Murim. We still remember Geomhee, who freely walked through Murim, with her singing and dancing abilities. Just like what they said, the existence of Geomhee was quite unique in Murim. Although she was not recognized as a direct disciple in any school, she was a genius who created a completely new mugong by taking only good parts of one branch of mugong and combining it with another. Some said that if she was born into a lineage with decent swordsmanship, she would have become a higher expert in the Murim World. But she didn''t want to settle down in any particular school. All she did was roam around the wide Murim while singing her songs. And all those who had heard Geomhee''s song, they always said that they couldnt forget her singing. How could they forget the voice which was free yet lonely and happy yet depressed? The Murim Hohyanghoe is waiting for you. Can we really go back? "Even though it''s not possible just yet, our Lord said he knows the method. That lord of yours who knows the way to return home, who is it? Dont tell me, hes not weaker than me, right? "No way!" They looked at Ha Sunyoung who threw such a word towards their Lord. The Lord we respect so much is Bang Ho-win-nim. If you work hard for our cause just a little, we could soon return to Murim. Bang Ho-win, it was a name that modern people may not know. However, Ha Sunyoung knew about him very well. Because he was, Pu ha ha ha! Hey, are you talking about that Bang Ho-win? That foolish and perverted man? .! She had no choice but to burst into laughter. Bang Ho-win was a notorious criminal in Murim who forcibly violated female warriors using his unique sorcery. By doing so, he grew stronger, and faster than anyone else. He even reached the realm of hwakyung (SS-rank on earth) right after Supreme Dharma. That man was still alive.'' Even though Ha Sunyoung laughed hard on the outside, inside, she couldnt feel the same. It was embarrassing to talk about his sorcery arts which could also be called the lecherous arts. But even so, Bang Ho-wins strength was real. I thought he was killed by Supreme Dharma four years ago.'' Ha Sunyoung tried to pretend to be calm and said. Do you think I''m an idiot enough to agree to work under Saekma? (T/N: Saekma means lecherous person.) In order to become strong, a female warrior was absolutely necessary for Saekma. However, in modern times, the number of female warriors were so little, there was not enough prey for him. And in the midst of all that, he came to me? So, you said that I just need to work hard as a girlfriend who is being sucked dry by him, right? But what can I do? I''ve already become Hellonys lover. Thats what she hoped for. You must pay the price for insulting our Lord!!!! Tsk tsk tsk! These idiots I like modern times better. Dont you know that all the songs I used to sing at Murim were all pop songs??" When Ha Sunyoung lived in Murim, she had never been happy even for a single day. She would rather drown herself in dish water and die than return to that hellish place. Yet, these guys had the guts to asked her to become a sex slave and give away the power she had accumulated painstakingly throughout her entire life to a bastard like Saekma? And it was all for the sake of returning to Murim when she was completely happy on modern Earth? Ha Sunyoung thought about the time since she returned to Earth. It wasnt all sunshine and rainbow, but she was truly happy. Even more so after she met Yoo Seodam who undid the ban placed upon her and helped them take revenge on Dharma. This dreamy life where people recognized her even though she only wandered around the street She never intends to throw it away. I had never thought that we could solve this with words alone. So what? Do you want to use force? You are absolutely necessary for our purposes. I''m very sorry, but we''ll have to take you by force. "Ohhhh Arent you cool? Ha Sunyoung smiled as she watched the three warriors pull their swords out. The difference between rank in a fight between superhumans was absolute. When a fighter with stats of 3 and stats of 5 collides, there is a 99% chance that the fighter with stats of 5 would win. However, in a battle between warriors of Murim, such a difference wasnt absolute. In Murim, it was not uncommon to hear of a master who has reached the pinnacle being beaten by a third-rate warrior. Because, even if one was lacking in skills, there was always a way to win. Pajik, Pajik! Natural energy and mugong clashed with each other. Ha Sunyoung soon realized that there were a lot of talismans installed around her. .. Her naegong shook wildly. It looks like the talismans installed around the place were a proper one because she wasnt aware of its existence. Ha Sunyoung''s expression hardened, and the three Murim warriors pointed their swords at her. They believed in the technique they used. It was a technique that had allowed them to kill a peak rank expert back in Murim. No matter how skillful an Hwakyung expert is, it would be impossible for them to fight with all they got when their naegong was disturbed. Moreover, the three of them had become more powerful by cultivating their swordsmanship as well as their base. They believed that with their current strength, they would be able to beat a hwakyung expert. But.. "Are you kidding me?" Thud!! The three Murim warriors opened their eyes wide as they felt a sensation akin to a massive boulder squeezing their hearts. In an instant, the air around them turned cold. They could see that Ha Sunyoung was still standing at the same place as before with the exact same posture and expression. But somehow, they couldnt move closer to her. Their instincts as a veteran warrior warned them that if they moved even a muscle, they would die. Seriously I looked forward to it because it seemed like you guys had prepared something for me But Did you really think this would work on me? It works. In the first place, they were confident because they already experimented this technique against an hwakyung expert. However, they werent aware. The expert in front of them was different from an ordinary hwakyung expert. Wheeiiinngggg!! Ha Sunyoung rotates her naegong. However, it was something that the three of them hadnt seen before. It was a completely different form of mugong A new something'' that could hardly be identified. Ththat!! what the hell is that?!'' She tapped her necklace and ring and said. Seodam give me this Uh.. What is it again? AH! Item! For emergency usage. Anyway, I want to test it out today.. ..!! .But I think it wouldn''t even be worth it to test it out against you guys. When Ha Sunyoung pulled out two wooden chopsticks and threw them, the talismans on the wall were torn to shreds and disappeared. Then she pulled out a candle and threw it, it flew in the wind and burned three amulets that were cleverly hidden behind the fences and pillars in the distance. After that, she pulled out a cake knife from the plastic bag. That was the only weapon she needed. (T/N: This badassery~) Come on. At the same time, the three Murim warriors rushed towards her at the same time. There were still several more talismans attached in the surroundings. Before she breaks all the talismans and weakens the effectiveness even more, she had to be subdued at all cost. Hohow? The sword of one of the Murim warriors clashed against Ha Sunyoungs cake knife. The tip of both weapons keeps meeting each other like 2 opposite poles of magnets. Nonsense..'' As Ha Sunyoung lightly knocked her cake knife up, the Murim warriors sword bounced off and slashed the arm of another Murim warrior who was running from the side. What a waste I was trying to cut your wrist. Ha Sunyoung was completely relaxed. She even spit out such words with a playful tone as she swung her cake knife. Her swordsmanship may look like it was lacking a lot of things at the first glance. However, when they took a closer look, it was a very powerful swordsmanship. Sometimes it was fast and heavy, and the other times it was light and slow. It was very unique even for the eyes of Murim experts who had clashed against numerous enemies their entire life. It was only natural, because Ha Sunyoungs swordsmanship was the combination of her own swordsmanship which combines only the good things of numerous mugong techniques and Yoo Seodams swordsmanship. "This..!!!!" One of the Murim Warrior quickly stepped back and climbed onto the power pole. Shortly after, the power pole split in two, his mask was also torn. Ahhhhhh! Oh, you shouldnt destroy the national property! They judged that it was a battle with no chance to win. So, they quickly jumped into the next plan. When all three of them started to run away, Ha Sunyoung smiled and soared into the sky. She sprinted through the walls of the building as she swung her cake knife. They desperately tried to block her attack. And even though each of them were holding a modern ether blade, they couldn''t even cut Ha Sunyoung''s plastic cake knife. I cant believe it.!'' The three Murim warriors screamed internally. Unlike them, Ha Sunyong was smirking. She was smiling despite the fact that she was still affected by the effect of the talismans. It hindered her naegong and demoted her to a S rank. That was why she couldnt show the explosive momentum that hwakyung expert had. However, she was still as relaxed as ever because, with her pure swordsmanship alone, she was able to overpower three S rank at the same time. "Hey! Stop running away! You motherfuckers! The story of four Murim warriors who ran around late evening in Gangnam, where moonlight and artificial light harmonized with each other to create a dull glow, would become the highlight of the news the very next morning. * * * [Big news! Another League member, Ha Sunyoung arrests Murim people who stayed illegally in Korea!] [Ha Sunyoung: I just did what I had to do] [Warrior of Murim Ha Sunyoung''s outstanding performance!] To think you were able to subdue them only a day after I asked for it. You are really amazing! Ryu Gyeongsoo laughed out loud as he asked me to shake hands. He seems to be genuinely pleased that the three Warriors of Murim were arrested only one day after he lodged the request. Because there was no risk factor, Ha Sunyoungs success was broadcasted nationwide to assure the citizens. I know you are someone different since you are a 16 years old veteran hunter who knows how to use both mugong and magic. Can you tell me how you found them so fast? Ryu Gyeongsoo praised me by saying that, but I don''t know what''s going on either Because I did nothing. However, it would only confuse him more if I told him that. So. It''s an industrial secret. Wouldn''t all veteran have unique methods? "Indeed!" If I had such a thing, I wouldn''t be the protagonist hunter. Chapter 123: Murim Hohyanghoe (武林懷鄕會) (3) Sponsored chapter 6/6 Aighttyy paid our dues guys!!! Enjoy~ Seol Jungyeon was in a good mood right now. Because of her usual expressionless face, no one would be able to tell. But, Shin Hye-ji, who worked right next to her almost every day, was different. She could tell Seol Jungyeons mood by looking at how her mouth slightly raised by 0.001mm or by the frequency of her tone. What could be the reason for her good mood? The first is because she got a call from Yoo Seodam. The second was because she checked some news about Yoo Seodam on the media. And the third reason was she has just been fiddling with accessories that were given by Yoo Seodam. Even if nothing happened, there were times when she feels good just by thinking about Yoo Seodam. However, Shin Hye-ji was the only one who could see it. Everyone else was always pressured when they sat face-to-face against Seol Jungyeon. Seol Jungyeon was a former lord of the Cheonma Sect, and the current lord of New Murim Alliance. However, because of her extremely petite body as well as her soft and gentle impression, it was hard for her to give a charismatic impression befitting her title. That was why she would always put on an expressionless face when she met other people. And now in front of her, an official from the International Hunter Association was acting humble. I come here today to inform you that you have to wear this armband when you become officially active. Rikle Siers, a SS-rank body strengthening-type superhuman as well as the current president of International Hunter Association, personally come to the new Jungwon Murim to attach the SSS-rank armband to Seol Jungyeon. A pale pink SSS-rank armband. Seol Jungyeon was the first hunter on Earth who would work with an armband which has three S on it. However, Seol Jungyeon had a small question. Do I really have to fit into the class system you have set? It was just a trivial question. However, she asked that question because people from Murim had a different rank system from the alphabetical rank system used by superhumans of Earth. By any chance, do you feel uncomfortable with it? If that is the case, we will introduce a completely different rank system for the Murim people. The Chairman of the Association immediately agreed with Seol Jungyeon. She didnt ask the question because of that reason, nevertheless the result itself wasnt too bad, so she laughed happily. Of course, only Shin Hye-ji could recognize her smile. Thank you. Since you are considerate to us, Murim people, I will also be considerate. Oh, nono its fine!" I can''t do that. If you ever need our help, please let me know. Then I will definitely tell you later! Including Rikle, there were 4 other people at this meeting. They were all from the Hunter Association and Superpower Association. So, it could be said that they were all bigshots. However, Shin Hye-ji couldnt help but sigh because all of these amazing people couldnt even look Seol Jungyeon in the eye as if being overwhelmed by her dignity. However, the truth is It''s not because of her dignity.'' Shin Hye-ji laughed inside. Of course, the realm of Hyunkyung was something that was revered by both the superhumans and the people of Murim. When it comes to wielding a sword, they were people who would always make the best move. At first glance, it may sound like the true sword path was nothing, however this true sword path was the goal of every swordsman out there. Those who fully understand and realize the true sword path''. Those who could always come up with the best result for slightest movement. Such people were called the hyunkyung expert. However, the reason people in the meeting couldn''t make eye contact with Seol Jungyeon was not because they were afraid of the overbearing pressure emitted by a hyunkyung expert as well as a Murim Lord. Rather, it was because Seol Jungyeon was much more attractive today. Albeit lightly, Seol Jungyeon wore makeup that she usually despised because it was annoying. She also wore a light pink ether suit that looks like a combination between Hanbok and Mubok. (T/N Mubok is Martial arts uniform.) The reason she did things she usually wouldnt do was simple. It was because Yoo Seodam was going to visit today. It was only that much, but all the high-ranking people who had seen quite a few beautiful women in their life were having a hard time making eye contact with Seol Jungyeon. So, Shin Hye-ji was also in a good mood. She wanted to keep Seol Jungyeon''s mischievous smile for herself. It would be nice if master laughs like that every day.'' Her original appearance leaned towards innocence rather than a sharp and archaic face. It was a face that didnt match her personality. So when she laughs sometimes, she was so pretty, it was as if the entire world was shrouded by beautiful lights. Oh, and could you please attend the Hunter Meeting sometime later? If the only existing SSS-Rank Hunter is present, the value of the discussion will shine even more. Hmm. Such a place is very uncomfortable. Ah I remember, Hunter Yoo Seodam would also attend the event I''m going. In response to her immediate answer, Rikle opened his eyes widely. It seems that the rumour he had heard about Murim Lord and Yoo Seodam was indeed true. However, he wasnt foolish enough to keep using the same tactic over and over again in front of the wise lord of the New Murim Alliance. He didnt want to be on the receiving end of her animosity. What kind of relationship do they have? Is the rumor between the two of them true?'' The leaders of the association returned with such curiosity on their mind. And then, 30 minutes later. Seol Jungyeon was depressed. It was because she checked the Yoo Seodams through her tablet. Others may say that she was expressionless, but thanks to the smile that had gone down as small as 0.001mm and the tone of her voice that had gone down by about 1 dB, Shin Hye-ji was able to tell. I wonder why there are so many women around this man Seol Jungyeon''s life was now tightly tied to Yoo Seodam. If it was not for him, she would have no other reason to live. However, aside from herself, there were also several other women around him. Seol Jungyeon lamented as she looked at Yoo Seodams photo that was taken by a reporter at the airport. In one of the photos, she could see a woman with short silver hair putting her hand on the right arms of Yoo Seodam as she raised her sunglasses. In the other picture, Geom-hee was joking around with her hand on Yoo Seodams neck (Yoo Seodams expression was pale because he was being strangled), and in another picture, a tall girl with a blonder hair was staring at him and chasing after him. She was aware of the identity of every woman in the photo. Yoo Seodam had told her about all of them when they spent the night together last time. She couldnt say anything to Yoo Seodam because all of the girls were someone with an unfortunate story. She especially paid attention to a woman named Taylor Nine. She had been with Yoo Seodam for 16 years, she was also currently living together with Yoo Seodam. From the story she heard, Taylor Nine was forced to stay away from Yoo Seodam because of her family. However, she gave up all of her privileges, including her own family, and chose to stay with him. If it means that I could be with him, I would love to give up the position of a lord'' "Lord, You cant!" But I didn''t say anything? I know what you were thinking. Do you also have a mind reading ability? "Of course! Though it was a mind reading ability limited to Master''s thought. And then Shin Hye-ji realized that Seol Jungyeon''s mood had improved. The reason was of course Yoo Seodam had arrived. Seol Jungyeon tried to conceal her happiness and politely told Shin Hye-ji. The two of us want to spend time alone, so stay outside for a while. Shin Hye-ji smiled at both of them and walked out of the room. * * * Seol Jungyeon, whom I hadnt met in a very long time, had become quite feisty. What took you so long? . Im busy., it was an excuse that a man should never make. Even more so when she was showing me pictures of Another League member on her tablet. As I was embarrassed, I didn''t know what to do. Then, with a gentle smile on her face, Seol Jungyeon got up from her seat and walked towards me with one hand sweeping the table. She carefully grabbed my cheek with both of her hands and lifted my face so that I was forced to look into her eyes. She was quite short, so even when I was sitting down, I just had to look up slightly to gaze into her eyes. It''s a joke. I know how busy you are, how can I rush you? It''s nice to be able to see your face from time to time like this. With that said, she also put away her tablet, which she had taken out playfully. Somehow, I felt sorry for her. I wanted to cry. But, a trash like me doesn''t deserve to cry. Your expression is dark. Is there something troubling you? There is no such thing. It''s just because there are a lot of tiring things happening these days. Tell me about it. At her words, I completely forgot about the purpose of my visit and started telling her about all my problems. Seol Jungyeon was a splendid conversation partner. It wasnt because she was a good talker but rather, she was a good listener. When I say something, she tries to understand me and sympathize with me. She also gave out advice when I needed it. Dont be like that. When you ask why'', you are forcing the other person to make an excuse. I understand your feelings. I would have done the same It''s interesting. I don''t know that it''s been popular these days. (T/N: Yeah its all Seol Jungyeons dialogue.) So I spent a long time with Seol Jungyeon talking about my personal problems before I remembered the true purpose of my visit. Its not the right time to be like this. When I was in front of Taylor, I felt more comfortable than ever, so I tried to return to my original form and personality. Similarly, when I was in front of Seol Jungyeon, I would always reveal all the worries I had hidden in my heart. I really don''t know why. Actually, I have something to tell you. Thats why I come here today. "I know. It''s probably because of the Murim Hohyanghoe''. "Yes." I was surprised that she had already known, but when I remembered the fact that the New Murim League now had an information organization called Gaebang which could rival the best information organization on the planet, it all made sense. Then I took out a tablet I had prepared and showed it to Seol Jungyeon. [China : "China is the beginning of Mugong!"] [China says Murim Expert has to return all their knowledge!] Lately, China has been actively claiming ownership of mugong. With the pretext of solving the special intellectual superpowers property disputes, they had requested Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon to come to China. Everyone in the world knows Chinas claim was nothing more than a bullshit. The world the returnees of Murim had been to is actually Ancient China!'' It''s bullshit from the start. They claimed that it was not a different world but the past. But, their claim had its own ground. The current world was more fantasy than any movie. It was not a far cry to think that the door to the past actually existed when there were numerous doors to different worlds around the world. Moreover, the language that the Murim people used in their world was close to Chinese character. Their architecture, culture, and customs were similar to those of Ancient China. Murim people on Earth were all aware that the world they returned from wasnt China, but a completely different world. It wasnt a place in Asia continent itself, or a place with relation to China. It was important for us to know the reason why China made those claims. Ive been pondering about that too. They are really annoying, it stresses me out. In the first place, Seol Jungyeon was the only officially active SSS-rank. Even the President of the United States showed great respect towards her. However, even when she received such treatment, in the end, the New Murim League was only at the level of a small to medium guild with about 3,000 members. It means that they couldnt compete against a country. If China sincerely declares, Murim people will not be able to tread on this land in the future!'', most Murim people would lose their homes and jobs. In addition, there were Murim people who appeared at the official event and said, Murim is actually the history of China.'' I believe there is a reason why they said that. Those Murim people were called Murim Hohyanghoe. The way I saw it, China is trying to absorb Murim in order to boost their nation power. Seol Jungyeon closed her eyes as she listened to my words. Even now, hundreds of Murim people were already under China. If my reasoning from earlier was correct, is there any reason to claim the ownership of mugong itself? Or does China really want to absorb the Murim League itself? If not for that reason, would there be anything else? .Noonim, have you heard that Bang Ho-win is alive? Seol Jungyeon''s expression hardened. "That was indeed surprising news. She said. Even if you weren''t someone from Murim, Bang Ho-win was a name you might know if you had been in the hunter industry for a long time. He was a Murim expert who caused the worst terror in the history of Europe. The number of S-rank hunters who died in the process of defeating him exceeded two digits. On top of that, SS-rank hunter Salvatore Costantini also lost his right arm to him. It was truly a terrible event. I heard that he is someone who had mastered mugong of extorting spirit of woman, called Saekgong You are right, he is the worst sorcerer ever. (T/N Saekgong: Lecherous arts. And I also use sorcerer because the hangul is different from magician or wizard) Seol Jungyeon frowned. She looks quite displeased. From what I heard, Bang Ho-win was a really strong expert. Even before returning to earth, he was known as someone who was on the verge of breaking into the realm of hyunkyung. And four years had passed since then, it wasnt far-fetched to say that Bang Ho-win may have reached the realm of Hyunkyung just like Seol Jungyeon. If so the situation was rather serious. Maybe he is the reason why China did all of this. What are you talking about? I still cant figure out the reason why Bang Ho-win didnt personally show up. However, because he cannot enter the House of Goblins he cannot directly harm you. And even if he could get in, he wouldn''t be able to handle the 3000 Murim people residing there. That means? He used China in order to bring you to China. If that really happens, I am sure Bang Ho-win will show up. In other words, Bang Ho-win was aiming for Seol jungyeon. That fact was somehow pissing me off. I was on the verge of losing my composure several times on my way here. It was only after meeting her I could get my shit together. And now, another headache tried to piss me off. Im really tired of seeing my loved one being targeted while I was too weak to fight against it. This is not an old martial arts world, to think such an obvious clich is happening here.'' I had my speculation. Probably, all of this may have been an episode related to the already dead Supreme Dharma. Because of clichs, about a lecherous person who aimed for the girls of the former hero of martial arts, was a must in any story. [E/N: My my, look who has turned into a protagonist ???] (P/N *put Obi-Wan''s You were the chosen one!'' meme here*) I wonder what would Dharma do in this situation.'' Its not like I dont have any idea. I believe the story would progress along the line of. One of the women around Dharma was in crisis. Then, Dharma would come to rescue his girls in the most perfect timing possible just like any other protagonist out there. And with the great kiss scene, they finished the episode! (T/N dont tell me? You are not going to do exactly that right?) But Im not a protagonist. It means that if the crisis was something that didnt have any relation with probability It was a real crisis. It wouldnt progress like those cliche crises in novels or movies. In other words, I must avoid the crisis at all costs. I pretended to be as calm as possible and said carefully to Seol Jungyeon. .Noonim, I have a really good idea. Chapter 124: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (1) (T/N: In previous chapter, I translate (?? Gosu) as master. However, I just realized that it was wrong. The term refers to warriors of Murim who have already exceeded some degree of Mugong. That is why, starting from this chapter, I have changed Master to Expert.) -The New Murim League officially responded to China''s claim! On the news playing on the tablet, I could see my handso Not so handsome face. In the video, I was criticizing China''s Murim Hohyanghoe for their attack on Geom-hee, Ha Sunyoung. I said many things related to the attack before finally coming to the main topic. -However, New Murim League, which is filled with martial arts () and chivalry (b) will give you the opportunity to prove your mugong. If you want to claim mugongs ownership, please do it in Murim''s way. If you can prove your ability in the upcoming Great Rift, we will gladly acknowledge your ownership of the martial arts and give up all rights we hold. It was a truly peaceful yet ruthless suggestion that was welcomed by everyone. There would be no direct conflict between the two sides, so there wouldnt be any useless trouble. Moreover, with the method I proposed, the national disaster called Great Rift'' would also be cleared with the help of Murim people. And, by revealing their martial arts to the world, it would be easier to determine who the real martial artist is. In other words, we, the New Murim League, declared that we will meet your demands, but we will not step on Chinese soil. And let''s solve it in the Murim''s way.'' Since the news had spread to every corner of the world, China could no longer say Ah we dont know, we still want you to come to our land. Plus, since the Great Rift would occur in six months, I had earned some time to prepare a countermeasure against the upcoming fights. In the meantime, we had asked Ryu Gyeongsoo to thoroughly increase the surveillance level so that our guild members, including Ha Sunyoung, would not be attacked by the Murim people belonging to that faction. Of course, even without my words, the Ministry of Defense was already highly alert due to the previous invasion. All in all, it was quite a relief. Bang Ho-win.'' In many ways, he is a headache. I can''t use most of my Protagonist Hunter abilities against him. I dont know what skill he uses, how good the skill is, the back story, and what episodes would take place. And when I think about it more, it is only natural. He wasnt a protagonist. So, the ability to grasp the protagonist''s correction wasnt needed. No matter how strong he is, there must be a way to kill him. .and its not like I cant use my ability at all.'' When I was busy simulating the fight between me and Bang Ho-win, I could feel a presence approaching me. I am here. It was Celeste. She is back from the rank re-evaluation test. She is still wearing the white ether suit that stuck to her body, resembling a bike-riding suit. It had a B letter attached to the shoulder. When I recall that Celeste had just turned twenty, I am struck with the realization that she is probably the fastest growing body strengthening-type hunter in history. As I looked at the B-rank _ promotion _ commemorative _ expressionless _ selfie picture that she had sent me, I said, "Congratulations on your promotion. If its like this, you could get an A-rank within 3 years. Celeste shook her head. It will be much faster than that. How much faster do you want? Considering your age right now, you''re already overwhelmingly fast. Superpower was a field that was determined by 99% talent and 1% effort. The higher the ether absorption rate, the higher the growth rate and the limit of growth one had. Celeste is an amazing superhuman. Her ether consumption rate occupied the top 0.01% among superhumans. Moreover, she trained her superpower to the limit, enduring the pain and after-effects of receiving ether injections. But in the end, there was a limit even for superhuman growth rate. No matter how many times she ran faster than others, she couldn''t run faster than her own speed limit. Even if she gained an enlightenment just like a mugong practitioner, it was almost impossible to use mugong with energy other than naegong (internal energy). I heard you gave Taylor sunbae-nim a gift when she gained SS-rank. "Uh? Uh. yeah, I think i did that." After Taylor became a SS-rank hunter, she asked me why I wasn''t present on her evaluation announcement day to congratulate her. Because I felt guilty and was scared that she was going to hit me, I couldn''t refuse her request. Can you give me a gift too? "Becoming a B-rank is an incredible feat at your age. So of course, I will give you one. What do you want? Celestes eyes twinkle as she said. I want to learn Simbeop and Bubeop. (T/N: Simbeop: Literal translation: Hearts law. Bubeop: Chinese Martial arts term refers to a footwork technique. If theres someone who knows the use or the correct translation please leave a comment below or preferably come to our discord server and tell us about it.) * * * It''s impossible. Ha Sunyoung sighed. And Bubeop is. with the tip of the toe what is it? Hey, easy words. You need a really fine control in order to use it. It is possible to use it with essence'', but it is difficult to use it with ether''. Ye Sa-hye gave further explanation to Celeste. Naegong basically moves along the gimaek (}) and hyeolmaek (Ѫ}), and distributes evenly throughout the body, allowing someone to move it delicately. However, the energy source of superpower, ether can only move in the hyeolmaek. It cant move through the gimaek. (T/N I need an explanatiooooonnn.. Im not a big Murim fan~ help me guys.) Is it really impossible with hyeolmaek alone? Celeste asked. It''s more difficult than drawing a square and drawing a circle simultaneously with one hand. Do you understand? Celeste nodded. She was aware that one hand could only draw one shape at a time. Therefore, in order to draw different shapes, she needs to use both of her hands. However, drawing different shapes with both hands at the same time was also a difficult thing to do. So, it was ridiculous for someone who didnt know about naegong to circulate another energy in both gimaek and hyeolmaek. (P/N Naegong = internal energy, how it works is similar to ethers of superhumans, but for Murim warriors. Basically their source of power) When Celeste became crestfallen, Ye Sa-hye quickly said, It wasnt something that was completely impossible. Master could show you how to do it with only hyeolmaek. Hey! Why did you tell her such a useless thing? Ha Sunyoung protested. However, she was already late. So, it is possible as long as I try hard enough? "Ugh. Yes, it is possible, it is possible! But I''ve heard that in the first place, ether injection itself is very painful. The only way to learn Simbeop is to create it by yourself while enduring the pain of ether injection. Ether injection was indeed a painful process. Celeste became dizzy just by recalling how painful the process was. However, she couldnt just let this opportunity slip through her hands. I cant help it since it is the fastest way to become stronger.'' Since Celestes body was already filled with ether, it was impossible to build her Simbeop using naegong of essence energy. However, it was still possible to accelerate her absorption rate further. Once someone gets an ether injection, they shouldn''t get another one for at least 1 C 3 months, because they have to wait until the ether is completely assimilated into the body. If she successfully learns Simbeop, it may be possible to get an injection without any delay. I''ll try it. "Okay!! Okay!! Dammit!! I dont think a B-rank hunter would die from the shock, so lets try it. Ill let you know how painful it is. Ha Sunyoung severely warned her, but Celeste did not hesitate. I need to do anything I can to grow stronger before the Great Rift occurs. Celeste was aware. With her own strength, she wouldnt be able to kill the man who ran away after cutting her fathers arm. Afterall, Bang Ho-win was a man who couldn''t be killed even with the cooperation of her father who was a SS-rank hunter and numerous other S-rank hunters. But still, with the opportunity of revenge clearly in front of her, she couldnt just sit back and suck her finger. I can overcome this pain.'' That night, Celeste yelled in pain as she learned about Simbeop from Ha Sunyoung. She howled in pain for nearly the entire process before passing out. Ha Sunyoung''s expression grew darker as she looked at Celeste who had fainted before letting go of Simbeop. What are you going to do? Yoo Seodam, who came to look at the progress of the training, asked. we have to fix the Simbeop. "Pardon?" Yoo Seodam was left speechless when he heard Ha Sunyoungs answer. Both swordsmanship and Simbeop was something that couldnt be fixed that easily. It takes over tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years of cultivation before reaching the swordsmanship and Simbeop we see nowadays. It can never be changed easily. However, for some reason, Yoo Seodam had faith in Ha Sunyoungs words and felt like it was something that could be done. Because, in the first place, Ha Sunyoung was someone who created her own mugong by combining only the best parts of numerous mugong in Murim. In a way, she was a genius that surpassed even the Supreme Dharma. While she was clearly weaker than Seol Jungyeon in terms of mugong skills, her mugong development ability was literally leaps and bounds above Seol Jungyeon . But it''s impossible for me alone. You need to help me. What are you talking about. We need to remove the gimaek from the Simbeop that originally has to circulate on both gimaek and hyeolmaek. In terms of mathematics, we need to make a new formula by subtracting the sign''. In the formula of 1+1=2, removing + means the formula would be invalid and become an indefinite sequence of numbers and symbols. And currently, Ha Sunyoung''s goal was to remove all the signs while still retaining the shape of the formula. Yoo Seodam was flabbergasted. It was truly a crazy idea. Ha Sunyoung was also aware of the fact that it was such a crazy idea. With a bitter expression on her face, she said, Its because, when I see her, it keeps reminding me of my past self. Anyway, all I have left is time. With the help of you and your magic it might be possible. In fact, Yoo Seodam had succeeded in creating a new form by incorporating magic formula into superpower, and even now, numerous superhumans were able to control their ability more finely thanks to mathematics. And since mugong was closer to magic rather than superpowers, he felt that there was nothing that was impossible. Lets try it. * * * Inside the dark hotel room, a man and a woman were entangled with each other without any piece of clothing on their body. Whilst the woman was busy exploring the mans body like a broken puppet, the man was staring at the screen in the air without giving any attention to the woman. The man was someone who had gained notoriety in Murim under the name of Saekma, Bang Ho-win. (T/N: Saekma means a lecherous person.) He was an expert who utilized Saekgong as a means to exploit the spirit of female experts to build his own naegong. However, as his own level became higher and higher, he couldnt build more of his naegong with the spirits of ordinary experts anymore. (T/N: Saekgong: Lecherous technique.) That was why he really coveted the woman on the screen. She was Seol Jungyeon, an expert that has reached the state of Hyunkyung, the strongest woman in the world as well as the most beautiful woman in the world. And because one''s appearance was affected by Yin energy, if he could absorb Seol Jungyeon Oh, uh! Suddenly, the woman on top of him trembled. As all of her vitality leaked out, she became a mummy and collapsed on Bang Ho-win. In the first place, it was impossible for a woman who had just begun learning mugong to endure even one round in front of Bang Ho-win, who had reached the state of Hyunkyung. She was clearly not strong enough. The stronger the woman, the more beautiful their appearances would become. At the same time, when the woman was stronger, Bang Ho-win would be able to extort the womans spirit longer and also enjoy the sweeter taste of spirit. He was in a hurry to build his power one again. That was why he kidnapped female criminals and made them learn some random, crappy martial arts. It had been 4 years since he lived with only tasting the crappy taste of weak women. He couldn''t stand it anymore. Remove this and bring a new one. When Bang Ho-win said so, a man who was hiding like a shadow in the corner appeared. He had dark hair and dark eyes which were darker than even his own shadow. It would be difficult to feel his presence if he had not moved his head. Salute. Smiling Shadow, he was the man who appeared on TV and represented China on their claim of mugong. He peeked at Bang Ho-win while removing the dead woman''s body. What about the offering I ordered the other day? The offering he meant was Geom-hee''. ".Sorry. I will prepare it faster. Tsk. It was way too slow. Do it right! Smiling Shadow smiled at him and lowered his head. If Bang Ho-win did not have Supreme Dharmas relic in his hands, he would never have followed him. With such thoughts, Smiling Shadow quietly disappeared into the shadow, and Bang Ho-win''s gaze turned into a deep obsession as he stared at Seol Jungyeon on the screen. Soon.'' Bang Ho-win tried to feel the power in his body as he clenched his fists. It was still difficult to move directly because of the wound he had suffered four years ago. He had not fully recovered. However, as long as he could successfully bring that woman to China At that time, Bang Ho-wins eyes widened as he watched the news on the TV. -The New Murim Alliance responded to China''s request! The one who spoke on the news wasnt Seol Jungyeon but a man with black hair and white eyes. -Your opinion is valid. However, we question the identity of those who claim themselves to be true Murim people after they ordered some people to trespass Korea and secretly attack. Wasn''t Murim all about martial arts and chivalry? At the same time, the screen showed the identity of 3 Murim experts who had attacked Geom-hee. The news also explained that all of them were members of Chinas Murim Hohyanghoe. Bang Ho-win gritted his teeth. On top of being caught, they also leak the information about Murim Hohyanghoe. Bang Ho-win didn''t expect them to be completely loyal to him in the first place but he also didn''t expect them to open their mouths that easily. -However, New Murim League, which is filled with martial arts () and chivalry (b) will give you the opportunity to prove your mugong. If you want to claim mugongs ownership, please do it in Murim way. If you can prove your ability in the upcoming Great Rift, we will gladly acknowledge your ownership of the martial arts and give up all rights we hold. Despite being the victim of both the sneak attack and mugong ownership dispute, the New Murim League still proposed an extremely modern and justified solution. The entire world would be rejoicing at their wise proposal. With the public opinion on the New Murim League side, it was now impossible for China to avoid the arrows of criticism. It also means that their Mugong Claim plan couldnt be executed anymore. Moreover, they couldnt force Seol Jungyeon to come to their land anymore If Chinas government becomes extremely pushy and employs some restriction towards the New Murim League, theres a chance that another nation would attack China using the Great Rift as the pretext. -Thats why.. The man on the screen stared at the camera lens as if he was looking straight at Bang Ho-win and said. -Saekma, Bang Ho-win. Stop hiding and manipulating things from the shadow!! Show yourself!! Then, another news came up one after another. It was a statement from the United States regarding the disputes between the two Murim groups. -In case of Superpower Intellectual Property Right, a hearing is a must to determine whos in the right and whos in the wrong. However, in the case of mugong, exceptions will be made. The authorities do not recognize the old Murim''s laws, where everything is decided by force. However, we acknowledge the modern New Murim League''s laws that target monsters. Therefore, we demand China to show some evidence that backs their claims as the true owner of mugong! Wooong!!! Crash!!! Bang Ho-win clenched his hand and the remote control in his hand crumbled. At the same time, a shockwave burst from his body breaking all the glass in the room. That face. I remember it..'' Even though he wasn''t present back then, he was aware of the face of the man who brought together Murim people under one banner and killed the Supreme Dharma. Yoo Seodam!!!'' Bang Ho-win gritted his teeth. He was convinced that Yoo Seodam had figured out the danger that awaited Seol Jungyeon in china. That was why he said all of those things in the news. However, he chose the wrong opponent. Back then, the Supreme Dharma they fought was alone, moreover, he was severely weakened. However, Bang Ho-win believed that he was different from Dharma. He had numerous subordinates under him, he also had backing of China with him. Do you want me to fall for your trick?'' Yoo Seodam wanted to keep Seol Jungyeon as far as possible from Bang Ho-win. But it was useless. The fact that he knew where Seol Jungyeon would appear was enough for him. He took out a half-cracked sword he had hidden in his arms. It was a memento that was hidden by The Supreme Dharma. It was a mystical sword that could cut a dimension and allow Murim people to return to earth from Murim. Even though his level of existence was too low to use it right now, it doesnt matter. Because as long as he succeeds in capturing Seol Jungyeon and sucks her spirit, he would be able to use it as much as he wants. I will personally come for you. Chapter 125: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (2) Hello~ please consider to become our patron or donate to this novel if you like this novel, thank you~ Twenty years ago, tens of thousands of people around the world suddenly disappeared. The event, which was later documented as the first dimensional transition on Earth, resulted in a lot of casualties. However, the so-called casualties did not include those who were transported to the world of Murim. Because, the incident itself happened right at the moment when they were kidnapped. Those who were classified as casualties were those who were exposed to the unidentified wave that spread over a 3m radius from the people who were kidnapped. At that time, humanity was not yet familiar with dimensions. We were still in the process of figuring out why did dungeon and rift occur, where did they come from and what was the identity of the Hell Gate? So, it was only natural that we didn''t know anything about the unidentified wave'' that occurred that day. However, one thing that humanity knows about the wave was the fact that anything exposed to it would disappear. Someone who dreams of being a track and field runner lost their legs. Someone who was working as an active hunter lost both of their arms. And people who were enjoying a date by holding their lover''s hand and dreaming of marriage, lost their lover along with their right arm in that moment. The wave even destroyed a main pillar that supported a building, leading to hundreds of people being buried under the collapsing building, causing the casualty rate to rise even more. Who was the perpetrator? Was it the fault of returnees who were abducted to the world of Murim out of nowhere? Or is it the fault of those who were hurt just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time? No one knows. No one was at fault, so no one could blame anyone. * * * The development of Superpower-Only Simbeop ended in failure. No matter how much of a genius Ha Sunyoung was in the field of developing mugong, there was still a limit to what she could do. She spent three months conducting research all day and all night, but during those three months she always felt like she was solving a multiple-choice problem that didn''t exist in the first place. However, amidst her failure, heupp! From Celestes body, I could feel ether bursting out. She had successfully used her Simbeop despite the immense pain that she felt all over her body. I can''t believe it. Right next to me, Director Kim, the director of the Geumgang Gymnasium and a C-rank body strengthening-type hunter, muttered. He was one of the best superhumans in Korea in terms of body strengthening theory and body strengthening control. I invited him here three months ago to dig into the theory of Simbeop. At that time, the conclusion Director Kim made was impossible''. He said that controlling ether was a hundred times more difficult than controlling essence. Therefore, even if it was possible to create a Simbeop that only needed a hyeolmaek, the difficulty of using it with ether would be extremely high. However, that conclusion was made because all of us werent aware of Celestes talent. When I first met Celeste, I only thought that she was a girl with excellent talent. However, she turned out to be a girl with monstrous talent. In mere three months since she started leaning Simbeop, her swordsmanship become sharper and sharper. Moreover, now she was able to perfectly control the ether inside her body. Because of full-fledged geniuses like Seol Jungyeon, Ha Sunyoung and Taylor Nine around me, I overlooked Celeste''s talent. Besides, it wasn''t just a matter of talent. She had the mentality as well as the effort to grow stronger. She literally shed blood and tears to grow stronger. While looking at her, I even felt like my own effort of the last sixteen years wasn''t anything serious. Perhaps that is why I am still weak right now. Yeah, thank you for your comforting words.'' Even Ha Sunyoung looked at Celeste with confused eyes. Eyaa~ It was very surprising. How is that even possible? Although it is impossible to draw natural energy by using Simbeop that runs on ether, the circulating energy in the body itself moves at an outrageous speed. The ether that has not yet integrated into Celestes body was being dissolved swiftly. Shes a real monster. Ha Sunyoung remarked. The mysterious art called mugong was something that gives the weak human body a power called naegong. By utilizing that power, humans are able to exert more stronger power than they originally could. And body strengthening superpower is a power that strengthens the human body itself, allowing it to generate more powerful power. So, when both of those powers mixed together, what would happen? In that state, can you walk? When Ha Sunyoung asked, Celeste clenched her fist and raised her foot. At first, I thought she was just walking normally. However I was wrong. What Celeste did right now was Bubeop'' taught to her by Ha Sunyoung. Fwoooshh~~ Celeste made an explosive leap as if she was a cannonball that had been shot. In that state, she rushed towards Ha Sunyoung like an arrow with a wooden sword on her hand. PUK!! Although Ha Sunyoung stopped it without any difficulty, her mouth was still hung open. The instantaneous speed is almost equal to an S-rank. Celeste, who was only a B-rank hunter, produced an S-rank power output albeit momentarily. Just what will happen if she grows more than this? At first, I thought that she was a tiger cub because she was Salvatores daughter, but I was wrong. She turned out to be a dragon cub. Flop! After only one leap and one swing, Celeste fell to the floor and passed out. .. We couldn''t say anything for a while. * * * While Celeste was busy learning under Ha Sunyoung, I wasnt just watching her and doing nothing either. In the Floating Garden, theres a small passage that leads to the House of Goblin, meaning that I could visit Seol Jungyeon whenever I wanted. In the near future, I was going to face an SSS-rank expert. Therefore, I decided that it would be better to train by facing another SSS-rank expert, which was my Noonim. Noonim, please spar with me. The spar started. Then I was defeated. "Huh?" Less than 0.3 seconds since the spar began, I found myself lying on the floor. The only thing that I knew was that I had been beaten by something. The sixth sense? Intuition? Insight? All the prediction types of skill in my arsenal couldn''t even follow Seol Jungyeon''s single blow. This is the real power of an SSS-rank.'' It was an obvious result because the difference between our skill is like heaven and earth. Let''s take some time to objectively evaluate myself. My current level was 152, it was equal to S-rank. However, just because I had become an S-rank, does it mean that my swordsmanship was also S-rank? Of course not. Talent and skills that I possessed could be categorized as an S-rank, however, my own skill couldnt. I have been slacking in my swordsmanship training, and Im sure that if I compete against a swordsman of a similar level who uses real swordsmanship, I would be defeated. It was my own stupidity and arrogance to think that I would be able to fight against Seol Jungyeon noonim who had become one with the sword as a Hyunkyung Expert. I tried to recall the past when I overpowered SS-rank Salvatore with my F-rank physical abilities. At that time, I managed to win against him by using numerous tanks to lure him into a power plant and then destroy the whole power plant The important part was that I had never directly clashed with him. I could only win against him because I had been working with him for a long time and could think of a way to defeat him. And it would be nice if I could think of a way to defeat Seol Jungyeon noonim. However, I was aware that it was impossible. Because, forget about parrying her strike, I cant even see her sword! When I was on the verge of having a mental breakdown, Seol Jungyeon noonim said, If so, why dont you take your time and think about it a little more? "Pardon?" After she said that word, she walked away from me and pointed her sword in the air. Then, things like pink cherry blossoms, things like pink lotus flowers, things like pink plum blossoms began to flutter in the air. Wheeing! The hem of her clothes fluttered, then the sword in her hand began to let out a very smooth hum. Every time she steps forwards, a lotus flower blooms on the ground under her footsteps. I was aware that If I touched it, I would die. Nevertheless, I kept reaching out towards it. Who would believe that something as beautiful as that was in truth the Cheonma Singong? How could this be the most evil sword art in the world? I can''t believe it. I felt like I would lose my mind to the sweet scent of lotus as well as the smooth hum that came to my ears. If I died by her hand, it wouldnt be because of the fierce swordsmanship she had, but rather because of her beauty. After some time passed, other Murim people began to crowd around Seol Jungyeon. Even for those who had risen to the heights of Hwakyung and become the top 0.000001% of the world''s strongest humans, Seol Jungyeon''s swordsmanship was still an unknown realm that could never be imitated. However, it didn''t seem like they came here to learn about the swordsmanship of the best swordsman, Seol Jungyeon. Maybe they come just to see the rare scenery of Seol Jungyeons dancing. "Ah" Someone let out a gap as Seol Jungyeon put her sword back into her sheath. Then she looked at me with a smile that resembles a fully bloomed lotus flower. So, did you find something that could help you out? I couldn''t answer her question. I couldn''t tell her that I wasnt able to concentrate on the swordsmanship at all. * * * Like that, about three months passed. Gooooong~~!! Together with the sounds that resemble a gong being hit violently, I stopped Seol Jungyeon noonims plastic sword with my metal sword. With this exchange alone, I feel like my arm was going to break. Ugh! Actually, I was only able to stop her attack because she was adjusting her strength in order to not injure my arm. On top of it, Noonim was only swinging her sword roughly without any naegong or her true skill. It was because if an Expert of Hyunkyung like her became serious, I would be killed almost instantly. Nevertheless, her attack was still difficult to deal with. Heo-eok, huh! The side-effect of sparring with noonim for hours started to take a toll on my body. My vision was getting darker and darker, and the world kept spinning around in front of my eyes. Lets take a break. "No, we cant. If its just this much. I know that at this moment, Celeste was also sweating blood in order to grow stronger. And as her senior in the hunter industry, I had no intention of giving up and taking it easy. With a worried expression on her face, noonim asked. Is there any reason for you to take it this far? "Yes. That man will surely come to the Great Rift. It was a wild guess and a conviction at the same time. If Bang Ho-win really had the way to return to Murim, why was he still on earth? The system told me that in case of Supreme Dharma, he used his own energy to move the Murim people from Murim to Earth. I think that the method Bang Ho-win had would be similar to that. That was why the answer I came up with was because he doesnt have enough energy'' to do so. This is my first and last chance to call him out. We have to deal with him on the spot. .Sparring with the strong will certainly be a great help in improving your skills. However, you cant fight against a Hyunkyung Expert with only three months of preparation. Don''t rush. No, three months is enough. I raised my sword and aimed it towards her again. I will win. This sparring was a way for me to study how to deal with the strong''. Swordsmanship training? It was something that I could do later. If I don''t kill Saekma, I''m afraid I''ll be insecure to even wander around with my guild members including Seol Jungyeon. "But still.." Noonim looked at me with a worried expression on her face. It was understandable. Since both her and Bang Ho-win had similar strength, my claim of killing him might sound unrealistic to her when I cant even land a hit on her. I was aware that what I was doing right now was like an ordinary human practicing avoiding bullets. Just like how it was impossible for humans to avoid a bullet no matter how many times they practiced, it was also impossible for a mere S-rank to stop the attack of a Hyunkyung Expert. However.. I intend to change the subject from bullet'' to a human with a gun''. It''s still difficult to deal with, but at least a human with a gun had a preparatory motion before they shot. So even if it was impossible to win, it''s not impossible to run away with a quick reaction or surviving through hiding behind hurdles. My goal wasnt to defeat Bang Ho-win in a one-on-one fight but to survive as long as I could to carry out my plan. Whooong!! ..! Seol Jungyeon noonims eyes opened wide as she saw me avoiding her surprise attack. Of course it wasnt a serious attack from her. But nevertheless, I was able to avoid an attack from Hyunkyung Expert who bore the title of the best swordsman. Little by little, I feel that my body is growing. My body, my bones, my flesh, my skin, my blood, my head, my heart, and my soul feel different from before. Then, I reached into the air and opened my inventory. Its time to grow more stronger with things that I stole but couldnt equip before. [ has been equipped.] [ has been equipped.] [ has been equipped.] (T/N In case you guys forgot the effect of the armor, you could find the first two on chapter 102 and the last one is at chapter 97.) A pure white armor that gave off a pure white light was automatically equipped around my body. Then in my hand, a beautiful white sword with ominous red letters written on the blade appeared. Finally, a white boots matching the colour of the armor appeared and wrapped themselves warmly around my ankles and calves. As soon as I equipped it, my body instantly became lighter. All of the equipment I wore right now was completely different from my usual equipment which had a dull colour of black. So far, I had only used one sword while sparring in order to improve my physical stats. But from now on I''m going to properly gear up like how I would in a real hunt. This was in order to survive as long as I could. From now on, please do it sincerely. I am always sincere to you. well, I know that too. Then, Seol Jungyeon suddenly laughed as she saw my exhausted self. It seems like she was having fun. Because I like the laughing Seol Jungyeon, I also laughed just like her. On that day, I was able to endure for 3 minutes and 17 seconds against the Supreme Cheonma. Chapter 126: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (3) Dungeon and Gate were a phenomenon that were ranked based on the energy output they emitted. However, the phenomena known as Rift was different. They didnt have any ranking system and were simply called based on the size of the Rift such as Rift, Large Rift, Great Rift, and Supermassive Rift. The reason behind it was because it was impossible to assign a proper rank to a rift. While theres a possibility that an SS-rank monster would appear in a Great Rift, theres also a possibility that nothing would happen in a Supermassive Rift. In fact, the Great Rift that occurred 5 years ago was predicted to destroy a country because of its tremendous energy wave. However, when hunters entered the Great Rift, they didnt meet any monsters and only found a core. The hunters safely escaped the Great Rift without any casualties after destroying the core. The lowest-grade rift phenomenon was virtually impossible to enter so it was treated no different from normal gate and dungeon phenomenon. However, the Great Rift, that caused enormous casualties every two to three years, and the Supermassive Rift, that occurred only once in the history of mankind, which had left a big scar on the United States, were both closely monitored by the association. The appearances of the Great Rift this time around had already been announced half a year ago, and countermeasure had been prepared. First of all, the New Murim League expressed their intention to participate in the raid. As a result, the opinion that Murim people must be controlled had completely disappeared from the world. However, the important part here was that currently, Murim people on Earth were divided into two factions, namely the New Murim League and China''s Murim Hohyanghoe. On top of it, both factions were currently entangled in a dispute regarding the ownership of mugong. And because of the solution that was proposed by New Murim League, the ownership of mugong would be given to the side who accumulated greater merit than the other in the Great Rift. So, when six months passed and the Great Rift was opened, -What an amazing sight! All Murim members of Chinas Murim Hohyanghoe have expressed their intention to participate in the raid! Do you see their numbers? There were around 500 people on their side!! It''s great, its really great! Everyone from Murim Hohyanghoe lined up in front of the Great Rift, as if they were going to bet everything on this Great Rift. And -Bang Ho-win has finally shown himself!! As a terrorist who disappeared after causing a terror incident four years ago, quite a lot of people expressed their concern regarding his participation in the raid. However, there were even more voices that said Murim Expert Bang Ho-win is a talented person befitting the rank of at least SS-rank, and would be a great addition to the raid. A lot of stories come and go. Some said that Bang Ho-win would wash away his image as a terrorist using this Great Rift, some said that he came to show the power of Murim, and others said he came to absorb the New Murim League. Not all of them were right. Smiling Shadow, a man who works in the shadow of Murim Hohyanghoe, quietly looked at Bang Ho-win. He was standing still alone. As expected from a country who proclaimed themselves as a country that does not negotiate with terrorists, the President of the United States didnt share a single word with Bang Ho-win. However, the international Supernatural Phenomenon Association and the International Hunter Association were constantly coming to see him. "Go away." However, Bang Ho-win chased every single one of them away. He didnt find any need to entertain them because once he succeeded in absorbing the power of Seol Jungyeon, he would never see them again anyway. I think its better not to be too harsh. A hunter dispatched from the Chinese side advised Bang Ho-win. In the first place, China''s goal was to completely absorb the people of Murim from both sides, including Bang Ho-win. "If you don''t like it, you should go away too." . Of course, theres no way his words would be heard by Bang Ho-win. Smiling Shadow shifted his gaze towards the 500 Murim people from their side. They were all social misfits who cannot forget the old way and accept the present. Even after five years had passed, these people still clung into the barbaric laws of the strongest. In some ways, their memory about Murim was being beautified. Just because they were living on Earth where the ratio of normal people was higher, they were mistaking themselves as a great being. However, once they returned to Murim, Smiling Shadow was sure that the majority of Murim people who stood here wouldnt be able to compete for the title of the strongest. In case they really were able to return to Murim, Bang Ho-win would also be there. That means, .Murim will be filled with chaos. Experts who already achieved the realm of Hyunkyung were rare even in Murim. Then, what about a Hyunkyung expert who can also use sorcery? By Murim common sense, it was an impossible feat. Bang Ho-win was able to achieve it only because he was extorting the purest energy from countless female experts around Murim. In other words, all female experts who were damaged by him were the cleanest and the purest women in the whole world. Only after the victim count increased by a lot, Dharma had come to enforce justice on Bang Ho-win. He destroyed Bang Ho-wins naegong before throwing him into a place where all trash like him were locked up. You''ll be running around with trash like you for the rest of your life, and then die a lonely death.'' That''s how Supreme Dharma dealt with every worst criminal in history. He didnt simply kill them, he destroyed their naegong and let them rot for eternity before dying in the midst of trash-like humans just like themselves. However, Supreme Dharma didnt know. Bang Ho-win was able to survive and climb up from the bottom of that hellish place. And as soon as he saw the sunlight once again, he unleashed his resentment onto the world. That incident was what the world refers as the worst terrorism in history of Europe. And four years since that terrorizing act, which was the present time, he had become way too strong. He had reached the realm of Hyunkyung by absorbing numerous old experts naegong. If Supreme Dharma was still alive, he could have defeated him once again However, hes already dead. -On the other hand, the New Murim League only brought 100 people! However, the spirit of Seol Jungyeon, the lord of New Murim League seems to overwhelm all other Murim people! Numerous tanks, helicopters and armed vehicles were patrolling in the vicinity of the Great Rift. However, amidst the tense situation, Seol Jungyeon was still as peaceful as ever as if she wasn''t affected by her surroundings at all. Her figure, which was calmly looking at the rift entrance with a sword stabbed to the ground in front of her, was more reassuring than any sturdy shield. However, the one Smiling Shadow looked forward to was not Supreme Cheonma but Yoo Seodam. He was the man who defeated Supreme Dharma and saved Supreme Cheonma. Smiling Shadow could see that man stood behind Seol Jungyeon and stared at the Great Rift with pure white eyes that were impossible to discern. * * * It was matter of course that the U.S didnt only get help from Murim people in case of life or death like the Great Rift. They also employed a whopping number of 800 hunters on this expedition. Amongst them, there were a significant number of S-rank and five SS-rank. In total with soldiers, there were around two thousand people involved in this expedition. Since it was impossible for electronic devices to work inside the rift, the tanks and armored vehicles would only be guarding around the vicinity of the Great Rift. The only things that the military bought into the Rift were communication devices made with ether technology that cost around millions of dollars per device. -C-3, we will enter. The sight of numerous people slowly entering the Great Rift was captured in a camera worth tens of millions of dollars. As soon as they walked through the portal, they found themselves in a green, dense forest that seems to extend till the other side of the world. And, they also saw numerous skeletons that rattled on the ground. -It''s a skeleton! A frightening voice resounded from the communication device. Skeleton was a monster under the category undead monsters. Even though it was weak and slow, it was almost impossible to kill it with a firearm. Even when its limbs were cut off, every part of it would continue to move separately. It was a very troublesome monster to deal with. On top of it -Cr.crazy! Why are they so fast! -Unbelievable! There were some skeletons captured in the video which had a speed similar to an A-rank body strengthening-type superhuman, and some other skeletons were even equipped with armors and exhibited abilities of S-rank or even higher. -Death Knight Death Knight. It was a monster that hardly appeared on Earth. Even so, most people know about them very well. They were widely known as honorable knights who returned from death. Every time a death knight swung its sword, flame would shoot out from its sword. It was a technique called aura diffusion commonly seen in the fantasy genre. But unfortunately, it was such an advanced technology that it was unknown to Earths superhuman. At that time, the Murim experts began to step out. -The skeleton died in one blow! -Whwhaat? How did he do that..? Murim experts were people who specialized in killing humans and although they had never met a skeleton before, they knew that they had to use their shapeless energy to aim at the space between their joints to kill them. It was a skill that could only be acquired once they became an ultra-peak expert. Thankfully most of the Murim experts who came to this place were experts who had achieved the ultra-peak level. Just like the experts, Yoo Seodam also found it easy to deal with the skeletons. Even though he didnt have any naegong and techniques like the experts, his [Holy Conversion (F)] skill worked very well against the skeletons. Huh? It works better than I expected? Currently, Yoo Seodam was wearing his old first grade ether suit and ether sword. He deliberately left the items he got from the other world in his inventory. Even so, when he merged the holy power with his ether blade, the skeletons were cut off easily. Of course, he didnt have enough magic power to use the Holy Conversion continuously. But it was okay since very soon he would only be pretending to fight. While Yoo Seodam was cutting several skeletons. Swoossh!! Rattle, Rattle! Everything within the range of 30m in front of Seol Jungyeon was cut into two right after she swung her sword once. It was only a normal swing, but that swing was powerful enough to disintegrate all the skeletons. As the unbelievable scene was broadcasted through the video, the morale of the expedition members soared. It was only natural. The Great Rift was a phenomenon that rarely occurred in the long history of earth. However, each and every one of them was always followed by numerous casualties from the expedition team. So, when the members of the expedition witnessed the power of the mighty SSS-rank Seol Jungyeon, they couldnt help but to feel reassured. Suddenly, the ground trembled followed by a loud rumbling sound. In the distance, they could see Bang Ho-win soaring up into the air as he left a crater on the ground. MMy God. That strength isnt something that can be exhibited by a normal SS-rank. Every time Bang Ho-win leaped up to the air, he left a crater on the ground. It was only then that the expedition members realized. He must be at least at SSS-rank level!'' -I can''t believe it! -Is there a new SSS-rank amongst the Murim people? -Its.. an exclusive report!! It was not surprising that the people who were watching through the video from the outside were in a frenzy. After all, it was the emergence of a new SSS-rank. Having made dozens of craters by himself, Bang Ho-win leaped into the sky once again and plucked the giant skeleton''s head with his bare hands, and kicked it towards the skeleton wyvern in the distance. Then, as soon as he landed on the ground, he shot a fierce glare and smiled towards Seol Jungyeon. However, Seol Jungyeon didnt even look at him. Her gaze was focused only on Yoo Seodam. Seol Jungyeon could see that Yoo Seodam was observing Bang Ho-wins every move just like a predator looking at its prey. Huh? Does he really intend to fight against a Hyunkyung Expert.'' For the past half year, Yoo Seodam has been undergoing training directly under her. And throughout the training, he always said that he would beat Bang Ho-win down. However, Seol Jungyeon couldnt completely believe him since he was only able to hold out for 3 minutes against her. But looking at Yoo Seodams eyes, Seol Jungyeon realized for sure that he was the same man who defeated the Supreme Dharma, a Shinhwakyung Expert and saved her from her loneliness. She also convinced that Yoo Seodam was really trying to kill Bang Ho-win in this place today. How is it? Did you find anything? The relic of Dharma''s Black Sword. It was a sword that allowed you to cross over to another world. But from the information that Yoo Seodam received, it was said that Dharma had already gone through two dimensional movements and the sword was now essentially useless. Is that so.'' Yoo Seodam raised his head and looked at the sky. Not only him, everyone had no choice but to turn their heads. It was because something slowly appeared at the horizon, dyeing the whole sky with a dark energy. That something had only bones left with no flesh and skin. Its body stretched over 50m long with three pairs of wings on its back. A diamond-like claws could be found on its every limbs. Moreover, on top of its head, five broken horns were menacingly pointed to the sky. The creatures blue noble eyes fluttered as if it was scanning the entire world before letting out a silent roar. .!! It may feel like it was a soundless roar. However, it was a roar in the frequency that human hearing could not detect. To put it in the language of the Murim people, it was a Lion Roar technique that had reached the extreme. -Chiiik, this is command centre. We announce the appearance of Bone Dragon''. Estimated grade SSS+rank. Godspeed. Chapter 127: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (4) Please turn your AdBlock off and put our site in your whitelist~ Because finally, we got ads >, Shutout to our new Protagonist tier Patron Fuzion and Jeff, thank you very much~ Btw, Patron chapter already on the new arc~ Approximately 32 years had passed since the Great War. Throughout those years, numerous monsters had appeared on earth. Yet, the number of appearances of SSS-rank monsters can be counted with two hands. Despite that, mankind remembers every single one of them. It was because, every time an SSS-rank monster appears, it only disappears after creating a new record in the history. However, today was different. Even though an SSS-rank monster had appeared before mankind, there were two SSS-rank experts who stood proudly at the forefront. It was Seol Jungyeon, and Bang Ho-win. But, unfortunately, Bang Ho-win didnt have any intention to fight against the Bone Dragon. There was no reason for Bang Ho-win to deal with the Skeleton Dragon. -From now on, we will divide into two teams, binding team and tanking team. Superhumans capable of long-distance attack As the order from the command centre flowed out from the radio, Bang Ho-win started to conceal his energy as much as possible. He was sure that he could beat Seol Jungyeon as long as he could land one surprise hit on her. Yes, let''s stand still'' Bang Ho-win smiled as he slowly circulated his naegong. However suddenly, -Chijik! Emergency! Emergency! An expert of Murim suddenly attacking allies! ".What?" As Bang Ho-win turned his head in a hurry, he saw Seol Jungyeon staring straight at him. In this situation, he could no longer able to execute his surprise attack plan. He tried to calm his breath as he looked to the distance. Smiling Shadow was randomly swinging his black ether blade towards American hunters and experts from New Murim League. However, his attack wasnt dangerous at all. It was a blow that wouldnt even hinder normal people. In other words, he was deliberately causing conflict so that Murim Hohyanghoe would fight against both New Murim League and the hunters. Whats wrong with that kid?!'' Bang Ho-win couldnt understand why Smiling Shadow was suddenly acting like that. However, what he had to do doesn''t change in the slightest. It was to capture Seol Jungyeon. Swooosh~!! Suddenly, a lump of energy flew towards Bang Ho-wins neck. Thanks to his instinct, Bang Ho-win was able to sense it and hurriedly raised his arms in order to block it. Keuk! However, because it was such a powerful blow, blood began to drip from his forearm. LLord of New Murim League has fought back against Murim Hohyanghoe! -China''s Murim Hohyanghoe has betrayed the expedition! All combatants are allowed to counterattack! -You fucking terrorists! I knew it! From the beginning, there were several criticisms against Murim Hohyanghoes participation in the expedition. It was mainly because their leader, Bang Ho-win, was someone who was responsible for the terror act four years ago. However, because the United States was faced off against the notorious Great Rift, they need all the help they could possibly get. That was why they didnt stop a powerful expert like Bang Ho-win from stepping on their soil. The United States planned on detaining Bang Ho-win immediately after the Great Rift expedition was over. There was no way Bang Ho-win wasn''t aware of the United States plan. He just didnt care about it since he planned to go directly to Murim as soon as he absorbed Seol Jungyeons spirit. However, because of the stunt that Smiling Shadow pulled, his plan has come to a naught. Rotten kid!!!!'' Bang Ho-wins strength hadnt fully recovered just yet. That was why he tried to gain the upper hand through a surprise attack, but things went wrong. -The New Murim League is an ally! The tiny ball launched by the Smiling Shadow had become a huge avalanche. Bang Ho-win was being pushed back by Seol Jungyeon slowly and steadily. Whatever! it''s all over once I defeat Seol Jungyeon!'' Yoo Seodam who was watching the fight between Seol Jungyeon and Bang Ho-win was greatly taken aback. Noonim, please step back! Yoo Seodam realized once again that not everything in the world would go according to his plan. He was expecting Bang Ho-win to launch some kind of surprise attack, but the timing of the attack he had in his mind was completely off. The Bone Dragon is still flying Damn it!'' Yoo Seodams attack using other peoples power was quite famous. When he was still an F-rank hunter, there was an incident where he had manipulated an S-rank monster to kill a runaway hunter. He also employed the same tactic when he killed Supreme Dharma. That''s why Bang Ho-win tried to attack Yoo Seodam before he could do anything because theres no guarantee that Yoo Seodam wouldnt use his signature move again. Fortunately, Bang Ho-wins surprise attack plan had failed. On top of it, the Bone Dragon was also paying attention to another place. However, Yoo Seodam still couldnt believe that Seol Jungyeon was the one who initiated the fight, not Bang Ho-win. "Noonim! Step back now! I will fight him! Yoo Seodam wanted to fight against Bang Ho-win. Even though his plan went wrong, he believed that he would find another way somehow. However, Seol Jungyeon shook his head. She was aware just how hard Yoo Seodam had trained in the past six months. She could never forget his figure who shed tears and blood while sparring against her. However, in the end, he was only an S-rank, and after Seol Jungyeon saw Bang Ho-win today, she reached a conclusion. Against that guy, Seodam can''t last long.'' Seol Jungyeon knew that Yoo Seodam wanted to fight against Bang Ho-win because he was worried about her safety. She felt good thinking about it. However, Seol Jungyeon was aware of Yoo Seodam''s plans. That is why she knows just how reckless he is. He was planning to take that risk in order to keep her safe. So, naturally she couldnt take a step back here and hide. It was for Yoo Seodams sake. His Saekgong is definitely dangerous.'' Bang Ho-wins Saekgong was a very unique mugong. It was a questionable technique that could not be called mugong with certainty. In Murim, there are so many different types of gong, but techniques like Saekgong, which manipulates someone elses mind, are unprecedented. It could easily shake the mind of an expert in the same realm. Thinking about the nature of the Saekgong, Seol Jungyeon felt that it was natural for Yoo Seodam to be worried. But, Seol Jungyeon was confident that everything was going to be okay. ..I know the activation method of Saekgong. So, don''t worry. When Seol Jungyeon spoke confidently, Yoo Seodam had no other choice but to accept it. Amongst all kinds of women he had met while traveling through numerous worlds, Seol Jungyeon was greater and stronger than anyone else. That said, Yoo Seodam had no intention of leaving her alone. I will help too. Yoo Seodam was still only an S-rank. He was nothing but a mosquito in front of a Hyunkyung Expert who had been fighting for a lifetime. Even so, he didnt have any plans to back off even if Seol Jungyeon told him to. He picked up the radio and talked to Celeste, who was waiting outside the Rift. The operation is going well. You don''t have to worry, you also don''t have to come inside. -Okay. Originally, Yoo Seodam didnt want to bring anyone from Another League. However, Celeste insisted that she wanted to come, so in the end, he was forced to bring Celeste. As she hadnt taken an A-rank promotion test yet, she wasnt allowed to enter the Great Rift. That was why she was patiently waiting outside. Yoo Seodam felt that that part was rather fortunate. If she ran into a monster like that, Celeste could die in an instant.'' Meanwhile, when things turned out quite to his liking, the corner of Bang Ho-wins mouth lifted up. Stupid bitch.'' If Seol Jungyeon insisted on fighting together with Yoo Seodam, it was better for him. Inside the complex mind of a human, theres always a place for an emotion called love. It is a place that is originally empty but is gradually filled up by people they grew up with. It could be family, siblings, friends, or lastly, lovers, who occupy the greatest importance. However, inside the mind of humans, there were numerous gaps that could be penetrated. The Heart and Mind Dominating Technique used by Bang Ho-win penetrates into such gaps, and fills all the spaces with him, forcing his target to be completely obsessed with him. It was truly a martial art worthy of being called an evil sorcery. Actually, instead of mugong, it was more apt to call it mind control. However no one in Murim was aware of that fact. When two Hyunkyung Experts finally clashed against each other, sparks scattered everywhere as the air around them trembled. With his fist raised, Bang Ho-win looked at the eyes of Seol Jungyeon. However, she didn''t make any eye contact with him. Instead, she was looking at the tip of his toes. Thats right, didnt you say that you know about me? But unfortunately, its useless. Bang Ho-win, who had achieved the state of Hyunkyung, could use a variety of methods to apply the Heart and Mind Dominating Technique on the other person. The best thing to do was to make direct contact with the opponents skin and make eye contact. However, he could also utilize it with just a simple hand gesture or action, albeit only for a few moments. Honestly, in terms of pure skills, Seol Jungyeon was leaps and bounds above Bang Ho-win. It was because sorcery was completely unsuitable with the state of Hyunkyung. However, the current fight was more advantageous for Bang Ho-win because Seol Jungyeon had to pay attention to every minor hand movement made by Bang Ho-win while fighting a psychological warfare without even making eye contact with him. Heupp!! Bang Ho-win kicked the ground and approached Seol Jungyeon like a bullet that had been fired. He realized that Seol Jungyeon was unable to read his movements properly, so he tried to target her blind spot as much as possible. He mainly aimed for her upper body such as her shoulders, eyes, and head and performed a simple hand movement in accordance with the timing of his attack. Flinch! Seol Jungyeon, whose pupils became blank, momentarily returned to her original state in less than 0.1 seconds. But in the fight between experts, that brief gap was enormously large. Now!'' Bang Ho-win reaches towards Seol Jungyeons head. And in that moment, Taang~~!! A gunfire suddenly exploded and a bullet found its mark on Bang ho-win''s right arm. Keuk! The pain Bang Ho-win felt wasn''t that great, but something was strange. His skin that had been grazed by the bullet started to harden like a stone. Even though his skin would return to normal as soon as he circulates naegong towards those parts, it was still very annoying. Right I think it was something called magic?'' Right after Bang Ho-win nullified Yoo Seodams magic, Seol Jungyeon swung her sword towards him. In front of the incoming attack, Bang Ho-win bent his knee to avoid it and counterattacked by sending an uppercut towards Seol Jungyeons upper body. Seol Jungyeon was forced to face the upcoming attack. However, because she was wary of eye contact, she chose to take a step back instead of blocking it. Bang Ho-win, who expected those moves, swiftly moved towards Yoo Seodam. [The sixth sense skill has been activated!] !! Yoo Seodam couldnt see any sign or even a preparatory move from Bang Ho-win. When he came to his senses, Bang Ho-win was already stretching his hand towards him. However, thanks to his fights against Seol Jungyeon for the last six months, it was possible for Yoo Seodam to avoid Bang Ho-wins attack through intuition alone. Yoo Seodam rolled to the ground as he scattered grenades into the air. Even with grenades exploding around him, Bang Ho-win still swung his fists towards him. However, when Seol Jungyeon approached him and aimed her sword towards his arm, Bang Ho-win swiftly pulled his fist away and retreated to the side. Both of them are very annoying.'' Bang Ho-win intuitively realized that Seol Jungyeon and Yoo Seodam had never fought together. It was only a matter of course since theres no way a Hyunkyung expert would fight side by side with someone who has barely become an expert. But, strangely, the two of them worked together really well. They knew each other''s weaknesses well and covered each other''s gaps. But, the fight continued to be one-sided. It was impossible for Seol Jungyeon to fight properly when she couldnt even see Bang Ho-wins movement properly. She had to pay close attention to even his simple hand movements. In addition, Yoo Seodam had to give up any plan he had and run away as soon as he felt that Bang Ho-win would aim for him because if Bang Ho-win really put his mind into it, he could catch Yoo Seodam in less than ten seconds. Kwaang!! Ugh! Seol Jungyeon suffered a heavy blow to her abdomen as she barely blocked Bang Ho-win fist with the tip of her sword. Cough!! Cough!! Seol Jungyeon coughed a mouthful of blood as she tried to block another attack from Bang Ho-win. However, she couldnt do it. The attack landed on her shoulder. And then, a wave of naegong dug into her body and twisted her naegong and blood. Seol Jungyeons right hand trembled. For her, who mainly wielded the sword with her right hand, the blow on her right arm was affecting her quite a lot. But she couldn''t let the sword go, she hurriedly wielded it with her left hand. I can still do it.'' Wounds keep piling on Seol Jungyeons body. She reassured herself that she could definitely hold on. Because she knew, if she kept enduring like this, a chance would surely come. She was very well aware that Yoo Seodam was unable to land a good hit at Bang Ho-win. It means that the only person who could hurt him was her. To some extent, she knew the plan that Yoo Seodam had created. However, since the battle took place before they could defeat the Bone Dragon, it seems unlikely for him to execute that plan. If that''s the case, Seol Jungyeon had to personally find a way Just a little bit more'' But deep down, Seol Jungyeon was still searching for the way to beat Bang Ho-win. Just by hearing his light finger flick, her body stops moving. If she makes eye contact with him, perhaps all of her heart would be taken away by him. In Murim, theres no record of a naegong that could stand up against Bang Ho-win''s Saekgong that digs into the depths of mind. Because techniques like Saekgong had rarely appeared throughout history. And then suddenly, an idea popped out in her mind. It was such a ridiculous and absurd idea. But somehow, Seol Jungyeon felt that it would be possible. It was an intuition of Hyunkyung exp- no. It was a woman''s intuition. .. After taking a deep breath, Seol Jungyeon raised her sword with her left hand and pointed it towards Bang Ho-win. Even after several rounds of battle, Bang Ho-win still looked fine as ever. Seol Jungyeon slowly closed her eyes. The moment Bang Ho-win wriggled his eyebrows, Seol Jungyeon opened her eyes again. Then she made eye contact with Bang Ho-win. "Noooooooo!!" Yoo Seodam''s voice could be heard from a distance, but it was already late. Seol Jungyeons pupils were already losing its focus and she had also completely stopped moving. The situation itself was unbelievable, but in the end, Bang Ho-win was filled with joy, and burst into laughter. Kuhahahahahahaha-!! The loud laughter that was comparable to a lions roar echoed throughout the Giant Rift. Everyone had no choice but to stop fighting. Their gaze naturally turned toward Bang Ho-win and Seol Jungyeon. They could see Seol Jungyeon was looking at the air vacantly with her hand still gripping her sword. Everyone could see the meaning behind Bang Ho-win laughter. Bang Ho-win had succeeded in applying Heart and Mind Dominating Technique on Seol Jungyeon. Ha. In the end, after struggling so much, she still became like this. He glanced towards Yoo Seodam who was stunned stiff before shouting towards the American Hunters, New Murim League, and the Murim Hohyanghoe, who had lost their fighting spirit. Comrades! Its our victory! Its time to return to our homeland! Murim people who wanted to return to their hometown cheered. Then, louder than before, Bang Ho-win shouted once again. Hear me oh People of Murim who surrendered to modern society! In the end, it was impossible for your lord to resist after making eye contact with me! Now do you know who is right? Murim was the world of the weak and strong. Naturally, the strongest, who is the victor, is always right. That was the law of Murim. Bang Ho-win slowly walked towards the wounded Seol Jungyeon. Every single movement of him was captured by the camera. Right, modern civilization is really comfortable. I could show what your Lord which you deeply believe would become. The moment Bang Ho-win reached out towards Seol Jungyeon to complete the Heart and Mind Dominating Technique, Swoooosh~~~!!! Seol Jungyeons sword slashed at Bang Ho-win''s body. Chapter 128: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (5) Please turn your AD blocker off and put our sites in your white list~ thank you~ Ahhhhhhhhh!! Bang Ho-wins scream resonated through the Great Rift. In a blink of an eye, his left arm was amputated along with his man''s symbol. The pain he felt right now was surely indescribable, and with only one arm left, he couldnt heal both of his wounds. (E/N: For my dear innocent readers, his mans symbol refers to the lecherous thing between his legs) As Bang Ho-win shed tears of blood. He stumbled and shouted at Seol Jungyeon who had fallen to her knees due to exhaustion. "How did you do it? Just what kind of sorcery did you use!! Yoo Seodam, who ran towards Seol Jungyeon with a worried face, could only look at her with bewildered eyes. According to the information I recieved, Bang Ho-wins Saekgong has an absolute effect against the opposite sex. Was it wrong?'' Then, a smile bloomed on Seol Jungyeon''s exhausted face as she recalled the reason why she could break free from Bang Ho-wins Mind and Heart Dominating Technique. It was because of the gap.'' Every human being had a gap in their heart. To be precise, it was an emotion called love. As they grow up, those gaps would be filled by people around them. But, it was impossible to fill it continuously till the day they died. But, it was only true for those who lived a normal life. Seol Jungyeon''s life was far from a normal life. She used to be the Master of the Cheonma Sect of Murim in the past. In those days, she commanded tens of thousands of troops who looked up to her and millions of people who believed and followed her. As she was loved by everyone, and also showed love to those who follow her, she never lacked love. However, on a certain day, she lost all of her loved one because of a wicked man. She felt miserable. She lost all her motivation to keep living, her heart quickly became empty, and nothing could fill the gap anymore. Yet, she was forced to live on in despair without even being allowed to die. And after some time had passed, someone suddenly came and filled her heart. He was a man who gave her another reason to keep living. He became Seol Jungyeons everything and filled her heart without allowing anyone else to invade it. Deep down in her heart, Seol Jungyeon was aware. New Murim League? The Supreme Cheonma? Murim Lord? The future of the Murim people? A world where Murim people could live comfortably? She didn''t need any of that. The reason why she became the Lord of New Murim Alliance was for Yoo Seodam. The reason she was paying extra attention to the future of Murim people was for Yoo Seodam. She wanted to achieve Murim peoples dream so she could assist Yoo Seodams dream. Obviously, Bang Ho-wins Mind and Heart Dominating Technique was a fraudulent mugong that could control someone elses mind regardless of their status. But what if there were no gaps at all? What if every space in their heart was filled with just one person? Yoo Seodam, Yoo Seodam, Yoo Seodam. Seol Jungyeon''s mind and heart was already filled with that one person. No one could invade it. Even Saekma cant touch me.'' Seol Jungyeon took a deep breath, and lifted her sword once again. Her body was filled with wounds and she was tired, but she could still fight a little more. You cant act like a man now. Hiks hiks (fake crying sound), it really hurts my heart. This Bitchhh!! Bang Ho-win cursed as he clenched his teeth and tried to circulate his naegong. At the same time, Yoo Seodam realized that the moment in front of him was an opportunity. He couldnt be completely sure what kind of opportunity it was. However, one thing that he knew was that everyone''s attention was focused on Bang Ho-win. System, please help!'' It''s okay!'' And then, Yoo Seodam shouted. Everyone, listen to me! He hadn''t learned the lion roar technique, but it was a very easy task to draw everyones attention when their attention was already focused on his vicinity in the first place. As soon as everyone looked at him, Yoo Seodam took out his equipment from the inventory. Along with a pure white glow, a white armor and a pair of white boots appeared in the air, and automatically attached to his body. Yoo Seodam drew more attention as he used [automatic equipping system], which could not be explained with any science and technology. As people''s eyes widened, Yoo Seodam continued his show by taking out his white sword, and pointed it into the air. Bang Ho-win has deceived you! Did you really believe what he said about bringing you back home? Its all a lie! Hes just pulled you in to take advantage of you! No one believed what Yoo Seodam said. It was only natural. For Murim people, the credibility of a Hyunkyung Expert like Bang Ho-win was way higher than Yoo Seodam, who barely achieved S-rank. However, Yoo Seodam was not an ordinary S-rank hunter. I''m sorry. Even though you told not to disclose it'' Yoo Seodam swung into the empty air. The air crackled with a bright golden hue. Beyond that crack, another world'' appeared. Unlike the interior of the Great Rift, the world inside Yoo Seodams Rift was painted in a sunsets glow. It was an unknown world where all buildings had already collapsed. Since Yoo Seodam only requested to summon the nearest random dimension, even the system does not know where this is. However, the only fact that mattered was the fact that Yoo Seodam had created a door to another world. N.no way.. Did he just create a rift in the air? Then, Yoo seodam shouted the powerful words towards the member of Murim Hohyanghoe. I can bring you back home! "This!" Bang Ho-win tried to cover Yoo Seodam''s mouth, but Seol Jungyeon squeezed out the last remaining power she had and moved in front of Bang Ho-win to block him. Even though Bang Ho-wins one arm was cut off, and he was unable to use Mind and Heart Dominating Technique, he was still able to affect a woman''s heart. Seeing Seol Jungyeon slowly being pushed back by Bang Ho-win, Yoo Seodam screamed once again. Do you understand who is the one you should believe now?! If you stop fighting now, you can return home anytime you want! At that time, the Bone Dragon flew and scratched the ground. It had caused more casualties compared to the civil war. If the Bone Dragon was left unattended more than this, a really big accident would happen. So, lets close the Great Rift and go back! Shortly after hearing Yoo Seodams words, several Murim Experts who were forced to follow Bang Ho-win started to be shaken. It''s an opportunity!'' Smiling Shadow, who was deliberately interfering with Bang Ho-wins plan, shouted the words he had always wanted to say. Anyway, he has already become a cripple! Even if what he said to us was true, he can no longer do so since it is impossible for him to reach the realm of Shinhwakyung now! "Thats right! I actually didn''t like following such a disgusting man from the beginning. To deceive us with such a lie! Not all Murim experts were immediately swayed by the words of the Yoo Seodam. However, as soon as few Murim experts started to state their stance and their opinion, the situation immediately favored Yoo Seodam. Let''s take down the Bone Dragon and get the chance to return once more! Soon after, the hunters, the members of New Murim League as well as the members of Murim Hohyanghoe temporarily stopped fighting. Although they were not cooperating with each other, they began to face a common enemy, the Bone Dragon. Their individual level was very high, and because there were 10 SS-rank in total, the Bone Dragon could be suppressed rather swiftly. The only problem left was Bang Ho-win. In the state where he only had one arm left and could no longer use his mind controlling skill, he was still able to overpower Seol Jungyeon. Even though he had been reduced to his current state, his mysterious mugong, which could make his opponent stop in the middle, and his Mind and Heart Dominating Technique, which he had learned all his life, still remained. He only needed a simple hand movement to stop Seol Jungyeon in her trails. Damn it! What the hell is that mugong? The system tried to explain it to Yoo Seodam. However, Yoo Seodam couldnt listen to her explanation because in front of him, he saw Seol Jungyeon being flung to the air before crashing to the ground after she failed to defend against Bang Ho-wins punch. Yoo Seodam didnt have enough time to take out the Winchester 777 from his inventory and aim it at Bang Ho-win. So, using the skill attached to his boots, he narrowed the distance between him and Bang Ho-win and swung his sword. Boom!! Bang Ho-win stopped Yoo Seodams sword before aiming his fist at Yoo Seodams abdomen. He thought that Seodams armor was nothing but an ordinary armor. Unfortunately for him, Yoo Seodam was able to endure his punch thanks to his hero-grade armor. Yoo Seodam once again swung his swords towards Bang Ho-win. Boom!! A huge crater was created as the aftermath of the exchange. As Yoo Seodam bounced away because of the impact, Seol Jungyeon rained a series of attacks towards Bang Ho-win with all her might. It was an attack that could cut anything in its path. You trash-like bitch!!! Bang Ho-win endured. The pain from losing one of his arms was no longer there because his reasoning clouded by his anger. As the fight prolonged, Bang Ho-wins movement grew duller and duller. It was because he had lost a lot of blood. Moreover, the effect of Mind and Heart Dominating Technique as well as his Saekgong gradually become weaker. However, before Bang Ho-win completely collapsed, Seol Jungyeon lost all her strength and collapsed first. In the first place, it was a miracle to be able to fight against a mind controlling sorcery this long. However, fortunately. -This is the command center! The Bone Dragon has been defeated! I repeat! The Bone Dragon has been defeated! -We also confirmed that the core energy'' of the Great Rift has disappeared and the rift has started to close. Expedition members must return as soon as possible. Because the Bone Dragon had been defeated, it was now possible to draw the picture that Yoo Seodam really wanted from here on. What!!! As the hunters and the Murim people began to rush toward the exit, Bang Ho-win became quite nervous. He was no longer able to use his Saekgong, which meant that even if he captured Seol Jungyeon, he cannot absorb her naegong and rise to the state of Shinhwakyung. In other words, it was impossible for him to return to Murim by using the Dharma''s Black Sword'' in his possession. If that was the case, Bang Ho-win thought it would be better for him to escape this place first. Even if it was not Saekgong, there are many ways to absorb other peoples naegong. If only he could find an old master with a good amount of naegong like four years ago Huh Where did she go?'' Bang Ho-win belatedly realized that someone was carrying the passed out Seol Jungyeon and running away. The familiar man who was carrying Seol Jungyeon on his arm was no other than Smiling Shadow. Smiling Shadow!!! His scream echoed loudly. However, he couldn''t stop Smiling Shadow who had run away and grouped up with the other New Murim Alliances members in order to get out of the Rift. Bang Ho-win focused all of his strength on his feet. He tried to chase Smiling Shadow in one leap and tear him to death. However, at that moment, a magic circle was created in the air. In the next moment, Bang Ho-wins body was wrapped in chains. "You and your dog-like trick again!" It would have been easy to tear off the chain if Bang Ho-win still had both of his arms. However, with only one arm, he couldn''t unravel the strange chains wrapped around his body. However, in the end, he was still a Hyunkyung Expert. Even with one arm he was able to rip the chains in no time. Bang Ho-win aimed his bloody gaze towards Yoo Seodam who was on the ground. He looked like he didn''t have any intention of escaping the Rift. What is he doing? Bang Ho-win muttered to himself as he looked at the ground with a sense of incongruity. He could see his shadow was overlapping with Yoo Seodam''s shadow. Then, Yoo Seodam laughed as he stared at the space between Bang Ho-wins legs. Missy, do you have some spare time? Chapter 129: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (6) Please turn your AdBlock off and put our site on your whitelist~ And Nocturne Translation is recruiting translator~ Join our discord and ping the admins for further info~ A vein popped on Bang Ho-wins forehead. If he knew that Yoo Seodam would hinder him to this extent, he would''ve killed him sooner. This is.! Suddenly, Bang Ho-win could feel an unknown energy pulling him down from the shadow. Youre using some suspicious magic again! Bang Ho-win tried to break away from the shadow. He circulated his naegong and put all of his strength into his legs. ..what!'' However, he couldnt break away easily. The unknown energy in the shadow was extremely thick. Yoo Seodam smiled in satisfaction. Truth is, it was magic that he had been preparing for six months just for this moment. It was a binding magic that couldnt be torn apart easily. Of course, it was impossible to bind a Hyunkyung Expert for a long time. If it was Seol Jungyeon, if she seriously tried, she could break away from it in 10 seconds However, his opponent right now wasnt in his top condition. He was heavily injured. On top of it, Yoo Seodam wouldnt just let Bang Ho-win try. "I see Swoooshh~~! Bang Ho-win bloodshot eyes stared at Yoo Seodam as his naegong spread in all directions. If I kill you. I can get rid of this annoying shadow! Bang Ho-win rushed towards Yoo Seodam as he shouted. However, Yoo Seodam had already disappeared. Quickly figuring out what''s happening, Bang Ho-win could see Yoo Seodam in the distance not too far from him. He kicked the ground once again and his body shot forward towards Yoo Seodam. The ground split in half, but unfortunately, his kick narrowly missed the target. Bang Ho-win gritted his teeth, he was annoyed. This fight was supposed to be a fight he could easily win. He only needed one proper hit. However, Yoo Seodam, who was way weaker than him, kept slipping from his attack like a damn loach. Do you think I cant catch you even though I only have one arm? Bang Ho-win circulated all his remaining naegong and moved rapidly towards Yoo Seodam and swung his fist. Boom!! However, the item skill [Barrier of Brightness] was activated. A pure white light burst out, completely protecting Yoo Seodam from the impact. It was a skill that could only be triggered once. But Yoo Seodam was satisfied that he could survive longer. And then Yoo Seodam rolled over the ground and leaped into the sky. To be fair, Yoo Seodam was quite fast. Thanks to the skill inside his boots, he was able to achieve speed comparable to an SS-rank Body strengthening-type hunter. However, against a Hyunkyung Expert, his speed was like a poodle running in front of a car. Crack!!! Kuuuukkkkkk. Yoo Seodam could feel the bones in feet shattering because of Bang Ho-win''s sudden kick. In retaliation, he swung his sword towards Bang Ho-win. However, Bang Ho-win easily dodged it and crushed his wrist. After that, Yoo Seodam could feel several hits on his abdomen before his consciousness turned dim. Kuhh! It was inevitable for him to get hurt. It was already a miracle that he had lasted for more than a few minutes against a Hyunkyung Expert. He was aware that he was still alive because of [Death Rejection] skill that had already been activated and was recovering his stamina while cutting down his life span. However, its still not enough Just a little bit more. I need to keep him busy until the Rift is closed. Yoo Seodam stood up once again. Because his right hand was broken, he couldnt wield his sword with it. Thats why he pulled out the ether blade with his left hand and tried to swing it. But, Bang Ho-win easily caught the blade with his fingertips. Snap! Bang Ho-win broke the blade into two and used Yoo Seodam''s own blade to stab it in his abdomen. (P/N "You have my respect, Stark. I hope they remember you.") Keuuuk!! As blood poured out from Yoo Seodams mouth, Bang Ho-win circulated his naegong and broke away from the shadow without delay. Bang Ho-win turned his head and looked into the distance. He could see that the portal was on the verge of being completely closed. He felt regretful. Bang Ho-win really wanted to kill Yoo Seodam. But, he couldnt afford to waste any more time. He thought that even if he left him alone, he would be trapped here and eventually be killed by skeletons. Boom!! Bang Ho-win kicked the ground and leaped into the air. Suddenly, the size of the portal became smaller than before. It was now at the size where only two or three adults could fit into. I can still get out!'' As Bang Ho-win reached closer to the portal, he could see a female swordsman with golden hair and blue eyes standing in front of the portal. Her name was Celeste Costantini. However, Bang Ho-win didnt know about it. The only thing that he knew was the fact that she was blocking him. Get out of the way!! Bang Ho-win scattered his naegong and tried to activate Heart and Mind Domination Technique to make her move away. Unfortunately, his opponent wasnt someone from Murim but rather a hunter. On top of it, she didnt make any eye contact with him as if she already knew the condition to activate the Heart and Mind Domination Technique. Try to stop my punch then!'' Whether she was a hunter or something else, Bang Ho-win didnt care at all. By scanning her power, he could tell that she was only at a level of first-grade swordsman. If that is the case, he only needed to punch her once to make that cheeky woman crumble into dust. It should have been that way. Sounds of two metal clashing against each other rang as the sword which Celeste swung hit Bang Ho-win''s right arm and produced a slight shock wave. "What the!!!!" Bang Ho-wins eyes opened wide as he didn''t expect her to have that much power. This is mugong? A hunter with a body strengthening ability who also uses mugong? Bang Ho-win couldn''t believe it, but it didn''t matter now. Because he needed to hurry. He had no time. Although he had been pushed out due to being careless and running out of naegong, if he paid more attention, he was confident that he would be able to get rid of her instantly. However, Bang Ho-wins fist couldnt reach her. Her speed was too fast for a first-grade swordmaster. On top of it, she could also launch a counterattack against Bang Ho-win. This rotten bitch!! Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwang!!! Bang Ho-win circulated his naegong and infused it into his punch. After the third punch, Celeste couldnt hold on any more and flew back into the portal due to the impact. As she was flying back, Bang Ho-win could see her saying This is for my father''. "Ah." As the portal closed completely, Bang Ho-wins right arm, which was still stretched out because of the previous attack, was also severed. It was as if the battles up until now were nothing but a dream, the silence covered the world. Bang Ho-win, who lost both of his arms, looked into the air for a long time with blank expression. Why did it turn out like this? Even when he thought about it again, he still couldn''t understand the situation he was in. Where have my arms gone? Why is the space between my legs empty, and why am I trapped here? Such questions passed through his head, before, eventually a certain face came to mind. Yoo.Seo.Dam!! Anger engulfed Bang Ho-wins whole body. He couldn''t forgive him. He had hindered him from recovering his lost power by capturing Seol Jungyeon. Now, let alone Murim, he couldnt even return to Earth. Bang Ho-win shouted once again as he found one thing that he could do now. YOO SEODAAAMMM!! Bang Ho-win turned away and ran towards the place where Yoo Seodam had fallen. Even though the distance was the same, he took dozens of times longer to get there. But still, it wasn''t that long before he reached there. Bang Ho-win found Yoo Seodam collapsed in the same place as before with blood flowing out from his abdomen. It was as if he was waiting for him. I thought you were busy. Do you have time left? [1098] Despite the situation he was in, Yoo Seodam was still mocking Bang Ho-win. In retaliation, he shouted angrily towards him. I will make sure you cannot talk like that ever again!! Scary~ Can you even do something terrible.to me when you dont have that little thing anymore? [876] Even while coughing blood, Yoo Seodam kept blabbering. Bang Ho-win slowly approached him and said, I will make you suffer to the point where you feel death is better. do not even think of asking for forgiveness from me. "Forgiveness?" [543] As if he found the word funny, Yoo Seodam smiled and raised his middle finger. "This-" With a faint smile, he spoke, -is what you dont have now. ..What!!! [210] Bang Ho-win stretched his hand toward Yoo Seodam before realizing that something was wrong. ah.'' He had no arms left. .Wheeing!! In the next moment, Yoo Seodam disappeared as a white light enveloped him. Ahahah. After belatedly realizing the situation, Bang Ho-win screamed and shed tears of blood which splattered on the floor. However, no one was there to respond to him. * * * [Dimensional travel is complete.] The blunt mechanical voice tickled my ears. . My head hurts because the system keeps screaming. I think I can take out a potion from the inventory and drink it. Oh, by the way will it recover blood loss? I dont know. The world is getting darker. Everything is blurry. Is this the Earth? Oh, I see. It was a tougher fight than I thought. I thought I could win no matter what. However, naturally, there was no such thing as a guaranteed fight. I thought I had come to my senses the other day. But it seems like Ive become quite arrogant since I could hunt protagonists rather easily. Did I forget that for a hunter, the most important thing is prudence? When I thought that my precious person was in danger, I overworked myself. It was my mistake. I was stupid. That''s why it turned out like this. If I had been a little wiser, it could turn out better. The system''s voice gradually faded away. Why was it fading away? Where did it go? You also dont know? I don''t know. I''m sleepy. I think it would be comfortable if I fall asleep. Yeah, let''s go to sleep. Systems voice turned smaller and smaller. ..Professor! The world became completely dark after I saw the scene of a pure white naked girl with fluttering black hair and a bullet necklace jumping onto me. Chapter 130: Alone In A Destroyed World (1) Please disable your AdBlock or put our site in your whitelist to support us. Thank you very much~ And we are still hiring Translator, so join the club guys~ In Seattle, USA. Theres a university hospital that specializes in treating injured superhumans and hunters. It was a hospital that boasted a world-renowned staff line-up as well as a state of the art facility. But, because it was a hospital that only treated superhumans and hunters who had a unique disposition, they rarely received any patients. Even though this was the case, their facilities were always in the best condition. Anne was one of the nurses who worked at the Seattle University Hospital. She was an elite among elites, an experienced nurse who is rarely nervous even when she meets S-rank hunters who are being treated at their hospital. But today she was particularly nervous. It was because she has been appointed to tend to the strongest hunter in the world, the Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon. However, she wasnt alone, as there were ten more nurses assigned to take care of Seol Jungyeon besides Anne. Apart from the nurses, there were also a doctor and a Murim counselor around. But she still couldn''t help but tremble. Is this the so-called Sacred Pill or something like that? "WellI don''t know either. Dont you know this? If you read a martial arts novel, it was something that was made at some kind of a Shaolin Temple, what was it called? Ah!! Shaolin Sacred Pill! Maybe this one is similar to that To think I would actually see this. It was made in the Shaolin Temple to be eaten by the Lord, so dont touch it, okay? It wasnt a fake Sacred Pill created by a fake Shaolin in China, but it was a real Sacred Pill created by a real Shaolin Master who actually existed in Murim. It was a valuable item reserved only for Seol Jungyeon. Shortly after, Anne took a deep breath and pushed the medical cart full of medicines, including the Sacred Pill, and headed to the ward on the uppermost floor which is where Seol Jungyeon was staying. As she got closer to the Seol Jungyeons ward, Anne could see several Murim Experts who were guarding her ward. Some wore black robes, some wore modern suits, and some were completely shirtless. All of them were muscular and had a menacing look. They always glared at people who approached their lords ward with terrifying eyes, including doctors and nurses. However, they weren''t fools, so they wouldnt do something stupid towards doctors and nurses who was doing their job to heal their lord. Rather, Anne knew that they were kind. They were just. a little bit scary. Oh, lady nurse. You have to properly take care of the Sacred Pill. I''m sorry to ask when you are so busy, but are there any restaurants that sell rice soup nearby? Theres none? Gosh why are there so many things that are not available in America? The Murim experts were quite friendly to the nurses. They felt like a kind local neighbor for the nurses. But Anne knew who they really are because of what happened the other day when some reporters secretly sneaked in, hoping to get a scoop about Seol Jungyeon. After lightly greeting the Murim people guarding their lord, Anne finally arrived in front of her ward. As she knocked, she heard a voice from the inside saying "Come in". It was a very beautiful voice that made her happy just by listening to it. When she entered the hospital room, she could see a woman with platinum hair, which were dyed slightly yellow due to the warm sunlight seeping through the open window, sitting on the bed. Anne thought that time was coming to halt. She was mesmerized by the Murim Lords beauty. If the goddess of ice were to manifest herself, would she look like this? -Today''s news! There was an incident where the Murim Hohyanghoe, who participated in the raid of the Great Rift in America, betrayed the expedition and turned around. -There are many criticisms being poured out towards the United States of America, who had accepted these terrorists entry in the nation. -All the Murim people of the Murim Hohyanghoe were arrested by the New Murim League. Criticism is pouring out towards the United States for leaving the incident in the hands of another party, but the President of the United States dismissed it by saying, The New Murim League deserves to handle this personally. Seol Jungyeon was watching the news. The content of the news itself was roughly the same. It was all related to the Great Rift she dealt with a few days ago. -It turns out that terrorist Bang Ho-win was actually an SSS-rank superhuman. Meanwhile, praises are pouring out towards Seol Jungyeon, the lord of New Murim League, who had successfully overpowered Bang Ho-win -It has been revealed that the Guild Master of Another League, Yoo Seodam, is capable of creating a gap in the dimension. Previously, he was known to have succeeded in the project of turning dungeons into a guild hideout. -Accusations against China are pouring. The Chinese Government has officially stated that what happened in the Great Rift had nothing to do with them, but the criticisms have not stopped. The media from all over the world was insanely noisy. However, Anne thought it was only natural. In the first place, the Great Rift was a phenomena that always attracts the attention of the entire world. And currently, on top of that, not only a hidden SSS-rank murim expert made an appearance, he also betrayed the expedition. Could there be any issue bigger than this? However, it only became more festive when the world came to know that it was Seol Jungyeon who successfully overpowered such SSS-rank Murim expert and persuaded the members of Murim Hohyanghoe by revealing that Yoo Seodam of Another League could open dimensions. There was so much information, but by far, the one who received the most attention is none other than Seol Jungyeon. And for Anne, it was truly dream-like to know that Seol Jungyeon was in front of her right now. E.excuse me L..Lord. As Anne calls her, Seol Jungyeon quietly turned her head and looked at her. Her eyes carried despair and gloom. Anyone who saw those eyes would feel their heart ache. Seol Jungyeon never smiled. Anne thought that if she smiled even a little, she would be really beautiful. When she was asleep, she was like a flower fairy, but when she woke up, she felt like the embodiment of ice. When Seol Jungyeon slowly stood up, Anne could see a voluminous body that was revealed through the parts that were not covered by the thin fabric of a patient''s clothing. She had felt it from the first time she saw it, but that body didn''t match Seol Jungyeon''s young face at all. Anne swallowed her saliva before slowly approaching Seol Jungyeon. Then the door of the ward silently opened as someone walked in. Ah, Lord. Anne knew her. She is the Korean girl called Shin Hye-ji who was working as Seol Jungyeons secretary. Shin Hye-ji sighed and said. Lord, didnt I tell you that if you look so absent-minded like that, people around you will also be nervous and will be unable to do anything. Smile, smile. Please smile a little. Im trying. Who were you thinking about? Shin Hye-ji didn''t ask what were you thinking about'' because Shin Hye-ji knew very well what filled her Lords mind. "No one.." As if. Lord, please stop worrying. Its Yoo Seodam we are talking about. In fact, it wasn''t just Seol Jungyeon who was worried about Yoo Seodam. People all over the world were also wondering where he was. He is not only good with Mugong and magic, but now he can also manipulate dimensions. What is his identity? No, before that. What has happened in the Great Rift that has been closed? -Meanwhile, many people are worried about Yoo Seodam as several witnesses said that Hunter Yoo Seodam couldn''t escape from the Great Rift. But according to the Chief Executive of Another League, Yekaterina, Yoo Seodam would return soon, but she did not reveal the details Coincidentally, there was news about him on TV. Shin Hye-ji was also curious about his whereabouts. But right now, she was more worried about Seol Jungyeon, who was suffering from anxiety thinking about him. He is a person who always fulfills his promise. So, let''s just believe in him and wait. Lord, you know that you''re really busy right now, right? Lets finish everything before Hunter Yoo Seodam returns" Seol Jungyeon recalled what Yoo Seodam had told her. He said that even if he was trapped in the Great Rift, he would surely return to Earth. So, he asked her to wait for him. You wouldnt always be like that. until Hunter Yoo Seodam returns, right? She was right. Seol Jungyeon realized that she couldn''t mopped around forever. As the Lord of New Murim League, the things Seol Jungyeon had to do were numerous, and many of her people were waiting for her. On top of it, she was sure that Yoo Seodam also didnt want her to be rotting in the corner like this and neglects all of her works. "You are right. Seol Jungyeon, who was able to extricate herself from her depressed state, finally smiled. It was such a faint smile that couldn''t be noticed at first glance Oh my God, my God!'' Anne screamed internally. She felt as if the whole world had been brightened with just that one smile. * * * Sometimes, when I am having a hard time, I have a dream. Most of those dreams start with a girl. She was Reyna Ju, a girl I trusted and relied on more than my deceased adoptive parents. She was someone who always cheered me on whenever I felt like giving up. When I was busy grieving over my helpless reality, she would ask me to try again. At that time, we leaned on each other and trusted each other more than anything. I trusted Rayna Ju more than my own deceased adoptive parents. However, all of that ends when 9 years ago, she was swallowed by a Great Rift. Then the dream changes to the Hell Gate raid from 7 years ago. It was a place where all terrible plagues of this world were mixed together, no dreams nor hopes could be found there. Humanity''s conquest mission of Hell Gate was bound to fail since it wasn''t a space where humans should step on. However, I saw Rayna Ju there. It was by no means a hallucination, illusion, nor a dream. Because I clearly made eye contact with her. However, right after that moment, I passed out. Even now, in my dreams, I could still see Reina Ju vividly. She, who claimed to be my guardian on behalf of my birth parents who I dont remember as well as my foster parents who died when I was still a child, was beckoning me. Suddenly, when I was walking closer towards the Hell Gate, Seodam, don''t come outside.'' Then, a golden light enveloped my body. * * * Heoeok! My eyes burst open. Just now, I think I had a dream But, I couldn''t remember it. Ugh My head throbbed. When I tried to grab my head with my left hand, I felt something was pressing on it. I turned my head to look at it. There, I could see blood-soaked Aracelli sleeping while hugging my left arm tightly. "Whatwhy?" Then, this blood. In a hurry, I checked my entire body. The wound I got from the fight against Bang Ho-win, including the one on the abdomen, had gotten better. It was not completely healed yet, but it looked like it wouldnt hinder me from moving. Besides, the flame that floated above my head had kept my body warm, so my body temperature was also normal. As soon as I heard the systems words, I raised my hand and turned the flame off. Only then I realized that the flame contained magic that preserves body temperature and recovers stamina. Wheeing!! As soon as the flame went out, a chilling wind struck my body. At the same time, I realized that I was only able to stay warm thanks to the flame. I also realized that the flame was too small to keep 2 people warm. I hurriedly looked at Aracellis face. She was dangerously pale and cold, sweat was trickling from her forehead. It turns out that she had covered her body with only a thin piece of giant grass. It was no wonder she had a hard time withstanding the cold. With only 1% mana left inside her body, she was in a much more dangerous state than me, who had almost recovered all my stamina. I took out a thick cloak from my inventory and covered Aracelli''s body with it. Then, I held Aracelli in my arms to preserve her body temperature before summoning 3 flames and lit it around us. I also gently poured warm water into her mouth. Euuummm. Not long after that, Aracelli slowly opened her eyes. She looked at me with her half-closed eyes for few moments before opening her mouth and said in a very weak voice, "Professor." Seeing her struggling, something heavy hit my chest. "Why are you overdoing it" Shortly after I spoke those words, I realized that I had made a mistake. Those words weren''t the words I wanted to say to her. ".Thank you." Aracelli smiled faintly and buried her face deeper into my chest. Then, magic circles around my heart slowly started rotating. It wasn''t by my will nor the flower spirits will, but Aracellis will. She slowly recharged her Mana through my heart. (E/N: Seodam has become a battery charger for two girls now loll) As her mana returned, her body gradually started functioning again. And as her body became warmer, it was noticeable that her complexion was also improving. "Professor." "Yes?" "Professor" Im here, you can tell me. "Dont be sick." After mumbling those words, Aracelli fell asleep in my arms. I was caught up in a strange mood as I stared at her sleeping face for a long time. It''s because her words about not getting sick, which were not really anything big, kept lingering in my head. It wasn''t a big deal, but it touched my heart because it contained her sincerity. Suddenly, I remembered her fate, which I had seen before. Aracelli Rinekal, she was an Archmage who successfully saved her own world. However, after she saved her world, she chose to chase after me instead of live happily as a hero who was worshipped by everyone in her own world. I wondered why she chose to travel through space and time and wander through countless worlds. Is my existence really worth pursuing even though she had to endure many hardships and pain? I dont know. Unknowingly, I didn''t move in the slightest while holding Aracelli in my arms until the sun rose. Chapter 131: Alone In A Destroyed World (2) Pleasee turn your AdBlock off and put us on your whitelist~ And do consider to subscribe to our patreon or donate to us via Ko-fi for 1 extra chapter every 9$~ Aracelli woke up only after two days had passed. Since Yoo Seodam was always with her, it could be said that the two were sleeping side by side for two days. Euugghh. Aracelli struggled to open her heavy eyes as she struggled from severe headache. She found this simple task to be harder than the time when she worked day and night to figure out the fourth law of Magic Mechanics. Are you awake? "..Professor." Yoo Seodam squatted down and held out a plate. It was a plate of warm soup. As soon as Aracelli saw his face, she woke up and hurriedly asked. Are you okay now? Thats my line! Is your body okay now? And.. Why are you giving your mana to other people when you cant even breathe without it? "Im okay!!" After receiving the bowl from Yoo Seodam, Aracelli realized that she was wearing a strange outfit. The blood that covered her body has been cleaned and she was even wearing clean underwear. Yoo Seodam smiled awkwardly and said. There was a risk of contamination, so I cleaned it up a bit. Moreover, youll feel cold if I leave you alone. "Ah." Her face was burning hot. She had never shown her body to any man in her entire life. But soon after realizing that the other person was Yoo Seodam, she smiled. I guess its okay. "Really?" "Yeah! Because its Professor. Does their relationship have anything to do with this? As Yoo Seodam pondered over her answer, Aracelli started drinking the soup. She had a hard time finding proper food after arriving in this world, so the soup was like a divine gift for her. She ate it slowly while savoring it. After confirming that Aracelli had started eating her meal, Yoo Seodam walked slowly towards the railing. Aracelli had brought his body and settled on the top floors of a tall building for safety reasons. it was a pretty wise decision, and for two days, Yoo Seodam didnt move from their dwelling. *Rain sfx* Heavy rain poured down from the sky. Yoo Seodam leaned on the railing and looked at the world. I Alone Have A Shop Window In A Destroyed World #Apocalypse #Survival #Awakener #Cider_Oriented #Shop_Window It was a dead world. The gray high-rise buildings which were similar to the buildings on earth were extremely desolate. Torn signs and leaflets were soaked in the rainwater lying on the ground. The words The end of the world has come! was scribbled in red spray and had faded, but the despair contained in it was vividly conveyed. Yoo Seodam initially thought this world was a perished Earth. But, fortunately, the system told him that this place was another world with a similar level of science, technology and civilization with Earth. [Your current lifespan: 1978 Days, 6 Hours, 49 Minutes] His lifespan had decreased drastically due to Bang Ho-wins hunt. It could be said that he still had plenty of lifespan, but the amount was not enough to return to Earth. [The Desolate City, Cartan'' world where level 201 protagonist Kim Ha-soo'' resides,] In other words, in order to return, Yoo Seodam had to find and hunt the protagonist, Kim Ha-soo. "Professor." While Yoo Seodam was staring blankly at the destroyed city, Aracelli approached him and grabbed his sleeve. "Have you finished your food?" "Yes. By the way, where did you get the food? I always carry it in a place similar to a subspace. .You can use subspace in another world? You cant? I can''t even come with clothes. The only thing I could carry is the bullet Professor gave me. Aracelli said so as she fiddled with the bullet in her neck. Somehow Yoo Seodam felt guilty about it. He never thought that Aracelli would keep the bullet he threw at her at their farewell. Its not even an expensive or a good bullet, Shall I change it to something better? "No!" Aracelli cut Yoo Seodams words off unknowingly, and because she was embarrassed, she immediately said. Well,I like this one. It''s the first gift Professor gave me. Is that so? Okay then. After that, when Yoo Seodam fell silent, Aracelli stood right beside him. It was her first time in a world with an earth-like civilization. As she stared at the pouring rain, Yoo Seodam pointed to a building in the distance with his finger. Can you see that? ".Ah." At the place where Yoo Seodam pointed, Aracelli could see a huge monster. There was no other word to call it except monster. At first glance, It looked like a giant earthworm. However, its body was made of a liquid-like substance. Moreover, its distinctive trait was that it has a human face. It was incredibly scary. Just what is that. The humanoid-faced monster had enormous, out of proportion eyes. And, it was staring at the place where Aracelli and Yoo Seodam stood. "Dont worry. That guy cant see. "Sorry? How do you know that, Professor? Have you ever seen that before? "No, its my first time seeing it." Just because Yoo Seodam was a veteran hunter, doesnt mean that he knew all kinds of monsters. Moreover, it was impossible to know all monsters from different worlds. However, since he had fought numerous monsters his entire life, he was able to discern their characteristics to some extent with their appearances alone. From its eyes, I could guess that that monster was a kind of monster that lived in the dark. You could say that those eyes were kind of a failed evolution, because for monsters who lived in the dark, evolved hearing are more suitable for survival. That monster is an entity that escaped from the darkness after failing to evolve. Then how does it know that we are here. From vibration. Is that even possible? Aracelli questioned. The monster that she saw was sitting on the rooftop of a building at least 5km away. Through vibration? In this rainy weather? Monsters are like that. Anyway, we have to move out from this place today. Because, yesterday, that guy was farther away. But, little by little, hes moving towards us. Yoo Seodam estimated the rank of that monster was at least S-rank. In other words, this place was so dangerous that an S-rank monster was kicked out of the survival race and came out to the city centre. As Yoo Seodam turned around and sorted out his luggage, a question crossed his mind. If Earth somehow lost the war against monsters.'' wouldn''t Earth become like this too? It was a useless question. * * * There will be other survivors. As Yoo Seodam had expected, the streets of the city were full of monsters. Both Yoo Seodam and Aracelli wore poncho to shield them from the rain as they carefully roamed around while having conversation. Even though the rain was so severe, they didn''t have any difficulty in conversing because of their superhuman hearing. How do you know that? I looked around and found out that all the food was stolen. It was proof that the survivors struggled for a while to survive even after the war was over. Time seems to have passed quite a bit If they are alive, the survivors would have formed a group. "Ah!!!" Aracellis expression brightened at the word group, but Yoo Seodam couldnt be relieved. Groups in the apocalyptic world were highly likely to become a kingdom of disorder that did not attach much significance to order and deviated from normal laws. In other words, the possibility that the group was nothing but a criminal gang couldnt be ruled out. Those with strength become rulers, and those with food become law. Rather than monsters, those groups could be more dangerous. Of course, that didn''t mean that the monsters weren''t dangerous. Swoosh! Aracellis eyes were opened wide as she saw Yoo Seodam cut off the neck of a wolf-like monster, which had been running towards them silently with a sword. So it turns out that Professor wasn''t a wizard.'' Aracelli admired him because she thought that he''s a professor of Magical Science, but it turns out that he''s not a wizard. However, he still deserves to be called Professor one way or another, and she didnt have any intention to stop calling him Professor anytime soon. Because Professor is Professor.'' Aracelli thought so, and closely followed behind Yoo Seodam. It is the entrance to the subway station. "Subway? Is it similar to magic railway? Was it called that in Vivienda Empire? Yoo Seodam''s memory was vague since it had been a few years since he had left that place. Nonetheless, he still nodded. As Yoo Seodam carefully entered the station while looking at the sign that was different from Earth but written in a similar language, several monsters turned their gaze towards him. But before they could even run towards him, a hole carved in the head of the monsters by the silencer-equipped Winchester. Afterwards, Yoo Seodam beckoned to Aracelli to follow him after he checked the safety of the station. Currently, the amount of mana inside her body was about 5%. It was tricky to properly fill her mana in this place because the amount of natural mana here was lower than Earth. Because of this Yoo Seodam decided to fight while keeping her behind. She takes off her poncho and moves along the path. Aracelli frowned at the sight of monster corpses which died with their corpses deformed and ruptured. You are incredible. How did you kill those things with just one shot? Because I hit them on the head. (T/N No shit Sherlock.) Yoo Seodam readied his Winchester and then asked Aracelli. Have you ever encountered monsters like this? Well, there were very few monsters like this back in my hometown. The ones I fought against was the demon army They were devils that were much smarter than humans, so they bothered us in a more vicious way. Aracelli used her brain to beat the devil and became a hero of the world by killing all demonic hordes in her world. Even when I travel to other worlds. I always avoid monsters. Even if I meet them occasionally, I pour out my mana to kill them. Aracelli was not a battle wizard. Rather, she was closer to an outstanding scholar. She was only able to exert powerful strength in battle because she is a 9th Circle Magician. She practiced self-defense to some extent for dealing with people, but she couldn''t deal with monsters using only that. If Aracelli, who had little to no experience in dealing with monsters and is only able to beat her opponents due her overwhelming mana, lacks mana, she would become completely defenseless. "By the way, Professor, why are you going underground like this? I''m searching for possible survivors. I have to find someone. Who is it? Are you referring to those who absorb all the Blessings of The World''? (T/N quick reminder, Blessing of the world is Aracellis way of addressing Probability) At her words, Yoo Seodam turned his head and stared at her eyes. At first glance, her blue eyes, which are as clear as the sky, seems innocent. However, they contained deep wisdom underneath them. "You are right." Yoo Seodam replied briefly, and Aracelli did not inquire further. They walked the subway for a long time while silently removing the monster. And at some point, they found junk blocking their way in the distance. Aracelli told Yoo Seodam that it was a dead end, but Yoo Seodam raised his arms and told her. Pretend to surrender for now. "Yes." Shortly thereafter, someone shouted from a distance. Who are you! Identify yourself! The man shouted through a very small gap between the door of the collapsed train, which was filled with various junks. Perhaps it was a barricade to prevent monsters. We are humans. A wanderer who was passing by and came here because we wanted food. Of course, there was still plenty of food in the inventory, but Yoo Seodam lied as a part of the act. It''s because he didn''t think they would answer honestly if he said Let me ask you for direction. We have nothing to do with you! So fuck o.. No, wait. Come closer. Quickly!" Which one I should believe? If you dont want a bullet piercing your head, youd better do what I told you to. It was ridiculous because both Yoo Seodam and Aracellis physical durability was not so weak that they could easily penetrate by a bullet. And if they wanted to, it was possible for both of them to bounce off a bullet that was being shot at them. As Yoo Seodam and Aracelli approached, the lights ignited and lit their faces. It was then that Aracelli realized that there were lots of men beyond the barricade. What is that? Did I see it wrong? They are such great merchandise. I''ve never seen anything like them before.'' How can such a thing still remain in the wild these days. We have to catch them unconditionally. Hopefully, we''ll get a bonus from the boss.'' Let''s get it in quickly!'' They joked quietly among themselves, and before long the one from before shouted again towards Yoo Seodam and Aracelli while pointing his gun towards them. "Come in!" The door of the collapsed train slid open with a noise. Upon entering there, Yoo Seodam could see there were four men armed with firearms that did not exist on Earth. However, as soon as Yoo Seodam saw the guns, he recognized the characteristic features of their guns. Is it using a 5.56mm bullet? The gun is at the level of the Earth in the late 20th century to the early 21st century.'' After that, Yoo Seodam scattered a bit of mana to the air and confirmed the strength of the men around him. One of the four men had a D-rank level of ether''. In other words, it means that this world has the same superpowers system as Earth. I guess that awakener or whatever tag refers to this.'' Yoo Seodam assumed that the D-rank awakener was the leader among the four, and he approached Yoo Seodam with his gun muzzle facing towards him. No, he kept his gaze fixed towards Aracelli. Food trade. You must have known what we want for the trade, dont you? "Who knows?" Everything we want! Then he laughed as he pointed his gun at Aracelli. His laugh and expression were both unpleasant. Women are a good currency. The younger and prettier they are, the higher their value will be. I dont think I would be able to find such a fine merchandise anymore. Anyway, congratulations. If you trade her to us, you will at least not starve. I don''t know if you will like the food though. At the words of the man, Yoo Seodams brows scrunched. It was evidence that he couldn''t manage his facial expressions, but those who did not recognize the signs of danger slowly flocked towards Aracelli. "Professor.." Aracelli called him. It wasn''t because she was terrified. Rather, it was as if her cold eyes were asking, Can I scare this bastard a little?. Yoo Seodam sighed. He contemplated what he should tell Aracelli. But before he even gave an okay sign, the men did it on their own. Wow, little girl. Don''t be scared. Before taking you to the boss, we will do a quality check- He suddenly stopped talking, no, he couldnt speak any more. Swoosh! Because his tongue has been plucked off. Uhuhh? Knowing that his tongue had been plucked off, the man retreated as he tried to stop the blood from his tongue. Then, belatedly, she realizes that the girl in front of him, who looked like she had never held a knife in her entire life, was holding his tongue in her finger and smiling coldly. "Wha..what the hell!" The other guys screamed as they quickly aimed their gun and tried to fire, but there was only the clicking sounds from their gun. When they hurriedly looked at their guns, they realized that all the bullets had been removed. What? Where??'' They turned their heads and saw Yoo Seodam, who looked like a pushover because he wasn''t even armed, was holding three magazines in his hand. As expected, this magazine is also the same as the one from the world I lived in. When? How? They didn''t have time to think about it. It was because a dull, unpleasant sound echoed through the subway. Their limbs couldnt function anymore. Yoo Seodam then grabbed the throat of the D-rank awakener and choked him harder. Oh, woo-wook!! Does it hurt? The four men had shiny, greasy faces. Yoo Seodam had encountered guys with such faces quite often on the battlefield. In a world with little to eat, there was only one thing a greasy face meant. Cannibals.'' In fact, there was no reason to touch a cannibal unless they hurt you. They must have been turned like this in order to survive in this destroyed world. However, the problem was that they tried to touch Aracelli. I was going to quietly get information about Kim Ha-soo so I could return'' Yoo Seodam squatted down and tapped their wriggling cheeks before saying, From now on, you will crawl and guide me to your boss. Then who knows? Maybe I''ll let you live. Nod! The D-rank awakener desperately nodded his head up and down while muttered towards himself. Unlike us, Boss has real superpowers The moment we go there, they are all dead!'' Then, 30 minutes passed. The boss of the subway survivor group also crawled around on all fours in front of Yoo Seodam. Chapter 132: Alone In A Destroyed World (3) Pleasee turn your AdBlock off and put us on your whitelist~ And do consider to subscribe to our patreon or donate to us via Ko-fi for 1 extra chapter every 9$~ The total number of survivors in the subway were 70 people and 113 humans regarded as livestock. Livestock? Yoo Seodam frowned at that offensive word. The boss of the survivors, who had his head on the floor, immediately said, "Yes. They are edible humans. Wow. Yoo Seodam exclaimed unknowingly. He knew that cannibalism was common in the apocalyptic world, but not even in his wildest imagination he would have ever thought that they would run a farm and treat human beings like livestocks. Yoo Seodam didn''t let his inner thoughts leak out, because looking at the reaction of the survivor boss, it seemed like it was a very natural thing in this world. Okay then. By chance, do you know anything about Kim Ha-soo''? Currently, a group of 70 cannibals were all lying face down on the floor, with all their limbs bent in weird directions. If they visited a hospital, it was something that could be fixed. However, since there would be no professional doctors in this perished world, they will have to live the rest of their lives as a cripple. Bby Kim Ha-soo are you referring to the guy who acts as a dictator in the midst of all this chaos and settled down in Yeoron Island''? Dictator? "That''s right! He is a madman who built a fortress in Yeoron Island. His awakening ability is a golden carriage or something Anyway, he''s a guy who could pull things out of the air, and he created an armed group. Even when he felt the pain from his twisted limbs, the boss clenched his teeth and gave an answer. He thought that by doing so he could increase his chances of surviving even a little more. Monster-like bastard!'' He was also an awakener of the physical reinforcement type. And although he had tremendous physical abilities, he was no match for the man in front of him. He couldnt even see the mans fist when he swung it at him, and only after his limbs had been broken did he realize that he was lying on the floor. Fortress, huh? Yoo Seodam imagined the character called Kim Ha-soo. His ability was called Shop window, or referred as Golden Wagon by the people of this world. His ability''s level could be considered extremely high since it could supply enough things to fortify an entire island. Perhaps that was all possible because it consumes the probability of this world. Unless Kim Ha-soo was different from other protagonists he had met till now, Yoo Seodam was sure that he wouldn''t be giving out infinite supplies from the store to other people. Seodam was right. He held the monopoly of everything he could remove. Yoo Seodam would also do the same if he was in Kim Ha-soos shoes. However, Yoo Seodam was worried that killing him could be rather tricky. In exchange of having shop window ability, his physical ability should be mediocre at best. His level was probably manipulated by the amount of equipment he carried. The fortress he built must have been included as part of his level in this world. Post-apocalyptic age, an era where monsters roamed freely. It wouldnt be strange for people to die suddenly. In other words, Yoo Seodam could just go and kill him directly. It wouldnt be against the probability''. He won''t have to run around in order to prevent a regression like his previous mission in the romance fantasy world. If only we could meet and fight one-on-one, it would be possible to just fight and kill.'' However, there was a huge 50% difference between their levels. He had to keep the possibility of losing in his mind. It''s not too late to worry about that once I meet Kim Ha-soo.'' Once he finished thinking, Yoo Seodam asked the boss once again. How can I meet with Kim ha-soo? Uhit will be difficult. Even when we asked them to take us in, those bastards pointed their guns at us and threatened us to leave. I haven''t even gone near their base lately. Is there any other way? WellI dont think so As Yoo Seodam raised his right foot, the leader hurriedly tried to think of something to tell him. Th.then, why don''t you go to another group of survivors? Oh yeah! There is a pretty large group in the nearby Munhwa Department Store I heard they are interacting with Kim Ha-soos group! "Map." "Pardon me?" Give me a map to that place. Ah, yes, yes! Once again, it was proved that violence was the best buff that could make human brain think faster. After receiving the map, Yoo Seodam rubbed his chin and fell in a deep thought. Even though the department store was quite far, he could still reach there if he walked for a few days. Department store'' Kim Ha-soos group didnt interact with the subway group, but interacted with the department store group. Yoo Seodam didnt know the reason, but it didn''t seem like a bad idea to go to the Munhwa Department Store first. Once he finished organizing his thoughts, Aracelli, who was busy running around the subway platform, returned. "Professor! I have rescued all survivors that were locked up. Yoo Seodam looked around, he could see a group of humans with dirty appearance and exhausted and hungry faces approaching him. As they walked closer, the group on the ground flinched and broke into a cold sweat. Good job. Yoo Seodam praised Aracelli, but his expression was not very good. She soon knew why. Lets go. We have somewhere to go. "Sorry? Then, what about them? We can''t take them around- He didn''t have to explain why. -dont you know the reason too? . Yoo Seodam and Aracelli had to travel a long way. They had to move quickly while secretly killing monsters in their way. It would probably take days before they arrived at their next destination. Their food supply was also limited. Moreover, once they finished their objective in this world, they would disappear. Your role is over once you save those who almost became food. Now, they have to learn how to live on their own. "Yes." After saying that, Yoo Seodam stood up without hesitation, followed by Aracelli. As the most intimidating person, Yoo Seodam, walked away, the group of survivors who had been captured slowly approached the group lying on the floor. After that, it was obvious to the point that you don''t even have to imagine what happened next. "This motherfucker were you the one who ate my son?" Ahhhhhh! Spaspare me! spare meeeee! "Die! Die! Die! Bastard Dieee! " Were you the one who said that my arms weren''t fleshy and it was so dirty and tasteless? Your belly looks plump, I guess it will be very delicious! Please, ahhhhhh! Ooooooooooh no! In the distance, Aracelli covered her eyes from the terrible shriek. * * * While moving in an apocalyptic world, secrecy was more important than speed. It was because if they encountered one monster, other monsters would also flock towards them. The loud sounds of battle and blood would attract their attention. They came across A rank monsters several times and such monsters had to be avoided at all cost. If it couldn''t be killed in a single slash, they would eventually get caught up in a horde of monsters. It would be nice if they could use magic, but Since they don''t know what will happen in the future, they decided to conserve Aracelli''s magic as much as possible. Try to use this. Yoo Seodam had taken a pistol and a few rifles from the subway station. Each gun had a silencer, which was difficult to obtain in a perished world, attached to it. He gave it to Aracelli to practice her shooting. To be honest, Yoo Seodam didn''t expect much from Aracelli. Still, he taught her with great care. Starting with shoulder positioning, holding breath and aiming. There was no need to teach her any advanced skill. And, surprisingly. Pew! -Kwoah "Oh.?" After learning simple aiming techniques, she demonstrated her excellent shooting skills. She couldn''t hit the target well if the opponent was moving, but she was pretty accurate while shooting at a static target. As she watched the monster fall, Aracelli had a smug expression on her face as if it was saying I did well, didnt I?. How did you shoot so well? Isn''t this your first time touching it? "I don''t know. I just did it. You know uh with feeling. I dont know what you are talking about.. Seodam laughed, thinking that it was also part of the ability that an Archmage had. Actually, if someone knows how to fire a gun, they will be able to carry their own weight. If they could even shoot well, it''s an icing on the cake. Once Aracelli was able to join the battle, their journey became much easier. Pew! Pew! Pew! The rains in this world would pour down in the late monsoon to early winter season. And since it rained all day long, Aracelli became noticeably exhausted as they continued traveling for a week without any breaks. Aracelii told Yoo Seodam that she started exercising from the year she turned nineteen because of which she had gained strong stamina. However, as she was exposed to the fragment of time and kept getting younger, her stamina as well as muscle had also decreased. Before Professor transform my age back to my mid-twenties. Can you do that again? In fact, Yoo Seodam didn''t know how he did it either. When he touched her, the system reverted her back to her age on its own. So, he tried to ask the system once again. What? Why?'' Then you mean, right now, its not the case right now?'' The client affirmed. No way Aracelli should be around the same age as me or maybe even older than me.'' Yoo Seodam knew that Aracelli had achieved 9th Circle after she graduated from the academy, and that was at least 10 years later. And after she started moving through dimensions, her physical age should be over 30. But, 17 to 18? That was her academy age. Right.'' ..what?'' As Yoo Seodam panicked, the system added. Of course, it was difficult for her to properly activate the magic of the 9th Circle. And the self-defence she learned after she turned 19 could not be used properly because her body could not keep up with her mind since her physical strength had returned to the state when she was an ordinary girl. Is something wrong, Professor? Aracelli looked at Yoo Seodam anxiously. Can''t you take Aracelli to Earth? I want her to stop travelling.'' Aracelli''s way of dimensional movement could be said as a raft. A technique that allows her to float on the shore of a calm lake and move to the land on the other side. However, the systems dimensional movement was a super-fast jet. A technique that allows Yoo Seodam to move freely anywhere, even if it was on the other side of the earth, without being restricted by geographical features. Aracelli. "Yes, Professor?" How many times have you travelled through dimensions while chasing after me? Im not sure.. I think it''s been over ten times. When Yoo Seodam roughly calculated it in his head, it seems that one year of age was used for one dimensional travel. He took a slow, deep breath, and said to her. You cant return to your original age anymore. "Sorry?" Whenever you travel through dimension, you use one year of your age. Aracelli looked surprised, but Yoo Seodam continued explaining to her what the system had told him. You are traveling by using your age. You can''t go back to your original age. However, even after hearing such an explanation, she was still as composed as ever. "Then She smiled widely before continuing. .I can travel with Professor for a little longer. Maybe, forever. At the moment, Yoo Seodam was baffled, and it was clearly shown on his expression. What is she talking about now? She is still smiling brightly. Should I be glad she isn''t shocked? I dont know. Yoo Seodams mind was filled with complicated thoughts. He felt guilty and his heart kept feeling heavy. In a strange world, meeting a lot of strangers, and going through terrible things like earlier, or in the previous world, feeling happy and joyful. Either way its not that bad.. A march like this Um, it''s so exhausting and difficult, but it''s still good. Because Im with you, Professor. It continued raining. heavily Yoo Seodam silently stretched his hand and stroked Aracellis head. Although it was wet because of the rain, Aracellis head felt warm. "Alright then. Still, I will definitely take you to Earth later. "Yeah!" Yoo Seodam thought that he was very fortunate. Because, Aracelli, who must have been very tired, was still beaming with a smile. Chapter 133: Alone In A Destroyed World (4) Pleasee turn your AdBlock off and put us on your whitelist~ And do consider to subscribe to our patreon or donate to us via Ko-fi for 1 extra chapter every 9$~ It took three more days before Yoo Seodam and Aracelli arrived at the Munhwa Department Store. They had to walk for ten days straight. It was really an arduous journey. I can see it over there. Beyond the heavy rain that fell endlessly, they could see walls made up of rubbles piled up to a height of 6m, surrounding the Munhwa Department Store inside. There was something like a guard post made of rubbles at a fixed distance between each other with two people carrying guns looking out from it. Who is it?'' I think theyre wanderers.'' First, lets report it to the captain.'' Yoo Seodam could hear the conversation they exchanged through the radio. It was only possible because of his S rank physical ability. Yoo Seodam and Aracelli walked closer to a distance that ordinary people could communicate by yelling when the people on the guard post pointed their guns and shouted at them. "Stop! Identify yourself! Both Yoo Seodam and Aracelli raised their hands to express their intention to cooperate. We are just wanderers. We are seeking shelter for a while before we continue our journey once again. Please let us in. The people on the guard post whispered once again. Are they crazy?'' To come without any weapons'' I think they are really seeking a temporary shelter, though? If that was not the case, would they come without any weapon like that? They look desperate. The first principle of safe encounter in a perished world. Never trust another person. In case of an encounter between two different organizations or individuals, carrying minimum weapons was a must. In an extremely sensitive world such as this, being unarmed was never considered to be a wise move. They could be kidnapped and held as hostage, or they could be enslaved and raised for food. That was the reason why they were wary and taken aback after seeing Yoo Seodam and Aracelli without any weapons with them. Once they reported to their captain via radio, they shouted at Yoo Seodam and Aracelli. Come closer! They approached slowly. Take off the hood! Then, their bare faces, which were quite tired from the long journey, were revealed. Their complexion wasn''t very good because they had only eaten simple soup so far. Judging by their appearances, it did not seem like they were cannibals. They then turned to Aracelli. A girl. Boss would hate it. Hate it? By the time Yoo Seodam could process the man''s subconscious comment, someone with a sturdy physique in a black suit appeared followed by three escorts. Then, she jumped down from the top of the 6m wall. Boom! Woman?'' Looking closely at the person in front of him who seemed to be the captain, Yoo Seodam realized she was a woman. She was around 180cm tall, with wild and sturdy muscles. She also had three claw-shaped scars covering half of her face. With her fierce appearance, it seemed that she had worked hard to survive in the apocalypse. Her gaze alternated between Yoo Seodam and Aracelli for a long time, then said while scrutinizing them, "You''re a wanderer?" "That''s right." To come here means that you know me well. Do you want to die that much? "Sorry?" What are you talking about? Yoo Seodam did not hide his confusion when he heard her question. "I hate two kinds of people. First, a religious man. And secondly She pointed towards Aracelli with her chin. .Man who carry women with them in this destroyed world. . Only then did Yoo Seodam realize the meaning behind her words. He was aware of how women were treated in the post-apocalyptic world because he had learnt about this genre before. What is the reason for a man to keep a woman with them when they cant help much in battle? Yoo Seodam''s face hardened. He knew that it was better to back down rather than pick a fight here. He racked his brain to find a plausible excuse, Family? Sibling? What kind of excuses would be believable? While he was trying to find a good excuse, Aracelli lifted something out of her arms suddenly. It was a pistol fully equipped with a silencer. Flinch! At Aracellis action, the captain, her escort as well as Yoo Seodam were taken aback. Then, she pointed the pistol to the right and shot three times in a row. Then, three monsters who were hiding on the upper floors of a building crashed to the ground. Aracelli looked at the monster''s corpse for a brief moment before turning her head and looked at the captain with cold eyes. Only then the captain realized that she had made a mistake. The captain laughed dryly with an apologetic expression. Huh. I''m sorry. I said something offensive. I sincerely apologize. You are better than those bastards who suck their fingers and hide behind others. She didn''t praise Aracellis shooting skill. But rather, she complimented her guts for pulling a gun and shooting monsters in front of her group members. Because guts were one of the most essential elements to survive in a destroyed world. In fact, Aracelli was able to pull that off not because she had guts but rather because she was confident that she wouldnt die. But she had no intention of telling anyone about it. Alright, kid. I like it. My name is Park Han-seo, the leader of the survivor group here at Munhwa Department Store. I will allow you to stay at my discretion for a day or two. Follow me." After that Park Han-seo turned around and walked towards the Munhwa Department Store building. Then, Aracelli looked at Yoo Seodam. She was asking him to praise her. Yoo Seodam smiled and nodded his head with a baffled expression. Yes, good job. * * * The department store was surrounded by dozens of guard posts, as well as lights and barriers in all directions, so it seemed that it would be quite difficult for monsters to invade. In fact, if monsters appeared in the vicinity, they would be shot by guns, and Park Han-seo said some monsters didnt even get close to the barriers around here. Isnt there any shortage of bullets? Not yet. It may be lacking someday. But not yet. In a destroyed world, bullets are treated as more valuable currency than gold or diamonds. We use bullets when trading food or water. "Is that so?" Park Han-seo didnt bother to explain that there were cases when they shot bullets in order to trade. When Yoo Seodam and Aracelli entered the department store, they could see a clearly structured interior. They had removed the unnecessary junk and used blankets as partitions to mark each persons territory. It was similar to a shelter when a disaster occurs. However, it was very different from disaster shelters. People did not have clean water to wash themselves and were very dirty. Let''s pray. Everyone, get down on your knees. Lets pray. In the distance, they could see a woman, who seemed to be in her early 30s, gathering about 100 people and was giving a sermon with something like a bible in her hand. Park Han-seo looked fed up as she saw them. Those crazy people are starting again. However, she ignored them without any intention to stop them and climbed the unfunctional escalator. Yoo Seodam looked at the priest as he followed closely behind Park Han-seo. It was not that Park Han-seo didnt have any intention of stopping it, but rather she couldn''t. Religion was a wonderful haven for people in the world that had changed for the worse. Those who hoped to be saved from this terrible despair carried a huge hole in their hearts. Religion effectively penetrates this gap and solidifies itself in their hearts. A suitable religion may be a help to survive in Apocalypse. However, if it was a pseudo-religion, the story will completely change. Pseudo-religion is also a clich in post-apocalypse.'' For Yoo Seodam, those guys reeked of trouble. It was a clich in an apocalyptic story that pseudo-religion would cause an accident every once in a while. Yoo Seodam caught up with Aracelli who was walking behind Park Han-seo. She was in a bad mood as she told them about the origin of this cult. At first, everybody said she was a crazy woman, and no one believed her. I bet that was the case. But as time passed, people started to believe that crazy woman''s bullshit. Believe in God, you will be saved. They tweeted like sparrows all day long, and even cried loudly when they heard such words. Once Park Han-seo said that, Aracelli looked at the believers downstairs. Horrifyingly, they were staring at them. Those people feel weird. Aracellis remark sounded very strange. Because they seemed to be crazy already. Ah.'' Then, Aracelli met the eyes of the religious woman who was preaching other people. She was staring at her with displeasure, as if she saw something she did not like. Aracelli couldnt help but frown when she felt that unpleasant feeling radiating from that woman. However, she tried her best to not show it in front of Yoo Seodam. * * * ..You want to meet Kim Ha-soo? "Yes." Those who were in high positions always seek high places. Just like any other leader, Park Han-seo also claimed her own room on the top floor of the building. At first glance it seemed like it was a weapons room. Well, I understand you. That place is a really good place to live But will he accept you? I''m curious about that too. What do I need to do to be part of his group? Then Park Han-seo answered simply. You need to be a useful person for Kim Ha-soo. Park Han-seo told a story from back when the destruction began. When monsters suddenly struck this world, all armed military units in the world evaporated into thin air. They just disappeared suddenly, no one knew where they went. For modern civilization who lost its army, they were very vulnerable to the monsters. And when humanity was struggling for survival, Kim Ha-soo fortified an entire island and fought safely from there. The first person who entered there Um Did he say he was in charge of the maintenance of the tidal power plant? Is a power plant technician useful in this destroyed world? It turns out that it was useful. I heard there are a lot of electronic items, including televisions and computers, adult films, movies, entertainment shows, and cultural art. Theres nothing missing. At a glance, I understood why a power plant technician was deemed as useful. After hearing the rumors, many people flocked towards his island. Some were accepted, some weren''t. Then you are. I did get accepted. But, I refused. "Sorry?" As my eyes opened up in surprise, Park Han-seo said, while pointing downstairs. To be precise, it was only me'' who was accepted. How can I go alone when those people who are like my own family and have been together with me for years since the beginning of destruction, have been rejected? What is the reason for the rejection? Did Kim Ha-soo deemed that they were useless? No, that''s I don''t want to talk about it. Park Han-seo was silent, and I didn''t ask any more questions. So, is this reason why you come here simply to stay overnight? I don''t think that''s it. "You are correct." I confessed the reason why I came here. As I said, I want to enter Kim Ha-soo''s fortress. I heard that he doesn''t meet anyone easily but I also heard that they are interacting with you. I need help." However, as expected from her facial expressions which had deteriorated since I brought up Kim Ha-soos name. She rejected me. I don''t even want to go anywhere near his place. I''m sorry, but I can''t help you with that. I see. I nodded. Then, Park Han-seo stood up. Anyways, take a good rest over there. Because your friend is already asleep. I turned around and saw that Aracelli had fallen asleep on a blanket, as if she was dozing. Luckily for her, I had washed the blanket with the help of silver pot before she fell asleep. "Yes. Thank you." When Park Han-seo walked away, I carried her in my arms and moved her onto the mat. There was only one mat in this narrow corner, and she told me to sleep on it while she herself tried to sleep on the floor. Her intentions were touching, but I preferred to sleep on the bare ground since I was already used to it from the field missions I had attended. So I fell asleep on the floor. And at late dawn. I had no choice but to open my eyes because I felt something warm in my arms, but soon I laughed wryly. ".Gosh." Even though I had put her on the mat, Aracelli had crawled into my arms at night and held me tightly. Aracelli. Go sleep on the mat. "Eum.. No, I dont want to. When I pushed her slightly, she only snuggled deeper in my embrace. Then, I gave up completely and covered her body with a blanket. Either there, on the mat, or here, it would be best to sleep in the most comfortable place. So, I fell asleep again while hugging Aracelli. It was a very cozy and warm night. * * * The dawn when everyone was asleep. -I''m thirsty. A plant on the pot which was quietly sitting in the corner of the room, slowly raised her head. With her at the centre, a pure white powder was scattered across the room. The silver spirit looked out of the window blankly and slowly shook her leaves. Then, the flower floated on its own towards the window. The pots, which carefully settled by the window, began to soak in the rain. Although the body of the silver spirit was a plant, her body, including the lower body had become more human-like, and now she looked like a small girl sitting on a flower. She shook her legs and hummed. -I like rain. Another day in the destroyed world passed by. Chapter 134: Alone In A Destroyed World (5) The saying Sun has risen in the middle of the sky does not seem fit into this destroyed world where rain is constantly pouring down. As soon as I opened my eyes, I checked the local time using the system. its 7 am right now. I slept for quite a long time. When I lifted my head, I saw Aracelli sitting next to the window. She was holding Flower Pot tightly in her arms while staring blankly outside. There were only ruins and heavy rain outside, so I dont think theres anything interesting to see. By the way, what the hell is this rain? why doesn''t it stop?'' At this point, it wouldnt be strange if theres flood all across the city. So, something is strange. Did you sleep well, Professor? "Yeah, I had a good sleep. What about her? Oh, Silver Spirit is sleeping. She must be tired. "Tired? Sleep? That spirit? Well, her condition seems a little bit off these days. By the way, why did she call her Silver Spirit? Her name is Flower Pot. When I went closer and looked at Flower Pot, something definitely changed about her. But I''m not sure what changed. She seems to have grown up a little? "Let''s go down." "Yeah." After getting dressed appropriately, we went down to the first floor. What greeted us was the sight of people gathering together while making difficult faces. Among them was Park Han-seo, who had an unusually serious expression. "What''s wrong?" I led Aracelli towards Park Han-seo and asked. At my question, she sighed and pointed out towards the window. The place she pointed at was the second floor of a building in the distance. But because of its enormous size, we could see it clearly. Thats face monster? It was the same giant monster that I saw on the top of the building back when I was tending Aracelli who had passed out. The grotesque and scary human face of the monster stared at this place with its huge, empty, but human-like black eyes without even blinking. Aracelli grabbed my clothes from behind and stuttered. IIs that the same monster as before? "I dont think so. It looks like a different entity, as there must be several of them around here. While wandering around the city for several weeks, I couldn''t get a glimpse of its shadow, let alone its face. So, I thought that this department store was just extremely unlucky. However, it wasn''t just that. [The episode of the Protagonist Kim Ha-soo, Forming a Special Battle Team for Monsters (1) has begun.] This Munhwa Department Store was struck by a misfortune carried by the episode, a storyline of the world which centered around the protagonist. Why? As I was thinking, I looked at Park Han-seo unintentionally. The protagonist Kim Ha-soo wanted her. It may be because she was useful, or it may be simply because he has a different reason. However, Park Han-seo declined Kim Ha-soo''s proposal, because she still had colleagues left in the Munhwa Department Store. But, what if Munhwa Department Store collapses?'' The people would be annihilated and Park Han-seo would be the only one who would survive. Then, in despair, she would go under Kim Ha-soo and pledge her revenge towards the monster. That way, one episode of a supporting character is completed. But With this kind of force, I dont think they would be wiped out?'' It will be inevitable for the department store to collapse since S rank monsters seemed to be overwhelming in this world, where the average level of the awakeners were low. However, if this group of people armed with personal weapons moves systematically, at least half of them could survive and relocate. Why did they get annihilated I''m going to fight right now! Hurry!" As Park Han-seo gave orders, the combatants started moving quickly. At the same time, I was able to realize the reason why the Munhwa Department Store was annihilated. Everyone put down your guns! All of this is the will of God. It was because of the fanatic woman. When all the people who were groaning in panic noticed her, she slowly opened her mouth and said. Do not try to resist the will of God. This is also a fate that must be accepted. Are you saying that God is trying to kill us? "Yes. But its okay. Once upon a time, the first believer Tatlan cut one of his arms and offered it as a sacrifice to prove his faith. We can also make sacrifices and prove our faith! No way! It was nonsense. However, people still believed it was real. Their eyes gleamed with insanity and madness. The fanatics sobbed and slowly approached the combatant. Put the gun down now! Did you not hear the Saintess-nim?! If you use the gun, God will be angry!! What will you do if that happens? Disarm everyone! Lets put down our guns and pray together. It was a world where one could not survive without being crazy, so it is natural that they try to survive desperately. "What, what is. Are you really crazy? Don''t come closer or Ill shoot! Don''t come closer! Even with guns in their hands, the pure madness of the fanatics made the combatants fall into deep terror. It was a really scary sight to behold. As the combatants began to step back, the so-called Saintess voice got louder. Dont blaspheme God!! Dont blaspheme God!! As the situation escalated further because of the fanatics who sympathized with the Saintess, Park Han-seo eventually shot her pistol towards the air. Pew~!! In an instant, the commotion stopped. Park Han-seo then said to the people. "What the hell is this bullshit when we dont even know if we are strong enough to protect our home! Silence. Everyone looked at her. When this department store collapses, we will have nowhere to go anymore. How long do you think you can survive in the wild with no food and no buildings to stay safely through the night? Everyone get your shit together! To survive, everyone has to fight back with their weapons! The charisma in her voice resonated throughout the department store. At that level, it seems that people will come to their senses. She has fallen!! She must have been stained by Satan! . Or not. Rather, the so-called Saintess rebuked Park Han-seos statement with an even more excited voice. While doing so, she also pointed to Aracelli, who was standing right next to Park Han-seo. Yes, that woman is the problem! As soon as she came in last night, a monster suddenly appeared! Satan must have led the monster to push us into a darker darkness than the abyss! God, is this the ordeal you bestowed upon us! The attention turned into Aracelli. She has exceptionally clean skin and a non-human appearance If that''s not Satan, what is she? Thats right! Get Satan out of here! Banish her! Depending on the situation, sometimes being too pretty is also a problem. The so-called Saintess stepped up, she pointed at Aracelli and me, and said. We have to atone! We have to atone by offering them as sacrifices to the monsters! That''s the only way we can be saved! "Atonement! Offering! Offer Satan right now! Even in the midst of such confusion, Aracelli looked rather dumfounded than bewildered. To think that a day where a demon hunter like me would be called a demon would come (T/N: She used to be a demon hunter in her world, I hope you guys have not forgotten this~) When I heard her mumbling, the situation was indeed quite funny. Then, Park Han-seo said to me with a serious expression. "I''m sorry. It seems like I could only let you stay for one night. Now, please go ahead and leave through the back door. There are few monsters there, so you can safely get to the fortress island. I''ll try to stop them as much as I can, so hurry up! I greatly respected Park Han-seo who really tried to help us amidst the situation. There must be a backlash from her group, nevertheless, she still tried to help us. Though, I dont really mind staying here and watch the situation develop further. In the first place, I don''t really feel any danger from such a monster. But. .This situation, it can be used.'' As I silently pulled the I looked around. I could see Aracelli stared at the so-called Saintess with an irritated expression. Well, I understand her feelings. Shes been under a lot of stress lately, and when a crazy religious fanatic suddenly picks a fight with her for no reason, of course she cant let it slide. Aracelli. How much Mana you currently have? "Yes? Ah there are about 9%. Would you like to relieve your stress a bit? At my question, she smiled brightly and nodded her head. "Yeah!" Shortly thereafter, a ray of light erupted from Aracelli''s body. Right at this moment please, that Satan uh, huh? The crazy saintess who was busy shouting suddenly opened her eyes wide and stood there with her jaw dropped as she saw the girl she claimed to be Satan float in the air. The others were doing the same. The reason is too simple. God? God, to save us. She came directly! The radiant brilliance generated by the magic of the 9th Circle Mage seems to be too godly for the pseudo-believers. Eventually, Aracelli walked out of the department store. And as she began to attack the monster with splendid magic, all the fanatics fell on their faces and bowed in tears. Those who blamed her began to bleed as they banged their head to the floor. The crazy woman was stuttering and faltered back. But she kept on insisting that Aracelli is a demon. However, in the eyes of the believers, the same exact woman who she had been condemned as a demon was actually the God they have been praying to, who came to save this place. Park Han-seo, who was watching the situation, did not miss the opportunity. She shouted out loud. Louder than the saintess. Who brought our Savior?!?! Then, people turned their heads and looked at the so-called saintess, before looking at Park Han-seo once again. Y..you Captain! If so, whose words should you trust from now on?! Yours, Captain! At the same moment, a white glow was fired from Aracelli''s hand, burning all the monsters nearby, including the face monster. If you do that, the magical power you have accumulated so far will be halved. Aracelli was relieving her stress in a very violent way. It was only natural since she was unable to use her power ever since she arrived in this world and had been forced to hide behind me. Thanks to her action, Park Han-seo would have an even stronger influence in her group. She dared to incite us all by falsely telling the will of God! Who is the true Satan? Answer me! That, that! Cant you answer me? Its Lee Ha-woong!! People shout in unison. Turns out, the name of the so-called saintess is Lee Ha-woong. She was able to gather power through selling the name of God. But since someone who looked more like a god appeared, her power burst easily like a bubble. I want you guys to put her in front of me! Wa..wait! Ive been set up! It''s not God''s will! This, this is something! Shut up! It was a simple, violent, and straightforward world. In this kind of destroyed world, humans were simply unable to think deeply. That was why people could just drag a woman who was, until a moment ago, worshiped like a god and force her down on her knees. In this age where it is impossible to know whether we will be able to survive today or tomorrow, the sin of inciting people and leading them to death is great. Do you know your sins? I, I am innocent! This is all God''s will! You guys, arent you afraid of God''s punishme-aaaaaahhh!! Park Han-seo kicked Lee Ha-woong''s knee. It was a light kick, but the result, her knee was bent backward. As Lee Ha-woong rolled over the floor and screamed, Park Han-seo shot a bullet an inch away from her head. Then, while moaning, Lee Ha-woong''s scream subsided a little. Park Han-seo grabbed Lee Ha-woong and pulled her up, and then, she met her eyes. Then, Park Han-seo whispered so quietly that she could only be heard by Lee Ha-woong. God''s punishment? God has already abandoned us. You dont know even after seeing what happened to us? You dare to insult God. If there was a god, the world would not have been destroyed like this in the first place. If it was a god who has abandoned humans, it is not worth serving him anymore. You will be punished! I assure you, you will receive it! You will be punished! "Really? Then please pray as hard as you could and ask your god to give me a punishment. After saying so, Park Han-seo ripped one of Lee Ha-woong''s ears. OHHAAAAAAHHHHH!! The leader of the survivor group needs to take the initiative in their group whenever there is a chance. It was because the leader''s job was to decide whether to save a person or to kill them at a critical moment when life and death were at stake. Drag her away and lock her in the basement but dont kill her. Park Han-seo had a serious expression on her face, and Lee Ha-woong was able to see it even while being dragged away. Because Im going to punish her in person. Ouaaaaahhhh!! Lee Ha-woong struggled to free herself. But, she was beaten by others and she passed out. While everybody was focusing their gaze on Aracelli, Park Han-seo approached me. ".Thank you. You saved my life. It was really dangerous. Still, because they were like my own family, I couldn''t threaten them with guns and it was a headache. After listening to her words, I know for sure. She was probably going to lose all of her precious family while trying to save one more person. Well, that would be the case if I wasn''t here. It doesn''t matter much because it wont happen anymore. "Well, I just did what I had to do. Is that so? Then, do you have something you want? Of course, I have something that I want. .. In response, Park Han-seo sighed before immediately laughed and nodded her head. "Okay. Since I have received such great help, I cant refuse you, can I? I will accept the request you made yesterday. Chapter 135: We Are The Post-Apocalypse Generation (1) Please turn off your Adblocker and put our site on your whitelist~ Munhwa Department Store was a shelter with security features that far surpassed the shelters of other survivor groups. There were emergency sirens, solar lights to obscure monster''s eyes, walkie-talkies at each post, and many more. Although it was an item that couldn''t be made anymore, technology from modern civilization was indispensable in this post-apocalyptic world. In addition, they also converted a 9.5 ton truck into a combat vehicle, equipped with a barbed wire with electricity flowing through it, and thick walls made of few layers of steel that couldnt be penetrated easily at the back of the vehicle. Currently, Aracelli and I were inside the moving long blue truck, referred to as the Blue Dragon. On the way, we had encountered several monsters. But most of them were killed by the machine gun installed at the top of the truck. And when a slightly larger monster came out, they were killed using missiles. Park Han-seo informed me that this area was cleaned up periodically, so it was okay to make some noise. Where did you get all these things? From what I remembered, most of the post-apocalyptic genre novels always start when the end is approaching, so I was curious about how Park Han-seo could procure such excellent weaponry. We bought it from Jay Company. "Jay Company?" "Yeah. That is how people around here call Kim Ha-soo''s fortress. "Oh.." Well, Kim Ha-soo was someone who could buy anything he wanted using his Shop Window ability. I''m still not sure about his motive of trading with people from the outside world, but, for me, the fact that it was a thread that connects me with Park Han-seo was enough. Jay Company also trades with other groups besides us. They often support the awakeners and the troops. It was also thanks to Jay Company that the Republic of Koran is still standing today. If they didnt build a huge 10m high wall in the northern part of the Koran Peninsula to block monster invasion, the Republic of Koran might have perished a long time ago. (T/N Koran is not a typo guys~) The more I got to know about Kim Ha-soo, the more I thought about him. Thankfully, because Munhwa Department Store wasnt that far from Yeoron Island, we arrived at the fortress in about 3 hours. There. In the distance, through the pouring rain, I could see a huge island. The island was surrounded by approximately 12m high concrete walls. On top of it, from the numerous parabolic antennas built around the island, it seems like it was also guarded by radar and satellite. There were also numerous troops on the lookout bunkers in the wall. The anti-aircraft missile launcher showed its majesty on the turret which was built in the east, west, north, and south directions. According to the topography, Yeoron Island'' is similar to Yeoui Island in Seoul back on Earth. However, Yeoui Island consists of two islands and is located in Incheon. Originally, there were seven bridges leading to Yeoron Island. However, six of them were blown up by the Jay Company. The only one left is this Yeoron bridge. Of course, as the only bridge left, Yeoron Bridge was thoroughly armed with a state-of-the-art security system. After riding through it for a few minutes, a booming sound from a loudspeaker suddenly greeted us. -Stop there! Identify yourself! After stopping, Park Han-seo was the first person to wear a raincoat and get off. Then, Aracelli and I followed her closely with our respective black raincoats. From the other side, five thoroughly armed soldiers approached us. Woah Their equipment is no joke. They wore chain armor that covers their whole body, or body armor that covers the upper body, complete with all kinds of optical equipment. They were also equipped with state-of-the-art assault rifles with laser dot sights. It was far inferior from the equipment from 2050, the era I lived in. However, it''s still good to see that their equipment was a product of modern science. Very few monsters of this world can tear that sturdy chain armor at once. Moreover, because monsters of this world don''t have ether coating their skin, they can be easily cut down by one company of fully armed soldiers like them. It''s a chain armor.'' If I remember correctly, before the ether suit was invented, Earth used chain armor during Monster World War I. I guess, in every world, people tend to think similarly. That''s why the Earth-like culture and science spread around quite a lot of the world. It''s Park Han-seo. I come here because I have business with President Kim Ha-soo. Report to the captain. If you say that Park Han-seo is here, he will respond quickly. As I stared at the grenades hung on their waists, I was relieved that it wasnt an ether grenade. Therefore, it posed no harm to my equipment. Well, even if they throw it at Aracelli, she wouldnt bat an eye even though her current mana is only 5%. What is the current repair progress on armor?'' [It is 71% fixed.] Currently, I was wearing a first-grade thin lightweight ether suit inside my coat. My main armor was damaged because of Bang Ho-wins powerful attack. Fortunately, hero-level items have [automatically equipped] option as well as [automatically repaired] option, which enables the item to slowly restore itself just by putting them in the inventory. -Bztzzttt, ah ah. Can you hear me? Kim Ha-soo''s cool voice came from something I presumed to be an interactive communication, not a walkie-talkie. "Yes. I can hear you well. -Haha! Park Han-seo! Long time no see! You still have a sexy and cool face! Ill only listen to your praise. -Are you finally joining our company? "Ill join you anytime. If you accept my men, though. Then Kim Ha-soo sighs and says. -Didnt I tell you before? We will never take those who have become a cannibal''. Human taste is so sweet and intense that those who have tasted it will never forget it. Even if it''s your younger brothers, I can''t help it. Park Han-seo bit her lips at his remark. That''s why he didn''t accept them.'' The other day, the survivor of the subway station had told me that they were rejected by Kim Ha-soo when they tried to go under him. Now I know why. It turns out, Kim Ha-soo has the ability to distinguish normal people and those who have indulged in cannibalism, and he only brings people to his fortress after thorough verification. Forget it then. Rather, I brought you some guests. They will be extremely useful to you. -Guests? "Thats right. Didn''t you say you needed a combatant? Take these friends instead of me. -Hmm. I don''t accept unverified people. Are you confident in your skills? One is a young girl and the other one is a young man in his early twenties. I dont think they are qualified though. He pondered for a moment, then said once again. -Well! You are people brought by our Park Han-soo, so I can give you a chance to prove your skills. As soon as his words ended, Aracelli slightly flew to the air. When the soldiers saw it, they were frightened, and started stumbling and stepping back. With a faint glow wrapped around her body, she flew to the railings, put one of her legs on it, and conjured a bullet in front of her finger. After that, she closed one of her eyes and took an aim towards somewhere. Her target was a giant turtle monster that was floating on the sea. As a magic circle formed on her fingertips, I was completely taken aback. She reduced the mana cost by omitting the automatic aiming spell and personally taking aim? It seems like this was Aracelli''s unique way of using magic when her mana is limited while traveling through numerous worlds. Even though a rebound phenomenon would occur if she failed to calculate even 1 character, she is still calmly doing it. -Oh Are you an awakener? Youll know when you see it. And then, Aracelli made a motion of firing a gun with her fingers. A yellow laser travelled at lightning speed and pierced the turtles neck. -This is. a little, surprising. I think I disrespected such an important guest. That''s not the end. Last night, that kid hunted an S rank monster alone and rescued our department store. -S rank alone? I can''t believe it, I can''t believe it Aracelli''s impact was so strong, Kim Ha-soo didn''t even care about me. That young man is also a very capable person. "Yeah! He is my professor! -Oh, really? This is going to be a really sexy day! . Hearing Aracelli''s words, it seems like Kim Ha-soo thought that I am some sort of her teacher But Im not. I might not be able to reach even her toe when she is in her peak, but I could surely catch up to her when shes in her weakened state like right now. There were two cards that I could reveal right now. It was my S rank physical ability and mobility or a C~B rank magic with the help of Winchester and Flower Pot. In this world, S rank stats were likely to be overly noticeable, and I couldn''t afford to reveal all my skill in the midst of not knowing when I would face Kim Ha-soo, so I lifted up Winchester, which I had on my back in advance. -It''s a gun. Its not strange for an Awakener to have a personal firearm, but it will surely look very ordinary compared to Aracelli who defeated monsters in the distance with single magic. It doesn''t matter though. In the first place, I dont want to stand out. I deliberately turned Winchester around and loaded it. Then I approached the fence and put one of my legs on it just like Aracelli. I calmed my breath and aimed towards a swimming monster in the distance. Then, I pulled the trigger. Pew~! The very next second, the bullet struck the neck of a giraffe-like monster which showed up above water in the distance. However, the monster recognized that its neck and head were its weak points and had evolved in the direction of covering both of it with thick leather, so it could not be killed instantly. -Hmm. At the same time, Kim Ha-soo''s voice, which seemed a little disappointed, came out. Pajijijijik!!! Suddenly, an electric shock flowed through the monster''s body, and it died immediately. It was as I expected. Or not. Out of nowhere, the spark soared about 5m high to the sky just like a thunderbolt, and scattered with a loud rumbling to all directions, stunning all monsters within 10m radius. What?'' My magic bullet doesn''t contain that much power. Something is strange, it feels like my strength has become stronger. Flower Pot. Did you do it? My magic only gets stronger when Flower Pot tampers with it. So, I called her, but there was no answer from her. -Huh? What, what kind of bullet did you use? I''m also not sure. But anyway, my goal of attracting interest from Kim Ha-soo has succeeded. I told him a lie that I had prepared in advance. My abilities can give properties to bullets. -It''s a great ability!! Could you share those bullets with others? It is possible, but it is quite difficult. -Good. Very sexy! (T/N its the raw, dont blame me for this sexy out of sudden.)(E/N: Can I presume that there could be some gaybait moments from here? ?w?) If Aracelli proved herself as an individual with great combat power, I proved myself as a good combat assistant. The ability to assign attributes to bullets may not be that great alone, but if the bullets were shared with multiple people, it will surely shine. -OH!!! Let me personally pick you up. Wait there sexily! Ah, yeah. Tuk, the communication was cut off. When I heard the beep sound, I could only stand blankly. Park Han-seo tapped my shoulder. Then, I pray for you. I hope I can see you alive in the future. After saying that, Park Han-seo turned back and returned from the same path we had taken to come here. Meanwhile, Aracelli and I were able to enter Jay Companys fortress with Kim Ha-soo, who picked us up in an armored car. * * * The fortress was more secure than I thought. On top of it, it was totally modern. All sorts of radar equipment were scanning the territorial waters and airspace 24 hours a day, dozens of guard posts were manned by dozens of guards to detect intruders. This place was far from an ordinary group of survivors from a destroyed world, it was looking more like a military base. Kim Ha-soo, who was sitting next to me, said as we passed between buildings that were built in similar shapes. Yes, you look sexier when I see you myself. I love it! "Yes" He was an Asian in his mid to late 30s. If the Koran Peninsula in this world is the same as Korean Peninsula on Earth, he could probably be considered a Korean. His name also sounds Korean, so my guess is probably correct. You must have heard the story from our cute Park Han-seo? "I heard you are trying to organize a special force." "Thats right. Originally I couldn''t get any more people, but you''ll be able handle it and make my dream come true! "Dream?" I could see barracks were installed on every street that we had passed, and soldiers were running around the streets to train their physical strength. That''s a machine factory. Is that a butcher shop? Or is it a meat store? A small coal mine and a granary. From a power plant to base station. What''s missing?'' When I came in, I realized that Yeoron Island was a place that had been developed beyond imagination. It was good to see all modern facilities were integrated to this place. Just what more do you want in this perfect environment? Look over there. Kim Ha-soo pointed out the window. Only then was I able to find another island which was located right next to this island. It was a little bigger than this island, the barrier around that island was also thicker. There weren''t many facilities. But Is that an apartment?'' There were dozens of apartments. There were also residents living there. They are civilians. I remember the faces of all of them. Not every one of them are nice. But they are all very sexy people who haven''t abandoned their humanity! I inadvertently turned my head and looked at Kim Ha-soo. On top of his head, I could see a text that clearly indicated that he was the protagonist. In other words, his existence is something that is rapidly leading this world to destruction. However, My dream is simple. I want to kill the monsters who occupy the northern plains and take over the land. Is there any reason to do that? This land is too cramped. I can''t feed them all with my shop window alone. I need land, a land for farming. And with that land as the cornerstone, we will establish a country once again. How about it, isn''t it a very sexy and sensible plan? Haha! .. I couldnt answer his question. It wasn''t because his plan was absurd. If his dream was true, it means that the existence of the protagonist Kim Ha-soo is very essential in this world. Shop Window. An ability to recover all modern culture and technology that were lost at the time of destruction was also the only way to revive a perished world. "Professor." Aracelli, who was listening to the story, took my hand with an anxious expression. Without knowing about the worries that plagued our minds, Kim Ha-soo laughed out loud while looking somewhere farther away than the place I was looking at. So, I hope you can help me with that sexy ability of yours! [E/N: Honestly I am imagining him as a buff gym bro from the way he talks] I couldn''t give him any answer. * * * And, that evening. [An Episode has been skipped.] [The probability of the world has been drastically consumed.] [The world moves swiftly towards the ending''] The end began to come to the world that was slowly destroyed. Chapter 136: We Are The Post-Apocalyptic Generation (2) 6:30 am. Bambaaaam baaam ? Together with the cheery trumpet alarm, I opened my eyes. I left the warm cover of my blanket and sat on the edge of the bed. Although I couldnt sleep really well, I still felt refreshed. Around me, several seniors had also woken up and were already putting on their military boots. They were my seniors. To be exact, they''re seniors who had joined Jay Company and Monster Special Combat Forces before me. "New recruit, you up already? "Yes." Hey, new recruit. Where and how did you meet her? Did you know her before the destruction? "Yes." You know Shes reaaaaalllllly pretty. Kim Joong-wi-nim, if we think about your age, isnt that a complete crime? "What did you say, you bastard? I just said that she is pretty! For reference, Kim Joong-wi is in his late twenty. He''s younger than me and of course Aracelli. So, tell me, how did you meet her? I just met her somewhere. Theres nothing going on between me and her. It''s bothersome to answer their questions. In the end, they werent someone whom I would have a deep relationship with anyway. We are just fellow soldiers under Kim Ha-soo, so it was better to reduce interpersonal connections as much as possible. Nothing my ass! A senior next to Park Joong-wi suddenly shouted. He was wearing a beret with a single diamond on it. When I looked at him to question what hes talking about, he said, Yesterday I asked her and she said that both of you are dating. "Pardon?" So, she drew a line telling me not to flirt with herHonestly, I was a little offended. But we are not dating? "By the way, why is it a crime for me but not a crime for the new recruit? No matter how you see it, new recruit is at most twenty one years old or twenty two years old. His age difference with Lieutenant Aracelli is not that much. So its okay. Keuk But well, is there really anything that could be considered as a crime in this destroyed world? I heard that across the sea, the leader of a large group of survivors has made a harem for himself. He didnt care whether it''s a child, teenager or an old woman. Hes really crazy. But I''m more envious of new recruit compared to that harem guy. If Lieutenant Aracelli had been born before the destruction, I bet she would become a superstar.. I really couldn''t keep up with the stupid story that these stupid seniors shared around me this early in the morning. Aracelli. Just what kind of story did you tell them. Well, in this military base, women were quite rare after all. So, its only natural that their attention was focused on Aracelli as soon as she joined. Moreover, the only concern for these soldiers were only two. First was whether there''s seafood bibim sauce on the menu this evening or not, and the second was a pretty woman. Therefore, its only natural for Aracelli to lie that she had a lover. She must have felt fed up when the soldiers kept flirting with her only after one night passed. I put on my military uniform and got up. The color of Jay Company military uniform was black. Aside from that, I dont think there was any difference between this uniform and the uniform of Korean military on Earth. Are these guys really special forces?'' The special forces I knew consisted of terrifying guys who could execute thorough action and could freeze a living person with just their gaze. well, their ability seems to be real.'' Every member of the special force had a power equivalent to at least B rank superhuman on Earth. It could be considered as high because this world doesnt have many high-ranking awakeners in the first place. It could be said that with 30 members of the special force, Kim Ha-soos plan of gathering outstanding individuals to make a group to fight against monsters was already successful. In the first place, monsters in this world don''t have ether protecting their body, so they are vulnerable to firearms. Wouldn''t awakeners be much more powerful if they fight with guns? After a while, the soldiers quickly left the barracks and gathered in the indoor training facility. Hundreds of soldiers had already gathered in the spacious space, and Kim Ha-soo was also standing there while receiving the morning roll call. After the morning roll call, everybody started running with Kim Ha-soo at the forefront. While running! Dont forget to sing the military song! Run! honey!" Run! honey!"" The trick! Is to be Cool! And sexy! Military songs start in one two three four! Just like that, I ran together with them as I felt complicated in many ways. Even though I just met him yesterday, I could see that Kim Ha-soo was sincere to the people of this fortress. When he saw someone digging the ground, Kim Ha-soo wouldnt think twice to help them dig the ground, and when someone butchered meat, Kim Ha-soo would step forward to lend his hand to them. Hes doing the same to the soldiers. He was sometimes charismatic, and sometimes friendly towards the soldiers. No one ignored him. Everyone respected him and sincerely followed him. I could tell just by looking at the soldiers, workers and residents of the fortress who were laughing happily as they followed him. It could be said that his schedule was really hectic. He didn''t even spend a minute to treat himself. Afternoon came. After finishing the training, thirty members of Monster Special Combat Force were called to a quiet place by Kim Ha-soo. Sir, I feel sleepy after having lunch! You are a noisy man! Sir, is there any seafood bibim sauce for dinner? This, this crazy guy. Is it really that good? "Sir? Isn''t it delicious? Your taste bud is really strange. With a light conversation and joke, Kim Ha-soo led the special forces to the ammunition storage. After storing all the inflammables we carried to one room, we entered the ammunition storage. We were greeted by the salute of numerous soldiers who were in charge of the ammunition storage. There was a lot of respect in their eyes. Hey Woodpecker! Sorry to disturb you when you are busy. Welcome sir! Correction, now I am the ammunition storage chief. I see. By the way, even today, the ammunition store smells unsexy. Please say it smells like gunpowder! Whatever! Woodpecker, bring me the H-R2 ammo storage box in a cool and sexy manner. Wait sir, in order to take out one of those, we have to turn it all off. If I said bring me, then bring it to me. Ah, okay then. .This army is really an army without any military discipline. After a while, the chief of the ammunition storage brought out a storage box containing the so-called H-R2. Kim Ha-soo opened it and showed us whats inside. I was left speechless as I saw it. That''s an ether-coated bullet? No, is it another technology?'' A technology similar to ether-coated bullets but slightly different, which should never exist in this era, was in Kim Ha-soo''s hands. It was very similar to what we had on Earth. It may be made possible because this world is a different world However My hunch was not wrong. Do you know what this is? "Yes. Isn''t that a bullet that goes into the WH-102 that only you use? That''s right. When we use that, a medium-sized-monster could be easily killed. Can you give it to us? Judging by the reaction of other soldiers who recognized it, it seems that Kim Ha-soo used it often. However, for some reason, the bullet could not be used by everyone. And the reason was immediately revealed. That''s impossible. Because this bullet is created by future technology. .!! Hearing that, the members of Monster Special Combat Force were all taken aback and shut their mouths. They realized that it wasn''t time to joke around. With my awakening ability, Shop Window'' being upgraded not long ago. it''s now possible to purchase technologies from the future. No, maybe it was a technology that we could have developed if our world had not perished. I can only buy this technology from the future if I pay with expensive coins. He put the bullet down and walked deeper towards the ammunition storage. Chief! Bring me the keys to the cellar. ".Understood." We followed Kim Ha-soo climbing through stairs in a labyrinth-like space that twisted around, and finally arrived at a place with only a dim flickering light. After Kim Ha-soo unlocked the lock as well as the state-of-the-art locking device through fingerprint recognition, we could see a glass protective tube occupying the empty space. Inside the tube, there was a missile about the size of two adults. Sir, what is that? Hearing the question from one of the soldiers, Kim Ha-soo replied with a stiff expression. It is commonly referred to as Zone Destruction Missile. If we detonate it, it will evaporate anything in the radius of one kilometer. No shield or thick armor could ever stop it. Better yet, unlike ordinary gunpowder or atomic bombs, there are fewer aftermaths after using this missile. We could continue to plant seeds in the area of destruction. "Pardon?" My face became even stiffer. It was unbelievable. However, Kim Ha-soo had no reason to lie here. Last night, the special forces had almost completely formed. Both Lieutenant Aracelli and Lieutenant Yoo Seodam, their abilities are very special, they are just as great as the rest of the members who have trained here. They will surely be a great help in the future.. In other words, it is time to put our Dream into action. Kim Ha-soo turned his head and looked at me. In his eyes, I could see a certain passion burning bright. But it was a passion that I couldn''t handle. He looked around at all of us and said, We are the post-apocalypse generation. Lost Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, so on. There have been many words that describe the characteristics of generations living in modern society. And, we are the last generation. Do you know what that means? "I do not know." The characteristics of the last generation is that there is nothing left to be passed on to the next generation. With a distant look, Kim Ha-soo stroked the transparent tube surrounding the missile. This missile. Is a technology from the future. I bought it from the Shop Window''. Thanks to that, I used up all the coins that I had collected painstakingly. It seems that the warning message that came to me last night was due to Kim Ha-soos purchase of this missile. Are you all familiar with the existence of a super monster that we call Colony''? "Yes. I know about it." The other soldiers also nodded. It''s also referred to as The Mother Beast''. It is unknown how many of these monsters exist on Earth but at least all the monsters in our Koran Peninsula were produced by the Colony in the northern plains. It''s not sexy. I dont know about that. Well, in the first place, I didnt know much about this world. This boring and dull rain outside are actually seeds scattered by the Colony. It has no effect on humans, but when a non-human comes into contact with the rain, it usually starts to evolve at the rate of tens or thousands of times faster than normal. Whether it''s a bug, animal, beast, a dirt floor, a concrete wall, a metallic can, anything can turn into a monster. No matter how sexily we killed a monster, it would never end unless we stop the rain. He said. So, we will go to the northern plain. Killing the Colony'' in order to stop this rain and to reclaim our land. To lay a groundwork, to pioneer our devastated land, create a farm to ensure prosperity, and finally, build a new country. That''s why I decided to borrow the technology from the future. He said as he stroked the glass tube containing the missile. It''s a missile that contains all my dreams. Dont you all think it looks really sexy? I sighed. It was truly ironic. Kim Ha-soo had used his abilities to help people in a destroyed world and to make the world even a little bit better. However, the more he uses his abilities, the faster the destruction of this world approaches. When I bought this missile from the store, I missed an important fact. Kim Ha-soo smiled bitterly. This Zone Destruction Missile is a technology from the future. Of course, we will also need a missile launcher from the future. So, we can''t use it now. Can you help me? If you collect a little bit of coins, really a little bit more We can finally take one more step towards our dream. We will be able to coolly shoot this missile to get rid of the Colony, take the land, and sexily put our flag on it. At Kim Ha-soo''s sincere words, all the soldiers nodded as they clenched their teeth. Darn it, please don''t ask for something like that in the first place. There is no need to do that, because from the beginning we decided to follow the captain until we die! Whether it is a million or ten million monsters and coins! I will earn it! Nothing cant be done for our land! our future! With this one life I will help you buy that Zone Destruction Missile Launcher or whatever! The soldiers'' eyes become bloodshot. Their spirit went out of the roof as the fact that they can dream of the future simmered in. They were proud and grateful that the leader they believed and followed was doing all he could for them and the world. However, in my eyes, no matter what Kim Ha-soo does, as long as he keeps using the Shop Window'', the probability of this world would continuously be consumed. If he uses his shop window more than this and buys even more expensive future technology. This world will become a place where no life could live and be born. He should stop using the Shop Window''. Even if its for the revival of mankind. That is all for tomorrow. Let''s take rest for today. Then Kim Ha-soo led his troops out, and I also followed. I know. I will kill him.'' Its not simply a matter of whether the protagonist is good or bad. In the first place, I didnt become a protagonist hunter simply because the protagonist was harming the world. I did it because I wanted to live. After that, I want to become stronger and make my dreams come true. That was why I killed the protagonists. I am nothing but a selfish trash. Im not different from the protagonists. Whether my target is good or bad, my only mission was to kill them. But all of a sudden, I was hesitant to kill them just because I felt that my target was a good person? It was clearly an insulting thought to all the lives I had reaped as well as to my own convictions. I am a selfish trash. However, even so, it wasn''t the case that my humanity was completely lacking. I just tried to survive. To live my own life. Yes, very little humanity remained inside me. If someone was dying right in front of my eyes, I''d try to save them. If a mother held a hungry child in front of me, I might give her a piece of bread. Kill him, I will kill him. I''m going to kill him I have been here for too long. I had become familiar with the atmosphere of this world. In this post-apocalypse world, I saw many of those who had given up on being human and gradually immersed in madness for survival, for a tiny hope they kept in their heart. Thats why, At least, I wouldnt turn away from Kim Ha-soos dream to re-establish human civilization in this destroyed world. Chapter 137: We Are The Post-Apocalyptic Generation (3) It was a night where rain fell heavily and thunder struck continuously. I settled on top of a building that had been abandoned since the destruction 10 years ago. With a camouflage covering over my body, I peeped into the Winchester''s 9x scope. By this world''s standard, Winchester 777 is a weapon from the future. It was a weapon capable of automatically calculating the wind direction, speed, planetary rotation, as well as the zero point adjustment according to the distance. It also means that the sniper no longer had to do detailed manipulations while operating it. Site C7, ready to fire. -Already? Hey, You are too fast. I haven''t even arrived yet! -Lee Seong-soo, hurry up! You''re Yoo Seodams senior, how could you be slower than him? -Wait a minute, Captain. I told you it was because Yoo Seodam is just too fast! The person called Lee Seong-soo on the radio was a man who took the role of sniper in this world. Befitting the concept of firearms and a destroyed world, his shooting abilities were quite excellent. I dare to say that his talent was at least at S rank level. Moreover, using his special ability Emotional Empathy, to determine his target''s next movement, he was able to showcase a highly accurate predictive shot. Hes way better than me. Fortunately, I was able to perform at a similar level to him thanks to the aid of the ether science equipment from the mid 21st century as well as my S rank body. -Are you ready? -Yes. -Then let''s get started. It''s been a month since I joined Kim Ha-soo''s group. Ive wandered around hunting monsters together with him and his group in order to earn coins for the sake of mankinds future. -Start shooting! As I heard Kim Ha-soos order, I pulled the trigger. Seconds later, a hole was drilled in the forehead of a giant monster which was moving from one building to another. .Boom! Explosion erupted from the bullet that was lodged inside the monster''s forehead. However, it wasnt only once. Explosion after explosion erupted inside the monsters head thanks to the bullet shot by Lee Seong-soo from the distance. His bullet was also enchanted by magic, and the effect was great. -Good! -Attack now! In most ecosystems, a monster''s weakness has always been on its head or heart. But on rare occasions, there were monsters that deviate from the norm. Those monsters could still move even when its head or heart was cut off. But theres no need to panic. It just means that its weakness was somewhere else. Hunters just had to calmly find its weakness and launch another attack. In the vicinity of the monster, I could see members of the Special Forces move while firing flames or releasing lightning. Someone bound the monster''s body with a lightning rope, while others hit its chest with firearms and cannon. Even if it was a monster that didnt have ether coating its skin, S rank monster is still an S rank monster. They are unbelievably strong and tough to beat. Only after barrages of joint attacks, the monster started to falter. Kung, kuoong! The monster slowly began to step backwards. Once the soldiers saw it, their attacks intensified further in excitement. -Aracelli! Hit that bastard! Seconds later, a light flashed from above and pierced the monsters skull. Although it didnt die immediately as its weakness was not its head, the monster whose head had completely burned and melted was unable to make a proper judgment anymore. Nevertheless, the monster kept struggling as it blocked every attack coming from the front without backing down. I furrowed my brows at the spectacle. Something feels weird. I clenched the Winchester harder just before the giant fell to the floor. Kuung!! -Yahoooo! -We finally kill it! -That damn monster! We scoured the entire city just to kill it. When the monster fell, the soldiers cheered. It was understandable. In the first place, it took us almost three days to prepare for the ambush and lure one of those S rank monsters out. But, I still felt that something was out of place. "Please wait. I don''t think it''s over yet. -What are you saying? -This is its territory, so there are no other monsters here. You can rest assured now. No, that''s not it. The action it took at the last minute I think it was trying to protect something- And, in most cases, theres only one reason that guarantees such action. -There seems to be an offspring nearby. That moment. -Oaaaaaahhhhhh!! A bloody scream echoed from the distance. It was the voice of the sniper, Lee Seong-soo. -Lee Seong-soo! Whats the matter?!?! Answer me! Lee Seong-soo!! Kim Ha-soo''s urgent voice rang over the radio. But there was no answer from Lee Seong-soo except for his unending scream. Then Kim Ha-soo hurriedly ran towards where Lee Seong-soo was with a superhuman speed. When the soldiers arrived where Kim Seong-soo was, they couldn''t help but look terrible. It was unavoidable, because there was a body of a 3m monster, presumably the offspring of the monster we fought earlier, as well as Lee Seong-soo, whose body was cut off in half under his thigh. Kim Ha-soo was holding Lee Seong-soos body with a dark expression. Ah, uh, ah! Lee Seong-soo opened his eyes and tried to hold Kim Ha-soo with his left hand, but he soon realized that his left arm had disappeared. Hey, Lee Seong-soo! Wake up, Lee Seong-soo!! ImIm okeukkk! Other soldiers were busy laying emergency treatment kits on the floor and injecting a few shots of morphine in Lee Seong-soo''s body. But it seemed to be too late. Captain. There is already no hope for me. I''m bleeding too much. Dammit! You can''t! You cant die like this Kim Ha-soo looked at Lee Seong-soo with red eyes as if he was obsessed. Meanwhile, Lee Seong-soos eyes were already losing its focus. There was not much time left for him. "Captain. This is a noble sacrifice. Through this Lee Seong-soo''s sacrifice, you will move forward- "Shut up! There will be no more sacrifice. I will never lose anyone, anymore. I will never let you guys be sacrificed for my goals. Suddenly, Kim Ha-soo waved his hands in the air. Then, something golden, brilliant and translucent appeared. The soldiers gasped as they witnessed the scene. Cacaptain! Dont tell me you are thinking about buying a nano-recovery agent Please no! All the coins you''ve collected so far will be blown away if you do that! ..Then, are you saying that Lee Seong-soos life is less important than the coins? No, but weren''t we supposed to collect coins to achieve our dream? Coins were made by our sacrifice! It''s yours, but it''s also ours! Then Kim Ha-soo''s hand paused for a moment, before saying in a low growl. Everyone, I apologize. But, right now, Ill make my judgement as a captain. These coins, which we all collected together, will be used to save Lee Seong-soo''s life. After that, without hesitation, Kim Ha-soo purchased a nano-recovery agent and injected it within Lee Seong-soo''s body. To my surprise, Lee Seong-soo''s lost limbs slowly started to regenerate. At that incredible sight, I shared the amazed feeling with the rest of the soldiers who opened their mouths like a fish while kneeling. Cough! Cough! Lee Seong-soo! Are you okay? Sir, Lieutenant Lee Seong-soo reporting sir! When Lee Seong-soo finally opened his eyes, Kim Ha-soo hurriedly tried to hold him. However, with his left arm, he pushed Kim Ha-soo away. Captain Its burdensome, so please step back a little. Meanwhile, his gaze was directed to Kim Ha-soo''s hand. Lee Seong-soo realized that the coins they had gathered so far had been used to buy a nano-recovery agent to save his life. He came back to life from the boundary of death. Lee Seong-soo suddenly shed tears when he thought about it. Damn, damn I''m sorry, Captain. Sorry. I''m sorry Thank you so much. Really, really Thank you very much Lee Seong-soo kept crying for a while, and we didn''t say anything and let him be. And I looked up to the sky. [Probability limit has been exceeded.] [The complete episode Can A World Be Destroyed Twice (1) begins.] * * * That night. Just like everyday, the rain is falling. However, together with the rain, a horde of demons appeared above the Jay Company''s fortress. It was not real demons by any means, it was just a flying monster However, its overwhelming majesty made them look like a demon. It''s an aerial strike!! Haste Pace! (T/N its the hangul..) All industrial facilities will be converted to defensive systems! Announcing emergency martial law! To all residents, please evacuate to the underground shelter! Wheeing-! The sirens rang and the fortress soldiers moved quickly in unison. .it''s a little bit too much, isn''t it? Who would believe that all the dark clouds that cover the sky are monsters? Obviously, the fortress has a defence system against flying monsters in place. However, they dont have nearly enough to deal with so many monsters I can''t believe it. Kim Ha-soo looked at the sky with wide eyes. Is God really trying to abandon the world? Otherwise, there is no way God would bestow such despair towards humans. -Interceptor missiles! launch! Fwooooshhh~!! Fwoooshh~!! Numerous explosions went off in the sky, causing hundreds or thousands of monster bodies to fall to the ground. But in less than a second, a new batch of monsters filled the vacancy left behind by its dead comrades. It was truly an endless wave of monsters. They were clearly aiming for the fortress because of its dense population compared to other areas. It''s over.'' Kim Ha-soo said to himself. We can''t win.'' He was aware that those monsters werent something he could fight with the current level of soldiers and weapons they possessed. If so.'' Before his eyes, a golden translucent window appeared. It was the golden carriage. An awakening ability that allows its user to purchase all civilization heritage from the past, present and future. From now on, I The moment he tried to buy something from the Shop Window, someone grabbed Kim Ha-soo''s hand and stopped him. "Dont do it!" ..!!!! What are you doing! That someone was none other than Aracelli. Her hair was completely soaked and stuck to her shoulders and neck as she was running without even wearing a raincoat. Please dont use the Shop Window anymore! If you use it, it will only accelerate the destruction. What kind of nonsense are you spewing? Go away. Im too busy to hear your nonsense. You''re not sexy today, Lieutenant Aracelli Ah, nooooo! Aracelli used her magic to stop Kim Ha-soo, but she was a step late as Kim Ha-soo only needed a simple hand gesture to purchase things from his shop window. Hwaahak! Flash! Suddenly, a cannon with a sleek shape was summoned on the outer wall of the fortress. It was a particle accelerator cannon. An amalgamation of future science and technology. Fire it. When Kim Ha-soo gave his order, the soldiers instinctively learned how to use the weapon from a distant future as if they were possessed. Then, they manipulated the particle accelerator. ..Flash!! Five pure white flashes split the sky, rendering anything on its path into nothing. -Good! It works! Great Uh.. Captain? -.What is that? However, the cheer did not last long. "Ah." It was because the dark clouds suddenly began to move. Kim Ha-soo was aware of the fact that all those dark clouds were seeds of monsters created by beings called Colony. Anything struck by the seeds of monsters which fell from the sky, whether it was living things or non-living things, would evolve faster than normal. Humans were the only exception to this. -Captain The dark clouds opened their eyes. It was by no means a metaphor. Red eyes began to appear from the dark clouds that filled the night sky. The entity that sowed the seeds of the monster itself had turned into a monster. Kim Ha-soo looked at the sky with trembling eyes, then as he remembered something, he looked at the ground once again. His gaze was directed towards Aracelli who was sitting down on the floor as she looked at the dark clouds with bleak eyes. He grabbed Aracelli''s shoulder and asked. Did you did you know that the situation would turn out like this? Kim ha-soo gulped. For a long time, he had felt something strange. Whenever he bought something from the Shop Window, the situation that forced him to use his newly purchased item always happened soon after. When he purchased a futuristic flamethrower, a monster that could only be defeated by fire appeared the very next day. And when he purchased a futuristic hydraulic cutter, a monster that must be knocked down by a hydraulic cutter appeared the very next day. It was as if the Shop Window and the appearance of a monster were connected. However, he wasnt aware that it was all the works of Probability. A flow of the world that Protagonists had to follow. Even when he didn''t know, if the same thing keeps repeating until the end of the world wouldn''t he naturally notice something is strange? "Please, tell me. Please. Just what in the world is going on? Kim Ha-soo knew that it was stupid to cling onto Aracelli, who had only been around him for a mere 1 month. But for some reason, he believed that she seemed to know something. .Every time you use that Shop Window ability of yours, you are draining the very essence of this world. "What?" Aracelli raised her head and directly confronted Kim Ha-soos gaze with her clear blue eyes. I heard that on the day of destruction, all the military in this world also disappeared. The question is, Where did they all disappear to? Why, on the day of destruction, did the army disappear and at the same time the Shop Window manifested in you? Have you ever thought about the reasons why it was given to you in the first place? "That''s.." "Actually." Aracelli stood up. I, no, we came here to kill you. Because if you keep draining the source of this world, the end of this world will soon manifest itself. Just like what is happening right now. "What are you talking about.. The world had already met its end "You are wrong. The world has not ended yet. Civilization has indeed perished. However, humanity has yet to go extinct. Humanity will eventually rise, and someday regain its civilization. In other words, there is still a chance to revive a world that had been destroyed. Aracelli stopped to take breath before continuing. The true meaning of end'' is. There is literally nothing left. Monsters, humans, and the world itself. She said in a cold voice. Everything disappears. Kim Ha-soo fell to his knees. He stared at Aracelli who was blankly looking at the sky. Then what am I supposed to do? If I dont use the Shop Window from now on It''s already too late. I''m really sorry. Just by being alive, you continuously eat away at the essence'' of the world. Kim Ha-soo felt bitter. He couldn''t believe it. In the first place, how could he believe that the world would only be able to live if he died? Until now, he had lived with only one conviction, it was to save the world. You will probably survive until the end. The world will reject your death until all your loved one dies and turn into dust. Surviving until the end was everyones wish in a destroyed world However, for Kim Ha-soo, who wanted to save everyone, it was nothing but a cruel curse. It doesnt matter whether your words were true or not" He still didn''t fully believe her words. No one could simply accept it just because they had heard a word like that.CHowever It was indeed just as you said. The more I use the Shop Window, the more terribly the world changes I''ve been through it all along, and it has become like this. So Im sure. He realized he could no longer use the Shop Window. The moment he brings something new, hes sure that another demon will appear. If so, in this moment when even the sky was hostile to humanity. The sexiest option Kim Ha-soo could choose to save his loved ones It looks like there is only one way. (P/N that felt bitter) Chapter 138: We Are The Post-Apocalyptic Generation (4) Experienced hunters observe their target for at least a week before hunting it. And a skilled killer observes their target for nearly a month before springing into action. And between these two categories, Yoo Seodam was the latter, a skilled hunter and a killer. After spending one month observing Kim Ha-soo, he had devised a plan to achieve a complete victory. There were many methods he could employ to hunt Kim Ha-soo. He could easily take advantage of Kim Ha-soos righteous mind, he could hunt him by creating chaos in the fortress by destroying the facility, or he could deliberately fall into a monsters trap and let the group be annihilated while hunting on the outside. Yoo Seodam was sure that most of the methods had a success rate close to 100% unless the variable called Shop Window came into play. However, in the end, Yoo Seodam did not carry out his hunt. He was aware that the existence of Kim Ha-soo was harmful to this world. Just by being alive, monsters will keep being born in this world, and every time he uses the Shop Window, the world''s destruction would accelerate. It was a sad tale, but Yoo Seodam couldnt be bothered by it. The most important fact for him was the conviction that Kim Ha-soo held. In the first place, Yoo Seodam was a hunter with many years of experience under his belt. Throughout the numerous battlefields, he saw countless deaths. He also had lost his loved ones because he couldn''t protect them. Therefore, Yoo Seodam could sympathize with Kim Ha-soos feelings of wanting to protect his loved ones even though hes weak. In the first place, theres only one reason why he wanted to become stronger. Hell Gate''. It was to return to that accursed place one more time and meet the person he had once lost due to his weakness. Unlike the past, he was now strong and is going to become stronger. So, maybe, just maybe, he would be able to save her. That was why he did not refuse to do such vile things. He killed, killed, and killed regardless whether the person was good or evil. But. When he came to this world and saw a man with the same conviction as himself, someone who was trying to protect everyone, he couldn''t bring himself to put a hole in his head. I will kill him. Ill be the one to carry out his conviction. I will kill him for sure. Even though the system didn''t respond to his words, Yoo Seodam continuously repeated such words. For other people, it sounded like he was trying to memorize a spell of some sort. Wait a minute. Maybe, If the protagonist''s ultimate goal'' disappears, things could be solved in a better way, right? Impossible. The system tried to say so, before stopping. She had a feeling that whatever she said, Yoo Seodam wouldnt be heeding to her words. "I can see it." On the day when Kim Ha-soo purchased a nano-recovery agent to save Lee Seong-soo, Yoo Seodam deserted the group and went straight to the northern plains. Rumble!! Rumble!! The ground trembled as the octopus-headed monster turned its head. It was bigger than the 63 Building that was attacked and destroyed by a monster in the past. (T/N 63 Building is a real skyscraper that exists in Korea.) That octopus monster with blue eyes was none other than the Colony. He finally arrived to the northern plains to hunt the so-called mother of all monsters'' that existed in the Koran Peninsula. The chances of him failing was high. In the first place, he was aware that there was no way he could hunt something that could only be hunted by the protagonist with the help of protagonist correction. He was neither a protagonist nor did he have the power of probability backing him up. Nevertheless, he still came to this place. If he didnt do this, he felt like he wouldnt be able to keep his sanity. Yoo Seodam bit his lips. He disgusted himself with his own reasoning. After he became a protagonist hunter, he had always killed every protagonist without hesitation. But now, he couldnt help but hesitate when he saw someone who reminded him of himself. That was why Yoo Seodam planned to hunt the Colony for the sake of his target. So, even if his target dies, he could die comfortably. Or, he hoped that he could come up with some other method to successfully complete this hunt once he erased the protagonist''s final goal. Hunting more difficult targets for his own peace of mind? Yoo Seodam laughed wryly since it was really stupid and crazy idea. At that moment, Taylor Nine came to his mind. He felt like he could hear her cursing vividly, You are really crazy. I fell in love with some lunatic bastard. He also felt guilty towards Aracelli. He didn''t say anything to her before leaving for this place. He also wanted to take her to Earth. The child had walked a very painful and difficult road, so he felt a responsibility to make her happy. Then, Seol Jungyeon''s face passed through his mind. Her warm smile vividly appeared in front of his eyes. She is a woman who planned to spend the rest of her life by living for him. [E/N: Four harem members confirmed.] I will definitely return.'' He had promised Seol Jungyeon, but what kind of expression will she make once she learns that he is doing such a stupid thing? Will she be angry? Or will she praise him for doing well? He didnt know. "I know. So what? Do you think I will die? Ive come back alive from the pit of hell before. Clack clack! Yoo Seodam loaded his Winchester and put it on his back, then he pulled from his inventory and wielded it. Soaked by rainwater, the red inscription on its body glowed brighter than it ever had. The Flower Pot was also silent today. However, through the feeling of magic that was actively wriggling on his heart, he knew that even that little child was sincerely preparing. Kuooh!! The fight began without anyones knowledge. Through the rain, tentacles, each as big as pillars of a building soared high into the sky. It might penetrate Yoo Seodams body if he stayed on the ground. However, he was already flying in the sky. Moments later, another tentacle whipped towards him as if trying to snatch his body. Then, Yoo Seodam activated his boots skill [Wind Leap] and shot towards the ground. Thanks to the repaired and , he was able to exert his full power. With the effect of magic and items on top of his S rank physical ability, he was able to exhibit the might of an S+ rank superhuman''s physical ability. If the match was good, he might be able to demonstrate the strength of SS rank. That was precisely the case right now. Due to the windy condition, the effect of the Dharma''s Heavenly Wind God Technique had been reinforced. Therefore, he could move swiftly and hit the giant monster while avoiding its powerful and heavy attack. When Yoo Seodam landed on one of the tentacles, it suddenly exploded. He was taken aback at the scene because he didnt do anything but touch it. But then, he realized that the Flower Pot was the one who caused it. Good. This much is enough.'' Yoo Seodam moved towards the biggest tentacle that hangs above his head. He assumed that it was the cause of the rain cloud. So, his business here would be finished once he removed it. As he tried to move closer, numerous tentacles rushed towards him. However, Yoo Seodam skilfully avoided it all and quickly clung onto the Colonys face. He then swung his sword and left a long 5m scar on its face. KUOOOOHHHHH!!!! Angered by Yoo Seodams action, the octopus-headed monster pulled out another tentacle from the ground and tried to hit Yoo Seodam with it. But Yoo Seodam had already moved to its right cheek area and struck his sword on it before running toward its forehead with its sword still dug deep on its flesh. The tentacle whipped towards where Yoo Seodam ran into. However, just seconds before it reached its target, Yoo Seodam quickly pulled out his sword and moved to the octopus-headed monsters back, before swinging his sword once again. Like a wind gale, Yoo Seodam struck the monster''s nose, left chin, forehead, back head, head, neck, and shoulders while he flew around avoiding the chase on the tentacle. He relentlessly cut down anything on his path, just like a raging storm. But suddenly, a shockwave erupted and pushed Yoo Seodams body away. Kuhh! Yoo Seodam crashed into the ground and rolled over the floor. Cough cough. Yoo Seodam found it difficult to breathe. He could feel blood was flowing from his ears. He was only attacked once so far, but his was already cut in half. He stood up and staggered before trying to run, however, he lost his centre of gravity and fell over. Swiishhhh!! At that moment, a tentacle flew towards him. It hit Yoo Seodam on the chest and blew him away. Yoo Seodam bounced on the ground for nearly 30m before stopping. "Damn it!!!!" Yoo Seodam got up once again. Then, he took a potion from the inventory and injected it into his arm. His bleeding quickly stopped. He also felt energized. Unlike potions from the fantasy genre, potions made in modern earth contains a very small amount of narcotics, therefore it couldn''t be used often. Heup! Yoo Seodam put strength on his feet and leaped towards the Colony once again. From the opposite site, he could see lots of tentacles flying towards him. Yoo Seodam moved around the tentacles by stepping on the tentacles, swinging his sword and avoiding it. Every time his feet touches a tentacle, it either exploded, burned by lightning or froze. After tearing several more tentacles, Yoo Seodam pulled the Winchester with his left hand and landed on the snout of the Colony. Papa Papang!! An energy bomb exploded, creating a magical storm of sharp blades inside the Colonys mouth. Cutting, exploding, ripping and breaking. Yoo Seodam used every method available to him to damage the Colony. His sword contained numerous swordsmanship from other worlds. However, out of all these sword styles Something pink that resembled a lotus flower was shining brighter than anything else. A swordsmanship that resembled Seol Jungyeon, a breathing method obtained by Ha Sun-young, a heart-beating method created by Aracelli, a violent and aggressive hunting skill inspired by Taylor Nine, and a strategic but unexpected magic utilized just like Yekaterina. Even though he was fighting alone, Yoo Seodam felt like several people were helping him. Sigh.'' As Yoo Seodam exhaled. He pulled Winchester''s trigger before reloading it and put it on his back. Then he struck the Colonys eyeball with his sword. Boom!! The eyeballs burst. It seems that his sword contains mana in it, and Flower Pot was the one who controlled the mana. After that, his legs finally gave up. However, amidst the exhaustion, a smile bloomed on Yoo Seodams face. It was because he could see the Colony fall backwards as it lost its eyeballs. "Hahaha." Even though he was laughing, Yoo Seodam knew his condition was a complete mess. His shoulder had been dislocated and blood was gushing from his head. Moreover, his vision keeps getting darker and darker. However, he didnt really mind. Because he had successfully killed the Colony. Now, he could dream of a better ending for this protagonist hunt. Maybe, if he was really lucky, he could reap the protagonist''s power itself from Kim Ha-soo without killing him just like what he did to Yekaterina. However, Rumbleeeeeee!!! The ground shook, and something'' raised its head. "Ah." Yes. So far, the enemy that Yoo Seodam had been dealing with was Colony. However, it was only a small part of a monster called Colony. "Crazy. Yoo Seodam said in disbelief. The true body of Colony was enormous and overwhelming. Its previous size that he thought was around the size of 63 Building was tiny compared to its true size. The whole sky was obscured by its body. For a moment, Yoo Seodam thought that the rain had stopped because of it. It rolled its blue eyes and looked at Yoo Seodam. At that moment, Yoo Seodam realized. He could never face it alone. Because it was, at minimum, an SSS rank monster. It was truly a monster worthy to be called as the Final Boss of this worlds protagonist. Haaaaaa, damn it. Yoo Seodam clenched his teeth. It doesn''t matter how big the opponent is or how powerful they are. He had long forgotten the fear of death. That didnt mean he was planning to die here. There were many people who were waiting for his return. His intuition had told him so. Its not my time to die just yet.'' And so, he wielded his sword once again. His whole body was screaming in protest as he tried to get up. Wooooshhhhh!! At that moment, from a distance, something flew towards him with a noise that seemed to tear the sky apart. Yoo Seodam knew what it was. He didn''t know the exact model, but it''s something hed seen often in modern times. Jet fighters?'' The moment he thought about it. Someone jumped off from one of the jets. It was an impossible action for many human beings. But in this world, theres one person who is capable of doing so. It was the protagonist, Kim Ha-soo. Boom!! Kim Ha-soo landed on his knees in front of Yoo Seodam and raised his head. Then, he smiled at Yoo Seodam, revealing his pure white teeth. Lieutenant Yoo Seodam, thank you for your hard work. I was worried about how to pull its real body outside But your hard work has made things easier. There will not be a single victim. Rain poured down. The Colony was furious. It swept the sky with its tentacles, fending off dozens of fighter jets. So, stop now. Please go back and rest. From here and on, I will be the one who solves it. What? The moment Yoo Seodam tried to express such doubts, someone grabbed him by the shoulder from the back. When he turned his head, he could see a transport aircraft and soldiers who walked towards him from it. Then, the man who grabbed him by the shoulder, Lee Seong-soo said to him with a stiff expression devoid of his usual pleasant smile. Let''s go back. It''s Captains command. Wait, I can''t- Lieutenant Yoo Seodam. I don''t know who you truly are. But I know that you''re stronger than I thought. I know you can beat us all and do whatever you want if you want to. He was bowing his head. His head was covered in a beret, so his eyes couldn''t be seen. But for some reason, rain flowed from his eyes. It was a hot rain that could not be stopped. "Please Its Captain''s comm no, it is his last request. Can you please heed it? Yoo Seodam clenched his teeth and nodded. Then, he was promptly carried to the transport aircraft. The moment he boarded the aircraft, he was able to see something Kim Ha-soo was carrying on his back. Thats Zone Destruction Missile? Only then did he realize something. However, it was too late. As he tried to move his body, someone suddenly grabbed his arms. It was Aracelli. Professor, please. Aracelli was looking at Yoo Seodam with pleading eyes. Then, she hugged him tightly with both hands, worried he might run away again somewhere. If Yoo Seodam really tried to run away, the strength of a teenage girl wouldnt be able to stop him. However, he could never resist Aracelli. In the end, Yoo Seodam had no choice but to look at Kim Ha-soo, who was alone on the ground, with blank eyes. Kim Ha-soo was looking straight towards the monster, so Yoo Seodam could not see his expression. "You lots!!!" Kim Ha-soo''s voice resonated far and wide. It was loud enough to be heard by all soldiers in several aircrafts in the sky. Do you know why main characters in movies never look back at the last minute? And when the transport aircraft and several fighter jets had moved far enough from him. Kim Ha-soo raised his thumb high to the sky. His small back stood straight against the magnomous monster in front of him. It was a scene no one here could ever forget. It was imprinted forever in their memories. Its because its not sexy. Wooooonngg!!! Then, a pure white glow covered the world. The rain that had always covered the world without a single day of rest, finally stopped. And a dazzling light that had almost been forgotten penetrated through the crevices of the clouds. It was the first sunlight to ever illuminate the destroyed world. [Staff thoughts: Asta: That was the sexiest roller coaster of emotion. Kig: Damn What a sexy protagonist Aaghna: May he rest in sexy.] [Additional note: removed C from ranks (previously: S-rank, A-rank, etc. Now: S rank, B- rank, SS+ rank, etc.) to avoid confusion] Chapter 139: New World Pioneer Generation 1 Hey~ If you want to read further ahead, please consider becoming our Patron. or Donate to us Via Ko-fi for extra chapter every 9$ And~ All the comment at previous chapter is really appreciated! Kim Ha-soo bring all the commenter together! He really sexy! When Yoo Seodam opened his eyes, a warm, bright sunlight greeted him. Even though S-rank superhumans'' eyes are reinforced to some degree, anyone who faces sunlight the first thing in the morning would always flinch because of the sudden brightness. However, rather than feeling upset because of the sunlight, Yoo Seodam felt quite refreshed. It was because it had been more than a month since he last felt the warmth of the sunlight. Is this.infirmary?'' Yoo Seodam thought he had to get up and tried to raise his arm. But, he felt something heavy on his arms, pinning it down. As he expected, it was Aracelli. She opened her blue eyes and stared at Yoo Seodam intensely. You woke up, Professor. "Yeah. Hows everyone?" They are fine. also, the funeral just finished a few hours ago. Aracelli briefly told Yoo Seodam about what had happened in the fortress while he was asleep. About Kim Ha-soo''s funeral. About how the rain finally stopped after the Colony died. And about how there were more people mourning than those who were pleased. Yoo Seodam could understand those people who mourned Kim Ha-soos death. After all, his death changed the history of this world itself. He sacrificed his life to stop the world from running towards destruction, and it was a sacrifice that no one could insult. Yoo Seodam frowned as Kim Ha-soos death kept lingering in his mind. Why does the mere existence of a protagonist leads a world to its destruction? Was there any reason for it? It was a question Yoo Seodam had never thought about until now, he had also never thought about why a protagonist exists. Because most of the protagonists Yoo Seodam had met so far, were all selfish and they were a threat to their respective worlds. But for the first time, he met a very unusual protagonist. He was really a protagonist-like'' protagonist. Yoo Seodam thought, if Kim Ha-soo was actually a hero in a novel or a movie, he wouldn''t have had to die that way. Maybe he would survive and witness his dream of a better world. System.'' For what reason does a protagonist exist?'' But, the world will perish just because of their existence, so why does a protagonist still exist?'' After that, the system went silent, so Yoo Seodam stopped asking more questions. "Are you okay?" Looking at Yoo Seodams blank expression, Aracelli asked with an anxious expression on her face. Then Yoo Seodam replied to her with a smile. Yeah, Im okay now. Tell me more about what happened. Then, Aracelli elaborated further about the current status of the fortress. With the leader position empty, the fortress needed a new leader. And according to Kim Ha-soos will, Park Han-seo from Munhwa Department Store will fill the spot. No one raised a fuss about Kim Ha-soos one-sided election. It was because, when the fortress was first built a few years ago, Park Han-seo had the experience of staying in the fortress for a while and she had supported Kim Ha-soo. .And, the educational institutions here were more active than I thought, as there were quite a lot of engineers and scholars. I think, if they decided to move to another land and create a new country, they wouldnt lack any competent people. Kim Ha-soo had told him that he had prepared in advance so that the rest of the people could live on their own, in case he lost his confidence someday. His preparation bore fruits now. With his death, Shop Window had also disappeared. That means, they could no longer produce weapons and food from thin air. However, Kim Ha-soo had thoroughly educated them on how to make weapons and how to obtain food, as well as essential elements for living, and several related facilities were built in the fortress. Hearing that, Yoo Seodam sighed. In one way or another, he had hunted the protagonist. But he still questioned himself whether it was really okay to say that the hunt was successful when he, as a hunter, didn''t really want to hunt his prey? He felt like there would be no such funny quest any more in the future. He pondered for a while before deciding to check the rewards. Show me.'' [2010 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current lifespan: 3901 Days, 19 Hours 31 Minutes] [Your level has been raised by 5.] [You absorbed Shooting (A+) talent.] [It has been combined with your talent Shoot(C)'' and become Shoot(S)''.] Whaaaaaaat?'' [Level: 157] *Stats [Strength: 153] [Stamina: 171] [Agility: 155] [Energy: 1] [Mana: 259] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting S] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vital SS+] [Others] *Skill [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 4] [White Swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth Sense (B)] [Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SS+)] [Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SS+)] [Library of the White Witch (C)] His shooting talent had risen sharply. There have been many cases where skills or talents have been combined so far. But it came as a fresh shock to him as he had never gained such a useful talent like this before. Shooting talent, huh.'' He believed that Kim Ha-soo also enjoyed handling firearms. He somehow felt strange knowing that he inherited his shooting talent. Should I be happy about it or not? In order to soothe his confused mind, Yoo Seodam unknowingly stroked Aracelli''s hair. Somehow, it had already become a habit of his. As he felt her body temperature, his mind became calmer. Aracelli leisurely enjoyed the touch on her hair, and then she said. "Professor, because Its morning Cant you kiss my forehead once? How come your demands have become bolder and bolder? Just this once, please Professor!! "No." Regardless of her actual age, Yoo Seodam couldnt do it because currently Aracelli looked too young. When Yoo Seodam, who had always been in her heart, refused, Aracelli pouted and looked down, feeling dejected. Looking at Aracelli, Yoo Seodams conscience took a slight hit. But he couldn''t help it since from what had happened before, he knew that if he granted her wish here, her demands would only get bolder and bolder in the future. (T/N: way to go Aracelliiiiiiiiiii.) So, Yoo Seodam continued to gently stroke her head. Then, Aracelli, with a smile, as if she felt slightly better, buried her head in Yoo Seodam''s chest. Badump!! Badump!! Aracellis heart thumped wildly. She enjoyed this moment as she lightly bit on her own lips. If only I could stay like this'' Then, when a foreign scent leaked out from the arms of Yoo Seodam, Aracelli creased her forehead as she smelled it. It was a smell that some might say was fragrant, but was absolutely unpleasant for her. Scent of other women.'' Because shes a 9th Circle Wizard, Aracelli was very sensitive to the energy of other people. And she was particularly sensitive to Yoo Seodams energy. She didn''t know how about Yoo Seodams life on earth. However, she could guess his relationship with other female to some extent. At least two No is it three?'' The fact that the scent was deeply engraved in his body means that they maintained a relationship where their body mixed together quite often. The fact that there were three such women made Aracelli''s heart anxious. She didn''t want to be separated from her professor. She was anxious about the possibilities of her professor''s mind turning to other women. She felt that it would be great if she could go to Earth. Then, a sudden knock on the door awakened Aracelli from her inner turmoil. She said as she slightly raised her head to look towards the door. Who is it? -It''s me, new recruit. Lee Seong-soo. "Ah yes. Come in. Lee Seong-soo opened the door and then groaned as soon as he saw Aracelli clinging onto Yoo Seodam. Damn it. I didn''t come here to see this shit. But Ive never asked you "Shut up. Or Ill get offended. Lee Seong-soo said and looked at Aracelli. What?'' Lee Seong-soo''s special ability was Emotional Empathy''. He could feel the emotions of monsters or others as if it were his own once and he could sympathize with them. Thanks to that, he became a master of sniping. However, strangely enough, he couldnt use his ability against Aracelli, as if there was a huge barrier around her. But now, for some reason, he could feel that the barrier around Aracelli had weakened. And the way she stared at Yoo Seodam was something he could never have expected. You''re off guard.'' A mischievous thought passed in his mind. Then, Lee Seong-soo began to sympathize with Aracellis feelings. He wasn''t reading her mind, he was just going to brush through her feelings on a surface level, so there wasn''t much harm to the other person. And then, the moment he activated his ability. Badump!! Badump!! His heart began to beat wildly, his cheeks turned red, his lower body got hot, and it was hard to keep his mind from going crazy. Moreover, his gaze kept turning to Yoo Seodam. [E/N: Pfft! He turned gay] What, what, what is this?!'' When he looked at Yoo Seodam, his lips felt like a sweet, exotic fruit. He felt it would be great if he could take a bite of it. He also didn''t like his gaze going elsewhere, he wanted to dominate that gaze. He wanted him to call his name. Yoo Seodam. Yoo Seodam. Yoo Seodam. And even more Yoo Seodam. What is it? !! As soon as he snapped back to reality, he realized that he was approaching Yoo Seodam with his hand reaching out towards him. His heart, which was beating like crazy just a moment ago, disappeared and returned to normal. "Uh?" Lee Seong-soo could not utter any words. He was shocked. What he felt just now was just empathy, not his real feelings. Despite knowing that, he still couldn''t control himself. It was such an intense emotion. ..Oh my god. She actually lives with these feelings? Lee Seong-soo looked at Aracelli without even knowing. You are able to keep your reasoning despite having those feelings? It was such an impulsive and greedy emotion, but above all else, there was a pure and clean love. And because her love towards Yoo Seodam was so great, Aracelli did not do anything that Yoo Seodam did not want. Lee Seong-soo was really amazed by the fact that one human being could have such a passionate and intense emotion for another. Moreover, she was living just fine while holding that feeling back. Aracelli was hoping for nothing. She was just waiting quietly for him to reciprocate to her love. Somehow, it was a heart breaking love. Then, Lee Seong-soo said to Aracelli. Lieutenant Aracelli. I don''t think I''ve talked to you very much, but I support you. I hope it goes well. You deserve it. "Pardon? Ah.." Soon after, she said with a light smile. Thank you for your support. * * * That afternoon, I was getting ready to leave right away. Jay Company had many things to do. They had to appoint a new leader, organize a team to reclaim the northern plains, and also to supply and produce resources without the presence of Kim Ha-soo. They looked pretty busy. In a perished world, it was an unimaginable thing to do. Everyone was energized, forgetting the sadness of the past, and trying to move towards the future. We are the post-apocalypse generation. These were the words that Kim Ha-soo often said. Our generation, which had nothing to pass to future generations, has now ended. Special Forces members, including Lee Seong-soo, who had been together with me for a month, gathered to see me off even while they were busy. Oh, new recruit. If you remain, it would be very helpful. Will you really go? Your girlfriend remained here, though. But, Ill be following him soon. Please, no! Without you, we will have no one beautiful in our team. As the soldiers started hitting on her, Lee Seong-soo couldnt help but smile bitterly. I have nothing more to say. Even though we only met briefly, our goodbye will be forever. You will live as you are, and we will live as we are. Theres no longer a hopeless future waiting for them. So, they could laugh and talk like this at the moment. They could look forward to a brighter tomorrow with no rain. The post-apocalyptic generation ended together with Captain Kim Ha-soo. So now how about wrapping it up a little nicely and calling it the New World Pioneer Generation? We will rebuild our land and tread on a new land and pioneer it. The New World Pioneer Generation. I think it''s good. I said as I looked back at the fortress. It was a short time, but as I walked through this destroyed world, I thought about many things. Maybe it was because this world resembles the Earth so much. I saw how terrible the world changed because of monsters. I witnessed how far a human could fall, how ugly humans could be, and what kind of madness consumed humans in a destroyed world. But I could also see people who were striving to live with hope. And, most importantly. I saw someone who carried the same beliefs as me. Looking at how you are still leaving even though your girlfriend wants you to stay and yet she didnt say it I guess you really have a goal in mind. Shes not my girlfriend. It seemed meaningless to deny it now. Go, I hope you achieve that goal. After he said that, Lee Seong-soo glanced at Aracelli who was busy talking with other soldiers before quietly whispering to me. And, take care of Lieutenant Aracelli a bit more. She loves you with all her heart. (P/N Trust him, he knows best lmao) From time to time, try to listen to what that girl wants. She is thirsty for your affection. If you keep refusing it will be hard to deal with later okay? From the looks of things, it seems like Lee Seong-soo used his special ability Emotional Empathy on Aracelli. I don''t know what he saw from her, but I will accept his words because it seems like a sincere word of advice. Then, Lee Seong-soo smiled brightly and stepped back, the other soldiers then set the mood. It''s my time to leave. When I offered them my salute, they received it. In a deserted place without anyone, it was a quiet goodbye to the soldiers. I didn''t need to say anything else. Aracelli simply said with a bright smile on her face. Professor, see you next time. "Yeah. Dont cause any accident while you are here. Try to get along with everyone, too. Eventually, when I turned around and took a step, the world began to distort. [1098.] I feel the sensation of being sucked into a completely, black space. [543.] Suddenly, the system said urgently. Suddenly? What kind of problem? What are you talking about?'' [210.] After a while, a familiar scent greeted my nose. The system said again. WHAT!?!?!?'' [Successfully return to the original world.] As the landscape of Earth and the familiar house came into my view, I turned my smartphone on and checked the news portal in a hurry. [Day 78 after hunter Yoo Seodam disappeared Will he ever return?] The news of my disappearance greeted me. Chapter 140: Hell Gate? I’ve Been There Before, How About You? (1) Shutout to Pongpan, Tsubame and Bhumi, our newest Patron!! Join our Patreon if you want to read for up to 6 advanced chapters! Woosshhh~~ A red bus stopped with the sound from its air compression brake in front of Celeste who stood blankly as she tucked her hand in her pocket. She only woke up from her daze after the bus driver shouted towards her through the opened door. Miss foreign student, are you not going to get in? Celeste blinked several times before getting on the bus with a transportation card in her hand. As she sat down on an empty seat, she plugged a wireless earphone to her ears and looked out of the window. She could see the traces of winter outside, snow had piled up along the street and frozen the ground. Hey, look over there. It''s Celeste. "Heok.. Really? Should I get an autograph? What if she doesnt like it? I think she wants some silence Even though Celeste''s earphones had a noise cancelling function, she could still hear the whispers around her thanks to her superhuman body. It could be said that it was one of many downsides of having awakened with a body strengthening ability. Celeste had also become a celebrity. It was due to the incident two months ago. Videos of her fighting against Bang Ho-win spread across YTube and surprised all the body-strengthening superhumans. [B rank superhuman, Celeste VS SSS rank Bang Ho-win from Murim!] The video showed how Celeste blocked Bang Ho-win''s attack three times as the entrance of the Great Rift became smaller before being blown away by Bang Ho-wins fourth attack. As Celeste remembered that fight, she could only be thankful that she only suffered a few broken bones. She was also aware that she could only do so because Bang Ho-win was exhausted. However, the public didnt care about it at all. The only thing they cared about was the fact that a B rank superhuman fought against an SSS rank without being intimidated. Even more so when she was outstanding enough to withstand three attacks from the said SSS rank. The public also praised her action that prevented a terrifying existence such as Bang Ho-win from coming back to the society. As a result, Celeste''s fame skyrocketed. Then everyone became aware that Celestes body strengthening ability was special. It was different from what others had. They also become aware that she also possessed an excellent swordsmanship that could deal with an S rank even with a stat of a B rank. In this world, there were many superhumans who lived in hiding. In particular, most of them were those who possessed body strengthening ability. They chose to live as normal people because they were aware that with talent alone, they could only become around E~D rank. What if Celeste taught them her technique? Not only that, what if she taught her skills to an S rank body strengthening superhuman who is already strong to begin with? There will be another explosive sensation different from martial arts and magic. Then, a month ago, when she finally reached A rank, she received countless love calls from national corporations, guilds, and governments. But Celeste rejected all of the offers. Until I die, I will remain in Another League.'' She declared it to the public. Many people were confused and questioned her stance. However, for Celeste, it was a natural course of action. Another League had helped her take revenge against Bang Ho-win who had cut her fathers right arm. They trained her hard until she achieved her dream of cutting Bang Ho-wins right arm and threw it to another world. [Day 78 after Hunter Yoo Seodam disappeared. Will he ever return?] [Will he ever come back from beyond the rift?] [It is impossible to return from crack, opinions of the Anomaly Association divided.] Celeste frowned at the article on her smartphone. Yoo Seodam, who declared that he would come back soon, had not come back for more than two months. Those who knew Yoo Seodam were also increasingly concerned as he had yet to return. It was unusual for him to disappear for so long since he would usually return after 1 or 2 weeks. Where are you Celeste mumbled to herself as she stared blankly out of the window. * * * Celeste wasn''t the only one who was waiting for him. Whitey. He is still alive, right? In the guild master room of Another League which was occupied by Yekaterina, Taylor asked as she lay listlessly on the sofa. If Seodam-nim dies, I will die too. So, stop asking and please go back to your work. And Isnt it time for your departure? Oh, is it the time already? Taylor looked at her watch. She grumbled inwardly about how time moved slowly without Yoo Seodam yet time to work comes rather quickly. Three months had passed since she last saw him. After his disappearance, Taylor visited Yekaterina every day because she was the only person who was spiritually connected to Yoo Seodam. Not only Celeste, Taylor and Yekaterina, -Did anything happen today? Did you call me to check whether I''m alive or dead? -No way. Im just glad that you look healthy. Can''t you see these dark circles? I think I''m going to die soon because I''m so tired -I will make some supplements and send it to you. I will be happy if you do that. Seol Jungyeon was also waiting for him. And since she also knew about Yekaterina''s soul, she kept calling her every day. Very few people knew about that, but The problem is that those who knew always bothered Yekaterina day and night. However, because Yekaterina understood their feelings, she couldn''t blame them. Oh by the way, Lord. Didnt you say that you''re attending the Hunter''s Meeting today? -Yes, thats right. Seol Jungyeon was the Lord of Murim, so she was very sensitive about Murim''s public image. Therefore, as the Lord, she tried to participate in official meetings as often as possible. The Hunter''s Meeting was also an important event for Yoo Seodam, so she couldn''t miss it. We also sent Taylor unnie from our side. -Is that so? Seol Jungyeon and Taylor Nine. They know each other very well. From what Yekaterina knew, Seol Jungyeon was wary of Taylor because of how close she is with Yoo Seodam. So, when she remembered about it, she hurriedly opened her mouth before things got awkward between them. Ah, I suddenly got an urgent call. I think I have to go to work. -I''m sorry for taking your time when you are busy. Let''s end the call now. "Okay, please take care. Make sure you get ready, too, Taylor unnie. "Fyuuhh Fuck. Let me look Yoo Seodams picture one more time. " When a hunter from a certain guild attends the Hunter''s Meeting, it means they hold a considerable influence with them. Since Taylor knew the significance of this event, she had decided to attend the Hunter''s Meeting, which she had never attended before, for Another League. Of course Yoo seodam was also invited to the meeting, since he always had the opportunity to attend as the representative of F rank hunters. However, he was always absent because he knew well what would happen if he went there with an F rank status, and this year he couldn''t attend because he was not on Earth. "Whew. This bastard, when he comes back, I oughta.. Then Whitey, this Unnie will go okay? so watch the house well. "Okay. Please take care of yourself. So, when Taylor headed to Indonesia, where the Hunter''s Meeting will be held, Yekaterina switched on her laptop and the tablet next to her computer and started working. She recently hired quite a few full-time employees who were good at their work, but she didn''t think about reducing her own work at all. In the building next to the guild hideouts main building, scholars from all over the world were escorted by the spirits. They would discuss about magic while in the building on the other side. C rank swordsmen or higher were receiving swordsmanship training from Ha Sun-young, and finally, the engineers and craftsmen were busy developing a new dispenser that combines mana (essence) and energy (ether) at the workshop. It was Yekaterina who was in charge of them, so she couldn''t sleep even when she was tired. And that was not an issue because she had her energy charger, Yoo Seodam. Seodam-nim When will you return. For her, it was fun to work every single day even when blood dripped from her nose or when she felt like she was going to die because she was too tired. It was thrilling to see the growth of Another League which she had built. However, in the end, she was someone that could not live without Yoo Seodam. With an ordinary life, 6 months was the maximum amount of time she could live without Yoo Seodam. However, she was too overwhelmed these few months, and even though he had been away for less than three months, she was already exhausted and on the brink of collapsing. Her head was spinning with dizziness, and even in the midst of it, she was still wrestling with her work. Ugh. My head'' Yekaterina tried to endure the headache with her finger still pouncing on the keyboard. "Ah!" Then, suddenly, a familiar sensation ran through her body. It was the soul connection phenomenon. A phenomenon that she felt whenever Yoo Seodam returned to Earth. Seodam-nim! Hes back. Yekaterina was sure of it. * * * Hunter''s Meeting was an event where various hunters from F rank to SS rank gathered to discuss about the current hunter industry. It was held often, at the fastest one year or at the latest 4 year. The venue and the topic of the discussion were also different every year. The last meeting in China and Korea passed silently without any significant content. While in another meeting, the occasional hot topic about whether a specific guild could monopolize the gate and dungeon in a specific area was discussed. Someone said that the guild should be able to monopolize by paying a certain fee to the government where the dungeon and the gate existed, and some said that if the local monopoly culture intensifies, the gap between the rich and the poor would eventually widen, which will spoil the image of the hunter industry. The one who presented the former argument was a hunter who worked in the guild industry, while the presenter of the argument was a hunter who worked as an individual. Fortunately, thanks to the latter being a SS rank solo hunter with the nickname Cheong, the guild monopoly idea was dismissed with excellent votes. The Hunter''s Meeting was being transmitted all over the world through live broadcasting. Thanks to this, there were some hunters who came to the meeting and got criticized for making mistakes and ultimately retired. It''s dirty and annoying, really.'' Taylor chewed gum and sat in her seat with her legs crossed. In the room, the higher one''s seat is, the higher their rank is. It was a show that thoroughly imitated the class system and since the class system was correct, no one objected to it. The number of people who could participate was also limited. There were as many as 5 seats for the SS rank, 7 seats for the S rank, 10 seats for the A rank, and a total of 20 seats were allocated for the B,C,D,E and F ranks. However, there was a seat that really stood out from all of them, it was the F rank seat. F rank only had 3 seats. The reason behind it was simply because there were very few F rank hunters in the world who had achieved the minimum condition for attending the Hunter''s Meeting which is, they must be a hunter with minimum experience of 10 year. And amongst all qualified F rank Hunter, the only one who had a normal body and could communicate properly without suffering from mental illness, was Yoo Seodam. Although everyone in the world knows that Yoo Seodam was only F rank in name since his actual stats was higher than that, he was still an F rank in the end because he was still sticking to the rank without renewing it. Taylor turned her head and looked at the stage higher than her seat. Officials from the Hunter Association, the President of Indonesia, officials from the Anomaly Association, Politicians, including several Chinese, were gathered there. Hunter''s Meeting was originally only available to Hunters, but at some point, it became a place for businessmen and politicians to show their face. And amidst those people, she could see a woman standing proudly without any care in the world. It was Seol Jungyeon. Even in the noisy and festive atmosphere, Taylor could feel Seol Jungyeon sitting coldly alone. Well, seeing her like thatShes definitely pretty.'' Taylor thought to herself. The moment a superhuman achieved S rank, they would undergo a famous phenomenon that changes their appearance, such as becoming younger or more beautiful. Of course, not everyone becomes a beauty. The majority of cases were just getting better skin and younger appearance. However, very occasionally There were cases where those who were already beautiful became even more beautiful once they reached S rank. Taylor Nine and Seol Jungyeon were examples of such cases. As Taylor looked around, she could see several people and several cameramen staring intently at Seol Jungyeon. She understood that they were enchanted by her beauty. Even Taylor herself couldn''t help but look at her. Yes, it''s all good up to there Why do you keep looking at me, you damn woman!'' As much as Taylor is wary of Seol Jungyeon, Seol Jungyeon is also wary about Taylor. Shes Seodam''s 17-year-old friend and colleague.'' Seol Jungyeon thought to herself as she looked at Taylor Nine. While Seol Jungyeon and Taylor glanced at each other in silence, the chairman of the meeting finally appeared. Huh?'' It was a face that Taylor knew so well. However, from what Taylor knew, he was not a hunter but an anomaly expert. I am Tae-oh, who will be the moderator today. Nice to meet you." He stood in the middle of the stage, bowing his head to both sides, and greeted them. It was an act for the viewers, not the hunters. The moment Taylor yawned because she was bored and sleepy, her eyes widened at the words of the moderator. Todays topic is about Hell Gate''. Recently, it was revealed that the Hell Gate is slightly expanding and theres some opinion about closing it, so I would like to take this occasion to discuss it Taylor was speechless since Hell Gate, a sensitive subject, was once again trying to rise to the surface. Why?'' Seven years ago, after that day, they decided to not touch Hell gate ever again. Therefore, we invited Yoo Haram, a Specialist about Hell gate, the Lost Day Guild Master and an SS rank Hunter. Then, when Yoo Haram appeared as the so-called Specialist, Taylors face crumpled. Its not funny. Taylor understood that theres no one who had been to Hell gate in this meeting, so Yoo Haram was certainly the best expert. He had sent his guild members to the inside of Hell gate, and some of them even returned alive and were able to uncover and investigate the inside more than anyone else. After that day, seven years ago, Yoo Haram always attended as a specialist whenever there was an issue related to Hell Gate. However, for Taylor, it was nothing but nonsense. Without knowing about what Taylor was thinking, Yoo Haram greeted the hunters with a very confident face before facing toward the camera. Nice to meet you. I am Yoo Haram. The discussion started. A specialist? Who? You? When Taylor questioned about his title as the specialist the room instantly fell silent. It happened only about three seconds after the discussion began. Chapter 141: Hell Gate? I’ve Been There Before, How About You? (2) When Taylor Nine rebuked Yoo Haram the moment the discussion started, some of the attendees had an expression as if saying Oh, that crazy bitch is starting again. However, most of them looked at her with a feeling of Its better this way''. Because Hell Gate Expedition'' was not something they wanted to discuss. Most of them still remembered what happened 7 years ago. At that time, numerous guilds sent their members into the Hell Gate. But most of them ended up dead. However, Lost Day was an exception. Few hunters under their banner returned alive, they even got an enormous amount of materials from the Hell Gate thanks to their hunter, Lyton. The existence of those materials was hidden from the world just until recently when Lost Day announced that they were studying about Hell Gate. That is why he is pretending to be an expert.'' Taylor snorted as Yoo Haram laughed leisurely against her argument. Haha, yeah. Certainly I also know very little about the unknown place called Hell Gate. However, just like what we announced recently, we have been constantly researching Hell Gate, and we have been able to obtain quite a bit of information about it. But we don''t know if that will be poison or medicine for humanity, though. Hooo. Are you pretending to be an intellectual after researching someone elses belongings? Well, I always knew that you were someone like that, so Ill try to understand. I dont think it is right to throw a baseless accusation in this place. "Eh? When did I ever make any baseless accusations? Everything I say is always fact. Thats right, Taylors act of saying anything she wanted had earned her a nickname of Fact Bomber. Although what she said was at first glance disturbing, they were all words based on true stories. In other words, Yoo Haram couldnt let Taylor Nine, who had a strong image of a fact bomber, to say anything against him. However, Yoo Haram was calm. People who appeared here are mostly on my side anyway I dont think its good to have a fight like this in a discussion, Taylor Nine Hunter-nim. Yoo Haram regained his composure and smiled. Yeah whatever. Taylor waved her hands. Even though she wanted to rebuke him some more, she was aware that it was time to listen carefully. Soon after, Yoo Haram presented data on the screen in the air. It was statistics and geometrical graphs full of jargon that was too hard for Taylor to understand. Everyone knows that Hell Gate has always been treated as an abnormal phenomenon just like a rift". People nodded at Yoo Harams words. However, the truth is, Hell Gate is different from rift. While rift has a Core inside, Hell Gate doesnt. If Hell Gate was a rift, it would close once we destroy the core. But, according to 47 members of the expedition who returned four years ago, they could not find or track core energy at all. Taylor wanted to rebuke it by saying it could be the machine''s problem just like what Yoo Seodam told her. However, if she said it, it would lead to an even more in-depth talk which she was sure that she would lose against. Taylor Nine was someone who always liked to win, and she didn''t have a hobby of fighting a losing battle. But, the core does exist. If you look at the screen, you can see the change in Hell Gate''s energy over the last 7 years. On a yearly basis, its energy is gradually increasing. It is evidence that Hell Gate''s core is growing. And, as you all know, whether it''s a crack or a dungeon, when the energy threshold is exceeded, whatever they contain inside will pop out into reality. Yoo Haram looked around with a firm eye. Im sure everyone in the industry is well aware that if the monsters from inside the dungeons and rifts come to Earth, it''s more difficult to defeat them. In practice, it was extremely rare for a monster to become stronger just because it came out to Earth. However, on Earth, they had civilians to protect, and it was never easy to fight a war while making sure there was no damage to both civilians and property. And in some cases, when a monster with invisibility or undetectable ability bypasses the defence line, martial law would be applied and the city would be paralyzed. That bastard really came with a plan.'' Taylor had to agree that no one had ever investigated Hell Gate as closely as Yoo Haram. Even if there were, they would probably side with Yoo Haram. Who are you trying to push into Hell Gate?'' Taylor knows that this discussion was broadcasted all over the world in real time, thus, she was aware that Yoo Haram deliberately mentioned civilian damage in order to heightened their sense of crisis. And in order to close Hell Gate as soon as possible, a team of elite would be needed. If someone refuses here their image would certainly get damaged. Even if there were some people who wanted to refuse it, the atmosphere wouldn''t allow them to. The moment Yoo Haram''s words ended, some guild masters promptly responded. We, from Cheongdan guild, will support Hell Gate expedition. I am the master of Lujiao guild. Our guild is also totally in favor of the expedition. Most of them were guilds from China, however, they were not the only ones as guilds from other countries started to show their support. Lane Killer Guild also agrees with the opinion of recruiting an elite hunter. This is the Blue Iron Guild. Can I ask about the criteria for selecting a hunter? I am the master of the Velvet Guild. Our guild will also support the expedition to Hell Gate. Words of opinions poured out one after another. Half of the Masters of renowned Guild as well as S rank hunters accepted the proposal. Of course, not all guilds could participate in the expedition just because they expressed their intention to participate, and it is said that they would form an elite team through a thorough screening. The topic progressed at an overly fast pace. Crazy bastards. They are using this opportunity to advertise themselves.'' Only about 5% of the hunters in the discussion agreed to the proposal, but the problem was that 5% were the strongest of the bunch. Hunters below A rank, who couldn''t even carry a guild on their backs, shed cold sweat as they remained quiet, and other S rank hunters also shut their mouths when the atmosphere became strange. The same was true for SS rank hunters. Yoo Haram had set the rhythm by being the first one to come forward about the expedition, so if the other SS rank expressed their refusal, they would be criticized by the public. What the hell are you going to do by touching Hell Gate again No, dont tell me? Taylor suddenly came up with a thought and looked at the place where Seol Jungyeon was. She was still looking at Yoo Haram with her cold eyes as numerous Chinese officials watched her. It seems like those guys really held a grudge against that auntie.'' Last time, China''s image was greatly damaged due to the Saekma, their ridiculous claim of Mugong Ownership as well as the incident on Americas soil that happened because of Murim Hohyanghoe. At the centre of it all were Murim people. So, in other words, China is thinking of getting rid of Murim people altogether. So, Im curious what Murim Lords opinion is. With those words from Yoo Haram, Taylor sighed as everyone''s eyes focused on Seol Jungyeon. It was a sly attack by Yoo haram. Taylor pondered about what option Seol Jungyeon should choose. If she refused, she would be condemned for not agreeing to work to keep the peace of the planet. On the other hand, if she accepts it, they will try to put as many Murim people as they could inside the Hell Gate. If that''s the case, of course, they would also try to put Seol Jungyeon inside. No matter how many strong people Murim had, they wouldnt be safe inside the Hell Gate. However, if she refused to do so, the image that Murim Alliance had painstakingly built would go down the drain. Seol Junyeon sighed. It was a difficult question. She had heard stories about Hell Gate from Yoo Seodam quite occasionally. And, he, the most reliable man in the world for her, had always said that, it was a place more like hell than hell itself.'' Seol Jungyeon couldnt let her people be included in such a dangerous gamble even if there is a possibility of Hell Gate bursting open. She smelled something fishy because she could clearly feel the prickling sensation of pure malice on her skin. It''s a sensitive problem, so I''ll think about it before giving my answer. The only thing she could do right now was to postpone the answer. However, Yoo Haram would not allow her to do that. Haha, there is no need to hold your answer. This is a discussion, anyway. You could freely voice your opinion. I believe everyone is curious about the opinion of the strongest superhuman on the planet as well as an SSS rank superhuman. Seol Jungyeon frowned since she was being forced to answer. Her expression was captured in dozens of cameras and broadcasted worldwide. Should I ask him a reverse question about his willingness to join the expedition at the forefront? Seol Jungyeon thought. it doesn''t seem right.'' Seol Jungyeon was aware that Yoo Haram was more proficient in politics rather than Hunting, so such a simple argument would be easily countered by him. 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds. Time passed as Seol Jungyeon sighed. She recalled the past when she was still Supreme Cheonma. That time, she did not have to involve herself with politics. Her one word would easily become the law. Therefore, she was vulnerable to this kind of politics where she had to pay attention to her image''. Seol Jungyeon would rather cut Yoo Haram''s throat right away with her sword But unfortunately, humans were social animals, so she had to do it for Yoo Seodam''s sake. No matter how much I care about the image, I can''t send my people who are like my own blood and flesh to the place that Seodam told me not to go.'' Seol Jungyeon thought that it would be better to pursue safety even when she was aware that it was precisely what Yoo Haram and the Chinese nation wanted. Namely, reducing the Murim peoples image. "I" However, the moment Seol Jungyeon tried to open her mouth to express her opinion, her eyes turned wide open, and she suddenly got up from her seat without knowing. Fortunately, her behavior did not receive much attention since she wasnt the only one who stood up from her seat. I, I! He is! In an instant, the camera focused on the entrance of the room. Click! Click! Click! Light flashed together with the sounds of shutter, and from the entrance, someone dressed in a suit was walking in while smiling. It was a face Seol Jungyeon had never forgotten even for a moment. Yoo Seodam! Someone shouted his name on behalf of Seol Jungyeon, and Yoo Seodam raised his hand as if trying to answer him. Then someone gave him a microphone and he spoke. "Sorry. I''m a little late Oh, but will you accept late students here? But no one shook their heads. If it were usual, it would have been possible to place restrictions on admission to people who were late. But, how could they do that to Yoo Seodam? A man who reappeared after disappearing into the rift more than two months ago. It''s a scoop!'' The moderator felt that it was an opportunity he couldnt miss. "Please Please come in. There are many empty seats left. "Thank you then. I''ll sit there then. Yoo Seodam walked toward the F rank seat as he said that. "Okay. So, what were we talking about? Oh yeah! I watched it on live broadcast on my way here. You were discussing about the Hell Gate right? "That''s right. We also have a specialist here to discuss about Hellgate''s expedition. Yoo Seodam''s expression turned funny as he heard the moderators words. "Specialist? Who is that? Yoo Seodam tilted his head as the moderator pointed at Yoo Haram before opening his mouth again. Oh, yes. When I was in Junior High School, I joined the Pretty Pebble Collection Club and heard a lot of advice from a specialist. Really, these days, anyone can become a specialist if they want to, even without a license Obviously, Yoo Seodam said all of it in a sarcastic tone. Then, Yoo Haram replied with a stiff face. Yes, thats right. I do not have a license. But I believe that I have investigated the interior of Hell Gate through the material obtained Hell Gate''s material? Ah! The ones that I brought? Then it was complete silence. Yoo Haram''s poker face began to crumble a little because he didn''t predict that Yoo Seodam, who had been missing for a few months, would reappear here. .Yes, that is the one. But the point I want to convey is that I have studied enough about Hell Gate and that I am well aware of the danger it possesses. In response to his words, Yoo Seodam didn''t say much. He only said, Hell Gate? Ive been there before. After saying that, he continued. How about you?" With that, the controversy over who was the specialist came to an end. Chapter 142: I Am A Trash (1) Shutout to Liam and Mimicry, our new Patron!!! Btw, if u subscribe to our highest Patron tier right now, You can read the start of new Hunting Mission!!! Objectively, Yoo Haram who studied Hell Gate scientifically should really be considered as more of a specialist than Yoo Seodam. However, no one present in the meeting would admit that in Yoo Seodams presence. The fact that Yoo Seodam was a hunter who had survived Hell Gate for three years was recently revealed through the internet, and everyone and their grandma knew about it. On top of that, he also had the ability to control dimension, so who in their right mind would ever doubt him? Yoo Seodam grabbed the microphone and said "On my way here, I looked at your data. What you said is quite plausible. Back when I''m still in the Pretty Pebble Collection Club, I thought diamonds were the most valuable pebbles. Someone laughed as he said that. So, I want to show you the material I''ve been preparing. This is the tablet I use when watching movies on Uflix Does it matter? I''ll just connect it. Then, on the screen, data about Mirror World'' appeared. It was a strange phenomenon different from dungeons and rifts that the Murim people had been dealing with all around the world. In fact, the data itself didnt really have any connection with Hell Gate. But no one knew about it except Yoo Seodam. And it was enough to counter Yoo Harams data as well as persuade other people. The reason behind the rise of Hell Gates energy is simply because some parts of Hell Gate are synchronizing with Earth. But don''t worry. While specialist Yoo Haram here is working hard on examining the materials that I brought, Murim people are solving all of those abnormal phenomenons. On the screen, several photos of Mirror World that resembled Hell Gate appeared. Most of them were horrible and full of disgusting things, it was to the point that it was blurred for censorship purposes. However, for the hunters who had seen pictures of the inside of Hell Gate, they had to admit that the world inside the pictures closely resembled Hell Gate. I dont really care whether they admit it or not, because the world derived from Hell Gate in the first place. In fact, Yoo Seodam himself didn''t know why the Hell Gate''s energy was rising. However, he had someone who excelled in dimensional science, namely, the system. After that, the discussion proceeded swiftly. Yoo Seodam declared that, The Hell Gate expedition is meaningless and said, Even if you go on an expedition, it isnt plausible to do it just with a few elites. Whenever someone tried to refute him, Yoo Seodam would happily unravel what happened at Hell Gate. The Hell Gate expedition proposal was dismissed. Eventually, when the moderator, Tae-oh announced the result, Yoo Haram got up from his seat and left the room. The meeting ended. One by one, people started leaving the venue after confirming that the camera was turned off and the outro of the live broadcast was coming out. And then, Seol Jungyeon rushed to embrace Yoo Seodam. NoNoonim, your image. Yoo Seodam said helplessly. There were a lot of eyes watching them. Nevertheless, Seol Jungyeon didnt care about it at all and placed her lips on Yoo Seodams lips. Before he could enjoy the kiss, Yoo Seodam hurriedly looked around him. He saw that there was one camera that was just about turning off. We are in trouble.'' More and more people started leaving the venue. Yoo Seodam slowly pulled back from the kiss and looked at her. Seol Jungyeon was so short that she barely touched the chest of Yoo Seodam. She usually looked so big, but in fact she was so small. Seol Jungyeon was staring at Yoo Seodam with slightly moist eyes. You came too late. "I''m sorry. I didn''t know that the time difference wouldnt work. Originally, the time difference between the world Yoo Seodam travelled to and Earth would be at least 2 times or at most 15 times. However, for some reason, this time there was an error with the time difference. Yoo Seodam didnt know the cause. Is it because he left to another world from inside the rift? Or because the destroyed world was parallel to Earth? Because of that, the people on Earth were so worried about him. "It''s okay Its okay now. The most important thing is that you returned safely. In fact, from the moment Yoo Seodam appeared, Seol Jungyeon wanted to rush at him. She wanted to feel his embrace, his eyes, and his touch after a long time. However, with superhuman willpower, she tried hard to hold back her impulsive mind. But it was also because of that, as soon as the restraint was released, Seol Jungyeon ran towards Yoo Seodam and forgot all about the image she had built. Yoo Seodam gently patted Seol Jungyeons head as he raised his head because in addition to Seol Jungyeon, there was another woman he wanted to meet here. Im sure Taylor was here Where the hell is she? No matter how hard he tried to look for her, Yoo Seodam couldnt find Taylor Nine. * * * I arrived in Korea around the time dinner was over in Korean time. Noonim wanted to stay with me a little longer, but unfortunately, she couldn''t clear her schedule right away. -Next time we meet I have something to give you. After she said that, she returned to the House of Goblins which had become the House of Murim. I couldn''t predict at all what she was going to give me next time. On my way home, I checked the internet to search rankings on my smartphone. And as expected, just before the live camera was turned off, at around the timing of the outro, the scene where Seol Jungyeon Noonim held me was captured and transmitted. They also captured the scene when she kissed me. Seol Jungyeon'' adorned the internets real-time search rankings this time with mostly scandals with me. It''s a scandal related to the Murim Lord. It was by no means a good sign. So I hurriedly told Noonim to clarify, but she adamantly refused. Is it really necessary? Ill just leave it alone.'' I remembered she looked quite happy as she said that. Whew. I wondered if it would work somehow. After midnight, I was able to get home. When I opened the door and walked in, I saw Taylor chugging some beers in the kitchen with only dim light lighting up the room. Her cheeks were already burning red, and she seemed to be quite drunk. Somehow, I felt something was off. I hadn''t seen her for around two months, but really, her atmosphere was different from usual. Uh, you. Why did you go first? It would have been nice if we were on the same plane. Then Taylor smiled as she tilted her head. She was looking at me with a strange gaze. Yoo Seodam. "uh." Yoo Seodam! I''m listening. Yoo Seodam. She crumpled the beer can on her hand as she mumbled. Yoo Seodam, you are a very difficult man to have." I couldn''t answer. I didn''t answer. You are drunk- Right! I''m drunk. Suddenly, Taylor screamed slightly, but moments later, her voice turned normal once again. Im only saying this because Im drunk. Drinking is not an indulgence. It just helped people to be courageous. She probably drank several cans of beer just so she could say what she wanted to say next. Taylor stood up from her seat and came over to me. Then, she grabbed me by the tie and dragged me to the sofa. After that, she pushed my chest with her tiny her to the sofa. "You know what? Ive been living for 17 years while only looking at you. She looked me into the eyes. It was then I realized, her eyes were clear without any sign of intoxication. She wasn''t drunk at all. Now I know, I can''t keep you to myself. That would be greedy of me, because you''re too big. Too fucking big. You asshole (P/N ( ? ?? ?)) Taylor''s eyes looked slightly moist. Maybe it was the result of the moonlight and her sparkling eyes. It''s been a long time since we''ve been like this. 17 years. From adolescence to adulthood. We had been living almost half of our lives together. She knew me better than anyone else, and I could proudly say that I knew her better than anyone else. However, today, that conviction of mine was crumbling. I''m not sure either. Seodam. I thought I knew everything about you, but at some point. She looked at me with a childish look. When you said that you are a Dimensional Traveller, or when you finally got the superpower you wanted so much, or even when you were dealing with magic or mugong, I understood everything. Even if you suddenly become an alien I''ll love you and all your secrets. Im sure I will. Then, I remembered the old Taylor. A timid and young girl who smiled cheerfully whenever she learned about another person. A girl named Taylor Nine was more cautious about human relations than anyone else, but at the same time, she was someone that would open all of her heart for someone. How do I know it? Because I was the only one who she opened her heart to. When she set her goal, Taylor would always cling to it. You Do you have anyone you are interested in right now? I tried to open my mouth, but Taylor stopped me by putting her hand on top of my lips. Then, she shook her head with an anxious eye. Just forget I ever asked that. Just, don''t tell me. Then she raised her head again, before smiling widely. Whether you have or not, I dont care. No matter what I hear, I don''t think I can give up on you. I don''t want another bitch that suddenly appeared to steal you from me. All I need is a piece of you, any leftover is also fine I''ll have it. She didn''t try to unbutton my top with one hand like usual. Instead, she quietly put her white legs on both sides of my thighs and hugged me. It was getting warmer and warmer than before. Lets just be together tonight. I just want to be together like this and I want you to just think about me today..please." She said to me with a voice that seemed somehow anxious. Can you please do that? I quietly nodded. Before long, she fell asleep with a faint smile as if satisfied. The night got deep, but I couldn''t sleep. (T/N My kokorooooooooo.) Chapter 143: I Am A Trash (2) "Let''s go on a date." That was the first thing Yoo Seodam heard as soon as he woke up. When he opened his eyes, he could see a white skin and silver hair filling his vision. It was Taylor Nine. She was sitting on top of his stomach naked as she busily scrolled through her smartphone. Yoo Seodam was speechless for a moment, but he forced a word out because he felt the need to ask Taylor some questions. "Why are you naked?" Taylor glanced at her body once and shrugged as if she didn''t even care about it. "I dont know. Whenever I slept with you, I took my clothes off without realizing. It seems to be a habit. Yoo Seodam touched his upper body just to check something. As expected, he found that the shirt he was wearing last night was now gone. Then what about mine? Its also a habit. As if nothing was wrong, Taylor answered brazenly. Yoo Seodam was left speechless once again. And then, he pulled the blanket that was covering his lower body, wrapped it around Taylors body, and pushed her to the side. Are we going to do it? Stop speaking nonsense and get up. Yoo Seodam said. It wasn''t that he didnt want to do it or that he found the whole situation awkward, but rather, he was just too tired. As soon as he returned from the destroyed world, he had to fly straight to Indonesia to attend the meeting. And after a long night of thinking about many things and hugging Taylor in his arms for a long time, he woke up at 10 am. It was already long past the rush hour. By the way, why a date all of the sudden? Man, lately you dont have any time to meet me. Thats why this noona will do you a favor and spare some of my time to play with you. There are a lot of interesting movies these days, and sometimes you have to take some time off to live! Isn''t that true? But, you seem to have a lot of free time every day. What are you talking about! Do you know how busy this noona is? "Is that so" Yoo Seodam shrugged. Come to think of it, after his debut as a hunter 17 years ago, he had never taken any days off until he was diagnosed with a heart disease two years ago. And even after he was cured, he had no chance to take a break since he had to work hard as a protagonist hunter and had to build his guild. It could be said that he was now far busier than the day when he was only an ordinary F rank Hunter. Well, okay. I guess I can take some time off. Why did you become obedient suddenly? What''s wrong? Where did the old Yoo Seodam go?" Yoo Seodam chuckled at her reaction. He only accepted it because the person was Taylor Nine. He had no one to enjoy that kind of leisure with other than her. Then lets watch a movie or something. "Romance?" "Hell no. A movie where everything breaks. Taylor chuckled. Even though they had never watched a movie together, both of them were well aware of each other''s tastes. In fact, their tastes and personalities were almost the same, it was the biggest reason why they got along so well. While Taylor was booking movie tickets on her smartphone, Yoo Seodam suddenly thought of Yekaterina. He could feel her state through his soul. She was currently on the verge of collapsing because she was extremely exhausted. I should hurry up and take care of her. Waking up from the bed, Yoo Seodam got dressed and threw Taylor her underwear and shorts. Right at that moment, the system suddenly spoke up. Is that so? What is it? Well.. Its okay. The system said so, but Yoo Seodam could get a few clues from those words. The system always sets it with Earth as the centre.'' Yoo Seodam became more and more curious about her identity. * * * I am dying! Yekaterina said as she buried her face in her desk. The black circles under her eyes were severe to the point it affected her overall beauty. "I''m really sorry Its not that I deliberately returned late" I was aware that without me Yekaterina would die. I felt guilty even though I was late because of an error in the time difference. "Its okay, Because in the end you still returned. Hurry, please come here. Yekaterina shook her head and smiled faintly. I sat down on Yekaterinas seat and let her sit on my lap. My original plan was to let her have her recharge session as we lay down on the sofa to maximize body contact. But she refused my plan as she had a lot of work to do. Ah! As expected, Yekaterinas body shook the moment her body touched mine. If I remember correctly, she said that energy recharge was quite painful. It wasnt really painful when there was still some spirit left in her body, but when her energy was close to rock bottom, she was particularly sensitive to soul communion. ..! Yekaterina bit her lips and curled up. Even though the contact was barely enough, she tried to move away from my body. I pulled her to my chest and embraced her deeply. Eugh! Does it hurt that much? Oh, no! Yekaterina answered as she took a deep breath. Then, I could feel her breathing become even. Then in her drowsy mumble, Yekaterina whispered. Sometimesplease pay attention to me too. "Sorry" I know that my presence is not that great compared to others But I can''t live without Seodam-ssi" Then Yekaterina weakly said another word. More I felt uneasy for a moment and hurriedly asked. "Hey. Are you still alive? .. There was no answer. However, as I put my finger in front of her nose, I could feel her breath faintly. She had already fallen asleep. Huh? If you''re going to sleep, why are you talking about working? Even though I said that, I couldnt just wake her up. And I couldn''t move either. So I sat still as I held her in my arms. Then, after some time passed, the office door opened and the Spirit King entered. The Spirit King, who was wearing armor from head to toe, including a helmet, looks like an ordinary large burly person at first glance. -Hyung-nim You''re back! Uh, yes. It has been awhile." -I thought my Hyung-nim was already dead, so I already sent him away in my heart, but now I have to get my goodbye back! haha! This bastard -Its okay Hyung-nim! Because my heart is still burning hot. A blue flame really burned from the Spirit King''s chest. You only make my stomach burn. -Well! It was fun to reunite with you Hyung-nim, but I have a very important mission, so I''ll have to leave. "Please go quickly." C Actually, I''m going to eat udon. "I''m not curious." C Well then! After saying that, the Spirit King broke the window and jumped out. Is he crazy? Boom!! As I heard the sound of him landing on the ground, I started to wonder whether my decision to give him the armor was correct. Then, Ye Sa-hye enters the office. Her expression was calm as she looked at the broken windows. It''s an everyday thing. "Is that so" But she was startled when she saw Yekaterina who was fast asleep in my arms. Wow, is she really asleep? "Uh yeah. Why?" Well, boss was recently suffering from severe insomn- No, I''d rather call it Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She kept on saying she preferred to work during that time" Crazy. Just how much of a workaholic are you? For the past three days, she barely slept for three hours, so we tried to force her to sleep. But now that Gilma is here, she fell asleep right away. I had apologized to her earlier, but that didn''t completely erase my guilt towards Yekaterina who fought against extreme fatigue, and worked hard for my guild. Yet I neglected her. Am I really trash? Remembering Taylor Nine from last night, Aracelli, whom I had left behind because I had no other choice, and Yekaterina, who was sleeping soundly in my arms, somehow I could feel my heart ache. It wasn''t intentional, but somehow, I thought I was doing something worse than trash. Whew. Well then, I need to check her works when Im not here." I adjusted Yekaterinas position into a more comfortable position and checked the computer. What is all this? I asked no one in particular. It was full of things that I didn''t know. [The 1st Magic Seminar Holding Plan Report.] [About the Magic Symposium in 3 years time.] [Cooperation of companies on the effectiveness of the essence dispenser is] [For the publication of textbooks, YoRyob Mugong ([C)'' Ha Sunyoung''s mugong in the Great Monster Warfare] When I checked the computer I realized a lot of things had happened when I was away. First of all, the profession Magician'' was now officially recognized. And the plan for the establishment of a university for cultivating wizards, the so-called Yekaterina''s Tower'', had already been completed. In addition, the essence dispenser for wizards had been collectively referred to as the magic wand''. And then, the joint action between Ha Sunyoung and Celeste was even more spectacular. They had removed the unnecessary movements from the original Sunyoung Swordsmanship which mainly deals with humans and turned it into something that specialized in hunting the monsters. Then from Sunyoung Swordsmanship as the impetus, Murim created a new branch of martial arts which they called YoRyob Mugong'' ([C) which mainly dealt against monster. The great thing about this mugong was the fact that it could be learned by anyone. So many things happened To be honest, I don''t know what else I should work on here. Am I too slow? No, Yekaterina was way too fast in working on everything while I was away. To be honest, before Yekaterina joined the guild, I had studied quite a lot. In addition to the laws related to Korean hunters, I had begun accumulating a wide range of knowledge in case my guild members later became internationally active. I even went to a lawyer and studied for a few days regarding the ownership of supernatural intellectual property for magic and martial arts. Not only that, after receiving investment from several companies and investors, I went directly to Ryu Jin-soo, who had been active in guild business for longer than me, to learn how to not get exploited. But still, compared to Yekaterina, who not only looked after the guild but also poured all her passion into it, the things I had done were nothing. Its really good. To be honest, I have nothing to do now. When I said that, Ye Sa-hye opened her eyes wide and said What do you mean you don''t have work to do, Gilma-nim? "Uh? No, I just- Werent magic and mugong was something you secured, Gilma-nim? "Uh..yeah thats true. Do you know how much trouble we have in developing all of them without Gilma-nim? .. I do not know. No, I never instructed them to do so in the first place. I can''t ask for anything more as long as they get stronger and survive. By the way is there anyone currently hunting properly in Another League? Just what is this place? A university, a dojo, or a guild? Then Ye Sa-hye spoke once again and stopped me from trailing off in my mind. So, please help even for a little bit. On what? Limitless development, possibilities, utilization, reorganization and generalization of mugong. Then Ye Sa-hye picked up her smartphone and showed it to me. It shows Celestes Live streaming. She was currently teaching about body strengthening techniques and it was being watched by 90.000 viewers. Did you know that there is another person who has been waiting for Gilma-nim to come back? Is it Celeste? "Yes. But as soon as Gilma-nim came back, youve been very busy, so she didn''t even come to visit in fear of disturbing you. I didn''t know No, maybe I knew. Now the people waiting for me were more than I thought. So, please go see her. Chapter 144: I Am A Trash (3) Shutout to Our nee Protagonist tier Patron, Randomrandom!! Thanks a bunch man~ As soon as Yekaterina woke up from her sleep of replenishing her strength the entire afternoon, Yoo Seodam headed towards the building next door to help Celeste. The entire building was used by Celeste to hold her class. At the moment about 90,000 people were watching her live streaming lesson. But Ye Sa-hye had told Yoo Seodam that only about half of that number were watching it for the sake of learning, while the rest were watching it just for Celeste. "Oh Yoo Seodam exclaimed as soon as he entered the building. The inside of the building was quite spacious, its walls were also reinforced with an ether-coating. However, regardless of its spacious space, only 30 people were present inside the building. Every single one of them had a different rank, ranging from E rank to A rank. And from what Ye Sa-hye had told Yoo Seodam, they were all already registering their name under Another League for the perks of learning even after the live streaming is over. After going through a formal education course, every single one of them planned to work as a hunter under the banner of Another League. In the end, all of them are going to be my subordinates. Yoo Seodam said to himself as he saw a large monitor on the wall. On it, a real-time response for Celestes class was being displayed. And in front of that monitor, Celeste was holding a class with a wooden sword in her gym uniform. Focus the flow of energy on your ankles and swing them up. Wooshh!! Celeste instantly disappeared from everyone''s sight and moved behind a student who stood still, almost as if she was teleporting. And youll get something like this. Immediately after, the chat window was flooded with question marks. Its easy, right? -???? -?? -Eh -? -What.. -What did you do? -Professor You are too fast. Yoo Seodam chuckled. The response on the screen was justified. Because, even though Celeste had a good voice, it seemed that she had no talent for teaching. In his opinion, her inability to teach stemmed from the fact that she was too much of a genius. Whatever she did, she always did it in her own way. So, when she explained it to other people, they wouldnt be able to understand it. The fact that she had a lot of viewers even though she was like this was really strange in Yoo Seodam''s eyes. All you have to do is follow what I did -Oh haha ??that''s right, just follow along lol C So how did you do that haha -Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm -Sorry for being stupidSorry for being stupid It seems that she was teaching the basic steps, however, she wasnt able to explain the process in words.. In addition, Celeste also showed various body strengthening mugong albeit only a little because of the Tasting Corner Strategy''. After observing Celeste for a while more, Yoo Seodam felt that she had grown considerably stronger from the last time they met. Frankly, he was quite surprised that she had reached A rank. No matter how fast body strengthening superhuman grows, there must be some limit to their growth speed. However, it seems like that limit wasnt applied to Celeste as she kept growing more and more. It''s amazing how she became A rank at the age of 19 in Italy and 20 in Korea, but what was even more surprising was that her actual ability easily exceeded A rank. Whenever she swung her sword, boom! The sound of air being torn apart reverberated. And when she lowered her foot, the ground shook. Body strengthening-type superpower was different from mugong or wigong, which strengthens ones body by using drugs or secret techniques. It was a technique that utilized a mysterious power of monsters to evolve the body further. It was far superior to wigong. And when body strengthening users could also use naegong. A completely different kind of monstrous power was born. Boom!! Keuk! -Crazy lololololol. -Hes dead??? -Nope, I dont think so.. -I think he''s dead? With only one attack from Celeste, an A rank student flew away and crashed into the wall. It was quite a subtle attack from Celeste as she didnt even sweat when she attacked. Then, Celeste turned her gaze away and met the eyes of Yoo Seodam. Yoo Seodam waved his hand as she bowed respectfully towards him with her usual expressionless face. -Who? C I can''t see who it is. -Celeste noona suddenly seems to be in a good mood? -Really? Yoo Seodam could see a barrage of questions flood the screen as they couldnt see him, who was standing behind the camera. He felt sorry for them, but he had no intention of showing his face. Its been a while, do you want to spar? Celeste nodded happily at Yoo Seodams offer. "Good. Just like in the past, I wont stop even when you roll around in pain. It will be different from back then. Celeste replied calmly. Yoo Seodam flinched at her reply. He belatedly remembered that the reason he was able to defeat Celeste in the past was because he had completely monopolized the swordsmanship of other worlds. Will he be able to achieve an overwhelming victory like in the past while he was facing the current Celeste? Im not really going to lose, am I?'' Somehow, Yoo Seodam became anxious, but thinking about his own pride, he couldnt back down here, so, he moved to the centre of the building with a specially crafted strong wooden sword. Wow It''s Hunter Yoo Seodam. "So, its true that he had returned" But, is that rumor real? "Shuushh, he can hear you. The students whispered amongst themselves. -OMG C Is that Yoo Seodam? C What''s going on? -Oh haha ??Murim Lords boyfriend has arrived hahaha C lol -Shit, he has such a beautiful girlfriend, I''m really envious. Mysterious stories quickly flooded into the screen, but unfortunately, because Yoo Seodam was focusing on Celeste, he couldnt read any of it. Both Yoo Seodam and Celeste stood in front of each other with swords in their hands. Yoo Seodam wore a simple suit, and Celeste was in a comfortable gym suit, but that didn''t really mean much. -By the way, when will they start? The moment such comments popped up, Fwoosh!! Tang!! Yoo Seodam and Celeste, the two superhumans rushed towards each other at the same time. -F*ck? I don''t see what happened just now. In order to broadcast the movements of superhumans, a high-performance camera that could capture more than 1000 frames per second was needed. But if the viewers still cannot follow it with their own eyes after that, there is a separate feature called Replay at 0.1x speed''. Pakk!! In order to withstand the power of superhumans, the wooden training sword they both held was internally coated with ether. In other words, it was a sturdy and expensive training sword. Wow, you''ve become so strong'' Yoo Seodam realized once again that Celeste was a genius. Her sense in swordsmanship had far exceeded his from long ago. But now, on top of it, she also wielded a swordsmanship that combined the swordsmanship of Murim world and fantasy world. It wouldnt be an easy fight even for him who had also grown stronger by hunting numerous protagonists in the past two years. Tung! In front of Celestes violent swing, Yoo Seodam turned his body to the side and evaded her attack. Then, he tried to launch a counterattack through the gap. Realizing Yoo Seodams intention, Celeste hurriedly swung her sword to the ground in the middle of her charge. She used her sword as an axis to spin her body and launched a kick towards Yoo Seodam. Yoo Seodam ducked down to avoid it before trying to raise his sword to strike, but Celeste judged much more quickly than him. As soon as her kick missed its target, she kicked into the air, controlled her center of gravity, and tried to slam Yoo Seodams head with her heel. Bam! The moment the steel-like kick was about to slam into the floor, Yoo Seodam slipped towards her back. -WOAHHH -??? -What happened just now? -Is this really happening? -Wow, he blocked it and then avoided it Yoo Seodam was also someone who strengthened his body just like a body strengthening superhuman would do. In addition to that, he could also become more powerful by pouring mana into his magic circle. However, he didnt possess the same ether coating that the body strengthening superhumans possessed. My ability itself seems to have the upper hand, but'' In defense and pure swordsmanship, Celeste was far beyond him. It was truly god-sent talent that couldnt be catched up by stolen S rank talents. Of course, Yoo Seodam didn''t use any of his personal weapons and magic, which could be counted as his most important skills. But even so, it was amazing that Celeste could push him to some extent. The two instantly separated and put 20m distance between themselves. The next moment, they were crossing swords against each other again, and then they bounced into the air, exchanging several blows that were too fast for normal eyes to see, and then they fell to the ground again. Their swordsmanship didn''t have lotus flowers blooming like Seol Jungyeon''s or white flashes like Ha Sunyoungs, but it was very fast and heavy and there was something about it that unconsciously made the viewers feel excited. -Wow -It''s really crazy -Why did the chat window become so silent? Even the amount of chats had decreased. All of them were at a loss for words due to the splendid battles of superhumans that could not be easily seen. The viewers then realized that Celeste had been teaching her students while controlling her power during the broadcast. Wooshh!! The wooden sword slithered towards Yoo Seodam. With only hairbreadth away from his neck, Yoo Seodam skillfully avoided it. Its been a while.'' Celeste suddenly remembered the first time she met Yoo Seodam, two years ago. At that time, she felt lost and empty because she couldn''t grow like she wanted to. Her growth was slow, too slow for her liking. And then, she learned the art of swordsmanship from Yoo Seodam. She learned from him that swordsmanship wasn''t simply swinging swords with brute force. There were plenty of ways to swing and move with even more efficiency, with even more speed, and even more strength. She was desperately clinging to Yoo Seodam. At first, she simply wanted to learn his swordsmanship because it was such a beautiful swordsmanship. However, as time passed, her purpose also gradually changed. Each time she became stronger and her proficiency increased, she wanted to show her swordsmanship to Yoo Seodam. Ive grown this much. And, whenever he saw herself growing up, he would always say, Youve become stronger. Much more than yesterday. Little by little, she began to live for that feeling. This feeling remained after Bang Ho-Win, her lifelong goal, the reason she swung her sword without stopping for a single moment, died. She was a little anxious. She was afraid the Yoo Seodam wouldnt return from the rift. She feared that she would never be able to face him and his swordsmanship ever again. Kwaanngg!!! Yoo Seodam''s sharp attack left a large scar on the floor, but Celeste had already leaped backwards and escaped the spot. She was already preparing for the next attack. When she thrust her sword, an aura shot out from her sword and hurled towards Yoo Seodam. And when Yoo Seodam made up his mind and parried it, a quarter of the building trembled. Now, it was slowly approaching a level that was too dangerous to be said as a mere sparring. But Celeste doesnt want it to end. The fact that she could clash against such a skillful opponent to her heart''s content, the fact that her opponent recognized and acknowledged her strength, it was fun. I am alive. She felt alive. -What -Did you see Celestes laugh just now? A few messages popped up, but they were quickly buried. It was because her smile lasted only for a split second. It was truly a fleeting smile. But in reality she was happy. She felt incredible joy as she competed against Yoo Seodam. That joy made her burst into laughter unknowingly. Cheong!! Before long, her wooden sword fell to the ground. Celeste, who had lost her sword, had lost the match. Then, Yoo Seodam said with a smile as he wiped his cold sweat, Youve become stronger. Much more than yesterday. Chapter 145: I Am A Trash (4) Shutout to Camalao for becoming our Patron!! Thank you very much!! After sparring with Celeste, Yoo Seodam changed into his casual clothing and left the guild''s hideout. Though he called it casual clothing, his white shirt, black pants and beige boots were no different from the clothes he wore at work. On the other hand, Taylor Nine''s casual clothes were way different from Yoo Seodam. Her fashion sense has developed after reading countless fashion magazines and has caught many peoples eyes and has turned her style into a trendsetter. Occasionally, [Taylor Nine Airport Fashion] articles appeared on the internet news. For that reason, it was inevitable for Taylors expression to turn sour as soon as she saw Yoo Seodam in his trashy clothes. Yuck. "Whats the matter?" Your clothes are so bad! Are you really going to wear all that crap on a date with me?" Taylor had to admit. She also didnt dress up properly today. She didnt want to make Yoo Seodam feel that she put too much effort in her clothes. So, after thinking about it for 3 hours, Taylor decided to wear a blue jacket and blue hot pants. But, no matter what, she didnt think that what Yoo Seodam wore was right. I dont really care about what kind of clothes I wear. You are really Nevermind. Have you decided where we''re going today? Didnt you say that we are going to watch a movie? We still have plenty of time left before the movie. Then, how about having a meal? "After that?" "Dungeon?" Are you crazy? "Why not? it''s your favorite place. The gun fair then? Are you really crazy? Well then, the shooting range "Im really going to kill you." Taylor, who was about to suggest something more to Yoo Seodam, bit her mouth as a really good idea flashed through her mind. She said with a smirk, Well then, lets go buy some clothes. This Noona will pay. * * * Another League was a guild, not a company. Therefore, it was only natural that Another League didnt follow a strict working schedule that companies had. It was around 4:00 PM when Yoo Seodam left the hideout. In fact, there was nothing strange if he raided a dungeon right after heading out from the hideout. However, forget the monster infested and bloody dungeon, currently, Yoo Seodam was in a department store with Taylor Nine. I thought you only bought things from luxurious brands, was I wrong? I only go there when I buy stuff for myself. Why should I go there to buy something for someone who can''t even tell the difference between a $5 T-shirt and a $50,000 T-shirt?" She said even though most of the clothes that Taylor currently picked were over $5,000, they were too expensive to buy casually. She was truly a woman whose words and actions didnt match. "How about this one?" Crazy bitch, why should I wear a floral T-shirt? This is the trend these days man. "Really?" Do you think Im playing around? Do you know how much this T-shirt costs? Yoo Seodam sighed. He really couldn''t figure out whether Taylor was lying or not. Yoo Seodam followed Taylor on her shopping spree, both for his clothes and her clothes. Somewhere along the way, he felt that Taylor had become particularly pretty. Her usual grumpy and stoic expression was replaced with a bright and happy smile. Yoo Seodam was not the only one who felt this way. Everyone who saw Taylor in this state felt the same. Wow, is that really Taylor Nine? Shes really pretty. When a celebrity appears in front of the general public, people always pick up their smartphone and take a photo of the said celebrity. And the next logical step was for them to upload it to their social media. In other words, the scene where Taylor went shopping with Yoo Seodam by her side would soon be known to many people around the world. Taylor hated attention, but she was someone who knew very well how to take advantage of her fame. This is not enough. Taylor said to herself. Yoo Seodam, who was originally said to be somewhat famous, became even more famous overnight as he monopolized several issues. There were articles about his return from the Rift. There was also news about how he countered Yoo Haram''s opinion in the Hunter''s Meeting. But for Taylor, the only thing that bothered her was, [Another League Yoo Seodam and Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon kissing scandal.] [What is their relationship?] [CNS, What is the reason behind Seol Jungyeon''s silence? Is this her way of confirming their relationship?] [Seol Jungyeons dating rumors with Yoo Seodam, people of Murim said, We are confirming with the related party] Numerous news related to Seol Jungyeon. Taylor bit her lip as she thought about them. As for why she kissed him at such a formal occasion, even Yoo Seodam told her that he still couldn''t figure it out. Taylor knew that as a Hyunkyung Expert, Seol Jungyeon had an excellent control over her desires. Then, why did she suddenly lose control of her desire on such a formal occasion? Taylor just couldnt make sense of it. Her mind told her that it was a planned action. But, when she asked Yoo Seodam about it, he only brushed it aside by saying It will resolve itself in due time. She can just post an explanation. Its not like both of us are celebrities, and theres no way the stock price will plummet by something like this. Just like he said, these scandals actually did little to no damage to his work as a Hunter. And for Seol Jungyeon, her image that she had built up as a martial artist would be slightly lowered, but it would not bear any negative impact whatsoever. It was proven by the fact that amidst hundreds of malicious comments posted on social media every second, there was hardly anyone who swore at Seol Jungyeon. But, Its wrong.'' For Taylor Nine, it wasn''t a light issue at all. She knew and understood the story of this incident in more detail. At the time when Yoo Seodam told her about the incident, Taylor quietly looked into his eyes. There, she could see exhaustion. She understood the reason well though. He still doesn''t seem to be ready for a proper relationship. Obviously, there was a time when Yoo Seodam fell in love with someone. But, Taylor knew that he didnt have anyone in his heart right now. As a human being, Yoo Seodam also accepted the affection that came his way to a certain extent, but when they tried to pursue him after a certain level, he would gradually push them away. Taylor Nine knew it from her experience. She was sure that Seol Jungyeon was also aware of the fact. It wasn''t that he was an eunuch or that he wasn''t interested in dating or marriage at all. But rather, Yoo Seodam simply couldnt afford to think about it because he was living with the thought that he could die tomorrow. It was the same as that day, seventeen years ago, when he first became a Hunter. Taylor always wondered, why did he still live with such a mindset in this peaceful time? She knew from the stories he told her when they shared the same bed that he had to go on dangerous missions to other worlds and risk his life. However, if it''s really that dangerous, why didnt he stop? Just why in the world did he have to do it? Taylor shifted her attention to her smartphone once again. The scandal between Yoo Seodam and Seol Jungyeon. Taylor predicted that Seol Jungyeon must be very nervous right now. Just like Taylor who was wary of Seol Jungyeon, Seol Jungyeon was also aware of Taylor''s value in Yoo Seodam''s heart and was wary of her. Taylor had only met Seol Jungyeon once but she knew it instinctively. She''s in a hurry too, thats why I do all of this.'' Thats why Taylor suggested going on a date with Yoo Seodam. It was a really insignificant act, but it had a very big meaning. Because Seol Jungyeon couldn''t do it. Do you know how long Ive been waiting for him? Taylor looked at Seol Jungyeon on the screen, and then, she slid her hand through Yoo Seodams arm and smiled brightly. People who saw it took a picture of them. It will soon be beautifully packaged and posted on social media, and sooner or later, articles about them will fill the internet. You are the one who drew first blood, so, I cant take it lying down.'' * * * Seol Jungyeon was very troubled right now. And just like always, Shin Hye-ji was the only one who was aware of it. Master, it''s time for dinner" Im fine. I dont want to eat anything today, so please tell them not to cook anything." You have to take care of your health. Im fine. Seol Jungyeons voice was always low and so it was difficult for ordinary people to know what Seol Jungyeon really felt based on her voice. It was a sort of self-defense. Because her appearance was small and childish, with only a slight smile, she would look like a pure country girl. So she had to conceal it. Otherwise, her dignity as the Supreme Cheonma and the Lord of New Murim League would crumble. "Hmmmm." Shin Hye-ji looked at Seol Jungyeon intently. She couldn''t fully understand her, but she was able to get a vague idea of ??what she was thinking and worrying about. It must be because of Hunter Yoo Seodam. She knew what Seol Jungyeon did just a few days ago. She had kissed Yoo Seodam in front of so many hunters. It wasnt a stretch to call it a kiss to declare and mark her territory''. But, yesterday. The Internet was buzzing once again because of Yoo Seodam. However this time, it wasnt because of Seol Jungyeon. It was because of Taylor Nine. She had trespassed the territory her master had marked and replaced it with her own mark. From Shin Hye-ji''s point of view, her action only implied one meaning. It was a challenge. It is really driving me crazy'' Shin Hye-ji didn''t know why women did that. She was a woman herself, but she had never been in love, so she couldn''t understand. In addition, there were also several articles that mention Celeste, a guild member of Another League. Because of this, every time her master browsed the internet in her free time as a hobby, she always looked serious and troubled. Why did she pick up reading news on the internet as a hobby. In her opinion, it was too simple and too unusual of a hobby for her master. It was fortunate that she didn''t use social media, but in the current situation, that insignificant hobby didn''t look good at all. Now that this has happened, there is only one way. After pondering for a long time, Shin Hye-ji finally opened her mouth. Master. Something wrong? Are you in a bad mood right now? "Its not like that." Is it because of Hunter Yoo Seodam? Dont worry, you dont have to pay attention to it. "No. I''m not really concerned" Shin Hye-ji got up from her seat and approached Seol Jungyeon. As she had expected, Seol Jungyeon was reading articles on her laptop. "that''s a challenge against you, Master." Life-or-death challenge? No, no, no! Its not a life-or-death challenge It''s like psychological warfare. Shin Hye-ji knew that Taylor Nine was well-versed with manipulating public opinion on the internet. She had the power to do so, and she was a pro among pros who clearly understood how the internet works. She even knew how to surely win a battle of wits against another woman. In fact, her master was completely entranced in Taylor Nine''s counterattack and sighed all day long. She might even think that she had lost the battle. However, Shin Hye-ji was calm. Because she, who was not a professional, still had a bit of a trick up her sleeve in this aspect. The dating rumors that have been floating around for a while have not been clarified yet. Right, master? For now, thats the case. Lets confirm it. "What?" When Seol Jungyeon asked in bewilderment, Shin Hye-ji said, You dont have anyone in your heart except that man right, Master? Then you have to win him at any cost. I''ll contact the reporter now. Chief of Staff Park Seong-ho probably hasn''t left work yet I have to ask for help. No, wait, you dont have to-" Uh-huh! When two cats fight over one fish, it is inevitable that the fish will go bad, right? Now, it''s not about whether the fish spoils or not, it''s about how you take the fish, so you don''t have to worry about that." Shin Hye-ji didn''t even wait for Seol Jungyeon to say anything and called Park Seong-ho. "Hello? Chief of Staff Park Seong-ho. Yes, no. It''s nothing. I''m trying to get in touch with the reporters. Yeah? Of course, it''s important. Do you know the dating rumors that surfaced recently? No, we are not going to deny it, we are going to confirm it. Why are you so surprised? No, Master and I are completely sober, we didnt drink anything. Aww, you''re talking about all kinds of things." Wait, wait! Thus, the official statement from the New Murim League was released swiftly. That night. Yoo Seodam was lying on the bed in exhaustion after having spent his entire day at the shooting range to test his recently acquired talent [Shooting (S)]. He checked his smartphone which rumbled like an earthquake. When he saw the news, he closed his eyes shut without realizing it. "System." Fyuuhhh Nevermind." Yoo Seodam seriously wanted to run away to another world, but he struggled not to. Chapter 146: I Am A Trash (5) Seol Jungyeon was someone who rarely showed her emotions on her face. However, right now, her face was painted with guilt and her eyes were moist as she looked at me. Im really sorry. I think I caused you a lot of trouble" Right now, my smartphone was ringing non-stop because of what had happened. The number of Seol Jungyeons fans who cursed me were already numerous, so when the lots of other people who were cursing me were added on top of that, this result was only natural. But I didn''t pay any attention to it since I dont really care. I was more worried about Noonim. I dont care about all that, but Noonim, are you okay? In fact, I know that the whole thing was executed by Shin Hye-ji. But on the other hand, Noonim didnt stop her even though one word from her could stop Shin Hye-ji. In other words, Noonim gave Shin Hye-ji permission to tell the world their stance on the rumor, albeit implicitly. For men, a few scandals like this will be quickly forgotten, but for female celebrities I think it will keep following them like shackles. What does that mean? Um it would be hard if you wanted to meet another guy later- In the middle of my words, I had no choice but to shut my mouth. Because suddenly, Noonims face and the air around me became colder. The guilty expression she wore seconds ago was nowhere to be seen. It was replaced with a raging expression. That will never happen I dont mean it like that, Noonim. I''m planning to enter the Hell Gate'' in the future. There is no guarantee that I will survive there. Youll never know when I will disappear or even die. Those words were the reason why I didn''t develop my relationship with Noonim or Taylor further. I know my current life wasnt like my life in the past where I lived my life only living while looking forward to tomorrow and not the future. I had gained strength and found a way to be stronger. With the abilities I had right now, I was sure that I could uncover the secrets of Hell Gate. Do you really have to go there? "Yes. A woman who was like my own mother to me is trapped there. She was someone who acted like a parent to me even though both of us were the same age. She was more mature and reliable than anyone else I knew, and the only woman I could trust. The reason I survived so long as a juvenile hunter, which had a mortality rate of close to 90%, was because of Reina. The major cause of death in juvenile hunters were suicide. They did it because they exhausted their mental power in fighting against monsters. However, Reina Ju supported me from beginning to the very end. She was truly a unique woman. Even at such a young age, she was wiser than anyone else. With her mystical eyes that looked like it was reading the whole world, Reina used to lead me and say It''s okay. You''re still young. Just like today, you can live tomorrow as well. So I survived another day and then another day. I was thankful to be able to meet the next day. I felt happy being alive. So when I lost her, I wanted to give up my life once for all. Fortunately, Taylor gave me the reason to continue living. I still remember that moment clearly as if it had happened just yesterday. She slapped my cheek and burst into tears. She begged me to keep living in desperation as if it was her own life. So, I couldn''t bring myself to die and follow Reina. And now, I have found a way to meet her. So I can''t give it up. This is my duty to Reina, who rescued my life from the depths of the abyss. .. Noonim looked at me with a confused expression. Then she took a deep breath and said, In case.. Just in case you really died. .. I may follow you too, just like how you follow her. "That''s-" "Thats why-" She stared at me with her slightly sunken pink eyes. They were so clear and vivid that even watching them burdens me. Dont say that you are going to die so easily. Because your life is no longer yours alone. Then she came over and hugged me. So, I had no choice but to say, I promise. Thank you. With a genuinely relieved voice, Noonim gripped my arm tightly. I couldn''t express my feelings to her. But still, I was really prepared to die. * * * By the way, the reason I met Noonim today wasn''t because the New Murim League had confirmed the dating rumor between Noonim and me. You said you had something to give me? "Yes. Even after saying that, Noonim only looked at me quietly with a sullen expression on her face. As she kept her silence, Shin Hye-ji, who stood next to her, trembled. Oh my God, please dont say that you will give your whole life You stay quiet. "Okay" Noonim cut Shin Hye-jis words short. Then after a few more seconds passed, she finally opened her mouth. Do you remember our fights against Murim Hohyanghoe at the Great Rift the other day? "Yes, I remember." At that time, there was a person who betrayed Murim Hohyanghoe and helped us. Is that so? Come to think of it, when Murim Hohyanghoe caused that incident, the rest of the expedition members immediately fought back. At that time, I thought that they simply couldn''t stand their quick temper and started fighting.but, when I thought that it was someones ploy, it was really possible. He''s a man called Smiling Shadow. He is the leader of Shadow Group'' that leads five subordinates. He is a transcendental expert and an expert in Shadow Technique. "Uh, Okay. But why are you talking about that all of a sudden? What I want to give to you is that Shadow Group. "Pardon?" I watched them closely while you were away. They are capable of penetrating into the dark and will be your eyes and ears, and you can command them to escort whoever you want. However." She frowned. I cant trust them. It was understandable, If I hadn''t deceived Murim Hohyanghoe by saying, I''ll send you back to your hometown'', New Murim League would have suffered a great blow, and maybe Noonim would also have suffered as well. I couldn''t easily trust the people who belonged to Murim Hohyanghoe. However.. Let me meet them before deciding. * * * I followed Noonim and ran through the Goblins House. It was still decorated with pink petals and an orange sky just like before. There was no sun illuminating this world except for the sunset that was there at the end of time. But the good news was that as life began to spin, there were dark clouds and rain in this place, unlike the Floating Garden. The change of seasons was also a factor that made this place much more lively. Even after arriving at the rugged and deep mountain, I still had to run for another three hours before arriving at Hell, the place that confined Murim criminals and restricted their Naegong. The state-of-the-art security in this place provides 24-hour monitoring, and if someone tried to escape from this place by using a special Jinbeop, they would be trapped and locked in an eternal maze. The Murim people also took turns watching this place, and even if they successfully escaped, it was impossible for them to get out into Earth in the first place. Upon reaching the 20th floor of the basement, Murim people who belonged to the Murim Hohyanghoe rushed towards their cell door as soon as they saw me. Yoo Seodam! Yoo seodam is finally here! Get us out! As you promised, send us back to Murim! Hands were reaching towards me from all sides. The Warden cut off their arms with a cold expression, but even as they bled, they still continued shouting about returning to Murim to me. Do they really want to go back to Murim? I couldn''t understand them. But I didn''t get angry or even respond to their pleas. Because I deceived them. Just like how I killed protagonists regardless whether they were villains or good men for my own gain, I used their hope of returning to Murim for my own gain. Although Murim Hohyanghoe was evil from my point of view, it does not change the fact that in the end I took advantage of their hope. Thats why I didn''t answer them. I have been waiting in this prison for three months already! Fulfill your promise! "Promise!" Yoo Seodam! It was a prison full of crazy people. If I stayed in a place like this, I really felt like I was going to get a mental illness. And at the very end of a prison full of crazy people, they were waiting for me. Shadow Group, a very small, ultra-elite organization with a total of six members. They kept their heads on the ground and didn''t move. I stood in front of their prison, looked at them silently, and opened my mouth. Lift your head. The Shadow Group followed my words without saying a word and raised their head to meet my eyes. I don''t have the ability to judge people just by looking at them. But maybe Noonim saw something. But I refrained myself from asking since its not right to rely on another person while judging and choosing those who could potentially become one of my people. I heard you guys want to serve under me. "Yes, Military Advisor Yoo Seodam. If possible, I would like to dedicate these useless hearts to you. The group was made up of all men. They shared the same black hair and black eyes, but they were all of different races. Two of African descent, one presumably European and three Asian men. Smiling Shadow was a white, western male. Why should I believe you and accept you? I had heard that you have a special ability that could force others to do your biddings or die. Then they looked at Shin Hye-ji. Seol Jungyeon looked uncomfortable and glanced at Shin Hye-ji. But the person herself didn''t seem to really care about it. In Shin Hye-ji''s case, she told me that she wanted me to put a ban on her to take her life in case she went berserk just like her stepfather. And I told her that I had put a ban on her. But the truth is, I couldnt use such a great technique or magic. At that time, I was only a beginner magician who could barely make even a single bowl of water without the help of the flower pot, and I didn''t even study magic in depth. However, Shin Hye-ji believed that her life would be forfeited any time at my command. Seol Jungyeon also believed in that fact. And now, this group called Shadow Group alsobelieved that. Please use it on us too. I promise to be loyal to you for the rest of my life. .. I don''t know why they suddenly want to come under me. So, I couldn''t just believe in a false technique that didn''t even exist. So I decided to use a slightly different method. Hye-Ji. Open the door. "Okay." When Shin Hye-ji opened the prison door, I went inside without hesitation. They couldn''t harm me anyway. Then, I pulled from the inventory and pointed it at them and said. From now on, I will use my magic. They all nodded. Stretch out your arm. As all the members of the Shadow Smile extended their arms, I stabbed the backs of their hands with my sword to not damage the nerves and prevent excessive blood loss. Then, I move my naegong from my body to their body. This was a skill I learned from Araceli. If I, who draws a mysterious sword from the thin air and uses a technique from another world called magic, do this, they would believe that what I did was real. After stabbing the backs of the hands of all six members of the Shadow Group, I took out six daggers from the inventory and threw it at them. I put a bomb on your body. In the next three minutes, It will make your heart explode. Ah, also you cant use your Naegong" ..! Wait, Seodam! Even Noonim called me with a bewildered voice, but Shin Hye-ji stopped her. But theres another way to survive. Kill each other. The three people who survive, I will take your act of killing your own friend as a sign of loyalty. "What!!!!" "Nonsense." It can''t be, it can''t be! How could I kill my comrades! "I''d rather let my heart explode!" I ignored their protest and walked out of the prison, then I closed the door. Forced loyalty is not true loyalty! We cannot betray each other. "Why? You have done it once, so why cant you do it twice?" !!!! As soon as my words registered to them, they probably realized. The fact that I had no intention of trusting them. In the first place, I came here with those thoughts in my mind. I saw Smiling Shadow looking at me with eyes that resembled obsidian. The sound of teeth grinding against each other could be heard. He clearly struggled to keep his anger in check. I cant. Why? I would rather die like this. Even if I betrayed Bang Ho-Win, I cannot betray my comrades. At his words, I smiled silently as I looked past Smiling Shadow. Smiling Shadow also looked back, and he gritted his teeth even more. The five men of the Shadow Group who believed in him and followed him already had the dagger in their hand and were aiming at each other. I cant die like this, Lord! "Damn it. Why does it have to be like this! Even if he put a ban on our naegong, I thought that if I followed Yoo Seodam, I could live comfortably As all of the members took their stance with the dagger in their hands, Smiling Shadow hurriedly jumped between them. Stop, stop! Didn''t we decide to be together until the day we die? We don''t have to fight each other!" We dont have to fight? Are you really saying that?!?! Did you really think I was loyal to someone like you? Yes, thank you for picking me up from being swallowed on the street and raising me. But those who live must live! If you don''t move away, I''ll stab you!" A strong Lord? When you cant even use your naegong, what makes you different from us then? "I''d rather you die first!" When being pitched against extreme situations, humans are bound to change dramatically. That was the true nature of humanity. As a 17 years old veteran hunter, I had seen such human nature countless times. Of course, there are some exceptions to these rules. Such as those who bravely accept death, those who were willing to sacrifice themselves for their comrades, and those who wanted to kill everyone present in order to monopolize the achievements. Members of Shadow Group were closer to the latter. "Die!!!" Whooshh!! The dagger, which was wielded by an Asian man, was lodged in Smiling Shadows right forearm. Slash!!! Slash!! Although he was stabbed in the thigh, back, and shoulder, Smiling Shadow did not strike back. No, he didn''t even pick up the dagger in the first place. He wore a wounded expression. However, it was not because he felt the pain of being stabbed by a dagger. Far from it, it was pain from betrayal. You guys, then normally Yeah, you bastard! Even when I stay quiet! I didn''t like the fact that I was going to assassinate Saekma by crawling under him!" I really am a trash. Even though I didn''t have to do it, I did it nevertheless. Perhaps, even without the friction that unfolded before me, they could have been close for keeping up pretenses, while deceiving each other in the back throughout their lives. But that''s not enough. I couldn''t easily trust the people who had already betrayed someone once, even more so if they belonged to Murim Hohyanghoe, which put Noonim in danger. I really wanted someone who would be loyal to me. "Stop." Under the soft dim lighting, the daggers flashed. Drops of blood splattered. It was the blood of only one person. Smiling Shadow. He was taking all the daggers with his bare body. Stop it With his teeth clenched, Smiling Shadow, who avoided being stabbed in the vital point, grabbed the collar of the Shadow Groups African member with his left hand. Then, it happened in an instant. Boom!! The huge body of the African man flew away and collided with the white man, both of them crashed into the wall. It was an unbelievable show of strength even when he couldnt use his naegong. Smiling Shadow didnt stop there. He swung his fist towards the other members. Due to his lack of skill, he fainted with a single punch from Smiling Shadow. In my eyes, even if I didnt restrict their use of naegong, the group of five wouldnt be able to defeat Smiling Shadow. Smashing every single one of them to the wall over and over again, Shadow Smile knocked down the entire group. But still. No one died. 15 seconds left. !!!!! When I said that, the entire group cussed at each other and ran towards each other. They realized that they could no longer aim for the Smiling Shadow, so they wanted to kill other members. I, I have to live! The head of the men who tried to stab the dagger at the other turned painfully. Then, the wrist of another man, who was swinging a dagger at his comrades broke, another one had his ankle bone broken, and fell from a blow to his thigh. In the end, the Smiling Shadow was the only one who was still standing. They realize they dont have any more time. So, even in the state of being knocked down on the floor, the members of Shadow Group looked at the Smiling Shadow with resentful eyes. Smiling Shadow, you bastard! "If you''re going to die, die alone!" Don''t those who live have to live? Then, Smiling Shadow shook his head. No. Because we have decided not to betray our colleagues. Then he looked at the members who lay on the floor, not a single one of them died, and then he said, And, look. we didn''t die. In the end, no one betrayed anyone. After saying that, he laughed. His body trembled as he laughed. To his members it looked like a lunatics smile, but, to me, it just looked like the smile of a person who kept his faith intact. Three minutes is over. As soon as I notified them, all of them closed their eyes tightly as if they braced themselves for their death. I had no choice but to say the obvious words commonly used in movies and novels. The bomb was actually a lie. !!!! When their eyes turned to me, I looked at the Smiling Shadow and said, You passed the test. So, whats your choice? Will you swear allegiance to me, or will you remain with your comrades who have betrayed you? If you choose to come under me, you can bring any number of your comrades. You can choose whoever you want. No matter what choice you make, it will not harm you. As soon as those words were finished, all the members of the group knelt in front of Smiling Shadow. Wait. Lord, All that was, was" We, too, want to leave this place and live! "Please Lord take us too. Please." No one wants to rot in this jail. And, for Murim people who know my reputation, they know that working under me is an honorable and happy job. I quietly reached out and healed the Smiling Shadow with [Divine Conversion]. From the beginning, I had prepared the divine power so that no one would die, but no one except me was aware of the fact. As he received my divine power, he had a terrible expression on his face. We, the Shadow Group, once swore allegiance to the Lord of Murim. As the young smile began to speak, all Shadow Group members bit their own lips. Then, I said. Even if someone puts a knife to your neck, you must never betray the one you serve. So far, the Shadow Group had been following the rule very well. It wasn''t because of their loyalty but because they had never had a knife stuck in their throat before, though. And today, Smiling Shadow realized the fact that he cannot trust his comrades in extreme conditions. As of today, the Shadow Group is disbanded. Then, Smiling Shadow walked towards me alone before kneeling before me, I swear allegiance to you. Today, he had lost everything. But in exchange, he gained my trust. Chapter 147: Magic High School Ghost Story (1) The next day, when I returned to the guild hideout, the first thing I did was contact a few reporters to announce my official response to the dating rumor. I''m entangled with both Seol Jungyeon and Taylor Nine, so the world will be curious about how I will respond. I just had to give an explanation. AndI couldn''t even choose between the two. It wasn''t that I didn''t like them, or that I liked them both. It''s because I couldn''t afford to form a relationship with anyone right now. It will stay that way until I clear the Hell Gate. [Yoo Seodam of Another League denies the dating rumors] ["I''m not in a relationship with anyone right now"] Perhaps my official announcement was quite controversial. I can''t help it though. It was the best option I had. It''s heartbreaking for me too, but I personally thought it would be good for them to keep their distance until all my issues were resolved. I still don''t know when I will die. While doing a mission in another world, I might make a mistake and be killed by the protagonist. Or, in the future, even after completing all preparations, I might die after entering the Hell Gate. But I couldn''t stop. I know very well that there are people who only look at me. [E/N: For some reason, I thought of shinzou wo sasageyo] It seems that I have become deeply etched in other people''s lives, and it was a great honor to be relied upon I, too, wanted to go see the woman who had an important place in my heart and my life. Whoo. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back on my office chair. Lately, whenever I had complicated thoughts, I had a habit of going into [Library of the White Witch] and meditating on my own. Maybe it was because it was my imaginary world, but my mind seemed to be at ease whenever I was here. When the door opened, the smell of a damp book pierced my nostrils. As I slowly walked down towards the hallway, the sound of music played by Yekaterina tickled my ears. I wasn''t a big fan of music originally, but her music somehow warmed my heart, so I would often come here to enjoy it. Oh, you are here? Yekaterina. Slowly walking down the hallway, I met Yekaterinas eyes, who was squatting at the doorway with books in her hand. The sight made me realize that my imaginary world was not my own space. I approached her and leaned against the door next to her. What are you reading? Its just a magic book. Its my hobby. Studying is your hobby? It''s a really unique hobby. But isnt it fun? Every time I open a new book, I get so excited Hearing those words, it suddenly occurred to me that bringing Yekaterina to this library was a good idea. I think my magic knowledge is gone now. I don''t have any time to study" That is but an excuse. I dont have time either, but I still take the time to study, don''t I? "Well." To be honest, at some point, I completely lost interest in magic. It was simply because I didnt have a capable brain. (P/N same with me but it''s math not magic) And maybe it was also because of the flowerpot who was busy dozing off next to Yekaterina. By the way, why did that spirit grow up like that? It looks like she''s gotten a lot bigger than before. I closed my eyes and listened to Yekaterina flipping the pages. If. In the distant future, I safely pass through the Hell Gate and manage to rescue Reina, who was like a parent to me, how will I live? When that time comes, will I be able to properly express my feelings to Seol Jungyeon and Taylor Nine? .No. I had to say it. They deserve to love and to be loved by a better man than me for the rest of their lives, but they were women who had been entangled with me because of fate''. I have to take responsibility somehow. The moment I thought so, click! The library door suddenly closed. It''s because I accidentally leaned on it with all my weight. As a result, Yekaterina had a confused expression on her face. Seo, Seodam-nim "What is it? It just closed." Its not that my body, I cant feel it. "What?" At her words, even I was taken aback. That, that. All of a sudden, I lost all sense of connection with my body in reality. Obviously, I was lying on an extra bed in the office right now Even if I try to return, I cannot do it. Jujust what happened? In an instant, goosebumps assaulted my body. What if something went wrong with Yekaterina''s body? What if she couldn''t go back As soon as I got out of the Library of the White Witch, I sprinted to Yekaterinas office. Ignoring the new elevator, I scaled the outer wall of the building to the top of the hideout, broke the window, rolled into her office, and checked the extra bed. There, Yekaterina was sleeping normally, as if nothing had happened. "arent you just sleeping?" I put my finger on her nose and felt her breath. Her pulse was also normal, and on top of it, her complexion was better than usual. Then, Yekaterina''s voice echoed in my head. -Seodam-nim! Seodam-nim! Uh, what happened? "I do not know. Your body is normal" I put my hand on her forehead to experiment. Im touching your forehead right now. Can you feel it? -Yes. But, I still can''t get out. Just what happened Then, when I went back to the library, Yekaterina was pacing back and forth while chewing her thumbs up with a pale expression. Then suddenly, the flowerpot opened her eyes and said, -Door~. "What?" -She can''t go out because the door is closed~ Because the door was closed? -Stupid witch~ Then she fell asleep again. Then, I turned my head to look at the door where I was leaning a few moments ago. The door that was accidentally closed because of my weight. The very door that had always been open since Yekaterina came into my head. With a heavy heart, I told her. "Yekaterina, would you like to try to open that door? Yekaterina followed, bolted into action and tried to open the door, but no matter how hard she tried, the door didnt budge. Yekaterina''s magic also did not work like usual. Then, I put my hand on the door and tried to open it. Click! Defying my expectation, the door opened very easily. When I came out of the library again, Yekaterina got up from her bed and looked at me in daze. Uh how did it happen? It looks like you couldnt come out because I closed the door. It was then that I realized that Yekaterina''s soul belonged completely to me. That was even more surprising than the time when I was told that my adoptive parents weren''t really my biological parents. "I see" She and I were not equal. I was the jailer and she was the prisoner. No matter how much I considered her to be equal, in the end Yekaterina was bound to me for the rest of her life. It was so heartbreaking that I wouldnt be surprised if she suddenly looked down in a miserable mood, but Yekaterina only smiled broadly. "Then, youll just have to be careful not to close the door next time!" "Huh??" Seodam-nim. Yekaterina squeezed my contorted face with both of her hands. I am really fine.The moment my soul was bound to Seodam, my shackled life became more free than freedom itself. Seodam-nim doesnt bind me with anything. "That''s." Rather, you let me do anything I wanted to do, and if that was the shackle, I really like those shackles. And I hope these shackles will never be loosened. I don''t want to imagine a life without the library and a life without a soul connection to Seodam-nim. Do you know how proud I am knowing that the fact that I am alive is also proof that Seodam-nim is alive? . She said so, and reassured me. I could feel Yekaterina''s feelings. She truly thanked me, and she really believed in me. So I couldn''t help but laugh. * * * Since then, another three days have passed. After getting out of the jail through the formal procedure, Smiling Shadow officially joined the Another League. Of course, no engraving was engraved on him. Because Yoo Seodam didn''t have the ability to do that. -Oh, what? new face? Your name is? .. -Oh, my successor is here! Newbie! Please be kind to me in the future! "You, go away." -Hyung-nim!! The newcomer should be the one at the bottom of the hierarchy! Just shut up. Smiling Shadow was someone with a stoic and blunt personality. His unfriendliness was extreme. He treated Yoo Seodam with respect and followed his orders as if his life was hanging on it but he seems to ignore people who he thinks had nothing to do with him, just like how he ignored Spirit King just now. But, strangely, he treated Yekaterina with the same respect he gave to Yoo Seodam. "Nice to meet you. My name is Smiling Shadow. "Nice to meet you. My name is Yekaterina. Smiling Shadow was proficient in stealth. So Yoo Seodam wondered if his skill set would be useful to the guild. Because when theres information he wanted, he could get information from various sources easily. He could also reorganize martial arts just by asking the Murim Lord directly. However, contrary to Yoo Seodam''s thoughts, Yekaterina seems to like him. Heh, can I ask you as an industrial spy? Did you say that you use a weapon that can hide in the shadows? Can you get into my shadow? "Its possible." Then you can follow me and help me. You will learn a lot. "Your wish is my command." Yekaterina noticed that Smiling Shadow didnt listen to someone other than Seodam. He outright ignored most of them, or answered them in a dry way. However, he did not seem to have any objection towards her orders. No, on the contrary, he was quite positive towards her. Truth is, Smiling Shadow himself felt it was strange, so he hardened his expression a little and looked at Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina alternately. Then, he carefully opens his mouth. Master. Excuse me, could I ask if maybe the miss next to you is your alter ego? "What?" "Pardon?" Both Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina froze on the spot, dumbfounded by the sudden question. "What are you talking about?" The energy of the soul that I feel from Master and her is the same I apologize if I was mistaken." Could you tell me the reason you mistaken us as such? Smiling Shadow looked at both of them with his cloud obsidian eyes. Its as if both your shadows overlap. At first glance, it feels like one person. If I had closed my eyes, I would really have mistaken that to be the case. Yoo Seodam nodded his head at his answer as if he understood. Um perhaps it was because I have her soul. "I see." But the words Yoo Seodam heard after that came to him quite fresh. For some reason, my loyalty towards Miss Yekaterina is as strong as my loyalty to you, Master. Thats why I asked that question. But now, it has been resolved. If I have to say it, it was as if the emotional distance I feel from Master and Miss Yekaterina is the same" The emotional distance is the same? "Yes. If I put my distance to master is 10, I feel the same 10 from Miss Yekaterina. From the first moment I saw her, I was amazed at how strangely loyal I felt towards her. Smiling Shadow felt refreshed as his curiosity had been sated. On the contrary, Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina couldn''t feel the same way. The emotional distance is the same? Yekaterina thought back to her relationship that had taken place quite recently. First of all, with Taylor Nine. From the first time she met her, she continued to treat her with kindness, even though she teased her frequently and made her feel nervous. It was simply because Taylor''s personality was originally like that, but she also had a side that was exceptionally kinder towards her than to others. That point was something that she herself and Taylor Nine couldnt understand. The same goes for Seol Jungyeon. When Yoo Seodam was away, she called Yekaterina from time to time to check on her condition. I wonder if both of them felt the same from me and Seodam-nim? Recently, Yekaterina had been able to feel what Yoo Seodam felt. Whenever he was embarrassed, angry, or sad, Yekaterina would also feel the same way, and it was beyond her or Yoo Seodam''s control. It was as if her own existence was being absorbed by the existence of Yoo Seodam. And just like her, Yoo Seodam was also able to feel what Yekaterina was feeling. Even without any physical contact, Yoo Seodam could feel whenever Yekaterina occasionally had clear thoughts. Even sometimes, when Yekaterina burns her tongue while eating something hot, her pain is also transmitted to him. And when her headache was severe, Yoo Seodam also felt the headache. What distinguished both of them was the fact that Yoo Seodam could block some of Yekaterinas senses at will. In other words, Yoo Seodam was slowly starting to take control of everything about her. Yoo Seodam was very afraid of that. The moment he could feel everything Yekaterina thinks and feels, he would no longer be able to guarantee her complete freedom''. He was afraid she wouldnt be able to think anymore because all of her thoughts were transmitted to him. Just imagining it, it was terrifying. As expected, I must find a way to make her soul normal again.'' Yekaterina had told him that she was more than happy to stay in the library. But what if her freedom reaches a level where it was really violated? When she finds out that everything about her will be taken away, will she still be happy? In the future, she would also fall in love someday, she is bound to have a shameful memory she wants to hide, and she would also have secrets that are only known to herself. Yoo Seodam wanted to respect Yekaterinas freedom. Is there something wrong? "No" Yoo Seodam said as he stroked her hair. Unfortunately, there were no soul-related books in the currently unlocked [Library of the White Witch]. If so, Yoo Seodam must find someone who is proficient in that field. At least not in modern times. Because the most knowledgeable person, when it came to magic on earth, would be Yekaterina herself. Is there no way though? Lets just go to another world and learn the magic about severing the soul.'' What are you talking about? Is there no way to cut off the soul? Huh Then please, if you could, I would like for a world that has to do with magic and the soul. The system was quiet for a few seconds, and then she spoke. Chapter 148: Magic Highschool ghost story (2) The system showed me a list of missions related to magic and soul. I Have Become The Trash of A Magical Family. Become The Strongest Magician With My Ancestors Knowledge When I Woke Up In Another World, I Became The Teacher of The World''s Strongest Saints, But Im Only An Incompetent Commoner? So Ill Make A Harem Filled With The World''s Strongest Saints Disciples! My Little Sister Is Too Strong Magic High School Ghost Stories There were still many titles I couldnt wrap my head around. One seems to be a genre in which someone becomes the outcast or trash of a family, the other is a genre that mixes reincarnation in a different world with some saint high school students that were popular in other countries across the sea. Magic, school, and ghost stories. First of all, this mission reeks of ghosts. I was almost 100% sure that I was going to meet a lot of ghosts. Thats. I pondered about Systems word for a while. What is the hunting probability? Well, Lets go with that one then. I liked the fact that the time difference was 21x. Because with so many things happening on Earth, I couldn''t be away for too long. I immediately contacted all the people close to me before changing my messenger status to dispatch. "Lets go." Magic High School Ghost Stories #fantasy #horror #horror_story #school_life #mystery At night, ghost stories come. They told numerous riddles and secrets. I must uncover and seal the secret of the ghost story. [Moving to Cheongyeon Private Magic High School, the world where Level 127 protagonist, Ahinal, resides.] [1098.] My vision became blurry. However, I could feel the travel process more clearly than before. Dimensional movement was different from simply crossing a crosswalk. It was akin to folding the world itself and pushing through it. [210] [Moving Complete.] [You have become a transfer student (12th grader) at Cheongyeon Private Magic High School.] Deng.. Sounds of a bell Woooshh~ And sounds of the winds. The distortion around me cleared up. The light from the sun that hung in the sky greeted me. It was blinding. But as a superhuman, it had little to no effect on me. And, -Ah, welcome to all new students And for other students who have moved up to a higher year, please focus more on your studies The acceptance speech from the school principal. Ah, the opening ceremony is so boring. "Yeah. Principal bastard, just finish it quickly." It sooooo hot I could hear the voices of teenagers from my surroundings. They were all young students. Far in front of me were children who looked like elementary school students, and behind me were boys and girls in their late teens. And in common, they were all wearing a white school uniform. Thats right C Also, welcome to all transfer students who transferred to Cheongyeon Private Magic School this year. I, a 30 years old adult, had become a student once again. * * * The opening ceremony was long. It was truly long. It seems like in any world, the Principal''s speech always makes one feel as if time has slowed down. The system also agrees with my sentiment. Anyway, after the opening ceremony was over, I was called by a big male teacher and followed him. At first, I was worried because I thought I would be kicked out for reasons such as trespassing, but fortunately, that wasnt the case. The [Protagonist Hunter] skill allowed me to completely blend into this world. "Well. It looks like it is the right size. Didn''t anybody tell you to buy school uniforms in advance?" I bought it but I lost it. "Really? I haven''t heard that there is a student like you among the transfer students this year. Well, I guess I just didn''t see it on the list." He may have some doubts, but unless he had a certain way to see fate'', he won''t be able to delve deeply into my identity. By the way, youre in pretty good shape. Have you been exercising? "Yes. I know Im a little bit amazing. It wasn''t just a little bit to be honest. My body became like this because I had spent half of my life on the battlefield. Not like I could tell him that though. "Your name is?" Its Yoo Seodam. What a unique name. But it sounds like a name I''ve heard somewhere" Because Im from the North. But there is only the sea in the north? I lived in the sea. Really? Whatever, Okay student Yoo Seodam. Did you say you are in 12th grade? You''re really lucky. You can listen to that teachers class. This big male teacher seemed to be thinking of something good, because I could see his expression brightened. He was honestly a littlecreepy. What class did you say you were in? I dont know. what the hell do you know? My hometown is in the North. Just shut up. Anyway, let''s see" Mr. Tteokdae took a file out from his briefcase. After reading through it for a while, he snapped his finger after a while. Ah, here you are, Yoo Seodam, a 12th grade transfer student. Class 7. Come on, let''s go. To be honest, I was a little surprised. In the past, it didn''t seem like this skill was to this extent, but can you really make me blend in with such details? People should learn to be humble rather than conceited. .. I have nothing to say. * * * The school itself was quite ordinary. Nothing too fancy like Vivienda Magic academy which was located on an island that floats in the sky or a school built like a castle with a size of several hundred pyeong. But still, Cheongyeon Private Magic High School was slightly better than ordinary high school I had seen on Earth. (1 pyeong=3.306 m2) This school was supposed to be attended by only students who came from a family who had amassed quite a bit of wealth, so it was a pretty high-end school. Moreover, it was even new. The old building was completely demolished and a new building was built on top of the old building. Looking at the architectural style, the level of culture on this world was similar to Earth. It wasnt far-fetched to say that this world was a version of Earth that was developed with magic instead of science. By the way, where is the protagonist? In the previous mission, it took me almost a month to meet the protagonist. But there was nothing to rush, really. I could take this mission slowly as I dug up some information. Class 7.'' When I entered the classroom, which was spacious enough for about 50 students to fit in comfortably, the students were chattering. Some looked at me and shouted, Oh, there is a transfer student here! But I purposely donned a cold expression on my face. There was no need to create useless human relationships in this world and cause trouble. So, I purposely made a persona of a silent and difficult to approach student. When someone rolls on the battlefield for more than 10 years, even if they do not have superpowers, they could subdue the opponent''s initiative with just their eyes. A so-called pretend to be cool'' operation. This method was quite effective, so I was able to spend time alone. First day of transfer. I became an outcast. * * * Fortunately, textbooks seem to be distributed free of charge. Thank God. I had no money nor friends here. Moreover, It was a magic class, I wouldnt be able to understand it. But with a book, I could pretend to read it and blank out. The bell rang. I couldn''t see it from here but, just where did it ring from? Soon, the homeroom teacher came in and briefly introduced himself and explained some rules to me. You''re going to be living in boarding houses for three years until you finish high school- She said.-This book is the dormitory manual, and be sure to follow it. Also, you know that you have to keep a diary every night, right? Make sure you don''t miss it. Its the principal instructions. They also handed out a diary for students here. Just what is the diary? The only diary I''ve ever written in my life is a log of daily battle progress. Did they want me to write a similar diary? Besides that, the homeroom teacher gave us various explanations, but most of them were only a rough explanation because it was something everyone knew. After she was finished, the homeroom teacher turned around and tried to leave, but then, she turned her head again towards me and added. Oh, and there is no item 7 in the manual, so please refer to it. Item 7? I looked through the dormitory manual just in case, and there was really no item 7. What, why? With that thought in mind, I slowly read through the other items, and found that it was full of absurd content. Most of them explained that they couldn''t move around after what time, or where the toilet was, but there were very few strange things. It is strictly forbidden to enter the dormitory after 23:00. If you must enter the dormitory after 23:00, be sure to use the magic broom to enter the outer spire. . . Women''s restrooms are on the 2nd, 4th and 6th floors. If a woman in a white robe walks out from the women''s restroom on the second floor between 9:17 and 9:41 p.m., never make eye contact with her and let her pass naturally. . . Entry to the men''s restroom on the first floor is prohibited. There is no restroom on the first floor of the men''s dormitory. . . If you are walking down the hallway on the 3rd floor and a female student with a black headband walks up to you, do not answer her question. If you really have to answer her, please say, I didn''t pick your flowers,'' and then quietly walk away. Maybe it won''t come after you. Just what in the world is this'' This was all nothing but urban legend. And I''ve heard of these kinds of ghost stories on Earth. Neapolitan ghost story? I read the manual to the end. I still couldn''t find item 7 on it, but at the very end of the manual, there was an explanation. Lastly, item 7 does not exist in this manual. You must never follow the instructions in item 7, and if you find a manual containing item 7, please report it to the nearest teacher immediately. That was the end. Hmmm'' Murmurs from other students entered my ears. Why is this manual like this? "Well. I''ve heard that things are a little different starting from high school" I heard it from seniors who had graduated, that sometimes strange things happen here. But as long as you follow the rules, there''s no problem." The murmurs grew louder and louder. The homeroom teacher left as it was. I wanted to learn a little more about this manual, but I couldnt- Suddenly, silence descended into the classroom. All the students looked blankly towards the teacher desk in the front of the class. It wasn''t because the teacher in charge of the first period turned out to be bad, or because she used silent magic out of the blue, or because a mysterious incident occurred. It was simply because she was too beautiful. She was a young woman in her late teens with black hair and blue eyes. She wasn''t wearing a school uniform but a suit inside the wizard robe that teachers usually wear. "Nice to meet you. My name is Aracelli Rinekal, who will be in charge of magic theory class starting this year. Then, she glances at me and smiles. Please take care of me. Chapter 149: Magic Highschool Ghost Story (3) Ding-Ding-Ding!! As soon as the bell signaling the break rang, I immediately left the classroom. After waiting for about 10 minutes, Aracelli finally walked out of the classroom. Hiding in a blind spot away from everyone''s sight, I waved my hand at her. "I''m sorry. The students caught me up "Its okay, it''s fun watching you surrounded by the students like that." Aracelli smiled at my words and poked my uniform. Looks like our position has been reversed, isnt it? Now I am the teacher, and Professor is the student. In fact, with all the knowledge inside her head, and her identity as a scholar who studied the truth of the world, her becoming a teacher was natural in the first place. The only thing I know how to do is how to hurt people and kill monsters efficiently. How did you become a teacher? I asked. "I dont know I just showed the Vice principal a little bit of my knowledge on magic, and then he said right away what kind of test I''d like to take. After I finished it and got my scores, the Vice principal said he wanted me to be a teacher right away. Well, to be fair, magic should be too easy for her. Ah, then, Aracelli. Do you know how to separate souls? Someone elses soul is in my body. Then I asked her the question Ive been wondering about, Soul? Ummm" She pondered for a moment before shaking her head. I''m sorry Professor. It''s not my area of ??expertise, so I dont know much about it And perhaps most magicians cannot explain the mysteries of the soul. "Is that so? "Yes. The only race that can manipulate the essence of soul, as far as I know, is a demon''." What? Suddenly, a very strange word came out of nowhere. "Demons deals with souls?" Have you not heard of such a story? For example, a demon that steals souls and puts them in a sack, or, Oh!! Have you ever heard the story about the creature who manipulates others inside a dream? Oh, Ive heard of it. They are vicious creatures who directly interfere with the essence of the soul. I''ve met and fought against a male demon called Incubus a few times, but even with my magic, I couldn''t completely resist their temptation'', so I suffered quite a bit. Well, in the end, they couldn''t seduce me, though." Aracelli said nonchalantly while shrugging her shoulders, but I couldnt hide my surprise at her words. "Impossible. You are a 9th Circle Archmage. Are they really that strong? "No. In terms of power, they are much weaker than me. At best they are at the level of 5th or 6th Circle Magician, but their characteristic of making opposite sex helplessly fall in love with them makes the levels difference meaningless. Their characteristic makes it meaningless, you say? Wait a minute, that was such a familiar story. Isn''t that exactly similar to the case of the Saekma'' I dealt with recently? There was no martial artist in this world who could ignores the other person''s skill and gain an unconditional advantage over the opposite sex. I just thought that the Saekgong of Saekma was very special Just in case, I explained to Aracelli the characteristics of his Saekgong to her. Compared to the Incubus I met, his abilities are absurdly weak. But it is definitely similar to the Incubus. To think he was able to use the power similar to a demon with a human body and convert it into a form of martial art. Aracelli nodded her head. "Then, there''s a demon in Murim?" I think I just heard a pretty shocking story. I knew that with so many strong people such as Saekma, Murim wasnt an ordinary martial arts world. But, I never thought that it was a fusion martial arts world where even the power of demons appeared. Professor, demons exist in every world. It probably exists in your world as well. It''s just that their power is currently weakened so they don''t show up." .. I fell silent as complicated thoughts crossed my minds. Then, Aracelli looked back at me with a smirk on her face. "By the way, Professor. What is going on in this world? Its a ghost story. Its just a scary story where ghosts appear from time to time. Why? Does this have anything to do with demons? Ghost? Eum." Araceli tapped her cheek. Its similar, but maybe a little different. It''s some kind of myth Ive heard about some demons that drew power from stories. I''ve never dealt with it, though. "Well First, let''s find out about the ghost stories in this school. Perhaps the protagonist is a hunter who is chasing the ghosts. Have you seen such a student?" "I dont think so." Even for demon hunters and protagonist hunters, a ghost hunter was an unfamiliar concept. Anyway, Aracelli, you said it was hard to deal with demons even when you had your full power. You''ve lost most of your power now. So be careful." Okay Professor! As she said that, she smiled. I don''t know if she was really trying to be careful or not. I thought I knew why. Because I heard the story before. It seems like Aracelli simply enjoyed living in the same space as me now. * * * The first day of school was over, and it was night time. Ding-Ding-Ding!!! All the students returned to their respective room. It was absolutely forbidden to go outside after 11 pm, and there was a manual that advised them to not walk around in the hallway as much as possible after 9 pm, so most students were locked in the dormitory. It wasn''t because they were such obedient students but because bad rumors kept circulating. Ghost has appeared in the school. A lot of people had heard the rumors. Did you know? Theres a unnie who just transferred to this school She said she saw a ghost in the bathroom mirror, and it turns out the ghost was the number one student in the school who died 30 years ago. So, I heard that if you become a top student in school, the ghost will chase after you! Did you know? If the bell rings 13 times at 12 o''clock at night, you will die of a heart attack immediately. I think that is the reason why the previous principal was replaced without a word. You know that this school has just been built, right? In fact, the reason the previous school was closed was because all the students took a strange medicine and died'' Of course, most of the school ghost stories were just nonsense. In fact, there were some students who proudly claimed, I saw a ghost! However, in the end, they were nothing but students who wanted to play pranks among friends. But, in the end. Scary was still scary. Whether ghosts were real or not, hearing such stories could only make people scared. Creak! An ebony-haired girl left the dormitory late at night. It wasn''t because she was a student who liked to break some rule. On the contrary, It was because she found item number 7 in her manual. If you are going up the stairs, if the 13th step appears, chant I''m not afraid of you'' and then climb the stairs calmly. If there is any item that violates this item, please ignore it. Color faded from the ebony-haired girls face. Cold sweat dripped down her back. When someone found item 7 on their manual, they were told to bring it to the nearest teacher immediately. However, because she was too lazy to read the manual, she found it too late at night. She was too afraid to ignore both the teacher''s instruction and the ghost stories, so she had no choice but to walk down the hallway late at night like this Ah, ah She panted. Of all places, why did the supervisor''s office have to be upstairs? Ah. there are 13 stairs.'' Badump! Badump!! Badump!! Her heart beat faster and faster. Her breathing also became rough. A single drop of tear escaped her eye and slid down her chin, mixing with the cold sweat on her body. Darkness shrouded the hallway, No one was there. It''s quiet. Her heart pounded and she almost fell as a crow suddenly flew from the window, screaming. But she managed to avoid collapsing. Uh what should I do?'' She bit her trembling lips tightly. Lastly, item 7 does not exist in this manual. You must never follow the instructions in item 7, and if you find a manual containing item 7, please report it to the nearest teacher immediately. She pondered what she should do. To follow item 17 means ignoring item 7. However, item 7 clearly says to ignore item 17. Her head was getting dizzy. It was difficult to make a sound judgment. Right.. the supervisor''s office is immediately accessible by going up these stairs. Lets go.'' Step. As she slowly walked up every stair, her footsteps echoed through the hallway. it''s ok. You can do it. There''s no such thing as a ghost anyway. These are all lies.'' Sweetheart.. My sweetheart. An eerie voice suddenly appeared. One step, two steps. Sixth steps, seventh steps. My sweetheart My sweetheart.. The ebony-haired girl started to cry as she heard it. But she kept reassuring herself. She just had to climb all the stairs, turn the corner and she would find a teacher there. Yes, let''s run.'' She wasn''t afraid of ghosts. So, she ran and tried to go to the supervisor who had told her to memorize all the manuals. Grab! Sweetheart? "Ah" The ebony-haired girl lowered her head. There, she saw a woman with her body bent backwards holding her ankle. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! * * * [Episode The Thirteenth That Doesnt Exist (1) has begun.] That was the message that appeared before my eyes as soon as I woke up in the morning. What????'' Just in case something happened, I had patrolled all night long. Of course, I did it as quietly as possible to not catch the attention of the dorm supervisor. However, nothing happened in front of my eyes. There were hardly any students walking around. Also, of course, I tried everything that the manual told me not to do. Do not go into the men''s shower room on the first floor, or wander around the women''s restroom on the second floor at 9:17 pm. In addition to that, there were a lot of other things it told us not to do Unfortunately, nothing special happened. In the womens bathroom on the second floor, there were no women in white robes, but three ordinary girls came out from it when I walked there and I was almost labelled a pervert. The mens shower room on the first floor didnt even exist in the first place, and the hallway on the third floor was located in a boys'' dormitory, so it was natural that a female student with a black headband didnt appear there. *murmur murmur* As I was about to wash up and get ready to go to school, I heard students talking in the hallway. "Whats going on?" When I went to see what was going on, the door supervisor was breathing heavily. Just where did she go, disappearing for the entire night? From the murmurs I heard, a female student had gone missing during the night. But something was strange. Last night, I was walking around the dormitory, and I never felt anything strange. "Quiet! Everyone, go back to your room and get ready to go to school! As the supervisor waved a cane in the air, the door to the missing schoolgirl''s room shut close and was locked. The students around the room groaned helplessly, but then, they scattered to prepare for class. I also looked at the room for a while before turning around. I can''t do anything during the day anyway. * * * A week has passed since the disappearance case. I walked around the hallways of the dorm almost every night. But just like the first day, nothing happened, and since the missing case a week ago had not been resolved, the students were all terrified and did not even think of leaving their rooms. Of course, it didnt really affect the 15th graders, those in their twenties, who could be called college students on Earth. They still conducted self-study at night. Maybe their study was the result of how cutthroat this world where everything was decided by magic. So, tonight, I decided to go to school. There wasn''t really any big reason, really. It was just because it was difficult to find anything more in the dormitory. Ding-Ding-Ding The bell rang at 9pm. The lights were still on in the classroom. Ding-Ding-Ding The bell rang at 10pm. The lights were still on in the classroom. Ding-Ding-Ding And by the time the bell rang at 11 pm, just a handful of people were left in the classroom. The item in the manual said I had to enter the dormitory by 11am. However, I stayed in the school because I was planning to break the rule of going to the dormitory after 11 o''clock. Now there''s really no one in the school. It was really dark. So, I walked slowly in the dark. Since ancient times, it has been said that ghosts come out only when the lights are off, isn''t it? At that moment, a shout was heard in the classroom. Person?'' Ghosts have no life sign. Even my sixth sense would not be able to detect it. But I found someone. Creak! When I opened the door of a classroom where I felt someone''s presence, I couldnt see anyone there. But there was one desk with books open on top of it. When I got closer, I saw someone fainting under the desk. why is she sleeping here? She was attacked by the Kong Kong Kong ghost. When I turned around, I saw a girl with a haggard look who looked like a middle school student. She was looking at me with an unpleasant smile on her face. A few moments ago, through my sixth sense, I could feel someone with a fairly strong energy approaching me, so I thought it was a patrol or magic guard, but it turns out I was wrong. On top of her head, a small message box was floating. Magic High School Ghost Stories That girl was the main character of this world, Ahinal. Ahinal hugged the old diary in her arms and approached the fainted student and checked her pulse. It looks like her soul hasnt been stolen yet. Who is taking her soul? Like I said, it was the Kong Kong Kong ghost. It was a clich, common, school ghost story. The story of the second place in the whole school who was jealous of the first place in the whole school. One day, the 2nd place in the whole school summoned the 1st place in the whole school to the roof and pushed them down to death. And then, the 1st place in the school ghost who held a grudge against the second-ranked student appears and wanders around every night. Too bad this senior is hiding under the desk" Ahinal laughed happily. .. Otherwise, I could have taken a good look at the Kong Kong Kong ghost. Saying that, she turned around and disappeared. I couldn''t take my eyes off Ahinal. To be precise, I couldn''t take my eyes off the diary'' in her arms. Chapter 150: Magic High School Ghost Story (4) Proofreader: Kig The next day, since I was given a role as a student in this world, I went to school. But studying diligently in the class was another matter altogether. The reason for the formation of thunderclouds is.. As the magical crystals of electricity cause a thunderbolt.. and the magical energy of the ice crystals is constantly in the upper layer with positively charged magical energy" The magic class in this world was generally boring. When I first took this class, I was excited at the thought of learning something new that was not present on Earth. On Earth, magic was science and not an unknown supernatural phenomenon, and it could soon be proved by scientific and mathematical methods. But magic in the world of wizards used different concepts altogether. It''s really hard for me to learn such a foreign concept out of nowhere because I was someone who was far from studying. Well, It''s actually an excuse. The truth was, I''m just sleepy. It''s only natural because I had to go around patrolling all night long. Even though my superhuman body could function well without a few days of sleep, I would rather be prepared because I dont know when I will fight the protagonist. "Student." Besides, isn''t it a rule of thumb to make up for the lack of sleep in class after playing all night long? Although I didn''t have a normal school life in the past, at least I know that much. Student. Today, I''m going to take a closer look at that gloomy girl, Ahinal. From what I saw from her last night, her magical ability itself seemed to be at the level of 1 circle at most, so the reason for her high level still remains a mystery. Maybe there''s something I don''t know- Student Yoo Seodam. .! I raised my head and looked towards the voice who was calling me. It was Aracelli. She was grinning in front of the blackboard as she looked at me. Then, I realized. I slept too openly. Student Yoo Seodam. You look very tired. Did you have a very rough night? "Yes. I needed to maintain world peace last night. At my answer, other students giggled and laughed. Aracelli also showed nothing but her usual smile. When I teach you, you have to look at me. "Okay." It is true that I''m tired and I''m dying, so why did you wake me up? As I grumbled about her in my own mind, I stared blankly at Aracelli. Of course, I didn''t take this class seriously, but somehow, her voice, which sounded like a heavenly orchestra, caressed my ears and put my mind at ease. My fatigue reduced as time passed by. It made me wonder whether she put some anti-fatigue spell on her face or not. Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Aracelli kept smiling at me every time she looked at me. Just why did she keep smiling? Did she usually smile like that? Time flew by as I kept wondering about that. * * * Because I dont have any friends, I could only eat alone at lunch. Of course, I was mocked and looked down upon. For these students, they wouldnt look kindly at an outsider who ate alone since friendships were considered to be very important to them. But I dont give a damn, they were just teens anyway, and this is my person here. *murmur murmur* But theres something I''m bothered about. Hello, Miss Araceli? "Yes?" Why are you eating here? In this school, there is a separate cafeteria for students and staff members. The place I currently ate was naturally, the cafeteria where students eat. However, for some reason, Aracelli, the most popular teacher among students and teacher alike, was eating in front of me. I couldn''t help but stand out because of her. Fufu, whats wrong? Would you like some more sausage? Sausage. Each students was only given three, not even four! Even if I cut each of it into three parts with my spoon and eat it sparingly, I could only eat it 9 times! However, it seems like staff members could get as much as they want. Because right in front of me, Aracelli''s plate was full of sausages. Feeling somewhat miserable, I nodded my head at her offer. "Okay Using her fork, Aracelli dumped all her sausages except a single one into my plate. Hey, what will you eat then? "I''m okay, Professor. It reminds me of the old days and I feel full just remembering it. Old days? What is it about? Back then, when I was too late to receive food, Professor gave me the plate you prepared in advance. I can still remember the menu back then. I don''t remember if Ive done something like that Then again, back then, I was too preoccupied with making plans to kill Fiolen as well as learning new knowledge called magic. Fwoosh!! Like a wind, Aracelli took the remaining 1 sausage with her fork and shoved it into my mouth. Say Aaa~ Is it really okay for a teacher to do something like this to the student? Her antics had been attracting attention since the first day. It was very burdensome. Whether it is okay or not, I dont care, because I solved three difficult problems that wizards in this world couldn''t solve. They begged me to enter the tower, but I said I was just a teacher. Is that so. Wherever she goes, if the world involves magic in it, Aracellis abilities almost seem like a cheat. Unfortunately, in this world, magic alone couldnt solve it. Although there were many enemies that could be solved by magic, ghosts werent one of them. In the case of zombies and skeletons, fire and light type magic works properly according to the clich law, but in the end, they were not ghosts. Aracelli. Have you looked closer at a student called Ahinal? "Yes" Her position as teacher was a huge boost to me as my status as a student clearly prevented me from doing many things. Theres no student called Ahinal in high school. I thought so. The high school ranged from grades 12 to 14. It was the limit of the information that Araceli could obtain. Ahinal is probably a middle school student. Because she looked like she was in her mid to late teens. Is she really that young? Is there any chance that she was a returnee? "Well. At least it didn''t seem like that. She must have been just an old kid. Perhaps" But still Shes too young When she hesitated, I said. "Sorry. I dont have any intention to force you to hunt the protagonist. In the first place, I cant give you anything in return. "No!" Contrary to my expectation, Aracelli got angry at my words. You gave me enough already, Professor! "Is that so? I don''t remember giving you anything, though." "No. I am receiving it even now, so lets keep hunting together. What is it? Did she perhaps steal my mana? I don''t think she is. As Aracelli lowered her face with a blush on her cheek, I continued. Aracelli, I have a firm belief in my job as Protagonist Hunter. And just like Kim Ha-soo in the last world, I believe in the future, there will be righteous protagonists, good heroes, young and old. "Yes" But, whatever protagonist appears in front of me, I must kill them. That is my belief that will no longer change since I killed Kim Ha-soo. She raised her head, and looked at me right in my eye with her clear eye. Aracelli. I will also kill Ahinal. Even if she''s nice, or if she can help this school I will still kill her. Then silence descended between us for a while. As the sausage and rice cooled off, Aracelli nodded her head. "It''s okay. Even if Professor leads the world to destruction, I will still follow you. I smiled bitterly at her. Whatever the reason, I will not lead the world to destructionprobably. "Then Should I do some research on Ahinal? Middle school is not within my authority, but if I ask around, I believe I will get the information the Professor wants in no time. That''s right. Especially if they are male teachers, they will even reveal their darkest secrets to you. I have another question, do you know when exactly this bizarre phenomenon started? "I dont know about it It''s probably been a few years. There have been rumors of a lot of weird things happening since this school was first established a few decades ago. However, there were only rumors and records, and there were very few such cases in those years, but suddenly, about five years ago, the principal''s diary disappeared, and stories of ghost sightings began to circulate. The principals diary? "Yes. Principal''s diary. She told everyone not to touch it, but it suddenly disappeared, so the teachers were very confused. Diary, huh. Come to think of it, this school was also forcing all students to keep a diary. Well, its a well-known story that the principal, Malea was able to survive in Tutorial Tower in the past because of the diary. I wondered if shes been reading it since then.. Tu.tutorial Tower? Aracelli nodded her head, as I stuttered because of words that came up suddenly. It is said that the Tutorial Tower is a giant tower that appeared in the world several decades ago. I dont even know what happened there. Well, it was only natural since Araceli had only come to this world recently. The principals name, was it Malea? What is she doing right now? In this school, the vice principal was the one who was more active on the outside, the principal hardly showed her face. She was so tired that she couldnt show herself to the world. Rumor is that she is very old" "Is that so?" "Yes. The staff said that she was forcefully trying to prolong her life span, as if she''s waiting for something. Hmmm Does it have anything to do with this case? The principal''s diary that suddenly disappeared, ghost stories that started to appear. What if the diary that Ahinal has is the principals? I could feel a tremendous energy from the old dairy in Ahinal arms last night. I also felt an eerie and sticky energy from it. It was so different from magic that I couldnt even describe it. Perhaps the diary is related to Ahinals special ability. I need to be extra careful. * * * That night, I went on patrol just like usual. Theres no need to rush. Aracelli will investigate Ahinal in more detail anyway. Rather, I felt like I should find out more about the bizarre things that were going on at this school. Around midnight, as I walked down the hall of the dormitory, I saw a male student trembling with his hand supporting himself on the wall. I walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and said, Hey! The student then fell to the floor. "Whats wrong? Are you sick? Gasp Gasp! NNo, I''m just surprised" The boy looked around him and sighed in relief. I could see cold sweat run down his face. "Uh. I need to show my manual to the advisor "Why?" Until yesterday, I was sure it wasnt there. He shook his head. There is fear in his eyes. I mean item 7. .. It''s item 7!! Give me that. I''ll bring it to the advisor right away." Rereally? okay? Hey, there''s a rumor that this manual is about ghosts" "I do not care. I like ghosts. "Ah. are you also a psychic research team? Nope, Im not. Its okay now, so hurry up and give it to me. Yeah, yes. here! Thanks, anyway!" The male student who handed the manual to me bowed his head to say thank you, and then disappeared into the distance. After looking at his running back for a moment, I checked the manual. If you are going up the stairs, if the 13th step appears, chant Sweetheart, I''m not afraid of you'' and then climb the stairs calmly. If there is any item that violates this item, please ignore it. This manual had Item 7 in it. My manual didnt have it. Did this happen suddenly? If it was another school, I would wonder if someone was playing a prank, but the fact that it was the ''13th Stair'', that caught my attention. Because the title of the ongoing episode in this world was [The Thirteenth That Does Not Exist (1)]. It''s a staircase'' After that, I checked item 17 again. It was written not to do what you were told in item 7. I wondered which one is the correct one. Actually, it doesn''t seem to matter that much. Lets check it out. I walk briskly to the stairs. Ding-Ding-Ding The bell rings. Students will be locked in their dormitories by now. Mysterious things were happening in the school. Someone went missing in the dormitory, and someone fainted in the middle of the night in the classroom. "Well." The atmosphere turned strange. The world was illuminated in red hue. I feel like vomiting. Is it because the light is broken? It felt like the air itself had changed strangely. The glass panes shook as the wind hits the window. Were we in the middle of the windy season now? A faint shadow kept sneaking around the hallway. But once you look closely at it, it was nothing but a shadow of a tree. Step!! My footsteps become exceptionally loud. Wooonnggg!! Woooshh!! . Then I look up. There were thirteen steps on the staircase. There were twelve originally. I know it well because I patrolled every stair in the dormitory every night and all of it had 12 steps. Where did this 13th one come from?'' What an incomprehensible phenomena. So, now I had to decide. Should I follow item 7? Or item 17? Item 7 told me to go up the stairs, and item 17 told me to ignore it and go back. However, the teachers also told students to report to them if they found a manual with item 7 on it The supervisor''s office was on the next floor. I would inevitably have to go up the stairs. After thinking for a while, I quickly climbed the stairs three steps at a time. Ill try both! With such a simple heart, I reached the twelfth step with just four steps. Then, I heard a voice. Why didn''t you memorize the spell as I told you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooshh!! Step!! Step!! Step!! A woman with her neck turned backwards, crawling on the floor with her elbows twisted backwards, rushed towards me. I pulled out my ether blade from the inventory, activated my holy conversion and launched an attack towards it. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ITS HURTTTTTTSSSSS STOOOOPPP ITTTTT!!!!! Tumble!! The broken arm fell to the floor. Woong Woong! The holy power that coated the ether blade was emitting light like a glow stick. What is this bastard? I stared blankly at the ghost lying on the floor for a long time. Chapter 151: Ghost story hunter (1) Since I couldnt maintain Holy Conversion for long, I promptly turned it off after incapacitating the ghost. Blood pooled under the ghost''s body and drenched the floor in red. The place where the ghost lay currently was the thirteenth stair. A terrifying phenomenon fueled by spiritual power to create a new space altogether. It even successfully deceived me, an S rank superhuman, who had extensive knowledge of magic and martial arts. (For those who forgot, Holy Conversion is the skill from the Saintess) What the hell is this? And soon enough, the thirteenth stair disappeared, perhaps because I recognized it as an illusion. On the floor, there was nothing but a ghost whose body writhed even more intensely because it had been struck by the ether blade. The ghost had a very terrifying appearance: Black hair, white skin, and ripped lips. I''m afraid it will visit me in my dream tonight. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Pang!! This bastard. Be quiet!!! It only closed its loud mouth after I struck its head with the side of my ether blade covered with holy power. Its still alive though, Im pretty sure by the looks of its eyes, if it had its chance, it would lunge at me. What should I do with this now? It was possible for me to attack and injure the ghost with holy power. The ghost indeed had the ability to manipulate reality, however, as a trade-off, its combat power was awfully poor. Well, to be fair, all ghosts had poor combat ability. However, the ghost, which had weak defense and trashy attack power, and looked like nothing but a mob at first glance, had a very troublesome characteristic. It had an infinite amount of physical strength, which means, ghost could not be killed because its HP would not decrease. I could choose to cut the ghost in front of me into a million pieces right here right now, but in the end, it would be nothing but extra work. Because tomorrow, it will return to its perfect condition and hunt the students all over again. While I was pondering about what I should do, I could feel someone climbing through the stairs. After a few moments passed, I could see a girl with a gloomy atmosphere around her and deep dark circles underneath her eyes. It was Ahinal. With a voice devoid of strength, she asked, Are you not afraid of seeing ghosts? Are you thinking of attacking it? I shook my head at her question. It just somehow happened. And, it looks like you have quite a lot of spiritual power Ahinal slowly climbed the stairs and looked at the ghost of the thirteenth stair. She bit her lip. It seems like she was unable to properly maintain her composure, unlike the time when we had met the other day. But you dont seem to know how to seal it. There is no point in attacking it. She opened her diary. It was an old diary with a strange character on its cover. Does that really belong to her? It was hard to imagine that a middle school student had such an old diary. It was written here. "What was written there?" A way to seal that ghost. C Z Month XX Year. The non-existent thirteenth stair appeared. It was rumoured that anyone who witnessed the phenomenon would surely die. Students have disappeared every now and then. Just where did they go? The keyword for this ghost is the thirteenth stair. The thirteenth stair was added to the original twelve stairs to stimulate fear and gain strength. So, I decided to take advantage of that. I made the 14th stair by building an X-shaped footrest on the stair, then I went up there and tapped the floor three times with my foot. After that, I put my hands together and chanted the spell. I am afraid of you, my sweetheart, I am afraid of you. Then the ghost was sealed in the diary. It should never wake up again C After a while, Ahinal put an X-shaped stool on the stairs as it was written in his diary and chanted the spell. I am afraid of you, my sweetheart, I am afraid of you. Then, a white light flashed. The ghost began to scream once again. Before it could deafen my ears once again, I shoved my ether blade right into its mouth, and it went silent. Eventually, the ghost turned into light particles and flowed into the diary. It lingered around the diary for a few moments before dissipating altogether. [Protagonist Ahinal has acquired nonexistent manual ability from a ghost.] [The stat of the protagonist Ahinal has slightly increased.] . Ahinal complexion turned slightly better. It seems like she fell into some kind of trance as the ghost energy flowed into the diary. As I stared at her without a word, she slowly opened her eyes. You you are more courageous than I thought, would you like to join the Psychic Research Club and do some ghost hunting with me? Ghost hunting? "Yeah. We hunt ghosts that wander around the school and protect our school. I had no intention of protecting the school, but I did not hesitate to nod my head as I had no intention of kicking the opportunity that had appeared in front of me. * * * Ahinal, 10th grade student. She is the head of the Psychic Research Club and a 1st circle Wizard. She transferred to this school in 5th grade, her grades arent noteworthy per say. She doesn''t have a particularly flamboyant personality and has very few friends, so I don''t know much about her personality or characteristics." The very next day at lunch, Aracelli, as usual, ate in front of me and briefed me about what she had discovered. One peculiar thing about her is Her transfer timing coincided with the time when the ghosts started appearing again as well as when the Principals diary disappeared. I thought so. I was aware that the information Aracelli shared with me, gave me, the [Protagonist Hunter], a glimpse into the plot. Of course, at first what I knew was beyond vague, but as time passed, I poked here and there, and I could find all the answers I wanted. Perhaps, the ghosts of this school were originally sealed in the diary Ahinal held. However, due to some kind of incident involving Ahinal, the seals were undone and all the ghosts poured out in this school. From that day on, Ahinal''s goal was to seal all the ghosts that had spread across this school! At first glance, it seems like she was protecting the school by catching all the ghosts that wandered the school..but the truth is way far from it. She was only cleaning up her own mess. It had nothing to do with school peace. Moreover, when there is a victim, kneeling down and apologizing is far from enough Well, it doesn''t matter anymore, from now on, the problem is how to kill Ahinal. "Simply killing her wont do right, Professor?" Aracelli''s question snapped me back from my train of thoughts. It seems so. Ahinal has already merged with the ghosts. And theres a chance she can be resurrected as a ghost when she dies. Even if she doesnt want to, she could avoid death. The resurrection would be different from "Time Loop" or "Return To The Past" kind of clich. In this case, the problem was a ghost A way to kill her'' I had found a few clues. First, the diary in which the ghosts were sealed. Why were ghosts and ghost stories sealed in that diary, and why were they released? And who sealed those ghosts in the past? And the second one, Ahinal''s ability. It seems like her magic level was on the level as mine if I did not get any assistance from the flowerpot. However, her spiritual power is quite powerful, it could even absorb the powers of ghosts. My level was higher than her, but theres a problem with compatibility. I had no means to attack the soul. The best I could do was clad the ether blade with holy power, but in the end it is still a physical attack. My chances of winning against Ahinal with only that are tragically slim. Aracelli had told me that the ghost I encountered last night had a weak ability so it couldnt affect me. But if I met another ghost with better ability, say, it could use a mental attack'' to make people go crazy, Ill be damned. In fact, Aracelli also told me about a story from her home world where a 7th circle wizard committed suicide after being possessed by a single ghost, so we should not look down at ghosts. However.'' Just because someone was a magician who deals with demons, there was no law that said demons couldnt strike them back. As a monster hunter myself, I had almost died countless times while hunting them. In other words, Ahinal was not omnipotent when it came to ghosts. If theres a stronger ghost, it could attack Ahinal. "it seems there''s only one way." Using the story in reverse. Aracelli, who was busy munching her sandwich, tilted her head. Doesnt that student know how to deal with all the ghost stories? "No, not all ghost stories, she just knows how to deal with ghosts. "Hmmm? Isn''t that the same thing?" "Its different. A ghost is just a ghost. Ghost story is a story. I paused briefly. The word ghost exists as a specific keyword in the first place. But, with the keyword ghost of thirteenth stair'' we could exercise the ghost by creating the fourteenth stair. The rule in the manual didnt have anything to do with the ghost. "I see." The story itself is important. Because the very word horror story gives power to the ghost. From now on, I will use that ghost story to my advantage. Right now, there are countless ghosts in this school which have been released from their seals. But they havent shown themselves yet, as they didnt have any story related to them yet. From now on, I will make up that ghost story and cover the keywords. It will hinder Ahinal from identifying the ghost. Is it possible to make a ghost story in one day? "Its possible." Because I had the knowledge of countless ghost stories from another world called Earth. So, please spread the word as I write it down. Unlike me, who has no friends, Aracelli was a popular star in this school. Since you dont smoke, you could just talk about it while having a chat over a cup of coffee. Or take some time, say, for 5 minutes after class to talk to the students, or chat with other teachers while having some lun- Not at lunch! "-ch Huh?" Aracelli said in protest. I cant do it during lunch "Why?" Because its the only time I can spend with Professor in the entire day. . The average meal time was about 10 to 15 minutes. Aracelli came to this world chasing after me, but the time she spends with me is only 15 minutes out of 24 hours. And yet, she never complained. Even though it was only 15 minutes, she was happy with it. And yet, I ordered her to do something in those 15 minutes and deprived her from her happy time. "sorry. Let''s keep eating together." Then Aracelli smiled again. Yes, Professor!! * * * Psychic Research Club. Although from its name it sounds like a flashy club, in reality it only had a few members. It wasnt a stretch to call it a club that was on the brink of disbandment. So I was just looking for a member. I wish there were more members who are brave and smart and ummm, and have courage to stand against ghosts like you" . Tonight was the night of the full moon. Even when the sun had long gone to the other side of the planet, the world was still bright as the moonlight showered the darkness with its brilliance. Its the first time Ive heard a story like thisdance room ghost story. Late at night, I was heading to an abandoned building with Ahinal. It was because there was a ghost story about the dance room in the building that had been abandoned for 10 years. When the full moon was at its highest point, if you go to the dance room and dance, a ghost will appear! It''s an old-fashioned ghost story that was common on Earth. But, perhaps here, it was uncommon. Thats why Ahinal showed interest. Ahinal. Are you not afraid of ghosts? "Well." I asked her as we were walking slowly towards the abandoned building while relying on Ahinals 1 circle magic sphere of light. It takes some courage. But I have to hunt ghosts. . I concluded that Ahinal was also afraid of ghosts. It wasnt mere conjecture, it was a conclusion I drew after observing her body language, her expression and her overall atmosphere. It was such a clich. The clich of the protagonist who shook even with the tiniest flickering of light around them. They also almost make a mistake at an important moment, but in the end, they overcome it with courage. The courage to fight against ghosts. You can''t help but be afraid of ghosts. Unless you are a psychopath who has lost your fear. And Ahinal, in my eyes, was not a psychopath. "it''s here. In this spooky building. The abandoned building was old and worn out, it was a wonder itself that it hadnt collapsed yet. There were a lot of cracks on its wall, and from the cracks, vines grew and enveloped the building. It added to the eeriness of the building. The roof was also covered with green plants that were difficult to tell whether it was moss or weeds because it was dark, and most of the windows were barren of glass, leaving huge gaps here and there. The door creaked as I pushed it. Step by step we walked through the building. Werent there many ghost stories that were made because someone mistook the sound of the wind for the cry of a ghost? Now I find those notions not so laughable, because they were true. The cry of the wind coupled with the eeriness of the building really sounds like a cry of a ghost. Honestly, I was scared. The experience from the ghost of the thirteenth stair made me clench my ether blade unknowingly. I was very familiar with intuitive fear. A hunter who lost their fear would eventually lose his life sooner or later. Fear of monsters stronger than me, fear of protagonists stronger than me. Using that endless fear as a driving force, I tried harder to overcome every situation. But I couldnt simply overcome it right now. Because in the first place, it was fear of something unknown that does not exist in my world. I wasnt used to it. Here it is. The dance room Its more ordinary than I thought. . The size of the dance room was around 50 pyeong. The floor, which was supposed to be smooth, was filled with cracks. Ahinal opened the door slightly and said to me, You wait here. The dance room ghosts will only show up if I was alone. "Okay." The way to summon the dance room ghost was simple. You just had to dance at midnight. Based on the story, the ghost would appear and dance together with you. Eventually, Ahinal went into the dance room alone and closed the door. Now it''s time to summon the ghost. * * * This place is older than I thought'' Ahinal walked slowly through the dance room. When she threw the crystal ball she had prepared in advance to the ceiling, lights permeated across the room. Then, when she put another crystal ball down on the floor and touched it, soft music came out. It was a dance song that she learned in arts and physical education class. Mirror.'' Standing in front of a mirror that occupied one side of the dance room wall, Ahinal stood in form. Then, her reflection in the mirror did the exact same thing as her. Dancing wasnt difficult, one just needed to surrender their body to the music. One of her feet stepped forwards, then she raised her arms to the air before spinning her body. She peeked at herself in the mirror to see if her dance was a mess. Anyway, the festival is coming up soon, so she danced with the thought that she would practice in advance. Time passed, and even though it was already past midnight, Ahinal kept dancing. The ghost hasnt appeared yet? Another minute passed. Ahinal looked around her while dancing. But nothing had changed. Old hardwood floors, two crystal balls and a mirror. was it just a rumour? Not all ghost stories were true. When the dawn approached, Ahinal finally stopped dancing. She sighed heavily as sweat ran profusely on her body. She picked up the crystal which had run out of magical powers and left the dance room without strength. Wheres Yoo Seodam? Hes gone. The thought of her being here alone made her shiver, but she bit her mouth shut. She told herself that she was not intimidated by this. As she slowly walked out the front door, she saw Yoo Seodam standing there. Oddly enough, he seemed like he was still brimming with strength. There was no trace of exhaustion on his face. "How was it?" theres no ghost. "Really? Were you really dancing all night long?" "Yeah, I danced while looking in the mirror. Ahinal spat without much thought. She was slightly annoyed at Yoo Seodam who looked like he was ignoring her words. However, after hearing Ahinals words, Yoo Seodams expression turned several tones paler. Lets go back soon Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Ill tell you about it later. Yoo Seodam grabbed Ahinal''s arm. For her, it was rude. She tried to yank her arms free, but she stopped as Yoo Seodam words flew to her ears. you danced all night looking at the mirror? Yes, I did. Impossible. Yoo Seodam was still looking ahead, not even looking at Ahinal. In the dance room there are no mirrors. Huh? Chapter 152: Ghost Story Hunter (2) Late at night, the students returned to their respective dormitory. Only teachers on duty stayed behind in the campus. One particular black-haired female teacher walked down the dark hallway. The not-so-smooth floor creaked as her feet stepped on it. There were a lot of ugly rumours circulating around the school these days, so even the black-haired teacher, who was originally a veteran battle wizard, didnt quite like the job. She just forced herself to take the duty when her turn came. Of course, no one was directly involved in the strange phenomenon. Most of them fainted and couldnt remember anything as they came to their senses. But there were some students who seemed to have disappeared and never came back. .. The hallway was really quiet. The current time was around midnight. Even though it was time for all the students to return to their dormitory, the teacher somehow had the feeling that there were still students on the campus. Then, the teacher suddenly turned her gaze to one of the classrooms. Student?'' Someone was in the classroom. The teacher opened the door to the classroom without hesitation. Inside, she saw a certain girl was staring at her with her arms supporting her chin as if she knew the teacher would open the door and come in. "Student. What are you doing there? You have to return to your dorm. I cant go, teacher." You cant go? What do you mean? Come here now. "No, teacher." The girl stepped forward. However, unlike normal people, she didnt use her legs. Using her arms, she put'' her upper body on top of the desk. Because.I have no legs, ma''am!!!!!!" Kung Kung Kung! Supporting her upper body with her elbows, the schoolgirl began to approach the teacher. Thump thump! Kung Kung Kung Kung!! "Teacher." Teacher Teacher. Teacher, teacher, teacher. I have no legs. I have no legs, Ma''am, I have no legs. I have no legs I have no legs I have no legs Kung Kung Kung Kung Kung!! The girl reached out her hand to grab the teacher''s leg. "That leg is mine now. I can have those beautiful legs. From now on, I can walk on two legs." But at that moment. Wooonngg!!! Ugh!? A bright white barrier appeared in front of the female teacher, blocking the legless ghost. The ghost bounced back, she propped her body up again using her elbow and stared back at the teacher. The teachers wavy black hair fluttered, and contrasting her blue eyes, a golden cog gleamed behind her as it floated and spun. Dozens of tiny rods of light were attached to the slow-moving cogwheel, and they were emitting a strong energy. And then, five golden mirror fragments surrounded her body. Huuh.?" The ghost didnt know the fact that the teacher in front of her was the true form of Archmage Aracelli Rinekal from her days as Demon Hunter. She only knew the fact that she was shaking in fear because fear was an important energy for ghosts. It''s difficult'' Aracelli frowned. The cog wheel behind her appeared naturally whenever it detected the presence of a demon. It also consumed some of her mana. Back when she was a demon hunter, she carried not one but seven cogs behind her for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But right now, it was impossible for her to use it as she couldnt regenerate her mana fast enough. She already felt the mana in her body being reduced to half. She couldnt drag it any longer. Aracelli raised her hand, and the five mirrors around the ghost connected with a ray of golden light and trapped the ghost within. I, I, I just need legs! "I know. You dont have legs, so it must have been very difficult for you. .?" Then, a golden glow burst out. Legs sprouted from the legless ghost''s lower body. Although it was only a spiritual body rather than an actual body, that alone allowed the ghost to walk on her two feet instead of using her elbows. Just like the days when she could roam freely before her death. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. "Even though I can''t save you Still, for your last few moments, run around as much as you want. That''s all I can do. Ththank you Thank you Really. Ahh" The ghost sobbed. Her blood-soaked upper body had become clean. She looked like an ordinary pretty highschool girl. She began to totter slowly from where she once stood, like a baby, cautiously, and then ran through the hallway''s window. Aracelli looked at the window where the ghost disappeared. Perhapsbefore she got sealed back into the diary, she would run endlessly to enjoy her last moments. Soon, the golden cogs behind Aracelli that were brighter than the sun itself, disappeared, and Aracelli broke out into a cold sweat. Half of my mana had already been consumed.'' Originally, to help or kill a single ghost was easy. However, for the weakened Aracelli, it was very hard. But it didn''t matter that much to her, because in the first place she was going to give up everything she had, even her magic, for him. Tonight I have to spend some time with Professor.'' She smiled. Once she told her professor that her mana had depleted, he wouldnt be able to refuse her like he normally would. With such a happy thought, Aracelli turned around. The fact that she had done a good deed made her feel better, and she was even humming at some point. * * * "Hey, hey, did you know? If you look in the full-length mirror on the first floor of the abandoned building, sometimes your reflection on the mirror will do something different! I also heard that the statue in the abandoned building will open its eyes and walk around at midnight!!! Did you see the book that the stone statue of the abandoned building holds? Every night it turns one page, and when it reaches the last page, the school will collapse!" When you go to the first compartment on the 4th floor of the abandoned building, and do your chores, a ghost will appear and ask you, Do you want a red tissue or a blue one? They say that if you answer red tissue, your body will turn into seven packs of blood, and if you choose blue tissue, they will strangle you until your body turns blue So, just like that two months passed. Quite a lot of ghost stories had spread throughout the school in the meantime. Some ghost stories were similar to the current ghost stories that circulated in the school and were present in this world. Because all the ghost stories that could occur in this so-called school were the stories that existed in any world. However, there were still a lot of ghost stories that were unfamiliar to them, and the students were terrified to tell them. Of course, the ghost stories were highly likely to materialize, so most of them were based on abandoned buildings or toilets in the abandoned building. It was my attempt to avoid damage unless one dared to approach it. The only person who dared to go to such an abandoned building would be the ghost story hunter Ahinal. Over the period of the past few weeks, her face had grown even more weary. When I asked her why she looked so tired, she said that it was because of the stress of dealing with ghosts alone. Unlike monsters, ghosts reveal the most terrifying end of a human being''s death, and unless the one who faced them didnt have any emotions, they were bound to experience mental stress while dealing with them. And, according to my plan, Ahinal had built up more and more stress. [Protagonist Ahinals level has become: 150] Thank you for your hard work again today Ahinal sealed the ghost we had just defeated, and she was growing more and more stronger. Helping an enemy that I had to kill to grow stronger may seem silly in the short term. But in the long run, it was an act that would allow me to be there when she was in the worst of her condition, so it would eventually play in my favour. If there was one problem, it was that I also received a lot of stress. If someone asked me a month ago if I was afraid of ghosts or not, I would confidently answer I am not afraid. But not now. Honestly, it''s so scary. I saw a man who committed suicide by twisting all joints on his body. I also found an altar with headless corpses hanging upside down. There were also times when I was walking down a street with no one in the middle of the night, and out of the blue, the sound of children''s laughter came from all directions, and while I was walking, all of the lights suddenly went out. It was a horror story I had never known before. Ghosts were not necessarily scary because they were visible. But when they become invisible, it becomes hella scary. [E/N: Just like flying cockroaches that disappear after being sighted] Today, we are also going to hunt for selfie ghost story. For two months, I spent quite a bit of time with Ahinal. We stayed up and spent so many nights together, but our relationship never turned into anything more than a partner. It felt like I was partnering with the kind of people I would never get to know, no matter how much time I spent with them. When we met, we only talked about ghost stories. I secretly shared my knowledge of ghost stories from my world, and Ahinal came to recognize me as a pretty courageous and knowledgeable person''. It could be said that my knowledge was a great help to her when she faced something she didnt know about. Selfie ghost? "Yeah." *murmur murmur* The place was quite crowded, partly because it was still around dinner time and partly because it was just before the School Festival'', the bread and butter of the School Life genre. Its a story that said that someone would stand behind you when you take a picture of yourself with a camera in the auditorium warehouse. To be honest, I am very unfamiliar with these kinds of ghost stories. It was plausible because it was a world where there were very few ghost stories with pictures. However, on Earth, it was common to see strange things appearing in photos. More importantly, that ghost story was also spread by me. Lets see if this ghost story actually gave birth to some ghost. Are we going right away? "No. Right now, the auditorium warehouse is crowded because of the festival preparations. So, as usual, around midnight? It will also be difficult around that time. I think the festival team will continue to use the auditorium. As you know, our school tends to put a lot of effort into preparation since people from outside will also attend the festival. "What should we do, then?" Lets give up and find another ghost story, then. "We cant do that. As long as there is even a slight possibility that a ghost will appear, I must hunt it. . She spoke as if it was her mission. But in the end it happened because of her own fault. Ahinal gaze fell on the diary. Even about that unidentified diary, a certain outline was established. It was true that the diary was written by the Principal'', who god-only-knows what he is doing right now. In the diary in which a number of ghosts were sealed, the method of sealing them was also written. However, she misplaced it and released all the ghosts, and was in the process of re-sealing them. I''ve seen this type of story in manga a few times before. The story was that the heroine touches something wrong, and a monster is released into the world, and she works to seal it up again. The genre of the said story was a magical girl with cards, a ghost story, or something like Pandora''s Box. There was only one important point. If it wasn''t for the contact between the heroine and the sealing medium, the monsters would not have been released into the world. I am the main dancer for this festival stage. I''ll get some attention if I go on the stage tonight, so, please help me." "What?" "While I''m drawing attention, you have to take a selfie." . Until now, Ahinal had never asked for anything directly related to ghosts. So I frowned a little. I can''t help it because of the situation, but I really hate having direct contact with ghosts. . . But looking at her expression, it seemed like shes her usual self. Maybe Ahinal wants to leave the ghost story hunting to me using that excuse. Tell you what, Ill try it just this one time. When I gave her my consent, the corner of her lips raised up. What. Why are you so anxious? "Good. Lets go right away. She turned heel just like that with a forced smile on her haggard expression, and I had no choice but to reconsider the selfie ghost story with a very uneasy feeling. Chapter 153: Ghost Story Hunter (3) School festival, an annual event when the spirit of youth is at its peak. At first glance, it might look like every student enjoyed it, but in fact, more than half of the students did not enjoy the festival. After all, the festival was an event where the cool kids shone brighter than the rest. By the way, Ahinal had bragged about her stamina and dancing skill to me when we were hunting the dance room ghost a couple of months ago. It seems like Ahinal was one of those cool kids. On the outside, she looked like she was a gloomy loner with no friends, so I secretly felt a camaraderie with her, but I was wrong. I was the one who didn''t have any friends. Well, it''s unreasonable for me to make friends with middle school and high school students. Because at my age, we usually get to know each other over a drink, but in high school, that''s not possible. Seodam. "Yeah? Wheres the camera? Here. You can use this one. I took the camera from Ahinals hand before throwing a glance towards the auditorium. The size itself was as large as a football stadium. And I could see both the teachers and students from elementary to high school being busy preparing for whatever attraction they planned for the festival. All of those people were magicians. Once again, I thought of the possibility of such a school like this being established on Earth. Its a polaroid camera. If you take a picture, you can print it immediately. "Okay I remember that it was used quite often on Earth about half a century ago, this was before digital cameras became common. It seems like the technological degree of this world was far behind the Vivienda Magic Empire which was capable of transmitting video through crystal balls. I will go and draw people''s attention. Good luck. . As I nodded while fiddling with the camera, Ahinal smiled at me before walking towards the stage. Cheers erupted from her friends who saw her. And it was not only one or two, it was quite a lot of people. The moment the cheering crowd focused their full attention on Ahinal, she immediately sent a signal towards me with her eyes. "Lets do this, then. To be honest, I really don''t want to do it, but I cant bail out now. Because I had to stay by Ahinals side until the day she showed me a gap that would allow me to kill her. As Ahinal slowly made her way towards the stage, few more students left the auditorium warehouse to watch her rehearsal. After all, she was the female lead of this story. Perhaps she was able to dance well thanks to the power she got from the ghost she had hunted. Or maybe she was able to dance well because she joined a dance team in order to get some friends. But it was meaningless to think about it now, because right now, it was an episode where her talent was discovered by her peers. Perhaps. At this festival, she will get noticed thanks to the power of the ghosts she had hunted just like me. And become more and more powerful just like me. Suddenly, a laugh escaped from my mouth. Its not bad really, what''s wrong with living only for herself? However, two egoistic people couldnt exist side by side. No matter how close we were right now, we were just temporary allies. At the end of the day, we were trying to kill each other. Very soon, Ahinal started moving fluidly along with the music. It was powerful yet beautiful and at the same time, smooth yet forceful. Everyone who saw her were enthralled by her performance, whether it was students or teachers, there were no exceptions. Then, she deliberately stumbled on her foot and fell on the stage. Ahhhh! What should I do!" Hey!! Call the school nurse, quickly! Hey, call an ambulance! Even the students who were working in the warehouse left and gathered on the stage. The time right before the festival, everyone was very sensitive, so one accident was enough to disrupt their peace. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I quickly slipped into the auditorium warehouse. Then I closed the door behind me and locked it. I only needed a few minutes, as long as no one disturbs me, I will be able to complete my task quickly. Well'' Contrary to the noisy auditorium, the warehouse was quiet and eerie. Probably because theres hardly any light inside. Lets hurry up and be done with it. To be honest, I didn''t even want to earnestly try. So, without even turning on the only light inside, I roughly picked up the camera. After making sure that the lens was pointed at me, I pressed the shutter. Since I had never taken a selfie, the composition was strange, but whatever. Just how long did I have to sit still in the warehouse and wait like this? Suddenly, I felt the temperature of the room dropping. I quickly pressed the print button near the shutter. A few moments later, a photograph was printed out. To unveil the ghost story, I had to repeat the process for 20 times to see if there was a ghost in even one of the photos. And in case it really appeared, I just had to endure until Ahinal came. What the I felt something cold choking my throat. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to not lose control of my body. Just what is this!'' There was something behind me. I was certain. However it was invisible. And I couldnt feel any energy from it. What should I do'' As I lowered my gaze, one of the printed photos that had called on the floor entered my field of vision. And there I could see my stupid face and a woman with black hair wrapped around my neck. Are you fucking kidding me? I mean, did a ghost really appear just like this? Besides if it is a ghost that can only be seen in pictures, how can I attack it? No matter how much I flailed around to free myself, I couldn''t feel any sensation in my neck. "Damn it!!!!" In a hurry, I drew my sword. I clad it in holy power like usual and stabbed it around my neck. But, I still couldnt feel any resistance against the blade. I have to get out of here! I force my body to stand up. Even if someone strangled my neck, with my S rank body, I would be able to endure for a few minutes. But when I turned my body towards the direction I entered from, I couldnt see the door. It had vanished. I tried searching for the door around the room, but there were only a regular set of materials, a ball and a few jerseys for exercise. And for some reason, all the mannequins and dolls that were stored to prepare for the festival were staring at me. Then, a thought bloomed inside my mind. Maybe this isnt just one ghost story? I know about this story. It was a story about someone who, one day, while walking down the street, found a department store they had never seen before and went in. But once they were inside, they could not find any exit, so they couldn''t get out. When they finally managed to leave the store after a lot of difficulties, the department store had vanished. Other than that, there were many ghost stories about being trapped without an exit Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! "This is crazy!" The warehouses walls gradually started narrowing down. The space that was originally around 100 pyeong was rapidly reduced to 90 pyeong before turning into 80 pyeong the next second. The materials around me tumbled over each other and the space was getting smaller and smaller with every passing second. My mobility was restricted in the first place, and it''s impossible to attack because I couldn''t even see the ghost. Ahinal it was that woman''s work. Even though she knew this, she left me to suffer. Something I have to do something. I have to make a plan calmly as usual, or, at the very least, roll my head around and improvise But, without oxygen, my brain couldnt work. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! In the end, the world turned black as I fell to my knees. * * * -.Itch~ C Witch~ !!!!! At the system''s voice, Yoo Seodam woke up. He gasped for air as cold sweat ran through his forehead. Why am I suddenly'' Yoo Seodam looked around him slowly. He found himself in [Library Of The White Witch], his own imaginary world. A place where he could relax without being disturbed by anyone. When he lifted his head, he realized that the silver spirit flower, which had grown to the size of his forearm, had one of its petals turned towards him and was blankly staring at him. C Stupid witch~ She said so, before flying away. Yoo Seodam tried to calm his heart. He swept his face with his hands. Then, he could hear the systems voice. What the hell happened?'' What bullshit is that? Me? Possessed?'' Yoo Seodam was confident in his own psyche. When Yoo Seodam thought so, the client sighed. Yoo Seodam nodded. He was the possessor of a steel-like mental power who had survived three years in Hell Gate. Unstable? A look of embarrassment appeared on his face. Looking at Yoo Seodam, the system bit her mouth bitterly. If she recalled Yoo Seodam from the past, objectively said, he was a weak man. At best, he was a little bit stronger than a normal person, but he was no better than a bug among those with superpowers. There was only one reason why he was able to work as a hunter for 15 years. Mentality.'' However, that very mentality had been weakening recently. The system knew why. But Unfortunately, she couldnt fix it. The reason why there was a vacuum in Yoo Seodam''s mental power was because of those precious relationships he kept in his heart. At first, while traveling around another world, Yoo Seodam had always tried to avoid making any connection. The system still remembers the promise he made to himself when he first met Aracelli. I will make sure not to have any connection in another world.'' However, his conviction was shattered the moment Aracelli found him in another dimension. He wasn''t strong enough to keep his promise. Yoo Seodam had traveled to countless worlds and met countless people, and he had formed connections with people in the respective dimension. Whether he liked it or not, those people were very precious to Yoo Seodam who spent his childhood in loneliness. However, Every time he finished his mission, he had to say goodbye to those precious connections. He would never be able to meet them again. Travelling to another world and hunting the Protagonist? It was never easy. It was not simply an act of killing the Protagonist. And every time he returned to Earth after finishing his mission, the system could see Yoo Seodams heart turning more and more weary. And recently, the effect of that weariness was becoming more and more palpable. Saekma, Bang Ho-win.'' When Yoo Seodam tried to kill him, he was overly emotional and unrelenting. He took the provocation from an enemy that was out of his league, and as a result, he ended up inches away from death. The Protagonist Kim Ha-soo. It was the same when hunting him. If Yoo Seodam had thought a little more wisely, there could have been a better way to hunt him. His mind was conflicted between how to kill Kim Ha-soo, and a way to save Kim Ha-soo. But, Yoo Seodam acted on his emotions. He skipped all the planning and recklessly decided to fight the Final Boss, which was driving the world to destruction, all by himself. She knew that even Yoo Seodam was aware of the fact that it was impossible. Nevertheless, he still did it. It was because he wanted to protect the precious bond that he had made in that world. Seol Jungyeon during the conflict with Saekma Bang Ho-win. Kim Ha-soo during the hunt in the destroyed world. They had become a meaningful existence for Yoo Seodam and he acted to protect them But in the end, that act itself was nothing but a suicidal act. Yoo Seodam''s reaction those two times was very un-Yoo Seodam-like. How could someone who couldnt follow his own plan and recklessly act on his emotions to the point where he nearly died, hunt a protagonist'' that was the centre of their respective world? .. Yoo Seodam''s expression turned sour at the systems words. "So, are you saying that I was drenched in fear?" The system did not reply to his question, she continued her speech. "Is that so?" The system''s gentle words slowly penetrated Yoo Seodam''s heart. Taylor Nine came to mind first, then Seol Jungyeon, followed by many other relationships he had forged as he worked as a Protagonist Hunter. Each and every one of them was precious, and even if he had to die, he couldnt afford to forget them. Yoo Seodam did not refute her words. He couldnt find any words to do so. Yoo Seodam fell into deep contemplation. He knew that whatever conclusion he comes to, it wouldnt be the correct answer. Her words, too, were not necessarily the correct answer. But for some reason He kept thinking that she was right. Yoo Seodam was used to this feeling. It was the same feeling he felt whenever Reina Ju gave him advice when he was faced against a wall and couldnt find a way to move forward. . The system said so. I.'' However, he wouldn''t do that. Knowing that fact well, the system continued talking without waiting for his answer. "How can I" . The voice of the system began to gradually fade away. Eventually, the world turned upside down. Once Yoo Seodam left the Library of the White Witch, he found himself standing once again in the auditorium''s warehouse. . Silence greeted him. The ghosts voice was no longer there. He lifted his head and looked around him, the enclosed space with no exits and no windows was still encroaching towards him, trapping him from all sides. There was now less than 20 pyeong of space left. Yoo Seodam thought about what he should do. Throughout his life, he had always overcome every impossible thing the world threw at him. It meant that he was not a soft pushover that could be deceived by the foolish tricks of a middle school kid. With a sword clan in holy power, Yoo Seodam once again stabbed. But this time, he didnt stab his neck but the picture on the floor. -Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Then, the ghost in the picture screamed at the top of its lung and the picture was slowly torn into pieces. It feels like his head has been cleared. By giving him some advice, Yoo Seodam clearly felt that the system had already become his support, and thanks to her, his mental power began to slowly return. He thought carefully. In the first place, no matter how powerful a ghost is is it possible for them to strangle an S rank superhuman? No, it was impossible. Its just possible because it was me. Yoo Seodam chuckled. Then in the next moment he raises his sword once again. At first he thought that ghosts didnt have any physical form. But when he thought about it once again, he found something suspicious. Why not? Why have you been foolishly deceived by the nonsensical phrase a ghost that has no physical form? After all, in order to exercise physical power, physical form was absolutely necessary. Yoo Seodams sword dug towards the wall this time. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA The sound of cracking walls and the sharp screams of ghosts overlapped each other. Then, another fact dawned upon him. The place he currently stood in was another world isolated from reality. If so, the wall itself was a ghost. With one more swing, the solid wall around Yoo Seodam broke apart and collapsed. Chapter 154: Ghost Story Hunter (4) Ahinal was lying on a stretcher. She tried to move her swollen ankle lightly. However, it seemed like the injury she suffered from making a distraction was quite severe as her ankle refused to move like it usually was. Well, she didnt really mind it since the pain wasnt that bad. Her eyes darted towards the warehouse. Except for her, no one was paying attention towards it. Then, the corners of her lips rose slowly. Its going according to the plan. Ahinal recalled a certain ghost story she had read. It was a story about someone who suddenly wriggled its way to the side of people. They had studied with them, ate with them, chatted with them, and lived their days with them, but in the end, no one remembered them. A reality manipulation it was one of the trickiest ghost story one could face, but not for me.'' Ever since she met him the second time, Ahinal had suspected that Yoo Seodam was a ghost from a ghost story. Her suspicion stemmed from his spiritual power as well as his absurd power. And once she investigated deeper about him, her suspicion turned into conviction. He certainly had an admission record, even the teachers didn''t seem to think his existence was strange But, his trick was useless against me, because I can see through fabricated reality. A ghost story where a ghost lives among the living and pretends to be one? It was too common to the point it was boring, Ahinal thought. Of course, Yoo Seodam''s existence was a bit more extraordinary from the ghosts in the story because he was none other than a ghost that summons ghost stories''. The mysterious ghost stories started circulating in the school after his appearance. Moreover, it was ghost stories that could not be grasped by common sense and were impossible to deal with. Such as the dance room ghost story, red tissue blue tissue ghost story, doorbell ghost story, friday the 13th ghost story, and many others.. All of them were tricky Ahinal relaxed, she reassured herself that it was all okay now. Her plan was to destroy the ghost that summons ghost stories, Yoo Seodam, through another ghost story, and the plan had already been set into motion. She believed that soon Yoo Seodam would cease to exist since closed room ghost stories'' and selfie ghost stories'' were very powerful ghost stories with the ability to manipulate reality itself. Ghost Yoo Seodam, youve worked hard. Youve been helpful in the past, but you could be a hindrance when I confront the [Great Ghost Story] in the future, so I need to deal with you beforehand.'' Ahinal smiled. Her gaze hadnt left the warehouses door. But then, the wall around the door cracked and the door burst open. Ahinals face turned stiff and her smile crumbled as her eyes met with Yoo Seodams who walked out confidently from the open door. Whaaaattt? How? * * * Ahinal. Are you okay? "Get some rest. Dont mind the performance your health is more important. Some students come to the infirmary to visit Ahinal. Beverages and fruits in hand was the basic gift they brought. Most of these students owed their lives to Ahinal since she saved them from a ghost story. It was really ironic. It was Ahinal who set the ghosts free, but the victims were unaware of that fact, and even thanked Ahinal for saving them. Ahinal, who was gloomy, originally didnt talk much to her friends. She had nothing special under her name and had no one around her since childhood. And just like any other human being, she also suffered from loneliness. She always waited for the day someone would come to her, but very few reached out towards Ahinal whose presence was so thin. However, after she met ghost stories, her life completely changed. As a result of absorbing ghost powers for herself while solving the ghost story, she became someone who was good at everything. When she sealed the singing ghost, she gained the ability to sing well. After she got rid of the shoe ghost that danced all day, she was able to dance well. In addition to those two, she had absorbed the power of numerous other ghosts, and she had now become more powerful than any teachers in this school. If only the great ghost stories are dealt with'' With the abilities she had collected so far, only a bright future awaited her. However, an anomaly suddenly appeared. Yoo Seodam, just what is he? He was someone who suddenly appeared in the school and naturally integrated with the environment. A very unusual man who spreads ghost stories that did not exist in this world. Moreover, he could inflict physical damage to ghosts. Ahinal could feel a very special and powerful energy from him. It was an energy that only Ahinal, who could feel the soul itself, could sense it. I dont think he is an ordinary ghost, but why did he come out to reality with a sword? It was ridiculous. In the first place, there was no such thing as a swordsman in this world, so the weapon called sword had long since disappeared from the world. Ahinal furrowed her brows as her thoughts became more complicated. Can ghosts assimilated into reality in the first place? All the ghosts that had assimilated into society she had encountered so far had a very distinct characteristic. It was the fact that no one remembered the details of the ghost. When being asked for the ghosts name, people would answer with, Of course I know! Uh I suddenly don''t remember?'' or when asked if they know what the ghost looks like, I see him every day but I don''t know? Huh? Why cant I remember him? It means that, no matter how powerful the ghost is, there are limits to their ability to alter reality. But Yoo Seodam didnt have that limitation. It was Ahinal''s conclusion after spending time with him for the last two months. He was too powerful. To the point where even the common sense of Ahinal, who had hunted down countless ghost stories so far, could not comprehend what he is. Ahinal sighed. If so, there was only one conclusion left. That man, Yoo Seodam is a great ghost story. [The ending episode The Last Ghost Story (1) begins.] * * * [The episode of the world approaches the ending.] [The target Yoo Seodam has been designated as a Great Ghost Story.] [Episode The Last Ghost Story (1) supports the Great Ghost Story.] I burst out laughing at the notice. In the past I had similar experiences a few times. However, at that time, I only played the villain without having any role in the episode. Im a great ghost story, you say? It''s a ridiculous notion, but it''s not like I don''t understand where it comes from. First of all, what is a ghost story? It was a story with a creepy and bizarre content, a story that had been passed down from generation to generation, bizarre stories that spread through rumors, etc This world was simply a very unusual world, where a ghost story would gain power as they spread. And, what about the ghosts that are often associated with ghost stories? The subject of the ghost story was usually a ghost, but there were many cases where it was not. Ghosts.are just a bonus for ghost stories''. It''s a really ironic situation. Ghosts had existed from the very beginning. They draw their power from ghost story. But the subject itself was not a ghost, but a ghost story. From the moment a ghost was written in a ghost story, it became a part of the ghost story. (E/N: It is like, ghosts have always existed but it is the story that gives them a form which allows them to materialize. You could say, a ghost story to a ghost is what a physical body is to the living being, we exist in this world and move about because of our bodies.) And I had become a ghost from a ghost story. It''s not impossible. In fact, in this world, ghost stories become real simply based on rumours.. So it was only natural that I become a ghost story once the one carrying the most probability in the world deemed me as a ghost story. Ahinal. You think that I am a ghost story. The ghost, which was supposed to be the great ghost story in the original story, is probably still wandering around the school without having gained the power of the story. Well, now that the ghost is no longer gaining power, I don''t have to worry about it anymore. From now on, I would welcome the ghost story hunter as a ghost story. By now, Ahinal is probably busy digging through her diary looking for a way to seal me. However, unlike other ghosts she had hunted so far, she wouldnt find my story in the diary. And, the ghost stories that I would soon create were things that Ahinal did not know about either. Laughter erupted from my mouth. It was ridiculous, but it felt so good. I had pondered over and over again about how I should kill her. As a result, I managed to devise a way to lure Ahinal and kill her with reasonable odds. However, I made a mistake. I fell into the trap clumsily created by Ahinal. My previous plan was in shambles. However, theres no need to make another one. Because now, I had the power of episode'' in my hand. It was not the perfect plan to kill her because if it was the original Great Ghost Story Episode'', the ghost would have been defeated by the protagonist. However, protagonist correction doesn''t work for me. The chilly autumn wind blew noisily. The fallen leaves fluttered on the ground, and the sobs of a ghost crying could be heard from somewhere. The playground I would invite Ahinal to was the abandoned building that had been abandoned for more than half a century. Now all I had to do was wait for Ahinal to bite the bait. * * * Student Yoo Seodam had disappeared. But no one really cared about it. It was because Yoo Seodam didn''t have many friends in the first place. However, for Ahinal who knew his identity, his disappearance was suspicious. Yoo Seodam? Ummm was there a student like that? Ah, ah! I remember. A high schooler, right? But.. I''ve never seen him. "Uh. He was my junior in middle school. That''s right He suddenly stopped coming to school. Well, he must be sick. It''s weird no matter how Ahinal thought about it. A student had suddenly appeared and then suddenly disappeared, how could people be so indifferent? Unlike other ghosts, Ahinal knew that Yoo Seodam was not an ordinary ghost. So, even though he disappeared, his existence should still exist in peoples memory. Whooosshhh!! A cold wind blew past her. Ahinal could see the clouds rushing wildly across the red sky. A sudden change in the weather, a stagnation of atmosphere, and a chilling aura. There had never been a sign that a ghost would appear on such a huge scale. Just what is Yoo Seodam? Ahinal had read the diary from cover to cover countless times since her plan failed the other day to find out who he is. Black hair and white eyes. He has an oriental name and uses a sword'' It was quite common for ghosts to use a knife, but there were few ghosts who used a long sword like Yoo Seodam. So, in the diary, the ghosts which used swords were categorized differently from others, and there were more than 10 of such stories. What age is it now, Why are you using a sword! Ahinals stomach churned. It was a stressful endeavour for her. There must be a reason why he hid his identity and approached me. Ahinal thought. First, why didnt he attack me even though he knew I was hunting ghost stories? Was it because he wasnt able to do it? If so, why couldnt he attack me? Was it because he still hadnt recovered enough strength to attack me, yet? Or because he couldn''t hurt humans directly? Or, are there any restrictions? There must be a story. A story. In the diary, there were quite a bit of details written on every ghost, and Ahinal carefully read them one by one with her bloodshot eyes as if she was going to eat them. One day passed, two days passed, another week passed. Around that time, strange things began to happen in the academy. And, most of it took place around Ahinal. They were all ghost stories whose identity and causes were unknown to her. One night, when she turned her head to the wall, she saw dozens of faces of men with terrible expressions looking at her. It was a ghost story from hell in the wall. And one day, while she was doing her business in the bathroom, she kept hearing a voice in a language she didn''t know. She was extremely annoyed, but when she searched the dictionary later, she was terribly surprised to find out that it meant look up'' in a classical language. It was a ghost story that says that if you look up because of the voice, you will meet a ghost. In addition to that, numerous ghost stories that Ahinal could not seal had started to become active once again. She vaguely guessed the reason. It was because of the great ghost story. However, no one was seriously harmed by the ghost stories that appeared recently. There were no missing or casualties. As if someone had intended it, The ghost only came looking for Ahinal. She was too afraid to even fall asleep at night. She had never been directly victimized by a ghost story, so she had no idea that it would be this terrifying. There was only one way for her to get out of this hell. She had to get rid of the great ghost story. But, how? Ahinal didnt know what to do. I need to prepare a little more thoroughly'' Then, Ahinal felt something tugging her mind. Out of instinct, Ahinal turned her head. And then she saw it. Across the window, Yoo Seodam was looking towards her with a hideous smile. AHHHHHH!!! Ahinal closed her eyes out of reflex. Then, after ages, when she felt that she was ready, Ahinal looked at the window once again. However, Yoo Seodam had disappeared. She was certain that it was neither a hallucination nor an illusion. It was really Yoo Seodam, However, by the way This is the 17th floor!'' What the hell? * * * Ahinal didn''t come to see me, so I secretly came to spy on her, and then when our eyes met, I spooked her out of spite. I scratched my cheek while clinging to the wall with my feet. Standing on top of a high-rise building was something that could be done so easily as an S rank superhuman who had mastered footwork. Besides, since I became a ghost story, people couldn''t even sense my presence well. Even when they looked at me, they only saw a blurry figure and screamed in surprise, as if they were looking at the shape of a ghost''. This seems to be the influence of being a ghost story. I wanted to look through the window again, but I stopped myself. In the first place, it seemed that the ghost story that stuck to me could influence the school every time I got close. Still, it was nothing bad. Id rather say that it was working to my favour. After sensing Ahinals presence, who was still trembling, I smiled and left. Chapter 155: Ghost Story Hunter (5) Ahinal stood in an abandoned building''s playground. It was part of the school that hadnt been used for a very long time. The ground was cracked and green vegetation grew wildly, eating everything on its path. Cold wind brushed Ahinals cheek. Even though the sun was still hanging in the sky, only a little light illuminated her surroundings. It was because dark clouds covered the sky above. hee hee hee ah ah ah Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ahinal forcefully clenched her trembling hands. All around her, she could hear the cry of ghosts. It was not only one or two, there were a lot of them. From inside the old building, she could see a pale ghost with a long neck staring at her with its white eyes. And from the tree standing at the border of the playground, a giant ghost''s face was hanging from a tree upside down glaring at her. In addition to those two, dozens of other ghosts were watching Ahinal closely, but they did not come closer to her. Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! Feeling ominous energy seeping into the sky, Ahinal raised her head. The world slowly turned blood red, and it felt as if another world existed beyond the sky. Ahinal thought that the other world was probably hell. A place where many evil spirits live. "Ah." Ahinal trembled. The clouds began to part and the sky itself cracked. The place she thought as hell showed itself. From the inside, dozens, hundreds, thousands or maybe tens of thousands of red hands stretched out as if desperately trying to enter this world. If those things come out.'' Ahinal, who had become several shades paler, forcibly closed her mouth. And then, through the crevices in the red sky, a figure dressed in a blood-red cloak and uniform appeared. With his flickering white eyes, the figure stared at Ahinal with a bored expression. Looking at the figure above, Ahinal trembled once again. Her instinct told her to run, and if she cant, to faint. However, she didnt follow her instincts. She knew that once she fainted, her life would be forfeited. Dont be afraid, Ahinal! You can win! Ahinal raised her hand to the sky, then, a fire blazed around the playground. The fire created something like a fire wall circling around the edge of the playground. Then, Ahinal lit the red candle she had prepared beforehand. And it drew a cross before turning once again diagonally, dividing the circle into eight equal parts. When the figure''s interest towards her piqued, Ahinal opened her mouth. Yoo Seodam! I know your identity. . She could see Yoo Seodams face harden. A pure white sword, black hair and white eyes. Given that you are strangely highly knowledgeable in magic, I speculated that you were a scholar in the past. You didnt say it, but I know that you are interested in women, it is evident by how you have attracted a female professor" At that point, a vein popped on Yoo Seodam''s forehead, but Ahinal couldnt see it because Yoo Seodam was far away in the sky. So. your true identity is The wandering ghost of Arakho''! As soon as Ahinal finished her speech, the fire soared, creating a strange pattern in the air. Perhaps it wasnt created by mana but a mysterious power called spirit power''. A power that could only be obtained through a god or a soul. It was treated as a very rare power in any world. The earth trembled, and the flames grew wilder and more violent. With every second that passed, the red flames slithered towards the sky, challenging the red sky above. When Ahinal saw that Yoo Seodam was not moving, she thought that she had fully restricted Yoo Seodam, so she chanted the sealing spell. Arakho, Arakho. Please take your ghost with you. A red flame rose and struck Yoo Seodam''s head. But it didnt seem that it hurt Yoo Seodam much, so Ahinal continued to chant the spell. Arakho, Arakho. Please take your ghost with you! Every time the spell was recited, red flames attacked Yoo Seodam as if it was trying to swallow him. But, Yoo Seodam still didn''t move a single step from where he was floating. He just stared at Ahinal with an expressionless face. Arakho, Arakho! can you stop now? Ah! When Yoo Seodam waved his hand, a wind blew violently. It put off all the fire, including the one on the candle. Ahinal fell to her buttock. She turned extremely pale. Her whole body was trembling. When she looked at Yoo Seodam, he was laughing viciously just like a demon king. Slowly, Yoo seodam descended. Ah, ah, ah! Ahinal crawled on her knees as a last ditch effort to run away. But suddenly, she felt something grabbing her ankle. "Ah!!!" When she turned back to see what had grabbed her, she saw a white face sticking from the ground, biting on her ankle. Ahhhhhhhhh!! She filled her fist with spiritual power and struck the ghost as hard as she could. The ghost''s face split in half and evaporated. But that wasn''t the end. A ghost with an inverted limb in an upside-down posture, a female student ghost that pounded the ground with her head and a ghost without anything below her waist who kept shouting give me your leg.'' They were all approaching her. "Ahhhhhhh!!! Even though Ahinal was afraid, she was still certain that she could win against them. After all, they were nothing but ghosts. She could easily beat them with her spiritual power as well as the method that was written in the diary. However, unfortunately for her, before she could do it, Yoo Seodam landed in front of her. The wandering ghost of Arakho?" Yoo Seodam asked. The corner of his lips were curved upwards. "You are wrong." At that moment, there was only one thought left in Ahinal''s head. Its all over. There was nothing she could do when she couldnt even figure out the identity of the ghost. * * * [Youve successfully hunted a level 150 Protagonist.] I was looking at the ground when that message was announced. Ahinal''s body was missing. Probably, if there really was a place called the underworld, her body was taken there. After all, if ghosts were real, who said the underworld couldnt be real? [Probability returns to normal.] [The power of the episode disappears. The power of great ghost story in your body has scattered.] It''s really funny. I won in a really funny way. To be honest, the great ghost story'' abilities were nothing special. When I was designing a great ghost story a while back, a message came to my mind. [You have become a great ghost story! But because your skill is too low, the effect of the skill has been halved!] [You have acquired the skill Slightly Blow The Wind!] [You have acquired the skill Slightly Show an Eerie Atmosphere] [You have acquired the skill Aren''t You Scared Even After This? Ghost Sound Imitation.] [You have acquired the skill Creating a Scary Hallucination] [You have acquired the skill Fly Like a Ghost] In front of Ahinal several minutes ago, I used all sorts of tricks and forms to pretend to be strong, but it was all a front. Hell opened up in the sky? Of course, it''s a hallucination. How can I open such a thing? To be honest, before facing Ahinal, I had wondered if I could win with this kind of garbage skill. Thankfully, she fell into my illusion skill and struggled to fight me. You dont know how much my heart shuddered when Ahinal said I know your identity''. For a second, I thought she realized that I was not a ghost but a dimensional traveler. Had Ahinal successfully controlled her mind and faced me with her pure power, I would probably have struggled quite a bit. Of course, in the end, thanks to the ghosts that had gathered around the playground because of the power of the great ghost story, I would not have lost anything even if we had a head-on confrontation. Whoa. I unknowingly let out that sound as I saw the sky return to its original colour. The sun''s rays glared wildly. However, instead of being overbearing, it was calming. When the great ghost story'' powers disappeared from Yoo Seodam, all the dark clouds had also vanished, leaving white clouds adorning the blue sky. Perhaps, the ability to summon dark clouds itself was a kind of passive ability of a great ghost story. "Professor!" I looked at the direction of the voice. It was Aracelli. She was gliding through the air as she rushed towards me. As she landed in front of me, she quickly looked around worriedly. I felt a tremendous ghostly energy from here "I know." It was very wicked Probably it was the worst energy I ever felt in this world" . But, thats my energy By the way, where is that ghost? I got rid of it Ahinal as well. "Ah." Aracelli nodded knowingly. Probably, she also felt that the probability that surrounded the world has gone. While Aracelli was still nodding, I picked up the diary that Ahinal had left behind. I brushed the dust off its cover and opened it. Then finally, I could see the ghost stories that were written inside of it. "That''s." From now on, we will use this. "Is that so?" There were still many ghosts left in this world. Perhaps, I wouldnt be able to absorb the ghosts ability just because I held the diary But still, I wanted to hunt them. It wasn''t because he felt the need to, rather, Aracelli. Come with me, lets seal some ghosts. I wanted to do it because of Aracelli. Because I know how much she prized her time with me. Now, I just need a little bit more time before I tell her about all of my worries, receive some counseling, and find an answer. Shall we go? "Yeah!" The moment both of us turned towards the direction of my dorm, "Uh?" I felt someone approaching me. Then I saw her, not far from where I stood. From the figure clad in all-black, I knew that the other person was a female. Her hands were somewhat clasped together, and her face was hidden behind a veil. However, for some reason I could tell that she was smiling. "Who are you?" Its been a while, Yoo Seodam. I felt the aura of a great ghost story and came to see it, but, did you already kill it? .? Did I know her? I dont know. "Oh, I see. You may be hearing my voice for the first time Nice to meet you, my name is Malea. Malea? Dont tell me, that Malea? The principal of this school? Her voice is younger than I expected'' Aracelli looked at me as if worried about something. I shook my head because she wore an expression of Should I kill her? on her face. "Yes. Nice to meet you, Principal. The case here has been sorted out Thats not it. Principal Malea interrupted me with a somewhat bewildered tone. Its Malea, Seodam-nim. Uh, I know. Arent you the principal of this school? Dont you remember me? What? Didn''t you help me in the tutorial? I still haven''t forgotten about that time Wait. Dont tell me, you She strode towards me. It was a perfect gait without any sign of movement on her body, just like a ghost. It had a mysterious feeling that was different from Seol Jungyeon''s dark sky footwork. As she walked closer to me, Malea looked me in the eye. She then smiled as if she was bewildered. I barely met you But, you don''t know me yet." . What is the best response I should give here? "Sorry. My life is rather complicated. "I see Its fine." Then, Malea smiled broadly. Her face was still hidden behind the veil, but I could see that her red lips were arcing through her veil. Then, Malea rummaged through her sleeve and took out a diary. Come to think of it, wasnt this ghost diary also written by Malea? Take this. "Huh?" The diary she handed over was quite old, but unlike the ghost diary, it had an easy to read character on its cover. When I tried to open it, Malea stopped me. Not now, but later. And then, as I was bewildered, Malea blankly looked at me for some time as if she found it fun to look at my ignorant face. And then, she disappeared like a ghost. "What??" I still couldn''t understand her. Chapter 156: Separation of Souls (1) The amount of comments on previous chapter is just wow It has been 6 months since I arrived in this world. After killing Ahinal, I spent my days hunting ghosts with Aracelli. Time itself wasn''t much of an issue here. The time here flows 21 times faster than Earth, in other words, only around 10 days passed on earth. The ghost hunting could be said to be smooth sailing. One of the reasons why it was smooth sailing was because of Aracellis ability. Even though she had no spiritual powers, and had no knowledge of how to seal a ghost, she could kill a ghost through magic which was only possible because she studied demonology from the moment she reached the 7th circle. It was also thanks to the skills I had acquired after killing Ahinal. [Level 150 protagonist has been killed.] [1500 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current lifespan: 5093 days 6 hours 49 minutes] [Your level has been raised by 4.] [You have acquired the skill Soul Piercing Eyes (C).] C [Level: 161] *Stats [Strength 157] [Strength 173] [Agility 159] [Energy 1] [Mana 265] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting S] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vital SS+] [Others] *Skills [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 4] [White Swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth Sense (B)] [Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SS+)] [Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SS+)] [Library Of The White Witch(C)] [Soul Piercing Eyes (C)] C The effect of Soul Piercing Eyes was self-explanatory. The other day, when I was dealing with the Thirteenth Step Ghost, I couldnt kill it no matter how many times I beat it with a sword clad in divine power. Unlike humans, ghosts did not bleed, and their heads and hearts were not their weak points. However, thanks to Soul Piercing Eyes, I could now see the ghosts weakness. I could see places that would deal damage to the ghosts if I attacked them there. For that very reason, the diary was no longer a necessity for hunting ghost stories. Of course, several ghosts were trickier to hunt because of Aracelli''s lack of mana and my little amount of holy power. But all in all, Aracelli and I had quite a bit of fun hunting ghosts. Principal Malea hadn''t appeared again since then. We don''t even know where she lives, or why she doesn''t go to work. However, when I dug deeper to get more information about Malea. I found something very good. [About psychic phenomena] [What is a pure and clear soul?] [How to treat the soul?] Malea was headmaster of the magic school as well as an extremely rare soul magician in this world. If you asked most people in this world about soul magicians, they wouldnt know about it. It''s just a made up word after all. I''ve also yet to meet anyone who deals with souls. Perhaps because of that, the book about souls that was written by Principal Malea was not popular. I bet most people in this school don''t even know that such a book existed. Of course, their ignorance was a boon to me. The books were very helpful to me. The reason I came to this world in the first place was to learn about separation of soul. Before I came here, I didnt even think that I could find the way right away. But boy! Should I say I''m lucky? I was able to find the information I was looking for, in the very first world to boot! [How to separate souls?] This method could only work if the user had spiritual power (holy power) and the ability to manipulate souls (spirit eyes). I met all of those conditions. In other words, it may now be possible to separate Yekaterinas soul from me. Of course, it was by no means an easy method. Rather, it was fairly difficult and complex. There was also a chance of failure which would lead to damaging the soul itself. But I still wanted to guarantee Yekaterinas freedom. Wow, Professor. There are books like this. Aracelli exclaimed and skipped around the empty library. As for the woman named Malea, the more I researched about her, the stranger things I found. [Survival of Tutorial Tower.] Somehow the title overlaps a bit with the survival series I read often as a child. What is this tutorial tower? I did a little research about it, Professor. In this world, a certain giant tower has risen. It suddenly appeared out of nowhere and recruited what they called challengers'' It seems that there are people from not only this world but many other worlds that came to the tower." "Is that so? Sounds exciting. People from different worlds gather in one space. I don''t think anything good is going to happen inside the tower. And Principal Malea has survived through it. It was said that those who survived the Tutorial Tower were given enormous abilities and rewards. According to the records, each and every one of them possessed unbelievable power that could upset the balance of the world Aracelli frowned. Principal Malea also killed all the survivors who caused havoc in this world. But, for survivors who did not cause trouble, she gave them a place to live in comfort. She has great determination She is also great because she has the power to implement it. "Right?" Anyway, I had learned about the Tutorial Tower. But the last question still remains. Why does Principal Malea, whom I have never met, know me? How?'' Then what? Am I going to the tutorial tower in the future?'' .. Even after listening to the systems explanation, I still had my doubts. It was an explanation that was difficult to stomach, but it was impossible to ask any more questions since I did not fully understand the concept of time and dimension in the first place. [Tutorial Tower Survival Journal] I sighed as I stroked Principal Malea''s diary. In the end, I had to wait. There was no point in thinking about what this diary was about. "Are you okay, Professor? You look very troubled. "Its okay. Im okay." I stroked Aracelli''s hair. She smiled pleasantly and lowered her head more. She was a young-looking woman, but in fact she had a similar mentality to me. She was also someone I could trust and rely on because she''s been through all sorts of bizarre things I''d never been through. For half a year, I had been hunting ghost stories and telling Aracelli about various things. In particular, I properly explained my goal to enter Hell Gate. Aracellis answer after I told her about Hell Gate back then was still clear in my mind. Isnt that probably a residual located at the far end of the dimension? Residual? So, like garbage? Yeah. Even though it cant belong to the centre of the dimension, It still struggles to make itself belong to the world. . That was her opinion. *** In this universe, there were numerous dimensions, including Earth and Vivienda. And all those dimensions were tied together. Just as stars gather to form galaxies. So, dimensions combine to form a dimensional system''. But in the end, even in that dimension system, there were bound to be limits. Hell Gate might be a gathering of places that had been expelled from its original dimension, Aracelli guessed. Then, why is there such a thing on Earth? Should we conclude that it is only on Earth? What do you mean? Earth is, after all, only one of the intersections of many dimensions. Perhaps Hell Gate exists in other worlds too. My guess is that Earth is located at the very centre of the dimension, so maybe you can see Hell Gate too if you go to another central dimension. . Perhaps it was because she was a scholar who studied dimensional science, every word she said seemed to hit a mark. She approached Hell Gate from a perspective I had never thought before. So, there''s a good chance that that woman, Reina Ju, is still alive. If that Great Rift is also a different dimension, there''s no way to prevent it from going through the Hell Gate where the residual of all dimensions gathered. No, maybe the Great Rift itself was the entrance to the Hell Gate. And, she said somewhat bitterly. However. I don''t think it''s wise to go looking for her, Professor.'' Why?'' I told you. It''s a place where the residuals from every dimension struggle to somehow remain in the universe. Unless that Reina Ju was born with a very strong powerthere''s a high probability that she''s already been blown out of the dimension.'' Outside the dimension. In other words, the world without any story. I suddenly became terrified. Story exists in every dimension, and they gather and assemble to form a complete story. As I wandered around the world, I encountered so many stories, and I took them for granted. The story of the Earth, the story of Vivienda But, what will happen if one falls to the world with no story? In a world where there was no story, no plot, no probability, really nothing What kind of world is that? Is it possible that Reina was thrown into such a world? Im sorry, Professor. I dont know much Even though Aracelli was so knowledgeable, there were still parts that she didn''t know, and she had an apologetic expression on her face. even though it wasn''t necessary. Still, if I have to guess a little bit, that woman, probably, is already dead, Professor. I tried hard not to argue with her. She said that if I had to go through Hell Gate, it wouldn''t make any sense. I couldn''t help but be confused. Both the system and Aracelli, who were more knowledgeable in terms of dimension than anybody else, viewed my ambition of raiding Hell Gate negatively. Even though I had seen Reina at Hell Gate just a few years ago, currently, she may have already been kicked to the world without a story. It was confusing. It seemed that my goals so far were being denied. It was as if I was running down the road to Chunha University, and people were telling me, Chunha University doesnt really exist! It was only in the drama! Should I despair here? Or should I just sit back and give up on everything? "Professor.." Feeling Aracellis hand on my head, I closed my eyes. No, It''s still too early to despair. Because everything was still no more than a speculation. I guess I''ll have to worry. A lot. Chapter 157: Separation of Souls (2) On a lazy afternoon during a sunny day, Principal Malea looked at the scenery outside the window while doing nothing. Today too, the students of Cheongyeon Private Magic Academy should be engrossed in their classes, and teachers too should be busy working hard in passing their knowledge. The peace was abruptly broken by the knock she heard on her offices door. Malea sighed and turned her head helplessly. Out of nowhere, a piece of cloth wrapped around her face and hid it from anyone prying eyes. "Come on in." The door opened, from the other side of the door, a professor walked in. His expression told her that he was nervous for some reason. "Excuse me, Principal. Student Yoo Seodam said he wants to meet you Originally, words of an ordinary student would have never reached Maleas room. However, Yoo Seodam was special. He had a powerful presence that couldnt be handled lightly by students and teachers alike. "it can''t be helped. Please tell him he cant. I understand. After the teacher left, Malea touched her lips bitterly. Her fingers slowly began to scatter. It was the side effect of forcibly prolonging her lifespan. She did it just to meet one person. Suddenly, a memory from the distant past came to Maleas mind. It was a memory from a time when a young wizard named Malea was taken to a place called Tutorial Tower''. Do you believe in me? How did I reply back then? As she scoured through her memories, Malea couldn''t help but burst into laughter without realizing it. No?'' Kid who are you? In any case, all you have to do is follow this oppa. I dont call people I dont know oppa, Ahjussi.'' Hey kid, if you keep doing that, youll die. Most of their conversations were pointless bickering. Fighting each other with chopsticks to eat extra pieces of meat, pushing each other out to sleep on a flatter place, or even fighting for their lives over a piece of candy. At that time, she didnt value her time with him very much. But, after seeing him once again, she realized that she couldnt get those happy little moments back ever again. The current Yoo Seodam wasn''t the Yoo Seodam she knew from Tutorial tower. She was certain that he had yet to experience it. And because of the Time Paradox she couldn''t share her memories with him. She couldn''t say anything to him. She cant ask him whether he remembered what happened back then? But every time she tried to say those words, her heart throbbed over and over again painfully. As if this world'' was trying to keep all of it inside her. .. So, she had no choice but to relieve those memories alone. Its not there. Lets go to the right. Why? The one on the left is prettier, isn''t it?'' Really? But you said the same thing for the right one earlier! Eh? Me? When? He was a mysterious man who knew everything. He had always carried a journal with him, but he never explained what it was to her. All that time, Malea had always wondered why he knew everything? And why, amongst all the people in the tutorial tower, did he choose to stick with her. As time passed while she kept pondering about it, she realized something. The reason why they met back then was because the future and the past overlapped with each other. And then she remembered their very last day on the tutorial tower. She had asked him, perhaps while crying. Ahjussi, will we ever see each other again? Unlike her, Yoo Seodam didnt cry. He smiled, but for some reason, he had a guilty expression on his face while answering her question. Yes, we can meet again.'' And Malea believed it. That was why she kept delaying her death. Currently, her hand had already disappeared. Her ankle too, had disappeared. She also didnt have a face, but it has been several years since her face had disappeared. She had endured and persevered for a very long time just to meet Yoo Seodam for one last time. However, her limit was swiftly approaching. In the end, even after meeting him again, I will be leaving without saying anything. Because of the Time Paradox'', her own existence will disappear the moment she shares her memories with him. The Time Paradox'' was just that powerful. But, its fine. In exchange for Maleas existence'', she had handed him the journal. Perhaps in the future. The girl, Malea'', from the past would be able to spend a happy time again with Yoo Seodam. It would be a never-ending loop. She could be happy forever. Isn''t that enough? With that thought, Malea closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep while reminiscing about the happy days in the past. However, she couldnt do it. -Wait! Wait a minute, student Khhhhhhhhh! -Get out of the way. -Professor, should I clean them all? -Yeah, throw them through the ceiling! Pabaabak! With the sound of something shaking the building, the hallway became completely silent. Then the principal''s office door burst open. Yoo Seodam. "Yes, thats me. A bizarre way of speaking that was a mixture of slander and respect. Malea smiled. Eventually, he couldn''t contain his curiosity and came to this place. Yoo Seodam frowned as if he didn''t like it, but he still confidently came closer to her. Then he reaches out to her veil. Malea didn''t want to let him see her missing face, she could prevent it from happening, but She didn''t want to. She could see Yoo Seodams face harden the moment he saw her face. You, what is this Crazy But whatever it is, try to do something! As if he was talking to someone else, Yoo Seodam muttered and stroked Maleas cheek. Ah? Then, to Maleas surprise, the sensation of her face, which she had forgotten a long time ago, came back to her. Malea unknowingly raised her hand to touch her face. However, another surprise struck her once again because her hand had also returned. For the umpteenth time in a very short time, she was surprised again as she could feel her face'' on his fingertips. The face, the very feature that defines ones existence, had returned. Im sorry, it is only temporary. I cant help you because you have lived for far too long. "I see." He was still a very mysterious man. Even if she asked him what magic he used to temporarily fix her, she was certain he wouldnt give her an answer, just like back then. The remaining time is probably less than half an hour. Yoo Seodam looked into her eyes. It was a face that told her that he really didnt remember anything about what they had gone through in the past. Malea was a little bit disappointed, but it didnt matter much at the moment. 30 minutes. It was a long time for some, and a short time for some. If someone was told that they only had 30 minutes left to live, they would say that they were unhappy, but at this moment, Malea felt blissful. Like a midsummer night''s dream, dreaming a sweet dream that seemed impossible, for that to come true just when her life was about to end Wouldn''t it be the happiest last'' in the world? So Malea smiled. In order to not miss the dream in front of her, to not waste even a minute or one second, she looked at him. Even at her very last moment, the smile never left her face. * * * Inside Area B of Library of the White Witch, Yekaterina hummed as she flipped through a pile of books on her lap. Spellbooks, spellbooks, and more spellbooks! There was no other place as comfortable as this place for her. She was happy whenever she came to this place. Yekaterina''s pace picked up matching the rhythm from the automatically playing piano. Even though it had been ten days since Yoo Seodam went for his mission, Yekaterina was still energetic as she felt she still had a lot of energy left on her body. Today, shall I read this? Magic had become everything for Yekaterina. However, like any other students, there will always be a limit to their development. Every time that happens, many scholars fall to their knees in despair, but not Yekaterina. Afterall, she didnt have to walk the same road as other scholars. The reason was simple; the place she is currently at, the Library of the White Witch, was a place full of the knowledge of a witch who had developed their magic to the extreme. Although it was impossible for her normal brain to comprehend everything in the library, Yekaterina had written a separate book which consisted of human-only magic''. Ummm A satisfied voice leaked from her mouth. With a rocking chair embracing her, and a book of new magic on her hand, she was fully prepared to enjoy her leisure time. Yekaterina lifted her legs and read the book. When she was young, she couldn''t eat that much, affecting her growth. She was short and sometimes her legs couldn''t touch the floor, but that could be easily solved by lowering her chair with her thoughts. Still, lately, she had been eating quite well partly because Ye Sa-hye had been forcefully feeding her, so she felt like she''s a little taller. Her body was also fuller than before. Within a short period of time, she managed to complete ten spell books, and the moment she picked up the eleventh spell book, ..'' Something warm touched her heart. It was the very same feeling when Yoo Seodam, someone her soul resided in, had returned to this world''. Yekaterinas face brightened. She immediately returned to reality and opened her eyes. Wave of dizziness assaulted her for a moment, but she didnt waste any time to feel it. She jumped up from her sofa before running towards the doors and yanked it open. "Long time no see." "Ah Seodam-nim!" As if he was hastily doing something with his smartphone, he looked at the screen for a moment before putting it back in his pocket. Yekaterina knew what Yoo Seodam had done. He must have texted his acquaintances and let them know that he had returned. Lets go in. I have something to tell you. "Is that so?" Yekaterina nodded before giving Yoo Seodam a questioning look. A story to tell as soon as he returned? She wondered what it was. As Yoo Seodam sat on the sofa, Yekaterina quickly brewed an expensive coffee for him before following Yoo Seodam to sit down. Yoo Seodam then placed three books on the table. Yekaterina, you know that I am the master of your soul, right? "Ah yes By any chance, did you feel the side effects? Yekaterinas face hardened. His question had been spot on. These days, Yoo Seodams feeling were continuously conveyed to her and had assimilated with her. Her own thoughts had also been conveyed to Yoo Seodam. As the frequency got worse and worse, it was likely that sooner or later the existence of Yekaterina would completely become a part of Yoo Seodam. And when that happens, will Yekaterina''s ego remain? I want to give you complete freedom. "Yes?" This book contains an essay about soul''. I brought it from another world. It is very precious because it was written by a very great person who even beat up ghosts with her bare hands. A magic that didnt exist on Earth! The moment Yekaterina''s eyes about to twinkle with curiosity, she could hear Yoo Seodams voice once again. With this, let us search for a way to separate our souls. Yekaterina, who had stretched her hand to reach the book, suddenly froze. She could see Yoo Seodam smiling as if he was satisfied with her reaction. I want to give you complete privacy. Oh, don''t worry about the White Witch''s library. It will be difficult to open the next library without your help But anyway, I will make copies of as many books as you want to read and take them out-" "I dont want to." For you huh? Yekaterina raised her head and threw a cold gaze towards Yoo Seodam. No, why, that, its not harmful to you either Why did you assume that it was not harmful to me? Yoo Seodam clearly could not understand her reason. He had told her that he would return her soul, and yet she refused it. So, Yekaterina told him, I.I just dont like it. And then silence descended between them. Yekaterina bit her lip and put one of her hands on her chest. She thought that maybe, for the rest of his life, he wouldnt understand. She was happy that she had a mysterious connection with the person she cares most about and would always know that he was alive. She never wanted to lose this sense of being connected to him. She didn''t want it to be cut off. The Library of White Witch? She didnt really care about that. She only wanted the fact that they were connected. However, Yekaterina chose to not explain that part. With eyes filled with various emotions, she looked at Yoo Seodam, who was bewildered. He was really a foolish man. Yekaterina took a deep breath and reached out for the book. As the pages went by, a rough idea entered her head. The ability to instantly scan text was a basic skill for a magician. it has a lot of good content. Is that so? "Yes. It was very detailed. In particular, about the soul. And then, Yekaterina dropped the book. She half-slammed it and repeated what she had just said. Its very, very detailed. .? It is detailed. Don''t you know? There are countless ways to stop the assimilation that is happening to us right now. Without even having to separate the soul. "Uh!" Then Yekaterina said with a soft smile. You saved me. You can find it through this book. How to explain what is happening to us now, and how to solve it. In the end, Yoo Seodam could only smile and nod at her words. He still couldn''t understand her decision. However, he wasn''t the type to force someone to do something they didn''t like. And just like that, the three books found their way to Yekaterinas arms. As for Yoo Seodam, he wouldnt know what the three books about soul means for Yekaterina, a witch as well as a genius magician. Chapter 158: Theres Always a Foreshadow For Ominous Things (1) The roar of a gun echoed through the air, deafening the world. Without waiting for the earlier sound to subside, a sharp sound of metallic thing hitting the solid ground could be heard. Thanks to [Shooting(S)] talent, every action I took with a gun came to me naturally. Moreover, it also allows me to clearly predict the movement of the monster I aim for, its weak points as well as its behaviour pattern, which was impossible to do even with my 17 years worth of experience. At first, I felt really empty after receiving this talent. It was as if this single talent mocked all my long-life hard work. However, I had come to terms with it. With another shot, a giant rock pterosaur in the red sky above shrieked. It fell to the ground after a bullet dug deep into its chest. After seeing the monster crashing to the ground, I could feel a tap on my shoulder. It was Taylor Nine, she tapped on my shoulder using her baseball bat. It seems like her hunt for a rock giant in the distance had also finished. Oh? If I remember correctly, you always said that rock pterosaurs weakness was its eyes. Wasnt that the case?" Just like always, Taylor didnt even question the fact that I had killed an A-rank monster with a single shot. It used to be. Every monster had its weaknesses, and I became aware of them through my experience. In rock pterosaur case, its eyeball was the weakest part of its entire body; hunters could kill it easily if they focused their attack on it. Of course, it wouldnt become an extremely easy hunt just because they know its weakness. Afterall, the rock pterosaur was a flying monster. It was hard to even reach it, forget knocking it down. Moreover, it''s impossible to fight it with a gun unless someone uses a special bullet called magic bullet'' like me. It seems that we have discovered a new weakness. Really? Lets write it down on Another League information channel then. Our great CEO wanted it to be filled up. It seems that Yekaterina had once again made something ridiculous when I was away. This time, it seems to be an information channel. Certainly, it would come handy to have an information channel exclusive to guild members which also allows guild members to communicate with each other. However, the real question is, just how did Yekaterina, someone who was locked away from the outside world for so long, could think of that? Well, thats indeed a good idea. But unfortunately, my method isnt something that can be written there. The reason I was able to kill the pterosaur with only one shot on its chest was purely thanks to [Soul Piercing Eyes]. When I focused my holy power on my eyes with [Holy Conversion] and looked at the opponent, I could see the weakness of the soul that moves fluidly. It also works on humans. Not only the heart and head, any fast-moving point just like the collarbone, waist, and right chest could also become a weakness, not only head and heart. and if you hit it, it could be overpowered with a single blow. Of course, it is a weakness that appears and disappears in less than 0.3 seconds, so even if you know it, it is virtually impossible to hit it. Would it have been possible with my old talent, which was [Shooting(C)]? Well, honestly, I don''t know. Perhaps it was impossible. In any case, even when I had trained in both swordsmanship and magic, I would still use guns as my main weapon Since it''s a weapon Ive been with for 17 years. Anyway, its all sorted out, so lets go out~ Im craving for a beer. Is that so? After defeating the boss monster alone, Taylor headed to the exit of the dungeon. It was an A+ rank dungeon, but it was refreshingly easy. In the past, to enter a place like this one, one had to wear at least several hundred million won worth of equipment. Reminds me of old times, really. Then suddenly. I remembered what happened two weeks ago. I had met a woman with spiritual power in another world. But could I really use the modifier of spiritual power on her? She was at least 100 years old, but I believed that she had lived many years longer than that. That very woman knew the future me. Of course, she doesn''t know where the future me was, or what happened to him. She didn''t tell me all the details, she only told me In the past, you too looked at me with such a playful face, but sometimes seriously as if recalling her memories. I couldn''t understand any of it, but I just nodded my head without saying a word. I wonder how it felt when the person she remembered doesn''t remember her at all. Even though they shared the same time with each other, they couldn''t share the same memories with the other person. I could still remember her face that was filled with happiness for the last 30 minutes of her life. It was as if she was reminiscing about her long life in that short amount of time. It was a pleasure meeting you, Yoo Seodam. With a beautiful smile, she disappeared as if the existence of a woman named Malea was only a dream that lasted only for a moment. The system had told me that she also didnt know where she went. She could be dead, or she could wander in the flow of time forever. "Hey. What''s wrong with your expression? . When I looked up, Taylor was looking at me with a grim expression. Regaining my expression, I threw a smile at her. Why are you smiling like a fool, now? "Nothing. I just feel that I like being like this. Huh? I think you''ve been a little more honest these days. Well, you should, because you had done something bad to me. What did I do wrong As I was about to say that, I remembered the press conference I had before leaving for another world. Taylor and Seol Jungyeon. I pushed the two women away, and that should have been very painful for them. But neither woman seemed to care, and they kept treating me as usual No, they were just pretending not to care about it. For that, I was quite grateful. Lets have a drink next time. Really? You know I don''t drink cheap stuff, right?" What are you talking about when you drink beer every day? When you ask someone to drink with you, you have to go big! Aren''t you making good money these days? Its all gone as an investment cost. I dont have any money. Saying that, we walked out from the dungeon. Our current location was in Gangwon-do. As it was close to North Korea, there was a very sensitive fuss about the ownership of the dungeon, but in the end, it was taken over by South Korea. It''s a really nice country to live in. Even now, Southeast Asia must be in trouble because they couldn''t manage the dungeons properly. As I got on the parked bike, Taylor sat in the back seat and grabbed my waist. It''s a pretty expensive bike in its own right, and it had a name that contains a lot of alphabets and numbers but I gave it a very nice nickname, which impressed Taylor when she heard it for the first time, it was Another Private Vehicle''. -Hey witch~ Suddenly, a shining spirit came out from my hands. Her body'' was still a flower pot in a special glass tube that I made for her, but now she was able to fly by taking off some of her body. Seeing the little girl-like child, Taylor instantly rubbed her cheek with her finger. The Flower Pot had always said that it''s annoying when I touch it, but she enjoyed Taylors finger on its cheek because she said that it''s okay for women to touch her. Why did you come all of a sudden? -The wind is nice~ Is that so? Flower Pot likes soju. She also likes the cool breeze. Our speed was no joke when we rode the bike. Normal people wouldnt even be able to open their eyes because of it. Then lets go back. * * * Upon his return from another world, Yoo Seodam had been quite busy traveling around the world. He filled Yekaterinas role who didnt have any spare time to meet numerous companies and guilds. Luckily, he wasnt alone. With Taylor in tow, both of them traveled around each country, feeling once again how big Another League had become. My name is Al, team leader of the engineering technology development department of Cage Industries. Nice to meet you." The first time they met, Yoo Seodam was in the position of bowing his head towards them. On the second meeting, they had become an equal. But in the third meeting, which was now, Yoo Seodam had become someone to bow to. Cage Industries was a weapons company that specifically produced weapons for hunters. It was a company that manufactures the world''s finest ether weapons. So, it was natural that a huge company like them had a stake in the development of new weapons related to essence''. Although the Russian side said that they were also working hard to develop a magic weapon, their magic was very inferior to magic from Another League, it was to the point it was embarrassing to even call it magic. For that reason, numerous world-class corporations have reached out to Another League, and Yekaterina only needs to hold the hand that suits her own taste. Cage Industries had been maintaining a close relationship with Another League until now because it was a company that had invested in Another League since the early days. This one is the blueprint for the Level 3 Auto-Augmented Magical Shield that President Yekaterina is developing. Even if monsters appear in the city, measures can be taken to isolate and protect citizens and monsters by installing barriers at the coordinates. Advice on this Oh, yes. Oh, I see." To be honest, Yoo Seodam had a hard time understanding what Al was talking about. The Library of White Witch could not help him, and the Flower Pot knew how to use purely memorized magic, not some magic technology, so it made him sweat even more. In the public eye, Yoo Seodam was known as an Archmage comparable to Yekaterina (after all, she was the highest level Magician on Earth), so it was only natural for engineers to seek advice from him. Just what are you talking about'' Yekaterina also sees Yoo Seodam as some kind of her magic teacher. And she trusted him a lot, but such trust was only burdensome for Yoo Seodam. Yoo Seodam glanced around to see Taylor yawning with her legs crossed. She was clearly bored out of her mind. If Yoo Seodam was to interpret her expression roughly, it would be along the lines of, Oh, I want it to finish quickly and go to the dungeon. A few members of the Cage Industries development team were also stealing a glance towards Taylor. Well, no one could fault them, Taylor was a woman in her twenties who had a striking appearance and had a great sense of fashion. A combination that could shake the hearts of any man. Yoo Seodam, who was struggling with a cold sweat trickling on his back, quickly came up with an appropriate answer to the situation. I will put a separate inquiry to the Another League magic development team. It was nothing but an excuse. An excuse he made with the thought of I dont know how to do it, so Ill pass it on to my subordinates anyway! But the reaction he got back was something he didnt see coming. "Ah! Thank you very much!" Team leader Al thanked Yoo Seodam with all of his body, he bowed deeply as well as shaking Yoo Seodams hand with both of his hands. Yoo Seodam was clearly taken aback by his reaction. He only became aware of Als reason once he contacted Yekaterina. -There are a lot of people who want to borrow the knowledge of our magic development team. Another League Magic Development Team was a team made up of very few scholars who were chosen directly by Yekaterina. It was said that they were a bunch of talented individuals who gave up all their status and honor in society to develop magic in Another Leagues Magic Tower. Their actual ability as a magician could be said as non-existent due to their lack of mana, though, their knowledge was already high enough to the extent that they could become a professor at any magic university. Wow, if it was to that extent I cant even throw a jab at them Then Yekaterina continued: C Well. It would be strange for Seodam-nim to be involved to that extent. Your feeling of wanting to support the Magic Development Team is already a huge blessing. No, well, its not really like that -Seodam-nim is working on something more important. Well yeah, you are not wrong Yekaterina clearly misunderstood something. But Yoo Seodam decided to just let it go because he doesnt know how to correct it. -Anyway, once the magic battery is developed, it could be used forever. You made a wise decision. Don''t worry, we''ll start developing it. "Okay" After the call was disconnected, Yoo Seodam scratched his head. Its been a while since Ive worked, I dont even know what is what for Gods sake. Is that so? After everyone was gone, Taylor Nine, who was busy slurping on her coffee through a straw while playing a game on her phone, whipped her head towards Yoo Seodam. Is it hard? No, well, its not that hard But, why are you so obsessed with the guild? Do you want to win over Lost Day? Ummm that was only one of the reasons. But in the end, his original purpose was only one, and now he can honestly tell her about his concerns. But, the moment he was about to tell it to Taylor, both of their phones vibrated. It was an emergency message. However, except for Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine''s cell phones, no other phone rang. [Emergency Disaster Message: An unknown monster with an estimated rank of SS appears in Pretoria, South Africa! Unique and different from the past (Link)] Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine are currently in London. There was no reason for them to get an emergency message of a disaster that occurred in a faraway place like in South Africa here. However, if they still received the text message that came only to S rank hunters or higher, there was only one reason: some kind of problem that was different from any before had occurred. And that problem could possibly become a global problem sooner or later. [Emergency Disaster Message: For now, we will assign the code name Demon'' to the creature.] "What? Demon?" In the photo attached to the disaster message was a figure of a demon, a monster humanity had never seen before. * * * Southwest Africa, Kalahari Desert. Spanning around ??900,000 square kilometers, Kalahari Desert was the largest desert in the world. Since monster appearances 32 years ago, deserts that were sparsely populated had no choice but to become the land of monsters. Most of those monster-populated land such as the desert, the North Pole, and the mountain range had not been reclaimed by humanity, and now only hunters aiming for a fortune dare to enter these areas. Thats why it was very strange to see Avon, master of the Morian Guild of Russia crossing the desert. Ha ha ha ha ha. At one time, she was destined to become Earth''s first and greatest magician. Her guild had a considerable number of witches, and amongst them she herself was the most outstanding one. Moreover, her guild even had a prophet once. Her guild kept getting stronger and stronger as they secretly sold amulets that could only be created by witches at a high price all over the world. She even gained influence over the Russian government through that endeavour. But now, it was all over. The world no longer saw Morian Guild as Another Leagues rival. Magic was now synonymous only to Another League. There were also rumours that said that some of the magicians taught at Another League were better than them. It was disgraceful, but it was true. So, by all means and methods, she had tried to give Another League a blow. She used all kinds of political and legal plots with an overwhelming amount of money to perform conspiracy tactics, slander and dirty media fabrications. However, all of it was to no avail. Avon had to admit it. The Prophet, Yekaterina, was a monster. She could not defeat Yekaterina through resource, magic, or anything else. But that doesnt mean she had any intention of staying still. She was a witch. It means that she had lived in this world in hiding before the appearance of monsters. It was so painful for her. And yet, when she finally appeared in the world, she lost all of her value? Blood dripped from Avon''s parched lips. The existence of the monster Sand Hell'' which couldnt be predicted when and where it would attack was more painful than the scorching sun hanging at the sky above, and the existence of the Rain Scavenger'', which robbed the area of all moisture, was even more painful. And yet she had endured it. "Found it." Avon took a deep breath while standing in front of a certain defective dungeon''. The huge black tombstone that stands upright to the point where it feels foreign on the scarlet-colored desert was the entrance to the dungeon, but it will not be opened by ordinary means. But Avon was certain. She could open the dungeon. It just hadnt happened just yet. She might have lost all of her feelings, but she was still able to distinguish the things that should not be done. But what use is that now? Right now, she needs that power for herself. When Avon finally placed his hand on the black tombstone, an eerie black energy emanated from it. She was a witch, she was born as a witch, and she had lived as a witch. Witches have always existed in history, and witches have always existed in every world, it was just that the world wasnt aware of their existence. And, just like witches, there was something else that also existed in every world. Demons.'' Either by word of mouth or by tradition the existence of demons would always remain in history. Why? Is it because the demon was the only incarnation of evil that can be imagined by living beings living in countless worlds? No, no. Just like humans who exist in many worlds, demons also exist in many worlds. To be exact, they always exist in the world where humans exist. Avon was well aware of this fact, and she and the witch under her had set out to find the one that had disappeared into history. Eventually, the black tombstone tilted like a door with a rumble, and then, a portal connecting the desert and the dungeon was created. Without waiting any longer, Avon set her foot to the dungeon Towards the demon resides inside. Chapter 159: Theres Always a Foreshadow For Ominous Things (2) As soon as Avon entered the dungeon, she could feel that the flow of mana had completely changed. As with any dungeon, the environment inside was completely different from Earth. However, as she was a high-level magician and witch, she did not need any special equipment to adapt to this place. . Avon held her breath and looked around the interior of the dungeon. It was a weird place; a mountain range of dark rocky masses surrounded the area, all the rocks were sharp to the point that there seemed to be no place to even step on. Something was not right. Avon thought. Because she had entered the dungeon many times, she knew. This place was not a dungeon. The sound of her feet stepping lightly on the stone floor echoed loudly in a quiet space filled with only the sound of the wind whispering in her ears. Avon kept walking forward. After walking for such a long time, she finally arrived at the place she had sought. "The altar. It was a huge temple painted in many shades of colour. In this place, where there was no trace of civilization, let alone living things, the existence of such a structure stood out a lot. It was an old temple that seemed unmaintained, yet theres a fire burning in the braziers. Avon followed the stair and walked down the hallway. After she entered the innermost altar, Avon looked around. There was nothing on the altar located in the middle of the great cavity. It''s really empty. When Avon frowned, the fire burning on the braziers suddenly burst in all directions one after another. And then, a shadow appeared. It was a huge shadow. Its figure easily filled the ceiling reminiscent of a dome to the very top. Even though it had no form, it certainly existed right in front of her. Avon opened her mouth, forcing her trembling voice to come out. Are you a demon? -. The shadow did not answer. But Avon knew that it had certainly turned its head and stared at her. And then, the shadow coalesced together into a huge skeleton. Between its sharp ribs, a gloomy bonfire burned quietly. -A witch from an unknown world. . A witch was a witch, but just what was a witch from an unknown world? The incomprehensible sentences were translated into mental waves and assaulted her mind one after another. C That''s weird. I thought witches were wise Why did you do this? It was still full of incomprehensible sentences. So Avon didn''t answer, and the demon smiled as if it understood. The only reason Avon could recognize that the demon in front of her was smiling was because the shadow that she assumed to be its mouth was torn to the sides. C I see. Mixed with human blood, she became an imperfect witch. Mana, soul, everything is bad. "Is that so?" Avon couldnt feel any strong power'' from the demon. Her thoughts were running wildly. Clearly, the demon in her memory had bizarre power. So, Avon forced a question lumping on her throat to come out. Demon. I have come here to receive your power. -Hmm a witch receiving Demon power? The tribes of witches in your world are "Yes. But now I feel no power in you. The evil snorted, finding her word to be ridiculous. But soon it laughed. -Of course you cant feel it. Our powers are fundamentally different. "Then." At that moment, Avon lowered her head as a chilling sensation pricking into her skin. Her heart was pounding wildly, and her hands and feet trembled. It was hard to even lick her lips because of the sudden chill, and tears seemed to drop from her eyes. It was simply the feeling of fear. It was also the first emotion she felt as a witch who lacked any semblance of emotions. What is this!!!'' C A witch with many flaws. Human blood is mixed inside your bloodline, and you also harbor a faint trace of emotion. The shadow began to hang down and arrived at Avon''s feet. It looked like it was smiling. C Playing with a witch like this is a new feeling I think your world will be more interesting. heh! Soon, the demon retreated, and Avon gasped shakily, stumbled back and fell down. The feeling of fear had completely gone, but she could still feel it imprinted in her chest and head. The power of the demon is the power that governs emotions, or even the soul itself. In addition, the power of demons which would directly interfere with the soul cannot be repelled by any physical science, magic, or martial arts. It''s a new technique altogether. A completely new power that never existed on Earth before! Avon''s eyes slowly cleared up. She quickly raised her head and looked at the demon. Can you give me that power? -I can but In return, a door will be opened to your world. Do you know what that means? Avon did not know. But it didn''t matter that much. All that matters right now is to receive that mystical power that governs souls from the demon. Avon nodded her head, and soon after, the shadow condensed with a strong wind, and she burrowed into Avon''s chest. Gasp! -Good Before long, Avon''s body slowly swelled up and took the shape of a giant skeleton towering at 100 meters in height. However, the bones were completely red with no trace of any white. On her forehead, a pair of horns that point to the sky grew. The skull''s face was wrinkled, and it was very similar to the demon form'' that humans had imagined in the history of the earth. -Let''s take a look around the world you used to live in. * * * The administrative capital of South Africa, Pretoria. The population of Pretoria had grown rapidly after the Great War, and currently around 3 million people were living in the city. Amongst the civilians, mercenaries and hunters could easily be seen anywhere on the street because of the dungeons, gates and monsters around the city. In the first place, due to the geographical characteristics of the plateau with an elevation of 1,400m above sea level, there were bound to be many monsters around, and after being defeated by monsters during the Great War 32 years ago, this place could be called monster-populated land. However, the mercenaries and hunters who had made this city as their home had made Pretoria stronger and safer. They never let monsters invade their city. So, the citizens had always thought. Our city is safe. It was quite reasonable thinking, and it was a common thought for anyone in the world who had been to this place at least once. However, Pretoria and the world were currently in a state of confusion. C Breaking news! In the capital of South Africa, Pretoria, a gigantic skull-shaped monster presumed to be an SSS rank, or more, appeared C Delivered by AAA. Appearing in South Africa, code-named Demon'' C This is reporter Ormon. Currently, the city of Pretoria has dispatched its hunter to find out the identity of the demon People were shocked when a huge, red skeleton appeared out of the blue in the middle of the city. Everyone shared the same question in their head. Where did that monster come from? The mercenaries and hunters who were around the city were dispatched as soon as possible to quell the demon, but it was to no avail. They were swept away with one snort of the devil. Numerous buildings collapsed, and the ground also caved in with every step. But for some reason, the monster seemed to be unwilling to actively attack humans. It just looked around the city with curious eyes, as if it found the city interesting. -There are no traces of mugong or magic here. That''s interesting. Interesting. After roaming through the city for around 30 minutes, the demon suddenly turned to dust and disappeared and left all the hunter and mercenary alike in a state of confusion. It''s only 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, half of the city was destroyed. * * * A day later. Pretoria, South Africa. Since the appearance of the demon, guilds from all over the world had gathered in Pretoria. I also came to Pretoria as the representative of Another League. Among the wreckage of the collapsed building, furious howling of people could be heard. They all cursed the demon. It was a common scene from 32 years ago, but the hunters mourned with a miserable expression at the sight that they thought would never be seen again. You are hunter Yoo Seodam! I didnt even need a fancy arrival. The hunters found me first as I scrambled through the wreckage caused by the demon. And as I was walking closer to the yellow barrier that surrounded the place where the demon last appeared, all the hunters smiled at me brightly. It was only natural, every person here was wondering why the devil appeared, why did it disappear, and why did the hunters'' attacks didnt work on it? There was no one who could answer those questions. And the one who had the superpower of the dimension'' in this world, I was the only one who could give an answer. Its really reassuring to see Master Yoo Seodam here. "Please, an unidentified monster has appeared, and as a hunter I have to come. Even the government of South Africa rushed towards me and asked me to shake hands with them. It was so burdensome, I could die. To be honest, I didn''t know much about this case either. I have no choice but to conduct an obvious, scientific investigation. I roamed around the city for a couple of hours to learn about the devil, and listed the information that anyone other than me couldnt provide. The footsteps of the code-named Demon are getting shallower. This means that its weight has decreased with every step. Perhaps, it has difficulty moving. Also, the footprints are gradually getting smaller, it seems that its size has also decreased. It consumes a lot of energy this time, so I dont think it will appear for a while. "Oh, I see!" My guess was based on scientific evidence, and I used my own state-of-the-art equipment to observe every minute of the difference. But I had my own doubts. The demon ran out of energy after wandering around the city for 30 minutes before disappearing is that really the case? Maybe it came here to replenish its energy? What?'' Hmmmm'' As I was stroking my chin and contemplating, the system continued. What are you talking about? Then is it a demon from another world? It''s not just another world, it''s a Demon Realm belonging to another world! "Why is it so complicated" As for how to deal with the demon it was only unfamiliar to people on Earth. People from other worlds were familiar with ways to handle a demon. Even Aracelli''s original world had been invaded by the demon in the past, and the demonic traces remained clearly in the magic academy I went to before. The same goes for Earth. It means that the story of confronting demonic invasion was too clich for every world. Although there were no more protagonists on Earth. "Why?" I roughly understood that demons always made a pact with humans, or whatever, it''s a development from most of the novels I''d read. Are you saying that there is a possibility that this demon possessed a specific human? Hmmmm. How do you tell them apart? At her words, I fell silent. Clearly, the power of Saekgong that Bang Ho-win used was so powerful to the point that most experts couldnt even resist it. I will be no exception. "What? Aracelli''s magic?" "Oh, really? Also, it is only natural that my head flashed when the system said that if I deeply understood the soul, I could find the person possessed by the demon. Because the other day, I had brought three books about the soul or what the system called Spirit Magic. And it must be in Yekaterina''s storage now. If I use them to fight the demon, and ask for advice from Aracelli, who used to be a demon hunter, I would be able to respond as much as I want. * * * Humm~ Yekaterina hummed a delightful tune inside her library. It was not the Library of the White Witch but a real library that goes with the name Another League President Yekaterina-only library. Although the guild had not been established for long, this library was full of top secret technology and confidential documents that everyone in the world wanted, including books that she read as a hobby. And, recently, the book she cherishes the most was none other than a book about spirit magic. [About psychic phenomena.] [What is a pure and clear soul?] [How to treat the soul?] It was only three books. But Yekaterina understood the value of this book better than anyone else. The soul, the power to deal with itself! In a way, wasn''t this a technique with a completely new value and concept that was completely different from magic and martial arts? Moreover, these books, which were easily over a thousand pages per volume, were so unkindly written that some would say they would die of boredom, but it was the right way for Yekaterina, who had a strong desire to explore. Every time she read a letter in the book, her whole body was thrilled. The feeling of new knowledge coming into her head was really unbearable. Wow, umm, ummm It was a study by a very powerful Soul Magician, so it was very difficult for Yekaterina, who did not know about souls at all, to understand. She struggled to keep her happiness inside. The knowledge itself was powerful, but what if this spirit magic was applied to the development of the guild? Our guild can grow stronger even faster! With that thought in mind, Yekaterina turned the pages, and she felt a sense of dj vu. It''s purely a witch''s sense. Yekaterina hurriedly turned her head, an emergency text message from her smartphone arrived belatedly. She quickly checked its content. "A demon has appeared? She hurriedly returned to her office, and as she turned on the news, she could see a giant red creature striding in a city in South Africa. What is that As Yekaterina looked at the screen with bewildered face, her phone rang. It was a unique tone dedicated for Yoo Seodam. When she hurriedly answers the call, the voice on the other side of the phone speaks at once. C Yekaterina. Are you keeping the three books I gave you? "Yes yes. Absolutely. I was just reading it. But now, something happened -No. Read on. "Yes?" When she answered blankly, Yoo Seodam said once again. -I think it will help with demon hunting. Yekaterina looked at the book that had fallen to the floor and she stood idly for a while. Chapter 160: Theres Always a Foreshadow for Ominous Things (3) Soul magic. It is a branch of magic which exclusively deals with souls. And because of its nature, soul magic isnt the perfect countermeasure against the threat of a demon. However, even though we knew about it, Yekaterina had made an announcement regarding Another League official standing. [We are researching ways to combat the existence called Demon, and things are going smoothly.] It wasn''t some sort of political move or something they did to raise the stock price of Another League. It was just that we were aware that a demon could only appear when someone summoned it, and there was a high possibility that the demon currently possessed someone. Another Leagues move was aiming to keep the demon in check. But despite all these efforts, three nights later, in San Francisco, a horrific event dubbed as insanity contagion occurred. Out of nowhere, on a normal mundane day, people went crazy and ran rampant. They suddenly killed each other. And among them was an S rank hunter, So, the scene of the incident was very disastrous. Its serious When I arrived at the scene, I frowned when I saw the tattered corpses that looked like they had been bitten by a wild dog. I thought I''d been through a lot of unusual things, but the very scene in front of me was really unique in a terrible way. Every corpse had completely been minced from scratching whoever their target was. Their teeth were also completely gone for probably the same reason. it seems like they didnt feel any pain nor care about their own body being torn apart. And then, on the fifth day after the demon first appeared, China was struck by the demon''s power. Numerous people broke down in despair as they weep and scream non-stop like crazy. It was ordinary compared to the insanity contagion'' several days prior, but the event was enough to instill fear in the world about the unknown existence called Demon. The media was a great outlet to spread fear quickly, and the demon had used it very well. Around that time, Yekaterina finally got some decent research results. Using those results as the base, she developed a meditation'' to combat the Demon''s influence. When she heard that many people were getting hurt and dying because of the demon, she hurriedly spread the meditation through her own YTube channel. The title was simply [How to Protect and Control Your Emotions From The Power of the Demon]. The video instantly garnered a lot of interest from the masses, but at the same time it also garnered a lot of malicious comments. Most of the malicious comments were saying Are you trying to take advantage of the incident to get views?'' or It''s very disappointing to use the demon to get attention''. The mass media too, criticized Yekaterina severely, and there was nothing she could do. Afterall, Yekaterina suddenly uploaded a video with a keyword demon where nothing aside from its existence had been published. After receiving criticism from numerous media, three days passed. Another insanity contagion occurred in the United States. But this time, things went a little differently. Most of the people gathered at the scene were infected with madness, but, an A rank hunter who was by chance present at the scene did not become infected. As the only sane person, he used his power, telekinesis, and suppressed the crazed civilian. Thanks to that, the incident was concluded without any major damage. Then, in an interview, he made a shocking statement. -The video posted by Miss Yekaterina of Another League was really helpful. Of course, it was. The meditation method Yekaterina had posted was the only way for people to protect themselves from madness''. It couldnt be used by ordinary people, though. But still, because the level of the insanity contagion'' phenomenon itself was very low, when a hunter with an A rank or higher learns how to protect their own soul, the contagion rate drops sharply. As soon as the interview was released, Another League made an additional announcement. -We are looking for the Demon'' host, and we have almost reached the crux of the issue. Of course, the statement was also a lie. I will be honest. With the soul magic we have right now, even if we encounter a demon, it will be impossible to immediately recognize it. It may be possible to pinpoint a suspicious person and track them using a special spell, but it is impossible to search all 7 billion people around the world. Yekaterina sighed, and I agreed with her opinion. It has only been less than two weeks since she started researching soul magic. It means that stopping such a weak Insanity Contagion that was only at best C rank ability was some sort of miracle. All the magicians belonging to the Another Leaguewhich were said to be the best geniuses in the whole worldwere all asked to suspend any of their research and told to prioritize researching soul magic. If it''s not because of them, Yekaterina said that things would be different in a bad way. "The demon." Yekaterina chewed her nails, anxiety was palpable on her face. In the past, when I was still being held in the Morian Guild, I saw such a book a few times. A book about demons. "What? There''s nothing like that in the Library of The White Witch''." There should be no special contact between demon and witch. Their nature was too different, one deals with soul while the other one deals with natural energy. Even if they meet, it''s almost impossible for them to inflict damage on each other. It was only natural that they werent connected at all. It was probably because the Library of The White Witch'' belongs to a normal witch. As you know, the witches of Earth didnt even know their origin, and their magic is well.weak. So, are you saying that the witch on Earth was also seeking the demons power? Its just a guess. However, it was a very plausible guess since in order to summon a demon, one needed a very special method and medium or had to take a special route. Such knowledge was non-existent on Earth. It was only natural to suspect the witches who had knowledge of it on Earth. First of all, after the official announcement that we could uncover the demon, things have become a little quieter. That means that the other person is cowardly enough to fall for such nonsense, or it could be that they are in a position where they can be easily caught, so they are being extremely careful about the smallest things As I checked Yekaterinas opinion through our conversation, I found out that people who posted malicious comments on Yekaterinas video had become the object of scorn from the masses instead of her. They were in a hurry to delete their malicious comments either in Yekaterinas SNS or video. And conversely, Another League''s Demon Hunt'' had climbed through the internet popular search rankings. Although it is nothing but a lie, I intend to make it true. Do you have any way, Seodam-nim? Currently I dont. But from what I know, demons dont just appear with all their power in many worlds, unlike what had happened on Earth. They had to be stopped before their power became fully developed and become completely on par with humans and start a war. In order to do that, we need to find out about its origin as soon as possible While I was reviewing the plan in my head, my phone suddenly rang. When I checked, it was Seol Jungyeon noonim who called. I hurriedly answered her call, and she spoke to me at once before I could say hello. C Can you come here now? There is someone who wants to meet you. * * * Its been a long time. It''s hard to see your face." Noonim said to me as she ruffled her platinum coloured hair. Her newly designed pure white uniform fluttered as she walked. With an apologetic expression on my face, I said awkwardly to her, The situation is a bit. I cant help it, then. It will not be too late to see your face once all is resolved. "Thank you. But why did you call me today?" Theres an expert who wants to see you. In the living room, someone was standing, probably waiting for me. He was an ordinary man with appearances of someone in mid to late 40s, and he was said to be a peak rank Expert. My name is Chang Baek-ju of Haomun (T). As soon as I heard his self-introduction, I could barely hold back my expression from crumbling. Haomun. It was a name that anyone who enjoys reading martial arts novels is familiar with. It was an organization that was in charge of information on Murim along with the opening. They cry, laugh and move with gold, and although they don''t have a very good image in Murim, I know that they were known as a very free-spirited clan. Id been told that even Seol Jungyeon noonim did not know why someone from Haomunwhich was once a dark force that controlled the Black City and had suddenly disappeared one day came to modern Murim. My name is Yoo Seodam of Another League. Have a seat. Contrary to his infamous origin, Chang Baek-ju had an innocent first impression to my eyes. After confirming that he was seated, I sat across from him while Noonim sat next to me. .? I tried to ask her why she sat close to me, but when Noonim tilted her head with an expression that said she didn''t know anything, I just let it slide without saying anything. Yoo Seodam. How much do you know about Murim? I havent been there personally, but Ive heard a lot of stories. From the person sitting right next to me. "Is that so?" Chang Baek-ju pondered for a moment before opening his mouth. In our world, that is, in Murim, Haomen was destroyed once. "Yes. I know from the story I have heard that your clan had suddenly disappeared at some point, leaving many questions behind. What kind of Murim warrior did it to your clan? Its not the work of Murim warrior. Chang Baek-ju chided before continuing his word. It couldnt even be considered as a human''s work. His story went back to an ordinary day just like any other about 7 years ago, before the Murim people were expelled to the modern day. It started with an ordinary stable master. As he spoke, he burst into laughter, then suddenly all joints in his body broke apart. It was a kind of fear that even Murim couldnt stomach. Then, one of the Murim warriors who was trying to help him also burst into laughter before all his joints broke down, the other Murim warrior who tried to restrain him also had the same thing happen to them. The phenomenon of contagion'' of bizarre emotions. It was very similar to what was currently happening on Earth. There was no end to it. It was transmitted to everyone over and over again until the joints of everyone present were broken and they died. It was pure luck that I was able to survive I had to go far away that day. He said that by the time he returned to his clan, most of the Haomen members had already been engulfed in madness. The sound of giggles resounding from all directions together with sounds of broken joints. Until now, Ive been hiding it. No matter how poorly the Murim Alliance treats us, it was so shameful for Haomen to be destroyed that way. I came here today after hearing about the phenomenon of insanity contagion which happened all around the world. No doubt, that was the doing of something that did it to my clan. In conclusion, the demon that had appeared on Earth was not the demon from the far world but from Murim. Considering the genre of Murim, which might be a fusion martial art, it wasnt so strange. There were also demons (succubus) that were taken advantage of by people who seek to play the mind of other people. But, whatever it is, it had no relation to Earth''s current predicament. How so?'' Is that possible? . Thinking about it, her words make sense. From the beginning, the boundary between Earth and Murim was very loose. To the point that Supreme Dharma, who had no knowledge of dimensions, could freely go back and forth with only one sword. And as of now, it could be said that in that very boundary, a hole had been made. So, you were saying that if we just go into that hole and close it, the current situation will be resolved? Her affirmation made my head cool down considerably. My head was full with complicated thoughts as I had no way to hunt the demon. Traveling to another dimension and removing something was far simpler than this demon hunting business. If so, now what matters is where the portal is located at. But that''s an easy matter to resolve since I had someone who could sense the dimension more sensitively than anyone else. I think I have found a way. "Is that true?" Chang Baek-ju was startled while Noonim looked at me with wide eyes. After nodding my head briefly, I suddenly made eye contact with Noonim, and a thought occurred to me. If there was a hole in the dimension.. Wouldn''t it be better to bring an assistant? Even if it''s not me, isn''t it possible for anyone to move between dimensions? A low-level person may not be able to withstand the backlash of an unstable dimension shift through a hole, but if the person was strong enough to not worry about it and if they were also familiar with Murim "Noonim" Whats the matter? This was a very sensitive issue. Seol Jungyeon doesn''t have very good memories of Murim. But I was aware of the fact that she sometimes stayed up all night crying, remembering the loss of her clan. Will you go to Murim with me? At my words, Noonims pupil shook violently. Chapter 161: Anyhow, The Answer is Always Martial Arts (1) Hi guys, Asta here, starting from next month, protag patreon will see increase in chapter count. The mob character would see 1 -> 2 Side character 2 -> 4 Support character 4 -> 6 The protagonist 6 -> 10 And if, next month real world didn''t kick me in the ass, I''ll increase September patreon into 1$/ chapter for every Tier So, feel free to to become our Patron~ starting next month tho Not now House of Goblins, New Murim Alliance Headquarters. In a manor that only the Murim Lord could enter, Seol Jungyeon stared blankly at the scarlet sky above. Accompanying her in the table in front of her was a very rare Murim liquor, Cheonghaju([ľ). The very same liquor she enjoyed all the time when she reigned as the supreme leader of the Cheonma Sect. She indulged in it when there was an event to celebrate such as when a new Expert finally became a member of the sect, when a loyal subordinate achieved new enlightenment, or when it was someone''s birthday. Within the beautiful fence of Cheonma Sect, Cheonghaju was always with them whenever they had a happy time laughing and chatting. So, when she lost the sect and returned to Earth, she no longer drank Cheonghaju. She was afraid that once she tasted it once again, the beautiful memories of that time would flood her mind. And if she kept thinking about those days, her heart would become dull. Lifting a cup of Cheonghaju with her white hand, Seol Jungyeon could see the reflection of her pink eyes on its white liquid. Those pink eyes, which had softened by much, were once dyed redder than anything else. Those red eyes had opened the heavens and the earth in the name of the Cheonma Sect and placed the world under its rule. At that time, she had nothing to fear. She had people under her that were more reliable than anyone else, stronger than anything else, and more precious than anything else. Until this day, she still remembered their names and faces vividly. Seol Jungyeon could see her own smile reflected on the surface of the liquor as she thought about them. Jang Seo-Young, The Great Emperor of Heaven. Goo Yoon-Ak, The Black Horse. Han Do-Woon, The Light-Blooded Warrior. One by one, their names come to her mind. She had countless family members back then, but she did not forget even a single one. Afterall, how could she forget? Until this day, she still couldnt erect a tomb for them. So as their monarch, albeit a failed one, she kept their names in her heart. Even though she had met Yoo Seodam and gained a new life, Cheonma Sect was still heavily etched in Seol Jungyeon''s heart. However, Now is the time to let go. Seol Jungyeon lifted the Cheonghaju and gulped it all at once. It was bitter yet refreshing, just as she remembered it. As she put down her cup with a thud, her pink eyes lit up. She had the chance to return to Murim once again. She made a vow to herself that once she returned, she would make a tomb for all her family members. Because it was time to finally let go. * * * Before executing my plan, it was necessary to figure out the location of the passage to Murim. And it turned out to be a much simpler process than I thought. "Look here." As Yekaterina points at the monitor, Me, Taylor, Ha Sun-young, the Spirit King and even Smiling Shadow tilted our heads. As if figuring out that she couldnt show it through the small monitor, Yekaterina burst into laughter and tapped the window of her office. "Oh oh!" "Ugh!" Then, the window darkened. The beautiful scenery that had been there only a second ago had instantly been replaced by a large monitor. Through the corner of my eyes, I looked at Smiling Shadow. Even though he pretended not to be surprised, I knew that he was the most surprised among us all. Great. After I glanced at the Smiling Shadow who regained his composure with a cough, I turned my gaze back to the monitor. There, a video was being played. "Video of the demon in Pretoria." "Correct. If you look at it, the demon first appeared exactly in the west of Pretoria. So, I dispatched a few agents and ordered them to look for its trail, but demonic energy was detected all the way through the west. Demonic energy, it was something that could not be measured in a normal way, but for Another League which dealt with soul magic it was possible to some extent. Of course, it doesn''t even reach the level of clearly pinpointing a specific target, but it was enough since the demon''s magic energy itself was huge. "To the west, huh" The most important thing here was that the demon had never changed direction. "What are you talking about?" Its just as I said, the trail that we found was making a straight line. Ignoring all roads and landmarks. So, in other words, the demon walked in a straight line before finally arriving at Pretoria? Yekaterina opened a map and zoomed it out, revealing the demon trail before it arrived at Pretoria. It goes through Rustenburg and goes all the way to the border of Botswanaafter that the trail was completely cut off. We presumed that the demon only activated its power from the moment it crossed the border. First, we were investigating the southern part of Botswana However, it continued for a long time to the west of South Africa, and in the south of Botswana, if it were a place where a passage could be created, it would be The Kalahari Desert? "I think so. Crazy! The estimated distance alone was over 400 miles. The west of Pretoria. to be more precise. If someone walked 700 km to the east from the origin of the devil without turning once. Im not sure what this means, but I think we should be careful. Thinking about it in a normal way, It might be that the demon just visited the big city with the most human traces and exerted its power. However, the fact that it moved in a straight line'' without any change of direction even in the slightest was really bothering me. What if that distance and direction are the conditions for the first manifestation of the power of the demon? Anyway, I have to go to the Kalahari Desert. In the meantime, Yekaterina, you have to study the soul magic as much as you can, and find out who the demon possessed. "Okay. Ah.. Seodam-nim, currently, we are checking through all airports around the world to find out who entered the Kalahari Desert. I nodded at her words. It won''t be easy. The Kalahari Desert spans through many countries, so thousands of people can enter the country every day, so how could you check every single one of those people? The only hint we currently had was that the culprit is a witch, and the general public would not be able to even go near the Kalahari Desert, let alone dungeons, so if you research based on superhumans, the answer will surely come out someday. "Then Seodam-nim, are you going to that dungeon, that is, Murim?" I could see Ha Sun-young''s expression became slightly rigid as he heard Yekaterinas question. To this day, there were still many Murim people who wanted to return to Murim. And many of those people were following Bang Ho-win and even created an organization called Murim Hohyanghoe. So, I was thinking of using this event and returning all members of Murim Hohyanghoe to Murim Probably, in order to pass through the passage, you have to be at least an SS rank or higher. Any lower than that and theres a chance that you will never be able to return. Even for SS rank or higher, just passing through the passage would take a great toll on their body. And for that very reason, I needed a protective suit to take Seol Jungyeon noonim safely. * * * Speaking of protective suits, it was just an ether-coated suit that was strongly enchanted with spatial defense magic. Of course, making special protective clothing to protect against spatial magic, which does not exist in modern times, could only be said to be a waste of money, but Another League''s capital was now quite strong, and it had received support from several companies for its production materials. So, it was possible to make it almost for free. Moreover, who would dare to say anything when he said that he would make a special protective suit for experimenting with space-based magic? The whole world was still ignorant of the intricacies of magic. That was why it is possible to do embezzlements like this and it was a very nice feeling. Afterall, Korea is a country that was amazingly good at embezzlement. Another League Laboratory. In the huge cavity located on the 7th basement floor, while I was watching the two black suits that were almost finished, researchers in white robes approached me and politely explained the suits. I don''t know the details, but it looks like they''re paying close attention to its defensive capability. This should be enough. As I muttered, the automatic door opened from behind and someone came in. It was Taylor Nine. Hey, Im going with you too. "Uh? Suddenly?" She frowned as if she was unhappy with my answer. I was told that youre going there with that girl. Uh for now, yeah, its only me and Noonim. That''s why Im saying that I will go too. I also want to see the other world. I''m also SS rank, so I can go, can''t I?" Yes it is. Ah, yes, but why did you want to go? Are you someone from Murim? How do I look like to you? Do I look like a martial artist? Then she smiles and says. Well, wouldnt anything be fun if I go with you? I nodded my head with a bewildered look on my face. I dont think its right but at the same I think it was right. Taylor was a very rare long-distance combat warrior, and had the ability to quietly subdue a large number of people faster and more accurately than me or even Noonim. Her utility that could transform light into various shapes would definitely become very useful. If there''s something that bothers me a little Will Noonim and Taylor get along well? I had never seen the two of them meet, so I don''t know. But in the end, there was no reason to refuse either. After all, I had decided to not try to solve everything by myself anymore. "Okay, you can come." Yes! When are we leaving? We cant go right away. If you are also going, we should make more protective suits. "Why? I see two suits there. Its two suits per person. Each time you pass through the portal, your suit will probably be completely shattered. If the protective suit is gone, you have to survive on your own strength. Thats why I said that only superhumans with SS rank or higher could do it. Huh? Taylor, who had focused more on attack rather than defense, trembled at my words. Bah! If its defense, Im doing well now. Then Im glad. Taylor looked closer at the protective suit. It''s all black, a tight suit with no design or anything adorning it. Since it was a suit that specializes in movement rather than durability. The pure defense itself will be very low. Anyway, Im going too, alright? Saying so, Taylor Nine looked strangely happy. * * * Three days later. The news of Another Leagues Master, Yoo Seodam, going through Botswana to go to the Kalahari Desert had spread throughout the world. It was only natural, because he was the only one who knew how to deal with the demon in the whole world. He had also dispatched a huge force called Taylor Nine to the immediate vicinity of the area where the demon first appeared. In every channel, you could see Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine walking through the Seritz Kama International Airport located in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. Countless cameras focused on them as they walked proudly with sunglasses covering their eyes. Even the president of Botswana welcomed them at the airport to simply shake their hands. Yekaterina glanced at the news as she slowly read through the soul magic book. The unknown realm of the soul was a very difficult study even in Another League, where magic, science, and martial arts were all mastered. In the first place, it wasn''t even clear whether the soul actually existed or not. Here''s a brief summary of what she''d learned so far: The soul has no form. It is right to view it as the essence of life, that is, the aggregate of emotions and thoughts. Even without the body, the soul can still function. Interfering with the soul is impossible for any living things belonging to the physical world. However, its irrelevant if the power to control the soul is present in the body. In other words, no matter how much research would be continued here, there was no way to hunt the demon. The degree of emotional confusion caused by the demon might be able to be stopped somehow But there were still limits on it too. For now, the fundamental problem would be taken care of by Yoo Seodam. As always, perhaps he would go to another world that she does not know where and destroy the essence of the devil before returning to Earth. But before that happened, suppressing the demons activity was all up to her who stayed on Earth. If only I could put a spell on any suspect'' There was always one soul in a person''s body. And the spell Yekaterina wanted to cast was a spell that could determine how many souls exists in the other party, and of course, most people would get the result that one soul exists''. But, what if by chance, she discovered a person with two souls? It would mean that the very person was the possessed body of the demon. For that to happen, it was necessary to make the spell known worldwide. Each of her information would soon be equated with money, but Yekaterina wasnt a type of person who was greedy for money. As long as she could save more people, she was willing to spread all the knowledge. And by the way, Another League had a YTube channel that has already surpassed tens of millions of subscribers and was on its way to billion subscribers. At least, until Seodam-nim returns, Ill try to find the culprit. With that thought in mind, Yekaterina turned her gaze back to the TV, and for some reason the noise on the TV had considerably waned. Soon, Yekaterina understood the reason. "Ah." As she watched the TV, she had an illusion that the sound of the woman on TVs heels could be heard all the way to her. The woman who just arrived at the airport had brilliant platinum hair which mixed well with her pure white outfit. light fades as people seem to forget to even press the camera shutter. Even the announcer that had narrated the news since earlier had lost her words. Yekaterina swallowed her saliva at the womans alluring appearance that seemed to steal her soul. Transmitting from the TV, Seol Jungyeon walked proudly but gracefully and slowly approached Yoo Seodam, who was standing still. Then, she looked at Taylor Nine . Momentarily stunned, Yekaterina bit her lips. Dont tell me'' To others, it may look like the two beautiful women were just looking at each others eyes, but Yekaterina knew the truth. They are going there just to fight each other?'' She couldn''t believe it, but it seems like her guess was true. Chapter 162: Anyhow, The Answer is Always Martial Arts After the world underwent a massive change as the Great War ended and superhumans appeared, many people might think that a place like desert'' could be easily conquered by humanity. However, they were wrong. Those places which were rarely visited by humans had also been turned into a much harsher place by some kind of mysterious and unusual energy. Each desert on Earth had a special trait, and for Kalahari Desert, its traits were heat that scorched even superhuman'' and sand that could even trap superhumans ankles''. They were both very terrifying traits. Of course, SS rank and SSS rank hunters were exceptions to those rules. Seol Jungyeon noonim and Taylor Nine were able to traverse the Kalahari Desert without any difficulty. Noonim even used a very strange way of walking. She just lightly touched the surface of the sand before her feet sank into it. Both of them are really amazing'' Unlike them who walked gracefully without even breaking a single sweat under the blistering sun of the desert, my feet kept sinking into the sand whenever I stepped forward. Fortunately, with the help of Flower Pot, the heat didnt affect me that much. But still, the exhaustion was considerable. When we were wandering through the desert aimlessly, a huge claw suddenly rose from under the sand. It was a classic attack from a B rank monster called Sand King Crab'', who always hid beneath the sand to ambush its prey. It was quite troublesome of an opponent. Swoosh! Noonim waved her hand and instantly, the claw was neatly cut in two. "Wow." I could only exclaim in awe at her display. It was truly a work of art. Not only that, Noonim and Taylor also took care of any monsters that had appeared. Noonim took care of all the monsters who attacked from the ground such as Sands of Hell and Sand King Crab. While Taylor took care of monsters which were flying in the sky or launching their attacks from a distance, such as Rain Scavenger and Stingray. What did I do while they were fighting? I did nothing and just walked. Since both of them could do everything on their own, there''s really nothing I could do. Am I being protected, right now? "Hey. What are you standing there for? Have we arrived yet? "Huh? Oh, wait a second. As I closed my eyes and focused my mind, I felt the power of the system seeped into me. Okay.'' Albeit faint, I could also feel the distortion of the dimension as well. Could this be because I had repeatedly traveled between dimensions? "Its there. I could slowly see it. "Uh? Really? Where?" Taylor took a sunglass out of her pocket and put them on. Could she really see better by wearing those? Ah, I see it now. On the other hand, Noonim slightly frowned and checked the direction I was pointing at. At the place we were looking at, a single black tombstone stood. It clearly didnt match the overall ambience of its surroundings. The closer we got, the stranger it seemed. Its suspicious. My detective intuition is speaking to me. Is that so. Murim is inside of this thing? It wouldnt be, Noonim. You will know once you go inside, but first Presumably, the tombstone in front of us was an entrance to a deformed dungeon'', and anyone could enter it as long as they had learned a simple unlock'' type of magic, a magic skill that could open an entrance or a superpower related to unlocking it. It didn''t really matter though. Because the most important thing for me was to feel the energy of the tombstone and enter it. Just by standing in front of it, I could feel the distortion of dimension inside, but anyone who had opened this place and entered must have felt the power of the devil itself. As the black tombstone opened with a screech, the space leading to the dungeon shook. It was a sight that could be seen dozens of times a year while hunting, but it was still unfamiliar because what was currently unfolding before me was that of deformed dungeon. The inside of the dungeon was, to be honest, mediocre; An endless red space which covered every corner of the world. It was all steep cliffs and mountain ranges which seemed to not permit any human intrusion. However, no living creatures could be seen anywhere in this world. If its only this much It was boring. I was someone who had entered a dungeon full of poison mist, or even a dungeon that took place in the deep sea. We walked for a while. It was only common sense that deformed dungeon worked differently from a normal dungeon. But it was my first time entering a deformed dungeon which didnt have any monsters inside of it. After walking for such a long time, a temple came to our view. It had no characteristics or personality except that it was larger than a normal temple, just like those temples commonly seen in books. Then, suddenly, the phrase commonly seen in books'' bothered me. Is that so'' As we entered the temple, we could see a very large cavity and a ten-story high altar stood on its centre. I could also feel the distortion of the dimension even more vividly. We are going to start now. After climbing up to the altar, Seol Jungyeon noonim and Taylor changed into protective clothing. Wearing tight black suits and helmets, they looked like bikers running down the road at night. Currently, the portal was half-closed and twisted, which would make the physical body unable to go back and forth. Only the soul could go through it. Though, it was still impossible for souls to come and go freely. But stabilizing it was simple. I put my hand on the altar, and part of my lifeforce was being consumed. Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Suddenly, a golden glow burst out, and a soft, jelly-like sphere appeared on the altar. Is this the portal to another world? Taylor admired the look that was quite different from the portal of a dungeon. It''s the first time I''ve seen something like this too, but I shrugged like I''d seen it a lot. Fuhhhh. Seol Jungyeon noonim was taking a deep breath. She must be carrying a heavier load on her chest than me and Taylor. But since I didn''t know anything, I couldnt comfort her. "Let''s go." I grabbed their hands. No matter how much lifeforce was spent to create the portal, if we were separated, the location and time period we landed on could be different. Chichijik, Chijijik-!! Eventually, when we collided with the portal, the world trembled and it was impossible to distinguish which direction we were facing. The front became the back and the top and bottom became one, and time itself staggered The wind suddenly brushed my cheeks. Huh! It was the first time for me to move in such an unfamiliar way, so even I was trembling with vertigo. What about Taylor and Noonim? Worried, I looked back before hurriedly looking in another direction. Both of them were here and were admiring the changed scenery, but This isMurim The place we arrived at was a dense forest with a thick foliage above. When Taylor slowly crept into the nearby tree, I hurriedly stopped her. Hey, cover yourself. "Huh? Oh yeah. As I said that, Taylor looked at me blankly. There was no hint of embarrassment on her face. It seems that she was asking for the clothes I had kept in my inventory. With a sigh, I handed the silver robe with a golden dragon embroidered on it, which I had decided to wear in Murim, to her. And then I turned around and saw that Noonim was also looking at me from a distance. She was not embarrassed, either Noonim, please cover yourself please I don''t know why these women were so insensitive. I mean, is it my share to be embarrassed? I hurriedly took the white uniform she wore earlier from my inventory and handed it to her. And then I also changed my clothes. A black suit wrapped around my body and over it, I wore a dark black coat that reached my knees. I really liked the simple design that my clothes offer, it was not much different from what I wore in reality. I tightened my belt and looked at Taylor. "Hey How do you wear this? This is crazy. Taylor was quietly hugging her uniform and smiling bashfully. Help me wear it. Sigh Only this time okay? Memorize what I show you. "Good good." After many sighs, I approached Taylor. With quick movements, I put her robe on, then, Noonim came to mind. Shouldn''t Noonim be the one who helps her? When I looked at Noonim with that thought in mind, she was looking in my direction with somewhat subdued eyes. Wha..whats wrong? When I asked because I thought I had committed a crime, Noonim smiled faintly and shook her head. "Nothing. Now let''s move. I want to see the village. "Okay." Just like that, our outing in the Martial Arts world began. * * * After running for several days through a cliff that seems to reject human footsteps and an enormous waterfall that seems to separate the world in two, we finally arrived in a village deep inside the forest. Hey it seems that the culture here really resembles Chinas. Now I understand the reason why they were so adamant. However, they were only similar, and if someone had seen the Chinese culture and history, they might have noticed the subtle differences between the two. By the way, wouldnt silver hair stand out too much? Noonim had platinum blonde hair which was slightly mixed with the colour of sunset, while Taylor had dazzling silver hair and a unique eye colour. Because of that, everyone passing by was looking at us or at least thats what I thought. but when I looked around, there were surprisingly many people who didn''t have dark hair. It was easy to find brown or blonde hair, as well as green eyes. The skin colour was also very diverse, so it was easy to see the black and yellow-skinned Murim people pouring alcohol in the tavern. Well. It seems that the reason why both Noonim and Taylor had received attention so far was simply because both of them were too beautiful. I''ll have to tell both of them to cover their faces later. "Noonim, were all people of Murim behave like this in the first place? After the earthlings arrived in Murim, many things have changed. I don''t know too much about it, but I assumed it must have been due to the influence of the Earthlings." "Ah" In fact, I heard that people from all over the world of various nationalities and races fell on Murim and had devoured them with their overwhelming growth power. By the way, what are we going to do now? First, we need to find out where this is. Wherever the demon''s body is, there must be a characteristic. I also have to ask around about it I slowly looked at Noonim. Also, we have one more important thing to do. Ugh So, first, how about we go to a tavern and eat something? "Tavern?" Huh, dont you know about it? When you read martial arts novels, didn''t they get information from the tavern like every single time? Isnt that a clich that shows up almost every time? I heard Taylors words and decided that it was true that we need a place to sleep tonight. Following her advice, we moved to the nearby tavern. Most of the taverns also function as an inn, and of course they provide meals. As we entered the tavern, I sat on one of the empty tables. Then Taylor immediately raised her hand and shouted. Excuse me, please give us your menu! I covered my face because of her behavior. I was really ashamed. You bastard, how in the world would they have a menu here Yes~ Ill be there soon~! .Huh? A waitress suddenly answered Taylors words in English. It seems that Taylor was joking when she said it, so, when she heard the answer, she jolted up and looked at my eyes with her eyes wide open. After a while, a waitress really brought the menu, and we checked it out with clear skepticism in our eyes. Chicken Sanjeok, Spicy Chicken Feet, Pork Belly, Cheese Ball Skewer, Ginkgo Skewer, Asparagus Pork Belly Rolls (Special!), Stir-fried Udon Noodles, Hot Sweet and Sour Pork, Fantastic Pork Belly Rolls Come on, wait. Why is the menu like this? Where is the Grilled Duck, Somen Noodles, or Bamboo Leaf Alcohol? Somen Noodles and Bamboo Leaf Alcohol were the most basic items available in any tavern in the martial arts world. No, in the first place, it was correct to say that there was virtually no other choice than those two foods. Then, the waitress looked at me with pitiful eyes as if she was looking at an outdated old man. Who in the world sells such a thing these days? You are not trendy. . Our restaurant has developed a dish by pinpointing a selling point that many Murim people like! On the first page, would you please look at it? Self-complacency! We have etched it into our hearts and always do it! How about ordering the Jadongseong Rib Steak? (T/N this may not make any sense But the author really wrote Self-complacency) Me, Noonim and Taylor, opened our mouths in awe at her fluent vocabulary. Turns out, this world was not the world of martial arts that we knew. In other words, this was the World of Martial Arts novels. Chapter 164: The Return of Supreme Cheonma (1) How did the Cheonma Sect become active again? The news had sowed doubt in our minds. However, I couldnt let Noonims mentality get shaken by it. Thats why I quickly grasped her hand to comfort her. Then, startled, Noonim raised her head and met my eyes. Although most of her face was covered by a veil except for her eyes, they were so beautiful yet mysterious and could make people''s hearts flutter simply by seeing it. Noonim, lets think about it positively. In any case, it is a good thing that the legacy of the Cheonma Sect continues without being cut off. Although the Cheonma Sect follows the teaching of the Heavenly Demon, it was said that evil parts of the teachings had long been abolished from their sect by the sects previous lord, Gal Hyuk-jun. He did it because he didn''t want to rule the world with blood and violence, and just wanted to quietly live in his own territory. It was said that the elders at that time had no choice but to follow the words of Gal Hyuk-jun since he was someone who possessed overwhelming power. And when Seol Jungyeon ascended to the seat of lord, the sect had become a completely clean sect without any influence from political factions. In other words, the resurrection of the Cheonma Sect did not have any negative impact on the world. Although I dont know what the current resurrected Cheonma Sect is like I can only say positive things to Noonim. "Thats right Thank you. Realizing what I meant, Noonim smiled faintly and nodded her head. By the way, is it really impossible to impersonate the Cheonma Sect? Taylor, who took turns looking at me and Noonim with a frown, mumbled a question. Dont you know that every sect has a unique martial art of their own? Well, thats true. Taylor nodded at my question. That was also why the situation was even more burdensome. People of Murim werent fools. There was no way that they couldn''t tell the difference between the idiots who pretend to be part of the Cheonma Sect from the real one. In other words, it was possible that someone who had learned the Cheonma Heavenly Art had re-established the Cheonma Sect Theres only one person who comes to my mind. "Yes?" Noonim sighed heavily before smiling. A long time ago After the death of the Lord, I met a pitiful child. Noonim said she met the child for the first time in the back alley while she was walking on the street trying to shake off her loneliness. The girl, who was a beggar, secretly approached Noonims pocket, which seemed to be full of things, and of course she wasnt able to steal from an Expert and Noonim quickly caught her by the collar. Put me down! You wicked woman! Instead of feeling offended by the girls words, Noonim saw her young self in the child. Although her childhood was not as wild, daring and courageous as the little kid, she thought that she resembled herself in running desperately to live and survive. So, Noonim took the girl in. Noonim faintly smiled as she told us the story. She had a very good swordsmanship, and I liked her personality that hated losing to others. That was why I personally taught her swordsmanship. Noonim said the talent the kid possessed was great. In addition to that, her desire to be strong was also admirable, allowing her to easily surpass any adult in an instant. However, She got into accidents all the time. Because the girl was pretty, there were too many men who approached her. But even though it was only a simple approach, the girl couldn''t stand it and knocked all the men out. And despite several warnings given by Noonim, she said that the girl''s childhood memories of being raped by a bandit made things worse every passing day, and eventually she castrated several male warriors of Murim. She was an unfortunate child. Her never-ending distrust for man grew bigger day by day, and I eventually had no choice but to expel her. My heart ached so much at the time However, thanks to being expelled from the Cheonma Sect, the girl survived. Is that really a good thing? Me and Taylor couldn''t say anything. As the atmosphere got colder, Noonim quickly finished the long story. Anyway, if that child was the one who re-established the Cheonma Sect, then she could be trusted. Thats good. But it seems that Noonim still wants to go there and check it out for herself? "Thats right. I need to pay respect to my deceased family member and meet the new Lord. Since I came back alive like this, she will definitely welcome us. I smiled at her and nodded my head. Please, I wish it was true. * * * After a quick breakfast, we left the village. It was to meet the intelligence group Shadow Group. Perhaps, because this world was a world of martial arts, there were a lot of difficult paths along the way, such as a road that could barely be passed by one person or a path on the edge of a steep cliff. However, such topography was not a problem for us. Even me, the lowest level here, could walk vertically on the cliff if I wanted to. But, even though we could easily go to our destination even if it was not a comfortable forest path, Taylors constant pestering, Lets go through the forest path! Theres something I want to see! gave me no choice but to choose a common road that ordinary people use. Half a day after we choose to walk through the forest path, Kah ha ha! these guys! Where are you going to go? Things Taylor wanted to see'' had finally appeared. The man who stood in our way had dark skin and yellow teeth that clearly show that he hadn''t washed well. His hair was dirty and tangled in many places, he was only wearing a vest-like garment that didn''t fit his body well. "Oh oh! It finally came out! The Nokrim! Taylor squealed. It was none other than the Nokrim, a bandit group who was dubbed as passing villain or early protagonists combat power gauge in martial arts novels. Hahahaha, It seems youve heard of our notoriety, so you know it well! Yes, name is Wang Chil-deuk, the leader of the Eighteen Green Trees. If you want to go live, give us all of your valuables! Taylor''s eyes twinkled when the very obvious line came out. She put her hand together in front of her just like a girl who had met a superstar, it looked like she would easily give the bandit a single gold nugget. I glanced around and saw that the number of bandits was about 100. It is larger than I expected. It is too cumbersome to fight, so I just took out a money bag and threw it away. Then, a sudden thought crossed my mind. Is this a clich where they simply ignore you once you give them what they want? And as expected, Wang Chil-deuk did not let us go. Look at these, you do have a lot of money! Give me all your remaining money! That is all we have. How dare this bastard talk back to the boss?! Ha ha, stop it. If they get scared and piss themselves, won''t their clothes get smelly? Your clothes are splendid, are you a young master from somewhere? Take that off too and give it to me. "Oh, hey. This is soooooo great. It is exactly like what I had imagined!" . Next to me, Taylor keeps hitting my side and making a fuss. Is it really that good? Wang Chil-deuk suddenly slung his sword over his shoulder before rushing towards us and reached out for Taylor. Heh, When I heard the voice, it sounded like a woman, should I see your face first? The development that follows was obviously interesting to watch, but Taylor, who hates direct interaction, swept away all the bandits with a beam of light without leaving a single one alive. In martial arts novels, it could be said that this kind of treatment was excessive for a mere common villain, but in the real martial arts world, the more you deal with them, the better. People who see women as objects and steal other people''s things were not needed in the world even if they were alive. Huhu, cleaning up trash is always fun. Shall we continue on our way now? Looking at Taylor, who seemed content after relieving her stress, Noonim and I could only shake our heads. * * * Our destination was a city named Seoryusi''. Its name was derived from the fact that the entire city turns white when it snows. It seems to be too bright of a city for a group like Shadow Group. But whatever Its not really my business. Along the way to Seoryusi, we met a lot of thieves, while we rarely encountered monstrous beasts. We even met an Expert who came out of nowhere and challenged us to a duel. There were a lot of unusual people in Murim more than what the novel had described. One time when I was sitting on the edge of a cliff to admire the meadow which stretched underneath, I saw warriors of Murim who shot their arrows towards a giant crow named Black Devil that had appeared behind me. There were also merchants who flocked into a small hut to take whatever they stored there. I also met a hermit named Kang Tae-gong'', who was casually fishing in a lake while sitting on the edge of a huge waterfall and had to experience an annoying night attack from him when we were staying in the village built on the cliff for a while. Murim was a much livelier world than I had expected. Seol Jungyeon noonim always smiled whenever Taylor and I saw something new and then kindly explained them to us. It seemed she was also enjoying it, so I was relieved a little. So, for two weeks, we had a very brief leisure time and were able to arrive at Seoryusi. Seoryusi was a very beautiful city as its name suggests. The river-like structure which runs through the centre of the city was beautifully sculpted in marble, reminiscent of modern crafts. And most of the buildings in the city were the same size as if they were planned. The buildings that are larger than normal ones in the city all belonged to the sects. From traditional martial arts names such as Chongsanpa'', Mahodang'', and Cheonryuhoe'' to some fantasy names such as Blue Mind Sect'', Destroyed Sword Guild'', Speed ??of Speed ??Steel Party'', etc. After looking at them, Noonim was silent for a while before saying a short word, "there are a lot of new sects." We quickly went to the Shadow Groups place. It was located in an alley called Saros Street, and it was said that the alley was ruled by various gangs called cheoldupa (mafia in terms of earth). The back alley itself reminds me of a red-light district on Earth. The prostitutes were subtly poking out their bodies for people who walked by to see, and it seemed that it didn''t matter whether the passerby were male or female. Hey, oppa, lets play together~ The muscular man kept sticking into me, it was so ridiculous and troublesome. Um, its a bad place. Taylor looked around with a crumpled expression. Fortunately, because Taylor was small, she was well hidden behind me, so the female prostitutes didnt cling onto her. As we passed them and went deeper into the alley, some bastards standing in stiff posture with shabby weapons in their hand such as iron rods and bats were blocking the road. But as soon as we looked into their eyes, we knew. In a place like this, they weren''t just pretending to be a thug. They were at least an Expert.'' Noonim whispered to me. I nodded quietly before approaching them. What do you want? I think youve taken the wrong road, Ill let you go if you turn back now. One of them came to talk to me pretending to be a thug, but I ignored him and held out my hand. There was a tattoo of a V encased in a circular border engraved on my arm. It was a tattoo that came along with the letter from Smiling Shadow. Seeing it, the thug nodded as if he was used to it. You are a guest of honor. We will guide you. The thug No, the member of the Shadow Group instantly changed his tone and led us to a certain building. As soon as we entered, we moved to the basement. I thought we would be greeted in a dark space, however, contrary to what we thought, he took us to a very bright and bustling place. The place we arrived at was a large training hall with hundred warriors encircling us like a Colosseum. In the middle of it, a man was sitting quietly with a desk laid in front of him. We sat on the seat across from the man while glancing at the warriors in our surroundings. Then, the man greeted us with a relaxed smile. "Nice to meet you. It is an honour to have a distinguished guest in front of me. "Thank you. I came here with the introduction from Smiling Shadow, the former Lord of the Shadow Group. When the name came out, the warriors in the training hall stirred while the man in front of me just laughed bitterly. My name is Hwa Ryujin. Of course, it is a pseudonym. Is it okay for you to show your face? I can change faces at any time, so it doesn''t matter. Originally, I didnt even say things like this, but I dont think lying could help me build trust. When you say it like that, it actually builds trust. Of course, even this so-called trust could have been intentional, so I didnt completely trust him. By the way, who are these warriors? Your subordinates? No. You can think of them as another group of information that is lurking all over the world. Because we are sharing information, the conversation that happens here will naturally reach their ears. They were what people called shadow warriors planted by numerous sects. From huge sects that you could immediately recognize by just hearing names such as Cheongseong, Jongnam, and Hwasan, to organizations that you hear for the first time but were very powerful in reality. To be honest, I felt pressured, but I did not express it. "Well, by the way As the head of the intelligence group, this is the first time I''ve ever asked a customer for information" Hwa Ryujin carefully asked me. How is the former head doing? In response to that question, I remembered Smiling Shadow and his men, who not too long ago tried to betray their comrade when they were on the verge of death. Smiling Shadow was clearly not happy about it but "Yes. Well, hes doing fine." Im happy. I could feel that hes not sincere with his words. If this man was still genuinely worried about Smiling Shadow, it would have been better for him to go to Earth. Of course, the man was not someone from Earth, so there was nothing he could do about it. Thats good. Anyway, with your relationship with the former head, I''ll help you just once." Isnt that too little? As an intelligence group, even if we keep our loyalty we still have to look at the net profit. To be honest, it doesnt matter much for me. After all, I didn''t plan to stay in Murim for long. What you want is information, right? "Yes." It seemed so. Each and every one of you has an aura that I can''t even dare to touch. You don''t need power." "Yes. First of all, I want to find out about a certain divine object. A divine object? A divine object related to dimensional movement''. Murim''s demon'' has leaked into Earth. Perhaps, it was an object with the power to connect the Earth and Murim. In Earth''s language, they called it a core, but in Murim, it''s not called that. So I decided to just call it a divine object''. Hm A demon, huh?" He pondered for a moment before nodding his head. There is only one object I could think of. Yes?" To be honest, I didn''t expect the information to come back immediately when I brought out the words dimensional movement'' or demon'' and I was just thinking of asking him to find something related to it. Because it was just such a silly story. However, Hwa Ryujin immediately gave an answer. The general public may not know, but Some rumours were spreading among the people who are already familiar with it. Rumour said Kunlun was infected by demon, they wield powers from other worlds Perhaps the rumors are true "It is indeed so. In fact, they are doing some pretty heinous magic. It is similar to the one used by Magyo 100 years ago, but in a more terrifying and cruel form It was said that the magicians of the past were able to forcefully empower the inner energy of their body, and in an instant, their strength could be doubled or tripled. However, it was a technique that was rarely used in the political faction because it was easy to fall into backlash and tends to become violent. All the warriors of the Kunlun Sect are learning martial arts normally. When they are not fighting, they maintain a gentle personality. But when the moment of battle comes, they change as if they become a completely different person. As if they had become a completely different person. Even a child could easily guess that it was the handiwork of the same demon that had caused several accidents on Earth. All of that happened after a mysterious divine object they call Magic Orb appeared in the Kunlun Sect. Noonims eyebrows twitched at the word Magic Orb. " it''s a story from more than a few decades ago." "Yes. At that time, the influence of the Magic Orb was very minimal, but it was recorded that there were small changes. However, this sudden change in the Kunlun Sects tendencies only occurred after all the warriors from Earth returned to Earth. Hwa Ryujin said. Destructive, violent, and more brutal than any other martial arts, the Kunlun Sect possessed overwhelming force, and even now they were trying to devour the Murim Alliance. In other words, it meant that even when the Kunlun Sect repeatedly started wars by attacking the Cheonma Sect, they were already in a state of being encroached by the Magic Orb. The more I heard the more fusion martial arts this world became. Was it common for demons to appear in martial arts fields? I don''t know for sure, but it''s definitely quite unconventional. If I hadn''t killed the protagonist of this world, Lee Dongjun, I was certain that the demon related things would have spread to him. Starting with the Saekma Bang Ho-Win, Murim was engulfed by demons which gradually crossed to Earth. Perhaps that was the main story of Turns Out My Dad Was Supreme Dharma. Of course, I had killed the protagonist by my own hand. So, from now on, I have to deal with all this. This was a sense of duty that I carried on my shoulder. Hm, it would be really tough if its Kunlun Sect. I presumed that the source of the demon''s power and the core responsible for the portal were almost identical. In other words, from the beginning, the demon had the power to cross dimensions. Then, by chance, the demon crash-landed on Earth that was once connected with Murim, and it was possible to speculate that it was able to completely descend on Earth by possessing a certain earthling who knew its existence. Well Thats true. The demons in the novel swipe open the portal as easily as stealing candy from a baby. The cost was mostly loss of power, and it was a basic clich to make up for it by contracting with humans or absorbing power from humans. Perhaps, in the current case, it was replenishing its power by turning to the Kunlun Sect. It''s been decades since then To be honest, hunting demons by myself was a waste of time.Though, it would be different if Aracelli was here, but that child couldn''t even come here. Then, it left me only one viable option. Destroying the Magic Orb to prevent demons from manifesting in Murim and Earth. But, how? Then, suddenly, Seol Jungyeon slowly stood up from her seat and threw off her hood and veil. Her platinum blonde hair, resembling the sunset light, fell down. Her shining appearance shone brilliantly even in this stuffy space. Hwa Ryujin shook violently as he saw her and unknowingly kicked off his chair and got up. You You are the former lord of the Cheonma Sect, Seol Jungyeon! The agitation of the Murim people who were watching our conversation around us reached its peak. In the midst of the trading of information, their lips trembled as they spit out words. The Supreme Cheonma She has returned? I looked at them in amazement. As the eyes and ears of all Murim groups were gathered here, Noonims appearances would spread throughout the world within a day. Seol Jungyeon spoke in a relaxed and sluggish tone, but it certainly contained an overflowing confidence. Tell the world, that I, Supreme Cheonma, has returned. Chapter 163: Anyhow, The Answer is Always Martial Arts (3) So, following the waitress'' recommendation, we ate a special course meal complete with dessert and an expensive alcoholic drink. As I got more and more confused, I decided to completely give up trying to understand this world. When I looked at Seol Jungyeon noonim, she was touching her tiny pink lips with her finger. It seems like she wasnt used to the current situation we were in either. On the other hand, Taylor just looked around with curious eyes as she mumbled This is a strange world.'' Hey. When you read a martial arts novel, valuable information is always circulating in a tavern. Would it be the same here? "Be careful about what you say, many people are paying attention to us. I said to Taylor. In the martial arts world, there was a group of beggars who could also be called as an eavesdropping expert. Even now, the beggars wandering around our tavern were quite suspicious. After saying that, I concentrated for a moment. I was trying to feel the aura of Aracelli, who had always followed me whenever I traversed through dimensions. She and I had placed a mark on each other''s souls, and even though I wasnt as good as Aracelliwho could feel my presence in any dimensionat the very least I could feel her when we were in the same dimension. However, Aracelli''s energy couldnt be felt at all. Is that so?'' Somehow, knowing that Aracelli couldnt follow me even after I moved to another dimension made my heart ache. I promised myself to treat Aracelli better next time we meet. Seol Jungyeon noonim, Taylor and I were still quietly drinking alcohol at the tavern. Hey, I told you it was the truth. That guy calls himself Silver Bulldog''!" Crazy. Theres no Silver Bulldog in this world! You are being fooled! Huh, is that so? I learned English as my mother tongue. It was hard to focus on the conversation around me, because there were too many confusing things that happened. I used my footwork to left ducking to dodge an attack, before throwing a punch, and they were all gone in one shot. (T/N The left ducking is written by the author) Thats great Hyung-nim! To commemorate the slaughter of them this time, lets have a drink! "Okay! Cheers! Cheers! Of course, although we did not have any intention to kill or find anyone there was still a limit to the information we could obtain from the tavern. But at least it helped me get a sense of the atmosphere here. Strangely, the proportion of people who used English in addition to Chinese inside the tavern was quite high, the ratio itself was around 2:1. It''s like Korean pretending to be Korean while writing everything in English. Did America even rule the Murim League? Why is it like this? As I quietly asked such a question, Noonim who sat quietly next to opened her mouth and said "it''s probably because of me. At that time, I used English all the time. "Is that so? Ah." Come to think of it, didnt Noonim tell me that at one time, as the head of the Cheonma Sect, she had almost united Murim under her? Her title comes from the fact that she was a supreme being who had reached the level of extreme demons that would never be seen again in the world. although she lost everything after losing to Supreme Dharma. (T/N a reminder, Cheonma could be translated into Heavenly Demon.) "Noonim, where is the location of the Cheonma Sect? Its in Xinjiang. Northwest from here. The name seems to be similar to Chinese. However, the spelling of the Chinese characters used was slightly different. We need to get a map. Hey, do we even have any money? Nope, we dont have any. I was going to make payment in gold nuggets because I knew that gold was a valid currency in any world. As I opened my mouth to explain that, someone tapped me on my shoulder. I look back, trying to see who it is. And there I saw a group of tall men with sly smiles plastered on their faces. Hey, my friend. Is it okay to hog two beauties alone? Shouldn''t you make some concessions to this brother?" "Oh" I sighed. If you go with beautiful women in a martial arts world, a must-have clich would certainly happen! It was tavern thugs. I glanced at Taylor. Her face was clearly saying that she was looking forward to this development. Normally, she would hate it when being treated like this, but it seems that currently she was really liking it because of her love of martial arts novels. In other words, to sum it up, Here it is. Our wallet. * * * A tavern could be said to be similar to a hostel. A single room was of course not available. So, I had planned to take two double rooms, one for myself and one for the girls. However, the two of them were very reluctant to do it, so I had to get a four-person room. There was no room for 3 people or something. While they went to take a shower, I laid myself on a large bed and pulled out a letter from my inventory. When I said that I was going to Murim, Smiling Shadow gave me a letter to meet with Shadow Group. Unlike the Murim Leagues intelligence team, Shadow Group was a group of assassins, so of course they were also proficient in intelligence gathering. A letter from him, who was once the head of Shadow Group, will certainly be of some help to us. When I tore the letter, a dark energy leaked out and soon took shape of map and address. Once I memorized it, it quickly disappeared. Just how did he keep it so secure? It seems that mugong also had many strange things in many different ways. Bump! The door opened, Noonim and Taylor, who seemed to be finished, came in. Both of them were slightly blushing. There was no convenient technology like a hair dryer in this world, that was why their hair was still wet. Come to think of it, I think I''ve read some groundless article somewhere that a woman with wet hair could look attractive Just why didn''t they dry it when they could easily dry it with their aura? I looked at them with those thoughts in my mind. Oblivious to my thought, they just smiled and stared at me. I couldn''t even ask such a strange thing, so I just left it as it is. "Hey. Do my clothes again. Taylors clothes were indeed a mess. So, I approached her and organized her clothes. While I was doing that, I could feel a hot gaze from my side. Without hesitation, I quickly fixed her uniform before sitting down on the table and opened the map I had procured. This is the forest where we first set foot. I pointed at a place on the map, it was Baeksan Forest. It was a large forest located in the western region, and it was said that wild plants covered the entire area. Such details were of little use to us and had been skipped over. And, if we go about 700 km east from there, we will find Cheonghae. It''s known as the realm of the Kunlun sect, but I don''t know if that''s still the case. Noonim, what is Kunlun Sect? Seol Jungyeon noonim, who had been thinking for a while, said with a shrug. It was a group that hated us. Well, it was understandable. Xinjiang, where the Cheonma sect was located, was almost touching Cheonghae. No matter how much the Hundred-Thousand Mountain and the Cheongsan Mountain range protects them, in the end, it will be impossible for them to escape from the control of the Cheonma Sect. There were many Taoists who practiced their technique there, but they were too vile to be called Taoists. They were the first to attack us even though we didnt even do anything. "Hm." Thats suspicious. The image of the Kunlun Sect in my head was a well-mannered aristocrat. They couldnt be that barbarics beyond reason, could they? "I don''t know what they are thinking about, but Kunlun was the one who kept attacking and starting a war when my family didn''t do anything. "Yes?" At first, we had no intention of going to war. No, I had no interest in war or occupation in the first place until the Kunlun Sect continued to attack us after gaining support from the heads of the Murim Alliance. Come to think of it, why havent I wondered about it? No matter how many times I saw Noonim, she was clearly a gentle person. Even though that slender arm could wield the world''s strongest swordsmanship, it had never attacked anyone first. By the way, I havent even asked her about the reason behind her dream of uniting Murim yet For some reason, the Kunlun Sect had a grudge against us from the beginning. The previous head of Cheonma Sect, Gal Hyuk-jun, had not moved since he settled down in Xinjiang, and as far as I know, in the past 100 years, Cheonma Sect had never attacked Jungwon Murim. Yet, they keep touching my people and family members in Murim There''s only one way to stop it. Putting Murim under her rule. From the story I heard, she had almost ruled the world while only fighting to protect her own people. Should I say it''s great?'' To summarize, the Kunlun Sect had always been trying to attack the Cheonma Sect since ancient times, and in response, the Cheonma Sect had no choice but to wage war. However, using that as an excuse, Kunlun Sect received support from the Murim Lord at that time. My feeling told me that it was exactly what they were aiming for. Kunlun Sect whose behaviour was no different from a thug. I think theres a chance that the demon might be hiding in the Kunlun Sect. At my word, Noonims and Taylors expressions turned rigid. I could surely understand their worry. Afterall, It''s a place with a lot of power since all of its members practice magic, so they could naturally fight well. Actually, its fine, we can just close the portal and run away. Saying that, I glanced towards Noonim. For me this world was a world that I dont know. So, it didn''t really matter much whether the demon conquered the world or cooked Jjajangmyeon here. But for my Noonim, this place was almost like her hometown. So of course she was worried. However, Noonim only closed her eyes without responding to my words, and our brief meeting ended. * * * I forced my tired eyes to open. In this room, there were two large beds that could be used by two adults each. One was supposed to be used by myself, and the other one was supposed to be used by Noonim and Taylor. However, currently, the other bed was empty. There was no one who slept on it. Noonim and Taylor were sleeping at my side while hugging each of my arms. damn it. I thought they would let go last night. Till dawn, the two women, who were clearly adults, had quarreled childishly over the bed. I don''t know the reason. So, I forced both Noonim and Taylor to sleep on the other bed while I took one bed by myself, but it seems that they couldnt stand it. Because before long, Noonim and Taylor had woken up from their sleep. I couldnt even remember what happened last night, so I couldnt say anything. But what I knew was that they were both shameless. Lets have breakfast. When we went down to the first floor, I saw quite a few people getting up early and eating. Among them, some warriors were also mixed in. Would it be more convenient for me to be a 3rd class swordsman? It''s probably a good idea since a 3rd class swordsman identity was a good identity to be active. Just like yesterday, I called the waitress and ordered the breakfast special set menu before leaning back to the chair. Noonim and Taylor had their whole bodies covered in pure white robes, even their face was half covered with black see-through veil. They had very uncomfortable expressions on their faces, but there was nothing I could do about it. Their appearances were just too eye-catching. In Noonims case, she used to be the leader of Cheonma Sect, and there was a high possibility that someone would be aware of her identity and become an annoyance for us, thus the veil acted as some kind of safety measure. At that moment, my ears perked up at the voice of whispers from around me. I heard that the Cheonma Sect has begun their activities once more. That was what I heard too! The former leader had disappeared and the Cheonma Sect was completely annihilated, I wonder how they could start again Was there any chance that the current leader was an impostor? I dont think so. The current leader was so powerful, rumour said that a single swing from the leader could cut through Mount Tai! Hey. That''s an exaggeration, my friend. Do you still believe in rumors? Cheonma Sect they were resurrected But, how? From what I heard, everyone had died. With a bewildered expression, Taylor and I slowly turned towards Seol Jungyeon noonim. She was staring at the floor with quivering eyes, completely losing her usual serenity. Chapter 165: Return of Supreme Cheonma (2) The new chapters count per tier at patreon is posted already! Read up to 10 chapters starting from 3$ Murim Alliance. It was an organization established by the Nine Great Schools which were hailed as the most prestigious groups in m Murim. Their purpose was clear, it was for the peace and well-being of the entirety of Murim. However, as the time passed, their purpose had also shifted. Why? Thinking back on the matter, it seems that it had started when the power of the Kunlun Sectwhich could be said to be the beginning of mugong in Murimbecame huge. In Murim Alliance Headquarters, all the elders had assembled to answer the call from the Murim Lord. Murim Military Advisor looked at the elders without saying anything. It was clear that they had come after hearing the same news as him, or they were just trying to manage their facial expressions. Perhaps, if the emotions they feel were the same as him, it would be blissful''. The military advisor looked around slowly before his eyes finally laid at the man who was sitting in the farthest corner. Although the official leader of the Murim Alliance was the Namgoong family, that man was in fact the Supreme Leader of Kunlun, the most powerful sect amongst all sects present at this meeting. In the past, there was a time when the powers of the Cheonma Sect and the Kunlun Sect clashed violently. It was because the power of Kunlun Sect had gradually waned in the passing times, and had been pushed back by other sects who had absorbed numerous genius talents from the other world''. The Kunlun Sect must adhere to tradition. With such a will, they hardly accepted people from another world. Thanks to that, their position in the Murim Alliance gradually diminished, and at the time, no one found it very strange. Perhaps, because of that very reason, the Experts of the Kunlun Sect provoked the Cheonma Sect even more strongly. But the truth is, no one knew their exact reason except for the fact that the Kunlun Sect excessively stimulated the fear of the people of the Cheonma Sect. The Murim Alliance could not understand their actions and did not even try to understand them. Then one day, when a competition was held People of Murim realized. Kunlun Sects martial arts have become stronger! Why? Because when it comes to mugong, even the warriors of Murim who come from Earthwho were born with innate strength and talentwere no match to Kunlun Sect. However, it did not simply stop there, the mugong of the Kunlun Sect had also developed at an overwhelming speed. The Kunlun Sect, which had developed rapidly, was finally able to drive the Cheonma Sect to the corner. However, it didnt end there. When Seol Jungyeon finally appeared on the battlefield, the war situation was completely turned upside down. With the power she held, she truly deserved to be called as the strongest under heaven. None of those who had witnessed the sword dance of the Supreme Cheonmawhich was said to resemble a lotus flowersurvived. No one in the whole world dared to stand straight in her presence or even meet her eyes. Supreme Cheonma truly showed no mercy to those who had touched her people. And by the request of Kunlun Sect, the Murim Alliance urgently dispatched their forces. Unfortunately, it was already too late. When Cheonma Sect crossed the Baek Mountain and came to Murim, the whole world had to bow down under her feet. Then, at that moment. Supreme Dharma appeared. The bad past came to mind.'' Namgoong Min frowned. The man had said that he enforced justice, and swept away the Cheonma Sect as he branded them as evil. Did he really know what was going on behind the scenes? The fact that the Cheonma Sect was the only existence capable of suppressing the Kunlun Sect, who had been working all sorts of tactics to monopolize Murim. With Supreme Dharmas intervention, Supreme Cheonma disappeared without a trace along with the Cheonma Sect, and after that, the momentum of the Kunlun Sect began to rise once again to taint the Murim Alliance with their own colour. No one could stop them. Despite their equal skill, for some reason, the Experts of the Murim Alliance were always caught up in fear that could not be understood by simply making eye contact with the Expert from Kunlun Sect, making it difficult for them to move. Their martial arts seemed to contain a mysterious power that could move people''s emotions. It was impossible to fight against their irresistible power. Fortunately, not long ago, Cheonma Sect had been resurrected by someone, albeit their influence spread pretty slowly thanks to the fact that they were fighting against Kunlun Sect and it still could not prevent Murim from being completely stained by Kunlun Sect. And in the midst of the Kunlun Sect''s encroachment to the Murim Alliance, a sudden news appeared. The Supreme Cheonma, Seol Jungyeon has returned. It was really good news that gave hope to all people of Murim. From now on, we will examine the authenticity of the news of Supreme Cheonmas return. When the Military Advisor, Namgoong Min finally broke his silence, the elders nodded their heads. But deep down, everyone knows it. The news of her return was a real one. And, the Murim Alliance would not block the progress of the Supreme Cheonma. He rather thought that it would be better if Supreme Cheonma ran wild and destroyed herself together with the Kunlun Sect. * * * It was too dangerous. I expressed my concern seriously to Seol Jungyeon. To reveal herself in a place where the eyes and ears of all the powers of Murim gathered was simply ridiculous. Even when she was someone from the Magyo, She currently had little power aside from her own power, what will happen once people from Murim Alliance come to her? But at my words, Noonim just faintly smiled and shook her head. "Its okay. The Murim Alliance will not stop me. And why is that? No matter how strong Noonim is, Murim Alliance was not one guy who would sit still and suffer because they also had their pride. "Well Would it be easier to understand if I say it was because of political reasons? Hmmm. I hummed. If it''s a political reason, the clich of the martial arts world came to my mind. Murim Alliance was a gathering of political factions that was created By Nine Great Schools. It was a group that acted like a police force in Murim which always said something like Young people these days'' or Why are you in politics if you scream that loud when your pride gets scratched a little? Anyway, that was the Murim Alliance I knew. In fact, in most martial arts novels, Murim Alliance was a group that wasnt really a big deal. They were always the one who ended up shutting their mouth in front of the strong even when they hated them so much. I think they want me to stop the Kunlun Sect. Noonims brief explanation followed, and I nodded with a firm expression. Supreme Dharma, he was worse than I thought.'' Perhaps, if there were readers in the world ofTurns out my Dad is The Supreme Dharma they would have never known about the truth that people of Cheonma Sect weren''t really the bad guys. The fact is, the Kunlun Sect was the first to attack them, but then, they were purged just because Supreme Dharma labelled them as evil. "Hmmmm the more I listen, the more I become certain that the power of the demon is interfering with Kunlun Sect." "Ugh Just what demon appeared in the Martial Arts world? Its not even a fusion martial art genre, its just a jjamppong martial arts genre. Taylor grumbled. The steak you are eating right now doesnt make sense in the martial arts world too, right? Taylor just shrugged at my words before dumping a piece of steak with a fork and munched on it. It doesn''t seem like she had any particular intention to keep her dignity or manners when she''s with her close friend. With all evidence from Earth and Murim, it is safe to say the demon hiding in the Kunlun Sect was stimulating human emotions such as fear and anger. The Kunlun Sect then incorporates the demons power into their martial arts, so it has a powerful power. Perhaps the power of the demon is the ability to draw out one''s own anger to amplify their power'' and to stimulate the fear of others and weaken their power''. It is such a simple power, but it is a difficult one to respond to for humans who are always dominated by emotions. Anyway, no matter how strong we are, the three of us cant fight against the entirety of Kunlun Sect. In general, in the world of Murim, the content of mana (essence) in the air was extremely scarce. It was to the extent that it takes 60 years of constant training for ordinary people to build up the strength of their body and become a peak rank Expert. Well, there are exceptional cases like Warrior of Murim from Earth. However, even if those peak rank Experts ability was only on par with A rank superhuman, they had never ignored their experience and control. The evidence of their superiority had been proven by Celeste who had shown people from Earth that Murim swordsmanship was capable of dealing with superhumans with higher energy than herself. There will be hundreds of such peak rank experts in the Kunlun Sect, and there will be more than a hundred high-peak experts. In addition, Jang Moon-in, the lord of Kunlun Sect, was a Hwakyung expert, and in Murim, there was a technique called jinbeop, and when many people join forces, the synergy of it would become several-fold stronger. (N: Hwakyung is equal to an SS rank, Seol Jungyeon is one rank higher than those guys which is Hyunkyung/SSS, as for Supreme Dharma, he''s pretty much 1 tier higher than SSS rank/Shinhwakyung) In other words, the odds of a head-on collision are close to zero. But Noonim just smiled softly. Is there truly just the three of us? Saying that, Noonim took out the envelope she had received from Shadow Group. Inside it was information on Cheonma Sect. No matter how transparently they disclosed information transactions, there were times when customers wanted the information to be exchanged privately. In that case, only the fact that a transaction took place will be known but no one will know what kind of information was exchanged. It was the case for the information related to the Cheonma Sect. To be honest, there was no need to do it, but it seems that Noonim was reluctant to give information to other sects about the Cheonma Sect explicitly. According to their information, the child who used to be my disciple is the one who re-established the Cheonma Sect. The girl''s name was Baek So-hwi. Unlike Noonim, she was a woman who used a very wild swordsmanship. She was so talented with swords that she had reached the realm of Hwakyung in her twenties and surprised the entire Murim. Oddly enough, all members of the current Cheonma Sect are all women. But despite that, it was said that there were already 50 peak rank Experts and 10 high peak Experts within the sect, so it was easy to see just how quickly she was building the power of the Cheonma Sect according to her beliefs''. Noonim just said, Shes been working hard.'' But I felt a bit uneasy. That child will also welcome me. Isnt that obvious? In Murim, the relationship between a teacher and a disciple is stronger than blood! Noonim and Taylor excitedly chatted as they prepared to leave quickly. Taylor seemed to be quite excited at the thought of seeing the famous Cheonma Sectwhich she only read in novelsfor the first time while Noonim was excited because she would return to her hometown she had been longing for. But me, I was rather calm and just fiddled with the letter about the Murim Alliance I had received from Shadow Group. Since it was a transparent information exchange, there were no sensitive issues being traded. It was just a brief description of how the Murim Alliance works That alone was of great help to me. It allowed me to understand to some extent the power balance of this world and the composition of the story, because it was information that I could use as much as I could. "You know Noonim." Hm? Are you planning to fight the Kunlun Sect with the power of Cheonma Sect on your back? "Thats right." It was, of course, an obvious plan. But I wondered if it was really necessary. "Noonim, what do you think about the Murim Alliance? After thinking about it for a while, Noonim slowly shared her true thoughts. They are stupid old people. They are a group that would do anything just to get a piece of gold for themselves. With those words, I could understand the feelings Noonim had for the Murim Alliance. It was true that Murim Alliance was originally a gathering'' formed by the Nine Great Schools, and although they seem to exist for the sake of the Murim''s order, in fact, they were people who did not hesitate to do anything dirty for their own benefit. With that in mind, I thought that maybe there might be a way to overcome this situation with some ease, without getting blood in Noonims and Taylor''s hands. As usual, it was a pretty dirty method, but it was quite easy to pull off as well as have a high chance of success. Come on, lets go. I am looking forward to seeing just how much that child has grown. But at Noonims pleasant smile, I only shut my mouth and nodded. Because the plan I came up with was only to ensure the safety of the three of us. For that reason, even if its for my Noonim, I had to meet the woman called Baek So-hwi, the current head of the Cheonma Sect. But somehow, I feel that if I meet her, I will be stabbed in the back'' It was such a ridiculous idea, but my intuition'' which was honed from my experience was warning me. Moreover, it was a talent which I was most grateful towards since it allowed me to survive the hell called Hell Gate for three years, so I couldn''t simply brush the idea aside. Chapter 166: Return of Supreme Cheonma (3) This one is a bonus chap for the release of new patreon chapter count! So Be our Patron! Hehehe So, our group decided to head northwest for now. Normally, It would take us a few weeks at the very least before we arrive at Xinjiang, where the Cheonma Sect was located. But because everyone in our group could move fastNoonim with her excellent footwork, and Taylor who exploded light energy from her feet to move freely on air as well as groundwe could arrive faster. But in my opinion, we shouldnt do it because we weren''t in a hurry. Thankfully, Noonim and Taylor fully respected my opinion and followed me without asking the reason. Im not completely certain either, but it wouldn''t be a bad idea to invest a little time like this in order to get to a good ending''. I wonder what the situation on Earth is like? As she was walking down the path, Taylor asked as she plucked a leaf from a nearby bush and bit it with her mouth. "Well. Perhaps, it was easier to draw emotions on Earth than in Murim, that was why the demon could easily gain power as it pleased. But I was sure that right now, Yekaterina should be still looking for the host of the demon, so no matter how strong the demon currently was, it was impossible for it to roam as free as before. Is it that easy to find a bastard called the host? Its not, but It should be possible. I replied. It would certainly be difficult if it were me or Taylor who went to search for the host, Afterall, how did you know who was the host amongst 7 billion people? However, if it was Yekaterina who was fluent in various fields, it would be more than doable. It seems like you trust that kid so much, huh? "Of course. After all, we are connected by soul. Perhaps the words I uttered were very uncomfortable for them because Taylor and Seol Jungyeon noonim expressed their discomfort by coughing loudly. Just what should I say when I''m with these women, I feel like I have to be careful about every word I choose. By the way, why are you biting the grass in your mouth? Huh? I just want to create a martial art atmosphere. "Isn''t that a Japanese genre?" Huh, really? I didnt know. Actually, Im not sure either. It could be the Taiwanese genre. "I don''t think that''s a thing?" As we bickered back and forth in a playful manner, we continued our journey. Come to think of it, lately, when I''m with them, I think I have always only talked about important things'' such as talking about my concerns and listening to their advice. However, as we joked around like this, and even Noonim made light jokesmost of them were dad jokessomehow this leisurely time was very enjoyable. And after we moved for about three days, we finally arrived at the outskirts of Xinjiang. However, the moment we set foot on the highest peak of a huge mountain range called Sindubong Peak, we were suddenly surrounded by warriors in all directions. As Taylor and I looked at Noonim, she shook her head. It seems like they are not from Cheonma Sect. They appeared as if they didn''t have any hostility towards us. The five figures on the front, who were a mixture of European, African, and Asian people, each had different auras. In addition, close to fifty people were hiding in all directions, but they seemed to have no intention of revealing themselves. Are you from Murim League? As I spoke softly, the European man nodded his head. "It is so. Seol Jungyeon, former lord of the Cheonma Sect, my name is Alex Pung from Kunlun Sect. Others also introduced themselves, but they only said their title and affiliation without telling their names. From the moment Murim League appeared around us, Noonim had only been looking at Alex. When Noonim was still maintaining her silence, I asked Alex. What purpose do you have by coming to us? It was to confirm whether the Supreme Cheonma had really returned or not. Huh? I was stunned by his words. I was aware to some extent that the Murim Alliance would be coming to visit us. However, I could not have imagined that someone from the Kunlun Sect would also come. No matter how shaky the genre was, this place was still Murim; a place where the strong gain respect and rule above all. It was unthinkable for someone who hadnt reached the same realm as Supreme Cheonma to be able to frivolously talk to her. Even more when they hail from the opposing faction of the Cheonma Sect. "Confirmation, huh? Suddenly, Seol Jungyeon noonims smile become cold. Her voice sank several octaves lowered and swept everyone present into state of fear. Everyones expression hardened as the colour of their face become whiter. I was also included in those group for it was a killing intent I had never seen before. Wait! We didn''t come to fight- huh?!" Woong!!! The concentration of gravity suddenly increased. The clouds dispersed, the fluttering leaves disappeared into dust, and the ground gradually sank. You not only dare to raise your head in front of me, Supreme Cheonma, but also doubt my existence You guys really want to die, huh? Keuk! The Murim warriors who had been hiding in all directions, such as on the top of a tree or under a pile of dirt, suddenly grabbed their necks as if they were choking and began to fall. However, the five warriors on the forefront seemed to be quite competent, as they were still standing albeit their faces were dyed red. Noonim then glanced at me as if she was asking me for something, and I nodded my head. Right now, there was no need for the Kunlun Sect. The Murim Alliance probably wants to have a conversation with the Supreme Cheonma. But the Kunlun Sect didn''t want that, and they sent Alex with the rest of them in order to interfere. "Keuk, wait! We are only here to talk! Do I have any reason to talk to worms? When Noonim drew out her sword, Alex shouted as if he didn''t want to do it anymore. "Damn it! I knew it. Didn''t I tell you that talking with Cheonma is useless? Now that this has happened, there is nothing we can do! All we have to do is work together to stop her! Unfortunately for him, the other four warriors just took a step back and did not draw their weapons. At that, Alex shouted in great panic. Hey, hey guys! What the hell is this! Alex''s complexion grew paler as Noonim took one step closer towards him. "Damn it! As it turned out, you guys were on the same side!!! Disappointing! In the end, Alex Pung, who gave up on persuading the Murim League, grinds his teeth and clenches his fists. Goooooooooooooonngg!! His inner energy swirled. It may seem insignificant compared to Noonim''s strength, but nevertheless it still had a considerable amount of destructive power. Dragon Fist. Ultimate Special move. Anger Punch. His skill was very unique. Even though it was still in the scope of martial arts, but movement of emotion was contained within it. It was a power which raised one''s own anger and made the other person afraid. It was the first time I saw it since Saekma Bang Ho-Win. The anger, mixed with the demon''s magic, unfolded in Alex-style fist. Kwakwakwaquaquaw!! The wind blowing from his fist knocked down rows of trees, smashed rocks, smashed the ground, and reached towards Noonim. Immediately after, emotional fluctuations would begin. The movement of pure emotions that no other Murim warriors could stop would help Alex Pung to face an enemy stronger than him without much difficulty. However, Only the surface is shiny, the martial arts are mixed with dirty and obscene magic. ! Noonim swung her sword in slow motion. Then, the wind pressure that blew violently around her was cut apart and disappeared. "Ah..?" In an instant, silence fell to the battle ground and Alex made a stupid sound before trying to took a step back. But it was already too late. Whoosh! With one simple step, Seol Jungyeon noonim approached Alex and buried her sword on his left chest. Alex opened his eyes and looked at his chest. He was stabbed in the heart, but there was no pain nor bleeding. It was a magical swordsmanship that digs precisely between the blood vessels. He would have realized later that Seol Jungyeon noonim did not pierce his heart with her sword, but she punctured the blood in his heart. It was an elaborate stab that even I couldn''t have imagined. Heok Then, as if an immense pain had come upon him, Alexs eyes rolled backwards and he collapsed. Noonim on the other hand, lightly pulled out her sword and looked at the tip of her sword. There really wasn''t a single drop of blood on it. As if she deliberately did it that way because she did not want the blood of a garbage like him smearing her precious sword. All warriors of Murim present trembled. Alex, who was a fist fighter, used a staggeringly sharp movement, but the Supreme Cheonma had effortlessly cut it with a light attack and instantly killed an Expert who had reached the peak with a simple stab. That fact alone had made all of them understand the extent of her strength and the fact that she was truly a supreme being. When Noonim looked around her audience while still holding her sword, the Murim people who were touched by her gaze gulped their saliva. But in fact, they didn''t have to be afraid because her role had ended here. From now on, it was my turn. Now then, all of the Murim League. You said you wanted to talk to us? Someone stiffly nodded at my inquiry. I was satisfied with him and smiled. Actually, we also had something we wanted to tell you. May I ask what it is? This time the correct answer came back. I said to him with a soft smile. Did you know that the Kunlun Sect mixed martial arts with magic? Magic. It was a very sensitive word in the martial arts genre, and it was a technique that should never be used by a swordsman. It was proven by the fact that Murim peoplewho were defeated by the unusual technique used by the main character of the martial arts novelsoften say, Damn! You are using magic!. And do you also know that the magic they have was started from a certain divine object? In other words, the story I am going to tell them from now on would be a very secret, yet coveted story by everyone in the Murim Alliance. * * * After the conversation with the Murim Alliance ended, Taylor asked as we came out of the peak. "Hey. Have you been deliberately going slowly just to meet them? "Thats right." Why? Let me ask you this, why did the Murim Alliance come to us? Do you know that the Kunlun Sect holds too much power in the Murim Alliance right now? "Hm." And the truth is, Cheonma Sect is also a thorn in the eyes of the Murim Alliance. "Uh Okaay?" Kunlun, the strongest Sect of the Murim Alliance, or Cheonma Sect, the single most powerful force. Both were a problem for the Murim Alliance, so they were trying to cut their power by somehow letting them fight." Makes sense." Although the Murim Alliance looked united at first glance, it was not. The internal strife between sects never ends. In order to raise their ranks, to get a little more breath, to spread their shoulders a little more, they were ready to stab each other within the same Murim Alliance. I used the fact that the Kunlun Sect could use anger to instigate fear as an example to provide evidence that they were using magic. Murim Alliance might not trust my words right now, but the existence of Magic Orb'' was already proven since Shadow Group was aware of it. Sooner or later, the Murim Alliance would question the Kunlun Sect about their magical power, and if Kunlun refuses to answer, that would only serve as a proof to my words. Except for the Kunlun sect, the sects in Murim Alliance somehow got along well and harbored the same thought of sending both Kunlun and Cheonma sect away. However, I wasnt certain about that, so I took a different approach of accelerating the division within the Murim Alliance, starting with the fall of Kunlun Sect from the Murim Alliance. Until now, the Murim Alliance had no means or method to directly attack the Kunlun Sect, but if the relationship between them and magic was revealed, the Murim Alliance would be able to damage the Kunlun Sect as much as they want through political means. They will slowly scratch the Kunlun Sect from the inside, and they would probably move with the pretext of recovering the evil Divine Object as soon as possible''. But do they really only want to recover the Magic Orb? No way. It had been proven that using the Magic Orb would strengthen martial arts, so theres no way they would sit still. Probably most of the sects would try to take it and use it secretly for themselves. And once they neutralize the threat known as Kunlun Sect, they would eventually gnaw at each other. In the meantime, we just have to wait. Uh. Somehow, It sounds like a good plan, but you were so wicked. Taylor''s praise (?) made me very happy. Chapter 167: Return of Supreme Cheonma (4) The current Cheonma Sect had as many as two to three thousand members. Compared to its glory in the past, it was a trivial number. However, the current state of Cheonma Sect could also be said as a testament of the ability of the new lord since she was able to achieve it even though it hasn''t been that long since Cheonma Sect was completely destroyed. We heard Supreme Cheonma has returned. At the words of Han So-ran, Baek So-hwi, the current lord of Cheonma Sect, nodded with excitement. She was not the only one, as all the women who were above the elder level who had gathered on the steepest and sharpest Cheonma Cliff in Mt. Hundae had the same expression. Seol Jungyeon, the former lord of the Cheonma Sect, was an idol for all female warriors in Murim. She had made a name for herself in history. Although many women had also marked their name in history, the number was very small and it was difficult to find high-quality women warriors in the present generation. "Didn''t you say she was coming here now? Baek So-hwi, a woman with dark hair and black eyes, who had a ferocious expression, said so, and all the elders'' eyes trembled. When they entered the Cheonma Sect, they thought that the existence of Seol Jungyeon had already disappeared into history and could never be met. However, the legend had come to see them in person. That fact alone seemed to melt their body away from happiness. Baek So-hwi also struggled to calm her excited heart. Although she had been expelled from the Cheonma Sect by Seol Jungyeon, she never knew that she was also protecting Baek So-hwi by doing it. Not only that, she had saved her, taught martial arts to her, who was a beggar, to protect herself and gave her wings so that she could pursue her dream like this. She would not be able to repay all of her favours in the lifetime. Finally, we will meet again. Baek So-hwi closed her eyes. She remembered just how devastated she was when she heard Cheonma Sect had been destroyed immediately after she left it. Although she had no close friends since most of the members were men, she couldn''t help but despair even more when she heard that Seol Jungyeon, the woman she admired and loved the most had also disappeared without a trace. From the moment she first learned martial arts, Baek So-hwi''s goal was to be with her master, Seol Jungyeon, whom she admired. She wanted to stand next to her after establishing herself as a proud Murim warrior. However, that dream was shattered before it could come true, and her goal had become revenge''. But unfortunately for her, even the target for her revenge had completely disappeared from this Murim. They had returned to their hometown, Earth. Baek So-hwi, who lost her goal, did not let go of herself. She would rather re-establish the Cheonma Sect and carry the will of Seol Jungyeon. She was ready to once again fight against the Kunlun Sect and the whole Murim Alliance, who had constantly tormented her sect, and plant the banner of Cheonma Sect in the world once again. So Baek So-hwi continued to devote himself to the development of the Cheonma Sect. In a way, it was only natural that the Cheonma Sect became a place only for women under her rule since Baek So-hwi had the experience of being terrified by men when she was young and had constantly hated men in general. No, to be honest She was still afraid of men. They were so frightening and disgusting that she did not accept them. Still, it''s fine. Master will understand. When she opened her eyes again, an aura that only one person in this world could radiate vividly enveloped Baek So-hwi. She felt a dizzying thrill, and slowly lowered her gaze. At the place she rested her gaze at, a woman with hair resembling a snowy mountain under the sunset was looking at her with her eyes which looked like the most beautiful lotus flowers in the world. Baek So-hwi never forgot about it. She had lived her insignificant life solely to carry her will. The thought of days she dreamt about finally awoke her from her reminiscences. Her master walked towards the dangerous cliff edge, she was still as beautiful as she remembered, so Baek So-hwi forgets to control her own expression and almost sheds tears. Master To her call, Seol Jungyeon responded with a soft smile. You have grown a lot, she said. More than the last time we met. Its all thanks to you, Master. Unlike Seol Jungyeon who was barely 160cm, Baek So-hwis height was over 170cm, that was why she had to look down on her now. However, she was still a being that she had to look up at. Engraving that fact on her chest, Baek So-hwi slowly approached Seol Jungyeon before wrapping her arms around her body. Baek So-hwi hummed as she closed her eyes. The warmth, the cozy warmth, how wonderful it would be if this moment could last forever Huh?'' She belatedly found 2 people who were coming with Seol Jungyeon. On one side was a beautiful woman with short silver hair braided in a round braid, and on the other side was a man. A man. Surprised by the fact that such existence had entered the realm of the Cheonma sect, Baek So-hwi retreated from Seol Jungyeon''s arms and unsheathe the swords on her hips. Who are you to dare to step your filthy foot on the realm of our Sect! Then, as if expecting the reaction, the man sighed deeply and simply stepped back. Rather, it was Seol Jungyeon who was embarrassed by Baek So-hwi''s coldness. Calm down, So-hwi. That man is the man I love with my life. He can be trusted, so there is no need for you to be hostile towards him. Seol Jungyeon said so to relieve Baek So-hwi''s vigilance. Even though Baek So-hwi was afraid of men, she knew she would open up her heart to a certain extent if she knew that the man was someone she loved. But. That was her mistake. Did you say he is the man you loved? At So-hwis question, Seol Jungyeon glanced at Taylor, who was listening behind her, and smiled softly. "Yes. I love him with all my heart and body. (T/N I swear to god if Yoo Seodam keep spouting nonsense about Why did she act like that? after this Ill stop pulling all nighter to TL.) (E/N: looks like no all-nighters any more XD) Baek So-hwi clenched her mouth as Seol Jungyeon gently caressed her head. Just like you, I was once tormented by a man. Every day was hell, and I lived thinking that I would rather die. However, you can overcome it. If you too meet a man you love, if you meet someone whom you can give you your heart to, you will surely be able to heal the wounds that have engulfed your heart. I Understand." Seol Jungyeon hugged the current Lord once again, and Baek So-hwi, even on her hug, kept staring dagger at Yoo Seodam. She couldnt hear a single word from Seol Jungyeon already. * * * After arriving at the realm of Cheonma Sect, Seol Jungyeon''s first destination wasnt the reconstructed Palace of Cheonma, but was the tomb''. It was said that Baek So-hwi was the one in charge of building the tombstone of the believers, which Seol Jungyeon originally intended to do. Seol Jungyeon''s face darkened as she looked at the tombstones that were spacious enough to reach the end of the horizon, in the distance. She struggled to shake off her sadness. She had decided since she was still on Earth that she wouldnt come here to mourn but to let go of the souls she had cherished in her heart. "I''m back, and yet you guys can''t even say a word." Mumbling with a bitter tone, Seol Jungyeon carved every single tombstone into her eyes one by one. Unfortunately, Baek So-hwi, who could not tell who was who when the bodies were retrieved, did not have their names engraved on their tombstones. So, to tell them apart, Baek So-hwi''s simply put the weapons and uniforms lying on the body next to the gravestone. When she emotionally told that to Seol Jungyeon, Seol Jungyeon simply patted her. "Its okay. I remember all of them. Having said that, she took out a small dagger and approached the tombstone right in front of her. There was only one rusty and broken sword hilt on the side of it, but Seol Jungyeon knew at a glance who it belonged to. Jang Seo-young, the Emperor of Heaven. As soon as names were engraved on the tombstone, the elders who were watching from behind opened their eyes wide. Even if at glance it looks like Seol Jungyeon had simply written letters, but in the eyes of an Expert, the dagger technique she did contained the secrets of swordsmanship that had reached the realm of Hyunkyung. (Reminder: Hyunkyung = SSS rank) After that Seol Jungyeon continued to engrave names on every single tombstone while remembering their faces and bid them farewell. May you be happy there. I hope you will enjoy the happiness that you could not have enjoyed here.'' Baek So-hwi watched Seol Jungyeon from behind as numerous questions popped out in her head. Just how much did she love the Cheonma Sect? How deeply she cherished them in her heart? How could she do that? Will she be able to become a great lord just like her Master? Feeling a sense of skepticism creeping in, Baek So-hwi shook his head. No matter how much she thought about it, she wouldnt find any answer. After all, Seol Jungyeon was more perfect in every aspect than her. Seol Jungyeon''s farewell'' took three days, and during that time, she did not rest at all. Baek So-hwi and all the Elders also watched Seol Jungyeon from behind until the end. But now its time to rise. After saying her goodbye to the last tombstone, Seol Jungyeon looked back. Her eyes looked tired, but her face brightened as if all the heavy burdens on her chest had been lifted. Master, are you happy now? "That is so. I am happy to be able to finally say goodbye. "If so" Baek So-hwi swallowed her saliva before opening her mouth with determined eyes. Please become the lord of the Cheonma Sect and lead us once again! In our Cheonma Sect, Master is absolutely necessary. Whoosh!! The wind blew past, making Seol Jungyeon''s hair dance to the tune of it. She smiled bitterly and made eye contact with Baek So-hwi for a while before shaking her head. Im sorry. I have to go back home again. Why? Baek So-hwi couldn''t understand. She had taken care of all of the members of the Cheonma Sect one by one, and why did Seol Jungyeon, who was so happy, rejected her offer to become the Lord once again? Is she afraid of losing them again? Is she afraid of repeating her mistakes again? No no. That is not the reason. Then, then The moment Baek So-hwi was about to ask why, she suddenly remembered a certain man she had met three days ago. He was an ordinary man with insignificant skills but nevertheless Seol Jungyeon said that she loved him with all her body and mind. And, he was an Earthling. If the purpose of coming here is resolved, he would surely return to Earth. Master she would never be able to part with that man. In order not to be heard by Seol Jungyeon, Baek So-hwi clenched her teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot as she thought of that man. Curse you, man who defiled my Master'' The man who had dyed the white fresh snow, the snow that no one has stepped on. Recalling him, Baek So-hwis eyes were filled with anger, hatred, and despair. I cant bring back my Master who has already been soaked in impurities If so, at least she could make sure that she wouldn''t be stained anymore and make sure to thoroughly put an end to her lust for him so she would settle down in the Cheonma Sect again. The only choice is to kill that man. Chapter 168: The Demons of Murim (1) Kunlun Mountain, Qinghai Province. The huge mountain which looked like it was made of jade, also called Jade Mountain. It was so high that even the clouds couldn''t reach it. That was why it was impossible for ordinary people to even look up to it. And at the top of the mountain resides a sect who represented the strong taoist martial arts. Do Cheol-ho, an old member of Kunlun Sect and the elders of Kunlun Sect gathered urgently, their faces were coloured in many different expressions. the rotten Murim Alliance keep asking about the Magic Orb'', they demand us to tell them about magic. Do Cheol-ho gritted his teeth. How did it happen? Until just a few days ago, the Murim Alliance would not have known about magic'' at all. No, even if they knew it in the first place, how did they know about Magic Orb? Also, how did they know that magic was mixed with Kunlun Sects martial arts? Please refuse to answer. "Even while I continued to delay answering, the Murim Alliance had already mobilized their troops! It would be a big deal if the Murim Alliance turned their back on us! Then you suggest we give them the magic orb? Thats suicide! Rather, it is better to keep it with us and strengthen the troops! Even if an all-out war broke out, we would be able to stop it if we were in trouble. At his words, some elders lowered their heads. Why was Kunlun so corrupted? Once upon a time, the sect was built under the belief that someone would not die once they climbed to the peak of the Yangpyeong. Instead they would become a spirit once they climbed to Hyeonpo, and would become a God when one reaches the Sangcheon. (T/N yeah, shed some light to me about this, guys) However, that very belief had made the Kunlun Sect too conservative, and the elders had refused to bring in foreign culture to their midst. It would have been a little better if they had accepted the Earthlings, or at least accepted the people from different races. It was said that the other sects embraced the change and accepted everyone regardless of whether they were black or white, resulting in their remarkable growth. However, the Kunlun faction rejected it, and their power was noticeably weakened. If it was like this and yet they still accepted the demon''s magic'' to strengthen their power, what''s the point of sticking with the tradition of Kunlun? In fact, the question itself made no sense because it was Do Cheol-ho, the oldest member of the sect, who would have known that fact best. I cant. .. Once again, I have no choice but to borrow the power of the Magic Orb. However, the more someone uses the power of the Magic orb, the more it will invade their spirits and mind. Despite knowing that, in the end, he had no choice but to rely on this stronger force to preserve Kunlun. When Do Cheol-ho beckoned, a person who was waiting behind him came out and put the Magic Orb on the table. Every time he saw the dark and red magic sphere, he felt something ominous from it. But this was also the blessed creature that had helped the Kunlun Sect become the strongest sect. Let me start. * * * In fact, Yoo Seodam had anticipated this situation. He just didnt think it would be this bad. Baek So-hwi hated men and created a sect made up of only women. It meant that it was impossible for Yoo Seodam, who was a man, to visit them. So, he suggested, Should I just go away?, but Seol Jungyeon denied it by saying it would be okay. She went a mile further by saying it would be a great opportunity for Baek So-hwi since she would see Seol Jungyeon become happy once again because of a man after her life was thrown into hell by a man. Yoo Seodam could understand her reasoning to some extent. But, it was only valid If Baek So-hwi still respects Seol Jungyeon, and if her words still move her heart. But, Baek So-hwi was a coward. The trauma from her childhood got worse with each passing day, and eventually it became a corrosive tumour to the point she convinced herself, Even Master is wrong. I have to fix it. However, Seol Jungyeon did not give up. In her memory, Baek So-hwi was a small, cowardly child. She was so afraid of men that she even killed a small boy. Unnecessary killing was unacceptable, and at that time, Seol Jungyeon gave a severe punishment to Baek So-Hwi by excommunicating her. But her intention of having her face her inner demon and overcome it did not bear fruit. It seems like it was a futile idea in the end. Yoo Seodam was lying on the bed while thinking about it. Looking out from the gap of the door, he could see Taylor sparring with members from the sect. She swung her baseball bat around and spewed lasers in all directions while her opponent tried to avoid it. It''s been a week since he spent time here for Seol Jungyeon''s farewell''. Now that the farewell is over, Seol Jungyeon had to look around the territory as a former lord of the sect. She was wise, and although she had been absent from the position for a long time, she was more experienced than Baek So-hwi, and she had made several improvements to the sect. In the meantime, Yoo Seodam was being treated in a cold manner by everyone on the Sect. Taylor Nine possesses a level of strength comparable to that of Hwakyung Expert, so it was only natural that she was treated kindly by the Experts within the clan. However, compared to Taylor, Yoo Seodam, on top of being a man, his power was only comparable to High-Peak rank Expert. No one spoke to him, and they gave him the cold shoulder even though they were the one who initiated contact with him. It was only his speculation, but perhaps, it was all ordered by Baek So-hwi. No, looking into the eyes of the members of the sect, he could see that all of them had been thoroughly brainwashed with Baek So-hwis perception of men. Anyway, it seems like a major accident will soon happen to me.'' The fact that the subject was himself makes his heart quite complicated, but it didn''t matter. Afterall, the main purpose of coming here had been achieved. According to the Shadow Group, the Murim Alliance had begun to move. All that is left was the timing of Cheonma Sects appearance when the Murim Alliance was engulfed in chaos. That''s enough. Thinking so, Yoo Seodam was about to try to enjoy the leisure as much as possible, but it was then something flew through the window. When he stretched out his hand, a flower pot enchanted in a magic sphere specializing in acceleration and stealth was caught. Unpacking the small letter tied to it, Yoo Seodam begins to read it. Hmm?" The situation so far has been quite similar to his prediction. In the end, despite the warning, the Kunlun Sect did not give up the magic orb. And in the end, the Murim Alliance united and had a small clash with the Kunlun Sect It seems that Kunlun''s martial arts have gotten a little stronger. Hmm." Yoo Seodam thought for a moment. It seems that Kunlun Sect had borrowed the power of demon again fearing that they would lose the war. By the way, as he read the sentence added below it, Yoo Seodam frowned. A new power believed to be demons magic has been discovered? It was also discovered in a sect belonging to the Murim Alliance. The magic had very unusual powers, such as giving the opponent a strong feeling of exhaustion and helplessness, making them collapse during battle. It was a power completely different from the fear'' and anger'' possessed by the existing demons. That being said, it means that another demon has appeared Well The gate to the world of the demons is already open here. Bang Ho-wins lecherous art, the demons of fear and anger, and another sloth demon. Three demons had already been discovered. Just how many more demons are hiding in this murim? but no matter how much I think about it, I wouldnt be able to solve them fundamentally. For the sake of the Earth right now, the only choice is to completely close the portal to Murim. * * * The Gwisaldae, a unit under the direct control of the lord, was a small unit consist of 5 High-Peak Rank Experts and 12 Peak-Rank Experts, and specialized in assassination of a single Expert. They work using all kinds of illusions to dye the area with darkness, blocking the senses of the opponent, and also twist the sense of direction and space to induce them to avoid their attacks. And this time, their Lord, Baek So-hwi participated in the operation directly. It was an operation to deal with a man called Yoo Seodam. In order to actually assassinate someone, they must first understand the characteristics and habits of the opponent. The time Seol Jungyeon and her party stayed at Cheonma Palace had already been almost two weeks, and throughout that time the Gwisaldae had grasped one of the habits of Yoo Seodam. It was his habit in the evening where he would always go to the peak alone to watch the sunset. For some reason, whenever he went hiking, his body would always be wet with sweat, but, just like the woman named Taylor'', it could be that it was only his body which was weak while his ability was strong. But it was enough since it will soon become a fatal weakness towards his death. This evening, as always, Yoo Seodam climbed the peak to watch the sunset. Baek So-hwi couldn''t quite understand his behaviour. Afterall, it was a sight that she saw every day. He looked up at the sky with his back facing her as if he wanted to pretend to be cool. The 17 members of the team and the Baek So-hwi who were secretly pursuing him, unleashed their secret technique once they reached the peak. sususu. The wind blew and the grass shook violently. At some point, they all encircled Yoo Seodam. Is that all of you? Yoo Seodam asked without glancing towards them. It was such a clich line that is always said by powerful Experts in a Martial Arts Movie''. However, he had to admit that it wasn''t very cool when he was the one who said it. It is already too many just to end a life as insignificant as yours. Baek So-hwi replied. It was a very natural conviction. Yoo Seodam was only at the level of the High-Peak Expert, but there were five High-Peak Experts in the group. Moreover, Baek So-hwi herself had reached a higher stage than that. Even those who had reached the realm of Hwakyung Expert would not be able to withstand the technique the Gwisaldae was spreading. It could be said that Baek-So-hwi had brought too many people just to kill Yoo Seodam. But Yoo Seodam only laughed. He may seem like he was calm, but behind his demeanour, he was using [Concentration] to catch the string of mana swaying in his surroundings. !!! The members of Gwisaldae opened their eyes wide and looked at each other. Lolord Baek So-hwi also felt something and frowned. What is this? When the seventeen members of Gwisaldae arrived at this place, she was certain that the Jinbeop had been activated. Numerous devices and natural objects were installed everywhere, and supernatural phenomena should already have occurred. But they wouldn''t know the fact that Yoo Seodam was already interpreting the existence of their Jinbeop that even themselves cannot understand the principle'' behind it. For Yoo Seodam it was merely a branch of science called magic''. All of nature''s occurrence had a rationale, a principle, and a mixture of mathematical formulas. Yoo Seodam simply cut it off with the help of [The Library of the White Witch] and the Flower Pot. It seems that you could see through our Jinbeop, but it doesnt matter. After all, our strength alone is enough for you." The moment she said that, Baek So-hwi felt something strange. Suddenly, the sunset came to her mind. It was strange since the already setting sun was rising once again, but the clouds, which had been flowing slowly before, began to flow quickly, too quickly if she was honest. The wind stopped. The sun was rising but the world was getting dark.Then, Yoo Seodam looked back. He smiled pretentiously as he struggled to cover the damp cold sweat that had spread all over his body. Since when have you been using the Jinbeop? Chapter 169: The Demons of Murim (2) Jinbeop was the act of engraving a specific object or mark in a specific place, or a specific number of people who were gathering at a specific location performing a specific motion to cause a certain mysterious natural phenomenon. Of course, Jinbeop wasnt perfect. There were a number of countermeasures one could employ to fight its effect, such as changing the arrangement of stones on the floor, walking along a specific path, or closing their eyes or ears. However, the countermeasures were different depending on the Jinbeop itself, and the more advanced the Jinbeop is, the more difficult it was to deal with. The creation of natural phenomena using the arrangement of objects and people like that was very similar to the beginning of the science called magic''. Primitive magic was mostly activated by combining body parts of certain creatures or plants just like Jinbeop while modern magic was activated by formulating the arrangement of mana and using the laws of nature. Of course, Jinbeop and magic couldnt be said to be the exact same technique. Because in the end, Jinbeop was something derived from martial arts while magic was derived from mysticism. However, thinking that the two were similar, Yoo Seodam had asked Seol Jungyeon about Jinbeop as well as various techniques that Cheonma Sect could use while staying at Cheonma Palace and studied how to deal with them. As a result, he had constructed a Physical Manipulating Barrier magic circle on the peak of the mountain by squeezing out all his mana every day for two weeks without a break. The function of the barrier itself was self-explanatory; it allows its caster to manipulate the law of reality at will. Even in [Library of The White Witch], the magic circle was ranked as C rank magic, and it was the most difficult barrier magic amongst all. Considering the fact that even a D-rank library couldn''t be properly accessed by him, Yoo Seodam was once again reminded of the prowess of the Flowerpot. C Hey Witch~ "Youve worked hard. After this job is over, I will give you enough soju until you''re sick of it. C Okay~ Hehe~ Glittering beam of light exploded from above his shoulder, and a spirit slightly larger than the palm of his hand flew up. The current Flowerpot was able to escape from its petals a little. As she began to circle around Seodam, he also drew out his sword. What the hell did you do? "Why? Is this the first time you''ve been exposed to a Jinbeop?" Baek So-hwi''s expression hardened. Her ferocious cat face became even scarier than usual. As a Hwakyung Expert, her level alone was 200, so her level was much higher than Yoo Seodam. Nevertheless, the moment she entered the barrier, which was also called the Wizard''s Space'', it became certain that she couldnt kill Yoo Seodam. However, Baek So-hwi was unaware of the fact, and was not afraid of the Jinbeop used by a High-Peak Rank Expert. She just felt the fight would be slightly troublesome. Slowly, Baek So-hwi took a step forward. Woo-Woo-Woong!! As if an escalator had been installed, the distance between her and Yoo Seodam instantly widened by 10m. What is this! Baek So-hwi grimaced. It was the first time she saw such a trick in her life. Was it a Jinbeop that manipulates the space itself? Of course, the truth is Yoo Seodam could only cloud her senses by moving the ground little by little, but the magic barrier designed for two weeks was powerful enough to even make an Expert fall into a state of confusion. Stay calm! Spread out and execute Heavenly Demon Extermination Technique! One of the other basic techniques they practiced was a technique that completely steals opportunity and rhythm from the opponent by attacking at the right timing with the 17 Experts skillfully positioning themselves and attacking at the right time. And at that time, Yoo Seodam finally began to move. He took off his white uniform underneath which he wore an armor like a medieval European knight, and drew a Western-style sword. Eventually, with a beeping sound, a dark red magic circle was created underneath Yoo Seodams feet. It shot out a bunch of sharp rocks in all directions. "Just whatC!!" It was a technique and magic that Baek So-hwi and the Gwisaldae, who had seen a lot of things, had never seen before. Even the swordsmanship used by the Sect Lord was not as aggressive and bizarre as the phenomenon before their eyes. The attack which Gwisaldae had thrown towards Yoo Seodam hit a different spot from what they intended it to after seemingly hitting Yoo Seodam''s neck. Even when they stabbed their sword towards Yoo Seodam, they couldn''t reach him because the distance between them suddenly widened again. On the other hand, Yoo Seodam was able to deal some blows towards the group while parrying several of their attacks. But while clashing with them, Yoo Seodam realized. If I fight them with my swordsmanship alone, it''s going to be a disaster'' Although the swordsmanship of the Gwisaldae was only at the level of Peak-Rank Expert, their pure technique itself was comparable to or superior to Yoo Seodams swordsmanship. Their swordsmanship was so sharp to the point if he made a mistake, his neck would instantly fly. So, he decided to passively use the sword while actively employing magic. Thanks to Flowerpot, who had become stronger than before, Yoo Seodam was able to fight like a proper magician. Boom! Lightning struck from the clear sky and split the ground into two, entangling the feet of several Gwisaldaes member. After that, a pure white blizzard blew out of nowhere. Ugh "I can''t even get close!" Of course. Aside from the barrier, Yoo Seodam had also installed dozens of pre-installed magic around the peak. In the realm created by magicians, the power they could exert was higher than usual, so Yoo Seodam could comfortably withstand the assault of 18 Murim Experts. But even when the Experts didnt know about magic, Yoo Seodam''s chances of winning were questionable at best. Even though he had designed dozens of magic spells, and even installed a C rank barrier, the Gwisaldae were undoubtedly powerful. He couldnt deal a decisive blow at them, and if more than three people approached him, Yoo Seodam had no choice but to retreat. However, from the point of view of the Gwisaldae, they were no longer thinking whether Yoo Seodam was strong or not; only a burning fire of rage was left in their mind. They had pride as a group who were able to defeat even a dragon when seventeen of them gathered together, but currently their strength of numbers was incapacitated in this space, and because of the mysterious magic that only one person used, they could not even attack properly. Also, the man was quick to run away like a coward even when they were slightly close to him, it made it very difficult for even the strongest five Experts in their group to catch up with him. Ha! Even though you are born as a man, you keep running away, its unsightly! You guys are the unsightly one because even with 18 of you, you cant even beat me alone. "." Moreover, even if they threw a taunt to him, he counterattacked as if his tongue were coated in oil, making their anger rise even more. So, Baek So-hwi, who finally snapped, exploded the Jinshin Inner Energy in her body. Koo-!! In an instant, the flow of air subsided. The energy of the barrier was partially being offset, and at the same time, all Gwisaldae members were struck by vertigo. Up until now, she had been hiding her energy as a consideration for her allies, but she thought there was no need for that anymore. I''ll catch that guy myself!'' From her body, a ferocious red magic energy, which could be called as the trademark of Cheonma, erupted. In Seol Jungyeons case, the red energy was controlled tightly, and finally, it was sublimated into a beautiful pink color, but Baek So-hwi treated the energy in a wilder way, making it even redder! It seemed as if a wind of blood were blowing all over the world, because even the sky was dyed red by it. How dare you enrage the Cheonma Sect! With every step she took, several installed magic on the surroundings disintegrated. Magic which was thrown towards her by Yoo Seodam was shattered by a simple gesture, and the magic that he had prepared for a little while was also split in half when she swung her sword. Afterall, since martial arts also use mana (essence) in the air, the stronger one would cancel the weaker one. Yoo Seodam broke out in a cold sweat. At this rate, I think I will be caught.'' Yoo Seodam was severely affected by the aura emanated by Baek So-hwi even inside the barrier he designed for himself. Because in the end, he was still only a level 150, and the power gap between him and a level 200 or Hwakyung Expert was as vast as sea. It was still possible for him to hold the barrier for now, but it wouldnt be so for long. But, it doesn''t matter. Because Yoo Seodams purpose was to stand his ground even when Baek So-hwi was attacking. What are you doing? Baek So-hwi raised her eyebrows and asked Yoo Seodam who released his battle stance and lowered his sword. But without answering, he just looked somewhere. Baek So-hwi then realized something and gathered her aura. She slowly turned her head towards the edge of the cliff. There, Seol Jungyeon was looking at her with a complicated expression on her face. Her pure white sword was also drawn. Master What happened here? Explain, Baek So-hwi. Seol Jungyeon''s hair started to flutter. However, unlike Baek So-hwi, who was covered in red aura, there was no aura surrounding Seol Jungyeon. Having reached the realm of Hyunkyung, her aura was simply colourless and formless. After several moments passed, Baek So-hwi finally opened her mouth. Master is now being contaminated by that man. This is all for you, Master. You may not understand right now, but in the future, you will be grateful to me-" Shut your mouth. Seol Jungyeon said without hearing her rambling to the end. And finally, her unique pale pink aura bloomed all over her. The white lotus, which was all white, slowly turned pink, and finally filled the red sky. Yoo Seodam briefly admired the splendid atmosphere which had turned the apocalyptic atmosphere in the surrounding into the atmosphere as if the cherry blossom season had arrived. You have gone too far, Baek So-hwi. Master! Master, something is wrong with you! My master who had reached the realm of Hyunkyung that will never be seen again in history, and just for that man What does greatness have to do with it? You are in the wrong for thinking about something like that right now. If not, are you saying that I shouldn''t even be in love after I''ve reached the realm of Hyunkyung? Falling in love is permitted to any woman. How dare you decide what my heart can feel? Master! I don''t mean it like that I only meant that the very existence of a man is wrong! As if frustrated, Baek So-hwi exclaimed. Seol Jungyeon shook her head as if she was genuinely sorry, and pointed her sword at her. Giving ones heart to someone they love is something that humans have been doing since ancient times There is nothing wrong with me giving my heart to a man. The wrong thing here is your opinion. I know how you feel when you''ve been tortured by a man. However, from the moment you inflict damage on others with your thoughts and beliefs it should be called plague not a mere wound that can be cured. I can''t admit it, said Baek So-hwi as blood dripped from her eyes. But Seol Jungyeon didn''t stop and still approached Baek So-hwi. Do you love me? "Yes. Enough to give everything in this world to you. Thank you. How would you feel if I died? I would despair. I will either kill myself or destroy everything in the world. Thats exactly how I feel right now. "Yes?" Baek So-hwi looked at her in disbelief with a hopeful expression, but in the end, the answer she wanted did not come. Not you, but that man. If you had killed someone I loved to the point I''d give him the world if he desired it Do you think I would just sit still? Seol Jungyeon shook her head. I would have struck you in the neck without even the slightest hesitation. There is no room for excuses. Ah, ah Seol Jungyeon approached Baek So-hwi and pointed her sword at her neck. For some reason, the blade Baek So-hwi had always thought was a beautiful sword was so cold and sharp today and she felt like she was about to cry. Baek So-hwi. I know the wounds you''re going through. But, I firmly believed that if you treat your wound with affection, it can be healed" Seol Jungyeon slowly looked at the Gwisaldae behind Baek So-hwi. The current Cheonma Sect was not like what it used to be. Because of the wounded Lord, the Cheonma Sect also suffered those wounds. It was really sad and heart breaking for her. If this place wasnt Murim but Earth, and if she hadn''t done harm to Seol Jungyeon, her Yoo Seodam would likely have found a way to heal her with his heart. But Aside from that, her wounds did not match the Cheonma Sect'' at all. What they should seek was pure strength'' not wounds''. Baek So-hwi. Waitwait a minute, Master. It can''t be I don''t want it. I''d rather die by your hand than to be abandoned by you again, please, please!" However, Seol Jungyeon could not cut off the disciple she had raised with her own hands and was once she loved more than anyone else, with her own hands. She was forced to inflict the most severe punishment she could. I will excommunicate you from the Cheonma Sect as of today. Leave. And live forever unseen by me. "Ah." At those words, Baek So-hwi collapsed to the floor. Chapter 170: The Demons of Murim (3) To allen Iverson in last chapter''s comment. YES Aracelli is the best! Im sorry. I didn''t know she hated men that much." Noonim apologized to me after Baek So-hwi left. I didn''t respond to her; the whole incident had left a bitter taste in my mouth. I could tolerate it though, since the whole ordeal stemmed from Baek So-hwi''s wound in her heart not from malice. Baek So-hwi''s face as she left looked really lonely. It was only natural since she had been excommunicated twice by her beloved and respected Master for the exact same reason. The question is, what would she do afterwards? Is she going to sharpen her blade of revenge according to the obvious clich, and going to chase after me or Noonim? Well, to be honest, I was very worried about that. In this world where demons existed, I was certain the demons wouldn''t leave a strong person with weakened emotions alone. They would soon approach Baek So-hwi. Logically speaking, it would only be right to kill Baek So-hwi right away and leave no room for future trouble. That''s how I''ve survived until now. However, just before she left, I caught a glimpse of Baek So-hwi''s eyes and put those thoughts aside. Her eyes told me that she held no grudges toward me or Seol Jungyeon noonim and had completely given up. With all agony in her heart, she quietly accepted her fate and went away. "I should be the one to apologize. Because of me, Noonim had to let your precious disciple go." That was my fault not yours. I was foolish to hastily judge she could be healed even though I knew the depth of that child''s wound" In many ways, the end result was not good. The long history of the Cheonma Sect will end like this today. Noonim said with a sad but decisive tone. The current Cheonma Sect was built around Baek So-hwis thoughts and beliefs, so there was no reason for them to exist any longer when their central pillar had gone. Ththen what will happen to us? Those who were still present on the peak said with trembling voices. Even after Baek So-hwi left, it seemed that they still couldn''t accept the reality. In addition, the members of the Cheonma Sect had gathered one after another to see what''s happening since they felt a strong energy clashing against each other. They then grasped the situation and pleaded with a desperate expression on their face. "Are youare you becoming our new pillar?" If Noonim becomes the new lord, many followers would remain and follow her overwhelming presence. But she had no intention of staying here, so she couldn''t answer their plea and only shook her head. These people were people who were gathered by Baek So-hwi. She had healed their wounds and made them come under her banner. If, in any case, Seol Jungyeon noonim, the Supreme Cheonma, reigns as the lord of the Cheonma Sect once again will they really follow her? Some of them would, but that alone would completely make the Cheonma Sect weaker than ever. Noonim was well aware of that fact, so in a soft but resonating voice, she spoke. As of today, the Cheonma Sect is disbanded. Under the heaven, no one will be able to use the name Cheonma ever again. And no one will be able to talk about the doctrine of Heavenly Demon ever again. At those words, all the members of the sect opened their eyes wide. So, all of you also go. To the place you want the most." As soon as those words were spoken, the Murim people, who were no longer members of the Cheonma Sect, scattered in all directions. Just what kind of feeling she had after declaring this is the end of her beloved Sect? I wouldn''t dare to fathom. * * * It wasnt the proper Cheonma Sect In the first place. Noonim said so as we walked with Mount Baek on our back. The beliefs Cheonma Sect needed to pursue were corrupted by that child. In the first place, that child did not even properly learn the doctrine of the Cheonma Sect and she did not even understand what it meant to spread the will of the Cheonma Sect to the world that''s why all the followers have been women. From what I know, the most important thing for the Cheonma Sect is strength. However, the Cheonma Sect founded by Baek So-hwi pursued to become stronger than men to protect themselves. It''s not bad per say, or rather, to be honest, it''s safe to say that such a belief which solidifies one''s position as a woman was very good. Unfortunately, however, that was not the beliefs of those who were from Cheonma Sect. So, the Cheonma Sect was disbanded. All the things a warrior named Seol Jungyeon grew up with and dreamed of had disappeared. The ending was just like what I had expected in the first place. I am rather relieved that I let it end like this." Noonim smiled as if she was feeling refreshed. It was really contrasting to what had happened but I had no choice but to nod my head. Because she really seemed relieved after saying goodbye. By the way, is it okay? "Don''t worry, Noonim. It does not matter." One of our purposes coming to Xinjiang right away was to use the power of the Cheonma Sect to fight against the Murim Alliance. However, since it had been disbanded, the method was now useless, so I could understand Noonim''s concerns, but it really was okay. Afterall, even without the help of Cheonma Sect, The Murim Alliance would gradually crumble because of fights happening inside. Even now, the current status of Battle of Jeongpa'' which stems from Kunlun Sect''s rejection towards Murim Alliance''s demand for them to announce their stance on magic and the Magic Orb was continuously being reported to me by the Shadow Group. Until now, the resistance of Kunlun Sect was strong and it seemed the battle had reached a stalemate. However, not long ago, news came that the palace of Kunlun Sect had been demolished by the Murim Alliance''s Namgoong Min. In other words, the war has begun in earnest! We don''t have to wait until they fight. We could just infiltrate Kunlun Mountain when Experts from both sides were fighting." The war itself had become more chaotic than I thought. According to the information coming in one after another, the number of secret arts that were presumed to be the magic of the demons were increasing. It was clear that demons'' activity has sharply intensified. The cause is probably the war. It was speculated that the demons, who had been quiet for a while, started to become active because of the intense emotions the war brings out, but the exact cause is still unknown. Can we eradicate all demons in Murim?" "Its possible. However, we currently dont have the way aside from annihilating all the clan that possessed the demons Sacred Object. And it would take too long to do that. It was difficult work for me, the Guild Master of Another League, Seol Jungyeon, the Lord of New Murim Alliance, and an SS rank hunter Taylor Nine who recently enjoyed an amiable relationship with the Hunter Association, as all of us were living a busy life on Earth. "Is that so?" Noonim said with a regretful tone. Because I felt sorry towards her, I tried to reassure her. But, maybe, it doesnt have to be me or Noonim or Taylor who fight the demon but somebody else. When the Vivienda Empirewhich was a splendid magical civilizationwas helplessly ravaged by demons, a girl named Aracelli Rinekal appeared as a ray of hope. Maybe even in Murim, someone like that would also come out? * * * Seol Jungyeon, a former lord of Cheonma Sect and the only Supreme being in Murim in the past was Baek So-hwis love, hope and at the same time her goal in life. Before she met Seol Jungyeon, she always filled her stomach with herbs found on the floor of the marketplace. She had no place to sleep and had to stay up all night when rain hit. She gathered shreds of paper just to warm herself in the cold winters, and had to live in fear of getting caught by thugs. She thought all the struggles were natural in order to live. Happiness was far away from her, the only joy she felt was when she found some food leftovers which was very rare. Follow me. With those words from Seol Jungyeon, her life completely changed. She no longer had to spend nights alone wailing in loneliness. She was able to wear brand new, warm and cozy clothes, sleep comfortably in a room rather than a wet alley, eat food every day, and even become strong enough to defend herself. After not knowing the meaning of happiness, she finally became happy. When she first learned about it, So-hwi cried all day long. She was so upset because she had spent her whole life living as someone unhappy. Though, that happiness didn''t last long. Baek So-hwi was afraid of men. Regardless of their age, men had always been stronger than her. And in order to defend herself from them, they had to be poisoned. She had to keep her nerves sharp all the time to the point she couldn''t even sleep well. Maybe that''s why, when she saw a man, the trauma she had since childhood acted up. In the end, Baek So-hwi lost herself and was kicked out by Seol Jungyeon whom she loved the most in the whole world. She still couldn''t fix herself even after all the passing time. And now she was kicked out once again. Seol Jungyeon, who returned alive like a miracle, had fallen in love with a certain man, and Baek So-hwi thought it was wrong. And when she looked at Seol Jungyeon''s unwavering gaze. She realized her idol had become wiser than before and understood her own heart better than anyone else. At that, understanding dawned into Baek So-hwi. She had found something she didnt have before. Was it really okay for her to tell someone like Seol Jungyeon, who had reached the supreme realm of Hyunkyung, that she was wrong?? Was it right to force someone else to do something just because it was painful for herself? Seol Jungyeon was always right. Her words were always the truth, the law, and soon-to-be law. However, Baek So-hwi had refused to believe her words just because she had reached the realm of Hwakyung, and was trying to wield her Master at will. Baek So-hwi bit her lips till it bled. She was embarrassed and felt pathetic for fighting against her Master''s love. Should I just die? In Murim such mistakes could only be repaid in one way D by sacrificing ones life. However, Baek So-hwi shook her head. Afterall, her current life was something that had been given to her by Seol Jungyeon. So, wouldn''t it be more valuable to dedicate the rest of her life in atonement? With that thought in mind, Baek So-hwi continued to walk. With rain pouring from the sky, Baek So-hwi walked through the thick forest to avoid the rain. She gathered her inner strength countless times and wrapped it around his skin to warm her body, but suddenly, a commotion was heard from somewhere. She turned her attention towards it because of her curiosity and soon discovered something. "Go away! It was a common sight in Murim, dozens of bandits attacked a certain party. Upon closer inspection, the one being attacked was a family of four. The wife and the two young daughters were embracing each other, terrified, and the head of the family, who seemed to be an ordinary person, held a thick branch and scowled towards the assailant. Its pointless. Baek So-Hwi murmured. All the bandits were well-built and although not sharp, they had rough swords. On the other hand, the man had a dwarf physique, and his level of armament was also shabby. If they fight, he would lose 100 times out of 100. Seemingly aware of Baek So-hwis thoughts, the man desperately opened his mouth and spoke. Honey, run away! I''ll take care of everything here!" Nevertheless, he still tried to protect his family. Baek So-hwi laughed at them as a new wave of emotions crept into her heart. The wound she suffered had been always lodged deep inside her chest and couldnt be seen nor healed. However, it felt different now because she had realized something. The wound was still there, but it had become visible to her. Boboss! Theres a crazy bitch coming here! "What? Thats a Murim uniform?" Calm down, we are going to be okay! We have also received the power of the divine object that the Chong Pyo-nim of Nokrim Sect have! This power can be used even against a warrior of Murim. When Baek So-hwi inched closer to the bandits, they didnt show any sign of fear against her. Instead, they were clearly challenging her. Go away you bitch! No matter how strong you are, if youre a human, you will feel despair, right? The mysterious magic they received from the divine object was a magic to draw a certain negative emotion'' from their opponent. Anger, confusion, despair, fear, pain That was the identity of the power that the demon was dealing with. However, when the vicious purple energy shot by the bandit hits Baek So-hwi, it doesn''t do any damage to her. "This is" She looked at the magic with twinkling eyes for a moment before continuing her words with a grin. "a magic trick used by the stupid people of Murim." Im sorry, but that doesnt work for me. Because, Ive always lived in despair. And then she unsheathed her sword. Chapter 172: Things Protagonist Has To Do (2) Check out our site''s new line-up of novels guys! And if you like it, don''t forget to put it on your reading list on NU Beware of the red thread. The Collected Records of the Mysteries C Solving riddles with the help of demons. Long Live Summons Introduction To Survival Theory. Sense. Level Eater In this World, I will Fall in Love with You a Second Time Thank you!!!! The symbol colour of the Cheonma Sect was always different from every generation. In the distant past, red was their colour, but in the Gal Hyuk-jun era, he used black as his symbol, and Seol Jungyeon, the former Cheonma, preferred red, but she threw away the red robes and changed it into pink. Baek So-hwi, who loved Seol Jungyeon, chose the colour red to follow her master. But now, she decided not to use that colour any more since she had been excommunicated from the sect. Baek So-hwi decided to use white as her current symbol colour. There was no reason behind her choice, but If she really had to give it a reason, maybe it was because white was a colour which didnt suit her even though her name also means white. Her life had always been covered with black stains, and it was safe to say it was still like that until today. She felt her current life was the loneliest and most painful than it had ever been. Even more so after she realized it was she herself who was responsible for it. How could she possibly apologize? Was an apology even possible? If she was in Seol Jungyeons position, would she be able to forgive the person who tried to harm her beloved ones? It was already close to a miracle that Seol Jungyeon forgave her and only excommunicated her from the sect without killing her. Had she been the one in Seol Jungyeons shoes, she would have never forgiven her, ripped her limbs to shreds, and tossed her as prey for wild dogs. At the end of the day, Im leaving after being taken care of by my Master until the very end. She was so devastated by the fact that she couldnt repay her master for every favour she had given her. Why the hell was I born? What is the reason for my existence? Was I born just to live this kind of life? One that was miserable till the end? In that case, wouldn''t it have been better not to be born? Just why do I exist in this cursed world? Even if she tried to act fine, she couldn''t do it. As she walked through the quiet forest with such negative thoughts in her mind, 3 or 4 families were walking behind her. Although her messy hair, dark circle under her eyes and tattered uniform made her look like a beggar, those who could feel how strong she was were still following her at a reasonable distance for their own safety. Baek So-hwi didn''t care about what they did and left them alone. Occasionally, when she caught the pregnant woman in the group sweating and struggling, Baek So-hwi would sit down by the roadside and rest. There was no meaning behind her stop, she just rested because she wanted to rest. Then they would follow her example from a distance of about 20 steps from her. Excuse me You can have this A little boy cautiously approached her and handed her a water and rice cake piled up on top of a leaf. As Baek So-hwi silently stared at it, the kid opened his eyes and hurriedly approached her. Before he could get closer though, his parents immediately ran out and snatched the little boy on his neck. Forforgive us! . Just like that, three days passed. Swoooshhh!! In a sudden shower, Baek So-hwi leaned against a pavilion on the side of the road. With its roof intact, the pavilion was a perfect place to hide from the rain. However, because the group was so afraid of her, they didnt come and were directly hit by the rain. Looking at them, Baek So-hwi got up and spoke to them before heading to the corner. Come on in, a pregnant lady should take good care of herself" No matter how frightening warriors of Murim were, they too were born from a womb. A pregnant woman could affect her babys health if she keeps standing under the rain. And when they entered the pavilion, all of them rested in silence while looking at Baek So-hwis face from time to time. And after a few minutes passed, an old man, who became frustrated with the silence, broke the silence and tried his luck. "Excuse me. Are you a warrior of Murim? Baek So-hwi turned her head to meet his eyes as she heard his question. Then, without speaking even a word, she nodded. As expected! Your martial arts skills are no joke! Such blatant flattery was not good at all in the ear of Baek So-hwi, so she asked a question without even answering. This road is dangerous because of bandits. For what reason do you cross this place? That, that The man hesitated for a moment. Our village has been attacked by bandits, and we dont have anywhere to go. Baek So-hwi nodded. Now she understood why more than one family was following her. Was I like them in the past? Baek So-hwi vaguely recalled her parents. Probably, their situation was the same as her and her parents. She could still remember it, in the night where lightning struck without stopping. Her father suddenly woke her up from her sleep and pushed her through the back door while telling her to run towards the west. Without knowing English language, she ran through the road and saw a burning village on her back. Those people were people who killed others for fun. They didnt hesitate to commit atrocities to the point it was hard to believe they were human just like her. As the scoundrels gathered the women in the centre of the village and stabbed them with their swords, and crushed their heads, their immobile husbands could only scream in agony. They use that scream as a snack for drinking alcohol, and violating virgins. There were no words that could explain that sight except hell. Baek So-hwi only managed to escape thanks to other children and wives who were unluckily caught. And her parents? She knew how her parents would end up, but she decided not to think about it. give the name of your village. "Yes? Yes the name is Green Forest''" It wasn''t a very helpful answer. There were so many villages using such common names, they wouldn''t even be written on the map. Tell me the location. Its a village a week walking distance to the west of here. You can find the village after crossing through 3 peaks and 1 valley. But, why Now that she had heard the answer, she stopped talking to the old man. Baek So-hwi was aware that what she was about to do was really meaningless. It''s not worth it, and it''s just a matter of venting her anger. No matter how many bandits she catches and burns, she wouldnt be able to get rid of all of them, so it won''t do much to the world But if I dont do this, I wont find any reason to live anymore. And so, Baek So-hwi decided to draw her sword, just like what she normally did. * * * Please Please spare my life I wont show myself in front of the warriors of Murim ever again! Most of the bandits she had killed said the same things just before her sword reaped their life. Even though she could not speak any advanced vocabulary, Baek So-hwi found their words to be very boring. You bandits really have no pride. Tell me where your boss is. Ththen, iif I tell you Ill kill you painlessly. Naturally, she had no choice but to return similar answers to their similar words. By the time she felt dj vu creeping in, Baek So-hwi realized the bandits eyes were gazing not on her but to a different place. Hes waiting for someone. Lets she whos the bastard is.'' Thinking that it could save her from the trouble of visiting the man in person, Baek So-hwi decided to wait. Then suddenly, with a rumble, the forest parted. A group of hundreds of bandits appeared from within. Among them, one giant man who was almost 3m tall walked towards Baek So-hwi with an earth-shaking gait and stood in front of her. On his shoulder was an enormous ax which should be too heavy for even 3 adults to carry. Are you the head of these filthy bastards? a cheeky bitch blabbering her snout. Im the lord of these guys, Mount Tae Severing Axe, Do Jung-hyeok, a member of the seventy-two clans of Nokrim. Lord Baek So-hwi let out a soft smile. He dares to use the term Lord in front of someone who used to be Lord of Cheonma sect? Arrogant! The greatest axe to cut a mountain. It''s not a baseless confidence. Afterall, people who belonged to seventy-two clans of Nokrim which were also called the elite in the Green Forest, are known for their strong martial arts which rivalled even a Peak-Rank Expert. So, what about their heads? At the very least, he should be at the level of High-Peak Rank Expert. (T/N Nokrim~ Tell me on discord guys, Ill change it if anyone knows about it.) It wouldn''t be enough to make his name widely known in the vast Murim, but it would have been difficult for him to find a suitable match. However, Swooosh!! Keeaaaaaaaaak! His rank wasnt uncommon in Murim. And not recognizing the strong when he was clearly the weak one is a serious sin. Kuuuuhhh As the entirety of his right arm was cut off in an instant, Do Jung-hyeok looked at Baek So-hwi with trembling eyes. Her pure white sword looks ordinary, he thought he could simply cut it off with his axe. Why is it so hard!'' His heavy axe was strong enough to tear through many weapons. However, when he struck that thin sword, he couldnt even move as if he had struck some kind of diamond. Unbelievable supernatural power and the strength of the sword After thinking that far, Do Jung-hyeok finally realized the woman in front of him was a higher rank Expert than himself. It cant be'' Murim is a wide world and there are so many Experts scattered throughout the continent, but how can the woman in front of him, who looks only in her twenties, be more advanced than himself? He couldn''t believe it, but it was real. The strength of that axe isnt suitable for carrying such a grand title. Where did the axe that cuts even Mount Tai go? This bitch! You dare Even so, something was odd. why doesnt the secret technique work? His inner strength contained a unique power obtained through a special divine object. It was a very powerful force that elicited negative emotions, especially despair, from his opponent. With that power, he was able to overcome any strong man he had ever encountered. Even an Expert would be easily engulfed in despair and would be powerless against his axe. However, before his question even got resolved. Baek So-hwi pushed Do Jung-hyeok aside and cut his knee off, ripped his ear, and gouged his eyeball. His subordinates had long fled at the horrific sight, as if they were retreating to avenge him in the future. Keukk. Seeing Do Jung-hyeok falling to the ground as he bled, Baek So-hwi raised her sword with indifferent eyes. Afterall, killing a bandit was meaningless, the vacancy of the head seat after the guys death would certainly be filled within a week. The moment when she struck Do Jung-hyeok on the head. Woonngg!! Do Jong-hyeok''s flesh and skin began to twist. A mouth'' appeared on his body, biting Baek So-hwi''s sword. What is that?'' As she quickly pulled out the sword because of the creeping uneasiness, Do Jung-hyeok''s body began to clump together like clay. Ahhh, Ahhh! No, no! stop! Aaaaaaah!! His intestines protrude and cover his entire skin. His bones shattered to pieces before forming a different shape. Eventually, his body became something resembling a face. It looked so disgusting that even Baek So-hwi, who was immune to gory things, frowned. What a wonderful human being! You have no feelings! What is your identity? I asked first! Answer me! What a waste of breath. Baek So-hwi pushed her sword towards the face, and then she slashed it with all his might. Human''s fragile skin wouldn''t dare to take her sword, and so it split into two before returning to its original shape in less than 3 seconds. What a foolish human! You are dangerous! Then, it slowly inflated its own body. 3m5m In the end, it grew close to 20m and looked down at Baek So-hwi. Now that Baek So-hwi took a closer look at it, it wasn''t made of just a single corpse. Dozens or perhaps hundreds of corpses were mashed together in there. "I don''t know what you are, but I know you are a mysterious creature that shouldn''t exist in this world. It would be better to kill you now. "Puahahahahaha! That''s impossible! You can''t kill me! I am a being made of human emotions! Are you capable of killing emotions? When the creatures voice resounded, all the roots of the nearby trees were uprooted and flew away. The mountains were peeled off and the rocks were cracked, but in the midst of them, Baek So-hwi was alone and still felt peaceful. There is nothing in this world that cannot be killed. Cheonmas heart law. (T/N Cheonma Singong.) Cheonmas Sword of Destruction White Plum Blossom A thunderbolt that once split the sky in two was unfolding at the tip of Baek So-hwi''s fingers. The thunder, burning even the cloud, rose into the shape of flowers reminiscent of white plum blossoms. It was a technique which could make any onlooker shudder because of its beauty [No one has survived after seeing this technique.] What is that?'' Suddenly, Baek So-hwi felt a sense of discomfort. She could feel some kind of unknown energy was surrounding her. But since she was using her secret technique, she didn''t have time to pay attention to it. Baek So-hwi took a deep breath as the white plum blossom lightning shattered the creatures, covering the whole world with pure white colour. However, something is strange. The reason was unknown, but a strong sense of incongruity covered Baek So-hwis mind. "Didnt I tell you? You can''t kill me!" The creatures which were hit directly by her lightning were revived and began to regenerate in a form that was no different from before. Baek So-hwi found herself in a pinch. White Plum Blossom was a technique that burns her inner strength rapidly, so even Baek So-hwi would be exhausted after using it once. However, the creature before her didn''t even blink an eye after being hit by the technique. what is your identity? "Despair!" Despair? "Yes! I am your despair! Have you ever cut through despair? That is just impossible! Saying that, the creature slammed its fist. Rumble!!! The ground caved with just one punch. A crater with a diameter of 50 m was created, and a massive landslide, which swept away all the wild plants under the mountain peak, occurred. Baek So-hwi broke out in a cold sweat. I cant win. It was the first time she felt this way after meeting Seol Jungyeon. There were always weaknesses and gaps in any opponent. However, there was no gap in emotion. Reluctantly, Baek So-hwi used her footwork to widen the distance between her and the creature. Responding to her, the creature bent down like a monkey and instantly moved tens of meters to catch her with a single leap. Thud! Rumble!! The creature ripped off a cliff and wielded it like a sword. pulled a peak out of the mountain and threw it like a javelin. It also hurled a tree just like shooting an arrow. Baek So-Hwi realized she couldnt fight it. Her only option was running away. Tuk! Ugh! Then, suddenly the place she set her feet on collapsed, throwing Baek So-hwi into a huge cave underneath. On top of the cave, the creature stood with a smirk plastered on its face. "Hahaha! stop running away and just give up! [Because, there are already dozens of demons like me in this world! This world now belongs to us demons!] "What did you say?" Even her, a Hwakyung Expert, was helpless against it. But there are a dozen more creatures like this in this world? It was an unbelievable piece of news. However, without despairing, Baek So-hwi grinded her teeth. "Hmm! [But you are special! Why don''t you despair when you see me?] Oh, I can feel the energy of other demons. It''s finally starting!" The creature spit those words out. It didn''t seem to even care about what it had said, but Baek So-hwi couldn''t stand the awful sense of incongruity she had felt before. It was an energy which felt like she was being artificially manipulated by someone. She was forced to move according to the world''s will. A certain fate'' kept using this reality at will. How!'' Tuk! Then, as she reached out her hand, she could feel she had grabbed something heavy. Taking a peek, it was a box. Without thinking much, Baek So-hwi popped it open, and on the inside, an old sword, a technique book, and finally, a brown pill. In other words, it was an elixir''. It was then Baek So-hwi became aware of the identity behind her sense of incongruity. She didnt know who it was, but something was certainly helping her. Baek So-hwi scowled as she was thankful yet resentful at that fact. I don''t need any help, she wanted to shout that, but without the help of this something she wouldnt be able to defeat the monster in front of her. And if there were dozens of such beings Murim would never be safe. Baek So-hwi gritted her teeth and held her sword once again. She could see the monster eyeing her. [Wawait! That''s a soul-cleaving sword? How did she] Judging from what she heard from the monster, It looks like the sword in her hand was something special. [Ha, unless she completely abandoned her emotions, she could never use it!] "So thats the requirement? It fits me just fine, then. Kuuooooooooo!! Then, in the distance, the figures of demons began to howl. When Baek So-hwi turned her head towards them, she could see numerous shadow-like creatures. There was one which resembled a giant, then a creature with dozens of eyes, and theres a goblin-like creature with clouds and stars hanging from its eyes. As the cheeky monster in front of him had said, it was true that there were dozens of monsters, not just him, in this world. She tightly grabbed the sword. Just like what the creature in front of her said, only those who had abandoned their emotions could wield it. Whose intention was this to come into her hands? Why is it helping her? Right now, it doesn''t really matter. She had something more important to do. It was to cut the creature in front of her. Chapter 173: Things Protagonist has to do (3) It turns out, killing the self-proclaimed Demon of Despair'' wasnt a difficult thing to do. Baek So-hwi flicked her sword and immediately checked the technique book and the elixir which was included in the same box as the Soul-cleaving Sword. [Demon Killing Swordsmanship] Just by reading the title written on the cover, Baek So-hwi could know what was written on the book. It was a book which teaches swordsmanship specialized in exterminating demons. Maybe thats why the techniques of the swordsmanship itself were completely focused on how to effectively and powerfully strike the target while removing all unnecessary movements such as the 4 basic techniques of martial arts used for dealing with humans. [Dragon Elixir] The name of the brown elixir was Dragon Elixir. And although it wouldnt improve the internal strength, it was written that it had the effect of strengthening the user''s soul. Baek So-hwi did not know what it meant, but she knew that it had a very great effect in demon hunting''. An elixir, huh? Since elixirs were an exclusive property of the Shaolin Temple, Baek So-hwi was not familiar with it. As someone from the Cheonma Sect, it had little to no effect for her, therefore, she had never come into contact with it. And the fact that it had no effect on the internal strength only made Baek So-hwi completely lose interest in it. -Nuuu uuhhh dont be like that! Hurry up, eat the elixir and learn the swordsmanship! Whos there!?!?" -It''s me~ Look at your hand! You are the one who just talked? A sword? -Eung! My name is Liang Hon! Please take care of me! Baek So-hwi looked at the sword in her hand with incredulous eyes. A talking swordsomething she had never heard before. -Although I am cold (with a warm heart), it would still be good to have one cute mascot like me next to the protagonist! What a load of bullcrap. -Bullcrap? Thats too much! [Come on, just open the technique book and let me give you a special swordsmanship instruction!] At those words, Baek So-hwi almost unknowingly opened the technique book. But she successfully endured this unknown urge with her superhuman mental strength. She didnt know who was helping her, and it was nice of them. But at the same time, it was very unpleasant to be forced into taking action. -Are you just going to leave like this? Without answering Liang Hons words. Baek So-hwi left the collapsed cave. The sky above was blue. And because all the clouds had been burned by her technique, there was not a speck of cloud hanging in the sky. I heard that there are many spirits like that one in this world. -Are you talking about the demon? That''s right. And there will be many more in the future. There''s no way theyre going to leave humans in this world alone when they know the humans here are vulnerable to their power. And There is only one person in this world who can stop it. That is you. Baek So-hwi had never felt this kind of sense of duty in her entire life. However, for some reason, she was able to vaguely realize that this path was the path she had to follow. It was not something the unknown fate had forced her to do. Rather, she decided on her own because she was aware that she was the only one who could do it. Can you tell me where the other demons are? -Uh For now, I can feel that theres a lot of them in the east. Baek So-hwi nodded. If its the east, it should be in the Kunlun mountain range. Im going to go check it out. -Wa..wait! Didnt I tell you there''s a lot of them there? Your current strength is not enough! "Does not matter." -Ugh Why is my current owner so selfish? (Ughhhhhhhh.) Baek So-hwi ignored Liang Hons grumble and started to move. That was how the journey of a strange companionship between a sword, who possessed a soul and a Murim warrior, who was once a Cheonma Lord, began. * * * Since Kunlun Mountain Range of the Kunlun Sect was in direct contact with the Tianshan Mountain Range of the Cheonma Sect, the two had no choice but to bump into each other quite often. Even when the position of the Lord of the Cheonma Sect had changed from Seol Jungyeon to Baek So-hwi, the Kunlun Sect was still one-sidedly arguing with them. Baek So-hwi never had any good feelings for them. However, since Kunlun Sect was a huge sect with tremendous power, she couldnt do anything to them. Even more so when the Kunlun Sect Lord was someone who was stronger than her even though they''re the same rank. However, when Baek So-hwi finally arrived at the Kunlun Mountain range, she had no choice but to frown at the horrific sight she saw. What the hell is this? Corpses of countless members of the Murim Alliance and Kunlun Sect were scattered throughout the mountain. The topography itself had become a complete mess as if a natural disaster had occurred. All of their pavilions, which normally wouldnt be accessible for outsiders, were also destroyed. There were no troops on patrol either, making Baek So-hwi''s journey to Kunlun Mountain an easy one. And when she finally climbed to the peak of Jade Mountain, Baek So-hwi saw a corpse of a giant creature made of bones crushed to death by an octagonal structure. -Thats a demon corpse. But because they cant be killed easily, it is still not completely dead. It seems that whoever faced this demon didn''t have the power to kill a soul. -However, to have driven a demon to this extent Just who is it? At the moment Liang Hon let those words out, a man appeared next to the demons head. Yoo Seodam! Baek So-hwi frowned as soon as she saw him. Oh? You are not drawing your sword right away like last time? . Of course, she wouldnt do it. After all, even though her hatred towards men was still there, she was currently regretting her past actions towards him. However, she would not ask him for forgiveness, because at this point, it didnt actually mean anything. I was waiting for you. I knew you would come. Yoo Seodam said. "What?" You have come across an elixir, havent you? You probably got it while fighting against a very powerful enemy such as a large snake which turned out to be a nine hundred-year-old snake with a very powerful inner strength. Or you came across it in a secluded place hidden deep inside a forest. Yoo Seodam kept going. He listed out every possible Clich used in Martial Arts novels. How did you know? Baek So-hwi asked. You see, Im a very smart man. Yoo Seodam said. One corner of his lips was curved upwards. And you will come across a lot more elixirs in the future. At his words, Baek So-hwi recalled something which had happened on her way here. A girl she had accidentally saved turns out to be the daughter of the head of the strongest intelligence group in Murim. And when they stopped by Shaolin Temple, she suddenly said to Baek So-hwi You, I like your eyes! and promised her that she would help her without any reason and handed her an elixir. But you have to reject them all. I can''t explain the reason in detail, but for now" Is it because the world is helping me? When she said that, it was now Yoo Seodam''s turn to be baffled. After all, amongst all the protagonists he had met so far, none had ever realized they were a protagonist. Even the sexy guy from the destroyed world was only able to understand because Aracelli had explained it to him. "Thats right. So, please, dont you ever accept it. It is a straight route to world''s destruction. It is true, the elixirs would be a great help for hunting demons But after you destroy all the demons, and when your story reaches its end, the world will end with you." If Baek So-hwi was still Baek So-hwi from before, she would never believe his words. However, she indeed could feel the energy of fate surrounding her body, so she had no choice but to believe in his words. Then what should I do? Baek So-hwi asked. If she kills the demons, the world will be destroyed. If she does not kill the demons, they would destroy the world. Its so complicated. Thats why you should reject the elixirs. Every time you take them, the world will move little by little towards destruction. Of course, simply refusing wouldnt completely prevent the world from heading towards destruction. However, she would be able to minimize the use of probability'' as the protagonist. You should only use the elixirs you cherish so much once you finally leave this world. As Yoo Seodam said as he threw a dark red marble at Baek So-hwi. If you go straight west about 1,700 li from here, you will see a cave. Later, when you have destroyed all the demons, you can use that marble in that cave. Baek So-hwis case was slightly different from Lee Yeon-jun, who was the protagonist of a certain world inside a dungeon which appeared in modern Earth. No probability was consumed for entering and exiting the dungeon, therefore, even if he returns to Earth, he would be able to maintain his power as the protagonist. (N: Reminder, Lee Yeon-jun is the guy that gets stronger the more attention he has from others) However, Earth and Murim were connected in an unnatural way. It was impossible to cross between the two as easily as crossing through a dungeon gate. In order to go to one of the two, Yoo Seodam had to use his life force which was harnessed from probability, and because Baek So-hwi also had the power of probability, she would be able to go to Earth by using the probability. But in the end, doing so would mean giving up everything she had accomplished in Murim. Because of that Baek So-hwi frowned because of the conflicting thoughts in her mind. It was also the same for Yoo Seodam. Leaving all the prizes they shouldve got after the hunt ended? Who would do that? At least Yoo Seodam was certain it wouldnt be him. However, Yoo Seodam was not a protagonist but just a selfish hunter, and Baek So-hwi, who was the real protagonist, had a different mindset than him. I understand. I''ll listen to your advice for now. Once I experience it myself, I will be able to judge whether what you say is true or not. At least, someone who was chosen by my Master wouldnt say any nonsense." Saying that, Baek So-hwi drew her sword. The demon''s corpse still remained, but Baek So-hwi knew Yoo Seodam was forcibly holding it. Why did you wait for me by the way? Do you want me to give a complete death to that demon? "That''s right." Thats a rather cheap price for all the advice you gave me. Baek So-hwi said as she swung her sword towards the head of the already powerless demon. Moments later, the corpse burned and scattered into the air. Yoo Seodam, who watched it silently, said to her one last time. Keep in mind, never take any elixir which comes your way! Only believe in your own strength and the bonds you have created by yourself. After saying that, Yoo Seodam disappeared from the place he stood as Baek So-hwi silently watched the traces he left for a while before turning around. Believe in my own strength and bonds I have created, huh?'' Bonds? Do I have something like that? Baek So-hwi scoffed. His last advice was very useless for Baek So-hwi. Thinking so, she turned her head before finding a certain cat. "Huh?" It was a familiar cat Heuk Joo-hee? As she unknowingly called the familiar name, the forest split open and an expressionless woman with black hair took the cat into her arms. She was Heuk Joo-hee, a loyal follower who had been following Baek So-hwi ever since she re-established the Cheonma Sect, and her cat pet. "What are you doing here?" Baek So-hwi asked. Then, as if she failed to comprehend her question, Haek Joo-hee raised her eyebrows. Of course, I came here to find you. Do I need any other reason? However, I am not the Lord anymore. "You''re right. You are no longer the Cheonma Sect''s Lord. You have taken off that red uniform which didn''t suit you, havent you?" At those words, Baek So-hwi felt a certain emotion swelling in her heart. However, she swiftly brushed those feelings aside as felt she didnt deserve to feel that way when she had tried to rob someone elses source of happiness. However, without minding Baek So-hwis conflicting mind, Heuk Joo-hee walked closer towards her. "The person I swore my allegiance to was you, Baek So-hwi, not the Cheonma. Thats why I came all the way here. As Heuk Joo-hee said those words while walking closer towards her, Baek So-hwis lips trembled. She was aware she shouldnt welcome her. If she welcomed her, she would betray Seol Jungyeon''s last consideration towards her. She must pay for her sins by abandoning everything she knows and roam the world to hunt demons. Cheonma Sect has been disbanded, and we have to go our own separate way. Didnt we already go our separate ways? !!! Baek So-hwi heard another voice from behind. Lena, Cheong-ryang. "Yes, my lord. Its us. Do you think it would be better for you to throw us away? So, are we doing a meaningless thing by coming to this Ugh hellish place? Sensing the presence, she felt from afar, its not just one or two people who had come to her but at least hundreds. They seemed to be here because they had predicted Baek So-hwi would appear in the midst of the chaos on Kunlun Mountain Range. Baek So-hwi stared at the ground. She was trying hard to hide her trembling heart and not to show them her embarrassed expression. What is the reason for the former lord to disband the sect and set us free? My lord, no matter how much we think about it, we could only conclude this is her reason. At their words, Baek So-hwi finally bit her lips and smiled. It was only then she could understand Yoo Seodam''s last words. She believed those words were not Yoo Seodam''s but Seol Jungyeon''s. Even though she had decided she didnt want Baek So-hwi to appear in front of her ever again, she still generously forgave her and gave her some advice. So. If it was her master''s will "I see. If that is so, please take care of me again in the future. Baek So-hwi promised. For the rest of her life, she would desperately live with them. (T/N and that was the end of Astas few chapters long of What the fuck does this hanja mean adventure. It was far from perfect. So, I welcomed everyone who knows better Murim terms in our discord. Like seriously) Chapter 174: Modern Day Magic Academy (1) Meanwhile on Earth, the commotion caused by the appearance of a mysterious existence called demon'' was still on-going. It was mainly due to the fact that the power of the demon which targets emotion was working well against body-strengthening type superhuman and any shield made of the latest technology was proven to be useless against it. And even though the Emotion Protection Technique announced by Another League had spread widely around the world, it could only be used by a superhuman with strong mental power, not common people, making the general public more anxious than ever. The appearance of the demon had become a greater emergency than an epidemic. It was severe to the point it would be difficult to find people on the streets. And those who could still be found on the street were always carrying a stun gun or pepper spray for self-defense to protect themselves and were wary of each other. In addition, the situation forced many companies to close their offices and instructed their employees to work from home while many self-employed people closed their businesses because of the bad economy. However, it was unavoidable. In a situation where people did not even know when and where the demon would attack, wandering around would mean exposing themselves to danger. They could be the one who got their emotion manipulated or they could become the victim of others who had lost themselves in their emotions. Meanwhile, Yekaterina had learned several things about the demon. First, in order for the demon to use its power in a certain area, the possessed body must also be present in the same area. Second, the movement of the possessed body was very careful. Theres a high possibility that the possessed body was someone well known to the public. Just who amongst 7 billion people in the world made a contract with a demon? Although its hard to determine at first, Yekaterina went into the hot pursuit focusing on the fact that the witch had something to do with the demon, since she remembered reading books about demons back in the Morian guild. And as a result, she was able to narrow down the suspect to just one person. Avon of the Morian Guild. She was someone who had imprisoned Yekaterina while pretending to take care of her, the first magician to ever appear in the world as well as the guild master of Russia''s largest guild, Morian. In Yekaterinas eyes, Avon had done well in erasing her trail by using many backdoor means such as smuggling herself while entering and leaving the country. However, it seems like Avon had overlooked the intelligence power of Another League and New Murim Alliance which had reached a level that had exceeded her imagination, so in the end Yekaterina could still detect Avons trail. And her trail matched well with the areas where Emotion Contagions happened. Yekaterina was almost certain that Avon was the one who was possessed by the demon or at least she had a close relationship with it. If she could only use her soul magic on her, she could reveal her identity to the whole world. But how? Asking the guild master of Russia''s top guild to be scanned with soul magic would be perceived as a huge insult, and its obvious Avon would reject it with the excuse of defamation''. And when Avon comes to know that Yekaterina had a way to find out about the demon, she would try to refuse any meeting with Another League as much as possible. Yekaterina couldnt find any possible way. Would it be possible if I used something other than the demons matter to lure her out? The bait would be none other than magic. Yekaterina, who could be said to be an expert in terms of handling Earth''s magic, had virtually uncompromising power and authority regarding magic. In this field, her words were the law. So, Yekaterina decided to hold what she called the Magician Assembly. Speaking of groups of magicians, right now there were only the Morian Guild and Another League in the world However, who would object when the best magician said she would do it? Yekaterina also invited a large number of important figures from all over the world such as superstars, world-famous actors and actresses, politicians, CEO of large companies and of course guild masters of many big guilds, to suppress the backlash from her selfish desire. Another League had grown to a level where they could make those things possible. Although the original purpose of this meeting was to attract Avon, Yekaterina could not hide her excitement because she could feel the authority Another League held. Fyuuhh. Yekaterina exhaled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Contrary to how beautiful and confident she looked wrapped in a white suit that resembled her own hair, she was quite nervous deep down. How couldnt she? Even though it was her who had called the people to attend this event, everyone present was someone who was important and held a certain amount of authority all over the world. Are you ready, President Yekaterina? When a Korean female staff member came and asked her, Yekaterina simply nodded her head as the answer. The Magician Assembly was held in Korea, the nation where Another League''s HQ was located. Therefore, Avon was forced to come to Korea thinking of how prestigious the assembly is. Currently, there were only two guilds which have magicians in their ranks, but it would change in the future as many more magicians would appear and join the assembly. And Avon and Morian Guild had no choice but to participate in the historic first meeting because they had lived their life with pride which was coming from the fact that they were magicians. My job is very important. Yekaterina thought so and calmed her frantic heart. Yoo Seodam had asked her to capture the demon''s possessed body on Earth while he left for another world to directly confront the demon on the other side. Compared to his job, Yekaterina thought her job was practically nothing. It was just meeting a lot of people. "Let''s go." Yekaterina straightened her shoulders, lifted her head and walked towards the conference hall. Even though she had no sight, she tried to look at everyone with her clearest eyes. As soon as she entered the hall, dozens of cameras labelled with the logo of their respective broadcast station from around the world simultaneously illuminated Yekaterinas face. "Nice to meet you. My name is Yekaterina, magician of Another League. Yekaterina said. As always on the outside, she kept her cold countenance on. After glancing around the crowd, she sets her gaze on Avon, who was seated at the far end of her. She was smiling faintly as if she took a liking to her seat that was positioned faraway. The reason why I am here today is to spread magic more actively to the world. To this day, humanity lacks the strength to fight against monsters, resulting in numerous casualties every single day. Could it have been because humanity are stupid and could never learned magic? The answer is no. It is simply because there was no opportunity for the public to come into contact with the ability known as magic. Currently, magic was only partially disclosed through the internet and portal sites. But that also meant that magic was not accessible in countries where the internet couldnt reach. Thats why, I intend to create a place where everyone could learn magic. First of all, we in Another League are planning to build a magic tower, a place where magic could be officially recognized and a place where they could showcase their talents. The second one we were preparing for was magic academy. It would be a place where students can pursue their dream of magic. In fact, the magic tower was currently already in the process of being established, however, theres still no concrete plan for the magic academy as of yet. It was just an excuse for Yekaterina to gather all these people today. Afterall, to establish a magic academy, the number of students which could be admitted would be limited while the applicants would surely overflow, so choosing which applicant should be admitted would be a big hurdle. A magic academy? "Finally!!" To officially recognize magician as a job People began to murmur at her declaration. For them, no matter how transparently magic had been publicized, in the end there was a limit to self-learning, and in order to learn properly, they had no choice but to join Another League. But, what if a magic academy'' is established? The situation would surely become different. Even if they didn''t belong to the Another League, they could still learn magic. Of course, unbeknownst to them, there would be a condition attached to the graduating students which stated they would have to work at Another League Magic Tower'', Another League Research Institute'' or Another League Agency'' for a few years But this is just a bait'' When people reacted violently to the topic she threw without much thought, Yekaterina was slightly perplexed. She was only going to give a brief explanation about it, but it became rather difficult when more and more attention was focused on the topic than expected. So, Yekaterina decided she had to bring up a topic which everyone couldnt help but focus on right now. "and I''m sure you all know about the fact that magic can counteract the power of demons'' to some extent." Demon. It was an unidentified monster which was currently considered to be the worst monster on Earth. It had no form, and had no clear attack method, making it difficult to hatch a countermeasure against it other than the Emotion Protection Technique disclosed by Another League, so the people had no choice but to listen to Yekaterina intensively. In fact, Emotion Protection Technique was far from magic, but modern people had no way of knowing such a fact, so they couldnt help but be deceived. Another reason for making magic universal is the existence of demons. We will need magic to fight against the demon. I have one question. What makes you think that magic is the only power that can repel Demons? Thatsbecause only magicians can summon a demon. The truth is, magicians and demons had absolutely nothing to do with each other. The two had no contact point and were technically opposite to each other. But Yekaterina still told such a lie, and the crowd began to roar. Much more chaotic than when Yekaterina brought up the magic academy. A magician could do that? that does make sense. If magicians are the only ones who can summon demons, it explains why we need magic to fight them. But who, and why the hell did they do something like that? Slowly, the atmosphere began to flow towards the direction Yekaterina wanted. And Avon, who realized Yekaterina''s intentions, frowned. Maybeit was to show the world the importance of magic. At those words, all murmur died down. The hall became completely silent. Everyones present could draw a story from those words alone. Magic was definitely a great science, and it was receiving a lot of attention from the world. For example, the Another League, where the best magician on the planet Yekaterina belonged, was always on the lips of people every day. But there was another magician guild which didnt share the same fate as them. The Morian Guild. They were also a guild with many magicians on their ranks, but due to the difference in technique, they didn''t enjoy attention as big as Another League. Every day the spotlight only shined on the magic of Another League, and the Morian Guild had no choice but to be anxious. Due to that, the Morian Guild summoned a demon hoping they would get the spotlight they wished for as they made modern people depend on them because they were the only ones who know how to fight it. But before that could happen, their plan went awry because Another League revealed the countermeasure Of course, it''s all nothing but a made-up story in everyones head. Theres no evidence which proves its authenticity. However, Yekaterina herself had revealed only a magician can summon a demon. That alone was enough. There is no other group in the world aside from Another League and Morian Guild, are you trying to put the blame on us? "No. I have no intention of doing so. If so, then isnt Another League also suspicious? You could be the one who summoned the demon then manipulated the public opinion to bury us." "Yes. Its possible. Yekaterina meekly nodded. "Therefore, from now on, I plan to use a new magic called Soul Projection to all magicians on the planet. Of course, including myself. Soul Projection? "Yes. It is a more accurate identification method than the soul magic which confirmed the number of souls that was revealed before. Like the name implies, it would project the soul which exists in the subject''s body into reality. If Soul Projection was used on person A, a soul that resembles person A would be shown. It was such a simple technique, but what if I used it on a demonic possessive body? Avon''s expression grew more and more wrinkled. Its not a good development for her. If Yekaterina used that technique herethere was a high possibility her identity would be discovered. Hey, demon. Is there any way to block it? . Her wrinkle only grew deeper as the demon'', who always answered when she called, suddenly became silent. are you telling us to trust such untested spells? Untested? Dont you know our magic has been proven to be able to fight against demons? Avon tried her luck with that last argument. However, she didnt get the result she wanted. The atmosphere has completely shifted to Yekaterina''s side. She had no doubt that everyone here was doubting her but couldnt point it out since theres no evidence. Yekaterina stood up as if she would not delay it any longer, and Ye Sa-hye and another magician belonging to Another League who had been waiting behind her came out. They all stood on either side of Yekaterina and stretched out their hands, creating a strange magic circle which sank into Yekaterinas feet. Wooooooonnnggg-!! Before long, a translucent soul wrapped in a pure white dress came out from Yekaterinas body. With its eyes closed, the figure silently floats in the air. Naturally it was the figure of Yekaterinas soul'', so sighs erupted here and there at the presentation. Next Ill cast it on you, Avon of Morian Guild. "Ugh" Avon found herself in trouble, a really big trouble as she saw Ye Sa-hye and other magicians slowly heading towards her. She racked her brain to try to think of a way to somehow overcome the situation, but to no avail. In the first place, the media was on Yekaterinas side, so any excuses she said would be useless. At this rate Avon looked around. It seems impossible to escape from this place. She could see S-rank hunters and warriors of Murim dispatched from the New Murim Alliance all over the hall. However, the moment she let the Soul Projection touch her, her life would be over. Cold sweat appeared on from her entire body. She couldnt find a way to save herself from the predicament she was in. I cant get arrested here!'' With her head raised, Avon stretched out her hand toward the air. The S rank hunters were late to rush towards her as they were taken aback by her bizarre action. CRACKLEE-!! Avon''s body swelled up, caving the ground beneath and destroying the ceiling above, and in an instant, she had transformed into a giant''. Ugh! What, what! At the sudden turn of events, all hunters quickly retreated and protected the guest. However, they soon had to stop moving. "Thatthat Demon!?!? The figure of Avon had changed into a giant skeleton with red bones. It had a large horn resembling a saw which looked so vicious attached to its head. It was truly an overwhelming presence which literally provokes fear'' to anyone who sees it. Even the S rank hunters, who had learned soul magic to some extent had no choice but to kneel on the floor because of the sight before them. Yekaterina was no exception. How!!'' Yekaterina had concluded the demon would not manifest for a while after analysing the huge amount of energy wave'' which erupted when the devil appeared in South Africa. By her estimation, it would take at least a few years for the demon to gather that much energy again Thud! When Avon lightly twisted her foot, the entire building was swept away. No one could move. No one was brave enough to raise their head in the face of the terrifyingly dense fear. As Avon opened her mouth, a voice came out. However, the voice which came out wasnt one but two voices overlapping each other. -"You''re still as arrogant as ever, Yekaterina. Yeah, you''ve always liked this kind of useless farce, don''t you?" "Eugh" -"Butdon''t you remember? Your plans have always been ruined because of me. Yekaterina felt like nausea would come out as she heard Avons words. Tears welled up on her eyes, her fingertips trembled, and her lips couldnt even move, so she was unable to use magic. Even though a barrier was erected in place to protect her soul and emotions through soul magic, the moment the demon appeared, such a trick became completely useless. -It reminds me of the past, Yekaterina. You have always been ungrateful despite all the kindness and protection I gave to you. Shouldnt a bad girl be punished? Those were the words which Yekaterina had been hearing for decades during her imprisonment. After that words fell, severe corporal punishment had always awaited her. At the words that stimulated her PTSD, Yekaterina eventually collapsed, losing even her will to resist. -Then, lets go back As Avon reached towards Yekaterina with her red-blood hand. -"Huh?" Whooshh!! Her body suddenly caught fire. The flame, which started from her toes and fingertips, began to swallow her body in an instant. And at first, some hunters, who thought it was a demon''s skill, were shivering and fell to the ground However, they soon felt strange and raised their heads. The power of ''emotion'' which had interfered with them had weakened! -Uh, huh?! what, what! What the hell! Hey demon! What happened! Answer me! Answer me! With her body on fire, Avon shuddered in agony and shrieked. But the demon still didn''t answer. She felt the demon''s presence which had lent her his power, and had discussed with her of putting the world under their feet, had completely vanished. -Yekaterina! What the hell did you do!" However, Yekaterina was also confused about what was happening. In the first place, she didn''t do anything. Then, belatedly, she was able to recall something. She got up with all her might, and she cried out loudly. The demon has been weakened! It can''t do anything now, so please subdue her! Then, the hunters responded to Yekaterinas words fiercely. Oh, Magician Yekaterina has conquered the demon! Lets smash its head while it is weakened! Die, you motherfucker! In the place where luxurious vocabulary was circulating due to the gathering of high-ranking people, harsh words of the hunters had now filled the hall. So far, no physical blows had worked against it, but seeing the demon now had become helpless, Yekaterina''s legs became weak and she plopped down to the floor. Then, as she remembered someone who had saved everyone in this place by weakening the demon, Yekaterina smiled. Chapter 175: Modern Day Magic Academy (2) When Yoo Seodam and his party returned to Earth, everything seemed to be already over. Oh, my phone is going to explode. Taylor said as she held her smartphone high in the sky. Yoo Seodam didnt know why she did it. Nowadays, as satellites developed more and more, the internet was practically everywhere, except in a few special spaces such as dungeons and places where anomalies occurred. Thus, even in the Kalahari Desert, smartphones could normally function, but it seems to be a habit of hers. "Yeah." Yoo Seodam also picked up his smartphone to check on his messengers and some news portal. The headlines of all news portals were Magician Assembly held by Another League, and a huge demon which appeared there, And [Special Report! The guild master of the Morian Guild was the one who summoned the demon!] [Another League President, Yekaterina successfully defeats the demon!!] It wasn''t difficult for Yoo Seodam to find the video which showed the event as there were a lot of videos going around. The video he clicked on showed a red-bone giant which appeared and threatened people, but then fell when Yekaterina resisted. What a good timing, it must have happened around the time Baek So-hwi beheaded him. Yoo Seodam said. Their original purpose for going to Murim was to close the dimension gate'' and severing the connection between Earth and Murim since they had initially thought the demon would not be able to exert its power on Earth once it happened. However, they became aware that it was pointless and eventually stopped pursuing the matter altogether because there could be another gateway'' opened somewhere on Earth. Instead, they enlisted Baek So-hwi to cut the demon''s neck, which sowed chaos on the Earth. If theres another door, it could be said that one day it would be found. "Thats so. Though, not just anyone could get through it Perhaps, it would be better to say that it is almost impossible to pass through it. Seol Jungyeon''s expression became sullen at Yoo Seodams words. He knew the reason. The place which used to be like home for her was now in a very chaotic situation due to the appearance of the demons. However, they couldn''t do anything to help out. Because, the story of Fighting Against Demons in the end was something that should be done by the protagonist of the story. Yoo Seodam had experienced it when he was in the destroyed world. If someone like him, who was not the protagonist, fights against something only the protagonist could fight, theres a high possibility that it will literally disappear without anyone knowing. Therefore, it was better to let it finish naturally. It''s something the protagonist needs to figure out anyway. Yoo Seodam proceeded to explain to Seol Jungyeon that Murim would gradually become better in the future, including the existence of probability. And asked her not to worry. "If you say so, its fine then. I have no more regrets there anyway. And from now on Seol Jungyeon looked at Yoo Seodam. I can focus on Earth a little bit more. * * * After the demon died, the world seemed to return to its original state as the emotion contagion which plunged the world into confusion had completely disappeared. In the process, there were countries and organizations which particularly became hot topics. The Korean government, which succeeded in responding to national disasters in a timely manner, strengthened their status in the world, while China, which had become more chaotic in the midst of chaos, was criticized worldwide. And then, the leader of Japan withdrew from his position as he was aware of his incompetence this time, while the United States was criticized a little bit because of their selfish control. However, because of the Great War'' which occurred decades ago, most countries on Earth had learned how to actively respond to unknown emergencies. Therefore, theres no particular country which was completely destroyed. [The fall of the Morian Guild Will the first magician guild on earth disappear into history just like this?] Avon, the strongest witch of the Morian Guild and the first human to ever reveal the existence of magic to the world, was currently imprisoned in the superhuman prison. And in order to prevent her from using her magical powers, she was detained with a very special restraint crafted by Another League. On the flipside, the stock price of Another League skyrocketed thanks to Yekaterina, who was known by the public as the one who uncovered the identity of the demon and even took it down. Thats why Yekaterina always hummed gleefully every time she watched the news. By the way, Seodam-nim. Yekaterina looked at the desk next to her. Even though the room was originally Yoo Seodams office, he was often away from Earth while the Another League was managed by Yekaterina. Therefore, Yekaterina placed another desk in the room for his use for times when hes on Earth. "Yeah? Whats the matter?" Yoo Seodam asked. How did you kill the demon? Oh, that? Im not the one who killed it. I asked a contract killer to do it for me. "Yes?" Demon is a creature which cannot be killed by the power of ordinary humans. "Is that so?" Yekaterina pondered for a moment at his words before carefully asking another question. Then if demons appear again in the future Are you saying that the same chaos will happen again? Probably so. Yoo Seodam said. Although the demon which dealt with fear and anger was now dead while the demons of Murim should be dwindling thanks to Baek So-hwi, theres a chance that demons from another world would come since the previous demon had already left its scent on Earth. And for Yoo Seodam, who became aware that dimensional travel was more common than he originally thought, it was quite worrying. People all over the world believed Yekaterina had defeated the demon with her magic that was different from science, but in the end, it was not the truth since it was impossible to deal with the demon even with magic. Still, I think the whole world has realized the need for magic thanks to this event. Just like the saying you must know your enemy and know yourself, theres a need to know about something in order to fight the unknown. In this case, the public became aware that theres a need for them to learn magic as a subject rather than a tool for war. Thats why support for the establishment of the magic academy is coming in. Well the original plan was to make one at the level of a small middle school, but" Yoo Seodam looked at the popping file on his monitor which he believed was sent by Yekaterina from her monitor. He opened it and read all the content for a few moments before rolling his eyes. Now it is around the size of a university in Seoul? "Yes, and I think there will be about seven of them all over the world. The name of the academy would be Another League Magic Academy. Starting with the Seoul campus, it would also be built in major cities around the world. The sheer scale of the project left Yoo Seodam completely gobsmacked. And because of this project, we will need to recruit more staff members. But I think it will take at least 5 to 10 years before a professor who can teach magic professionally appears Until then, Seodam-nim and I have to teach. Me?" "Yes. It couldnt be helped since theres not enough people. Hey, when will the school be established? Ummm. Currently, were still in the stage of drawing the blueprint. We''re planning to have all the structures on our campuses to be the same as the other campuses. I will even match all the letters on the wall. Yoo Seodam broke out in a cold sweat. He indeed possessed a vast amount of magical knowledge in his head, but it was not entirely his own knowledge as it was kept in the form of a library. However, Yekaterina had misunderstood and took that as a sign that Yoo Seodam had learnt most of the magic available there. I''m going crazy'' Though he was glad he still had some time before it happened for real. After that, Yekaterina turned quiet as she seemed to be focused on her work while Yoo Seodam looked at the monitor in front of him and thought about the guild. Originally, he founded the guild without any intention to make it as big as it is now and he also didnt want to become attached to it. He just wants to use it as a means to recruit party members to enter the Hell Gate with him. With those thoughts passing on his mind, the scene outside the window entered his eyes. He could see the used-to-be swordmasters of Earth who had become full-fledged warriors of Murim, flying by using their mugong. In the far away laboratory, magic researchers were busy analyzing the unknown science of magic in a modern way, and the spirits in the garden were doing a kind of breeding'' of plants in order to fully restore the energy of this world. Another League was getting bigger and bigger. If so, how close was him from his ultimate goal in life, Hell Gate''? In the future, will he be able to put all his members into a literal hell called Hell Gate? I dont know.'' In fact, from the beginning Yoo Seodam was aware it was only wishful thinking. He only dreamed the moment of reaching the final stage after digging into an unknown place called Hell Gate with colleagues who agree with him every day. He didnt think much of the process. Though, who in their sane mind would accompany him into a place where even SS rank hunters were struggling for survival? Right now, Yoo Seodam himself was only at the level of S Rank. To be safe in the Hell Gate, he would need strength comparable to Seol Jungyeon or Taylor Nine but he never wanted to take them to such a dangerous place. So, since the establishment of Another League. I would rather go alone. Thats what he had been thinking. The Hell Gate was always dim, and the space itself was always twisted to the point it was useless to map the interior of Hell Gate. But the scariest thing there was not the monster but rather their own emotions which were constantly being torn and worn out in a space without dreams and hopes. He then recalled things which happened while he was stuck inside the Hell Gate. He had encountered a human-faced figure which suddenly popped out of the wall and let out the most terrifying scream he had ever heard in his life. He also encountered a mysterious phenomenon where the whole sky was distorted and turned into a form of bizarre eyes which stared at him and his party all day long as if wondering how long they could stay sane. In fact, more than half of the expedition members at that time chose to end their own life while the other half died because of murder. Only less than 20% of the fatalities were due to monsters. And the survivors who survived the ordeal simply survived because of luck. Even beyond such a mental problem, the monster inside would eventually become a huge barrier to the entry of Hell Gate since it was monsters which never had appeared on Earth. They were really common-sense defying creatures, as if they were creatures from another world. Wait a moment.'' Come to think of it, didnt he have a creature which had bloomed from Hell Gate? Although it seems to be completely clueless about what Hell Gate is, the Flowerpot was born there. By the way, there''s another strange thing. It''s the part he hadn''t paid much attention to so far Why was the information about the Flowerpot written in the Library of the White Witch? The name Silver Spirit Flower was recorded in the Library of the White Witch. In other words, it means that the creature recorded by the witch of another world could be found in the Hell Gate of Earth. If so, then why? Something'' Something was weird. In the first place, was the word Earth''s Hell Gate'' correct? The moment when such a question is about to enter his mind. "That''s right!" Yekaterina smiled softly and lifted her head. "You surprised me. What happened? Even though we cant build the academy right away, we still need to show the public how we teach, so a lot of students will enroll, dont you think? Uh, maybe? Thats why I decided to rent a hotel temporarily for a month or two. So, Seodam-nim and I can actually invite some students in their teens to 20s to our lecture. "Huh?" Yoo Seodam was baffled as he tried to give Yekaterina his opinion on the matter. But before he could do that, Yekaterina put some files on her hands and said. Seodam-nim is more adept at magic than me, so could you please make a temporary textbook for me? Oh, I have a meeting now, so I need to go. Hes screwed. As Yoo Seodam thought like that, he let out a very long sigh. Chapter 176: Nice To Meet You! I am The Fairy of The Tutorial! (1) If someone said Another League only gained a positive image due to the recent demon incident, it was absolutely a lie. Rather, thanks to the fact that the demon'' catastrophe was caused by magic, Another League, which specializes in magic, and a place where numerous magicians gathered, was criticized a lot. Until now, Another League was only a small to medium-sized guild, and the media couldnt attack them because they had never been directly involved in controversy and only showed a positive image by spreading magic and mugong to the public. However, because of the recent case, the media finally had something they could bite into, and took their shot to Another League. Of course, Yekaterina, as the one who led Avon into the trap, was aware things could turn out this way. Thats why as soon as she saw the media start to throw their accusations towards Another League, she put her contingency plan in place. First, she asked Taylor to keep quiet for the time being. Because Yekaterina and Yoo Seodam would never answer the medias question, they would naturally switch their interview target and aim at Taylor Nine, who was relatively active and talkative, and would nitpick all of her words. -Hunter Taylor, the Russian government said it is necessary to be wary of magic, and expressed their opinion that strong international control should be exercised towards it What do you think of this? However, as Taylor had already experienced being reported of defamation from numerous places because of her fact-bomber persona, she had a clear grasp of how to keep the media quiet. She took the mic of the reporter who suddenly came to her as soon as she cleared a dungeon by the request of China and then she exaggeratedly made a sad expression. C Everywhere I go, it blooms To the reporters surprise, Taylor didnt answer her question but started to sing. It was a classic Korean song from the early 21st century which even Koreans did not know well. Wait, Hunter Taylor! What are you doing now!'' Since the interview was broadcasted live, the reporter swiftly tried to steal the microphone back from Taylors hand, but to no avail. Afterall, how could a normal person win against a SS rank superhuman? Taylor''s song then went beyond the climax as she took the camera from the cameramans hand and used it as if she was using her phone to take a selfie. C That''s it~ I''m doing well~ Because it''s my life, because it''s my way~ That interview'' then became a headline not only in China but also Korea and became a major issue in many foreign countries as well. Of course, the one who got criticized in the end wasnt Taylor but the Chinese broadcast station who tried to interview a hunter who had no ties at all to the sensitive political topic that occurred. And because of Taylors unnecessarily good singing skill, a strange situation unfolded in which she secured a fairly large fan base among netizens. In addition, world-famous singer Hellony tagged Taylor on her stargram post and suggested they form a duet together. Though, It was neatly reject with a light fuck off'' by Taylor which then also become the hottest topic of the internet for a while. Of course, while all those things happened, Another League didn''t just play around. Thanks to the diversion Taylor made, Yekaterina gained enough time to clean up and make an official announcement. The content was simple. It was Are you scared of magic because you dont know about it? Then I will teach you! Sign up for my class and youll become my student too! Of course, some foreign correspondents responded to her announcement with a written article in Korean on SNS. They didnt mince their words as they expressed their concern such as Yekaterina used the incident of demon as a viral marketing for her magic academy or The public is being deceived. However, unfortunately for them, Taylor directly went to their account and replied, Even if you want to learn, don''t come, you bastard!'', which was agreed by a lot of her fans. Thus, the reporter had no choice but to delete the post. "Anyway, things are going smoothly. Now, I just need to decide the material for the lecture. Unlike the YTube video, I will directly teach them in the lecture, so I''m a little nervous" Yekaterina said. Lately, life has been so enjoyable for her. In addition, when Yoo Seodam provide a bizarre idea to the academys blueprint such as a magically operated cone hat vacuum cleaner, talking bulletin board which sometimes become angry, floating magic light, and magically moving walls and doors, the thought this is a business that would certainly become successful'' always kept her awake at night. All of those ideas stemmed from the fact that Yoo Seodam had visited several magic academies while traveling across numerous dimensions. And Yekaterina made sure that most of his ideas would actually be used in the magic academy. "How could you think of such an idea?" "Well, Im just that good." "Yes?" If there was such a thing as a cross dimension copyright law, Yoo Seodam would surely get arrested. Now, the only thing left for Yoo Seodam was the textbook production. He intends to borrow a little bit of knowledge from another world since the books in the Library of the White Witch were unkind and weren''t a good fit for a textbook. Should I just ask Aracelli?'' * * * Of course, it was foolish to go to another world just because I had to make a textbook. However, I could do that because the time to receive a new mission had finally come. Even though lately I''ve been spending my time in another world, I wasnt there because of any request'', and for me, who had signed a contract to receive requests on a regular basis, its time for me to fulfill my parts of the contract. And while I was there, it would be nice to spend some time with Aracelli, who was very kind to me. "Is that so? I was thinking of going to a magic academy, though." "Is that so? Well, to be honest, it didnt matter much. I can go wherever you want." Since I was in the position to receive compensation after finishing the mission, I had no intention of complaining about the workplace. It''s because I''d known since I was a kid that the world doesnt always work the way I want it to. Besides, I don''t even have to go to an academy. With Aracelli''s vast knowledge, she could make any textbook without needing any external help. For that reason, I only brought a laptop, a blank textbook, and an ink pen. Every time I meet her, it seems like I keep asking her for something. I''ll have to treat her to some beef later.'' I don''t know whether Aracelli likes beef or not. But from what I know, 90 out of 100 people would like beef, so I''m sure Aracelli would also like it. "Show me the mission list." Did You Die Again? Do It Again! #fantasy #regression #growth #sweet_potato #cider I Monopolized The Tutorial. #fusion #self-reliance #manipulation #fabrication When I Woke Up In Another World, I Became The Teacher of The World''s Strongest Saints, But Im Only An Incompetent Commoner? So, Ill Make A Harem Filled With The Worlds Strongest Saints #harem #growth #munchkin #saints #hidden_power There seems to be an unidentified title at the end, but I have no idea what it is. I think I''ve seen it before "Is that so" It seems it was a dangerous world to go to. Even if I had to go to that world in the end, I wouldnt do it right now because it was a genre I was unfamiliar with. A familiar regression genre would be better, but the difficulty level in that world was strangely high. "Then Shall we go to the tutorial?" C A giant Tutorial Tower which suddenly appeared in the world. In this place, where races from many worlds gathered [Activating skill.] [Skill Contractor of the Tutorial Fairy'' has been activated.] I will monopolize this world C "Well." Just like usual, I couldn''t really guess whats waiting for me in that world through the summary alone. However, what was certain is that the protagonist was not a returner and he possessed a skill which was different from others. Considering the fact that the fairy plays a very important role in the tutorial, signing a contract with them must have been a pretty overpowered ability. "Okay. Let''s go right away." [Moving to the 1st floor of the Tutorial Tower, the world where level 139 protagonist Wizen, resides.] [1098.] The world shook, all the landscape in front of my eyes flickered, and before long, a gigantic tower came into my sight. [210] [Moving complete.] [You have become the challenger of the Tutorial Tower.] And when I woke up, I was standing in a certain square. The floor under my feet was coloured in the mixture between black and white tiles just like a chess board, giving off a strange atmosphere. And when I looked around me, I saw a lot of people wearing white t-shirts and gray shorts, with puzzled expressions on their faces. [Granting the skill Tutorial Status Window (Temporary)''] [Your tutorial level is 1.] When I looked up, I saw a pillar rising endlessly into the sky as if it was supporting the whole world. "What, what!" "Where is this?" "What have you done to me!" Judging from their reaction, it seems most of the people who came here have been kidnapped by the tower. In other words, this place was where the beginners gathered. Wheres the protagonist, by the way? I dont think hes here in the beginner area since his level is pretty high. I see. It couldnt be helped then. I only need to steadily climb the tower. Let me go! Hey! Let me go! I have important things to do! Hey! Where is this? Uh,,, huuuuhhh Suddenly, in the midst of confusion, something suddenly jumped out with a boom from the hazy fog which appeared in the air. It was a rabbit-like creature which reminds me of a rabbit from Alice In Wonderland. It wore a monocle and watch on its wrist while its body was wrapped in a purple and red formal suit Nice to meet you everyone! I am a Tutorial Fairy. Now, shall we start the tutorial? The square was completely silent at the words of the rabbit No, the Tutorial Fairy. However, moments later, the silence was broken as a middle-aged man who looked like a mouse suddenly screamed. What nonsense is that? Do you know who I am? Do you think youll be fine after doing this to me? Send me back now! The fairy only smiled at the mans outburst. And somehow, I was able to predict what would happen next, so I hardened my face. Puck! Huh Whawhaatt!!! The middle-aged mans head swelled up like a balloon before it exploded. Scattering its bits and pieces into the surrounding. This is why I hate humans. By the way? Is there anyone else who wants their head to explode? Many people plopped down to the ground. And theres also a lot of people who sobbed and faint. But no one said anything anymore to the fairy. The confusion and anger they have had has been cleared up by the simple action of the rabbit. No one? Thats good. Theres a slight setback, so shall we start over? The fairy then began to explain the rules of the Tutorial Tower. As I listened to it, I suddenly remembered something. I opened my inventory and saw a worn-out diary there. It was a diary written by the principal of the haunted magic academy I went to last time, Malea. Dont tell me I took out the diary and opened its first page with a suspicious feeling in my heart. [On the first floor of the tutorial, someone died. His head tragically exploded. It was a death with no cause nor meaning but no one dared to speak of it(omitted) The tutorial fairy then started the game. The rules were simple, the challenger only needed to pass through a maze full of obstacles and monsters.] The rules are simple! You just need to pass through the maze behind you. What do you think? Its easy, isnt it? The words I read in the diary unfolded in reality. Chapter 177: Nice To Meet You! I am The Fairy of The Tutorial! (2) Malea May Brington. She was a 19 years old female student who was currently in her 14th year of studying in Cheongyeon Private Magic High School. Her talent for magic was mediocre at best, but thanks to her lively personality and glamorous appearance, she was quite well known around the school. However, that wasnt the only thing which made Malea famous. She also had a high level of leadership. Her sense of responsibility and her leading personality had led her to assume the position of student president of the entire school despite her low grades. She was always a daring and courageous leader who could solve practically any problem that came to her with her wits. C Nice to meet you, everyone! I''m the fairy of the tutorial! Let''s start the tutorial, shall we? If she wasnt kidnapped into this hellish place called tutorial'', she might have believed that for the rest of her life. At that time, Malea and 11 other students from Cheongyeon Private Magic High School were somehow chosen to become the challenger of the tutorial tower. Amidst the confusion her schoolmates found themselves in, Malea proudly said, Trust me, guys. I''ll take care of it.'' and took the mantle of leader of the group into her shoulder. Naturally, there were students who were more senior than her and those who were more junior than her in the groups. However, as it didn''t mean much in the tower, she threw away those titles, and asked them to refer to each other using the terms classmate. Malea believed that if the twelve aspiring magicians worked together, they would somehow get through any difficulties even in this unknown place. However, she couldnt be any more wrong. Just who are you to try to lead us!? I only became the leader because theres a need for someone to take the lead One of the prideful female students with a dirty personality soon coveted Malea''s place. Why would you want that item? Because this item gives a boost to command stats. Didnt I already give you the equipment with high attack and defence stats? For everything Malea had, her classmate began to be jealous. I dont want to! Why should I take that role?! But someone has to stay there and put up a shield while I sneak into the enemy camp and steal things! In the meantime, what if the monster turns around and kills me? No one can protect me! It''s dangerous! Just what. As a child, she had always thought she was excellent at leadership. No, actually, her leadership was indeed very good because she even acquired the skill [Great Leader (S)] from the tower. Her exceptional judgment was also high enough to the extent she was recognized by many as a ranker''. But dealing with her classmate had proven to be much more difficult than anything else she had encountered in her whole life. The childrens who came from a world teeming with peace were very sensitive due to the constant dangerous situation they find themselves in, and it was almost impossible to appease them all. They didn''t want to lose anything, they were selfish, and always kept their distance from each other. They would immediately explode when they received insufficient compensation or took on a more dangerous task than others. Malea had to do all the difficult tasks by herself. But yet, the reward she got from it still had to be distributed to everyone. But even after all of that, they still find something to complain about, such as, Why should I get something worse than him? or Why did I have to go to a more dangerous area than him! And, exactly one day and three hours ago Her last classmate had died. In the 10th floor of the Tutorial Tower, which was called by many challengers as Challenger''s Tomb'' because of the fact that 90% of all the challengers give up and reside there, Malea erected her eleventh tombstone. Underneath the pouring rain, Malea blankly gazed at the new tombstone where her last friend slept forever. It had been over a year since she arrived in the Tutorial Tower. In the meantime, she was able to climb to the 10th floor thanks to the help of her friends who had died before her. However, she was still far from the finish line, the real challenge was just about to begin. Will she be able to climb the tower that she could not climb even with the help of her friends on her own? No matter what it takes, she promised herself she would make it through. If she didn''t climb, she would be trapped in this hellish 10th floor forever. And she didnt want that. The 10th floor of the Tutorial Tower was a place with no law and no guilt. Robbery, murder, rape, blackmailing, and kidnapping were common occurrence here. Malea, who belonged to the low-class, would probably won''t last long and would soon become a cold corpse on the side of the road. Malea opened her diary. Since she started the tutorial, she wrote about everything that happened every day in her diary. It was some kind of record which held everything she had been through. Drip, water droplets stained the diary. What should I write? [Today, my last friend died.] What should I write? [But I''m not sad.] She wrote a lie. For a moment her hand stopped. Would it be better to leave a hopeful message saying [Nevertheless, I will go on]? Or should I act like I was completely fine, just in case someone else sees it? But, does that even mean anything? If someone like her died, she was certain her diary would become nothing but trash. Malea''s negative thoughts kept shrouding her head like a dark cloud above. It would surely drive her mad sometime soon, but now right now, Malea could still endure it. When she returned to the city, Malea put her hood on and hid her face. Her pretty face was still the same as what she had back in school. But in this gutter, such a pretty face without any power would only turn her into a target of many people. She will be treated like an overnight doll by the challengers of the tutorial, without any regards of what kind of life she had been living. Hey, did you hear the news? "Are you talking about the news of challenger Yoo Seodam who went up to the 60th floor even though he went solo? After Wigen and his party, I think hes the first challenger to reach the 60th floor. And for me, hes more amazing than Wigen since he did it alone. Didnt he get there only half a year after entering the tower? Meanwhile, theres so many people who were trembling on the 29th floor for half a year. Malea listened to the conversation around her. One of the main reasons why the lower floors of the tower had become a lawless zone was because of the challengers with high-level equipment and many skills who come down to the lower floors after going up to the upper floors. With their overwhelming strength, they often intimidated challengers from the lower floors, which created a serious gap between the strong and the weak. They even made a caste system with that. In fact, the ruler of the 10th floor was Dahalante of the Wings of Heaven Guild who had climbed to the 56th floor. While the members of Wings of Heaven Guild keeps progressing through the dungeons they monopolized, and with the help of items they got from their guildmate who had climbed into the higher floor, those who did not have it become more and more depressed as they felt their dreams of rising to higher floor drifting further and further. Hey, bow down! Bow down! They are members of the Wings of Heaven Guild! Through the dark and dreary streets, Malea could see the challengers bow their heads down when men in disproportionately glamorous silver and gold armor appeared. Malea herself was also included in those challengers who bowed their heads down. Challengers of the 10th floor, I will make an announcement. A while ago, we, the Wings of Heaven Guild discovered an unknown dungeon. It is located on the 10th floor of the northern part of Rayukas Habitat. And we are going to share this dungeon with you guys! We are looking forward to your participation! A dungeon? Are there still dungeons left on the 10th floor? Oh, I cant believe it The crowd around Malea becomes rowdy by the sudden revelation. The level of one''s strength in the tower was determined by two things. The first one is skills. The number of skill slots every challenger possesses will increase every time they climb through 10 floors. So, it was only natural that the higher the challengers climb, the more powerful they are. Second is the equipment. An equipment item levelled up by 1 every 10 floors. It was one of the most absolute reasons why the gap between the challengers exists. Because with a level 1 weapon, no matter how powerful the attack is, it would never pierce through a level 2 armor. The problem is, such equipment items could only be found as a drop item in the dungeon''. And since most of the dungeons that currently exist on the 10th floor have all been occupied, it was good to say that there was almost no way for new challengers to obtain equipment. In other words, there was no opportunity for a new challenger to challenge the 11th floor. All other fixed dungeons were monopolized by the Wings of Heaven Guild. In other words, theres no way to get equipment other than to become their slaves. Malea didn''t want to do it even if she died. Afterall, she was well aware how women were treated here; and it was very easy to predict how terrifying it would be to enter the Wings of Heaven Guild. Currently, most of the equipment Malea had was only level 0 equipment she had obtained from the 9th floor and lower. And although her staff was a level 1 weapon, it did not even have a great effect except for raising her command stats, so, the truth is, she had already half abandoned the idea of climbing through the 11th floor. But what if she participated in the expedition led by the Wings of Heaven Guild? If she could get at least one equipment item which was unconditionally distributed to all dungeon challengers But, something is strange. Malea murmured. It was common sense that Wings of Heaven Guild was selfish. However, such a selfish bunch suddenly let other challengers who were not part of their guild to the dungeon they discovered? Clearly something is up. But, even knowing that. "I''ll go too." Hey stupid bastard. It must be a trap" I cant help it! Are you going to live on the 10th floor for the rest of your life? As long as you go up to the 11th floor, you could raid a dungeon again, so you can go up. If I get one piece of equipment here, I can climb the tower again! The challengers who had no choice but to reside on the 10th floor eventually let themselves be deceived by those words. Malea as well. * * * -Oh, there are quite a lot of new faces gathered in this dungeon! I was getting tired of seeing only the face I know every day! The next day. Around forty members of the Wings of Heaven Guild and about 100 general challengers were gathered at the entrance of the dungeon. Above them, a translucent fairy with a strange shape which looks like a combination of a deer and a rabbit was jumping in the air and making quite a commotion. Those so-called tutorial fairy'' were the only creatures in the entire tower which knew the secret of this tower. From what Malea had heard, some challengers were lucky enough to turn their lives around and were said to be living in the upper floor currently after getting a single line of information from the fairy. They were like a goose that lays golden eggs, but no one could talk to them easily because they often pop the heads of humans. Malea was certain the fairy was aware about the secret of the dungeon she would soon enter. And as she didnt want to miss it, Malea carefully listened to the fairy. At least they didn''t lie when its about the tower''s challenge. -Now, the rules of this dungeon are simple! It is Choose, the door of truth! There are many doors in the dungeon, but there is only one real door! You must try to find the door which would lead you to the truth! What if you choose a door which wouldnt lead you to the truth? Unfortunately, you have no choice but to die! What, what? "Wait a minute!! Only then did the challengers realize the reason why the Wings of Heaven Guild allowed them to enter this dungeon. Malea thought there must be a right way to find the door of truth'' in the dungeon. However, it seems like the Wings of Heaven Guild couldn''t find a way to do it, and couldnt help but to think of another way, that is, to throw the challengers into a random door and see whether the door is the correct one or not. As the atmosphere of the challengers became chaotic, the members of the Wings of Heaven Guild drew their swords. Most of them were level 3 swords or even higher, which means, their users were challengers who had climbed over 30 floors. It was completely impossible for all the challengers gathered here to face them. Yall have come all the way here, you cant just return empty-handed, can you? These bastards who deserve to be punished. Well, think about it. If you''re lucky enough to find the real door, you''ll be given a piece of equipment or something." Malea looked at the members of Wings of Heaven Guild who just talked. They really had no feelings for the other challengers as they said those words without the slightest change on their facial expressions. They truly treat the other challengers as a disposable tool. Malea bit her lips tightly. It''s impossible to run away from this location since challengers above the 30th floor were blocking the way from all sides. In the end, she had no choice but to enter the dungeon Will the Goddess of Luck be on my side? Cold sweat dripped down her cheeks as she clenched her fist tight and looked at the floating fairy. She was well aware since yesterday that things would turn out into something like this. So, she had no regrets whatsoever. However, the fear of knowing she could be dead soon was something she couldnt avoid. However, at that moment, someone tapped on Maleas shoulder. ? When she turned around slowly, she saw someone wrapped in a robe all over their body just like her. The person was a little bit smaller than herself, and when she threw them a look of why did you call me?, the person lowered her hood. Then, a long black hair resembling the night and blue eyes resembling the deep sea appeared from beyond the hood. Malea couldnt help but get mesmerized as she was such a beautiful girl. For a moment, that persons beauty even made her forget all the hard times she suffered through in the tower. Then, she asked quietly with an innocent smile plastered on her face towards Malea. Don''t you remember me? Ive been looking for you for a long time. "Im sorry. I dont remember you." Hmm is that so? It seems this is our first meeting. Though, for me its already the third time. "Yes?" Malea said with a surprised tone. What a waste, her face is really pretty, but it seems her head was a bit As Malea was having such a thought, the girl reached out her hand towards her. My name is Aracelli. Please take care of me, Malea. How did she know my name? Malea was surprised once again. After all, her face was still hidden under the robe. Although such a question arose in her mind, Malea soon accepted the handshake of a girl named Aracelli. Anyway, it seems like both of them wouldnt be knowing each other for long, so she thought she would enjoy it while it lasted. Chapter 178: Nice To Meet You! I am The Fairy of The Tutorial! (3) 200 independent challengers entered the dungeon first before the 40 members of Wings of Heaven Guild. For the entire journey inside the dungeon, all the challengers were silent, those who were chatting were all the members of Wings of Heaven Guild. Afterall, why should they chat with each other? They know that those who were walking next to them, or standing in front or behind them would soon die. In the midst of this despairing and choking silence, Malea trudged along. However, unlike the people around her, she was calmly assessing their captors. There are 20 long-distance classes, 7 tanks, and the rest are supporters.'' Maleas eyes darted towards their equipment now. They were all wearing level 3 equipment, in other words, they were challengers that had climbed at least 30 floors. As someone with only level 0 equipment, she wouldnt even dare to dream of defeating them. Besides, I heard that the movement speed increase option is attached on the boots beyond level 3. Malea bit her lips tight. The equipment obtained from the Tutorial Tower becomes extremely effective as the level goes up. For example, goggles and glasses would greatly increase vision as well as reaction speed, boots boost agility and speed, armor increases defense and endurance, while weapons naturally overwhelmingly increase attack power. Moreover, while level 0 equipment has an attack power of 0-9, level 1 equipment has a defence power of 10-19, hence, it was almost impossible to damage a level 1 equipment using a level 0 equipment no matter how hard you try, let alone against a level 3 equipment. It would be no different than hitting a rock with an egg. Resisting or running away is impossible. Is there really no other answer than finding the door of truth?'' Because Malea was the one who put herself in this situation, she did not get frustrated or think of giving up. Rather, she kept trying to find a way to survive somehow. -Come on, the game starts now~! Doo-to-do! The inside of the dungeon was wide enough to be considered as a huge cavern. There were more than two hundred doors scattered here and there. Moreover, the whole dungeon was extremely unique. Normally, the ground of the room should always be located underneath'' the feet. However, in this space, the ground is everywhere. It didnt matter whether its above, below, left, or right; wherever your feet landed, that was the ground. When someone climbed the stairs to the ceiling, the ceiling would become the floor for them, it also applied to the wall. It would be a very rare space in real life, but in this tower, it was a common sight. The phenomenon was called euclidean topological space in the spatial plane''. A concept discovered on a peculiar planet named Ase, which had failed to implement the theory in that world, but succeeded in bringing it to reality in the tower. Wonderful? Beautiful? No words could express Malea''s feelings regardless of how many times she saw the phenomenon in front of her. But unfortunately, now was not the time to admire it. C Can you see it~?! So many fake doors! However, there is only one true door amongst all! If you choose the false door, you know what will happen, right? Ugh Damn fairy -Then, game, start! The rabbit fairy exclaimed excitedly. When Malea heard it, she thought that maybe the fairy was happy because it probably knew which door was the door of truth. Move in order from the front and open the door. "Shit!" You rotten bastards If were lucky, no one will die and it might end quickly. Independent contenders gnashed their teeth and did what they were told since they knew resisting was useless. Three challengers, who were chosen in order to open the door, put their hands on the handle. They were sweating profusely as their faces turned visibly paler. Immediately after Except for one, the other two doors suddenly turned into huge mouths and opened wide. Moments later, hundreds of jagged teeth were exposed and instantly coloured in crimson red as a total of seven challengers were chopped into bits and pieces. .!! The noise in the surrounding suddenly died down. Everyone was silent at the terrible sound of flesh and bone being chewed, mixed, and digested. Many were stumbling to the ground while puking out all of their breakfast. The expression of some of the Wings of Heaven Guild members also became rigid at the scene. But, the challengers above the 30th floor did not show any reaction. Perhaps they did not find any value or interest in their deaths. Actually, I didnt even expect the real door would come out. So, what are you doing? Keep moving! The leader of the expedition was a man who had his body covered with level 4 equipment. For the challengers on the 10th floor, it can be said that he was akin to a god. There was no one who could disobey him, so the remaining 193 independent challengers slowly moved forward. Malea bit her lip and forced her brain to think. Is this ignorant way the only option we have? It can''t be. The Tutorial Tower was a mysterious world oriented to challenge. Therefore, there must be some answer to every mystery it gave. Even if the Wings of Heaven Guild couldn''t find a way to do it, and just used this ignorant method, it doesnt mean theres no other way. "Wait" So, Malea tried to sound her opinion towards the expedition leader. "What? Are you trying to waste my precious time? "No, please hear me for a second. Rather than doing it like this, how about doing it a little more efficiently? For example, letting everyone choose the door? someone might find the answer if theyre lucky. why should I listen to you? To his words, Malea shrugged her shoulders and replied. We have a higher chance of dying rather than escaping anyway, think of it as giving us the right to choose our own grave. You know better than us that we have a slim chance of escaping, right? How can we get away from rankers? In fact, the term rankers'' referred to great challengers who had climbed up to the 50th floor or higher, but some guild members'' lips couldnt help but twitch as they heard how Malea referred to them. The expedition leaders lips also twitched ever so slightly and said. "Fine, Ill go with your suggestion. But! If any of you think of secretly wasting your time doing nothing, Ill throw you into a door myself. I understand. Malea sighed. She had created a situation where she could choose the door she wanted, but the core problem still remains. How the hell do I find the door?'' Even the leader of Wings of Heaven Guild who had conquered up to the 56th floor, could not find the answer. So, how could she, a challenger of only the 10th floor, find it? No! I have to think about it! even if this tower is unkind to the challenger, theres no way they can create an unclearable challenge.'' Its over there. .! Malea trembled as someone suddenly whispered in her ear. She glanced behind her and saw the short pretty girl from earlier looking up at her from below. Sorry? The third pillar across the bridge, the second one from far right. It''s written there." "Yes?" A girl named Aracelli pointed her finger carefully. The place she pointed at was neither a door nor a hallway, but a mirror on the other side of the pillar which was slanted in a very weird angle as if it had been deliberately moved that way. There were letters engraved in the mirror, and thanks to the angle, Malea could see the letters. [Go this way.] However, the writing was too sloppy, and the content was also not convincing enough. Who wrote that? Do you believe in such mischievous writing? Malea asked as she looked at Aracelli. "Yes. Thats Professors handwriting. Who is that Malea couldnt believe Aracellis words. It made no sense to risk your life for some unverified piece of information like this in the first place. However, because she didnt have any other clues right now, she couldn''t help but grab Aracelli''s arm and pulled her to the place directed by the words. She was certain there was something special there because of the fact there was a written word in this space. [Why are you acting so slow? Look down to the right.] What." A chill crawled up her spine as she read the words which were directed here once again as if whoever wrote it knew what she would do. Then, she looked down to her right just like what the words told her to, hoping she would find nothing. [Jump down!] Such words came into her sight. Malea was seriously creeped out now and could feel a headache incoming. However, before it could even arrive, the shout of the expeditions leader rang out. What are you doing! Come on, move! The moment she looked up, she could see more words in the mirror which weren''t seen before because of the angle. [Ignore that stupid expedition leader and run quickly, Malea!] Crazy, crazy, this is really crazy! Eventually, Malea tightly closed her eyes and followed the words, jumping down. At first glance, the height alone was around 11m, so she was afraid that she would suffer fatal damage when she landed. But surprisingly, the gravity when she fell kept changing and slowing her descent, resulting in her being able to land intact on the ground. Haaaahhh" Malea let out a relieved breath as she plopped down to the ground. Meanwhile, she could see from the corner of her eyes that Aracelli had gracefully landed next to her. Stay strong. You don''t want to die here, do you?" Aracelli smiled. "Yes" Malea nodded her head, then she quickly thought back to the words she read earlier. Was it written with a magic marker? In terms of the liquid''s dryness'' It should have been written around 6 months ago. But why was it written as if the writer knew about my current circumstances? What the hell.. Hey, Malea, lets move. We dont have time to rest. "Yes? Okay." Araceli grasped Maleas hand and led her. Eugghhh! Sa, save me! Meanwhile, numerous screams continued to resound from somewhere else. Inside the dungeon called the Door of Truth, there were numerous traps except for the door'', and those screams were probably from people who were being attacked by it. Thats right, I don''t have time to worry about stuff like that now. I have to focus on matters at hand..'' At that time. Duck! Uh-huh! Malea slumped forward as she was kicked. She was sure it was Aracelli who did that. Then a sharp guillotine suddenly passed over her head. Cr crazy! Without giving Malea time to be surprised, Araceli said. Crawl seven steps forward. Hurry! "Yes!" As Malea followed her words and swiftly crawled forward, Aracelli once again said, Roll three times to the right! Malea couldnt afford to think why she said it. She just did what she was instructed to. To her amazement, three poles suddenly came down on the spot where she had been lying down just moments ago. Now get up and walk. After twelve steps, turn your head! Shortly after twelve steps, a stone statue of Medusa which could turn anything into a stone with a single eye contact appeared in front of her before instantly disappearing. Thanks to the precise timing of the turn, she was able to avoid being turned into stone. "Good. Now go straight to the right. On the third block, briefly cling to the wall and then go straight. Here, count one, two, three and run! Then jump from the first pole! Aww! So, something just rubbed against my ankle!" What the hell is this girl? How did she know all this? Malea glanced at Aracelli as she continued to move. She was walking leisurely while reading something that looked like torn paper. "No." "Yes?" You cant see this yet. The probability'' would be consumed enormously if you read it. If something goes wrong, Professor could be in danger, so you should never look at this, understand? "Ah yes" Hmm. By the way, you are the type of person who writes a diary very meticulously, huh? But, why do you chew gum sixty times before spitting it out? I was originally meticu- No, how did you know about that? Just who are- Nevermind that, get down! ! Bang! Malea banged her head into the ground as she did what Aracelli told her to. Blood was dripping from her nose. Moreover, she couldn''t even ask what she wanted to ask. I''ll find out about it someday! Really!'' With that determination, Malea ran and ran again to survive. For some reason, she could trust whatever the mysterious girl told her to do. * * * 60th floor, Metro City 3193. While wearing sunglasses, Yoo Seodam sat on the roof of a building and looked at the night view full of neon signs underneath. In the Tutorial Tower, there was basically no life except for the AI ??system called NPC and the challengers in this futuristic city. As he was enjoying the sight of flying battleships in the night sky above and numerous self-driving cars galloping along the transparent road, a gray-skinned android dressed in a maid uniform suddenly approached him and held out a tray towards Yoo Seodam. -Challenger YoYoo Seodam, I bbrought the ririce cake soup. "Oh yeah. Thank you, but stop stuttering. -That, it''s not programmed, so II cant. Just download it. -Well, Aalready dodownload it. Bbut its mmy hahabit so II cacant fififix it. Is that something a computer should say? Yoo Seodam said as he rose from his seat. Then, he activated his stage point. It was technology which could take him anywhere in the whole 60th. As the concept of the floor was Time war between humans and machines'', the time zones of every point were different. [Metro City, Void Battleship takes you to 2979.] After a moment of closing his eyes, Yoo Seodam was greeted by ruins of numerous buildings which had been completely destroyed underneath the sea of ??fire, even though it was the same city as moments before. However, since the stage he was in currently was already cleared, there were no monsters left. The only thing bothering him was a huge battleship above which was slowly descending while occupying half of the sky. That battleship was a very important part of the story on this floor because it symbolized the defeat of humans and at the same time signaled the arrival of the machine age. Even so, for Yoo Seodam, it was only a side dish for his rice cake soup. I hope Aracelli is doing well. While he was climbing the tower, he had left a few pages of the diary to Aracelli and spent some leisurely time with her on the lower floor while creating the magic textbook'', which was the original purpose why he came to this world. Unlike in the past, where she had always arrived first, and given him support, this time, she arrived after Yoo Seodam. That was why he could finally repay some of her help by giving her something like a bus. (T/N Bus is a game term for power levelling if you dont know. In this, a higher level player carries the lower level player to power up.) From the 60th floor onwards, it would become more difficult to do so, because going to the lower floors was restricted until the stage was cleared. However, giving up the stage progress and going down was also impossible because he had to check the unique growth of the protagonist Wigen''. I have to be patient and wait. To hunt Wigen, Malea''s help is essential. I already marked everything in the diary while climbing the tower, so they will be arriving soon.'' After thinking about it for a while, five shadows appeared from the sky afar. Since there was not a single living thing here, it was obvious who came. The protagonist, Wigen. And his party members. Its you again, Yoo Seodam? "Uh Its been a long time, right? Its nice to see you after 3 hours of separation. Just move away. Ill do so. But, where did one of your friends go? You were originally a party of six. I threw him away because he was kidnapped by the Machine Corps. Theres no need or reason to save some baggage. Need another answer? I did expect it, but still. He was a total psycho who sought extreme cider! Is your party holding you back? Throw them away. Is there someone in his party who is bothered by his opinion? Kill. But no one could stop him. After all, Wigen possessed a cheat skill that allowed him to communicate with the fairy of tutorials, the omnipotent beings who made this giant tower, and monopolized all kinds of information within it. Even Yoo Seodam with his future record did not dare to fight head-to-head against the power of information. Maleas Tutorial Diary only records what happened to her in detail, and there was no record of any dungeons or events occurring whatsoever. Furthermore, even if he knew the future, it would be difficult for Yoo Seodam to use it; It was because the act of preoccupying the future knowledge is a serious violation of probability''. Yoo Seodam. You too, stop your foolish act and join my party. You are worthy, unlike the other useless bastards. Uh-huh, you want this big bro to bow to you and crawl under you? Not a chance. Dont you know? To break through the 60th floor, we must cooperate with each other. Cant I just stay here on the 60th floor? After all, interfering with you is the funniest thing. Words just dont work with you Seriously. Wigen drew out his black sword. He was going to fight Yoo Seodam in earnest. However, Wheeing! Wheeing! Wheeing! Suddenly, sirens echoed from the void battleship above. Then, a message was sent out to the whole world. C Night of the Machine has arrived. C Annihilate all humans living and breathing on this earth. C Annihilate! In an instant, blue light covered the earth. It was scanning for any sign of life left. From what Yoo Seodam knows, soon, the moment a life signal was detected, they would bombard it with laser bombardment. He had to move to another stage point quickly. Then, Yoo Seodam looked at Wigen who had a sour expression on his face. It seems like he had realized what Yoo Seodam was doing; obstructing him from entering the dungeon. However, unfortunately for him, Yoo Seodam''s body had started to disappear. "Rotten bastard" In many ways, he was an evil man until the very end. Chapter 179: Tutorial Tower(10th floor) In Metro City 3193, the sun never rises. It was an unbelievable phenomenon which happened thanks to the Sci-Fi setting of the 60th floor which begins with the phrase [The day the sun burned its last flame and the moon fell, eternal night arrived.] I know basic common sense that without the sun, all planets would be freezing cold. However, the setting of Metro City couldn''t be bothered to tackle such matters at all since it directly utilized science'' to replace common sense. I also wouldnt go out of my way to think about what kind of theory was used behind such science. In the first place, this world is a fantasy world which exists within the Tutorial Tower. In this place, artificially created starlight hangs in the night sky above, illuminating every corner of the world. And, on the ground, machines roam freely in the streets, while [today''s weather] and [today''s news] was broadcasted by a hologram android and was highlighted with a blue neon sign. However, hidden away by those bright fronts, the phrase [Freedom for humanity!] written in bright red could be found on the walls of the dark alleyway. It was truly a city devoid of any organic lives. At the very end of that world, I was standing before the door of the boss room [Last Cradle Song]. C Ah~! Challenger Yoo~Seodam! Are you finally going to challenge the last stage on the 60th floor~?! I''ve been waiting for you! Behind me, a translucent woman whispered into my ear. She was the tutorial fairy who oversaw the 60th floor. Even though she had a pretty smile plastered on her face right now, I didn''t get deceived by it. I know just how vicious her personality could be once I actually start challenging the stage. "Unfortunately, I came here because I have other business to do. C Oh, why~! Do you know just how much the Administrators are looking forward to your move, challenger Yoo Seodam?! Are you that happy because the Administrators were interested in the 60th floor? -Of course~ So, can''t you just give it a try? I was well aware that the Administrators'' who built this Tutorial Tower were interested in me. After all, there''s nothing more fun for them than seeing humans struggle for their dear lives. The Administrators were somewhat similar to the constellations I met in one of my missions. But they were more desperate than the constellations as they had to raise their class in order to prolong their lifespan. The only way to do it was to give an outstanding challenger their skill and protection. -By the way, challenger Yoo Seodam, why dont you choose a sponsor''~? You don''t have any protection yet, do you? Im sure you will receive a lot of love from the Administrators! I climbed through the tower at a fairly high speed only behind Wigen in terms of speed and had received numerous contacts from the Administrators. However, I turned every single one of their offers down. The reason was simple. I don''t want to be their puppet. If I become an Administrator''s contractor, my action would be severely restricted and I would have to say goodbye to hunting Wigen. Besides, the blessings don''t mean much to me since it will disappear once I return to Earth. Well, I dont really feel the need to have one! I''ll take care of myself, so, just shut up." -Hey, hey! Watch your tongue when you talk about the Administrators! Do you want to die?! They are welcome to try if they want! Every time I uttered such rude remarks towards the Administrators who were no different from the god of this world, the fairy would always get scared and disappear. However, no matter how rude I am, the Administrators never tried to kill me. Even now, I believe there were several Administrators who were heartbroken because I once again refused their protection. "Ugh" Thinking about it, it''s been half a year since I entered the tutorial tower. Since time in this world flows 15 times faster, only about 12 days have passed on Earth. I need to slowly proceed with the mission'' In the process of going up to the 60th floor, I had interacted with Aracelli and had successfully produced a magic textbook, my original purpose of coming here. However, as of now, it was still impossible for me to hunt Wigen, the protagonist. So, it was inevitable to get a little nervous. It has been six months since I came here, it was no wonder that the system asked me with a worried tone. In the first place, hunting Wigen, who was loved by a fairy of the tutorial rather than simply being loved by the world'', should be difficult even in her eyes. "Well, I have some Suddenly, I remembered the time when I first encountered the tutorial stage. C The way to clear the stage is simple! You just have to go through that maze that unfolds behind you! How about it, its easy isnt it? It was really easy for me. Because in Maleas Diary, the necessary trick to pass the maze as well as the placement of the traps which the fairy did not tell us were written in detail. However, there was still a man who arrived earlier than me. It was the protagonist, Wigen. The man who was protected by a tutorial fairy. I had acted according to the record left by the future Malea. However, was the path she took 100% correct? In the diary, the phrase [I failed. It has become irreversible.] appeared quite frequently, and in most cases the correct answer did not appear. Also, the path she had taken was only a conclusion she barely reached after wandering around the stage. It means that I wouldnt be able to follow Wigen, who under the guidance of the fairy, moves faster and more efficiently than anyone else. But still, even with those handicaps, I have to climb the tower. Afterall, the only way to kill Wigen, who had made a contract with a fairy in the tutorial, was to climb the tower. Did the fairy really sign a contract with a challenger like Wigen who didn''t know anything? Of course not. Using , one of the skills of [Protagonist Hunter], I found out the reason why the fairy made a contract with Wigen. All fairies in the Tutorial Tower want to look good in the Administrators'' eyes. And, since Administrators were on a constant lookout for an outstanding challenger, the fairies hoped they could present one to them and could share the same class as the Administrators once it happened. Wigen noticed the circumstances of the fairies, and asked one of them for a contract. If it''s a fairy who created a great challenger, maybe you can become an Administrator like them?'' It was a tempting offer, but for those cheap fairies, empty words arent powerful enough. And so, the fairy put up one condition to the contract. [You must go up to the highest floor. If you are overtaken by anyone, you will immediately die.] Perhaps it was a condition created to give [crisis] to the protagonist, but, the information the fairy gave him was nothing short of a cheat, allowing Wigen to comfortably breeze through the Tutorial Tower without any worries of getting overtaken by anyone. But it will be different from now on. I have finally found Malea. From the last contact I had with Aracelli, I heard that she had found Malea on the 10th floor. Things would certainly become better for me once she starts climbing the tower. She would bring numerous hidden pieces and items which had not yet been touched by me because of the law of future knowledge. Yoo Seodam What are you doing here? Oh! Youre here? Do you want to challenge the boss? Wigen nodded with a firm expression on his face to answer my question. I liked the reaction, so I said with a smirk. Challenge the stage! [You have challenged the final gateway on the 60th!] [For the span of one-week, other challengers will not be able to challenge the same stage.] C Ah~! Contestant Yoo Seodam~!! Are you finally ready to take on the challenge? Forfeit. [You have forfeited. The stage would be reset.] -Ch Challenger, Yoo Seodam~? So, until Malea comes, I will try to troll as much as possible and prevent Wigen from going up. Come here after a week or so, Wigen. * * * Malea looked at the back of the little girl in front of her with a confused expression. She looks like she was in her late teens or so, but for some reason, her blue eyes seem to be filled with wisdom. The girl was currently trudging forward leisurely because she was familiar with the structure of this dungeon. Every time Malea asked her how she knew about it, the reply she got was always, The Professor told me.'' Just who the hell is this Professor? And, why is he helping her? She had thought about it, but to no avail. She just could not come up with any answer. Here it is. . They finally reached their destination. It was an ordinary-looking door which was no different from any other doors at the first glance. But, on this particular door, the phrase [Way to Yoo Seodam] was written crookedly. Malea gulped her dry saliva before looking into Aracelli''s eyes. Thanks to her guidance, her travel until this point was way easier than any challenges she had taken on the Tutorial Tower. But, could she really trust her when she would certainly lose her life if things went south? If Malea was an ordinary person, by this point she would surely voice an ungrateful remark such as You led me here, so you open it.'' But Malea firmly grasped the doorknob before telling Aracelli. I will believe in your words. The one you need to believe is the Professor''s words, not mine. Saying so, Aracelli took a step back. Then, Malea closed her eyes tightly before snapping the door open. Creaaak~!! After the creaking sound, the sound of falling golden coins resounded and a fanfare exploded. C Bababam~~!! Congratulations! You have succeeded in finding the Door of Truth! [All Doors of Lies will be destroyed, and the Door to the Truth will be opened!] "Oh!!!" Malea exclaimed. Happiness and relief were apparent on her face as she had truly found the real door. Just how much time she had been wasting on the 10th floor? It will be different from now on. Once she obtained a level 1 equipment or perhaps higher from this dungeon, she would be able to go up to the 11th floor. Once she did that, she would also be able to hit the upper floors all the way up! I, I, I too, can finally climb up!'' The happiness she felt was really overflowing, making it difficult to keep her expression in check. As she sat down on the floor and smirked, Aracelli came up to her with a smile. "Good for you." Yes, yes, thank Before she could even finish expressing her gratitude, she heard footsteps echoing in the distance. More than a hundred challengers who were able to survive thanks to her swift discovery of the door were approaching the place she was currently at together with the members of the Wings of Heaven Guild. The leader of the expedition looked at the wide-open door and nodded his head without even sporting any particular expression. Good find. No one pointed it out even though it was a very rude act. No, all the independent challengers in this place would rather consider him a big brother rather than defending Malea. Anyway, they had survived, and they would be able to receive level 1 equipment for free. However, the Fairy suddenly poured cold water on their heads. C Too bad! Didn''t you know that only 40 people can enter the Gate of Truth? What, what? "Wait a minute! Only 40 people? What the hell is that Malea thought, If it was 40, it exactly matches the number of Wings of Heaven Guild members who were present here. In other words, they must have already heard this condition from the Fairy and had come accordingly. Now that it has come to this, you must all die here. The story goes according to this obvious scenario. Malea bit her lips tightly while colour started to leave her face. After all, it was absolutely impossible to either run away or fight against those who at least had level 3 or level 4 equipment. Ive come all the way here, yet, you want me to die in such a vain way? Without realizing it, she took a step backwards. Other independent challengers were also doing the same as her, slowly taking a step back. no matter what kind of tricks they might try, it was impossible for them to get out of this closed dungeon alive. The members of Wings of Heaven Guild would surely kill all the challengers here for the sole reason of destroying evidence. Those who are dissatisfied with this decision, come forward now. However, no one said anything as they all either bowed their heads or turned away. If they were bound to die, they thought it would be better to die a little later than anybody else. There is no reason to accuse each other of being a coward. anyone would naturally do that Get out of my way! When there was no one in the way, the expedition leader drew his sword and approached Malea and Aracelli. A level 4 sword on his hand flashed brilliantly. Malea was sure, as soon as it touched a level 0 insignificant robe, the robe would be mercilessly torn apart. Nevertheless, Malea forced her heavy feet to take a step forward. Although she had only met Aracelli for a short while, she must try to protect her who had worked hard for her. Im going to stop him, so go inside. With your knowledge, you can clear the dungeon in an instant, right? "Yes?" Then Aracelli looked at Malea and then at the door with a perplexed expression. Hurry up! They have exactly 40 people, they will not let anyone else in! "Yes. I know that. Ugh! When the expedition leader came closer, Malea hastily unleashed her magic. Magic Shield! Woooong!! When the blue wall was created, the expedition leaders expression changed. It seems like he was slightly interested in Maleas magic. "Magic? You are an irregular, huh? This giant tower was mostly made up of only ordinary humans. When it comes to the difference in specifications, theres only a difference in the degree of how much one exercised. However, as humans from many dimensions gathered in this place, very rarely, people called irregulars appeared. Irregulars were those humans who had mastered magic, martial arts, or superpowers, just like Malea. The best example of irregularity was a ranker called Yoo Seodam. He was able to use a powerful power without receiving the system, skills and protection of the tower. Although Malea had only studied a little bit of high school and didn''t get good grades, she had honed her magic and was able to use it in case of need. Hurry! Enter the! Crack!! Maleas word was cut off as her hastily constructed magic shield shattered by the sword of the expedition leader. But you are weak. Its so pathetic to call something like that magic. You''re just trying to get into a fight like this" Ah, ah Due to her inexperienced magic skills, the shield broke and her magic heart was overloaded, so it would be unreasonable to use her magic once more. It''s impossible for me to stop a 40th floor ranker even for a moment'' Malea felt miserable, but that didn''t mean she would give in. Even when she knew her death was approaching, Malea still gave him a viciously glare. Then, the expedition leader raised his sword with an indifferent eye. Clank~!! Malea felt some pure white light had passed by her side. Then, moments later, the level 4 sword fell to the floor in two. "Uh?" Eventually, Malea came to her senses. She saw that the expedition leader was lying on the floor with both his arms and legs cut off. "What Before Malea and the expedition leader could fully grasp the situation, Aracelli took two steps forward. With a smile on her face, she opened her mouth. You are a brave one, arent you? But, you dont have to overdo it. Yyouyou were also an irregular? Probably? So, can we enter the door now? Though, I don''t even know what was waiting for us there." After saying that, Aracelli reached out to the rest of the guild members. Meanwhile, Malea hesitated for a moment with a stiff expression on her face before nodding her head as if she had decided on something and headed towards the door of truth. Yes, lets go. At this moment, Malea began climbing the tower. Chapter 180: Tutorial Tower (20th Floor) Please consider subscribing to our Patreon to read 10 chapters more~ thank you~ [A message is delivered from the Tutorial Tower.] [At 7:39 pm today, Wigen and 7 other challengers have succeeded in completing the 60th floor.] A month after Yoo Seodam started trolling Wigen for the 60th floors boss room, Wigen finally managed to conquer the boss. Even though Yoo Seodam had tried to stop him by using every trick in his arsenal, Wigen was still able to slip through thanks to his fairys buggy play and cheats. And since all the challengers in the tower would be notified when the current highest unconquered floor was cleared, rumours spread quickly. Did you hear that? After a fierce encounter between Yoo Seodam and Wigen on the 60th floor, Wigen finally climbed to the 61st floor first. While Yoo Seodam was stalling Wigen, Malea, along with Aracelli, conquered the tower at an outrageous speed. It was not only thanks to the diary that Yoo Seodam left for Aracelli, but also thanks to all the hints he left in various places around the tower which was executed perfectly thanks to Maleas excellent judgment. Malea''s instantaneous judgment and ability to respond to crises were amazing enough to astonish Aracelli. She even admitted that this Tutorial Towerwhich was full of mysteries and riddleswas a perfect environment for Malea. Thus, they easily conquered 10-19th floors and reached the 20th floor. I think Ive heard something like that. Didnt the rankers on the 50th floor say that the theme of the 60th floor is cooperation'' and you will need a party member for each position? Isn''t it already a widespread story that Wigen recruited a few challengers who had been staying on the 59th floor for several years and brought them to the 60th floor through his contracted fairy? "Right? They looked like they wouldnt ever be able to break through the 59th floor, but with Wigen''s help, they went up right away" On the 20th floor, the stage was desert-themed. It was called In The Dry Desert Sea; True to its name, it was a place with a vast sandy land that stretched up to the horizon. There, Aracelli and Malea strolled through the ruins that had been converted into a city and overheard the story about Wigen and Yoo Seodam who were competing to conquer the highest floor in the Tutorial Tower. Since Yoo Seodam is a solo player, wont he be unable to climb any further? "Well. He even completed the Mystery of the Triangle all by himself even though it is said to be a stage that requires at least four people. So Im sure he will go up soon. "But, I heard the trick he used for that stage, it was very unusual. Maleas ear perked up at all of the rumour. It was apparent that she was interested in the challenger called Yoo Seodam. Unable to keep it for herself, she turned towards Aracelli with an excited expression plastered on her face. Isnt that Yoo Seodam great? Going up there alone and all. If its me, I wouldnt be able to do it. Being alone was a huge task. Even a small mistake could easily lead you to your death. If you had a partner, you could trust someone and rely on someone, you could lean on them a little bit when you are tired. And when you are mentally exhausted, they will support you and give you strength and courage to move forward. However, Yoo Seodam never had a companion and had climbed the tower all by himself. Although it may seem foolish at first glance, Maleawho could not do anything without someone by her sidefelt that he was quite admirable and wonderful. At her words, Aracelli smiled softly. "Thats right. He is a wonderful person. "Right? Right?" Although it had been only a few months since they met, Malea had become quite close to Aracelli as they had taken a life-or-death challenge together. And from what she had witnessed throughout their journey, she concluded that Aracelli was not just an ordinary Irregular but an Over-spec Irregular. Aside from her powerful magic, Aracelli also possessed considerable self-defence skill; her technique and agility was perfect. Moreover, she also possessed a deep knowledge which was unfathomable to Malea. So, even when she didnt use her magic, she was still very helpful. However, even with all those qualities, they were still blocked on 20th floor as the passage they had to go through to challenge the final stage of the 20th floor was tightly guarded by the Wings of Heaven Guild. Currently, Malea and Aracelli were wanted by the Wings of Heaven Guild. They had heard the rumour that the guild leader himself had ordered all of his guild members to catch both of them at all cost. It was all because the expedition leader that Aracelli mutilated on the 10th floor was actually the guild master''s close dongsaeng. (Dongsaeng = a subordinate who is as close as a little brother) Even now, more than 2 out of 10 people who were wandering around the city had the mark of Wings of Heaven Guild on them. From 10th floor to 19th floor, Maleas climb had been extremely smooth. This was the first time she was being blocked from climbing higher by an external source, she did not know how to react to this situation. Ummm what should we do? With her hood pressed down deeply to cover her face, Malea glanced at the passageway leading to dozens of archers in the distance. Since the guild leader of Wings of Heaven was a ranker on the 56th floor, no challenger could treat them badly. If Malea and Aracelli want to stand a chance against Wings of Heaven Guild, they need to get help from a ranker who was on a higher floor than the guild leader of Wings of Heaven. The ranker could suppress his power. However, it was improbable to hope for that kind of miracle to happen since rankers were rarely interested in petty squabbles happening on the lower floors. Ummm Even Aracelli, who always had everything figured out according to Malea, had a shadow casted on her beautiful face. There seems to be no other way other than a head-on breakthrough. Aracelli said so after a long deliberation. If only she could use her original powers, she would be able to sneak towards the final stage room pretty easily by using invisibility'' or space transfer'' spell. However, since Aracelli had almost no natural mana recovery, only a small amount of mana was left on her body. It was only enough to barely maintain her vital activity. In other words, it''s impossible to fight them. Once we get to the stage, other challengers cant interfere, right? Thats right. In addition, there are more than 10 arrival points scattered around the 20th floor for people who just finished the trial. It was designed this way in order to prevent challengers from getting killed by other challengers who held a grudge towards them and decided to wait near the arrival point. In other words, when a close battle happens near the boss room, all you have to do is enter it. Would it be really that easy? "It''s okay. There''s a way. In the first place, they arent aware of which floor we are currently in, are they?" "I believe so." So, lets go down. The 16th floor is no better than here, but there are only three passages before the boss room on that floor. We can show up there before disappearing again. "AH! So we are going to make them tighten their security there, while loosening it here?" "Yes. And I observed them for a few days, their patrol always gets lax around dawn. They probably dont think we could climb this much in a month''s time. Well then, lets go now. * * * In a way, what Malea and Aracelli did could be called a two-way operation. They appeared on the 16th floor! The news spread quickly among the members of Wings of Heaven Guild. Although they could not send messages to each other, due to their large numbers, the information spread quickly through mouth to mouth. On the contrary, the passage to the boss room on the 20th floor was rather quiet. Since the passage was originally crowded to catch Malea and Aracelli, now that they were spotted on the 16th floor, there was no need for them to patrol this area anymore. "You?! What Keuk! Kuahk! After Malea and Aracelli succeeded in attracting their attention on the 16th floor, they secretly infiltrated the passage on the 20th floor in the middle of the night and knocked out all Wings of Heaven Guild members they could find. Surprisingly, since Aracelli didnt use her magic, she chose to use a gigantic axe as her weapon instead. It was really a mystery how she could swing it with only one hand grasping the handle despite her small stature. Aracelli followed Yoo Seodams belief and did not kill anyone unnecessarily. But even though she only used the dull part to hit the enemy, the impact was enough to give people a heavy concussion. However, despite trying to pass as quietly as possible, it was only a matter of time before they were found out. Who are you? Damn it. Let''s run fast, Aracelli!" "Yes!" An arrow of light exploded behind them and hit the ground. It looks like there was an archer class present on the rank of Wings of Heaven patrol squad. They were extremely troublesome enemies since they were capable of relentlessly pursuing enemies from a distance. Though, most of their attacks were negated by Malea''s barrier magic. Another class present in the patrol squad was thief class. They were the most difficult to deal with as they were quick and agile, and were good at chasing enemies. Every moment with them on their trail was a tense one as they could always suddenly appear from the shadows with a poisoned dagger on hand. "We are in big trouble! There are more and more pursuits. Looks like the guild members from other floors have been contacted. "Dammit" There were still 300 meters left to the boss rooms door, and dozens of guild members had already gathered in front of it. Some of them were even challengers from the 30th floor or higher, so it was absolutely impossible to face them. Even though Araceli and I have a level 2 weapon, if we fight against them, we will lose. We shouldnt get caught here! But, how? There must be a way. A way'' At that moment, something entered her vision. It was something written crookedly, and was just a sloppy combination of letters but it was definitely the word [Slide!]. In response, Malea slid without thinking further, and was able to apply a killer tackle to the face of someone with a thief class who just rose from the shadows. Uh-huh! ! When Malea turned her head; surprised by what she just did, she saw Aracelli nod her head towards her before she once again looked forward. Maleas mind was really complicated. No matter how hard she thought about it, it really didn''t make any sense. Even if it was just an act to get her attention towards somewhere, just how did that person know where she would look? [Roll forward three times and jump up!] Without hesitation, Malea rolled forward three times and jumped high. Then, all of the archers arrows fired towards her back hit the floor. With a difference of only 0.1 seconds, the archer class''s special moveswhich had always pursued the enemy until it hitmissed. What, what? "What is that movement!" I can do it. Such a confident thought rose in Maleas mind. That person, the person who was both faceless and nameless for her, was helping her again. And when his presence was with her, she believed she could overcome any crisis. I can go higher! Malea thought so, and moved forward. This exact situation was later on described in her diary, [..In a perilous situation, my eyes locked towards the cliff wall in the distance. At exactly 4:18 a.m. the dark cliff suddenly twinkled. At first, I thought it was a starlight. However I was wrong. It turns out to be a letter written in luminous material. It appeared for 10 seconds in front of me before disappearing once again.] [But, the reason I was able to see that sentence at that moment was really accidental''.] [I rolled three times just like what the letter written on the cliff told me to before jumping high into the sky. By doing so, I was able to avoid three arrows in a row, and was able to trample the head of the assassin who was approaching my ankle.] [But I do not consider this to be a mere coincidence. I believe it was a protection given to me by someone who knows me and my destiny from the distant future] And About 5 months ago, When Yoo Seodam was still on the 20th floor. "Ah, this goddamn diary!" Tuck~!! Tuck~!! As he hit the back of the chisel with a hammer, Yoo Seodam lamented the situation he was currently in. The cliff wall towering on the distant place was literally only a background'' to the entirety of the stage on the 20th floor. it''s a place where no one cares about and a place no one would explore. Puck~!! Puck~!! Puck~!! "I dont care I just hope she will understand it even if its only roughly Tuck~!! However, theres only one reason why he still did all of this hard work even though he really hated it. It was to help Malea on this floor in the future as well as to not distort the probability. My rotten life. Taaanngg~!! Slamming the hammer as hard as he could, Yoo Seodam lamented by himself. Today was a very sad day. Chapter 181: Tutorial Tower (37th Floor) Please consider subscribing to our Patreon to read up to 10 chapters ahead! Malea''s diary only recorded things which happened to her. In other words, it only recorded things which directly affected her and how she got through it; there are little to no records about when, where, and what kind of event happens aside from that. However, even with that content alone, it was possible for me to indirectly infer my future. [They eventually caught up to us on the 37th floor.] [If we were captured by them, we would certainly die. However, if we choose to run away, we would be trapped in the Eternal Model Box''. We only had two choices. We could either be captured by them and suffer a lot of shame until the day we die. Or we could get locked up in a place where we could neither die nor live, and sleep forever.] [However, our worries didn''t last long. Both Aracelli and I chose to be locked in the Eternal Model Box.] [And, that day.] [I was finally able to meet that man.] [His name was Yoo Seodam.] [The top ranker was looking after me, who was nothing!] It seems like I would descend to the 37th floor and meet Malea there. [My heart was filled with joy and excitement at the unbelievable fact, but at the same time, doubts arose inside of me.] [Why? Why is he showing interest towards me?] [He was sitting inside the Eternal Model Box and was waiting for me. The very first word he said after seeing me was Its been a while. But, because I dont know him, I replied with Nice to meet you.''. When he heard it, he somehow had a very sad expression on his face.] It wasnt a very good piece of news. It sounds like Malea and Aracelli had already reached the 37th floor. hmm. Closing Malea''s diary in my hand, I raised my head. Currently, I was standing before the protagonist, Wigen, in front of the 69th floorthe temple of the ancient Mamela civilizationboss room. Foolish guy. Are you going to give up everything and go downstairs now? "Yes, there is someone I need to save. But, I think youll die before you could even do that Up until now, I had trolled Wigen countless times. Thanks to that, his grudge against me was considerably big and it kept piling up with every passing day. However, the reason I was still alive until this day was thanks to me wandering around all over the place to evade the tower''s system''. Wigen was currently on his way to the 70th floor. I was certain that even after this, he would still climb up easily thanks to the help of the fairy. He currently had six party members, but all of them were different from guys I had seen on the 60th floor. It was so absurd to have new members like him after the 60th floor because starting from floor 60th, communication with the lower floor was cut off. So, how did he do it? The answer was simple. It was not Wigen who contacted those from the lower floors, it was his fairy. I also know which guild Wigen planted on the lower floor to serve as his contacts and errands. Wings of Heaven Guild. Although Wigen knew that he would be killed by the tower''s administrators if they found out about the fact that he was contacting the lower floor after the 60th floor, he couldnt just let Wings of Heaven Guild go as they were essential to his climb. After all, every floor needed preparation. For example, to attack the boss room on the 51st floor, a rare item called Soft Candle''which could only be obtained on the 24th floorwas needed. It''s not essential, but with it, the success rate in attacking would increase exponentially. I was only able to know this fact because it was written in the diary. But, the fairies in the tutorial could not know about this in advance. They only had information on the floor they were in charge of, so they had to contact the lower floors in case they needed something later on. That very messenger was Wings of Heaven Guild. It was a win-win deal for both of the parties since Wings of Heaven Guild would benefit greatly from hearing the strategy of high floors from Wigen, while Wigen could attack high floors easily and quickly after overcoming the penalty of being unable to descend after the 60th floor. But now, on the 69th floor. I was about to go to the lower floor. [If you give up right now and go downstairs, you must try again from the 60th floor.] [Are you sure you will try again from the beginning?] Normally, even the system wouldnt be this worried for me, I was slightly touched, but it doesn''t matter. In fact, the reason I went up to the 69th floor was to scout the terrain in advance so I could lead Malea to the higher floors even more quickly. I had no intention of going to the top whatsoever from the very beginning. [Challenger Wigen and a party of 6 people have climbed to the 70th floor.] After confirming that they had gone up, I turned around. However, out of nowhere, a fairy appeared and blocked my way. -Challenger Yoo Seodam, why are you doing this? Oh because, goodbye! See you later! -Aang~ Challenger Yoo Seodam~! Please go up! Yes~? We promise we will treat you well, okay~? "Why? What did the administrators say to you that you are promising me such things? -Its not like that~! It seems like the fairies had been given something by the administrators because of me. But if I go down, the fairies who were holding on to the Yoo Seodam Line'' would be very saddened since they were very jealous of the fairies who were holding onto the Wigen Line. But they shouldnt worry too much. Sooner or later, me and my party would catch all of those fairies as well as Wigen and purge them. Until then, even if their stomach burns, they have to wait quietly. After all, they would be the one who would laugh last. Just wait. Sooner or later, I will climb much faster than Wigen. After saying that, I gave up on the 69th floor challenge. [Moving to the 37th floor.] To meet them, I get on the portal. * * * The 37th floor, the Leaning Tower of Pieren. [Today''s weather was sunny. it''s bound to be, because it was always sunny on the 36th floor. No, can I even say that it was sunny? From what I had heard, rain never falls here. Though, as there were no farmers in the tower, I dont think it''s important, but it''s a bit disappointing. Why? Because my skin is so dry!] [Today, I ate cookies with plenty of peanut butter for lunch. I couldn''t help it because I couldnt buy bread on the 20th floor as Wings of Heaven Guild members were scattered all over the floor. Those damn bastards, really!] [Do they really resent me and Aracelli that much? Well, I know why they hate us. I heard that their reputation had taken a hit because 40 members of the guild at that time had been beaten up by a challenger from the 10th floor. Its so refreshing to hear that!] "What are you doing?" Im writing a diary. I should write it down when I have free time. Wasnt that what happened on the 36th floor? "Thats right! Back then I couldnt write it because the situation was so hectic. Im really fed up with those Wings of Heaven bastards! Malea couldn''t write her diary every day. However, even if it was delayed by a few days, Malea could easily recall everything that happened vividly and write them down in the diary. She had an amazing talent for memory retention. It even surprised Aracelli, because, on average, humans always forget 40% of what happened last night. The more I look at you, the more I become certain that you have a special ability to memorize something. "Is that so? I dont know. Well, I''ve been good at memorizing words since I was little. Though, my calculating ability is a little bad Because of that, my grades were so low. Throughout her journey with Malea, Aracelli had taught her about magic out of hobby. Thus, Aracelli was aware that Malea''s calculation ability was very poor. She was a person who didn''t really fit to be a mage. She was someone who only memorized and improvised. This made her stand out in this tower which was filled with mystery riddle survival games. Im finished. Shall we find a place to sleep soon? "Okay." Safe zone'' wasnt always present on every floor. However, it was a common practice for every challenger to have a place for them to rest and relax. Malea, who had become accustomed to setting up a tent, suddenly said playfully as she was about to build her tent. Hey, when can we meet? ? It wasn''t a question directed at Aracelli. It was a question to that person''. Though, she was only asking as a joke. [Ill see you soon.] As she swept the ground with leaves, words, which Malea believed to have been written about four months ago, appeared. Malea stared blankly at it before dropping everything she was currently doing and opened her diary to write those words. [I said when can we meet?'' out loud to ask that person. Then, he told me that we would see each other soon.] [By the way, when will we be able to meet?] At that moment, dozens of footsteps suddenly could be heard in the distance. When Malea looked at Aracelli, she was already dismantling the tent at an unbelievable speed. They are chasing us all the way here'' It was obvious who they were. They were Wings of Heaven Guild members. They had been chasing both of them religiously and seemed to finally notice that they were currently on the 37th floor. In the past, Malea and Aracelli could slip past the Wings of Heaven Guild because they had climbed the tower by slightly cheating with the help of that person. But from here on, it wouldnt be as easy because their current floor had been discovered and Wings of Heaven Guild wouldnt allow them to climb even higher. In Wings of Heaven Guild, there were many high-level challengers with level 4 and Level 5 equipment. In other words, there was no room for themwho had just barely obtained level 3 equipmentto fight back. Fortunately, their current location was inside a dense forest. Thus, they would be able to hide. Moreover, as both Malea and Aracelli were wearing gear related to agility, they became quite agile, making them able to climb trees skilfully. And as both of them hid on top of a tall tree, the members of Wings of Heaven Guild passed them just a few seconds later. "It''s here! I could see their trace here! "Shit. Their footprints disappeared suddenly. They could have climbed a tree. Search thoroughly! As the members of Wings of Heaven Guild on this floor could be called seasoned climbers, they could easily figure out their hiding place. Malea bit her lip and jumped towards the nearby tree to escape. But unfortunately for her, she was founded by the guild members in an instant. There she is! "Get her! Dammit! The speed of Wings Of Heaven Guild members on their tail was too fast. It seems like even the rankers on the 50th floor were also chasing after them. The movement speed buff of level 5 boots indeed made a great difference since they quickly shortened the distance. It couldnt be helped, it seems in order to escape, Malea and Aracelli had to once again exploit the loopholes in the system. Which was, entering the Boss Room''. Unfortunately, the boss room was far from the place they were right now. Moreover, they hadnt finished the main mission on this floor just yet. The other method was there is nothing but instant dungeons. It was a place where challengers couldnt interfere with others challengers because the moment a challenger entered those dungeons, they would be separated by what was called server. Luckily, such an instant dungeon appeared in front of them, but it was the worst dungeon. Why don''t you just stop? That instant dungeon is called Eternal Model Box''. It''s a trick dungeon'' which you can never get out of once you enter. Do you know how many challengers have died there? It was a huge box-shaped dungeon or known by its other name: Trick Dungeon. It was one of the most vicious dungeons to exist in the Tutorial Tower which seduces and devours challengers. Rumor has it that if you clear the trick dungeon, you will receive a huge reward. Hahahaha, besides, do you know that the setting for that dungeon is eternity? The moment you enter, you must wander through a dark space without being able to die. Wouldn''t it be better to just live with us as our dolls? Looking at what both of you have done so far Ill just play with you for about 10 years before throwing you away. Maleas expression hardened. Should she live a life where she couldnt even die while wandering through a narrow and dark space forever, or should she live a life filled with disgrace and die 10 years later? She didnt like either of the choices. But if she really had to choose between the two Please, this time tooplease'' Malea had no choice but to trust the man who had been protecting her from a place she couldnt see. So, Malea grabbed Aracelli''s hand and jumped into the Eternal Model Box''. [Entering the Instant Dungeon Eternal Model Box] Chapter 182: Tutorial Tower (Eternal Model Box) Instant Dungeon, Eternal Model Box. True to its infamy as a trick dungeon, the very first message which appeared as soon as they entered the dungeon was: [There is no mission in this dungeon.] Normally, the moment you enter the dungeon, you need to complete a mission in order to get out. But when the mission didn''t exist, it meant that you wouldnt be able to get out. Malea surrendered her back against the gray wall behind her and plopped down to the cold floor beneath. She was able to escape from the Wings of Heaven Guild somehow, but she ended up in this place. Trick dungeons couldnt be completed. It would only end when they died by starving to death or got eaten by monsters. But this dungeon was different. It was a place that was similar to a prison of eternity''. Dying in any way in this place was impossible, so what should she do? Malea hugged her knees and curled further. The moment the adrenaline from earlier receded, she became completely powerless. Malea. "Huh? Sorry. This happened because of me. Malea felt guilty towards Aracelli. If she hadn''t moved with her, maybe she could have been more active in the Tutorial Tower. Although her power was severely limited, her magic that she occasionally showed was powerful enough to be coveted by many prestigious guilds in the tower and she could use it as some kind of special moves while safely climbing the tower with a reliable party. In other words, there was no reason for her to be locked up in a place like this for eternity if it wasnt for her decision. As Malea plunged deeper into despair, Aracelli only silently stared at her. Being trapped in this dungeon called the Eternal Model Box was definitely a disastrous thing. But it was only so if she had been an ordinary challenger'' who wouldnt have a way to leave this place. But Aracelli wasn''t worried at all. Malea. Can you see that over there? "Huh?" Malea raised her head and looked towards the place Aracelli pointed her finger at. There, she could see an arrow. It wasnt a perfect arrow; it was crooked in many ways as if it had been drawn carelessly. But, as there was only one path in front of them, it wasnt hard to infer what the arrow meant. Someone was sending a signal for them to go that way. Malea quickly approached the arrow and scanned it. It is very recent!'' So far, every trace shed found had been written for at least 4-6 months. However, the arrow before her was created recently. She deduced that it was probably drawn today itself. Malea quickly ran towards the direction the arrow was pointing at. Dozens of arrows were drawn on the cramped hallway, and they were all pointed in only one direction. And at the end of the path, she could see a man sitting down. But he wasn''t just sitting there. He was leaning back on his portable chair and reading a newspaper with his sunglasses on. On the table next to him was a red juice with a refreshing lemon attached to the straw, while above him, a giant parasol was providing him with some shade. Excuse me?" Malea slowly opened her mouth as she looked at the unfitting atmosphere around the man. Then, the man looked at Malea. He stared at her for a moment or two before slowly lowering his sunglasses to his nose. His eyes were pure white. A pair of cold white eyes which creates a magnificent contrast with his black hair. Malea stared blankly into his eyes, and suddenly, someone came to mind. He was wearing unusual equipment. It seems like those equipment were [Otherworld Items] which couldn''t be obtained from the Tutorial Tower. White armor, black hair and white eyes.'' It was the rumour that spread throughout the entire tower about the appearances of a celebrity known all over the tower. In a short period of timeonly a little over half a year since his appearancemany people had seen the person named Yoo Seodam'', and countless eyewitnesses said the same thing about his appearance. Malea admired the top ranker named Yoo Seodam who broke through the 60th floor alone. It was to the point she remembered his description better than anyone else. After all, she had been imagining about him. What kind of person was he, the person who climbed the tower alone? How can that be possible? [He was sitting inside the Eternal Model Box and was waiting for me. The very first word he said after seeing me was Its been a while.] "Its been a while." [But, because I didnt know him, I just replied with, Nice to meet you.] Nice to meet you, Mr. Yoo Seodam. [When he heard it, he somehow had a very sad expression on his face.] However, soon after, Yoo Seodam smiled and got up from his seat. As he gestured, to her surprise, the large parasol, table, and other furniture around him were sucked into somewhere. Could it be that it was subspace which could only be used by those who had reached the pinnacle of magical engineering? Malea wasnt sure. Yoo Seodam approached Malea and said in a relaxed voice. Its nice to be reunited like this. Is it really a reunion? But I met him for the first time right now Malea thought so and was convinced that the man in front of her knew her. However, she didnt know him. Did we meet someday in the future? If so, what kind of relationship did I have with this man? However, amidst all the rampaging thoughts, Malea was certain about one thing. Yoo Seodama top ranker on the 60th floorwas the same person who had helped her until now. The fact that the person whom she admired had been watching and helping her all this time, somehow filled her heart with happiness. Malea bit her lips tightly and stared at the ground beneath her. What should she say here Well, you are younger than the last time I saw you. You are definitely a young blood right now. When I was as young as you, I was also able to chew some stones. By the way, would you like some raspberry juice? Ah, thank you for the offer, but I dont like fresh things. "Ah, is that so? What a waste. How about you, Aracelli? Please give me, I want to drink! Ill get you a new one. No, just give me the one you drank, Professor! Oh, you know what? I grew the raspberries in this juice myself. Ugh, theres really nothing to do on the 57th floor. When people talk about rankers there, don''t they always say, The rankers on the 57th floor are fighting in a hellish battlefield''? That was all nonsense. Farming was the main mission there. The current challenger on the 57th floor is probably digging potatoes right now. But since the potatoes there are organic, the taste is amazing, so when you eat gamjatang Wow, really? "Ah, yes, that" but this man His image was very different from what Malea imagined. She had thought that he would be cold, calculative and scary. He would certainly explain everything with his actions alone. And instead of arguing over and over, he would rob his enemys will with just one swing. But you know what? The reason why gamjatang is gamjatang is not because it contains potatoes Huh, I dont know about that! But, the person in front of her was totally different. Malea fell into a trance-like state as the image of her ideal Yoo Seodam and the Yoo Seodam in front of her overlapped. And slowly, both the images merged and her imagination was completely shattered into pieces. * * * The way to leave this place is simple. Yoo Seodam said seriously. It was then Malea became aware that even though Yoo Seodam was joking a moment ago, he did not lose sight of the seriousness of the situation. It seems that his joke earlier was his attempt to release the tension in her body, and to smother the gloomy atmosphere. "Actually, I wanted to try Oh no! I got caught'' kind of action here." Youre going to get into trouble, Professor! Was she wrong? Did he actually enjoy spewing nonsense everywhere he went? Malea had a moment of confusion in her head, but she painstakingly pushed it down as she thought about his positive image. Malea, I dont know if you know about it, but Aracelli and I are from another dimension. "Yes? I also come from another dimension. "I don''t mean it like that. Most of the challengers in this tower, including you, were dragged by this tower, correct? "Yes" However, its not the case for us. We opened the door of this tower and entered by our own will. "What? Is that possible? Malea''s eyes widened as she looked at Aracelli and then at Yoo Seodam. She couldn''t believe it. In the first place, was it really possible to enter this tower with one''s own will? Even though the word tower'' was used to call this place, in fact, this place was a complex manifold dimension'' with no doors or windows. There was no way that a door could exist, so how could they do it However, seeing the bizarre things both of them had done so far, Malea couldn''t help but believe it. One was a wizard who could easily crush a level 4 challenger even with level 0 equipment, and the other was a great challenger who reached the 60th floor in just half a year. And Aracellis specialty is dimensional science. Do you, by any chance, know about it? It''s a required course at the magic school these days. They give four grades. "Uh, I dont know?" "Professor, there is no dimensional science curriculum yet in Malea''s dimension. Oh, is that so? I didn''t actually study back then" I thought so. Malea sighed. It''s exhausting to follow these people''s conversations. Wasn''t spatial study dead in the first place because it was just a nonsensical science? However, from what they said, it seems like theres a world with a higher level of subject called dimensional science''? She could not believe it. Anyway, I can easily run through any dimensions, so opening the door to this world couldnt even be considered as a task for me. "Okay. However, is that a sufficient reason to explain why you are hugging Aracelli now? Malea said as she gave him a bothered expression. As soon as Aracelli met Yoo Seodam, they hugged each other deeply. At first, Malea thought it was just some kind of reunion hug, but after 10 minutes, an hour, and three hours had passed, it was very awkward to see them like that as a third party. I am recharging Aracellis magic with mine. After she gets her fill, we can get out of here. Saying that, Yoo Seodam suddenly exclaimed as if he just remembered something. Up until now, the Wings of Heaven Guild must have been tormenting you, right? "Yes Did you also know about them? I know everything. Yoo Seodam said in a low voice. Malea shook her head. Now it feels like she knows how to treat this man properly. From now on, I will climb the tower with you. Do you know bus''? A high-level challenger helps a lower level challenger, that thing. "Yes, Im aware of it. But don''t the administrators hate this kind of thing? You may not be able to receive protection if you do so. You dont need that protection of theirs. You''re better off without it. "Is that so?" "Yeah. Anyway, from now on, I''ll be with you, so you don''t have to worry about those Wings of Heaven Guild. Well, I wont be able to help you on some floors, but dont worry, you will be able to solve it easily." Malea nodded her head, her heart fluttered at his words. From now on, her real journey would begin. And as long as the Wings of Heaven Guild did not interfere, there would only be one hurdle for her to climb the tower, that would be the challenges. And when we arrive on the 56th floor, I will have a nice talk with the guild leader of the Wings of Heaven. "Yes? Wait! Isn''t that a bit too dangerous?" "Why? They have tormented you so much. When I read Aracellis letter, their guild leader could be considered as already dead. No, its not like that Is this man serious? Malea looked into his eyes with that thought in mind. Although Yoo Seodam was someone who liked to joke around, his eyes were currently telling her that he was dead serious about it. In the end, Malea had no choice but to shut her lips tightly. From now on, I will bring you to the top. A higher place than that Wigen. To do that, you must get rid of the Wings of Heaven Guild that is getting in your way, okay? You are a talented woman who will rise to the top before anyone else. There is no reason for you to be tied down just because of those people. At his sincere words, Malea nodded her head with a firm expression. Then, Yoo Seodam patted her on the shoulder with a relaxed smile on his face. Moments later, Aracelli separated herself from him and walked towards the wall. She closed her eyes and then chanted a spell. To Maleas surprise, a golden, magnificent, round passage was created on the wall in front of her, showing them the scenery of the outside world. Then, shall we go? As Yoo Seodam and Aracelli took the lead in confident strides, Malea followed behind them with a smirk blooming on her face. Somehow, if it was with them, she felt that climbing to the top was really possible. Chapter 183: Tutorial Tower (74th Floor) Malea was someone who was talented in strategizing. She always managed to come up with a strategy or find a solution to solve all the riddles with ease. Because of this, her climb had never been hindered even due to special circumstances. However, even with her talent, Malea couldnt help but admire Yoo Seodams way of climbing the tower. He was someone who enjoyed pushing the rules of the tower through tricks. For example, when they were facing the boss monster Kacrium on the 45th floor. "Yes? The three of us should have stood there? "Yeah." Most of the bosses inside the tower could only be killed after breaking their specific attack pattern''. It''s never possible to attack and kill them by attacking them randomly. However, as long as the challengers were able to figure out those patterns it was possible to kill them with only basic combat techniques. Therefore, no matter how many strong players grouped together, they wouldnt be able to kill the boss if they did not have the minimum number of challengers required to beat the boss. For example, Kacrium was an eagle monster which was proficient in welding electricity and required a total of ten people to beat it. One person would be in charge of aggro dispersion while nine others would be in charge of breaking its pattern. Did you know that Kacrium uses Electric Blast at regular intervals? "Yes?" Electric Blast, surprisingly, did little damage if it landed a direct hit on a human. But if the attack hit the ground, it would release a tremendous current that was capable of burning a human to a crisp. Breaking this pattern was easy. The challengers simply had to let three people stand simultaneously on a pillar'' which would appear somewhere on the map. When humans stood side by side, electricity would be transferred to the pillar through them, and the pillar would absorb the electricity. If the pillar matched Kacriums skin color, the boss would receive the same amount of damage it had attacked with. Of course, it wasnt as simple as that because the challenger had to move from one pillar to the next in accordance with Kacrium''s skin colour. But overall, it was still easy. However, since ten or more people were required to defeat this boss, it should have been a very difficult task for Yoo Seodam, who was mainly climbing the tower as a solo player. If you use this special human lightning rod made of monster leather, you can absorb and transfer any amount of electricity. "Ohh." By throwing a lightning rod at the right place and sticking it to the floor, Yoo Seodam successfully killed the Kacrium with just three people and was able to break through the 45th floor safely. It wasn''t just that. Every word he uttered, such as we were going to climb three floors in a day or we can pass through this boss monster without hunting shocked Malea. After all, it was common sense that every challenger who climbed the tower must follow the set rules and find a standard strategy to complete every challenge. But, Yoo Seodams tricks defied all these common sense. In other words, his tricks were far from classy. That was the reality of a cold-hearted challenger Yoo Seodam who had climbed to the higher floors by himself. I can see why you could climb by yourself. On the night they conquered the 45th floor, Malea laughed sadly as she ate the special pork rice cake dumpling. While she was looking at Yoo Seodamwho ate with his face almost buried in a bowl larger than his faceand Aracelliwho ate quietlyshe suddenly realized that it was a very happy thing to eat with someone. Aracelli, if you want, you could easily be a chef! Um? Aracelli never spoke with food in her mouth. It seems like she did it to be polite. She was so good at cooking that she managed to create something amazing despite Yoo Seodam''s bizarre request to add pork to her rice cake dumpling. She was skilled with magic, her personality was good, her appearance was top-notch, and she could also cook. She was skilled at almost everything. She was extremely knowledgeable and very considerate. She was such a talented beauty that it was easier to count things she could not do rather than things she could do. Marry me! Aracelli! I cant!! Its a joke, its a joke. Malea chuckled as she saw Aracelli wrap her arms around her chest with a genuinely troubled look. She always gave such cute reactions that Malea could not help but have fun teasing her. At the same, Yoo Seodam looked at Malea with a strange expression on his face. In his mind, he was sighing as Malea probably wouldnt ever know that Aracelli was older than her. Now lets go to sleep. We are going to the 46th floor early tomorrow morning. It''s pretty difficult here. There are a lot of areas I can''t help with, so you have to work things out on your own. But dont be nervous. Malea smiled as she looked at Yoo Seodam who looked like he was worried about her well-being. Because I know how to do it, right? Yes, thats right. So far, Yoo Seodam had tried to help Malea numerous times, but most of the time, Malea could overcome the obstacle on her own before he could even help her. He couldnt help but acknowledge her. After all, half of the strategies he devised came from the thoughts of Malea who was from the future. Then see you tomorrow. Yoo Seodam spoke as he crawled into the tent with Aracelli right behind him. Seeing a man and a woman sleeping together, Malea used to worry that something would happen in the middle of the night. But the two of them were really just hugging and sleeping honestly. It seemed that they were satisfied just with each others presence. Malea lay her body in the sleeping bag inside her tent. While sleeping like this, she could not help but crave to see the stars. However, in this place, she couldnt do so. The stars were hidden because of the ceiling of the tower. When was the last time she saw stars? She couldn''t even remember. I want to see the stars again She closed her eyes and imagined numerous blinking stars on her head. She counted every single imaginary star on her head, before she finally fell asleep. * * * The next day, when she opened her eyes, a lot of things had changed. It was because the guild master of Wings of Heaven Guild, Alfly, visited their camp together with twelve level 5 members. Yoo Seodam, it has been awhile. "Oh! The crying guy from the 10th floor has really grown up! By the way, why did you bring twelve bread shuttles? Is one in charge of pizza bread while the other is in charge of cream bread? Dont be rude. Now, Im a full-fledged guild master. Full-fledged guild master? Im pretty sure youll freaking out again soon. It has been a while since we met, should I remind you of what happened in the past?" When Yoo Seodam raised his fist, Alfly flinched for a moment before he smiled. He knew that Yoo Seodam wouldnt be able to stand against Wigen who had already passed the 70th floor. That fact alone would become a strong shield for Alfly. "I come all the way here to say this, Yoo Seodam, hand over those girls to us. Alfly said as he glared at the girls behind Yoo Seodam with bloodshot eyes. Malea was standing nervously while Aracelli did not even bother getting up from her seat. She continued to eat a piece of bread without paying any mind to Alflys words. Those two women have humiliated our guild. We want our right to vengeance. You are familiar with the Law of Vengeance, right? There were numerous laws'' in the giant tower. It was a law made by humans, not by administrators or fairies. A law created by challengers to protect themselves within a tower which was filled with malice and chaos. As a result, there were many ridiculous laws Most of them were laws which existed for the strong to bully the weak. Just like right now. Yoo Seodam simply smiled at Alflys words before looking at the sky above. [Currently, the protagonist is attacking the 74th floor.] [Ending'' is not far away!] [Hurry up and hunt the protagonist!] Wigen was definitely strong. He entered the tower as an irregular with monstrous talent, so even without any equipment, he could still show tremendous power. If Yoo Seodam had a fair one-on-one fight against Wigen, who had reached level 7, based purely on strength, Seodam would certainly lose. But, was Alfly aware that Wigen couldn''t come downstairs? If Wigen decided to come down while challenging the 74th floor, he would have to start again from the 70th floor. He wasnt a great person who would take such a loss just to take care of Wings of Heaven Guild. His mind was set on moving forward for his own interests, and Wings of Heaven Guild were merely tools for him that would help him achieve those interests''. "Well Since things have come to this, its even better. Since, I was just about to search for you. What do you mean? What do you mean by what do you mean? The time has come. At that moment, a system message, that was only visible to Alfly, popped out in front of his eyes. This method of communication using the system message'' was a cheat given to Wings of Heaven Guild and Wigen by the fairy. [Alfly. Go down to the 34th floor right now and get the Plant Fossil.] [I also need Bon Jaegers Rusthorn Horn on the 41st floor and the Dry Well on the 19th floor, so prepare all of it and send it to me through the Tutorial Express Mail.] [Thats all.] Wigen, who had reached the 74th floor, was in constant need for materials from the lower floors. Those materials were essential for him to carry out the hints he received from the tutorial fairy. Unlike Yoo Seodam, who climbed the tower using tricks, Wigen was able to break through all floors with ease by using these cheats. Hey, wait a minute Can I do it later? Alfly bit his lips tightly. How could he just leave when his targets, whom he had found after much trouble, were finally in front of him? [No! Get those items right away. You have three hours.] Cacant you delay the attack a little? [Since when did I have to look after you?] !" In the end, Alfly was just an errand boy who had to deliver materials Wigen needed to climb the tower. He was nothing more, nothing less. Although Alfly was also well aware of this fact, he tried to avoid reality. He had done many things for him so far, so he had hoped that one day Wigen would understand his situation and help him. However, since Wigen was a man who pursued only his own interests, in the end, an errand boy was only an errand boy, and if Alfly did not listen to him, Wigen would force him to do it through a high-hand approach. Ugh And because Alfly was well aware of the fact, he had no choice but to step away now. "You are lucky I''ve got some work to do now, so I''ll come back next time. Be prepared. "Really?" Yoo Seodam said so with a grin plastered on his face and put one of his hands on Alflys shoulder. But I dont think I ever said that I would let you go? "What did you say?" I have to hold on to you, because by doing so, Wigen will be in a lot of trouble. ! Originally, this was something Yoo Seodam planned to do once he arrived on the 56th floor with Malea and Aracelli. However, now that Alfly had come to him with his own legs, there was no way he would let this chance pass just like that. So, shall we go on a date or have a little fun together? Yoo Seodam raised his fist, and Alfly''s face turned pale. * * * There is no answer. Meanwhile, on the 74th floor, Wigen and his party member, together with the fairy in charge of that floor, were staring into the air with anxious faces. The fairy on this floor was one of the fairies who was on the Wigen Line'' and had taught Wigen everything he needed to do to get through this floor. But they needed the help from the lower floors to execute it. That was the reason Wigen supported the Wings of Heaven Guild. However, for some reason, Wigen had lost contact with them. [Remaining time to attack C 00:09:14] Only 9 minutes were left from the allotted time to clear this floor. With only that much time left, it was impossible to clear the floor with a normal method, so Wigen used the cheat'' that the fairy gave him But, he couldn''t even do that now. [Stigmata of the Cold Ice is puzzled.] [Stigmata of the Sharp Eagle is angry.] [Stigmata of the Running Blue Horse is frustrated.] The number of stigmata or administrators contracted to Wigen right now was as many as 100. They only had one purpose. It was to have the challenger they contracted to reach the highest floor in the most spectacular way. But now, the challenger they were contracted to was close to failing the challenge without doing anything. It was the most humiliating disgrace that an administrator could face. Wigen''s fatal failure would soon result in their class'' dropping. Some administrators still wanted to wait, believing that Wigen would pass in some strange way. [Times up!] [Failed to attack the dungeon!] Eventually, 9 minutes passed and Wigen was kicked out from the floor. All the administrators who were watching him began to get angry. As a result, some of the protection'' Wigen got from them were erased, and when these protection''s disappeared, Wigens expression darkened. Till now, Wigen had thought that he had completely separated himself from his emotions because he had never felt any feelings whether it be anger or sadness. He had pursued only the most efficient way. However, by meeting one man, his trust in himself was shattered. Yoo Seodam It is you again'' If something happened to the Wings of Heaven Guild downstairs, there was no way Yoo Seodam was not involved in it. After all, there was only one person except him in this giant tower that could touch such a huge guild. I should have killed him back then. Wigen grit his teeth and clenched his fists tightly in anger. The next time we meet, I will definitely kill you. Chapter 184: Tutorial Tower (10th floor) The day Wigen challenged the 74th floor, the contact between him and his supporter on the lower floor, Wings of Heaven Guild, had been cut off. The situation remained the same until now. With a cold expression, Wigen looked at the butterfly-shaped fairy flying in front of him. "Theres no contact you say?" -Yes~ We clearly conveyed the contents, but they didn''t answer~? "No way. Alfly, that guy, he will even kill his own mother if I tell him to." -That''s right~ But I don''t think he''s going to kill himself if you tell him to do so~? Wigen was aware of that. Alfly, the guild master of the Wings of Heaven Guild, was a man without any conscience. He was ready to sacrifice anything for his own benefit, but he valued his own life a lot. In other words, it could be said that he would easily give up everything and run away if the situation boiled enough to the point where it could threaten his life. Or, did he get caught by that bastard, Yoo Seodam? Yoo Seodam was not as strong as him, but nevertheless, he was still strong. As a ranker in this tower, he could easily rule like a god in the lower floors. If he really caught Alfly and threatened him, it was quite natural for Alfly to cut off contact with Wigen in order to save his own life. Its really troublesome. -Uh, what should we do? The fairies on the Wigen line looked at Wigen and the butterfly fairy with worry. Even now, the managers must be watching over this place. They were sending messages such as Why aren''t you taking on the challenge?'' every now and then. However, without the help of the Wings of Heaven Guild, it was difficult to challenge the upper floors. In order to use the cheat'', it was necessary to procure materials from the lower floors. But descending also wasnt the option, it''s too much of a waste if he did so. Once he descended, he would have to try again from the 70th floor. Rather, it would be better to just head to the 75th floor relying solely on the hints rather than the cheats he received from the fairies. -Personally, I think it''s better to go down and check it out~? Nonsense. I don''t want to lose everything over something like this. -Ha, but when attacking high floors, it can be quite difficult~? The fairy''s words were correct. Wigen might seem smart since he was able to see through the fairies weaknesses, and took advantage of their circumstances to obtain a cheat through a contract, but this ability was not useful for climbing the tower. The Tutorial Tower tests numerous human abilities such as creativity, agility, originality, understanding, calculation, as well as combat ability and analytical ability to improvise. But, for Wigen, who could only see the reality, and could not perceive this fantasy that was unfolding in front of him, this place was hell. For example, if someone was bleeding on the floor and a man was standing next to the body with a knife, ordinary people would make a deduction that the man with the knife is the culprit!. And if they thought further, they would think, I must run away from the man with the knife! or I should report it to the police! But Wizen had no such ability at all. He did not have the ability to deduce. He could only analyze and process what was happening in the present moment, nothing beyond that. In the same scenario above, all he could think would be: The bleeding man was stabbed in certain areas. He is bleeding this much. He will die within this period of time. Thats why the fairies in the tutorial presented him with cheat. Their method didn''t require any creativity or reasoning, only combat ability. "No, it does not matter. Lets keep going. Wigen refused the fairy''s words and forced himself to move forward. It was an action based on the probability of the world who was not yet ready to play the scenario of [descending to the lower floor due to the sabotage of the villain], but for the fairy in the tutorial, this was akin to a death sentence. -Ah, I see~ Then, let''s try it right now! Wigen led his comrades back to the 75th floor to challenge it once again. What will happen next, no one knows. * * * The Wings of Heaven Guild was an enormous guild that had built up considerable power within the tower. In terms of total number of members, it occupied the first place overwhelmingly. However, as the result of their loose recruitment, many of their members had some personality problems. Even the guild leader had considerable flaws, so it could easily be said that they were not a good guild. The only reason why no one touched them even though they were rotten was because there were only two people in the whole tower who could suppress the Wings of Heaven Guild by force. And both of them did not even pay attention to the lower floors and only cared about climbing the tower. Thus, no one thought of rebelling against them since the Wings of the Heaven Guild were effectively the ruling class for them. If they made a mistake, they might never be able to climb again. The same held true for Vigilante, an organization which was in charge of security within this giant tower. The head of Vigilante, Anta Airen, was also a challenger on the 57th floor and could be said to be a top ranker, but unfortunately, she could not touch the Wings of Heaven Guild. So, arent you also under a lot of stress because of those guys? 10th floor, Molendo city. Yoo Seodam, who came to Vigilante''s guild hideout, sat across their leader, Airen. It was natural to have the headquarter of Vigilante on the 10th floor as it had the largest number of residents across all floors in the tower. But ironically, the headquarters of the Wings of Heaven Guild was also located on the 10th floor, thats why Vigilante couldnt exert their full power. So it was natural in a way that Airens expression was always stiff. "Yes." Airen politely replied to Yoo Seodam. If it was a month or two months ago, Airen wouldnt do something like this, but as of now, Yoo Seodam, who was currently the top ranker on the tower, was a person who Airen had to be polite to. After all, she was clearly aware that the laws they have could be overthrown by just one strong man. "Hm." Yoo Seodam was well aware of that [episode]. The story tells about the confrontation between Airenthe leader of the tower''s security groupand the protagonist Wigen who caused so many disturbances. However, Airen was publicly defeated by Wigen, and even her guild members were thoroughly trampled by him, making it impossible for her to compete with him ever again. In other words, the current status of Vigilante was significantly low. How can a vigilante, who wasn''t even able to correct one person''s action, be trusted to correct others? Ill fix it. "Pardon?" I will solve your problem. Wigen''s actions were particularly focused on cider''. It was proven by the fact that he breaks countless rules, laws and gentleman agreement inside the tower and advances! He knocked down all those who stood in his way, and his journey of growing stronger while ignoring the laws set by the manager along with the fairies were filled with cider. It was to the extent that even Yoo Seodamwho had often been exposed to genre literature through the recent trend researchconsidered his story as refreshing. Obviously, it was a natural clich for the protagonist. Hes doing well on his own, but someone interrupts him by stating the law? He just needs to knock that person out right away and give him a line like I am the law once, the recommendation and comments section of such a story would certainly be filled with people. [E/N: comment on our chapters and recommend our novels thank you~] Uh, how will you solve it? You know them, dont you? Yoo Seodam said so as he pointed towards the girls behind him. When Airen followed his finger, the two girls who sat quietly behind him slowly lowered their hoods. A familiar face appeared from underneath the robe while smiling awkwardly. Ah, Aracelli and Malea. "Thats right. They are the culprits behind the recent fall of the Wings of Heaven Guild''s image who have not been caught up till now. In other words, their existence was a sore spot for the Wings of Heaven Guild. Because they were the only ones who dared to fight against the Wings of Heaven Guild, who were untouchable until recently, and yet these culprits were still alive. Bring them into Vigilante. If I do that, the Wings of Heaven Guild will not leave us alone. Thats precisely what you should be aiming for. Dont you know how important image marketing is these days? If you add these two people to your guild and declare that you will fight against Wings of Heaven Guild, won''t you be able to get the title of Guardian of the Law'' of the tower again?" It was definitely an attractive offer. However, Airen thought, if Yoo Seodam could do that, why hasnt he done that yet? Wouldnt it be safer if he did it himself? As Airen hesitated, Yoo Seodam took a deep breath. It really couldnt be helped. The woman in front of himwho was originally filled with confidence and moved with only one beliefmust have lost her original spirit after being bullied by the protagonist. Of course, because of it, there was no sweet potato development for the readers such as a villain who appears once again to seek revenge. It also could be said that the reason that her personality became like this was due to the probability''. However, Yoo Seodam could easily fix that part. After all, he had the ability to twist the force of probability. I trained the Wings of Heaven Guild''s guild master a bit. While you''re doing image marketing, he''s not going to disturb you." "Is that so?" "Thats right. So, even if I can''t come downstairs after I go up to the 60th floor, they wont be a problem for you even if they keep communicating with Wigen." WiWigen! Airen thought that it would be too dangerous for her and her guild if a level 7 ranker Wigen intervened. "Don''t worry, he''ll die soon anyway. Understand? Keep doing what you''re doing. You want to protect the Law of the Tutorial Tower, dont you? "I understand. Truth to be told, Airen had no choice but to believe Yoo Seodam. Sooner or later, the Wings of Heaven Guild would certainly swallow the tower. In order for Vigilante to be able to stand against them, this event was absolutely necessary. Then, Ill excuse myself. After leaving Vigilante''s hideout, Yoo Seodam stretched his body, while Malea look at him with anxious eyes. Is it okay for us to not stay here? "Well, it doesnt matter. After all, the public already saw that we are here. It''s enough for you guys to just take off your hoods and walk out from the Vigilante hideout. But, why are you doing this? To Malea, Yoo Seodam was somehow strange. He acted as if, unlike others, climbing to the top of the tower was not his final goal. Moreover, even though Yoo Seodam was a ranker in the tower, he looked uninterested as he completed the challenges. Rather, he seemed to think of it as simply a game for relieving stress. It is difficult to explain why, but. After thinking quietly, Yoo Seodam remembered the diary he received from the Future Malea. It was something that could never be shown to the current Malea. Though, the other version of it was currently being written every night. What was the future Malea thinking while she gave the diary to him? If he himself ever met the person he had been waiting for so long, and that person doesn''t remember anything about him what would he think? Even today, Yoo Seodam could still remember Maleas end vividly. She passed away with a bitter but happy smile. But, did she feel really satisfied with that level of happiness? He couldve made her a little bit happier. In the end, these were nothing but useless thoughts. Yoo Seodam now had to admit that the countless relationships he formed while traveling through many worlds could not be easily cut off. Isnt the case of Aracelli, who had been following him wherever he go the proof of that? I just want you to live happily forever. "Yes?" When those words left Yoo Seodams mouth, Maleas eyes bulged. Her expression also turned sour. You sound like an old man. Don''t make the mood worsen all of a sudden. its creepy. Yoo Seodam let out a dry laugh as Malea crossed her arms and pretended to shiver. Certainly, she was very different from the future Malea. And Yoo Seodam thought he didn''t need to explain what happens in the future. She looked so happy right now, as if she was enjoying every moment of her time with them, unlike her in the future. Then lets go back. To climb the tower again. After saying that, Yoo Seodam suddenly thought of Wigen, who must have been suffering right now. All of his preparations were done. Now, if he just waits, Wigen will come to die on his own. Chapter 185: Eternal Waiting (1) Even without the support from the lower floors, Wigen continued to climb the tower. Despite being incapable of thinking creatively, he was still able to do it thanks to his six party members besides him who had climbed to the 59th floor on their own. It could be said that they were capable to some degree. Even though was not at the same level as Wigen himself or Yoo Seodam, they could each at least hold their own weight. Still, in the end, that did not matter. Starting from the 60th floor, the difficulty of climbing the Tutorial Tower had increased exponentially. Even with so many capable individuals on his side, there was a limit to how much he could climb without cooperating with them properly. The only reason why Wigen was still able to climb the tower easily after the 60th floor was only thanks to the cheat'' he received from the fairies. But without the supplies from lower floors, he had to start sacrificing his companions from the 75th floor onwards. The first sacrifice began on the 75th floor. Then, on the 77th floor, he forced two of his companions to jump into a pit of fire. And finally, on the 78th floor, one of his three remaining colleagues betrayed him. He was forced to kill him. And in the process of fighting him, he ended up killing the two remaining colleagues in the process. Wigen could still remember the resentment in their eyes before they died. However, he only remembered it, he didnt care about it. After all, why should he care about those who had fulfilled their role as meat shields? And then, he finally arrived on the 79th floor. Compared to his speed of climbing the Tower till the 70th floor, his speed had decreased considerably afterwards. The difference was like riding a bullet train and riding a horse wagon. A lot of administrators expressed their boredom as they deemed his strategy as ignorant, messy, and dirty. And even after using such crude methods, he still took a lot of time to climb the Tower. [Stigmata of the Fish in the Northern Sky yawns.] [Stigmata of the Red Camellia turns its back on you.] [Stigma of Fraternal Twins shakes their heads at each other.] But, even after all these notices, Wigen was not fazed. He still thought that it was okay. He believed he could still climb the tower without his party members. Little did he know that the only reason he could climb the Tower was because he was being supported by the probability. -Chchallenger Wigen! You have to go down immediately. You can''t stay here any longer~! The name of the 79th floor was the Graves of the Howling Wraiths. It was a very unusual stage because the whole floor was a trick'' dungeon without any straightforward way to clear. It was not completely unclearable though. Wigen just couldnt find it even with the hints given to him by the fairy. Plus, there was one more reason why this place was called a trick dungeon. C It''s been 3 months already! Soon the soul erosion will start to affect you! It was due to a very unusual phenomenon called soul erosion. This phenomenon would slowly gnaw at the soul of the challenger the moment they stepped on the 79th floor. Moreover, if they stayed on that floor for a long period of time, the soul erosion would turn into soul isolation which would slowly give the 79th floor total control over their soul. And once the floor gained complete authority over their soul, they wouldnt be able to leave this floor forever. Even Wigen couldnt resist this phenomenon. Since he had only been here for about three months, the effect he currently felt was only to the degree of hallucinations such as the exit disappearing or inability to read the system messages. But, if it gets worse, he would be trapped on the 79th floor forever. Even death wouldnt be the way out since every death which happened on the 79th floor would belong to the 79th floor. It meant that he would have to live forever while being tied to the 79th floor of this gigantic tower. . Wigen realized that he couldnt let it continue like this. So far, he had been able to climb to the 79th floor somehow, but he realized it wouldnt be the case starting from now. In the end, he only had one option to choose. I will give up this challenge and go downstairs. He had to solve the issue with Wings of Heaven Guild to secure their support before he could climb the tower properly again. It would take a lot of time, but it was much better than being locked up on the 79th floor forever. [Are you sure you want to give up this challenge?] [The challenges so far will be reset. You will have to start over from the 70th floor.] "Yes." [Challenger Wigen has given up on this challenge.] [Teleporting to the lower floor.] A pillar of light bathed Wigen''s body. Meanwhile, a temporary portal opened before him to transport him to another floor. Stepping into it, Wigen suddenly remembered Yoo Seodam, who must have been suppressing the Wings of Heaven Guild downstairs. If they meet this time, he will surely kill him. * * * The Wings of Heaven Guild? It has been a month since they were disbanded. Dont you know about it? Just where the hell did you come from? The rocks? "What did you say?" When Wigen arrived at the 10th floor, he came to know the true situation of the Wings of Heaven Guild. They had already disappeared. And in their place, seven new ''emerging guilds'' were created. Each of them was built by a different force. Even though there were so many new guilds, there were no more conflicts because these seven guilds were perfectly balanced as they kept each other in check. On top of it, with such structure, there was no worry of having any guild to monopolize the tower. Also, Vigilante, the largest organization among them all, was watching over the situation, so no one dared to make a move to disturb this balance. Wings of Heaven Guild is gone?'' Do they know just how much work he put in order to get them to his side? It wasn''t easy to find a man like Alflythe former guild master of the Wings of Heaven Guildwho had the guts to do whatever he needed to do and to sacrifice everything to achieve his ambition. I have to start from the beginning again'' However, it wasn''t as simple as it sounded. Because, Hey, did you hear? Yoo Seodam, who came downstairs and stayed here for a while, chose two new partners and started climbing the tower with them. Right now, he has already climbed up to the 70th floor! "Ive heard of it. Didn''t he form a party with the famous Aracelli and Malea? Both of them are such a beauty, Yoo Seodam is truly blessed. What do you mean by blessed? Its only natural! As someone who had conquered the high floors alone, his abilities have already been sufficiently proven. So, of course, anyone will agree to form a party with him. When Wigen overheard the conversations between the passing challengers, he realized that something was wrong. Yoo Seodam has climbed up to the 70th floor?'' Already? No When? Wigen was certain that Yoo Seodam was busy suppressing the Wings of Heaven Guild on the lower floor. But what is this? No matter how strong Yoo Seodam was, Wings of Heaven Guild was the largest guild in the tower, and it would not have been easy to deal with them alone. Ah, by the way, Vigilante is surely respectable. "Indeed they sure are brave to rally the people to fight against the Wings of Heaven Guild. The current situation was completely different from what Wigen thought. The guild that he had painstakingly brought over to his side, Wings of Heaven Guild, had disbanded. But it was not because of Yoo Seodam. It was because of a completely different entity, the guild named Vigilante. And Yoo Seodam, who was not at all involved in this affair, was busy climbing the Tower. Moreover, unlike in the past where he was always alone, this time he was accompanied by two unprecedented Over-spec Irregulars Aracelli and Malea. Wigen''s face quickly lost its color. His plan of slowly recruiting and building a new guild or finding Alfly and re-establishing Wings of Heaven Guild could not be executed anymore. He simply did not have enough time to do so as he had made a deal with the fairies and was constrained by the content. [You must go to the highest floor. If someone else manages to overtake you and climbs a higher floor before you, you will die immediately.] Right now, he had already given up the challenge on the 79th floor. His current highest floor was effectively the 70th floor. And if Yoo Seodam was currently on the 70th floor .This is serious!'' Wigen ran towards the teleportation portal with urgent steps. No matter how cold-blooded he was, he couldnt stay unfazed when he knew that death was looming over him. As he rushed desperately to save his own life, Wigen thought about all the events that had happened up till now. Back then, when he met Yoo Seodam on the 60th floor, he knew Seodam must have been vaguely aware of the fact that he was receiving some kind of help''. No, Wigen was sure that Yoo Seodam knew it. He seemed like the kind of person who was capable of knowing so. But what about it? Back then, he thought that Seodam knowing about it didn''t change anything. After all, Yoo Seodam was someone who climbed the tower alone without any ones help. On the other hand, Wigen could easily climb the tower with the hints he received from the fairies and the supplies he gathered from the lower floors. And then, when Yoo Seodam was only one step away from conquering the 70th floor, he suddenly gave up and went down while Wigen continued climbing the tower. Back then, he laughed at Yoo Seodams foolishness and thought that the title of The First Conqueror'' was fated to be his. However Dont tell me the reason he gave up on the 69th floor and went down It was for this moment!'' Yoo Seodam was someone who always had tricks up his sleeves. How much trouble did he have to face to deal with his tricks and schemes? He knew that behind all his seemingly insignificant actions, there was a thorough plan behind it. But, why? [You have arrived on the 70th floor.] Hah hah, hah! Wigen panted before sprinting towards the boss rooms stage on the 70th floor. He was certain that he was not late. He knew that it was not the time for him to die just yet, that he could still salvage the situation. With his prior experience, it was possible for him to clear the boss challenge on the 70th floor and ascend faster than Yoo Seodam. Unfortunately for him, Yoo Seodam was also aware of that fact. Oh, you''re finally here? In front of the Boss Stage on the 70th floor, Yoo Seodam said as he leisurely sat on his chair and sipped on the drink in his hand. He watched Wigen desperately running towards him. He had deliberately waited for Wigen to arrive. He wanted to see his face bathed in despair as he got closer to his own death. He also wanted to see the end of the man who had trampled on countless people as well as the man who had created a mountain of corpses just to climb the tower. His achievements had left behind a trail of victims. Yoo Seodam wanted to see the end of such a man with his own two eyes. Then, since the esteemed guest has finally arrived Yoo Seodam got up from his seat, turned his back and placed his hand on the doorknob of the boss room. Seeing that, Wigen sprinted with all his might. He could not believe what was happening in front of him. He did not want to believe it. He did not want to believe that a man that he could crush with one hand had outsmarted him and he would now be the reason for his death. He yelled at the top of his lungs and let out incoherent words from his mouth. Yoo Seodam couldnt hear or understand his words though. And even if he could, he wouldnt care. But oh well its already too late for a last word anyway. I will challenge the Boss Stage. When Wigen finally reached in front of the boss room''s door, the words which sentenced him to death were announced. "Ah Ah" [Challenger Yoo Seodam and two other challengers have succeeded in conquering the 71st floor!] * * * Malea and her party easily passed through the 71th floor. It could be because of the fact that Malea and Yoo Seodam came up with the strategy to pass this floor together. After passing through the floor, Malea heard from Yoo Seodam that Wigen, the top challenger and the hidden mastermind behind the Wings of Heaven Guild, had died. She wasnt aware of the cause but she knew that his soul was taken away from within the Tutorial Tower due to the violation of a contract. She was not privy to the details and she did not care to know about them. She was happy as long as she could continue climbing the tower with Seodam and Aracelli. And currently [Stigma of Filthy Lion looks at you with curious eyes.] [Stigma of the Soybean Stone Statue that You Can''t Scratch Even Though Your Ears are Itchy pays attention to you.] [Stigma of Twinkling Eyes looks at you with twinkling eyes.] Numerous administrators began paying attention to Malea''s party. It was only natural since their way of challenging the floors was completely different from Wigen. Wigen, who was conquering the tutorial with only cheat''s, had little to see. But Maleas party was different. Their methods were strategic and creative, and their excellent sense of combat and skills made it fun for the managers to watch them. The 72nd and 73rd floors were easily breached. On the 74th floor, Aracelli''s puzzle-solving skills worked excellently, and on the 75th floor, Yoo Seodam shone brightly with his myriad of tricks. On the 76th floor, it was Malea''s amazing way of thinking which revealed the correct method to pass the stage. But, on the 77th floor, they could barely clear the stage since they had to fight numerous enemies. The 78th floor was cleared through the combined efforts from everyone. And finally, they arrived on the 79th floor. The Graves of the Howling Wraiths. "Good work today. Let''s go to sleep." At Yoo Seodams words, Malea spread out her bed and lay down. Although this place was dark, eerie and filled with the ghost type of enemies that Malea hated the most, fear was something she didnt feel at all. On the contrary, she felt that all of this was fun. After all, she was able to live through these heart-fluttering days together with Yoo Seodam and Aracelli. As long as they were there with her, no matter what the challenge would be, she felt that it would be fun. They fought together in a life or death situation, quarreled over a piece of meat, and laughed at ridiculous jokes that popped out in serious moments. But at the end of the day, they all still went to bed together and thought about tomorrow. Thats why she could comfortably close her eyes once again today. And when tomorrow comes, she will wake up once again and the companions whom she loved the most would be still there. But The next morning, when Malea woke up Yaaawnn~ where should we attack first today uhm? She realized something was missing. "What" It was because there was no one there except for herself. There was no trace of the tent in which Aracelli and Yoo Seodam used to sleep in. It had disappeared. What, what? Hey, Yoo Seodam! Don''t joke around! Why are you playing pranks like this all of a sudden? Malea knew that Yoo Seodam liked to play jokes. But he had never played a prank that was too serious and could shake other people''s mentality. Moreover, he was aware of Malea''s greatest wounds. She knew with certainty that he would never play such a prank on her. Malea frantically looked around to search for them, but unfortunately, she could not see anyone. "What is this Did they go for reconnaissance without me? Deep down, a scenario based on their identity crossed Maleas mind. But, she bitterly and desperately struggled to deny that fact. Malea wandered through the 79th floor alone while muttering to herself to suppress the fear which was slowly creeping within her. C Hehehe! C Hehehehe! Hehehe! The ghost flew around while staring at Malea with their gleaming eyes. They were terrifying, even more so when they were beings that couldnt be defined by either science or magic. On top of it, there was no way to deal with ghosts in this world. Holding her wand in her arms, Malea wandered the 79th floor. This floor was much narrower than she initially thought. It took less than half a day for her to complete one full lap of the floor, However, even after looking everywhere, even after walking through the entire floor, she still could not find a trace of Yoo Seodam or Aracelli. What is this Something is strange She shook her head and immediately called the fairy who was in charge of managing this floor. Now that Malea was among the top climbers of the whole tower, the fairy was more favorable than ever before towards her. Fafairy, do you know where challengers Yoo Seodam and Aracelli are? -We dont know~ They cant be found anywhere~ "Please Please Can you help me this once? I promise Ill work harder to climb the tower, so please" -Uhm~ Not only you, we are also looking for them~ Both of them just suddenly disappeared~ What, what? Malea cried. She could not come to terms with what had happened. She refused to believe it. Yoo Seodam and Aracelli left her and went somewhere? No, no, no, it cant be. Malea plopped down to the ground as tears dripped from her eyes. From that day onwards, Malea kept waiting for Yoo Seodam and Aracelli at the entrance of the 79th door. At some point, the fairy of the tutorial had come to her and warned her, It''s dangerous if you don''t leave this floor,'' but she didn''t listen to it. She will never leave this floor and climb the tower by herself. She will wait for both Aracelli and Yoo Seodam to come back. Right now, her sole reason for staying alive was to wait for them to come back and climb the tower with them. However, even after a year had passed Yoo Seodam and Aracelli did not appear. Chapter 186: Eternal Waiting (2) Been a while since we do this Shutout to Jesus Rangel, our newest protagonist tier Patron. Anddddddd to Reverend Divine Pressure Palm for the $12 donation. So we have $18 on the pot Bonus chapter coming at Monday. Or Tuesday at the latest. Fwooosshh~~!! A cold and piercing wind crashed against Malea''s body. The sharp whistles of the wind were mixed with the eerie and bizarre laughter from the ghosts roaming around Malea. However, she didnt pay any attention to them. -KEKEKEKEKEK -KEKEKEKE The ghosts on this floor had a tendency to cling to the living and invade their minds to break it down. They would try their hardest to break their targets will and mana so they could possess them or turn them into idiots. But such a trick had no effect on Malea. After all, Maleas mind had long since departed from this world. -Kekekeke -Heh heh heh heh heh However, even after knowing the fact that their trick didnt work on her, the ghosts still constantly hovered around Malea, who was the only living person on this floor, and Malea was bound to stay here forever with them. Malea, who had curled up in a fetus position in front of a reddish boulder, lifted her head slowly. It had been a year and a half since she was left here all alone. Her previous bright appearance was nowhere to be seen; it was all replaced by a wretched and desolate appearance which was far more pitiful than when she had lost her last classmate. It was not a stretch to say that Malea was barely alive. For the first few months, Malea tried to console herself by saying There must be a reason why they left me here.'' or They must have gone somewhere for a moment.'' She even thought of chasing after them thinking they might have abandoned her to climb the tower by themselves. However, no matter how long Malea waited, the Tutorial Tower did not announce that the 79th floor was conquered, which meant that Yoo Seodam and Aracelli were not climbing the tower. Malea was lost. She couldnt find their traces anywhere. But, she was not alone, because even the fairies, who were ardently looking for them since they were the top climbers in the tower, couldnt find them anywhere. They searched every nook and cranny of the tower, leaving no stone unturned, but there was not a trace of them. The gloomy scenery of the 79th floor was reflected in Maleas eyes which had lost its brilliance. She just sat there blankly, waiting without thinking, just like that, every day since they left. Suddenly, however, the fairy in charge of the floor approached her quietly -Challenger Malea~ Instead of wasting your time here~ how about making a wish'' after conquering the top of this tower~? "wish?" Malea responded in a hoarse voice which sounded similar to the voice of the ghosts around her. C That''s right~ Dont tell me you''ve forgotten about that~? A Challenger who succeeds in conquering the highest floor in the tutorial will have their wish granted! Maleas forehead scrunched in confusion. Now that the fairy told her about it, she remembered that there was such a thing. Until now, she had never thought about it simply because the reason for her climbing the tower was not to have a wish granted but to escape this wretched place. If she could truly make a wish Then Can I wish to meet someone again? Her eyes twinkled for the first time in a long time as she asked the fairy that question hastily. -Of~ Freaking~ Course~! You can even wish for the world to run backwards~ So, its a bit of waste to wish for something like that~ but oh well~ as long as your heart is satisfied with it~ Its a good wish~ Malea raised her head in hope. To be honest, she was getting tired of sitting idly and waiting for them in this quiet space. However, now that there was a way for her to meet them again She slowly got up from her seat. -But~ there is one problem~ "What is that?" -Because you have stayed on the 79th floor for too long~ Your soul now completely belongs to this place~ The fairy shook its head. -Because of that, wherever you go, you will eventually return here, the 79th floor~ After that the fairy grumbled, saying, What did I tell you? You shouldve challenged the boss room sooner. However, Malea simply left without paying any heed to the fairys words. But when she tried to walk ahead, suddenly, there was a metallic screeching noise. She felt that something was wrapped around her ankle. However, even when it was able to produce sounds and even if she could physically feel its weight , it wasnt some kind of a tangible force she could break, rather, it was a supernatural force. The whole floor itself had become a shackle to tie down Maleas soul. However, even with her knowledge of magic, she couldnt find a way to resolve it. I just have to endure. Malea hardened her resolve and forcefully dragged the chains with her. Malea remembered that the fairy had told her that if a normal person stayed in this place for more than 100 days, they would be unable to leave it forever. And Malea, who had stayed on the 79th floor for over 500 days, was somehow able to drag her body towards the passage to the 80th floor. Ugh! But, as soon as she took one step to enter the 80th floor, her mind turned upside down. All sounds vanished, as if the space itself had blurred around her. And a few moments later, she found herself in the middle of the 79th floor once again. Looking at the familiar surroundings, Malea nodded. This place was indeed just like how the fairy described it: a space which one could not escape even after death. Because even after their death, their souls would be forced to wander in this space. But from the moment she had decided to climb once again, giving up was something she wouldnt do. She would do her utmost and keep trying over and over again to reach the top. She moved her feet once again, slowly yet steadily. As this floor was a floor without any challenges, she never thought that she would suffer this much pain on this floor. As she reached the passage leading to the 80th floor once again, the same thing happened again; she was teleported to the middle of the 79th floor. After a few more tries, Maleas slow but steady steps eventually gained vigor, increasing their strength gradually. One step. Two steps. Five steps. And soon, she was able to jog. That jog turned into a sprint. With every lap, she was able to move faster and faster. -Wa-wait! Challenger Malea~ If you keep doing that, your soul will be torn apart! Le-lets find another way okay..~! Even the fairy was worried about her and tried to stop her from doing something so reckless again. But it was to no avail. It was because Malea, who was fully immersed in the challenge, couldnt hear any voice because of her extreme focus. "Ah!" Malea suddenly exclaimed as she opened her eyes. How come she had only been looking at the world with only her two eyes? She thought as she looked up at the reddish sky above. That red colour was only perceived as red by her brain because of the wavelengths of light which entered her cornea; it was not real. That world beyond reality, where colour or substance did not exist at all. This was the world which was currently clearly engraved in Malea''s vision. Normally, people would be unable to see it, feel it, or touch it. If they were able to do so, they would eventually become the same as them''. Thats why no one in this world was able to prove the existence of the soul. Those who saw them would have wandered around the world beyond in a form that could no longer leave a record in reality. However, Malea was different, even while her soul was completely fused into the world beyond, she kept a firm grasp on her body which still had the resentment of longing deeply etched within itself. That was why she was able to see, hear and feel her soul even though she was still a human. And thanks to that, it was now possible for Malea to grab the unidentified restraint and shake it. With my own power, I can never break this chain. However, it was possible to stretch this chain to follow her to the 100th floor. And finally [You have entered the boss stage on the 79th floor.] [Good luck to Challenger Malea.] She was finally able to start the challenge. If she can start it that simply, the challenge would not be difficult. With that belief, Malea entered the boss room. "Huh?" As soon as she entered, she saw a familiar blue crystal ball laying on the floor. It was a Recording Marble'' which was traded at an expensive price on the lower floor. But, different from what she had seen before, the crystal in front of her was certainly of high grade. It was capable of projecting holograms rather than just simply showing a recorded image. Malea swallowed her saliva and reached her hand towards it. She tried her best to calm her violently beating heart. Just before her hand touched the crystal, a man suddenly appeared in the air. -Ah, ah, ah can you hear me? Is this already recording? The man''s face, that familiar face which had become bluish because of the crystals colour. No should Malea say that she was more than just familiar to it, rather, she was too used to it? Yoo Seodam, who Malea had been desperately waiting for, then touched something beyond the recording frame of the crystal before shaking his head. -Are you sure you have set this correctly? It keeps flickering -Im sure of it. You can just start now Professor A familiar voice and a familiar conversation. As soon as Malea heard those, tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. Yoo Seodam Malea was aware, since it was a pre-recorded video, Yoo Seodam would not be able to hear or see her. But she still unknowingly let those words out. -Huh? Why are you calling me? I''m right here ..!!! Yoo Seodam who was looking to his side, which Malea presumed to be looking towards Aracelli, suddenly turned his head towards her as if he could hear her voice. No, that''s not all. He was also staring directly into her eyes. Hey, can you see me? What is this Just how" However, before Malea could even finish her words, Yoo Seodam started to talk. -Perhaps you''re talking to me right now. But you know I can''t hear your voice. Sorry. And then he bowed his head. -First of all, let me apologize for leaving without any word I know that no matter how many times I bow to you, it''s of no use. Because for you, who has suffered through loneliness, it would have hurt a lot. I know it very well. Even I have lost a lot of partners till now. As expected, Malea was right. Yoo Seodam knew her well and didnt just leave without any reason. However, even knowing that, she still resented him, hated him for doing so. But in the end, Malea pushed down all those feelings for his sake. Whywhy, why did you do that It was a recorded video, but stupidly, Malea asked him those words even though she knew very well that the answer would not come back. -To me the time I spent with you was a beautiful memory. It was such a fun time that I will never forget even if I try. However, I couldn''t fully enjoy that happiness It was simply because Yoo Seodam remembered the end of Principal Malea. At that time, he didnt understand the situation at all. However, after actually meeting her and making memories with the Young Malea, he realized just how lonely and miserable the end of Principal Malea he had met back at the magic academy was. She had waited for a long time to relive the memories she had created with him. It was to the point where she even forcibly prolonged her lifespan. She endured all the loneliness, sadness and pain to meet the person she wanted to meet the most. However, at the end of that long dark tunnel, the only thing waiting for her was a man who didn''t remember her. It was an extremely tragic tale. Knowing such an ending, it was difficult for Yoo Seodam to accept it. Even more so after he met Malea in the Tower. Yoo Seodam was aware that once set, the future cannot be changed. However, it was not an absolute rule. There was still a possibility for that fixed future to be changed. The system said so to Yoo Seodam. It meant that Malea''s ending had been destined to be what he had witnessed back then. But, he was ready to take advantage of everything he had in his disposal after seeing the end. And so, he decided to use the diary to his advantage. -I know your future. No, I used to know your future. But now, I don''t even know what you''re doing, how you''re standing, or what kind of stupid expression you''re making. Yoo Seodam decided to not read the diary until the end. He only read it up to the challenge on the 79th floor. Because if he read it to the end, it would mean that Maleas future will be the same as before, and he didnt want it to be like that. The 79th floor, the Grave of the Howling Wraiths. Shortly after they arrived in that terrifying space that could bind the soul of the Challenger, Yoo Seodam had a gut feeling. He felt that the 79th floor would open up the possibility of their true reunion. C But, one thing that I know is, you must have come all the way here despite being soul-bounded to the 79th floor. "Yes that''s right. I came here to meet you. So, please" He didn''t tell her the reason he left her behind until the very end. Just why? Why Why did you leave me here? Even if you cant tell me that a Gogoodbye So ple -It was because it wasn''t the right time yet. ! The hologram Yoo Seodam shook his head. But, he was still staring intently into Malea''s eyes. C Malea. I''m really sorry. We all know that apologizing hundreds of times is not enough. I also know very well that all of this happened because of my one selfish heart. However, Yoo Seodam couldnt help but to do it since he didnt want to acknowledge Malea''s ending. He wanted to change her ending, the ending where she, who had suffered a lifetime, was only able to meet him who did not even remember her. Malea could not understand what Yoo Seodam was trying to say, but she still listened to him for a long time nonetheless. Tears trailed down from her eyes to her cheeks before dropping to the ground while she listened. Then, after Yoo Seodam finished, Malea asked her in a tone mixed with sadness and hope. "Ahjussi Can we meet again? And, like a miracle, Yoo Seodam answered her question. -Yes, we can. When the projection came to an end, Malea clenched her fists tightly before picking up the crystal ball. No matter how many times she tried, the video refused to play again. But that''s fine. It was still a meaningful memento he left behind. Carefully placing it on her arms, Malea then raised her head. Eyes, which were once filled with tears that flowed like a wild river, had been replaced by those which carried a burning desire. A desire to meet them again, a desire to meet him again. Although she resented Yoo Seodam for abandoning her and leaving, scolding him and demanding an apology was something she should do only after meeting him in person. For now, her priority was to climb the tower again. Challenge, start -I understand From there, she started to climb the Tower again. She didnt need any companions, hints or cheats. Her own strength was enough. She successfully reached the 80th floor, then the 90th floor, and finally, after an uncountable amount of time, she reached the 100th floor. As soon as she stepped on the 100th floor, Malea made a wish to the God of Tutorials'', which was bigger than the sky and smaller than a grain of sand. I want to meet him. -I cant allow it. However, when she woke up, she found herself in Cheonyeon Private Magic High School'', which she originally attended before she was kidnapped into the Tutorial Tower. "Huh?" Why did she end up here when she wished to meet Yoo Seodam? Such a question bloomed on Maleas mind. But, as she thought that there must be a reason, she accepted it and decided to simply wait. In the meanwhile, she immersed herself in the study of magic. In particular, Soul Magic. After some time passed, ghost story'' began to appear in the school, but sealing them was not even a job for Malea, who had already lived in a space closer to the underworld for over a year. In the end, Malea, who became an authoritative figure in the field of Soul Magic ended up becoming the headmaster of the magic academy. And, after a while. That man finally appeared. When he came, that time was a really dangerous time for Malea. It was because her soul was beginning to fade and her presence was slowly fading to the point where it was difficult for her to even move her body. And by the time she felt that her impending death was just one step away from her, the energy of a great ghost story suddenly ran rampant. She hurriedly headed towards the direction where the energy came from. "Who are you?" There, the very man who she had been waiting for, was staring at her with a disinterested expression on his face. An unexplainable feeling welled up in Maleas heart and filled it to the brim. She struggled to hide her expression behind her veil, and simply ended up smiling faintly. Its been a while, Yoo Seodam. However, Oh, Principal? The man did not remember her. As she knew that Yoo Seodam was a jokester, she quickly checked the truth. And turned out, it was true. The man she met after a long time was Yoo Seodam from the time before he met her in the Tutorial Tower. On the brink of her death, she was reminded once again just how vast and wild the world truly was. How could things turn out like this? A feeling of despair engulfed her heart. It felt her entire life of lonely waiting had become meaningless. However, she decided to be as hopeful as possible. She tried to pretend to be happy, and she comforted herself by saying to herself that meeting like this, and seeing his face for one last time was enough. This was the ending befitting her long and lonely life. For just 30 minutes, like a midsummer night''s dream, Malea was able to forcefully smile till the end of her life while watching Yoo Seodams face. She dreamt a sweet dream that seemed impossible to come true. However, until the very end of her breath, she was unable to see Yoo Seodams smile. [79th floor, the Grave of the Howling Wraiths] Immediately after losing her consciousness, Malea, who had quietly closed her eyes at the moment of her death, was able to open her eyes again. What greets her was a place from a long past, the 79th floor of the Tutorial Tower'', where her own soul was bound. "Whats happening?" In an unbelievable reality, she unknowingly touched her cheek and wrist. Although her existence itself was already disappearing, it seemed that this place had returned her appearance from decades ago, when she first climbed the 79th floor. "Ah?" At the moment of her death, was she dreaming once again? As she was thinking about it, all of a sudden, dozens of fairies from the tutorial appeared before her eyes. They all looked confused as they circled around Malea. C Hey, what''s going ~?! -The Challenger who had graduated from the Tutorial Tower appears here again! -That too, with the qualification to challenge They talked amongst themselves. However, For Malea who already experienced this tower, she was well aware that they were communicating with the administrators. And at that same time, Malea also realized that she once again was given access to the Tutorial Tower''s System. In other words I can climb again?'' She raised her head. C Yes, yes! Administrators! Please do anything but that! Thth..the bug report will be done immediately! I promise you it will never happen again! The fairy who seemed to be the leader of the crowd crouched in the air and then stared at Malea with a resentful expression. C Challenger Maleaaaaaaa!!! Why are you back here again? .Did you just call me Challenger? Am I really a Challenger? Can I climb the tower again? C Ah, ah, that, that. Answer quickly!" When Malea jumped up from her seat, the chains that bound her soul to this space broke into pieces. Malea''s soul had become so powerful, it had reached a level where even the 79th floor could not dare to bind it. In front of Malea, who exuded an overwhelming presence similar to those Administrators'', the fairies started sweating profusely and could not even open their mouths. After rolling its eyes for the umpteenth time, the leader of the fairies finally opened its mouth. -Yes, yes. You can climb the Tower, but just this one time. Remember, this will never happen again! "Okay. Once is enough. It was then that Malea began to understand everything. From the very start, Yoo Seodam had known her fate. He also knew that she would meet that kind of end. And since he didnt want that to happen, he forced the future to change by letting the 79th floor bind Maleas soul so that she could return there once she died. Thats why, currently Malea was able to climb the tower again. "So If I climb to the top again, I can make another wish, right? -YeYes, that''s right~ So, quickly conquer the top and get out of the tower as soon as possible. "Hmph, even if you dont tell me that, Ill still do so. At some point, she had once again returned to being the young girl who had dreamed of hopeful dreams while climbing a giant tower decades ago. "So, this time again, please take care of me." Chapter 187: Modern Day Magic Academy (3) [Successfully returned to the original world.] When I regained my consciousness, I was already standing in the middle of a familiar room. The interior of the room, the sounds of passing cars and other noises which came seconds later assured me that I had returned to Earth. I stared at the blue crystal ball I was holding tightly in my hand. It was crystal with a function of recording videos, just like a camera. If all my plans came to fruition, Malea would still be alive after several decades and not meet her end just like last time. Thinking about her once again, I couldnt help but let a sigh escape my mouth. If the Yoo Seodam from two years ago knew that the current him was working this hard hoping to meet her again in the future, he would have laughed and called himself stupid. After all, for the me from two years ago, such a thing was considered useless. Did I perhaps change a lot during my numerous trips to other worlds? If it was indeed the case, that is a good thing because taking care of your relationship with others is proof that you have spare time in life. I took off all the armor pieces covering my body and put it in my inventory. After changing into my working clothes, I took out the textbooks I had received from Aracelli. I did my best to imitate the textbooks I studied when I was still a student at Vivienda Academy. But, it will be a lot less detailed than the original. Well, I couldnt complain much about it. Vivienda Empire was a place with technology far more advanced than Earth. Because of that, textbooks werent written in physical format but rather in holograms or databases. There were no physical books she could pass on to me. However, due to her nature as a wizard, Aracelli could not simply forget the books and essays she either found or wrote. Fortunately, among the ocean of knowledge she couldnt throw away, textbooks were one of them, and she said that she had a lot of books that she had stored in her head because she was exceptionally fond of books. Yes. It was not memorized but stored. It seems that Aracelli gained an ability similar to my [Library of White Witch] when she reached the level of an archmage. I must say that I was very lucky to have such a library in my head even though I wasnt an archmage. [Magic Theory Understood Through Object-Oriented Principle!] [Easy to Remember! Magic Plan] [Magic is Design! Magic Blueprint -Basic Edition-] [The Principle of The World Understood by Magic! Is The World Actually Perfect?] Some of the books I received from Aracelli were way too advanced for the current Earth. And because of this, unfortunately, I had to put them to sleep forever in my inventory. For example, the Dark Matter Theory'' which deals with unknown energy that exists in the universe and the Space-Time Travel Theory'' which uses the energy of black holes. I even received a Theory of Everything'' that deals with the origin of the world, which was several centuries more advanced than Earths current civilization. As it was an advanced science, I didnt dare reveal it to the public. But aside from those books, I was still able to acquire a lot of useful material about Magic Engineering for Yekaterina from Aracelli even though it was not in great detail because it wasnt Aracellis major. I hoped it would help Yekaterina to achieve the fusion between magic and science easier. Putting down the textbooks I had inspected, I stared towards the air. [You have killed a level 179 protagonist.] [1790 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current lifespan: 6307 days 9 hours 41 minutes] It seems that the completion reward increased since Wigen, who entered the tutorial as an Overspec Irregular like me and Aracelli and was already as strong as an S Rank superhuman before he entered the tower, became even stronger as he climbed the tower thanks to numerous unique items he acquired. While I was there, I also looked for those items. However, I couldn''t find any of them. It was probably because most of the items were reserved for the protagonists by the Protagonist Correction''. [Your level has been raised by 3.] [Level increases by additional 3 due to successful hunting of a protagonist of the worst difficulty.] [You have acquired the skill Cold Gaze.] Cold Gaze'' skill. The explanation for this skill was simple. It helps you analyze everything in your surroundings better as you become even more calm. And that skill was further strengthened when it was fused with [Soul-piercing eyes (C)]. [The skill Looking at All Things With a Cold Gaze (B) has been created.] In other words, with the newly fused skill, I would be able to look at the essence of that very thing. Of course, it consumes a lot of magic power, so I won''t be able to use it often And after a long wait and countless hours of hunting protagonists in other worlds, one of my core skills finally levelled up. [The skill level of Protagonist Hunter increases.] With this level up, I expected that I would be able to intervene more actively with the protagonists story or I might have received a few convenient functions, but I was wrong. As the level rises, only one sentence was added to the explanation. [You will be able to jump on the flow of the story of the world.] I couldn''t understand the meaning at all, so I tried to ask the system. But She became quiet after giving an unhelpful answer. "Hmm" Something was very suspicious, but as there was no other way to find out, I decided to take it as it is for now. C [Level: 167] *Stats [Strength 163] [Strength 179] [Agility 165] [Energy 1] [Mana 278] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting S] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vitality SS+] [Others] *Skill [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 5] [White Swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth Sense (B)] [Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SS+)] [Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling Technique (SS+)] [Library Of The White Witch(C)] [Looking At All Things With a Cold Gaze (B)] C My level rose as much as a rat''s tail really. The road to the SS rank was truly long and rough. If I could help it, I would like to leave to receive another quest right now, but unfortunately theres a lot of work left to do on Earth. * * * Seodam-nim, I thought you wouldn''t make it in time! "I''m sorry." The date of the first magic lecture on Earth was getting closer. Even though I had experienced it for so many times, it was still surprising and fascinating at the same time how almost a year spent in the other world had only been two months on Earth. Though, even after those big time-differences, I was still almost late. No regrets though. By the way the quality of these textbooks is amazing! Just in case you failed to return, I was also making temporary ones But, they are incomparable to these textbooks! This book is so easy with its explanation, to the point where it can be taught to kids who dont know anything about magic. "Really?" It seems like the textbooks Aracelli had prepared contain the basic principles of mana. However, this so-called basic was still extremely difficult as it needed an extent of knowledge of someone on college level or higher. Besides, this just what is this Seodam-nim Yaketerina seems to have fallen in love instantly after she laid her eyes on the first few pages of [Blueprints of Magic Engineering] book. "Unfortunately, it''s very different from our technology, so I can''t use it as it is but the principle alone is enough to make my research easier." Um thats good. Unfortunately, research on magic or anything related to that was not my field, so it would have been of little use to me if I was the one who received it. Once again, I thought that I was really lucky to have Yekaterina. "Uhhh I want to read this right now, but I have to send it to the researchers first. Oh, Seodam-nim, do you know what? All the researchers in my lab recently became 3-circle magicians. All of them had almost no talent for superpower, but right now they are at a level where they can defeat even a C rank monster! "Oh Isnt that great? I had no idea that the researchers would grow that fast. I haven''t even seen their faces yet, but from the fact they were hand-picked by Yekaterina, I could infer that every single one of them must be smart and talented. Indeed, magic seemed to be a science which could only be taught to smart people. Based on this textbook, I have to change the order of the lectures scheduled for tomorrow a little. Wow, even elementary school students can learn magic! What if we promote it like that? Wouldn''t the response be amazing? Yekaterina said so as she hummed and skipped towards her desk. Then, she started to write something down. I also picked up a pen to help her even a little, but just a few seconds in, my smartphone suddenly rang. [Seol Jungyeon] It was a call from Noonim. * * * Mirror World. (T/N previously translated as alternate world'', but I feel that it was not so apt, so I changed it. Sorry about that.) It was an unknown world, which was not a dungeon, not a gate, nor a different dimension, and was detached from reality, However, this phenomenon could be found in many places on Earth. As it was detached from reality, normally it did not cause much damage to the earth. However, in some cases when the influence of those Mirror Worlds grew powerful, it could interfere with reality. A representative example for the phenomenon those worlds caused was Poltergeist''. However, several months ago, Mirror Worlds were something which could be cleared thanks to the suggestion made by Another League''s Yoo Seodam. But Yoo Seodam didnt lead the operation himself. Rather, it was now headed by the New Murim Alliance who were in charge of cleaning such worlds. What is this? in the northernmost land in Alaska, Seol Jungyeon looked at the devastated land that unfolded before her eyes. The scale of the devastation could be said as small. In terms of gates and dungeons, it would be similar to the damage caused by an unattended D~C rank dungeon because there was only one building which was destroyed. However, what was worrying was that the entire building was covered with material from Mirror World. Mmy lord Just what is that Seol Jungyeon also looked at the building with confused eyes. The building in question no, could they still call it a building? After all, it had become a living creature after the Mirror World fused into earth. The lower body of the building was rhythmically moving as gas could be seen from time to time just like when humans exhale CO2. Inside the building, they could see a pair of eyeballs rolling around, proof that there was another living thing there. Should we engage, my lord? "We should. Its our duty to get rid of everything that seems dangerous. Seol Jungyeon didn''t know why something from the Mirror World had come to reality, but she felt that it seemed like an ill omen. Thats why getting rid of it was the first priority. With that in mind, she drew her sword and walked graciously towards the building-like creature. Kuoookkkk!!!! From the inside of the building, something that looked like a living creature jumped out and screamed. It was a terrifying creature with a weird head, seven arms, no legs. However, despite its horrendous appearances, Seol Jungyeon felt that the creature seemed to want to communicate. Seol Jungyeon stopped walking and tried to stop him. However Fwooosh~!! An energy missile fired by someone brushed past her side and hit the lower floors of the building. Kurreung!! The building began to completely collapse. At that time, the creature from earlier eventually began to express its anger, and there was no choice for Seol Jungyeon to retaliate. When her sword sliced through the creatures neck, an eerie feeling rushed towards her. What is this? Why is it so easy? The situation ended instantly. It was only natural since unlike in the Mirror World which could only be entered by very strong people, here on Earth, there were many hunters who came along with the New Murim alliance to investigate. And their power was enough to kill the building-like creature. Seol Jungyeon slowly looked at the corpse'' of the building. The building was also huge, but since it had no offensive or defensive ability, it wasnt something which could give them any headache. She then entered the building and walked around while looking for anything which was left behind. When she finally reached the highest floor, she could see something. However, It wasn''t difficult to understand because it was just a picture. In the painting, the end in which all life died and disappeared was drawn. It seems that the painter drew it in a way that was easy to understand so that anyone who found it could understand it even if they died. They have some intelligence?'' No, if that is so What did they mean by the end? Seol Jungyeon looked at the top of the picture. The whole thing was covered with blood, as if they were trying to erase the wrong picture, but for Seol Jungyeon, those pictures seemed to convey the meaning of nothing or ''empty''. I should contact Yoo Seodam.'' Chapter 188: Modern Day Magic Academy (4) [On the 11th, the first Magic Lecture'' will be held at the Taeguk Hotel'' in Korea.] [Magic, a study which can be learned by anyone from elementary school students to experts, is that really true?] After realizing that the teaching materials Yoo Seodam gave her were extremely easy to understand, Yekaterina broadened the recruitment for the first magic lecture even more. Aside from the original level of college students and above, she also tried to admit young children in their early teens to the lecture. As a result, many people expressed doubts because those kids were only ordinary elementary school students who had just started to learn Hangul or addition and multiplication. And when the day of the long-awaited lecture finally arrived, Yekaterina stood gracefully in the middle of the stage inside the Royal Hall'' of the Taegeuk Hotel, which is normally used to hold events such as orchestras and musicals. The room capacity was 50,000 people. In other words, there were 50,000 students present in front of her. Although there were no blackboards here, because the room was not a classroom in the first place, Yekaterina was fine with it as she didn''t need them for her first lecture. Though, replacing the blackboard was a digital tablet installed in every audience''s desk. Doing such a thing truly needs a lot of money, but she could still pull it off since numerous electronics companies flocked towards her with sponsorship deals when she said it was going to be used in the very first magic lecture. So in reality, Yekaterina did not spend a single penny on this. "Nice to meet you everyone, my name is Yekaterina, a magician and the CEO of Another League. Clap Clap! Loud round of applause exploded as Yekaterina introduced herself. However, it didnt last long as everyone started to open their ears wide to what she had to say. I want magic to naturally melt into Earths society. We want everyone, from the young kids to elderly to be able to learn and use it easily. Some criticized our dream as a pie in the sky. They said that magic was the privilege of the upper class, and they secretly blocked me. Most of those present nodded as they knew that the identity of they'' that was mentioned by Yekaterina was Avon and her Morian Guild. But I did not give up. And finally, after a very long process, I was able to create something like this. Saying so, she moved to the centre of the stage. It is Guild Master Yoo Seodam who gave me everything to make this occasion possible. Soon after, a curtain behind Yekaterina rose up and Yoo Seodam appeared from behind. Dressed in a neat suit, he gave a quite intelligent look, completely different from his usual style. It was the result of spending a lot of money to change his hairstyle. "Nice to meet you. My name is Yoo Seodam. I am from Another League. Although there was a mixture of worries and tensions boiling inside, Yoo Seodam did a splendid job of not letting those expressions show on his face. After all, he didnt want it to ruin Yekaterina''s long-awaited event. It is highly likely that all of you in this room have very little knowledge about magic. Even if we disclose our knowledge through the internet and media, there is a limit to what we can deliver through video. He slowly looked around the crowd. The 50,000 in front of him were the chosen ones among nearly 7 billion people around the world. And, those chosen ones were currently listening to his words. A certain overwhelming feeling soared within his heart. Some of you sitting here might have won dozens of certificates, or even got a Ph.D. under your belt. However, to teach magic to you I will have to see you at the level of an elementary school student. Of course, no one seemed to be uncomfortable even after hearing Yoo Seodams statement. When learning an unfamiliar field, degrees weren''t something relevant, it was only natural to start from the very basics. However, they did not understand the true meaning behind Yoo Seodams words. He was really aiming for a strange phenomenon where elementary school students would learn magic faster than doctors and experts. Well then, first of all. Yoo Seodam stretched out his hand. Truth to be told, Yoo Seodams magic knowledge was only at the level of a middle school student. But that limited knowledge was more than enough to explain magic to the people in this place. In addition, with the knowledge from Aracelli''s textbook, it becomes even easier. Paah! Blue sphere materialized on top of Yoo Seodams palm. Then he grinned at the audience. Let me explain to you about the source of mana. * * * The lecture was short. No, it was only the audience who said that it was short. Because from Yekaterina and my perspective, it was quite long. Even longer than normal since the whole lecture spanned around 4 hours. During that time, 3,000 people out of the 50,000 people awakened their mana. In other words, there were 3,000 normal people who had awakened their powers'' in just 4 hours! In addition, the number of children among those 3,000 reached 1,800, which made me realize once again just how limitless the possibilities of magic were. And after the lecture ended, Yekaterina approached the 1,800 children and threw a tempting candy by saying, You deserve to enter a magic school that only special children can attend, not an ordinary school. Not all 1,800 children would be able to attend the school due to various factors such as social, geographic, and political reasons, but even if only 10% of those children remained, Yekaterina could finally achieve her dream of making an academy''. And, the location of the very first magic academy was in the Floating Garden of Spirits. It was a building made of white crystals which stood under the sky decorated by a shining star which shone all year around. A lot of people had already visited the Floating Garden of Spirits. There is a sandwich shop, a fried chicken shop that everyone knew of just by hearing the name, and a lot of cafes and places to enjoy leisure activity inside. It was only possible because the size of the Floating Garden of Spirits was quite large; it was about the size of a city. And because Yekaterina thought that Another League alone wouldnt be able to utilize all the free space, she decided to open it to the public "Hello everyone. This is YTuber Hwayong. Today, I came here to answer the question of what Another Leagues hideout truly looks like In addition, when a famous person known as a blunt reviewer Ytuber visited, the interest in Floating Garden of Spirits exploded even more. Now everyone knows about it. That Another League Guild was something special! Meanwhile, Yoo Seodamthe man who stood in the centre of a hurricane called Another Leaguewas currently sitting still in his office while scrutinizing a drawing which was shown on a floating hologram screen in front of him. What a terrible drawing When Ye Sa-hye said that, Ha Sunyoung nodded her head in agreement. So, like.. Uh.. it was painted by those guys from another world who came to Earth? Thats right. For now, I am investigating to see if theres a similar phenomenon anywhere else, but I think, this is the first time. In the picture Seol Jungyeon sent to them, the words The End and Empty were expressed. It was simple to understand the meaning as it wasnt written but painted in forms of pictures. In other words, whoever painted it was trying to communicate with people on Earth. But once they realized that it was impossible to do so, they opted to leave a picture instead. Isnt it more surprising that they had some intelligence? That''s terrifying." Taylor shuddered as she said so. Contrary to how she looked and acted, she couldn''t even look at the monitor properly because she hated disgusting things. Yoo Seodam stared intently towards the hologram screen without paying any attention towards the other. The End. It was something he knew very well; a phenomenon which happened once a protagonist finally completes all the stories and reaches the [Epilogue]. In fact, in the past, hed been visiting those places a few times. However, what confused him was, Why did you come to Earth and tell us about The End''? Were they asking for Earthlings to take their world as it was already destroyed? It would have been better if that was really the case, but no matter how hard Yoo Seodam thought about it, he was sure that it wasnt the case because they were also running away from their original world. Sigh As all the women behind him started talking about something else, Yoo Seodam spoke into the air. Twin light. Show us something else. -Yep! Then, a light spirit appeared out of nowhere and replaced the grim picture with a happy content which announced the success of the Another League and the rise of their stock price. However, even with such news, Yoo Seodam''s mood did not improve much. I''ll have to visit at least one world soon'' With that in mind, Yoo Seodam said to the system. Show me the list of recommended quests from last time. When I Woke Up In Another World, I Became The Teacher of The World''s Strongest Saints, But Im Only An Incompetent Commoner? So, Ill Make A Harem Filled With The Worlds Strongest Saint #Harem #Growth #Munchkin #Saints #Hidden_Power For some reason, the client showed only one request. From what Yoo Seodam remembered, there were originally a total of three quests, and since he had cleared one of them, there supposed to be 2 quests left. Wheres the other one?'' WHAT!?'' Yoo Seodam''s expression hardened as he heard those words. Then, the system quickly followed up after hearing Yoo Seodams bewildered tone. It was definitely a world Yoo Seodam had never seen or been to. He only knew it by name at most. However, when he became aware that the world had been destroyed, his head kept throbbing and aching for some reason. Then, suddenly, an alarm sounded across the room. -Master Yoo Seodam. Someone is coming and asking to meet you. "What? Who?" -That lm sorry, we are unable to confirm his identity. Then, behind Yoo seodam, Ye Sa-hye got mad and shouted. "You! Were you just about to let someone in without confirming his identity? Ask him to leave now. -Ah, ah that, that He keeps saying strange things such as that he knows Master-nims secret Secret? That was absolute nonsense. But, Yoo Seodam, who became interested in the man''s identity, nodded his head. Bring him in. Yes? Gilma-nim, why would you let such a suspicious person Originally, in a Drama, if you let such suspicious people in, things will go well. So, bring him in. -I understand. After an awkward reply, the staff member from earlier did not contact them anymore, then began to escort the suspicious man to the waiting room. Meanwhile, Yoo Seodam went to the waiting room in advance and sat on one of the sofas. And when the suspicious guest finally entered through the door, Yoo Seodams eyes twinkled. What he saw was a very odd guy wrapped in hats and brown coat reminiscent of the Wild Wild West era. Sound of metal clashing against each other could be heard whenever he took a step and at the same time, a thick smell of gunpowder wafted from him. Touching his wild unshaved beard, the man grinned and looked at Yoo Seodam. Are you the owner of this guild? His voice was low and sticky, reminding Yoo Seodam of someone who had phlegm. But, there was power in that deep voice. "Thats right. And who might you be? And what do you mean when you say you know my secret? But instead of answering, the man pulled a cigarette from the depth of his pocket and lit it. The brand of the cigarette was something Yoo Seodam had never seen on the Earth. Building up a guild with technology from another world that doesn''t exist on Earth You are writing your own story, right?" And then the guy looked around. Taylor and Ha Sunyoung were standing behind Yoo Seodam just in case. At first, Yoo Seodam told them that it wasnt necessary, however they argued that they needed to do so because in case the guy was a bad guy, they could quickly intervene. Hey, are those girls behind you your girlfriends? "don''t talk nonsense." Do you know? I am not speaking in Earth language right now. "What?" When Yoo Seoddam was taken aback by his words, the guy grinned and revealed his yellow teeth. The language of the Earth is so inconvenient. In particular, your Korean is very difficult to learn compared to other languages. The guy puffed a pungent cigarette smoke. So, I just spoke in the language of my hometown. And you understood me. The man rubbed a cigarette on the table and put it out. You, just who are you? That very same question was also what Yoo Seodam wanted to ask him. Chapter 189: Coming From Another World (1) Actually, it wasn''t hard for me to guess the identity of the man in front of me. Dimension traveler'' Then, the most important question was why did a dimension traveler come to Earth? I was aware of the fact that dimensional travel could be done even if you were not a protagonist. Moreover, above the man''s head there was no hashtag unique to protagonists, and in the first place, a protagonist no longer exists on Earth at all. In other words, the man in front of me was able to travel across the dimensions on his own just like Aracelli. As soon as I got to that point, the thought that he was a dangerous person disappeared from my mind. Well, I also thought about the possibility that the man was another Protagonist Hunter. But again, the system had said that there was no Protagonist Hunter other than me, so I put that thought aside too. You are from another world. You have worked hard to come this far. A guest from another world needed to be treated kindly first no matter what their identity was. I mean, didn''t they travel across dimensions? With the current Earth''s science and technology, dimensional travel was something which could be achieved in a few hundred years time. Well, if the Protagonist''s Correction'' came to play, it would be possible to do right now too. Hmmmm. I see you are someone who can be reasoned with words. Then, let me get straight to the point, are you also someone from another world? At that moment when I tried to answer with the truth. That I am someone from Earth who was able to travel between dimensions; The system interrupted my thoughts. As soon as I heard her words, I turned back and looked at Taylor and Ha Sunyoung, who were waiting in the back. Disgruntled, Taylor pouted her lips but she still walked out of the room together with Ha Sunyoung as she couldn''t help it. "Yes. I will tell you the truth. After a while, since no one was listening, I acted as if I had turned more serious and hardened my expression as hard as I could before continuing, I am also from another world. I am not from Earth. And blatantly told a lie. Then the man nodded his head with an of course'' expression plastered on his face. "Of course you are Because there are a lot of strange things about you, not only one or two. Perhaps the man was currently thinking about many achievements Another League had made. After all, development of magical civilization, setting up a base in another dimension, and merging magic and science were things which couldnt be done without knowledge from another world. Buandurk is the name of my hometown. It was a small world that was only about the size of America on Earth, but it was a world where wars to occupy that small piece of land had not ceased for thousands of years. I was a veteran there. Name is Bersok. It means absolute wall. "I See" Where is your hometown? After thinking about what I should say next, Aracelli came to mind. My hometown is Vivienda Empire. It was a world full of dreams and romance with the sole goal of reaching Godhood by relying on human knowledge. In fact, the level of magic there was very close to the power of the Gods in this world. Aha Bersok listened to me and nodded his head. It seemed that he had never heard about Vivienda Empire, but it didn''t matter that much. Then it seems that your world has also perished. "Yes?" Bersok puffed another round of cigarette smoke. It quickly filled the reception room, but as the room was equipped with a high-performance air purifier, the smoke soon vanished completely. Because the world has perished, why not run away to another world and live there, right? I didn''t even know how to respond to his statement, so when I stayed silent even after several seconds passed, Bersok continued the conversation, We are lucky. Those guys who can''t even travel through dimensions can''t even run away from destruction." Thats true. I moved across the dimensions, visiting countless worlds, running again and again and again. No matter how far away I go, destruction'' always came to the worlds I was in. One star, one world. Everyone is dying just like that. That was a story I knew well. The cause of it was probably the protagonists. Bersok stubbed the cigarette into the ashtray and smiled in dismay. But, running away will soon become impossible too. Impossible? Dont you know? Destruction is approaching this world even now. And there is no more place to escape. Here, Earth is the last world. "WHAT!?!?" Suddenly, the world seemed to have stopped for a moment as those words came crashing down onto me. Earth is the last world? What does that mean? Do you know that other otherworlder aside from you who have fled to this place are living in hiding? They are enjoying their last rest before the destruction comes here too. I found out that the fact that worlds continue to perish, and the last Maginot Line was Earth, pretty baffling. In other words, Earth was one of the dimensions located at the very end of the many dimensional systems. (Note: Maginot Line can be interpreted as the last line of defense that was made to withstand everything) Now I know why Aracelli said, Earth is too far for me to come.'' Is it true that all the worlds are starting to perish? I threw a question into the air. The system answered. It was a situation where nothing but sighs could come out from my mouth. By the way, Mister Nobleman from Vivienda. As a foreigner, shouldn''t we be mutually supportive of each other?" "What do you mean by that?" Looking at you, you are living well even though you are not from this world You have a lot of money and you are living with beautiful people. Like I said, I know your secret. so-" Give me a fortune, okay? For a moment, I was stunned and laughed out loud. Judging from the system''s reaction, there was no lie in his words. But, to think the reason he brought up such a serious topic was just because he coveted my fortune Of course, I was aware that money was the most valuable thing in the world. After all, there was a time when I also lived in sadness because I didn''t have any penny under my name. But in the midst of talking about the end of the world, he dared to blatantly make such an outrageous request to me? By my secret, are you talking about the fact that I came from another world? "Thats right. So, as a fellow otherworlder, let''s have a good time together, shall we?" "Fellow otherworlder, huh? Do you want to be treated like me? I smiled softly. What you and I have in common is only the fact that we come from different worlds. That''s all. Our hometowns are different, and moreover, my world has not yet been destroyed. what do you WHAT? "And It seems that you just did a little bit of background check on the subject because you have just arrived on Earth" I tapped the table in front me. Then, the posted articles related to me floated on top of the table. And, amongst them, there was an article which said Yoo Seodam of Another League is studying dimensional movement?. Uh, uh? Your threat is useless to me. Is that the only thing you know? It was true that my heart was pounding a bit at first since I thought that maybe he knew my secret about being a Protagonist Hunter'', but if that alien'' man had only this much information, there was no reason for me to play along with his words. So, go away! Bersoks expression turned sour and he slowly stood up from his seat. Analyze that mans energy waveform.'' I tapped the keyboard hidden under the table, and an invisible scanner scanned Bersoks body. Ill leave him to you. The number of aliens hiding on Earth are considerable, can you handle them all alone? If they are only at the level of that asshole There wouldnt be any problem. (Note: He''s talking to Smiling Shadow) * * * As Bersok left Another Leagues hideout, I instructed Smiling Shadow to tail him. I was only able to give him such a mission because his stealth skills were at a level that could deceive even a person of a higher level than himself, moreover, it was difficult to detect him even with scientific equipment. And now, I was left alone in the office. All the worlds are perishing. Slowly, one world at a time, they all were heading towards their destruction. It might be something which happens naturally because a disaster'' which anyone couldnt respond to took place. But, my gut feeling was telling me that it was certainly something that someonepresumably a being with overwhelming powercommitted with evil intention. Otherwise, the word protagonist wouldn''t always be put in the same breath as destruction of the worlds. The question was, just who? Just what kind of being could designate a human as a protagonist and bestow all the blessings to them? And, how could they destroy the world with just such a simple yet terrifying act "System What do you think?" Or maybe you just don''t want to answer. You said that not every dimension has a protagonist. Why is that? Overcoming it by themselves? And the client did not dare to show me such a world. Even if the protagonist still exists, they were protagonists who didnt have to be hunted. "Across all worlds, are you the only one who can interfere with probability?" If so, I have more questions. Just who was the system who had the power to face those who wanted to destroy all the worlds? Im sure that is the case. The system hesitated for a moment, then she spoke slowly, "What? Why Hell Gate suddenly" Before I could even ask, she cut me off. Somehow, I found her words to be sincere, but accepting it was another matter altogether. Dont talk nonsense. I only became a Protagonist Hunter because I wanted to enter the Hell Gate." <..> Even if I give up on everything, Hell Gate was one thing I wouldnt be able to give up on. * * * On the other hand, Bersok, who failed to get anything from Yoo Seodam, went to Busan and was currently walking in a back alley. In the first place, the reason why he came to Yoo Seodam was because he wanted to live a better life on Earth. His current life is miserable due to the fact that he could neither adapt to the culture of this Earth nor could he speak their language properly. Damn it. He cursed. Even if he wanted to overpower Yoo Seodam with his strength, his current power was not enough. The battery of the magic engineering weapon he used was almost exhausted to the point it was impossible for him to even hunt a monster. As he walked around, a terrible sight of the intestines, flesh, bones and blood vessels tangled and wriggling hidden inside the coat came to his sight. It was something that one day would have been his child''. However, shortly after exposure to destruction'' of his world, his soon to be child and his wife had fused into his own body. The destruction'' was simply that terrible. Someone who hadn''t seen it directly wouldn''t be able to understand it. Tch Whatever! Anyway, it will soon come to this world too. He murmured and walked away like a drunkard. Chapter 191: Coming From Another World (3) After the Great War, Iran became a truly barren country. The streets that were once filled with the melodies of songs filled with love and the laughter of innocent little children that were filled with joy now stood desolate. Only the throes of death and screams of pain dominated the country. Words had long been forgotten and what remained were only bullets which were used to talk to each other. And that dangerous place is where Im currently at. The entrance procedure, which would normally be extremely complicated and difficult, had become easy since Rahvarthe Supreme Leader of Iranhimself had allowed us to enter. Along with me, there were four other hunters who were dispatched by the Hunter Association. There were a total of two women and two men beside me, all of whom were S rank hunters. They were all veterans who had been fighting on the battlefields for more than 10 years. If it was me from years ago, I wouldnt know how to treat them since they were my juniors but had a higher rank than me. Fortunately, currently I was an unofficial S rank, and although I carried an F rank badge with me, they showed me proper respect because of my reputation. "Nice to meet you. Hunter Yoo Seodam, I have always wanted to meet you To think I would have a chance to go on a mission with you Its a great honor. We had heard many good things about you. I nodded my head at them wordlessly. I am quite sure that all of my achievements that were circulating out in the world must be the ones I gained as a Guild Master of Another League rather than those related to me as a hunter. The only notable achievement I had as a hunter was my participation in the Hell Gate expedition and my record of clearing an SSS rank. Of course, all of that sounded great, but it was not to the point that S rank veteran hunters would automatically respect me. So, in other words, the achievements that made them respect me must be my involvement in the globalization of magic, development of magic engineering, and reconstructing the mugong to create the Great Monster Swordsmanship. And Well, things like that. In reality, these are all the things handled by the guild members instead of me. But the general populace thought of these as my personal achievements since they felt like these things would not have been possible without my interference. In other words, they respected Yoo Seodam, the Guildmaster of Another League, not Yoo Seodam, the hunter. Thats Not too bad honestly. Because being respected by someone was never a bad thing. We were all currently sitting in a truck, crossing the desolate road of Iran. The guide signs along the road had long gone, and the road itself was filled with potholes so it was inevitable that the jeep kept on shaking uncontrollably. Come to think of it, it has been quite a while since ether-fueled vehicles have become the norm. Why are they still using vehicles that run on fossil fuel? Hui-ying! Before long, the truck entered the city. Unlike normal cities, each building here was tattered and on the verge of collapsing. Broken and scraped sign boards hung outside a destroyed temple. It looked like it was destroyed over 30 years ago, so I couldn''t read the text properly. I could only read the sentence [To remember our loved ones.]. There it is. After crossing the crumbling city, a much cleaner city appeared. Most of the people walking on the street carried a gun over their shoulder. Its bloody Well, having so many people carrying a gun is definitely not a good sign. I said. "Right? It should mean that you will never know when something will happen. "No, its not that. "Excuse me?" After refuting Rick, one of the two male hunters that came with me, I continued The fact that there are many people with guns means that there are few superhumans here. "Ah." In modern times, there are not many superhumans who use firearms. No, it was more apt to say that there were hardly any. The only exceptions would be those like me who used special modified bullets. But, 70% of the people walking around here were armed with firearms, which meant that most of the fighting forces here were normal people. However, this did not mean that Iran was weak. All the superhumans here were around A rank or higher. And all the S rank superhumans here are protecting this country under the direct command of Rahvar. What about Rahvar himself? Having experienced that overwhelming power, I had no choice but to swallow my saliva in front of the temple. (Come in.) The Persian language which was spoken turned into Korean through a translator. But, to be honest, even without a translator I would have been able to understand the words perfectly since I had lived here for several years. That, and my Protagonist Hunter skill would have also translated it for me. I looked around the mosque silently as I followed behind the troops guarding the mosque with a strange looking cane. Muslim mosques in the Middle East usually had a closed structure akin to walls of a fortress, but this mosque had a pretty open structure unlike the other mosques. I heard that they broke down the walls to symbolise it as breaking down the borders between heaven and the earth''. It was quite different from the gothic-style of Christian cathedrals, which stretches up to the sky. In the distance, I could see worshipers performing prayers in a set of moves like standing, bowing, and kneeling while following the leader of the service who stood in front of them. I never dreamed of going in here before'' Very few people could think of entering this place where he lived. This was because this mosque, which was destroyed after the Great War, and was recently rebuilt, was the most important place in Iran. Soon, we arrived in front of an enormous double door which reached to the ceiling of the mosque. With a loud rumble, the double doors opened and parted way to a large empty room which looked like an Olympic stadium. Come in. And in the middle of it all, A little boy, no, Rahvar, was sitting on top of a chair. Contrary to his youthful looks adorned with straight black hair, dark skin and a relaxed smile, Rahvar was actually a man in his 50s. He didnt look menacing at all. But he was an SS rank superhuman who protected the entire country just by himself. Rumble~~!!! Ugh? What is this!? The floor folded, and in an instant, we were standing in front of Rahvar. It was as if the whole ground had become an escalator. It was one of Rahvars skills, some hunters called it Ground Folding. When the other four hunters couldnt come to their senses even after several seconds passed, I coughed. And thankfully, after hearing my cough, they calmed down a bit. "Hmm First time seeing the four of you." With his right arm on his chin, Rahvar leisurely glanced at every single one of them. Then after he was finished with the last one, he turned to me. You. You used to live here. I nodded at his words. Then Rahvar laughed heartily. The four hunters looked at me in shock with their eyes wide open wide. I could easily guess that they didnt know how to react to this new information that they found out of the blue. Then, unconsciously, I looked down at the ground. !!! I was startled. I mean, how couldnt I? From the calf down, Rahvars body was completely assimilated with the earth! In other words, he couldnt move even a single step from this position. That was the price of Rahvar''s dominance over the whole of Iran. This was what he had to give in exchange for his incredibly broad range of detection which watches over and looks over anything in his country in order to protect his people. It was not an exaggeration to call him the strongest superhuman with earth powers. It brings me great shame to invite outside help for this matter. But, considering the situation, it cant be helped." . Rahvar was obviously the Ruler of the Earth, so he had one weakness. He was vulnerable to air combat and he could not enter dungeons. Of course, both these shortcomings could be compensated for if he could only move. But if he did that, he would not be able to look over Iran. In other words, Rahvar was defending this country at the expense of his own freedom. So, you are unable to find otherworlders who hid themselves in the sub dimension. The moniker of the wielder of the best detection ability was given to him because he had the most extensive detection ability in the whole world. The moment anyone set their feet on this ground, they wouldn''t be able to escape Rahvar''s gaze. But, in terms of utility and flexibility, Hellony, who used sound waves for detection, was better. That was why Iran would frequently ask for help from outside forces, especially from the Hunter Association. It was an unavoidable situation since their Supreme Leader could not move to protect the land he was watching over. Ironic indeed. "But Rahvar looked at me and smiled pleasantly. Its good that we have a valuable guest here. "It is an honour." I slightly bowed towards him. By the way The ground rumbled once again, and when I came to my senses, I saw Rahvar''s face right in front of me. Can you grant me one request? I am only here to carry out the mission of finding these sub-humans. I cannot fulfill any other request. Am I crazy to work for free? Ah, dont be like that. Would you like to hear the story first? Rahvar grinned and snapped his fingers. Then, a small machine rose from the floor, and immediately constructed a hologram in the air. The hologram contained the deeds of numerous otherworlders. It was similar to what the Association had shown me. Another Leagues Yoo Seodam. You are famous. I was also very interested in you. However, there was one odd thing. What might that be? Why did the giant of Another League come to Iran directly? Wow Rahvar, a true giant, called me a giant. Happiness bubbled inside my heart, but I didnt let it show it on my face. I tried to look even more stern. Rahvar continued, Isnt it because Yoo Seodam is also interested in the abilities of these sub-humans? Wrong. In the first place, the ability these otherworlders possessed was simply a racial trait'', so it was impossible to get anything from them unless you dissect and analyze their body structure. Im right, am I not? No. To be honest, Im also very interested in their powers If it is possible, I want them all to come under my wings. Didnt you also come here with a similar purpose? Isnt that why you came to Iran? To prevent them from becoming my people. Well, that last one was correct to some extent. Rahvar knew that once I found them I wouldnt give them to him. From a third person''s point of view, it seemed plausible. After all, who else would be interested in them and try to gain something from them if its not Yoo Seodam of Another League?. But, I dont think it will be easy to get their allegiance. Persuading otherworlders? Ridiculous. Not only can they not speak Earths languages, there should also be a reason why they are hiding. Well, considering the overall situation, it wouldnt be too bad to take them in. But even if I cant do that, it is not an issue. In the first place, my main purpose was to simply talk with them. Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to me. It seems like Rahvar is anxious and desperate enough to even consider accepting those otherworlders. On the outside, he seemed relaxed and was still showing the composure of a saint and a ruler, but I could easily sense the rampant anxiety hidden within him. * * * Late night, in the sky above Iran. Bersok went to Korea, didnt he? "Yeah. He couldn''t even travel through dimension by himself, so hes been walking around here and there after crash landing on Earth." You seem to think that hes just like us. Leave him alone." Hes already dead. Two dark figures, obscured by clouds, were chatting while looking down at the ground. One had wings attached to its back while the other was floating in the air. They didnt look like they had anything in common but actually, there was one prominent thing that connected the two of them. They were both sapient creatures who had escaped from the Hell Gate. In other words, their hometown was the Hell Gate. Hell Gate, the place where many living things which had survived countless destruction ended up in. It was a world of disorder'', in which everything was mixed up and there was not a single thing that flowed according to common sense. But, even though they were born in a place full of chaos, they seem so calm and composed. It was indeed, an odd thing. The gazes of the two creatures were fixed on a single man. That man was Yoo Seodam, the man who had been scouring Iran with four people in tow and one colleague who could assimilate with the shadows. Of all people, Bersok went to Yoo Seodam. What a cruel fate. As the winged woman frowned, the man laughed. Maybe, it could also mean world. After the man said that, he disappeared. The winged woman looked at where he had been for a moment, and then she once again turned towards Yoo Seodam. Somehow, every time she saw that man, she felt uneasy. The will of the world told her not to touch him, but Somehow, she couldn''t obey those orders. Id rather kill him first. The woman also folded her wings and disappeared into the moonlight obscured by the clouds. Now, there was nothing there. Chapter 192: For The Land of The Aryans (1) Inside the gloomy and dim boss room'' of an SS rank dungeon named A Nest Hanging On a Strange Pillar, Yoo Seodam and his party were leisurely sitting on the ground with a lunch box opened in their respective hands. Sluuurppp~!! The four S rank hunters from the Hunter Association looked at each other as they witnessed Yoo Seodam gulping down a bowl of jajangmyeon in his hand. The four of them were colleagues who had been together for over 10 years, therefore, it was possible for them to understand each other with eye contact alone. Is it really okay for us to be like this? Wwe would be okay, right? I dont know'' How can that person still eat in this situation?'' Gulping down his own saliva instead of the food, one of the male hunters peered towards the black water far beneath them. The dungeon they were currently located at had a very unusual structure; it requires its raiders to climb up on a huge pillar before facing the boss at the top-most floor. Moreover, it was an SS rank dungeon. A dungeon which could normally only be cleared by forming a large-scale raid supported by thorough scientific analysis and meticulous strategy. However, what they were doing right now was simply mind boggling. They were eating leisurely in the boss room while the boss monsters were struggling under the water below. Roaaarrr-!! Why are you guys not eating? Well, if you''re not going to eat the sausage, then give it to me." Ah, yes! The man carefully asked Yoo Seodam who was greedily placing someone elses stolen sausage in his own mouth. Can we really leave it alone like that? At the end of the ever-stretching black water body on bottom of the pillar, which because of its size, can''t be identified either as a lake or a sea, a ginormous monster was flailing wildly while letting out an ear-piercing shriek from time to time. Of course, it wasn''t like that from the beginning. The boss was originally standing where they currently wereat the top of the pillar. But then it ended up in the water after being lured in Yoo Seodams trap and falling down. "Yeah, there wont be any problem. It''ll drown in a little while. And when that happens, we just need to go down to retrieve the ether crystal. Iit cant be The hunters looked at Yoo Seodam in disbelief. However, Yoo Seodam didnt rebuke them or try to justify his claims. Instead, he laid down on the floor and closed his eyes. Few moments later, his breath became even. He had fallen asleep. An hour after he fell asleep. The dungeon monitoring device they wore on their respective wrist let out a beeping sound before making an announcement. [Dungeon raid complete.] Just like what Yoo Seodam told them, the boss had drowned. At that moment, Yoo Seodam opened his eyes and jerked up. Oh, it''s finally dead. Let''s go." . With their eyes wide in disbelief, the four trailed closely behind Yoo Seodam and watched as he recovered the ether crystal from the corpse of the unlucky dungeon boss. The four of them had heard many stories about Yoo Seodam. He was a legend in the hunter industry who had overcome many battlefields as a mere F rank hunter. Although his fame was not widespread because of the title of mere F rank in the past, now that he had become the most famous hunter on the planet, anecdotes about him were pouring out like a storm on the internet. Mainly they were accounts of Yoo Seodams life as a F-rank hunter from witnesses. -He is a very strategic and meticulous man. He never gives up. -Failure? No such word exists in his dictionary. He only needs to choose a strategy which has the highest chance to succeed. -Does it seem impossible? If he said so, it would be possible. Of course, most of it was nonsense. The real F-rank Yoo Seodam spent several nights just to kill a single D rank monster. After analyzing his target habits, weaknesses and many more factors, he would start to choose his sniping point. And only after that would he put a bullet in his targets head. Though, what he used was not a normal bullet but an anti-material bullet. However, most people did not know such facts, and the hunters of the Association, were not even aware of Yoo Seodams existence when he was an F-rank so they had no choice but to believe it. Therefore, when they heard they were going to go on a mission with the legendary Yoo Seodam, they expected a meticulously made and amazing strategy. To think that Yoo Seodam is someone like this.'' Throughout their stay at this dungeon, they never once roamed around the dungeon properly. Most of the time, they broke through the challenge, whether it was monsters or puzzles, through tricks, and if the tricks didn''t work, they would still use the easiest way which didnt burden them too much to pass through. While their illusions about Yoo Seodam shattered, the man was busy retrieving the core of the SS rank boss monster. By the way, can I ask why you suddenly decided to enter an SS rank dungeon? One of the hunters asked. They were aware that his abilities were special. Although his stats were only at the level of S rank, he could reach the SS rank level by combining his various abilities such as magic and swordsmanship. However, no matter how strong he was, It didnt explain why he decided to attack an SS rank dungeon suddenly. "Theres a reason After he gave a cryptic answer that didnt really explain anything, Yoo Seodam looked into the air. And when the hunters realized that the dungeon was not yet destroyed, the hunters looked around with bewildered faces. What happened to the dungeon? Why is it still intact? I am preserving it so that it does not perish. "Ah!" The realization dawned upon the four hunters. Among all his ridiculous abilities, Yoo Seodam also had a skill related to dimensions. That very skill was the reason why he could return safely to Earth from a rift which had already closed. Therefore, they had no choice but to believe his words. They still couldnt wrap their head on his ability to restrain the dungeon from perishing, though. There is a Wandering Dimension here. The terms of Wandering Dimension became known to the public because of Yoo Seodam. It was a stand-alone dimension which could be found all over the Earth just like Floating Garden of Spirit which was where Another League headquarters is located or the House of Goblin which is the headquarters of the New Murim of New Murim Alliance. However, it was impossible to detect or enter them with Earth''s science and technology. Only Yoo Seodam was able to do it. Shadow, are you sure this is the place? As Yoo Seodam asked into the air, the faces of the four hunters looked confused. There was no one with the name Shadow in their party. However, a second later, something black rose from Yoo Seodams shadow. Realizing that they could not even feel his presence, the S rank hunters jumped back in terror. Oh, my God! I didn''t feel it at all!'' When the silhouette coalesced, a handsome man with sharp facial features revealed himself. He then bowed his head to Yoo Seodam. "Yes. Theres no doubt. But its just one of many pathways. "Well Thats enough. Yoo Seodam waved his hands in the air. At the same time, a portion of his life force was consumed. Then, in the air, a crack appeared while radiating golden lights. When the golden light settled down and disappeared, a space similar to a gate appeared. However, it didnt feel ominous like a normal gate. Come on, lets go. Yoo Seodam as he headed towards the gate. Finally, he got to meet those otherworlders and ask about the destruction. * * * Deep in the night where cold winds blew violently, Rahvar stared into the air with his mouth shut. Even though he still has his eyes, he never relied on it to truly see. The movement, the pulse, and each vein that squirmed in the earth were all his true heart, eyes, hands and feet. Although because of this, he was completely rooted at this place and was unable to move. But he felt okay. Nothing was inconveniencing him. No, thats not true. There was something which constantly troubled him. Dungeon'' There were five SSS rank dungeons in Iran. It was not impossible to attack them, but as Rahvar himself couldnt join the attack, the chance of successfully raiding the dungeon is significantly lowered. Therefore, to clear them, he had no choice but to seek outside help. However, the conditions raised by the outside hunters were atrocious, and in the end, he had no choice but to recall all kinds of help requests and leave the dungeon unattended. If the dungeon collapses and synchronization'' occurs, this land would no longer be a place where people could live. But there had been no signs of that happening for the last few decades. And according to observations, it wouldnt happen for at least a few decades more. So, currently, his goal solely lay on protecting this land. Or, that was what he thought. ! Rahvar flinched. His eyebrows trembled, and the tip of his hand continued to stiffen. In a place where his senses were blocked, something ominous was happening. The place that his eyes couldn''t reach, the place that is close and yet felt so far. What, what is going on? He hastily focused his senses on the four SSS class dungeons and the one SSS+ class dungeon. Even though he couldn''t know what was happening inside, he was, at least, capable of figuring out what was going on around it. Shortly thereafter, Rahvar lifted his head high. The SSS+ dungeon is located in this mosque. And currently, that dungeon Is it collapsing? In other words, a dungeon synchronization phenomenon was occurring. "Why?" * * * She was a being with no name. In the first place, names are not needed to distinguish one of them from each other. Afterall, names were a concept which was used by the uncivilized races'' who could not even distinguish each other unless they were called to distinguish them from each other. The creature opened her eyes. Her golden pupil glimmered as her tongue brushed past her moist black lips. On her gray skin which looked as if it was covered by some sort of metal, black veins pulsated at a stable interval. It was proof that her energy'' was radiating power. Although she was born as a perfect species, she couldnt bring out her powers to the fullest without the perfect environment and perfect atmosphere of Hell Gate. Just like humans who can''t survive in a place without oxygen. But as she was perfect'', when the circumstances changed, she would only be weakened a little and wouldn''t die. However, she was aware that with her weakened self, she wouldnt be able to defeat the man she had set her eyes on. That was why she borrowed the power of the dungeon. There was a dungeon with an overwhelming energy wave right nearby, and she lightly touched it. The races born inside the Hell Gate had the power to handle the space itself, so destroying a dungeon was nothing but a childs play for her. From high in the sky, she gazed at the structures built by humans below. No matter how high it was built, in the end, humans won''t ever be able to reach God. She pondered, why did lower races constantly strive to reach God? They were just an experimental object'' after all. They could never reach God. Boom~!! Thunders began to fall from the dark night sky. When she looked at the sky above, there was not even a shred of dark cloud visible. All this thunder was created as a result of the violent waves caused by the collision of energies. There were quite a lot of records of occurrences of SSS+ level dungeons in the world. In most cases, once the synchronization happened, the land itself wouldnt be inhabitable anymore. And learning from those accidents, humans learned how to prepare for the disaster. Will it be possible for them to stop it this time too? Fufufu Lets see However, before she could finish her monologue, Who are you? A voice came from just a short distance away. She turned her head with a bored expression. A boy with dark skin and long black hair was standing there with the help of something which soared from the top of a mosque below. From what she knew, he was the lord of this land. Who are you? The boy asked once again. Hm Unfortunately, the creature couldnt understand Earth''s language. Just like humans can''t understand the voice of fluttering flies. But if monkeys and puppies express their intentions through their actions, wouldn''t humans also be able to understand them? She could tell from his body language that the boy, no, the man in front of her is quite hostile to her. At the same time, Rahvar could also get a glimpse of the woman''s abilities. She is forcing the dungeon to open with her abilities In a few minutes, the dungeon will open. However, it also means that if he could stop the woman, he could prevent the dungeon from collapsing. Rumble~!! Rumble~!! Rumble~!! Together with numerous rumbles, the topography of the land itself began to change. From all sides, gigantic things start coming up from the ground. Giants, dragons, and lions Each of them had the looks of strong monsters from all around the world and was the size of an apartment building. Each one of them is equal to a real S rank monster. It was Iran''s final weapon, which Rahvar sculpted using his energy and life force from earth while taking root and living in this land for the rest of his life. It wasnt something I sculpted to be used for a time like this, but. Rooooarrrr~!! When the beasts roared, the whole world shook. All civilians in the vicinity were screaming and running away because they werent given an evacuation order. However, Rahvar couldnt help it, afterall, this was the only way. Oh my, look at those cute beasts made out of dirt~ The corners of her lips twitched up. No matter how strong the beasts are, unless it had the power to interfere with the probability'', it wouldnt be able to destroy someone born from Hell Gate. So, these tiny, lower-level creatures were in the end, nothing but toys in her eyes. Chapter 193: For The Lands of The Aryans (2) Newwww month~ So it''s the tooooo shameless advertising! Please consider subscribing to our Patreon to read 10 chapters ahead.. Fyi It''s going to be back to back to back another world mission!! Thankyou!! Oh, donation is also veeerrrryyy welcomed if you didn''t like to commit monthly! < For The Land of The Aryans (2) > (Short fact: the "Aryans" mentioned in the title is the name given to ancestors of the first Iranian people, well, sort of. If you want to know more info about them, you can google them, and maybe you can leave a comment or two about it.) C Breaking news! A synchronization'' of an SSS+ rank dungeon located in Iran airspace has been detected! C Doctor Reiner. Is it true that the dungeon sync was caused by someone intentionally? How is that even possible? The dungeon synchronization phenomenon which happened in Iran was known and broadcasted all over the world. The synchronization of the dungeon, which was predicted to not happen until several decades later, spurred the media to seek the guidance from numerous specialists and scientists. And those numerous experts with different backgrounds agreed on one opinion. Someone is intentionally breaking the dungeon. Every single soul who heard it had the exact same question in their mind as they heard it. Who did it? How? And why? Doo doo doo!! -We are reporting live from Tehran, the capital of Iran. Reporters located inside Iran were also rushing to deliver the news. The dispatched disaster journalist reporters, who consisted of at least C rank superhumans, went out to film the phenomenon up close. -Look over there! Iran''s Rahvar showed his face to the world for the first time! The camera captured Rahvar soaring into the sky on a rock pillar in high-definition. His appearance, which looked like a pretty boy with black straight hair and dark skin, contrasted against the infamy his name carried. If it was not for the fact that he appeared directly in front of everyone, no one would ever believe it. -He''s fighting against someone. Whawhat the hell is that? Roaaarrrr-!! Five giants in the shape of various beasts arose from the earth. They were the product of Rahvars other famous ability, a summoned beast which could move on its own without any direction from its summoner. As they were beasts made from all kinds of minerals which could only be found on the ground, their defense was impenetrable. Moreover, as they were directly connected to Rahvar, they were monsters which had an almost infinite regeneration. The scene captured Rahvar and the five giants glaring at a creature which was nearly three meters tall with a grey skin as smooth as steel, and a majestic pair of grayish-white wings protruding from her back. The reporters sucked in a deep breath at the sight of the creature which was almost identical to a human. C A humanoid monster! Currently, Rahvar is fighting against a humanoid monster! At that moment, the humanoid monster gently waved her hand. With a rumble, the head of one of the giants crashed to the ground, completely detached from its body. C OOh my God!!! * * * Rahvars expression darkened. He still had enough energy on the tank, so restoring the giant sculpture was a simple thing to do. However, the problem was, compatibility. Earth-type superpowers were indeed a versatile power. It could be used in various fields such as attack, defense, and detection. In addition to that, it could also be used to materialize things, just like how Rahvar created his giant sculpture. However, earth-type superpower had one fatal weakness; it was vulnerable to aerial combat. Although he had reached SS rank and was able to cope with aerial combat to some extent thanks to ranged attack such as summoning huge thorns and flying rocks, he would eventually still get pushed back by someone who had the same strength as him. Even if the woman-like creature in front of him also couldn''t get away from this place because of the dungeon synchronization'', and was flying at a height where the giants could reach, she was holding an advantage against him. Rumble~!! Dozens of sharp, enormous needles rose from the ground and blitzed towards the creature. With a bored look on her face, the creature dodge it effortlessly while cutting the others with her wings. Rahvar promptly created another barrage of needles and shot it towards her. However, to his chagrin, none of it hits the mark. At that time, a pillar of earth rapidly soared to the sky before parting in two like an opened mouth. The pillar, which now looks like a snake, slithered towards the creature as if trying to swallow her. But, just like before, the creature waved her hand gently. And moments later, the snake-like pillar crumbled and returned to where it belonged, to the earth below. Just then, the creature frowned before snapping her head to look behind. In the direction her head was turned towards, a few milliseconds ago, an extremely sharp black needle passed through. It was not like the other needles which were being shot from the ground, rather it had come from above her. Can he control it even though it was in the air? Hints of curiosity could be seen in her eyes. She looked closely at the black needle which rushed towards her. It was moving freely through her air as if it had wings. According to her knowledge, the dark black substance was created from carbon components. In other words, those black needles were created by condensing various rare minerals which could be found on Earth. On top of it, she could also feel ether seeping out from it. The seven huge black needles moved freely like the mans own limbs. No, maybe even more detailed than that. However, even after that, it couldnt hit her. This was while she was battling against the giant beast the man had summoned as well as numerous pillars of earth which were trying to swallow her. She had to admit that it was quite an enjoyable fight as she felt like she was dealing with an army instead of just one person. -That''s amazing! Rahvar is demonstrating the most powerful abilities among all SS ranked superpowers! The 38 SS rank superhumans on Earth had much stronger output than their Murim counterpart. Of course, if they simply fought one-on-one, the Murim Experts would have a landslide victory. But in terms of simply output'', neither magic nor martial arts could rival superpowers. Afterall, superpowers were concentrated ether which was created solely for maximum destruction. However, among those SS rank superhumans, there was no one who could show the same ability as Rahvar till this day. Of course, it was not a power with no string attached to it as it took away his freedom in exchange, rooting him in one place. But the power which Rahvar showed was enough to leave the world slack-jawed. It was as if a natural disaster was standing there alone. However unbeknownst to those awed people, the real battle had yet to start. The creature slowly opened her eyes. Out of nowhere, a beam of light suddenly blitzed towards Rahvar. Caught off guard, he hastily moved one of his sculptures in front of him to block it, but it was to no avail. He could feel his sculpture melt away. In the end, Rahvar was forced to invest a portion of his own life force to harden his sculpture and was able to block it, albeit barely. Moreover, it also consumed the portion of earth where he was rooted to. What is this!'' It wasnt surprising that Rahvar was taken aback. After all, concentration of pure energy was just that powerful. Every time she waved her hand gently, a sharp wind blew and ripped apart the flying rock or shot a beam of energy and completely disrupted anything Rahvar controlled and sent it crashing to the ground. When she sent an attack his way, Rahvar had no choice but to defend against all the attacks because evasion was fundamentally impossible. And due to that, his energy reserve was depleting at an alarming rate. However, he couldnt simply move from his position. The power he had to freely handle the sculptures'' absolute defense and the seven black needles boasting absolute attack power were due to him taking roots on this land for decades. The moment he moved even one step outside this land, everything he built up would be destroyed, which meant he would be defeated. A little more, just a little more'' Rahvar clenched his teeth, drawing all the energy he had accumulated so far, including his stamina. It was originally an energy he preserved to solve the dungeon which would overflow decades later. Never in his wildest imagination would he have thought he would use it against an intruder. However, he couldnt help but use it now since it was a do or die moment for the entire land. Ugh! Rahvar raised his arms high in the sky with all his might. Enormous amounts of muscles in his arms wiggled and twitched as if they were alive. As Rahvar''s body is quite thin, it was strange to see muscle bulging from his body. The source of those muscles was not a naturally created muscle which was formed due to exercise but muscles which naturally accumulated in a superhuman''s body due to the ether. Rumble~!! Rumble~!! The female creature noticed belatedly that something was happening and hurriedly raised her head. ?" Above her, covering the moon like dark clouds, a huge island was floating in the sky. She couldnt pinpoint just when the man had created something that big. Perhaps, during the entire battle, the dirt had slowly gathered from every place and formed that island just now. This is a bit surprising Everyone who witnessed the scene was baffled. The female creature was no different. It was just impossible to believe that the humongous island floating above their head was something created by a human being. For the sake of this land, I will do everything I can. Rahvar had dedicated his entire life to this land. In order to protect the land under him, he had traded his freedom for power. It was a life where he couldnt even take a single step with his own feet. But for Iran. For the land of the Aryans. He was ready to sacrifice everything he had. Whether it was his life, his lifespan, his emotions, relationships, power, strength, or rights. He would gladly give it up. He was ready to even sacrifice his soul. Go!!! Rahvar released the power he held in his arm, and the island above began to fall towards the creature. Im sorry, but the time is running out, so, lets stop playing around, okay? When her lips parted, a friendly voice flowed out. It was a tone similar when humans talk to their pets. Then, at the same time, she raised her hand. Swooosh~!! The humongous island, which covered the moonlight and plunged the land beneath it in a vast shadow, suddenly parted into two pieces with no sounds or whatever. Ughhhhh! Rahvar, who suffered severe internal injuries from the recoil, staggered as blood leaked from his mouth. How The island was made of earth''s power which contained his vitality. So, it was unimaginably hard and could not be compared to any other material which existed on the planet. And yet, it was cut into half so easily Rahvar couldn''t believe it. However, there was a fact that Rahvar wasnt aware of. In fact, the creature also did not possess the power to cut the island into two. She was only able to do it because she accidentally discovered a small crackwhich was there because Rahvar constructed the island in too much hurryand attacked it. That small mistake made a huge impact. Because of it, Rahvar was defeated. Then, when the monster swung her arm, Rahvar started to fall into the ground. He only realized moments later that his body was cut apart from his ankle. The five giant sculptures and the seven black needles which lost their power source crumbled to dust. The overwhelming weapons of the SS rank superhuman who boasted the strongest defense and the strongest attack power of all time were all destroyed. Free falling, Rahvar tightly closed his eyessurrendering himself to his fate. In the end, this point was the furthest he could go. From the beginning, that creature was an adversary he had no odds of winning. Just where did such a creature come from? However, more than resentment and those questions, Rahvar was more worried about the people who would lose their lives due to dungeon synchronization. Thud-!! Rahvar could feel the impact that shook his body. It seems like he had finally returned to the ground. An SS rank superhuman wouldn''t just die because of falling, but the pain was intense. It was unbearable. When he opened his eyes, a gigantic gate began to materialize itself. The dungeon synchronization'' had finally begun. It was a phenomenon which happened only several times in the long history of Earth. The woman clenched her fists with all her might. And moments later, the gate exploded open. From inside, humanoid'' monsters marched out in order. Huh?'' Did such a monster exist in the dungeon? No, in the first place were there that many monsters in human form? Some looked so similar to humans but with long and pointed ears. Some of them had brown skin and very short stature, some were green skinned and gigantic while some were human-like, but with four arms, and so on. They had human-like forms, but were not human. And, leading them at the very front Was Yoo Seodam. -From the dungeon, Hunter Yoo Seodam appeared with a mysterious army behind him! How did this happen! -He must have appeared in Iran to help Rahvar! The image of Yoo Seodam quickly broadcasted worldwide. Rahvar also closed his eyes with a relieved expression as soon as he saw him. It''s safe, I can sleep for a while'' Meanwhile, the man in question, the centre of world attention, Yoo Seodam was just looking at the chaos in front of him with a pale face. Just what the fuck is happening right now? Chapter 194: For The Land Of Aryans (3) Here and Here are my attempt to trap you in my shameless advertising! One week before the fight between Rahvar and the mysterious winged creature, Yoo Seodam and the four S rank hunters from the Hunter Association were wandering in the wandering dimension that they found in the SS rank dungeon. However, unlike in the dungeon, there were no monsters here. It was a place where no trace of life could be felt. It was eerily quiet, and the four hunters realized for the first time that humans could also feel fear due to silence. I didnt know that such a place could exist inside a dungeon While walking through the barren rocky mountain range dyed in scarlet, the hunters expression kept getting stiffer and stiffer. They didnt seem to be aware, but the place where they were currently at wasnt exactly inside the dungeon, but somewhere completely separated from the dungeon. But Yoo Seodam didn''t bother to tell them. Wandering dimensions exist everywhere on Earth. They were not as numerous as Gates, but there are still a lot of them. And in Iran, their numbers were particularly high. Perhaps it was the influence of the neglected SSS+ rank dungeon. Its overflowing power leaked out and attracted nearby wandering dimensions into the dungeons in its vicinity. Those wandering dimensions were then entangled in such numerous dungeons, forming a maze-like structure. "Oh! Isn''t that a dungeon?" And because of that, a dungeon was even formed within the wandering dimension. It''s serious'' Since the dungeon phenomenon had not been proven by modern science, no one knew what would happen if a dungeon was left unattended in a wandering dimension like this. However, since Yoo Seodam could see with his own eyes that the dimension was twisted, he knew that he could not leave it unattended. Lets go into that dungeon. The dungeon inside the wandering dimension had difficulties ranging from C rank to S rank. Therefore, they had to stay vigilant. Afterall, S rank dungeons were a place where even a veteran S rank hunter could be seriously injured or killed. For three days and three nights, they went back and forth between the dungeon in Iran and the dungeon in the wandering dimension. And because of that, the 4 hunters of the Hunter Association were able to know the true nature of the man called Yoo Seodam. They realized that his tricks were not without style''. But rather, it could be said that his tricks were the pinnacle of being a hunter. They were greatly ashamed. Even though they were also veteran hunters like Yoo Seodam, they were too engrossed in getting involved with the media and were lost in its blinding glamour. By nature, hunters were people who kill enemies with quietness and precision. However, these days, hunters always show their overwhelming power by destroying all things around their targets vicinity or using a more dazzling skill rather than a more efficient one in order to gain popularity. Compared to those hunters, Yoo Seodam was certainly different. Once he encountered a monster, he would always quietly and carefully kill the enemy with a single shot. It was far from anything flashy, but it was undoubtedly the best way to kill monsters. It was way better than wasting vast amounts of ether and stamina for moves that were only good for showing off. Thanks to that, even though the four hunters barely slept for three days straight, their stamina was not worn out. And as they entered a certain wandering dungeon which was different from all the previous wandering dimensions they had been in and out from for the last 3 day, they began to relax to some extent and set up a camp with Yoo Seodam. By the way, this place is beautiful. Is it apt to say a place where even weeds couldnt survive pretty? Up above, countless stars were twinkling in the dark sky. At that scene, the hunters couldnt help but feel relaxed. Time doesn''t pass here? One of the female hunters asked suddenly. "Thats right." Yoo Seodam answered. Its cool." If they were to measure the current time, it would be around 4 in the morning, just before the sun rises. The darkest time but most beautiful at the same time. The sky was not a pitch black place. It was illuminated with a purplish hue due to the illuminating stars in the night. Then, suddenly, Yoo Seodam had a thought. Time in the destroyed world didnt cease to flow. It just stopped at dusk and passed very slowly towards dawn as all life beneath the sky slowly slumbered into death. If so, what will happen to the world where dawn has finally arrived? Yoo Seodam lifted his head. Then suddenly, he heard someone shouting from a distance. "You all! What are you doing there! Didn''t I say you can''t come here anymore!" The hunters of the Association were startled and looked at where the voice was coming from. They were probably surprised because it was a language they couldn''t understand. However, thanks to the [Protagonist Hunter] skill, Yoo Seodam could understand their words. He hurriedly equipped the item rose up to his feet and faced them. There were a total of three people who came. Each of them came from a different race. A big guy with green skin, a stocky dwarf and a blue-skinned woman with pointed ears. Ah, sorry. I think we are lost. "Really? But, you look human. Arent you an Earthling? After pondering for a few seconds, Yoo Seodam decided to shake his head just like how he had answered Bersok. Im indeed a human, but Im not an Earthling. I only live on Earth. If you tell them that you are a human living on Earth but not an Earthling, you''re naturally identified as an otherworlder. By doing that, the vigilance of the three would decrease. I finally met you. Are you guys otherworlders who have also crash-landed on Earth? Yoo Seodam said as he deliberately wore a happy expression. Thats right." "Ah! I came here after belatedly hearing about the fact that otherworlders were living together in a community. You heard it this late? How? We could feel each other''s dimensional shift waves, though?" Yoo Seodam wasnt aware of that fact. Ah, that its because I had completely assimilated to life on Earth and couldnt return to my dimension. "Is that so?" The dwarf nodded his head seemingly convinced. Moments later, he hurriedly approached Yoo Seodam and said, By the way, hurry up! We have to get out of here! "Yes? Why? Shouldnt you know about it if you are also from another world? When Dawn'' arrives, the dimension will collapse. This dimension has already reached its end, you never know when it will collapse! If you''re not too far away, you might get caught up in it! Lets go quickly! Come on, wait a minute Dawn usually means hope, doesn''t it? But will the dimension fall apart at Dawn''? Although Yoo Seodam could not completely understand the dwarfs words, he still followed them with the Association''s hunters in tow. The otherworlders were using a very unusual technique. They created a blue gate which would move them to another dungeon or wandering dimension. When they passed through, they arrived at a dimension which still had traces of life remaining. Buildings could be seen standing tall in the lush forest basked in the sunset crimson sky. Numerous races were inhabiting the said buildings which resembled buildings from Earth. A giant with grass all over its body, a monkey man who jumped through trees, a human with antlers on their head, a human with two pairs of limbs and so on. The communitywhich was created by gathering numerous races which crash-landed on Earthwas quite interesting for Yoo Seodam. Hey, whwhat the hell is that? One of the Association''s hunters stuttered. Recognizing their state, the dwarf put magic power on their head. It was some sort of telepathic magic. The spell would make whoever it casted on understand the contents of the conversation. However, it wasnt a direct translation magic. Now you can hear me. Trust me and follow me. The dwarf led Yoo Seodam and the hunters and went ahead. Hey, where did you come from? Vivienda Empire is my hometown. It was a world that loved magic. Hmm if its magic, I think you''ll get along well with Lacanthal. By the way" The dwarf''s expression slightly hardened. What happened to your world? Without even understanding the context, Yoo Seodam knew what the dwarf wanted to ask him. It was whether his home world had already been destroyed or not. "I dont know. On the verge of extinction, we developed a dimensional movement spell and were able to barely escape. "You are lucky then. You dont have to see the real Destruction''." That Destruction you are talking about, what is it? The dwarf gave Yoo Seodam no answer and just beckoned to him. Follow me. Yoo Seodam did as the dwarf said and walked after him. As they passed through the main road, many different races were staring at them. There were quite a few humans among them, but they were probably the only lucky few who were by chance caught up in a dimensional rift before their world got ruined. Here it is. The place the dwarf guided Yoo Seodam to was a very unique building which was made from blue crystals, unlike other buildings. Did you say you were from Vivienda? A magic empire? A resident of this building, Mr. Lacanthal, also came from a world filled with magic. It was all thanks to him that we are able to freely traverse through dungeons and wandering dimensions. According to the dwarves, even though they were lucky enough to be able to move between dimensions, they were unable to completely make their own dimensional spell. In fact, it was impossible for even Aracelli, an 8-circled magician, to create a flawless dimensional movement spell. Therefore, there was no way that so many races could have done it. Of those gathered at this community, 99% of them crash-landed on Earth because they were caught in dimensional movement by accident'', and the remaining 1% were able to move the dimension on their own. And among them, there was only one person who handled the dimension the best, it was Lacanthal. When I was informed that I had a visitor, I never thought it would be a human. A man with blue hair said as he walked out from the building with a relaxed gait. His presence was dazzling and bright. But, as he had a naturally bored face, all his charms were nullified. Mr. Lacanthal. This person said he was someone from Vivienda, a magic empire. He says he had settled on Earth and had adapted to living there "Is that so? It is indeed a very unique case. My name is Yoo Seodam. Yoo Seodam bowed his head towards the man. Im Lacanthal. I came from a race of dew soaked in blue starlight. Because he was from a race he had heard of in the passing in other worlds, Yoo Seodam could barely pretend to know him. To see the greatest magical race blooming in the dew, it is truly a great honour. As a wizard, I really wanted to meet you. I see it seems that my kind does not exist in your world. It is as you said. While Yoo Seodam was conversing with Lacanthal, the four hunters behind him were busy looking at each other with bewildered expressions. Uhhh Do you know what they are talking about right now? I don''t know'' Even though it is being interpreted in English, I still can''t understand'' Lacanthal glanced around the hunters, and said in a dull voice. By the way, they are pure Earthlings. When the hunters sucked a deep breath as they were being mentioned, Yoo Seodam hurriedly said: "Thats right. I could only bring them here because I have a lot of influence on Earth. Oh? Is that true? "Yes. It was due to all the things I did to continue living there. Its amazing, really" Lacanthal said with a glint of interest in his eyes. Then, there must be a reason why you came to us. "Yes. I have a question. Yoo Seodam nodded his head. Tell me. The person in front of him was not a witch, but he was someone from a race which had developed magic to the limit just like witches did. With the hope that maybe he might know the answer, Yoo Seodam opened his mouth. What will our world be like after the Destruction''? To his question, Lacanthal smiled bitterly. From his expression alone, Yoo Seodam could guess that he regarded his question as a pointless question. How will it be? Isn''t it simple? The countless worlds'' would simply gather and become one'' again. Thats all. "Yes?" It will gather into one? What the hell was he talking about? When those questions passed through Yoo Seodams mind, Lacanthal added. The world has created our dimension. If so, wouldn''t the opposite also be possible? I am one of those unfortunate people who saw the moment of Destruction'' with my own eyes. Saying so, Lacanthal held out his wrist. It was covered in something akin to red skin which didn''t suit him at all. Then Lacanthal turned his back on Yoo Seodam. There was something like the bark of a tree attached there. His thighs were like lumps of rock, while on his clavicle something like lips were protruding. At the moment of destruction, the worlds becomes one and blends. It''s like two clays being squeezed into one. The distinction between you and me disappears, the distinction between trees and rocks disappears, the distinction between heaven and earth itself disappears. Hearing his words, Yoo Seodam couldnt utter a single word. He kept staring at Lacanthals body. After all, the phenomenon which happened in his body was something he had witnessed first-hand in Hell Gate''. you are rude. "Ah My apologies." As Lacanthal started to cover his skin once again, Yoo Seodam turned his gaze away. Confusion filled his head to the brim. However, as it was only a deduction at this point, he forced himself to calm down. Then, did you come all the way here just to ask that question? Of course not. Yoo Seodam tried to pretend to be calm, and said with a smirk. As I said, I am also an otherworlder. But, I have become a very influential person on Earth. I am well aware of the fact that other otherworlders besides me cannot properly live on Earth. So, I have come to offer my help. Actually, taking them in was not in his original plan. It would be fine if he just returned to Earth like this. However, after seeing the handsome man named Lacanthal in front of him, he changed his mind. He was someone who was capable enough to lead so many different races in this small space, and although it seems like he had lost all of his magic power just like Aracelli, he was still a valuable person as his race specialized in magic engineering''. It could be said that the race of dew was very similar to Protoss from the RTS game StarCraft which was popular half a century ago. On top of it, there were also dwarves in this community. They were a mythological race which was known as excellent craftsmen. If I could pull these people to my side, they would be a huge help. Chapter 195: World of Protagonists (1) Shutout to Misterion, our newest Patron! You rock my dude! You want to help us? "That is so." Lacanthal was silent. Yoo Seodam swallowed his saliva, nervously waiting for his answer. One of the reasons he wanted to win over the otherworlders living here was mainly because of the technical skills they possessed. Though, the fact that they had experienced destruction'' first-hand was the biggest reason. It was said that of the less than 50 otherworlders that resided here, fewer than ten had directly witnessed the destruction''. Those less than ten otherworlders had been unlucky enough to witness the merging process of their world becoming one for a brief moment. According to their testimony, Yoo Seodam became aware that the phenomenon was similar to the one he had faced inside Hell Gate''. Yoo Seodam couldnt be completely sure, though. After all, till this day, what humanity knew about Hell Gate was still severely limited. They only knew that it was an unknown space where all matter and living things were mixed together in a jumbled manner. So, he had to gather more information if he wanted to be sure. Our world has a history of rejecting otherworlders and pushing them away. Would Earth be any different? "Honestly, Earth was the same. However, you dont have to be worried about that since I have the power to protect you. Arent you also an otherworlder? "That is so. But Im already well-established on Earth. How can you prove that? Its simple. Wherever I go on Earth, people will recognize me. The card on Yoo Seodams hand could be considered to be a cheat card. His name is currently famous all over the world. It was to the point it came with the privilege of authority. And with that fame and authority, he could easily protect the otherworlders who decide to join him and have the people of Earth recognize them. "for an otherworlder, you''ve adapted quite well on Earth." Despite Lacanthal''s somewhat suspicious tone, Yoo Seodam boldly continued. Another thing he learned from rolling around the battlefield was that sometimes it was better to go in boldy rather than taking a roundabout way. It was because my homeworlds social structure was similar to the social structure of Earth. Therefore, I only needed to learn the languages on Earth in order to adapt. Lacanthal contemplated for a while with his lips pursed. Before long, he moved his gaze towards Yoo Seodams eyes. Someone who has suffered the harshness of living in an unfamiliar society in another world wouldnt help us only because of sympathy. Let me ask you this, what do you want to gain from helping us? You think just like a businessman. Yes, I admit Im not helping you out of sympathy. I need your knowledge and skills. Why do you need it? After pondering for a moment, Yu Seodam opened his mouth. It is to prevent the destruction'' of this world. Lacanthal broke into laughter as soon as he heard Yoo Seodams answer. That is impossible. Have you ever looked up at the night sky? "Sorry?" When Yoo Seodam couldn''t answer because it was such a nonsensical question, Lacanthal continued to speak. In my hometown, I once watched the full circle of the night sky. From the moment the sun sets, to when the stars and the moon rose, until the moment when the sun rises again. He murmured, recalling a certain memory in his head, then he shook his head. The destruction'' of a world is a natural phenomenon, just like the cycle of night. We, mortals, can never avoid it with our own power. Its a fate we have to accept. Yoo Seodam fell silent at Lacanthals words. He could certainly understand his point of view. After all, the man in front of him was someone who had experienced the destruction'' before. And even though he was someone from a race which was famous for developing magic to its very limit, in the end, he still failed to escape it. It could be the case. Yoo Seodam nodded. But I have no intention of giving up. I have no thoughts of just accepting that fate without any resistance. With or without your help, I''ll keep pushing to the very end." Originally, Yoo Seodam had only one goal entering the Hell Gate and bringing Reina Ju out. But now, he had vaguely realized that his goal had something to do with destruction'' since Hell Gate was the place where all ruined worlds went to. Fortunately, he was aware that everytime he succeeded in hunting a protagonist in a certain world, that said world would be saved from the destruction''. On top of it, the system had also told him that there were a handful of worlds which successfully escaped their destruction'' due to their own residents power and forced the world into a [Series Suspension]. In other words, destruction'' was not completely unavoidable. He knew this fact better than anyone, because he had already saved many worlds from destruction'' over and over again. In fact, in the past, he thought that the destruction of the worlds was something irrelevant to him and his goal since he was someone who stood for nothing. But now it''s different. He had so many things to protect on Earth. Therefore, he no longer thought that it wouldn''t matter if everything collapsed. "Right" Lacanthal looked at Yoo Seodam with helpless eyes before giving him a bitter smile. You have the same eyes as my late wife. She eventually invented the Dimension Gate technology and disappeared into the ruins. I am sorry for your loss. "Dont be. Thanks to her invention, I''m able to save a lot of people, including myself. And did I not meet you in the end? Lacanthal nodded his head and stood up. There are about fifty otherworlder living here. Congratulations, you have succeeded in convincing one. Now there are forty-nine left. !!! Yoo Seodams eyes widened at the meaning of Lacanthals words and clenched his fists with joy. He had successfully persuaded the most influential person in the community, so the rest shouldn''t be too difficult. * * * Out of 50 otherworlders in the community, 12 chose to remain in the wandering dungeon while the rest were willing to follow Yoo Seodam to settle on Earth. Among those 12, there were those who witnessed the destruction first-hand, so they had no choice but to do so. They were already severely traumatized to the point where words alone couldnt persuade them. There were also those who gave up early because they thought they would never be able to adapt to the human society. "Once we leave this place, the very first thing we need to do is to catch those runaway otherworlders. I guess so. The word runaway is not appropriate, though Lacanthal said solemnly. After all, they are just doing what they have been taught. The reason I was dispatched to Iran in the first place was because an unknown entity wielding an unknown power was running rampant here. But from the perspective of the otherworlders, those otherworlders did nothing wrong. After all, they used to live in a place where it was natural to kill those with an aggressive stance against them. However, it was their mistake for not following the phrase: Do it like romans when at Rome. For that reason, I would apprehend them. Let me guide you to the exit. Ever since he decided to cooperate with me, Lacanthal had been actively helping me with every single thing. However, do know this. My wife''s dimensional gate spell wasn''t that great. I cant open it in the exact location that I desire. It will only lead roughly in that vicinity." For example, if I create a gate at point A and it turns out to lead to point B, I wouldnt be able to return to point A if I opened it at point B. It will lead into point C. And when I open it again, at that time, it will lead to point D. And if I want to use it to travel to a different dimension, my lifeforce would be used as the fuel. For that reason, unfortunately, Lacanthal''s technology could not be used properly on Earth. At least until magic engineering was fully developed on Earth, but it will take several more decades before Earth reaches that point. However, the spell was still usable enough to transport the otherworlder from the wandering dimension into any dungeon around Iran, making it possible for them to work secretly without being detected by the people of Earth. As we passed through the gate, what greeted us was a familiar place for me. This place is. Lacanthal murmured. Its a place Earthlings called a dungeon. The red-skinned man standing next to Lacanthal said. When I first saw him, I was quite surprised because he was someone from a legendary race called Agumanius; A race which was born in volcanos. Based on the knowledge I got from Vivienda Empire, it was a race that deserved to be called the strongest race. However, contrary to the legend, their size was quite small. Though, their moniker was well-founded since even after landing in this unfamiliar world, he still possessed a power that was close to an SS rank superhuman. Dungeon? The four hunters from the Association spurred onto their feet in full vigilance. It was an admirable action I must admit. After all, we hunters were well aware just how deadly a dungeon was. Please calm down. Itll be okay since me and my colleagues have been visiting this place to clean it up. "Iis that so?" One of the hunters asked. I titled my head at his words. If he still had to go together with his colleague to clean this dungeon when his power was around the SS rank level, just how hard is this dungeon? The answer I seeked came soon when the Dungeon Detector Bracelet on my wrist beeped furiously. HuHunter Yoo Seodam! The rank of this dungeon isis. SSS+!!! I facepalmed. In other words, the otherworlders had resolved one of Iran''s main headaches without the world knowing but they deliberately kept the core intact after killing the dungeon boss in order to use this scary ass place as a mere passage. First of all, we will go out and move quietly. I can''t just suddenly introduce you to the world. I will only do it once some time has passed and I will do it through a press conference''. I said after stabilizing my state of mind. However, Weeeeeing!! Suddenly, the energy inside the dungeon fluctuated rapidly. The wall, the ground, and the ceiling, everything started to distort. Meanwhile, the Dungeon Detector Bracelet flashed red and beeped even more furiously than before. HuHunter Yoo Seodam! Ththe dungeon is synchronizing with Earth! "What did you say?" How did dungeon synchronization happen when the dungeon is empty? Slowly, the landscape of Earth comes to our view as the interior of the dungeon becomes more and more transparent. The more surprising thing, however, was that Iran was beneath our feet. "What the How high are we?" If we do nothing, we would surely fall to the ground. A small number of otherworlders who were able to keep their powers albeit weaker even after arriving here, as well as me and the hunters from the Association, will surely survive. However, it wouldnt be the same for the otherworlders who were caught in the dimensional rift by accident and had lost all of their powers and those who had disabilities, as they would surely die. However, at that moment, Lacanthal flicked his finger. At the same time, I tried to call the Flowerpot to somehow rescue them with magic. Then, a white horse with wings was summoned under our feet. It effortlessly glided through the air while carrying the 38 otherworlders, the 4 hunters and me. While in the air, my eyes darted towards a strange woman, who looked like a mishmash of various living things, floating exactly above Tehran''s mosque. "Ha." She looked at me, and smirked. Why are you coming out of there? I don''t think I have ever met that woman. Moreover, I also had never heard of a race with grayish steel-like skin and sharp wings. But for some reason, I could understand the language she was speaking. Though, when I heard her voice, a rather creepy feeling of incongruity crept inside me. It''s a feeling similar to what one would feel when they do something they shouldn''t have done. "No, no. It all worked well in the end. Fufufu" The woman mumbled. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to pierce everything, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body. In response, I instinctively activated [Looking at All Things With a Cold Gaze (B)] Skill. And, Blergh!" I instantly vomited. What the hell is that woman! She was clearly something not from this world. No, to be precise, she was a jumbled mess of everything which exists in the world. It was scary, magnificent and nauseating. For once, I regretted using my skill. However, it was not my first time seeing such a jumbled mess. Because inside the Hell Gate, everything was just like her. But that woman looks so normal?'' I simply couldnt wrap my head around it. Just how did a woman who was so similar to creatures in the Hell Gate possibly exist? Moreover, how come her appearance wasnt grotesque like creatures from mirror worlds or Hell Gate? The woman reached out her hand towards me. Im sorry, but please die. Your existence is a hindrance to the perfect world I live in. Saying so, she clenched her fists. However, other than feeling something hit my body weakly, there was no other effect. And at the same time, above the woman''s head, something flickered for a few times before materializing. Good morning 00^ Im here~㡻 #Hurry #Reungcheung#Em Although it was written in an incomprehensible language, it was undoubtedly a protagonist tag. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 196: World of Protagonists (2) You are a protagonist? I asked. But something is strange. Normally, when I meet a protagonist, I can see their level as well as their role in the story inside the tag above their head. But, in her tag, I couldnt see anything. On top of it, I couldnt feel the presence of the episode or the flow of the story. However, one thing was certain. That is, the power of probability was surrounding her. That fact alone was enough to convince me she was indeed a protagonist. Then, the question was, why did a protagonist suddenly come to Earth? And why did that woman carry the jumbled mess of Hell Gate all over her body? The woman grinned at me. We are all protagonists of our own stories. She said in a very playful tone. It was as if she was treating me like a child. What do you mean? What the hell are you? Are you asking because you dont know? Do humans not even have the intellectual capacity to figure out anything on their own? If so, that''s disappointing. I thought the Protagonist Hunter would be a little different. "WHAT!?!?" Goosebumps ran all over my body as soon as I heard her words. I had never told anyone except Aracelli that I was a Protagonist Hunter. And even to her, I only explained it vaguely. To Seol Jungyeon noonim and Taylor, I only told them that I was going to another world to fulfil a murder contract. In other words, the only being who knew that I was a Protagonist Hunter was the system. System, dont tell me theres another person who knows about this aside from me and you I questioned the system in my head. I swallowed my saliva at her words. Thats right. It was just like the saying, there are no secrets that time does not reveal. Moreover, I don''t even know much about being a Protagonist Hunter, so I never thought that it was my secret. As soon as I thought like this, I was able to regain my calm. I come from the world you love so much, Hell Gate. You are already vaguely aware of it, arent you? Fufufu, what a cute human. Thats right. I had my suspicions. However, I had no idea that there would be a being with such a high intelligence inside the Hell Gate. "Then are you the protagonist'' of the Hell Gate?" It was a premise that made absolutely zero sense. From what Aracelli and the system had told me, Hell Gate was a place where debris of all dimensions gathered. However, since Hell Gate is also a dimension theres a chance that a protagonist would also be born there, right? Think as you like. After all, even if you knew the answer, it would be meaningless for you. And why is that? Because, I will kill you here. You are a hindrance to our perfect world. I really have no idea why you are still allowed to live." Allowed to live? By who? But my thoughts were cut short because the woman raised her hand and stretched it towards me. There were a lot of people who were as strong as SS rank superhumans here. So, if a fight broke out, they would be able to deal some damage to her. But the question was, will their power be enough to kill someone who had the power of probability on her side? Rumble-!! The moment those thoughts flashed in my head, a thunderbolt suddenly fell from the clear sky above and struck the woman. It was not a common occurrence, but it''s something that really happens to someone who had really, really, really bad luck. Sizzle-! Smoke rose from her body. Even a thunderbolta force of mother naturecouldnt do any significant damage to her who had the power of probability. However, if theres something worth noting about the occurrence, it was, At such an important moment, something unfortunate happened to the protagonist? It was ridiculous. Protagonists were those who received the blessings of the world. Everything they do, the world moves to lend them a hand. Therefore, in the current situation, it was more likely for such unlucky things to happen to me or those who stand against her. So how did something unlucky like this happen to her? Unlike me, who is just purely confused, the womans complexion turned pale in an instant. Come on, wait this isnt it Wait a minute, I''m really, it''s all for our goal" Whooosshhh-!! A cold wind suddenly blew. Even though I couldnt feel anything from the surroundings, the woman kept speaking gibberish to no one in particular. Sometimes she looked at the sky, sometimes to the ground, sometimes to the clouds, sometimes to the mountains. This This This is not what it looks like Im doing it purely for our perfect world She said frantically. Did she go crazy? A protagonist? All of a sudden went crazy? While I was taken aback, Lacanthal swiftly took action by raising his hand. In his hand was a staff adorned with blue crystals on one end of the handle. Attack that woman! He was implicitly known as the leader of the otherworlders, so all the otherworlders immediately mustered their power and hurled magic in various colours towards the woman. Although most of them had lost their original power or were in a state which rendered them unable to fight, there were as many as five beings with power equivalent to an SS rank in the group. And their fighting senses were still sharp, so it wasnt difficult to deal with the woman who was losing her mind. Why dont you fight back? The woman just stood there and looked at me. Her eyes, which were filled with murderous intent towards me a few moments ago, had now been replaced with despair. They were similar to those of a patriot who had lost all her will because she had lost her entire country. Her wings were torn, her grey skin cracked, her eyes ripped open, and her face was in the process of being ripped apart by the incoming magic. Just why'' After a while, she finally shed her tears while looking straight at me before slowly opening her torn lips. In our perfect world There is no room for someone like you!" "Because." she uttered her last words with an enraged expression. Because its a world of protagonists. As soon as those words left her mouth, her neck fell off. [Yo$@%^$!ur le!*^&!^vel had be@&*@(&$en ra@*$&(@$ised by 7.] [Talent and skill? What is that?@_@] A message which always appeared once I finished killing a protagonist appeared before my eyes. However, I ignored it as I couldn''t take my eyes off her body for a while. It was because, even after shea protagonistdied, the phenomenon of recovery of probability, which should have appeared at that moment, was not happening. Just what in the world is happening? That woman was definitely a protagonist. It was proven by the fact that the probability inside her body was absorbed into me in the form of levels. However, the probability of her world which blessed her did not change at all. As if she was not even the protagonist in the first place. Then, what the hell is that woman? * * * After the ruckus ended, I went to visit Rahvar, who was, from the information I had been told, heavily injured. While I was in front of the building where Rahvar was being treated, the reporters pointed the camera at me and started throwing a barrage of questions. -Hunter Yoo Seodam! Do you have any reason to help an adversary? It was a justified question. Iran was a country which did not interact with Korea at all after the Great War ended. However, despite this fact, I, one of the most famous hunters from Korea, had come to help Iran. So it was only natural that the reporters were fervent. Thats not all. Throughout the whole ordeal caused by the unknown woman, the otherworlders'', which were scheduled to be revealed once all preparations from my part was completed, were revealed to the public abruptly. So the reporters also demanded that I shed some light regarding the matter. But I kept my silence. After all, something as big as that should only be done through a press conference. Soon, I entered the building and arrived in front of Rahvars room which was big enough to put the aristocrats'' room to shame. He looked like nothing more than a boy lying peacefully on top of a bed. With his eyes closed like that, he looked so pretty that he could be mistaken for a woman. Thanks to you, Iran was saved. Thank you. Please say that in front of the camera. Well, I should do that, shouldnt I? The script for that time is currently being prepared. I glanced at Rahvar''s ankles as he spoke playfully. It should be close to impossible to regrow body parts which had been completely cut off. Most likely, he wouldnt be able to walk for the rest of his life. Are you bothered by it? "it would be a lie if I said I wasnt bothered by it." This was only the second time I met Rahvar. It was safe to say that I had no special connection to him and I only came here for nothing more than business reasons. However, seeing him losing a part of his body during the battle made me feel very uncomfortable. That''s probably because I was aware that it could also happen to me since I am still living on the battlefield until this very day. To be honest, this works well. Really, this condition is quite welcomed "Pardon?" When I was taken aback by Rahvar''s outrageous words, a genuine smile, which I thought was something he couldnt make, bloomed on his face. Now, I can go anywhere I want. It was truly ironic. He finally gained his freedom to move anywhere he wanted only after losing both of his legs. To defend Iran, Rahvar had dedicated his whole life to this land, sacrificing even his own freedom. It was because he thought that only by doing so would he be able to defend this land. However, as time went by, he found out that his power alone wasnt enough. Thats why he tried to find someone, anyone, whether it was a S Rank superhuman, an otherworlder, or a mercenary, anyone would work as long as they could be hired with money to be his limbs. However, it did not work in the end. And the rest was history. Thanks to this incident, I realized that the most important thing is for a ruler to appear in front of the world and give his people a peace of mind. Thank you very much. to sum up his words roughly, hes going to throw away both his resentment and desire towards the otherworlders, and asked me to take care of them. "Thank you." I bowed my head to him and left the hospital. Journalists were still flocking in front of the building. The Association''s hunters were blocking them, but it was impossible to stop them with only that. They werent called reporters for nothing. So, I decided to give them my statement. "Yes. I helped Rahvar in Iran because he promised me something. Click! Click! Click! Every time the reporter pressed the shutter, the illusion of a scorching sun seemed to appear before me. Their light was just that blinding. The existence of different races is also true. I discovered this fact by accident and now I will help them assimilate into Earth''s society. Excessive stalking to the point of stressing them will never be forgiven. Some of the reporters'' faces hardened at my last words. They must have been reporters who secretly attached tracking superpowers to the otherworlders. And, then I added one last statement. From today on, my guild, Another League, will start preparing for the Hell Gate expedition. * * * In a far, far dimension where Cheongyeon Private Magic Academy exists, Aracelli Rinekal, a beautiful girl with a black hair as dark as night and blue eyes as crystalline as sea, was relaxing in her small hut in the countryside. Whoosh-!! Whenever the wind blows, the greenery which stretches endlessly to the horizon in front of her dances along. The scene was soothing and beautiful. She could proudly say it was one of her favourite moments so far. Of course, it couldnt beat the moment when she met her Professor in the past or any moments she shared with him. Aracelli smiled. She hoped that the Professor would soon start his journey again. Although she always arrived at the wrong time whenever she followed him, it was because of a badly twisted time axis. But that was fine. For her, if it meant she could see him again, she would happily face any obstacles in front of her. While thinking so with her eyes closed, !!! Aracelli suddenly jumped to her feet trembling as goosebumps assaulted her whole body. Whawhat? It was only momentary, but for those several moments, she couldnt feel the Professors energy. No matter how far away he was, because of the tracking spell she put on him, she would always be able to feel his energy. For an Archmage like her, being wrong about something that''s related to magic was something impossible. What happened just now meant that whatever happened to the Professor was something beyond her scope of understanding. "Just what * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 197: Something Is Wrong With This World’s Common Sense (1) In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a huge man-made structure, which blended perfectly with its surroundings, was floating above the water. The structure, which was built with the latest human technology, was called Island. It was a boring and uncreative name. But that name embodied just how mundane the Island''s function was; observing the Hell Gate. However, contrary to its mundane and boring function, the structure shouldered a heavy burden of humanity''s survival. It was safe to say that it was the very first line of defence humanity had against the Hell Gate. This reflected well on the fact that billions of dollars were invested in the structure every year. So far, humanity has attempted to conquer Hell Gate several times. But success was a word which had never accompanied these attempts. The expedition that Yoo Seodam had joined years ago was only successful in digging up the material inside. They had barely managed to come alive from scouting, and as surviving itself was so difficult, conquering it was an impossible dream. And today, their mundane lifestyle of observing the ever-stagnant Hell Gate comes to an end. Weeing! Weeing! Weeing! Hey, what is this! An abrupt change happened in Hell Gate. Usually, when Hell Gate started to show signs of activity, it meant that all the materials and energy inside were exploding, and it was vomiting the environment and monsters contained inside towards Earth, inflicting great damage. Thats why everyone on Earth was always wary of it. However, Its absorbing energy from Earth? The current phenomenon was something which had never happened before. Instead of pouring out energy, Hell Gate had started to absorb energy from Earth. In other words, they were pulling Earth towards it! Although the absorption rate was very small What if the phenomenon was accelerated? Earth might be in great danger. * * * Greetings, Mr. Lacanthal. As soon as we returned to Another Leagues hideout, I took the 38 otherworlders to meet Yekaterina. Since they were otherworlders, I was hoping to give them a new ID to settle on Earth. But, would it be that easy? After all, even changing nationality was difficult in this world. Seodam-nim. You know that people are all going crazy because of those otherworlders, right? "Of course, I know." The International Association of Supernatural Powers also visited us. They said those otherworlders could be dangerous, so they want to investigate them right away. Cant I just do it myself? "That" Yekaterina took a rare deep breath and fiddled her long white hair with her finger. It was a habit she always did whenever she was anxious about something. If you want to do that, you have to be prepared to take a lot of damage. It is never good for a guild''s image to surround themselves with unproven superhumans. Even more so when they are from races which are not human. Are you prepared to be bombarded by the media? "It''s okay. Taylor will take care of the media. "Hm?" At my words, Taylor, who stood beside a three-meter tall ogre, cocked her head towards me for a moment before returning to what she was doingpoking the ogres enormous muscle with her finger. She may look pretty brazen and didnt care about the media, but in fact, it could be said that she was more professional than any of us in dealing with the press. Hey uncle. How did you build all this muscle? Its freaking sexy! Taylor, who admired muscles, asked the ogre. (I dont know how to speak foreign languages.) Unfortunately, the ogre did not know how to use Earth''s language at all. Fortunately though, he was an ogre variant who had an intelligence level similar to a human, so, with some tutoring he will be able to learn it. In any case, Yekaterina couldnt help but accept all the otherworlder because I kept insisting. Then, not much later, her reluctant attitude changed into curiosity. This one can turn into a wolf. To be precise, he was a wolf who can transform into a human. Although Lacanthal knew nothing of Earth''s language, it was possible for him to converse with other people through magic. Therefore, he took the role of introducing Yekaterina to all of the otherworlders one by one. And as the introduction progressed, Yekaterinas eyes shone brighter and brighter. Can he grow trees from his hand? Only a forest druid can do it. Moreover, they can also communicate with friendly animals. They can also transform. "Oh my god Countless races with countless unique abilities lived all over the world. The ones who were present here were nothing but a small fraction of them, like a small star in the whole universe. However, for Yeketerina, who had never been to another world, she was completely mesmerized. On top of it, when Lacanthal showed her his power, her jaw dropped before quickly taking Lacanthals hand. Would you like to work with me? In Lacanthal''s world, magic engineering was extremely developed. On top of that, his late wife was said to be a genius of the century who had succeeded in creating a dimensional crossing spell, so it was only natural that Yekaterina''s eyes glinted with greed. As Yekaterina left to guide the otherworlders to their lodging, Lacanthal spoke to me. What is the reason you want to increase your strength to the point where you even accept us? Is it for a childish dream of world domination? Well, whatever it is, I already said I will help you, so, Ill help you. Haha Its not for something like that. "Is that so? What a waste. Conquering a new world sounds fun. This person is he for real? Actually, I know your real goal. Isnt it Hell Gate? "Yes" Actually, I presented the otherworlders a condition in exchange for taking them in and providing them with housing and new status. It was to ask them to fight for me for once when I asked for their help. And that one chance, I would use it in the Hell Gate expedition. I still don''t know what''s going on in there. And for now, its still lying dormant just like these past years. But my [Intuition], which had saved my ass for too many times, told me that something was going to happen soon. Until then, I have nothing to do but to prepare. But even if I prepared for it, will I be able to withstand what Hell Gate has to offer? I don''t know. But, I am betting everything on the fact that I am a Protagonist Hunter. "Okay I get it. Hell Gate. That''s a pretty tempting proposition. I don''t know what other kids will think, though." Because Hell Gate was a dangerous place, perhaps some would decline to help me, and some may choose to return to the Floating Dimension. I won''t stop them if they want to do so though. After all, we are in a contractual relationship, not a master-slave relationship. Lacanthal, I don''t think I can help much with what will come next. In my mind, I want to stay here and complete all the follow-up procedures, but I have to urgently dispatch to another place. Hmmmm. Are you going to be dispatched to another world? I pondered for a moment at Lacanthal''s sharp question, and then ultimately nodded my head. At this point, theres no reason to keep it under wraps anymore. At least to the otherworlders. "Yes. I have to take care of the emergency situations in the other world first. Fortunately, on Earth, I have many reliable comrades, so there is no problem in leaving for another world while entrusting the work on Earth to them. Though, it still pricked my conscience a little bit because it felt like I was running away after taking a job. The number of worlds which was approaching extinction every minute was rapidly increasing. Even if I couldn''t save all of those worlds, if I can save just one more, I would happily go there. Okay, lets go. * * * After Yoo Seodam left, the emergency contact line of Another League rang. To Yekaterinas surprise, the one who called them was Hell Gate Research Center, which could be said had no connection whatsoever to any guild in the world. "This" As the explanation from the person on the other end of the phone went on, Yekaterinas expression, which was already tense in the first place, kept getting worse and worse. Hell Gate is expanding? -That''s the case. Thats why I want to talk with Guild Master Yoo Seodam who is well versed in dimensional science. However, Yoo Seodam had left Earth. Once he did that, it was difficult to contact him. No, it was simply impossible. Yekaterinas head throbbed. The matter in hand was too big. She couldnt easily solve it like another matter. On top of it, dimensional magic wasnt something she excelled at. At that time, Lacanthal, who came to her office for a chat, showed an interest. That place, Hell Gate Did you say it is a door to another world? "Yes? Yes It is known as a gate that leads to an unknown dimension. Hmmmm. Thats interesting. Lacanthals eyes glimmered as he stroked his chin, When it comes to dimensional science, the race of dew soaking in moonlight is the best. He looked oddly confident. * * * The system had told me that countless worlds were moving towards destruction at a much quicker rate than before. However, I couldnt fully understand the meaning of those words. I only knew that the change between episodes in the whole storyline would be faster than before, which meant that I had to hunt the protagonists at a much quicker pace than before. What was waiting at the end of the epilogue was destruction'', which Lacanthal said to be a phenomenon where everything in that world becomes one. To be honest, he didnt care much about the destruction of other worlds. However, the system''s hypothesis that the destruction of other worlds could eventually affect Earth became the driving force that made him move faster. Hell Gate was a trash can-like dimension where dimensional debris gathered. But was the debris that gathered there really nothing but remnants''? Aracelli had described it as debris because it had fallen over and separated from the original dimension. But if what Lacanthal said about everything returning into one was the true destruction, then there should be no debris left. If so, what is Hell Gate made from? It was still unknown whether what she said was true or not. When I first entered the Hell Gate, I was ignorant and clueless, so it was impossible for me to know about it. And now, even though I felt that I was ready to enter the Hell Gate, I still didnt have any solid information except for hearsies. However, that changes nothing. I just need to do what I do best. Prepare for the hunt. But a thought suddenly passed on his mind. If I prepare like this now, what will be different? His current level was 175, and by the standard of superhuman on Earth, it meant that he was an S rank. It wasnt something overly incredible since there were hundreds of S rank superhumans on Earth. Even if he reached SS rank, will he really be able to withstand the unknown power of Hell Gate? In the first place, was becoming stronger really the correct answer? Will he be able to run away from destruction once he becomes strong enough? Even if he could tear down mountains, split seas, and overturn skies with just one wave of his hand, would he be able to flee from the powers of the world? Maybe his goal to conquer Hell Gate was a wrong choice from the beginning? Wouldn''t it have been better to just be drunk with the power I have right now, enjoy my life, and spend the last days happily looking at what I have achieved and then die, just like what the system said? As such questions kept popping up in my mind, I slapped myself on the cheek. I must be crazy. Get a grip, Yoo Seodam. When I realized the meaning of destruction itself, as a human being, I couldnt help but be afraid. But giving up here would be foolish. Afterall, I already knew for a long time that Hellgate was a dangerous place. And yet, I still make it as my end goal and work towards achieving it. Lets calm down and just do what I should do. System, lets go. so, where is the destination this time? Instead of answering, the system just displayed a simple and clear message in front of me. A High-School Student Who Got Transferred to Another World ~It Seems That My Magic is The Strongest~ #Isekai #Clich #Harem #Munchkin #Genius #Love_Comedy After looking at the hashtags for a moment, I stared blankly into the air. Do we really have to go there? Is That so? I haven''t studied the Isekai genre properly yet, but I know roughly that this genre contains many great dangers. I sighed and accepted the request. "Let''s go." * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 198: Something Is Wrong With This World’s Common Sense (2) [Moving to the fantasy continent of Atsbaran. The world where level 5 protagonist Kaido'' resides.] [You have become an adventurer of Atsbaran.] As soon as I opened my eyes, a familiar yet unfamiliar landscape greeted me. It was a city from the middle ages era. However, contrary to the middle age cities I knew, which were usually dull, this city had a unique and vibrant atmosphere. The road was paved with many different colours and all the buildings were shiny, polished and colourful. In the blue sky above, a winged dragon could be seen gliding freely while horned monsters were pulling carriages instead of horses or oxen. On the street, many different races as well as people, whom I presumed to be adventurers, were walking around wearing their own equipment. But strangely, all the female adventurers were wearing extremely revealing equipment and they were all stupidly beautiful. Meanwhile the male adventurers were all shaggy and ugly, and their equipment was very rustic. "Just what How could the fashion sense develop so disproportionately here? All of the women''s fashion was flashy and beautiful. But the men''s fashion was all ridiculously bad. It was to the point that I felt overdressed just by simply wearing my dull black ether suit. After roughly grasping the atmosphere, I quickly tried to sense Aracelli''s energy. However, I couldn''t feel her energy at all. On the contrary, I felt a dimensional wave near me and dashed towards it. Woooong-!! In an alleyway devoid of people, the space several meters above ground starts to tore up. After a while, a naked figure with white unblemish skin and jet black hair popped out from it. I quickly moved towards her landing point in order to catch her with a piece of cloth in my hand. Kyaaaahh!" Aracelli screamed and flailed violently as soon as she landed in my arms. But when she finally raised her head to look at me, her movement completely stopped. A smile bloomed on her face. "Thank god! It seems like you are okay, Professor! Of course I''m okay "That''s right." She nodded her head with a somewhat meaningful expression. I took out a teenage girl''s clothes I had prepared in advance from my inventory, and gave it to Araceli. She went into one of the empty houses nearby before coming out a few minutes later fully donned in those clothes. Professor, are these clothes common in your world? Well, it''s similar. What you are wearing right now has a bit more fantasy-like design, though. "Aha! So, are these clothes to your tastes? That''s right? At least for this situation?" Araceli then smiled, as if she somehow felt good. "You are ready, right? Let''s go." "Okay! Are you going to hunt those who monopolize the worlds blessings too here? "Yeah. But I haven''t found him yet, though." After leaving the alleyway street, we walked slowly while savouring the scenery. The level of the protagonist is still seriously low. Has he not awakened his power yet? If I find him now, I could easily kill him with just a slight twist on the neck. But of course, it wouldn''t be that easy. This was especially true in the Japanese-style isekai'' genre. Even if the protagonists neck was twisted, had his heart cut into pieces, or had been forced to go through the most horrific torture, he would ultimately end up being resurrected by the power of a spirit or even a dragon and came back with even greater power. In other words, l have to kill him using a story'' in which he''s completely dead. Oh, Professor That." When I followed where Aracelli''s finger was pointed at, I could see a black-haired boy dressed in a school uniform rather than dull pieces of equipment. For some reason, the boy''s eyes had a different colour. His right eye had a normal black pupil while his left eye was dyed red. On top of him, a hashtag I was so familiar with was floating. Found you.'' He was Kaido, the protagonist of this world. Currently, he was walking with some adventurers while talking gleefully. We quickly trailed closely behind them. And when we finally arrived at their destination, it turned out their destination was none other than the Adventurer Guild building. [The Protagonist Kaido, has used the sub-skill Language Unification (S) from the main skill Common Sense (SSS+).] Before long, a language very similar to Japanese came out of the mouths of all people in my surroundings. It was such a mystical yet bizarre phenomenon because I couldnt sense any magic flowing from him. It was similar to what I felt when Lacanthal casted a translation spell at the 4 hunters of the Association previously. Kaido! This is the Adventurers'' Guild. Do you really want to be an adventurer? "Of course! If I didnt become one, I wouldnt have any money. But until just recently, you couldnt even hunt a single goblin by yourself and we had to save you every time. Besides, didnt you say that you came from a place where there were no monsters? You dont know much about this place, is it okay for you to be an adventurer? I cant help it. Because this is the only way to wander the world and find a way back home. Fufu, its nice to see Kaidos confident appearance. A girl, dressed in extremely exposed clothes, whom I presumed to be an assassin from the dagger on her hips, said so and slapped Kaido''s back! Wait a minute isnt it common sense that if someone ends up in an unfamiliar world and wants to earn money right away, it would be better to go to a restaurant and do a part-time job like serving or delivery? It doesn''t seem like it was the case for a protagonist, though. Aracelli and I took a seat on one of the empty seats and watched Kaido closely. You are Kaido? If you want to become an adventurer, you must take an aptitude test. Aptitude test? "Yes. It is a test to check which class you would fit into as well as your parameters. Ill do it right away. Then, put your hand on this crystal ball. Could the aptitude test really be over with one crystal ball? It seems too easy and convenient Kaido, don''t be depressed if your magic power is too low. If you just have around 20 or 30, its at a level that you can go adventuring with us. "HAHA! Yes, she is right. Though, I would prefer it if it comes out around 50! One of the adventurers on the party said. Then, lets begin. The receptionist said. Soon, Kaido placed his hand on the blue crystal ball. Moments later, the air inside the building started to swirl wildly. [The protagonist Kaido'' acquires the isekai cheat Infinite Magical Power (SSS+)] Wooonngg-!! Wooonggg-!! Craack-!! Shatter-!! Huh?!?!?!? O Oh my God! "Ththis is the first time the crystal ball broke since the legendary aptitude test of Black Dragon Mercenary King Perticas'' 33 years ago!!!!" Everyone who witnessed the scene was shocked. On top of it, the face of every woman in the building turned beet red as they fiddled like a fish out of water. Why, though? Is it really that great? At the same time, unlike everyone around him, the protagonist spoke indifferently. I sighed at his question. Everyone else, together with their grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, cousin knows his power was a scam. Even the neighbor and his daughter-in-law and his whole family knows it, but it seems that it was an unspoken rule that only the protagonist would remain oblivious to his own overpowered skills. Bump! When a commotion broke out on the first floor, the door on the second floor suddenly blasted open with a loud thud. And before long, someone walked down the stairs towards the first floor. Ah its Golden White Knight'' , Searen! Whoa Shes still beautiful, as always. Why did she suddenly appear? The blonde woman in white armor, who I guess is called Searen, looked around the first floor and walked towards Kaido. Then as soon as she stood before him, she stroked his cheek. What amazing power. I''ve never seen anyone with such a large amount of magical power in my entire life. Hey, what''s your name?" "Yes? My name is Kaido. Kaido-kun was it? Let me introduce myself, my name is Searen, the Golden White Knight. To be honest, I thought I was strong but compared to you, I am nothing. I cant even be compared to your toes." What a load of crap (P/N Exactly my thoughts.) I want to ask you something, will you join my guild? If this world follows the basic rule of Korean-style novels, he would reject her invitation without any second thought and make a guild himself. But because this world follows the basic rules of Japanese-style novels "Yes, I would love to!" And the reason for him joining her was as simple as it could get. It was because Searen is pretty. * * * Contrary to how urgent the system sounded when she briefed me, Kaido only showed the growth rate of an ordinary protagonist so far, nothing more nothing less. In the meantime, I tried to cook some story in order to kill him, but as always, nothing came to mind. Kaido-kun!!! Awesome!" "Oh My God Its only Fire Ball, a basic spell!! How can it be that powerful? "I cannot believe it." It was obvious, but let me tell you this The magic in this world could be easily activated by simply memorizing the casting words without studying it in depth. I could only sigh and shake my head at how ridiculous it was. From what I know, magic doesn''t differ much from world to world. For example, the most famous mathematical formula on Earth, the Pythagorean theorem, also applies in another world. The law of triangle also didn''t change just because you''re in another world. That was also the case for magic. The process of accumulating magical power in the body, operating it mathematically, and releasing it was a law that could never be changed. But somehow, this world managed to ignore that law. Aracelli. What do you think?" I asked Aracelli who was standing beside me. As soon as Kaido decided to accept Saerens offer, we also took the test to join her guild, Sword of Clarity, which was not hard at all as I had stats comparable to an SS rank while Aracelli was Aracelli. And currently, we were acting as one of Kaidos mindless supporters whose sole role was to just chase after him and exclaim Wow, thats amazing, Kaido-kun!!. Um, well Araceli, like me, exclaimed, Wow, that''s amazing, Kaido-kun before furrowing her eyebrows. Thats definitely magic. But magic can never work like that. It feels as if the magic formula was forcibly twisted Ummm." Even Aracelli, an Archmage, couldnt see through the magic of this world even after seeing how Kaido cast his spell with her own two eyes. That fact alone was enough to tell anybody that this worlds magic was bizarre and ridiculous. So, reluctantly, we decided to watch Kaido a little longer and followed him deep into the forest. His purpose of coming here was to hunt the Black Wolf Kazaracun'', who was called the boss of this area. It was something I realized after several instances But this world really likes to attach a moniker before the real name of everything. I wonder if I would find a Silver Spoon Silver Spoon once I return to the city later. While those thoughts passed through my mind, I glanced around the group. There were a total of seven people in the party. Aside from myself, Aracelli and Kaido, there were Hardcore Fangirl, Overly Kind-Hearted Girl'', Exclamatory Vending Machine'' and Flag Man''. They were all pretty loyal to their roles, for example. "Oh! Kaido defeated Kazaracun with only one magic cast! Oh my God, to be able to use such magic! So far, there have been only 9 wizards in history who have succeeded in controlling such a crazy amount of magic power at once and all of them have become an Archmage who made a name for themselves in history Kaido, are you perhaps planning to become an Archmage? Hey hey, is it real? This kind of reaction had happened about thirty times throughout this hunt. And lastly, the situation would always end with the reaction from the Overly Kind-Hearted Girl. Ugh, I feel sorry for the wolf. According to Hardcore Fangirl, she was a beautiful girl who hails from a clergy family. Though, because literally every girl in this world was beautiful, I couldn''t figure out why the word beautiful girl even exists in the first place. The Overly Kind-Hearted Girl ran towards the fallen wolf. Then she plopped down to the ground and casted a healing spell towards the wolf. Wait a minute Why did she do that? Didnt we come here to hunt it in the first place? Elizabeth! Thats dangerous! Come back here!" But How can I stay still when there is an injured creature in front of me? I want to heal this wolf" [E/N: So, you beat this wolf to the verge of death and now you are planning to heal it just to beat it up again or potentially put your comrades at risk???? Overly Kind-Hearted Girl? More like Overly-Stupid Girl.] Elizabeth.. a woman like you, seriously . An exasperated comment, or maybe a truly touching comment come out from the mouth of Hardcore Fangirls mouth, it was then followed by Kaido who nodded his head with a serious expression. "Thats fine, you can heal it." Wait a goddamn minute then why did you hunt it earlier? Im sure Kazaracun will understand your warm heart. Eventually, the Overly Kind-hearted Girl began to cast her spell in full throttle towards Kazaracun, whom her friends had pummeled until not too long ago. And then, suddenly, knights in steel armor appeared out of nowhere and encircled our party. Hey! Ka- Kaido-kun! Overly Kind-hearted Girl stuttered as she looked at Kaido with pleading eyes. "HAHAHA! Foolish! Healing the wolf you tried to hunt! Are you crazy!?!? The knight shouted and stepped forward with his swords pointed towards Kaido. I didnt like you from the moment you joined Sword of Clarity. Did you think that a mongrel like you could come into our guild? "Ka- Kaido-kun we have to forget her and run away!" "Thats right. Kaido, think clearly. We cannot defeat them with our own strength. We have no choice but to step back now! Except for the main protagonist, no one seems to have a sense of camaraderie or anything like that. Was this event happened because whoever controls the story flow wants to emphasize that only the protagonist had sympathy? No, I will not abandon her! Kaido exclaimed as he pointed his hands towards the talking knight. Kah ha ha ha ha! Your magic is useless against us! Unless it''s at least a C rank magic Huh? What are you doing now? Crackle-!! A spark of lightning suddenly began to erupt from Kaido''s hand. At the sight, all the knights started to laugh at him. Kah ha ha! Even a passing dog knows that the only attack-type magic is fire element, and the only defense-type magic is earth element! What are you going to do with lightning magic? Without answering him, One of Kaidos eyes turned red as he smiled softly. Chain Lightning! Before long, a stream of lightning struck the knight who kept taunting and looked down on Kaido before jumping towards the other knights. Crackle-!! Crackle-!! Aghhhh! AGHHHHH! All the knights soon collapsed, only the taunting guy could barely raise his head to look at Kaido. Yoyou bastard how can you do something like this with lightning magic!!! Then Kaido sighed and shook his head. You dont know? Steel'' is weak against Electricity''. Its common sense in my world. It cant be!!! At that moment, the guy collapsed with an expression that seemed to have realized something after looking at his armor. Hey hey, is it real? "Wow In his world, such great knowledge is common sense'' What a wonderful world" [The protagonist, Kaido has activates the skill Common Sense (SSS+)] It was only then that I could vaguely understand how this world works. (P/N: God, please save me from this arc.) * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 199: Something Is Wrong With This World’s Common Sense (3) This world, for some reason, flows according to the taste of the protagonist, Kaido. No, to be precise, the common sense of the world itself had been changed according to Kaido''s level of knowledge. For example, Ah, this is called Fruit Shaved Ice. Its a common dessert in my world. Woaah!! This is delicious! It''s the first time I''ve eaten such a soft ice!" In this world, there''s ice and ice cream, but for some goddamn reason that my head can''t wrap around, theres no shaved ice. Does that even make sense? There should be billions of people in this world, how come anyone not think of making shaved ice so far? Its not a complicated menu, either. You just need to shave it, for gods sake. If you make a backrest for the chair, everyones back will be more comfortable. ( Cant you just add more part on the back of the chair to make people could rest their back on it?) "Oh My God. Thats the discovery of the century! Kaido, you are amazing! There were all kinds of chairs crafted here in this world, but guess what? A chair with a backrest has never been invented. If theres a food shortage, you can just catch fish. Why fish? To eat it of course! This one is called sushi. In our world, it is a staple food. WOW! Amazing! This is my first time tasting something like this! It''s not even roasted, but it''s such an incredible taste" Their reaction was more explosive than those westerners who never had raw fish before Are you having trouble because you have a lot of coins? Wouldnt it be better to make additional coin denominations like 10 gold coins and 100 gold coins? You are right! It''s such a simple way, but it''s an amazing shift in thinking! As the Princess of the Empire, I will proceed with this agenda right away. Surprising, right? I wonder where our protagonist had such brilliant ideas from when literally every genius in this world couldnt figure that out Youre starving because you dont have rice? Then you can make bread and eat it. "Oh oh!!!! What a wonderful food!!! At this point, Aracelli finally got fed up and spoke to me with a face full of displeasure. Will the world stay like this forever? The common sense of this world will return to normal once we kill him. The protagonist this time around was quite unique and held a very special ability. Throughout my journey to various worlds, I could proudly say that I had met a wide spectrum of protagonists who had a cheat-like ability such as, a protagonist who created the world itself and the protagonist who could turn back time infinitely. But it was my first time meeting a protagonist who had an ability to lower the IQ of everyone around him. What''s even scarier was that his power didnt just change the common sense of the people, but also the common sense of the setting'' of the world itself. Does it make sense that there was a chair, but a backrest was never invented? Lightning magic exists, and for hundreds of years, knights had always been unaffected by it even though they were always wearing steel armor. Does it make any sense? This world culinary level was at the level where they already cook food with grains. But bread wasnt even invented? And throughout this wide world which had many kingdoms, their currency had only one denomination? However, all of that wasn''t crazy enough to make me quake in my boots. The one who got me scared was the fact that his skill could even affect how magic was perceived in this world. In every world, magic was a science. It was a branch of science which was needed in order to know the principles of the world. Only after understanding the principles and studying them for a long time, can someone use it. But here, it was not even a study. It was just a flashy technique to kill enemies. In other words, a skill. Which means, his skill was powerful enough to turn the reality of the world into fantasy. The reason was probably because Kaido perceives that magic was nothing but an attack skill. His skill, [Common Sense (SSS+)] was such a terrifying skill that it literally blurred the line between imagination and reality. But was his skill really all-rounder? It was just a skill which could affect the common sense towards what the protagonist knew. But there should be a disadvantage. And after following Kaido as his cheerleader for the past few days, I was able to discover one weakness of his skill. We will use dust explosions in this battle. Dust explosion ? "Yeah. With it, we can take on many enemies with a very small amount of mana. What is that?! Without explaining further, Kaido took out a white powder from his bag. It was none other than flour. Spread this in the air, and with just a small amount of flame, we can create a huge explosion. "Really!?!? Is it really possible to do it with just flour and flame magic? "Of course." After a while, many reaction vending machines around Kaido sang his name accompanied with praises. They would literally put those internet buzzers on Earth to shame with their words. Not long after, the battle started. And as expected, Kaido succeeded in annihilating the enemy by simply throwing a flick of ember after scattering the flour into the air. "Oh my god!!! I thought we would never win this battle! To think we win with just one magic and without any casualties!" This is such incredible knowledge Kaido-kun, you are really Looking at the scene, Aracelli, who was standing beside me, clicked her tongue. It really doesnt make sense "Is that so?" From the start, there was no way that the particles of combustible solid matter could maintain a higher concentration than the air''s lower explosion limit when it''s such a windy day. Even in the case of favourable weather, the flour particles should not scatter evenly. But let''s say such a thing did happen. The particles would have ignited all on their own already from radiant friction of the sun without the need for a spark. (T/N This bit is translated by J.kay, translator for Introduction To The Survival Theory. Go and check his work, guys!) I don''t know what it was, but I know that Aracelli meant that Kaido''s dust explosion was just ridiculous. However, since Kaido sincerely believed that that method would work, such an explosion actually happened. That was Kaido''s weakness. He had common sense but it was at best, below the average level. If I was being kind, his thoughts were too pure. And if I being frank, hes just stupid. He simply believed that his knowledge was real because it happened without thinking what made it happen. Kaido''s deceptive ability only activated when he believed his thoughts were real''. And thanks to his lacking knowledge, his imagination became rich, which gave him an advantage in manipulating the principles of this world. It was not a glaring weakness, but somehow, I thought that I could use that part to kill him. * * * Yoo Seodam and Aracelli went on an adventure with Kaido and the others. However, when they stopped in a particular small town, they became aware that the town was currently preparing for a monster raid. Obviously, this clich development was happening because of protagonist correction. If it was something out of the Korean genre, the protagonist would say, There is no benefit to gain by helping them, just ignore it and lets move to the next town.'' But since this world follows the genre of the country across the sea which was famous for their kindness, the protagonist Kaido, of course, said yes when Overly Kind-Hearted Girl Elizabeth said We need to help those in danger!''. His kindness is indeed good. Though, it was only in the eyes of other people. Yoo Seodam and Aracelli, who were aware of the way of the world, could only felt sorry towards the residents of the town who would eventually lose their lives just to make Kaido shine even brighter even though the attack of those monsters was due to the protagonist in the first place, If you exclude the elderly, young children, and young children in the village, there are only 120 available troops. Even amidst those numbers, those with combat experience are only half of them. However, it is said that the number of monsters reaches 3300. It is a battle that can never be won! The city was located in the middle of plains Yoo Seodam really itched to ask the one who briefed them why he didn''t choose to fight the battle on the plain far away from the town rather than holing up in the city, but in the end, he decided not to. "Its fine. I came up with a strategy to win. "Pardon? Its already hopeless, no strategy would be able to help us to win!" The man said once again. "Is that so? According to my strategy, there is a 99% chance of winning. After saying that, everyone in Kaido''s surroundings began to stir. They were all questioning Kaido over and over again as if they were a kid. Then Kaido unfolded a map, put it on the wall, and explained the strategy by pointing it with something like a baton. Because there is only one way to get to town, the enemies would undoubtedly move through this way. And because we already know the enemy''s movement, we can use it against them. "Then?" "We will siege the enemy. Kaido pounded the map and smiled. Ha, butwe are most likely to be defeated before we can even besiege them! Perhaps so, If we just go there like this. After saying that, Kaido looked around the villagers. The soldiers of this town have limited mobility because they wear heavy armor. But what if you take off your armor? At Kaido''s words, one soldier took off his armor. His eyes instantly widened in surprise. "I I see Without the armor, I can move faster! "Thats right. The key to this operation is speed! We take off our armor and move as quickly as possible to besiege our enemies. That is the core of this operation, the quick siege''. And as long as you encircle the enemies you''ll understand what will happen without me telling you, right? "Thats right!! The besieged enemy will be defeated and annihilated! By the way, amongst people who were currently in the city, for some reason there was a prince from a neighboring country who became friends with Kaido, and theres also a princess who loves swords and had been living on the battlefield since childhood. As royalty, they were said to be adept at warfare, but Yoo Seodam couldnt help but facepalm and sigh at their response at Kaidos suggestion. What a great plan! There has never been a strategy like this in history! Its a strategy Ive never even read in a book Ah, we are witnessing the moment when history is being written Then lets leave immediately! Kaido said. Voice brimming with confidence. (T/N I know guys, you want to just punch your monitor, dont you? Trust me, I also want to do it as much as you did when I translated this chapter) (E/N: I had a hard time editing it because it was so fckn dumb) (P/N Please I''m dying of cringe) Soon, the operation began. At the moment when the demons and monsters were about to climb the mountain and descend to the plain, the soldiers moved quickly and began to surround them from all directions. And surprisingly, or maybe not, the quick siege'' strategy hatched by Kaido succeeded. The battle then began, and the 120 human troops began to overwhelm the far more physically superior demons just because they had surrounded them. At that moment, Kaido looked down at the battlefield with a satisfied expression. Yoo Seodam made eye contact with Aracelli and slowly opened his mouth. Kaido-san. Enemy monsters are obviously physically superior to humans, arent they? "Huh? That''s a reasonable thing to say. But we are still able to beat them through my strategy! "Yes By the way, Kaido-san, about your strategy I have a question. "Tell me." Kaido said. A little hint of displeasure could be found in his voice. The number of monsters is about 3,300. Assuming that each monster occupies an average of 1 square meter of space, and all the monsters are politely attached to each other and fill the space in a circle, with 3,300 monsters, the circumference of the circle exceeds 200m. "So?" It means that 120 soldiers can barely block all 3,300 even if they stand about 1m apart "Huh? Kaido brows furrowed. The words Yoo Seodam told him was the part he hadnt thought about in detail until now. After all, why did he have to think about it when he was certain it would be a resounding success? That much gap between the soldiers is large enough for at least one enemy to pass through In this case, does the word siege have any meaning? No, if you surround the enemy anyway Even if we disregard that gap problem, wouldnt it be difficult for our soldiers to hold on because they were fighting against monsters who are physically superior to us, humans, without wearing any armor? Kaido''s [Common Sense (SSS+)] skill, or a skill that could easily be called Reality Manipulation, was really a cheat. However, it had one major drawback. That was, if you know a lot, you wouldn''t be able to use it. Once the illusion inside Kaidos head was disturbed by feeding him the principle behind the result in detail such as Even if these and these things tried to become reality, it doesnt make sense scientifically or mathematically, or even logically, it would no longer be usable. [The effect of Kaidos skill Common Sense (SSS+) has weakened.] Aww! Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Suddenly, the situation on the battlefield turned 180 degrees. The demons and monsters easily tore the human troops which were 1m apart from each other and started to charge towards the town. Kaido''s colleagues were no exception. Although they had strong powers since they were the protagonist''s companions, it was simply impossible to deal with thousands of monsters at once. Ka Kaido! Hey, how did this happen!" Ackkkkk! "Sa, save me!" Kaido then quickly began to deny the reality which happened in front of him. No, no, no. In the world I lived in, there are clearly cases where a small number of troops defeated a larger number of troops!" I believe theres many examples of that. However, in every of those examples, theres many factors which made it successful, such as the extreme weather, the terrain and obstacles such as cliffs or trenches, or a surprise attack at night. But right now, we are in the middle of broad daylight, the battlefield is flat, and the weather is clear. We don''t have any strategic advantage. Ugh! The moment the human army realized that it was impossible to defeat the demons, everything was already over. Most of the troops, who jumped in believing Kaido''s irresponsible strategy, were dying, and his comrades were also bleeding and screaming his name, asking for help. Huh! Since its become like this I have no choice but to step forward! In the end, Kaido clenched his teeth and raised his hand which had a fire wrapped on it. Unfortunately, the protagonist hunter, Yoo Seodam, just wasnt the type of person who would just let his prey recover his strength. After exchanging glances with Yoo Seodam, Aracelli touched Kaidos shoulder and opened her mouth. "Kaido-san, do you know that the flame burning in your hand was the result of burning mana instead of oxygen? So Aracelli proceeded to explain to Kaido in depth about the basic principles behind his fire spell. Hearing her words, Kaido''s complexion turned paler and paler. And not long after, his spell disintegrated into the air. The monsters, who felt Kaido''s magic, were charging at him in droves. However, even knowing that, Kaido was unable to use any magic which could turn the situation around. After all, in the tug of war between imagination and reality, his imagination was defeated. "Oh, that can''t be I''m right I, I, I! No matter how much he shouted Fire Ball'', not even a spark was generated. The same was true for other magic. It was because, everytime he tried to use magic, Aracelli always fed him up with the reason why magic was practically impossible'', and it kept holding back Kaido''s ankles. How can you create a flame when there is nothing to burn in the air? Did you know how many calories you need to just generate a few volts of electricity?'' To create that much water in the air, an enormous amount of hydrogen is required. But if the enormous amount of hydrogen was in the air in the first place, where did the oxygen go? Wouldnt it suffocate us to death? Because Kaido had half-baked knowledge of the modern world, the more he listened to Aracelli, the more he realized just how impossible magic was from the scientific point of view. Though, it was something which could be solved if he had any magical knowledge. But because he was completely ignorant of it, the thought impossible stuck in his head, and the impossible soon became a reality. Why!'' Boom, boom!! Monsters were charging towards him. Meanwhile, the companions who were supposed to help him whenever he was on the verge of death were nowhere to be found. It seems that they have already been swept away by the monsters ruthless charge. "Let''s go. We have to save the civilians and the others. Yoo Seodam said in a cold tone. He no longer paid any attention to Kaido whose death was written in stone even if Seodam did not do anything to him. Ugh, ah, ah, sa, save me!! After that, Kaido, who had finally faced the reality in front of him, screamed. But his scream fell on deaf ears because there was no one here that was alive except for the monsters. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 200: Trash of Great Magician Family (1) Happy 200th chapter guys!! Thank you fore being together with me in this long long long journey! Please take care of me in the future too! After Kaido''s death, the world returned to normal. Which in this worlds case, common sense returned to the world. The number of magicians, which used to be numerous to the point where there were always 2 C 3 magicians in an adventurer party, drastically decreased to only 1 magician per party of four. A different world full of dreams, hopes and heroic stories had also disappeared. No hopeful teenager with half-baked determination remained amongst the adventurers. Only real mercenaries who had survived the bloody battlefield were left behind. Moreover, the female adventurers were now no longer walking in stupidly exposed armors. Aracelli was surprised when she saw the world turn upside down in an instant. They change the origin of the world itself. Those being called protagonists'' are scary. Aracelli said with her eyes wide open as the world underwent a complete change in an instant. Those are exactly my thoughts. At some point, I even thought of quitting this job. Was there ever a protagonist worse than this? "Well There are some. Like a protagonist who created a new world and a protagonist who could turn back time indefinitely. I answered indifferently. But in contrast to my casual demeanor, Aracelli reacted strongly. The protagonist'' created a world? "Huh? Yeah. To be precise, the world the protagonist had designed had become a reality. At my answer, Aracelli put her hand on her chin. "I knew that the world'' gave all kinds of blessings for the protagonist, but it''s kind of shocking that it creates a world itself for the protagonist." Is that so? Yes. Creating a world isnt a simple matter after all. Aracelli explained. "Ive been thinking about it for a long time, just what is the purpose of the will of the world for it to give blessings to the protagonist''? "Huh?" Why did the world favor them even though by doing so, it was leading itself onto the path of destruction? I was left speechless because I had never thought about it. Since I first started hunting, I simply hunted based on the fact that the protagonist devours the worlds blessings and leads the world to destruction. For the protagonist, a world unique to them was created Obviously the world has some will and purpose. Its just a feeling I got from traveling different worlds, but Im pretty sure about it. In other words, according to Aracelli''s argument, the world has a reason to destroy itself "Well" After thinking about it for a while, I remembered the recent events of destruction and the Hell Gate I had just learned. I spilled them all in detail in front of Araceli without hiding anything. After hearing the whole story, Araceli let out a sigh. There is a limit to finding out something just by hearing about it. If only I could have seen it in person Are you still a long way from Earth? "No." She said with strangely determined eyes. Every time I follow Professor, I get closer and closer towards Earth. I will soon be able to reach Earth. Is that so. As far as I know, it''s still a long way off before Aracelli arrives on Earth. But, why did she say that? Whatever, in the first place, how could someone like me know what an archmage like her thinks? Anyway, thanks for the hard work again this time around. I plan to move to another world right away, will you follow me? "Yes? You arent going back to Earth?" "Not now. I want to proceed with several quests at once this time. The mission to kill Kaido in this world ended fairly quickly, so I decided to take another mission to get stronger faster in order to safely enter Hell Gate in the near future. Currently [You have killed a level 193 protagonist.] [1830 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current lifespan: 8237 days 17 hours 10 minutes] [Your level has been raised by 4.] [Your level has been raised by additional 2 following your success of hunting the protagonist just before the epilogue] [You have acquired Talent Focus C.] C [Level: 180] *Stats [Strength 176] [Strength 190] [Agility 175] [Energy 1] [Mana 299] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting S] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vitality SS+] [Focus C] [Others] *Skill [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 5] [White Swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth Sense (B)] [Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SS+)] [Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SS+)] [Library Of The White Witch(C)] [Looking at all things with a cold gaze (B)] C My level was 180. And my goal was to reach level 200. Back when I reached the S rank, a certain degree of metamorphosis'' occurred in my body. The moment I reach SS rank, the same phenomenon but with a stronger effect should occur again. And it was very important to me now. Then are you going to go right away? "Yeah. Can you follow me? "Of course! If we depart together at this distance, the time axis will not be twisted. "Okay then. Lets go quickly. After hearing Aracelli''s answer, there was no reason to be in this world any longer. So, the next destination which had been chosen by the system appeared in front of me. Magic Genius Reincarnated As The Youngest Son of The Magician Family #ReincarnatedAsTheTrash #Cider #Growth #OurYoungMasterSuddenlyBecomeDifferent Lets go right away. * * * Meanwhile, on Earth. Yekaterina actively undertook several projects to help the otherworlders adapt faster to modern times. To make modern people accept their existence, it was necessary to make a strong first impression. And if they appear in such a situation and play an active part in clearing dangerous areas such as at least S class gates and dungeons, they would be able to produce a sufficiently positive image Or that''s what Yekatrina thought. In fact, some races, such as werewolves and druidswho had no problem appearing in publichad already made their way through some dungeons and made their faces known, but there were still people who cursed and rejected them. In the meantime, the otherworlder who was most helpful to her was Lacanthal. Even though he could not exert his own powerful power like other otherworlders due to the aftereffects he suffered from transporting to Earth from his home world, his magic engineering knowledge was second to none. On top of it, his knowledge was also helpful in the sudden Hell Gate anomaly. It didn''t take long for civilians to hear that Hell Gate''s energy was expanding. No matter how hard the institution tried to keep it under wraps, it was pointless. The number of people living in the research centre alone was in the hundreds, so as time passed, it was only natural that rumours began to spread around the world. Even a small child was well aware of the dangers of Hell Gate, so it is natural for everyone to be anxious. But amidst the chaos, You can restrain the warping of the dimensional rift. Lacanthal''s otherworldly knowledge was a huge help! The fact that the power of otherworlders who people of Earth rejected helped humanity spread widely, and it soon lit a positive image on the otherworlders. Another League''s share price has risen tremendously. Lost Days Master, Yoo Haram murmured. He did not hide his discomfort in front of the person sitting opposite him. Because the person was someone he trusted the most. Its understandable since they have all the good things in the world. Yoo Haram sighed. Just how did it happen? Yoo Seodam he knew was a hunter who could not even deal with E Rank monsters without an expensive firearm and was a dead last F rank hunter. At one point, Yoo Seodam was stricken with an incurable disease. And when Yoo Haram heard the reports that he would die sooner or later, he quickly got rid of him. I cant believe that guy recovered and even grew this much.'' The current Yoo Seodam was no longer someone who Lost Day could push around and that was a worrying thing. Then, why not just kill him? "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Yoo Haram rebuked the mans suggestion. Yoo Haram was a very calculative person. He had always acted for his own benefit, and never did anything that could put himself at risk. It is the middle of the 21st century. With superpowers as well as magic and martial arts developed, you want to kill an S rank superhuman? On top of it, a huge tycoon like the Guild Master of the Another League? It wasn''t like the assassination of superpowers had never happen but Yoo Haram didnt think that killing a single person was the answer he wanted in this problem. However, For some reason, his head was telling him to do just that. There are many guilds who also hated him. Despite his 17-year career as a hunter, Yoo Seodam is still growing at a frightening pace. If he gets even stronger in the future, he''ll be really untouchable. We need to deal with him before that happens! So, if we decide to do it, how will we kill him? Isn''t there a lawless zone on Earth? Right inside the dungeon and the rift. !!! Inside the dungeon and rift, radio waves could hardly be used. And there are some dungeons and rifts in which radio waves couldnt be used at all, so they were often isolated from the outside. In those dungeons, in recent years, more and more crimes were committed. We are planning to attack an SS rank dungeon soon, and we will try to bring Yoo Seodam to it. After that it is you and your SS rank powers role. At the other person''s words, Yoo Haram hardened his expression and nodded his head. The thought that he didnt want to do it had disappeared. His head was currently full of thoughts about how to kill Yoo Seodam. * * * There was one fact that Aracelli Rinekal overlooked. That was, even if the time axis stayed normal when she was moving at the same time as Yoo Seodam, the space axis'' would stay misaligned. Hey, Aracelli. You need to go serve Young Masters breakfast again today. "Yes" She took a deep breath as she put on her maid''s robe. Then, when she was ready, she opened the door of her room. A mansion of enormous size, reminiscent of a giant castle, filled Aracelli''s field of vision as soon as she went out. It was the residence of Duke Alleroden, the greatest magician on the continent as well as his family. It was said that Alleroden was an archmage who had reached the 7th circle and there were only seven such archmages in the entire continent. And in this place, Aracelli was acting as Duke Alleroden''s youngest son, Mazellion''s maid. Who is Mazellion Alleroden? He was the only one in the whole family who had no talent for magic whatsoever. He was famous for spending his days indulging himself in the embrace of women, partying and spending his family fortune. What about his appearance? His appearance, which was fat enough to say that his body weighed about 0.2 tons, instinctively caused disgust to everyone who saw it. However, one day, he suddenly changed. He stopped indulging himself in the comfort of women, started to accumulate fortune, never held a party anymore and started to be generous with all of subordinates, and after losing weight, his beauty began to shine! Is that all? Of course not! Mazellion, who was well-known for not having any magical talent, suddenly awakened his 4th circle at the age of 20. He even started to take interest in the affairs of the state. It was such an amazing change that made people wonder if the current him and the past him were really the same person. However, Aracelli knew the truth since she had experienced similar cases like this before. The current Mazellion was not really the same person''. Is it someone reincarnated?'' She sighed and went to wake up Mazellion, the youngest master of the Alleroden family, and perhaps the protagonist'' of this world. "Young Master, please have your breakfast. Aracelli had become a maid for no longer than a week, but it wasn''t difficult for her to adapt. After all, she was experienced in blending with the world''s customs with her quick-wit. "Come in." She went into Mazellion''s room with the other maids in tow carrying a tray of meals. Mazellion, who just woke up, brushes his bushy hair back with his fingers. Oh my gosh "How can he be so handsome" Other maids blushed at the spectacle. But Aracelli only looked at him with indifference. Even if he was handsome, he couldnt rival her Professor. "Oh, its you Aracelli "Yes." For another person, it might look like Mazellion was such a good person as he, as a young master, remembered the face of his maid. However, the truth was far from it. He only remembered Aracellis face. It feels good to see your face in the morning. What''s on the menu today? Are you asking because you really do not know? The faces of the other maids turned pale in response to Aracelli''s thorny answer, but Mazellion only laughed out loud. Haha, its still fun to ask! As he got up from the bed, she walked over to Aracelli and asked. I have seen your magic. As long as you become my wife, you will rise in status and will be allowed to study magic as much as you want. How about it? Won''t you be mine?" His words were soft and alluring. It was a proposal which would be accepted by anyone else. Afterall, the young master of the world''s most famous magician household wants to get married, what kind of woman will refuse? "No." As Aracelli bowed her head, Mazellion muttered, Ah Now I want you more'' and smirked. Professor, please come sooner Or else Or else I will hurt someone!'' Aracelli shuddered and grimaced. Aracelli felt depressed at the thought that this journey had been quite twisted from the start. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 201: Trash of the Great Magician Family (2) The story of how Aracelli ended up in her current situation went like this Shortly after arriving to this world called the Balkan Continent, she fortunately, or maybe closer to unfortunately, somehow became the maid of the Duke Alleroden. At first she thought it was okay since the job offered incentives like food, clothing and bed. Then, on the very first night of her maid life. Aracelli soared into the sky at dawn when the mansion''s guard was at its weakest. She didnt soar by stepping on the air or using ridiculous magic such as gravity reversal. She literally made her body fly by using countless feathers that attached themselves to her body. Shortly after stepping on the mansions roof, Aracelli put her hands together and drew her mana to the best of her ability. However, since her current mana pool was far cry from what she had back in her prime, she could not find out Yoo Seodam''s exact location. Therefore, she had no choice but to launch a message'' towards an unspecified space. However, this time, knowing that Yoo Seodam also exists somewhere in this world, Aracelli was certain that this magic, which consumes an enormous amount of mana, would work without a hitch. Swooosh-!! Softly dissolving, a subtle swarm of white light scattered into the sky. With her business done, Aracelli skipped to the air and descended to the ground. Unluckily, Mazellion, the youngest son of Duke Alleroden showed himself as soon as she landed. Rather than saying that she was caught red-handed, it was more like she was careless with her planning. It was all budding from the fact that she had always hid her magic as much as she could, to the point not many wizards could feel it. And the only one in the mansion who could feel her magic was Duke Alleroden himself. However, the 7th-circle wizard wasnt in the mansion. He was currently in the capital of the Empire, so she has no fear of being caught. "Beautiful." Mazellion muttered while looking at the night sky. Both you and your magic Its so beautiful May I know your name? Its Aracelli She answered, cold sweat dripping all over her body. So far, while traveling to many worlds, no one had ever found out that she was a sorcerer. But that stellar record was currently being broken by someone who discovered her as soon as she arrived in this world. It would only be natural for anyone who saw this to question why a magician was working as a maid. However, Mazellion understood it differently. You dont have any surname? "Yes? Ah, that is so "Hm Why did you come to our family? Is it because as a commoner you cant learn magic and want to secretly learn magic by watching our family? ? Aracelli was confused by his words. However, since it was a rather good misunderstanding, she followed his tune. "I apologize. The punishment of daring to try to learn the Dukes magic, I will accept it. "No. You don''t have to. I also felt that It''s pretty sad that commoners can''t learn magic" Looking at his words, a look of understanding dawned on Aracelli''s face. It seems that before the reincarnation, he was a commoner. Ill turn blind eye to the fact that you are a magician. Instead, serve me in the future. I understand" After that, Mazellion turned his back and disappeared with the moonlight. Waking up from her reminiscences, Aracelli sighed. Hm? Aracelli. Is something wrong? One of the maids, who was clearly more senior than the rest, asked her. She was the head maid of this mansion. "Yes? No. I am just tired. Is it perhaps because you worked so hard? Take it easy. Aracelli sighed again in her head. It was not like the work of a maid was hard. It was just frustrating that she was stuck here and wasting every precious second in this place even though she couldve spent it with her Professor. However, she didn''t reveal her thoughts and simply responded politely. "I understand." Thats right. I will give you some rest. She said with a smile. The head maid really liked Aracelli. She was smart, learned things well, worked hard, talked softly, and even had a cute face, so she fully understood why young master Mazellion fancied her. And, you have to be careful. Dont you have a subtle relationship with the young master? . Theres no relationship whatsoever! Peeking at all the maids around her who were blushing uncontrollably at the mention of the topic, she felt exasperated. It seemed like they were excited because it was a forbidden romance between a noble and a commoner. However, for Aracelli herself, it was suffocating. She felt as if she could die any moment now. Romance between commoners and nobles I thought it only happened in novels! How come the young master is so blind? From what Aracelli knew, Mazellion''s reputation before the sudden change couldnt be any lower. Simply put, he was a human garbage. Even though he was born in the great lineage of Duke Allerodenone of the strongest magicians on the continenthe had just barely completed his first magic circle. He was incomparable to his eldest brother who had completed as many as six circles in his early 30s and was called genius among geniuses, and his second eldest brother, who, even though only had a low number of circles, had turned the academic world upside down several times with his excellent magic theory. However, for some reasonwhich everyone in the mansion saw as Mazellion turning a new leafhe suddenly started to learn magic religiously. Then, when he became 20 years old, he completed four circles of magic, which meant that he was a genius enough to be recorded in history. At that display of behaviour, everyone started to suspect that Mazellions trashy behaviour was nothing but a fa?ade because he feared that he would be oppressed by his brothers if he showed his talent to the world. He only showed his talent once he was old enough to defend himself. In other words, from a young age, Mazellion''s political sense was well-honed. People couldnt stop clamouring at him. The more they thought about Mazellion, the more charming he seemed. However, Aracelli, who knew that he was not the same person as Mazellion from the past, knew just how wrong those people were. Ah, Aracelli! You are here! "Yes? Is there something you need? Ah The young master wanted to see you at the Replacian Garden! At those words, Aracelli sighed inside her mind and nodded her head. She assured herself that she had to look good to the protagonist to make the Professors job easier. * * * Mazellion Alleroden was originally a different person from another world. He was a genius wizard in his own way, but an unfortunate one since he couldnt reach the height he shouldve reached because he could not learn magic properly due to his low status. However, by chance, he was given an opportunity to learn a certain magic. It was none other than black magic. A kind of magic which could only be used by selling souls to dark beings. Even though it had such a steep price, the exchange was guaranteed. Its performance simply overshadowed any other form of magic. Naturally, the use of black magic was strictly forbidden in the magic society of his original world. It was due to the fact that black mana was highly likely to run rampant, and had an atrocious side effect of corrupting the environment and people around it with its unclean energy. For that reason, before being reincarnated in this world, Mazellion was killed by the wizards. Before his death, he cursed the world that suppressed his talent and thirst for knowledge just because of his low status. And the next thing he knew, he woke up in his current body. The body of the youngest son of Duke Alleroden. After living in this world for several weeks, Mazellion became aware that black magic in this world had already disappeared more than a hundred years ago due to the same reason as his old world, a large-scale warlock hunting. Due to that fact, Mazellion became the only warlock in this world, and no one was able to notice his dark magic. Mazellion, who sat in the garden alone, focused on the circles around his heart. There were four bright white mana circles and three black mana circles spinning around his beating heart. The three dark mana circles were his secret. A knife he had hidden for the worst-case scenario. Step Step Step-!! When he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, Mazellion quickly woke up from his meditation and turned around. There stood Aracelli, a mysterious wizard girl who had entered the mansion of Duke Alleroden as a maid, but was now his lover''. (T/N this guy is not only going to pick a fight with Seodam but also all of the Aracelli best girl army.) Youve come, Aracelli. "Yes" Mazellion rose to his feet before staggering towards Aracelli. For some reason, the girl in front of him looked a little uncomfortable. He soon figured out why. Ah If the other maids are angry at you because I called you while you were working, just tell me. I will take care of everything. "No Its not like that. The next time you want to talk, let me know. I can listen to your concerns at any time. What the hell are you talking about. Aracelli was confused. She found his words baffling just like always. Mazellion and Aracelli strolled through the garden. By Mazellion''s orders, no one, not even gardeners, could enter this garden. The knights were escorting them from afar, but to be honest, their protection wasnt needed since Mazellion himself was far more powerful than them. Should I just kill him now? Aracelli contemplated. If her Professor had to deal with him anyway, Aracelli was willing to get her own hands dirty and end it here. But she shook her head. Having lost most of her power and her inability to replenish her mana without her Professor''s mana, it was impossible for her, or at least the current her, to deal with him. On top of that, it was highly unlikely that she would be able to overcome the power of the world''s blessing given by protagonist correction'' on her own. And, crucially The energy around his heart its definitely black mana.'' But why haven''t other wizards in this world killed him yet? It was as if they didn''t know anything about black magic. Is it possible that black magic has not yet appeared in this world? Aracelli had only been here for a week, so her knowledge of this world was quite limited. Because of this she had no choice but to figure out most of the situation on her own. If its the blessing of the protagonist, then its possible for it to interfere with history itself. However, Aracelli was aware that Mazellion was not a protagonist with the blessing of interference with reality. His blessing was being reincarnated into someone elses body and living a new life. It would not be possible for his blessing to completely twist the history that had existed. For now, I need to learn about the black magic in this world'' Aracelli. Aracellis train of thoughts was being broken by Mazellions sudden words. "Yes?" Why did you want to learn magic? ? Aracelli tilted her head to one side at his question. She had never thought about it before. She only felt it was natural for her to learn magic because she was a descendant of Archmage Rinekal. On top of it, for her, magic had always been as natural as breathing. So, when everyone kept calling her genius this and genius that, she continued to learn magic to meet their expectations. But further down the line, her purpose of learning magic changed. It was to meet a certain man. A man who was kind to her when everyone else turned their eyes away from her. The man who saved her from her darkest days. I think I learned it for the sake of my life. So Aracelli answered, and Mazellion smiled as he nodded, seemingly satisfied with her reason. "Is that so? Your reason is the same as mine it seems. I also learned magic for my life. To be exact To survive. Thats why I couldnt be angry at you for sneaking into our family and learning magic. It reminded me of the old me. . Aracelli looked at him blankly. It seemed like he was trying to make a connection between them with the fact. But she found it funny and absurd to watch him do it. In addition, the words reminded me of the old me made Aracelli very upset. After all, how could he equate her efforts with his effort which dabbled in black magic which could only be attained by sacrificing a living human being? So, I want to give you an opportunity. An opportunity? "Yes. I plan to take you to a seminar which will be held soon. There, famous magicians from all over the world will gather. You can choose a master there to take you. How is it? But if someone like me follows them, it might damage the reputation of the master. Its okay. Don''t worry about such useless things. Besides, if I go to a seminar like that, can I understand anything? "Of course! You can learn a lot just by attending! Aracelli sighed. She really didnt want to go there. It was better to use that time to look for her professor. Just why was he this pushy? No need to hesitate. There are so many great and special magicians out there. Some people specialize in making golems, some magicians have successfully teleported objects over long distances, and some magicians made special crystal balls that can communicate with other countries Naturally, they did not interest Aracelli, who had already reached the realm of Archmage. However, Mazellions next words made her eyes twinkle. Ah, yes! A magician who wields a long, large wand appeared not too long ago. His wand was powerful enough to crush an entire wall with a tremendous roar I wonder where such a magician came from. "Wait. By any chance, will that magician come to this seminar too? "Huh? Yes he will be there." When Aracelli suddenly showed interest, Mazellion was excited. He started to tell her that the magician in question had only appeared a week ago and had started working in a prestigious magic tower in the neighboring country. After hearing his story, Aracelli was convinced that the magician Mazellion was talking about must have been her beloved Professor. I will go! I will go to that seminar." There was no reason for her to hesitate any longer. (T/N magician my ass He''s an interdimensional con-artist.) (P/N why can''t there be more decent protagonists. I miss you, sexy guy) * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 202: Trash of Magician Family (3) Im a magician. Ah! You are that Great Magician! Nice to meet you!" But apparently, Im not just an ordinary magician but a Great'' one. It sounded very strange, but it wasn''t exactly wrong. After all, unlike other magicians who used a small wand, I used a wand created in an era far from the current era of this world, a wand called Winchester. (T/N Okay it might be confusing with the title But the great magician in the title is the Duke.) That''s a gun, not a wand, you say? No, it was actually a wand here because it had the same function as a wand, which was to unleash an attack to destroy the enemy. Cant you show me that wand just once? Hey! Why did you ask something so disrespectful to a Great Magician? Oh, sorry! The place I was currently at was Blue Magic Tower. One of the largest magic towers in the Empire. However, even herea place where numerous prestigious wizards gatheredmy wand still looked alien to them. Well, it wasnt surprising since even back in the Vivienda Empire, where their magic technology was far more developed than this world, my old gun, Mega Shooter, was mistaken for a wand. Therefore, its only natural for the magicians here to think that Winchester is a wand since it even had the function of enhancing bullets with magic. For that reason, I became quite famous throughout the tower even though its only been a week since I registered here. -I am currently working as a maid for the Alleroden family. On my second night in this world, a message from Aracelli arrived. I didn''t know why I fell on this distant Blue Magic Tower when Araceli fell on the residence of Duke Alleroden. Though, I knew there must be a reason. Perhaps, it was because the hunting chance would be the highest if it was like this. As I was thinking about that, while testing the magical value of the Winchester by enchanting it with a new magic with the help of the Flower Pot, an old wizard came to me with five young wizards in tow. Magician Yoo Seodam. I heard that you are participating in the next seminar? "Yes. Thats correct." Arent you being arrogant? "Pardon?" It has only been a little over a week since you entered the tower. Yet, you''ve already decided to participate in a seminar I am participating because I am qualified. Huh, do you think that other magicians didnt participate because they dont have the qualifications? You are wrong! They arent participating so senior magicians can participate first! From the looks of it, it looks like you put too much faith in that special wand of yours But if you continue to live like that, you''ll be kicked out of the tower sooner rather than later. Cancel your admission now and just enter next year''s seminar. I glanced at the young wizards standing behind the old man while he was talking. One of the five magicians was staring sharply at me. It was then that I understood. It seems like he was supposed to attend the seminar, but since I decided to participate, he lost his spot, and it was given to me instead. The old magician waited for my answer with smug looks on his face. It looks like he thought that he had successfully intimidated me with his petty threat. But unfortunately for him, I dont really mind even if I was kicked out of the tower right now. I dont want to. "What?!?!" The old magicians face became beet red. Tell that old magician behind you. If he wants to take my place, he needs to become a better magician. If he doesn''t have the skills, of course he wont have the right to enter the seminar. So what if he''s older than me? How does it matter when I am a better magician than him? What is he going to do about it? This guy!!!! You dare mock me!? Among the magicians, the hierarchical order was considered as extremely important. It was even stricter than the army. However, was that really a necessity? No way. Hierarchy was just the culture of the old folks. This was simply a recipe for repressing talents. Rather, creativity overflows in an unrestrained environment. But this old magician in front of me seems to be putting that archaic tradition in high regard, and he didnt seem willing to let the matter go. YOU!!! I will tell the Vice Tower Master about your transgression right away! Is that so? The old magician and the five magicians behind him walked out from my room and climbed up the stairs. With a sigh, I boarded the elevator right beside the stairs. It was a luxurious elevator straight to the Tower Masters room which could only be used by VIPs. "Oh, our Seodam is here!" When I arrived at the Tower Masters office, a beautiful woman, who seemed to be in her early 30s, with wavy red hair that reached her waist, greeted me. Even if she looked young and beautiful like that, her true identity was the Archmage Ra?asel'' who had achieved the level of 7 circles, which was equivalent to SS rank in terms of superhuman on Earth. For reference, her actual age was in the 70s. "Hmm You didnt think about something rude, did you?" I shuddered at her words. Come to think of it, her specialty was mental magic. From the story I heard around the tower, she was very good at reading other people''s minds. Fortunately, since I have a strong protective mental barrier called [Concentration], Ra?asel couldn''t read my mind properly. But still, since my level was a bit low, when I think of an important word like her age, she could easily see it at the very first glance. "No. Of course not, Tower Master-nim." "Is that so? Since I can''t read your mind well, Ill believe you~ But whatever, I dont care about what you''re thinking!" "Thats a relief." "But what''s wrong with your expression? Is there something wrong?" "No, everything is okay." Fufu, if you have any concerns, feel free to tell this big sister! Well, to be honest I indeed have a problem. Or to be exact had caused a problem. By now, that old magician must be pouring out swear words about me in front of the Vice Tower Master. But well, it''s not a big deal since the magician simply wants to protect the long-running archaic culture of the tower. It''s too annoying to step forward and trample that culture since I wouldnt be here for long. "By the way, did you find the wizard you were looking for?" "" To briefly explain my concept'' of this world, I was a magician from another continent as well as a heretic inquisitor who hunts heretic wizards. However, the part about being from another continent drew the interest of the Tower Master. Unlike Earth, the seas of this world were full of all kinds of evil beasts and disasters, making it almost impossible to communicate between continents, and it was said that communication with the neighboring continents was completely cut off around 100 years ago. In the midst of that, I came and claimed that I had crossed over from the other continent. To be honest, when I said that, I just threw those words without thinking. I didn''t know about such a backstory at all. Fortunately, my unique wand, Winchester and the magic of Flower Pot that I often use was a magic which couldnt be found on this continent. Therefore, it gave credibility to my story. "I haven''t found it yet. But that magician will bring harm to the world soon. Before that happens, I must find him." I lowered my voice as I put the most serious expression I could. "once I find him, I''ll deal with him quietly and leave." Charisma is important after all. * * * It was said that the first seminar started with a very small number of people. Only about 20 wizards from the Magic University gathered to discuss the truth of magic. But overtime, their seminars reputation spread all over the world, and by the 2nd and 3rd seminars, the number of people tripled and quintupled, and now, in the 30th seminar, the number of participating magicians had reached 300. However, the current seminars goal wasnt as pure as the first seminar. They no longer gathered to study anything related to magic. They simply came to boast their achievements. "This time, Baron Teres'' eldest son has achieved 3rd circle, right?" "Thats right, great achievements at such a young age. If only my son could be half as good as him Sigh "Eh-hey this guy. Even though your son has a low circle, hasn''t he already entered college by presenting a new theory of undifferentiation even though he is still just a young teen?" In the midst of all the ass-licking and ego boasting, there was one particular name which people uttered more than one time. It was Mazellion Alleroden, the third son of the Duke Alleroden. Despite the fact that he was only twenty, he had a dignified appearance that did not cower in the slightest in the gathering of middle-class and old wizards. But no one pointed out his cocky attitude. Afterall, Mazellion was the world''s most famous magician. A magician who achieved 4 circles at the age of twenty. On top of it, rumour of how Mazellion suddenly changed right when he became 20 and all of his trashy act was nothing but a fa?ade to protect himself also spread. All those acts were just to hide the real serpent inside.'' Scary bastard.'' The head of the Alleroden family must be very concerned about who will inherit the family in the future.'' The first son, who reached the 6th circle in his 30s, was certainly great, but he had no talent for politics whatsoever. Except for magic, he was ignorant and stupid. However, the youngest was different. His magical talent could be said peerless in the current era. He was also very talented in political warfare and had already turned the political world upside down. Would it be the eldest brother who was already showing the temperament of an Archmage, or the youngest son who was still growing? Thats what everybody present thinks about. Mazellion Alleroden felt all of their gaze and was engrossed in a sense of superiority. Then he glanced at Aracelli who was slicing ??the steak in front of her with a knife and shoved it into her mouth little by little. A seminar was a seminar, but in this place, food and drinks were arranged like a banquet hall. It was said that it was changed to this format ten years ago because it was no longer a place that needed a blackboard and a pen. You must be very touched and grateful.'' Mazellion smiled as he saw Aracellis reluctant and careful action. "Aracelli. You can eat a lot. Eat as much as you want. "Yes" "How is it? Is it delicious? The steak you eat is a particular cut which only comes out of 500g from Blancau''. It''s a rare cow that only comes out once every three years. After eating that, you''re not even envious of heaven, right?" After explaining with a voice full of pride, Mazellion smiled widely. He thought that by giving such food to Aracelli, who was a commoner, she would change her mind to marry him because she wanted to eat more of it. "I see However, contrary to his belief, Aracelli only sighed and felt the taste of the beef on her tongue. Yes, it was definitely delicious. However, as the one and only Archmage who had reached the realm of 9 circles in her world, she could eat as much beef as she wanted for every meal. She just didn''t do it because she liked to live frugally. "Oh, can you wait here for a moment? I have to go and see my father." "I understand." After hearing Aracelli''s answer, Mazellion quickly got up and headed for the balcony on the top floor where his father was currently at. When Mazellion arrived, The 7 circle Archmage, Duke Allerodens expression relaxed. Lucky old man.'' Magellion said in his head. He didn''t really like the old man in front of him. In his head, the fact that he successfully achieved the title Archmage was simply because he was born in a good family and was provided with a suitable learning environment. If he had been born into such a family in his past life, he would undoubtedly have been a better magician than him. That family I will definitely get my hands on it.'' "Your achievements have improved a lot these days." Duke Alleroden said. "All thanks to your teachings, father." "I didn''t teach you anything. You learned all of it yourself. I''m proud of you." "!!! Mazellion opened her eyes wide without realizing it. His father, the man who didnt easily put the word proud'' in his mouth even to his eldest brother, just said those words to him. I hope that these words mean!!!'' "Don''t focus on that too much." Duke Alleroden tapped Mazellion on the shoulder and then disappeared into thin air. It was disrespectful to leave during the seminar, however, who could say anything to him? Mazelion clenched his fists as his body trembled. He really wanted to cheer as loud as he could right now, but he held back. The decision was not set in stone just yet, so he didnt want some obstacle pop out of nowhere to change his fathers heart which was leaning towards him rather than his two brothers. Yeah, just a little more!'' Mazellion calmed down and returned to the seminar again, suppressing his joy. However, unlike before, the seminar hall was buzzing with something new. "Did the Blue Mage and the Great Wizard come together?" "It''s amazing. I heard he came from another continent? Does that mean he uses a different magic system than what we have here?" "Did you say that his nickname was Great Water Wizard''?" Great Magician? If it was that magician, Mazellion also remembered it. The reason was simple, it was because he was the only magician Aracelli interested in. If he was here, he had to tell Aracelli about it. He wanted to see her bright smile again. With that thought, Magellion looked around the seminar to find Aracelli. However, Huh?'' Contrary to his expectation, Aracelli had already met the Great Magician. How?'' He thought that since she entered as a maid, she wouldn''t dare talk to the wizard alone. However, his hunch was proven to be incorrect by the spectacle in front of his eyes. Aracelli''s expression while she was having a conversation with that wizard named Yoo Seodam was bright. It was Aracelli''s happiest expression he had ever seen. Just what!'' When she ate the rare steak earlier, even after she heard the full details of what kind of steak it was, she did not even make such an expression. However, right now, when Yoo Seodam gave Aracelli a few tangerines, she was smiling brightly as she put them in her mouth. It was currently winter right now. So, it was a bit hard to get some tangerines, but still It was nothing but common food! How could she show such a happy expression? Something, something'' An unpleasant thought suddenly filled his head, and he held it tight. In his eyes, Yoo Seodam was just a wandering wizard on the street while he was a man who would become the next head of the Duke Alleroden family. It was rude to even compare himself to that bastard. I''ll have to deal with him later.'' Mazellion grinded his teeth and drank the wine violently. It was a 59 years old vintage and rare wine, but he didnt even enjoy its taste, he simply chugged it down like water. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 203: Trash of Great Magician Family (4) As I had expected, Aracelli came to the seminar after hearing the news about my new title as a Great Magician''. She was working as a maid in Duke Allerodens estate, the protagonist, Mazellions supposed family. Therefore, it was possible for her to get a rough idea about the protagonists current situation. So, youre saying hes a practitioner of black magic? "Yes. In addition to his normal 4 mana circle, I also felt the circles of black mana. In fact, I already knew that he was a warlock in his previous life through the new function of [Protagonist Hunter]. However, I was not sure if he was also practicing black magic in this lifetime, and if he was, I don''t know what level was his mastery currently at. Therefore, the information that Aracelli gave me was very helpful. By the way'' While I was talking to Aracelli, I could feel a very strong gaze boring into the back of my head. It wasn''t just a normal gaze, but one filled with intent to use magic against me, so I couldn''t just ignore it. When I turned my head, I could see Mazellion approaching towards me with a ferocious expression on his face. He probably had heard the news about me But was that enough reason for him to look at me like that? No matter how hard I think, theres no reason for him to hold a grudge against me. We havent had any interactions whatsoever till now. If it was in normal circumstances, this might not have been a very good thing for me, but now, it doesn''t really matter because I have already collected almost all the necessary things needed to hunt the protagonist. Are you the Great Magician, Yoo Seodam? "Thats correct. Its a pleasure to meet the youngest son of Duke Alleroden. "Hmm" He stared at me for a moment before turning his gaze to Ra?asel, the Tower Master of the Blue Magic Tower. Ra?asel, the Tower Master of the Blue Magic Tower. Its nice to meet you." The Blue Magic Tower Master and Duke Alleroden have long been famous for their rivalry. Both of them often collided against each other just to widen their respective influence within the magic society. Therefore, it could be said that it was natural for the child of the Alleroden family to hate the Blue Tower Master. But Mazellion did not show any particular resentment towards her. Rather, he greeted her with her warm expression. People around him instantly admired him for being able to maintain his poker face so well, but in reality, that was not the case. Mazellion was a reincarnator, so he really had no grudges against Ra?asel. Being a reincarnator was advantageous in many ways. If they were to reincarnate into someones body who previously had an image of being a trash human, even if they acted like a decent person, people would surely make a great deal of it. That was precisely the case for Mazellion. Then, Mazellion burst out laughing as he spread out his hands in the air. Everyone, we have a very special guest today! The Great Magician Yoo Seodam! A magician hailing from across the sea, from a continent far away! Please welcome him with a big round of applause! I was taken aback by his sudden announcement. Why is that friend doing this all of a sudden? At the same time, Mazellion''s eyes gently turned towards Aracelli. What the Does he have a crush on Aracelli? Did he do all that because of jealousy? I looked at Aracelli from the corner of my eyes. And maybe, because she felt my gaze, she fidgeted quite a bit. I had to admit, Aracelli was a very capable and beautiful woman. So, it wouldnt be strange for the protagonist to fall for her. Or maybe, did she seduce him? So because of that, while I was having a pleasant conversation with Aracelli, Mazellion made that announcement to separate us from each other. But on the contrary to his wish, all the attention he pulled to me was something which would help me. "Yes. Nice to meet you everybody. Just like what young master Mazellion said, I hail from the neighboring continent across the sea, Michelas. Oh As expected! "Woah, its surprising that he came from across the continent" From the information I heard in the Blue Magic Tower, contact with the neighboring continent Michelas was cut off a hundred years ago. So the appearance of a magician that came from another continent for the first time in a hundred years piqued the curiosity of all magicians present here. They all probably thought that just like the magic on this continent which had developed massively within the last a hundred years, magic in Michelas mustve also developed. In other words, none of them knew anything about the neighboring continent, Michelas. Therefore, I was able to deceive them with the supplies I had and the magic machine developed by Yekaterina as the technology of the neighboring continent Michelas, namely, a suit coated with ether and Winchester with magic enchanted magic bullets which was called The Great Wand'' here! Even Ra?asel, the Tower Master of Blue Magic tower as well as a 7 circle magician couldnt help but be deceived by my lies. Let me vouch for his claim. After observing his many magical tools for a week, I could confirm that it works with a system completely different from the magic of our continent. He is truly a magician of Michelas. When even Master Ra?asel affirmed, all the magicians who attended the seminar had no choice but to believe that I was a magician from another continent, Michelas. Then, what I would do from now on would be crucial. Back when I first met Ra?asel, I told her that I came to look for a certain magician. But it was just a background story of mine. It was an excuse for me to be able to exist as a magician of Michelas on this continent. But with the development and all the facts I gathered about Mazellion, I would be able to use that lie here. Actually, the reason I came to this continent is to find a certain someone. I lowered my voice even more to heighten the atmosphere. My mission is to hunt and kill a certain warlock''. Surprisingly, there seems to be none on this continent, but in Michelas, we still have those cancerous masses that corrode our society. Wha what? A warlock! In an instant, the light and friendly atmosphere in the hall changed. It was only natural since I brought up a topic of warlock which everyone here believed had completely disappeared a hundred years ago. Magician Yoo Seodam, can you take responsibility for your words? An old magician asked me with a serious gaze. The pressure he exude was even able to make me nervous, but I had to stand my ground here. "Yes. In order to cross over to this continent, I had to sacrifice thirty-six fellow Inquisitors. My purpose is to hunt him down because he is a practitioner of the heinous black magic. This time a voice came from another place. Can you explain what kind of magic he possesses? Slowly turning my head, I saw a middle-aged man with an impressive curved mustache. He was none other than Duke Alleroden himself. What the Didn''t he leave the seminar? Why is he still here?'' I had heard that Duke Alleroden had already left the seminar earlier. But it must have been a bluff to test what the protagonist, Mazellion Alleroden, could do at the seminar without him. However, it seems like since a sensitive topic of warlock suddenly appeared, he did not intend to continue his childish pranks anymore and decided to show himself. Well, its not at all bad for my plan. With Duke Alleroden here, all the stages were complete. When I glanced at the Tower Master Ra?asel, she looked at me with curious eyes. Her eyes seemed to ask, Who is the warlock? I answered her by turning my gaze straight to Mazellion Alleroden. The black magic he has is Possession. It is a magic that can parasitize someone else''s body and take away their entire life. Those who are ignorant of black magic will never be able to stop or prepare for it. !!! Popossession? "I''ve never heard of such a magic!" Its a magic which we recently discovered in Michelas, so its only natural that everyone here isnt familiar with it. The more I elaborated, the more Mazellion''s complexion grew paler and paler. It was only natural since the warlock I was talking about was none other than him. However, reincarnating, or what I told them as possession, was not black magic. It was simply a tool for the main character''s correction. Unfortunately for Mazellion, he just happened to have both of it. Therefore, politics was important. I will speak as the Master of the Blue Magic Tower. I respect the words of the magician Yoo Seodam. Therefore, I will do everything I can to help him catch the warlock. If black magic starts to spread in this land once again, something like the Warlocks Great War that had happened a hundred years ago might start again! In history, black magic has always been recorded as the cruelest magic of all. It''s the same in any world since it was a magic which could only be attained by sacrificing the soul of the living. Of course it didnt mean that Mazellion, after reincarnating, was still sacrificing the living. Because theres a chance that this story was about how he lives a life of atonement and regret for the atrocities he committed in the past. However, that had absolutely nothing to do with me. The fact that Mazellion had black mana circle was the most important fact for me. "Thats right! Just like what the Blue Magic Tower Master said, doesn''t history prove it? Black magic has historically been a terrible and uncivilized magic. "If Michelas'' magician could find him, we need to lend him a hand!" Thats right! Me and my tower will help you to catch the warlock! All the elite magicians who participated in the seminar began to agree with me. "But, do you have a way to find that warlock?" Unfortunately, in the process of crossing over to this continent, the machine that is used to locate the warlock had been destroyed. I cannot find him on my own. Some wizards seemed disappointed at my words, but the quick-witted Duke Alleroden lowered his voice and asked. does that mean that with our help, you will be able to find it? "That''s right. Didn''t magicians in this continent search out the warlocks themselves a hundred years ago? Among the magic tools at that time, there must be one that can detect black mana. "Ah! Thats right. We have one in the vault of our tower. There''s also one in the museum. I don''t know if it works, but if we fix it, we''ll be able to use it soon." "I think ours is still intact. In fact, if I want to, I could easily make a device with the help of Aracelli. However, if I did that, I couldn''t rely on all the magicians for the searching process. After all, it''s impossible for a foreigner to touch the third son of the Duke Alleroden without any support. If the truth was uncovered with my machine, theres a chance that the Duke family would rebel, saying that it was a conspiracy or whatever. However, what if they discovered the warlock with their own magic tools from the past? Mazellion would never be able to escape. Oh, there is a black mana detection tool in our tower. If it''s not rude, can I bring it out now? I was thinking that if it were a warlock, he would have hid in this place, where the most talented wizards gathered. Ra?asel gave up her usual light tone, and said it with a serious tone. At her words, all the magicians present nodded their heads. Its fine! There is actually someone who has mastered such terrible black magic, I think I wouldnt be able to sleep soundly if they were around." Im glad that the Blue Magic Tower has a detection tool." After a while, Ra?asel brought the magic tool out. Meanwhile, Mazellion took a step back from her while watching the magic tool being installed in the center of the venue. He knew that the moment the light came on, his identity would be revealed. Even though hed never learned possession magic, even though he had never used black magic properly after being reincarnated, and the circles were only the accumulation of Mana he had gathered in his previous life, he knew that for everyone, he was nothing but a warlock. He looked at the Duke of Alleroden with a pale face. But the Duke betrayed his expectations and just nodded his head. From now on, no one can leave the seminar. At that moment, Mazellion sensed his end. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 204: Trash of Great Magician Family (5) Mazellion gnawed at his nails and looked around the hall. Unlike before, where he felt superior while basking under everyone''s envious glances, now he was sweating profusely, trying to figure out how to overcome this situation. He was well aware that as soon as Ra?asel brought the magic tool, installed it in the middle of the room and activated it, his black mana circles would be exposed, cementing his death. However, in the middle of the terrible pressure pressing down on his shoulder, [Protagonist Correction'' has been activated.] Mazellion suddenly remembered his past life. The memory which came up was something he had completely forgotten about until a few seconds ago. He was grateful and elated since the memory suited very well with the predicament he was currently facing. If you want to live even if you give up all your black magic, use this method!'' The raspy voice of his teachers who first taught him about black magic echoed inside his mind. It was a ridiculous notion, he thought. No magicians in the world would ever want to lose their magic. They would rather choose death than sacrifice their hard-earned magic. But what if there was a reason to give up magic and live? In the case of warlocks, there were often times when they would have to sacrifice their magic to live. The method they used was a spell called circle break''. Just like its name implies, it destroys all the circles spinning around ones heart! Once used, they wouldnt be able to build the destroyed mana circles ever again. Fortunately, Mazellion had two types of mana circles rather than one. It''s a waste to give up on the black mana circle, but it''s better than dying!'' He thought. Black mana was a type of mana which was considerably denser than the normal white or blue mana. It was proven by the fact that even when he currently only had 3 black mana circles, the power it had was at the same realm as 4 to 5 normal mana circles. In other words, together with his normal 4 circle, even if he competes against a 6 circle magician, he could stand his ground. And if the situation was favourable to him, he could even defeat a 7 circle Archmage! However, in this hall, there were as many as two 7 circle Archmage. On top of it, there were also hundreds of wizards who could be called geniuses in their own rights. It was simply impossible for him to beat all of them alone. Sacrificing his black mana circle was the only option he had. Damn it. If I had had one more year, I would have regained my former state, killed everyone in this place, and destroyed the evidence'' Mazellion gritted his teeth as he thought about it. Losing his black mana circle was a very painful loss, but it couldn''t be helped. It was far better than dying again. As soon as he figured out what he should do, Mazellion left the hall. No one could leave the seminar hall, but it doesnt mean that the garden was also off limits. If I do it here, the residual black mana from destroying the circle wont spread to the venue. Settling down in this desolate garden, Mazellion instantly spinned the 3 black mana circles in full force. Keukk! A subdued groan leaked through his mouth. His whole body was sweating. Circle break was something which was accompanied by excruciating pain and a great sense of loss. But for survival, those were something he would gladly take. After all, just by continuing living, he would be able to enjoy many things that couldnt even be compared to his black circle. Becoming the head of the world''s most prestigious magic family, and enjoying a life full of love with the world''s most mysterious and beautiful magician girl, Aracelli. Thats alright, as long as I survive, all of those will be mine! Mazellion clenched his teeth and focused. Slowly, the black mana circle around his heart began to crack. Accompanied with a cracking sound only he could hear, one of the circles shattered. The residual mana leaked out to the air in the shape of black smoke. It lingered in the air for a few moments before disappearing without a trace. With another crack, the second circle also collapsed. A sense of loss washed over him. It was as if he had lost all of the limbs he had used all his life. Or perhaps even worse than that. Along with that sense of loss, a pain worse than before assaulted his body. More black mana flowed out and disappeared. It was a flawless act of erasing evidence. The magicians here did not even know how to detect the black mana remaining in the air, so even if the black mana sensor starts working, no one will know that it was even there. The last one!'' Crack-!! Spiders web-like crack ran all over the last black mana circle around his heart. After shaking uncontrollably for a few heartbeats, it shattered. Heukkkk! Immediately after, Mazellion fell to his front. With all of his remaining power, he forced his hand to support his collapsing body by putting it against the ground. The veins around his eyes had burst, tears of blood were running through his face. But amidst the exhaustion and pain, Mazellion smiled happily. The black mana circle around his heart had completely disappeared! Once he returned to the hall, he would once again bask in the glory he felt earlier that day without any worry. Only a flowery path was waiting for him from here and out. Whoosh-!! Ugh-huh!? However, at that time, a light-based spell pierced through Mazellions abdomen. The ultra-high heat spell instantly cauterized his wound, leaving only a gaping hole. But the pain wasn''t going anywhere. Mazellion grabbed his stomach and lifted his head. It''s an incredibly high-speed attack which won''t even allow my mana shield to activate!'' When a high-level wizard was hit by a magic that he wasn''t prepared for, the circle around their heart would automatically activate a mana shield to protect them. Even though he had quite a bit of practical experience with it, he didn''t notice this attack at all. The caster is at least 7 circles. Who the hell!'' Mazellion sweated as he thought about that. He slowly forced his head to turn into the direction where the spell was coming from. When he saw the figure who was standing there, he couldnt help but be surprised. She was someone he knew; someone he loved; and someone he cherished the most in this life. Still wrapped in the maid suit, Aracelli was standing there with her finger pointing at him indifferently. But, for some reason, her hair wasnt as dark as night anymore. It was as white as snow. The lingering amount of sparkling mana gathered on her fingertips made it clear that she was the one who used the magic that had just pierced his abdomen. A-aracelli. Why are you! Aren''t we in love with each other?" Please wake up from your delusion. "Huh?" Mazellions heart sank as he looked at Aracelli. Gone was the shy and beautiful Aracelli he knew. Replaced by her was Aracelli who looked at him condescendingly. It was as if she was looking at a mere insect. I have already given my heart to someone. Who would like to date a man like you when I have a better one? What, what? He tried to open his mouth to ask further. But before he could do so, someone appeared from behind Aracelli. It was Yoo Seodam, the heretic inquisitor from another continent. Yoo Seodam Mazellion clenched his teeth and glared at him. Heretic inquisitor? It doesn''t matter. Just remembering the fact that he plotted this situation made his anger flare up. He tried to direct all of his mana into the tip of his finger as he forced his hand to move. However, Yoo Seodam only looked at it without any interest. He casually moved his Winchester over his shoulders and watched the message floating in the air in front of him. [The protagonists ability temporarily decreases!] [Detecting change on protagonist Mazellions level: 183(-93)] His stats had weakened by a lot. It was now at a level where Yoo Seodam could easily win in a direct fight. But he didn''t feel like wasting his precious bullet and his or Aracelli''s precious mana to end him. So, he took a step back. Where! The moment Mazellion shouted as he tried to cast a magic spell at Yoo Seodam who looked like he was about to escape, a huge barrier was created in the air, nullifying the magic he had painstakingly casted. !! Mazellions eyes widened as he saw the gigantic barrier. A familiar mana could be felt from it. Dont tell me'' Mazellions heart which was already in tattered, beating more vigorously than forever. It was not because he regained his strength or something like that. Rather, it was because he was gripped by fear. Mazelion slowly looked to the air. Floating there was the great 7 circles Archmage, Duke Alleroden, the head of the House of Alleroden. He looked at him while the hem of his clothes fluttered. I am sorry, son. No, I don''t think I should call you son anymore at this point." However, the truth was, he was not looking at Mazellion but at the hint of black smoke which still lingered in the air. Ah, uh! This, this is not what it looks like, its a misunderstanding! I am disappointed in myself for having acknowledged you for a while. Damn it!! When Duke Alleroden moved his hand, Mazellion squeezed every bit of his remaining mana. However, he only had 4 circles without his black mana circle. He was powerless. "I should not have erased the circle!" If that was the case, at the very least, he would be able to kill Duke Alleroden. But his regret came too late. [You have killed a level 183 protagonist.] [1830 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current lifespan: 10128 days 16 hours 12 minutes] [Your level has been raised by 4.] Mazellions second life came to an end just like that. * * * With Mazellions death, the case was quickly closed. As a result of the incident, Duke Alleroden suffered a huge dent in his reputation while the Blue Magic Tower Master, who helped me, benefited greatly. Our cutie~ You can just live here as long as you want~! If there''s anything you need, just tell me! This sister will deliver it to you! While Duke Alleroden faltered, Tower Master Jurina Ra?asel was building up her power by pushing her own policies to the magic world. Because my contribution was big in the endeavour, she cared for me quite a bit. For that reason, I was being treated as a VVIP in the Blue Magic Tower while researching new skills I got from Mazellion with Araceli. The skill name was [Double Circle (SSS).]. A common skill that was owned by protagonists in a genre related to magic. Of course, it was a skill reserved only for the protagonist while other magicians could only use a single circle. Because of that fact, the system warned me, [If you use the skill, probability will accumulate around you in high quantities.] In other words, if I ever use the skill, the chance of me turning into protagonist would skyrocket. However, even after knowing that, I still used the skill. To be strong? No. It would certainly be a great help to me, but I didn''t take it for that reason. Youre going to make another mana circle from now on. "I understand My reason was because I wanted to give it to Aracelli. She was a young girl who first began wandering through dimensions in order to search for me. She had once achieved 9 magic circles and was an Archmage who went down in history. But all of her mana was frozen as a result of her fearless attempt to cross the dimension. It could be alleviated to some extent by replacing it through my Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique, but theres limits to that. Thats why this double circle was the least I could do for Aracelli. She had always helped me without getting or expecting anything in return. Thats why I wanted to do something for her, even a little. So, I took the risk of accumulating probability. I knew I wouldnt turn into the protagonist with only this much probability. I only need to consume it to move to another world. It would be nice to move on to the next world right away, but if we move now, theres a chance we will arrive at a different point once again. So, for the time being, let''s stay together in the tower and focus on creating your second mana circle." Perhaps it would be a more difficult and arduous journey than the time when she first created her mana circle. Because unlike me, who formed a mana circle through skill, Aracelli created hers through hard work and talents alone. Yes Thats right. She nodded his head weakly. Probably she knew how much pain she would suffer in the future. I ruffled her hair and activated the double circle to convey the concept itself clearly to her. At that moment, a message popped up in front of me. [You are on your way to becoming a Protagonist ~(_~). Accept it (,) Its okay(??,??)(^?^ )] ? Professor, why did you stop suddenly? "No. It''s nothing." The ominous message kept bothering me, but it should be fine for now. Not yet. I wouldnt turn into a protagonist just yet. My intuition said so. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD Chapter 205: Space Detective Yoo Seodam (1) New month reminder, You can read 10 chapters ahead starting from $3 by becoming our patron! While Yoo Seodam was waiting for Aracelli to finish her double circle, on Earth, Yekaterina was drinking a cup of coffee in silence as she watched the sun set. Her current location wasnt in her usual office in the Floating Garden of Spirits, but at Another League in the middle of Gangnam. Although the building couldnt be said as the true hideout of Another League, this 40-story tall building was still packed with facilities befitting a famous guild, such as training grounds and storage room for both magic tools and ether dispenser . Hmmm Yekaterina hummed as she stared wordlessly at the huge window which also functions as a monitor. Information related to Hell Gate was being displayed there. Moreover, it also displayed any change that happened in real time. Normally, the information in front of Yekaterina was something which couldnt be obtained, no matter how large the guild is. It was top-secret information. But thanks to Lacanthal who was helping the government to research Hell Gate, Another League became an exception. However, even with the myriad of knowledge which Lacanthal possessed, he still told Yekaterina this, Hell Gate is a natural disaster. No matter how strong we are, we can never win against the laws of nature. Just think about it this way: the world hates us, and it is trying to push us away. We can never win against it. The best we can do is resist. In other words, even with Lacanthal''s knowledge and technology, it was still impossible to completely stop the Hell Gate''s expansion. He was just slowing it down. However, its not like theres no other way to stop it. Lacanthal''s conclusion was only based on the premise that they did it from outside of the Hell Gate. If they ventured inside the Hell Gate and destroyed its core, or the thing keeping the Hell Gate alive, surely, they would be able to stop the destruction of Earth. But, as of now, that method was not feasible. Humanity still doesnt know where the location core or the thing inside Hell Gate was located. On top of it, it was akin to suicidal to just enter to search for it since the minimum energy wavelength of Hell Gate was estimated to be higher than an URS. If its around URS level its at the same level as the Supreme Dharma that Seodam-nim had killed the other day. Yekaterina sighed. Considering it takes dozens of S rank hunters to handle a single S rank gate, it means that it would take at least dozens of hunters with strength on par with Supreme Dharma to clear the Hell Gate. But currently, there is no such strong force on Earth. Even Seol Jungyeon, who was hailed as Earth''s strongest, was only at the level of the SSS rank. Yekaterina was then reminded of what Lacanthal said to her. Giving up and accepting the destruction'' is also a possible choice.'' His words were indeed true. Once we accepted it, we would live our lives every day as best as we possibly could knowing that it would end someday. However Will Seodam-nim give up? There were always people who would still fight even though they knew that it was impossible to win. Yoo Seodam was one of those people. On top of it, unlike other people, he had the power to really create a miracle. Whoa!!! Yekaterina, who had turned off the monitor and was about to open her laptop, jolted in surprise as her own shadow began to rise up. Reporting in. From within the now standing shadow, a handsome man with long black hair walked out. He was the very man who could infiltrate any place in the world as long as there is shadow there. Starting three days ago, theres a man who has been monitoring this building. Monitoring us? "That''s right. His constant monitoring is suspicious, so I tried to identify him. But since his stealth skill was also quite good, I failed to do so. Yekaterina felt at a loss for words. The man in front of her was an Expert in the terms of Murim, as well as a master of stealth. He was strong enough to detect any kind of movements from someone with S rank level of stealth. If he failed to identify someone, it means that the opponent had at least S rank or higher detection ability or S rank or higher stealth skill. Why is such a person monitoring our guild? Yekaterina closed her eyes for a moment and pondered. "It will be fine. It wont be as difficult as you think to identify who the other person is. "Is that so?" "Yes. There aren''t many people who have stealth and detection skills of S rank or higher. If we limit it further to hunters, the number will be reduced even further. Were there any Experts in the New Murim Alliance who have stronger stealth skills than yours? As far as I know, there is none. Then, I think we should focus our search on those with superpowers. It wont take long. At Yekaterinas words, Smiling Shadow nodded his head. Ill look at it from now on, so just go back and rest. "I understand." After Smiling Shadow disappeared once again into her shadow, Yekaterina immediately contacted the Hunter Association and requested a list of those with S rank or higher stealth and detection skills. At the same time, she couldn''t help but feel a bit uneasy. Why is an S rank hunter watching us?'' * * * A month had passed since I hunted Mazellion. And since then, both Aracelli and I were living a pretty luxurious life in the Blue Magic Tower. However, we couldnt truly enjoy the luxury since we were working hard to complete Aracellis double circle. It would have been very disappointing if we had worked hard and had no results, but surprisingly, the results came in just one month. Fyuuh Professor, I finished it. "Really? You already completed a double circle? "Yes. But, It''s a bit awkward. It feels like the new mana is rotating in the opposite direction. If I move the circle incorrectly, I might even get a mana side effect. Mana side effect was a slightly different phenomenon from mana rebound which occurs if you cancel a magic in the middle of casting it. It could be seen as the magic counterpart of backlash when someone failed their meditation on martial arts. But in the end, I made it without any problems! Aracelli smiled brightly. Now, in addition to her nine frozen circles around her heart, another mana circle was spinning. Although the amount of mana was miniscule compared to her original mana pool, it was still fine as it was possible to regain her original power as she continued to build it up step by step. Thats why I also created a new circling technique, I called it Aracelli-style double circling technique''! Should I teach it to you, Professor? Oh, no. I can''t learn that. I shook my head at her proposal. The reason why Aracelli could do it was because of her insane talent of handling mana. Meanwhile, I dont know how to handle mana by myself at all, so its impossible. Its the truth I learnt while developing a mana circling technique with Ha Sunyoung back then. Anyway, Im so glad you made it. I ruffled her hair as I said so. With her success, theres no reason for us to be in this world any longer. We got up straight away, and went to Tower Masters office to say our goodbye. Oh, are you going back already? "Yes. My business here is over. Hmm~ So are you going back to Michelas~? Do you need any help to find your ship? You said that the ship you boarded had sunk, didnt you~? Ah. Now that I think about it, I had that kind of backstory, didnt I? "Its fine. There is a way to go back even without the ship. Is that so~? She smiled meaningfully as soon as she finished her words. Dont tell me, did this ahjumma notice that I was lying to her? Anyway be safe on your journey. Is your girlfriend going with you too? "Yes." Its a pity I thought I was going to get that kid, she seems talented. Creating a circle in just one month is just simply amazing. I closed my mouth shut at her words. I struggled not to tell her that Aracelli was not just talented, but already a much stronger magician than her. Then, we will go. Thank you for your hospitality. Who Will Be Killed In The Dark Night Sky? #SciFi #Psychology #Thriller #Mystery Lets go right away. This time, though. I grabbed Aracelli''s hand so that I could feel her presence and wouldnt arrive separately just like when we arrived in this world. In addition, most of the probability accumulated in my body was used for her dimensional shift. The leftover probability would also be used to prevent Aracelli from becoming one year younger. [Moving to Drifting Spaceship Zermelt 13, the world where the protagonist Haucolor, resides.] [1098] [210] [Moving complete.] [You have become an uninvited guest of Zermelt 13.] The moment I opened my eyes, Rumble-!! Ugh?! What! The ground shook. Thankfully, I managed to keep my focus and quickly leaned against the wall. [The skill Protagonist Hunter has been activated to help you adapt to the environment, but the air in this place is seriously lacking!] [You need air!] "What?" I glanced to the side and saw Aracelli covering her mouth with a pale expression on her face. I realized belatedly that I was able to adapt thanks to the skill, but she couldn''t. Damn it, its crazy right off the bat!! I looked around quickly and realized that the walls were all black. No, when I looked closely, it wasn''t a wall. It was a window. I misunderstood it since the outside was just too dark. "Outer space" Yes, It was space. The ground I was treading on was a drifting spaceship. Aracelli, get up. "eugh." I took Aracelli, who barely managed to survive thanks to turning her circle into my hand and ran to the other side of the hallway. Automatic doors opened and closed by itself as I passed. It was a mechanism beyond my knowledge level. Meanwhile, alarms echoed throughout the hallway. -Emergency! Air pressure in hangar 3 is extremely low! -Emergency! Air pressure in hangar 3 is extremely low! [Hangar 3: 39%] -Passengers in hangar 3, please exit as soon as possible. Holographic maps suddenly floated up in the air, so I ran and ran through the twisted hallways while looking at them. From the map, I could tell that the spaceship was modeled after a spider or maybe a maze. It was difficult to find the way because several small corridors were connected together. But thanks to the map, we managed to arrive at Sector 7. Cough!! Cough!! Cough!! "Haa" Fortunately there was plenty of air here, so oxygen was pumped deep into my lungs as soon as the automatic door closed. I never knew oxygen could be so sweet. It seems that the saying which goes people will start to appreciate something once they lost it was indeed true. Aracelli, are you okay?" But before Aracelli could answer, shadows loomed over us. They were some kind of armor No, they were five soldiers in sleek space suits pointing their guns at us. Who are you? How did you get here? Are there any such guys among the remaining passengers? I dont know, I saw them for the first time! Their language was automatically translated by the skill as I heard it. I raised my armsa universal body language to all nations, or even all over the dimensionto signify that I had no intention of resistance. We are only passing by. The system had told me that currently I was an uninvited guest. Therefore, there was no use pretending to be a passenger. I need to get my concept'' right from the beginning, or it will surely come back to bite me later on. Passing by? Well, then maybe theres even a spaceship? Your spaceship! Get us to your spaceship! Lets leave this place! I knew that a rescue ship would be coming! Whoa! I lived, I lived! "Eh?" What is this situation This wasn''t what I wanted. The soldiers were all wearing colorful helmets of different colors. One of them who was wearing a red helmet came up to me and said, Thank you, it looks like you heard our signal. Where is your spaceship? If you tell us, we will guide you there! Unfortunately for him, I couldn''t live up to their expectations. There is no such thing "Huh?" "What?" Afterall, I didnt come here with a spaceship * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: https://discord.gg/PBdzVD CH 206 Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus Sus ; Even though I said I dont have any spaceship, my words didnt make sense to these guys since I had successfully boarded this ship. "Nonsense" Then by what means did you get here? The man in the red spacesuit asked. Although I couldn''t see his face or discern his expression because of the helmet he wore, he was probably staring at me like he was going to kill me. Even though I was quite taken aback that my background setting didnt work, I quickly made up an excuse. I rode a spaceship here, but it was destroyed mid-way. Fortunately, we crash-landed here. At first, I was going to tell them that I came here through warp magic, but because this world was a place with a Sci-Fi setting, I wouldve been treated like a madman. ; Oh my God. Thats fine! We can fix it! Please tell me the location of your ship! Hurry!" "Yes?" "Red! Calm down! They came from Hangar 3! We can''t go through there!" If its only for a moment, well be okay! Calm down! Do you want to die from direct sunlight exposure? Come to think of it there is something strange about them. How did they come from Hangar 3? All the barriers around Hangar 3 had already been erected. On top of that, direct sunlight is irradiating all over that place. At the astronauts words, all of them fell silent. Then, they simultaneously moved their heads towards me. ; Earlier, I had heard that there was something wrong with Hangar 3, but was there anything special other than the low pressure? Thanks to the [Protagonist Hunter] skill, which allows me to adapt to any environment, I didn''t feel anything special. But now that I think about it, Aracelli was particularly exhausted. No matter how weak her current strength was, it was strange that shewho could withstand the influx that came from moving between worldsgot weakened just because of low oxygen pressure. That means there must have been another reason. . Aracelli looked at me for a moment and then opened her mouth. Cold sweat was still dripping on her face. We are not human, but of a different race. We often come in contact with light. Therefore, unlike humans, we can survive the direct sunlight from a star. Aracelli then created a swarm of lights on the tip of her finger. I also hurriedly formed a bubble of light on top of my hand with magic. At the spectacle, the astronauts quickly bowed their heads towards us. A-an alien species. An alien species who handles light. I''ve never heard of one like that" It is not surprising that a strange alien was the one who picked up our distress signal. After all, we have not yet been able to fully understand which civilizations exist on which planet. They muttered to each other, and then put down their weapons. Aracelli''s excuse seems to have worked. Red raised his wrist and pressed the button to try to communicate with someone, but he put his arm down again. "Damn it. I can''t even tell the other crew members about this. It was a big mistake to let the communication officer die" Then he reached out to me and asked for a handshake. Anyway, welcome aboard to Zermelt 13. As we are currently perhaps on our journey to the afterlife, I cant say it was nice to have you here. With this, Aracelli and I were able to safely blend into Zermelt 13. * * * We are currently in the Clyzenon 179A galaxy. Northeast of the B15 galaxy in the Chetnon-g5 nebula. About 18,000 light-years away from our hometown. I blinked at Reds explanation. The address is long. Youve come a long way, huh? I spoke. Though, I didnt even know where this was except for the long address Red gave me. I dont think they would even know about Earth if I told them about it. After all, even though they are humans, it doesnt mean that they also come from Earth. On top of it, as this place was in a different dimension altogether from when the Earth I come from, theres a high possibility that Earth didnt exist here. ; It''s not that far. If the interstellar warp device hadn''t been broken, we could have returned to our hometown within half a year." Then the man in the blue spacesuit, who was crouching in the corner, muttered to no one in particular. "In the first place, even if the warp device is still usable, would it be possible to get out of here? Thats true Red added. At that, I hurriedly asked again, fearing that the topic of conversation would change. Whats going on? Is there any reason why we can''t get out even if the warp device is still usable? "You dont know? Shouldnt you have seen it if you came with a spaceship too? My ship''s scanner went out so I couldn''t see it. As I said, it crash-landed. Ah, thats right. Let me explain. There are two main reasons why we can''t go back. The first one is Red got up from his seat and operated the computer in the center of the room. Then a hologram appeared in the air. It was a huge red star that was dazzlingly beautiful. PG1 M000.1Q-86. ? That is the name of that star. It is ten times larger than our home sun. "Crazy" My mouth opened wide at the revelation. Then before the fact could properly sink in, the screen moved. This time, a blue sphere appeared on the screen. The nickname of this star is The Blue Sun. There is no official name for that star as of yet because we only discovered it when we arrived here. Is that so?" "Yes. If we had moved into the orbit of PG1 M000.1Q-86 as planned, we would have safely boarded the warp point and moved to the next planetary system. However, as there was another star that had not been observed at all in my hometown, our plan was disturbed. At his words, once again I felt baffled. In my head, the inability of a civilization capable of space travel to observe such a gigantic star was simply impossible. But then again, in a world where science was so developed, a mystery'' that even science failed to explain was a cliche and horror story of science fiction. But that star is strange. It''s not hot Rather, it is cold. Very very cold. The temperature of its outer layer is close to absolute zero, an average of -270 degrees Celsius. I could say that It is the coldest star in the whole universe." "I-Is that true?" I don''t know about space science that well, but I''m well aware that it simply doesn''t make sense. Aracelli also looked at me with her mouth wide open. Pro-professor. Could such a thing even exist? "Well. There''s a world where bananas eat monkeys, and there''s a crazy world where mint and chocolate are mixed. So, theres nothing impossible. I told Aracelli. As there are numerous worlds spanned in numerous dimensions, it was inevitable to have something which defies common sense. For example, the previous world made it possible to surround 3300 people with only 120 people. So even if a frozen star was unrealistic and our brain didnt want to acknowledge it, we have no choice but to believe it. Thats not the only problem. Red continued. The hologram shook, this time showing orange and blue spheres standing side by side. And, between two gigantic stars was a very small object which looked like a particle of dust compared to their size. It was completely fixed in place, unable to move anywhere. "is that perhaps this spaceship?" Thats right. We were nailed into the trajectories of the two stars. So, it''s become impossible for us to move. We call this the gravity noose''. A ship with a broken warp device like ours will never be able to get out of it. "I see." "However" Reds voice became an octave higher than earlier.Our distress signal had already reached the headquarters, so if we hold on, rescue will definitely come. We just have to wait until then. Then, isnt that good? Yes, it is. However, the second problem is the biggest reason for our headache. He lowered his voice in anger. At night, the stellar winds will definitely damage the spaceship severely. But since all of the crew on board are excellent engineers, as long as they scatter and fix the broken parts, we can survive every night without any problems But, someone started killing the crew members every night. "What?" On top of that, because the communication equipment is broken, communication with distant crew members is impossible, and a perfect gap'' was created for the murderer while we''re busy repairing our respective places. As a soldier, we are ashamed, but we cannot win against the murderer. After all, how can we beat a monstrous murderer who devours the upper body of the victim and only leaves the lower body? (P/N sus) ; At his explanation, I instantly recalled the summary I got from the system about this world. When I read it first, I never imagined it would be like this. The summary goes like this: every night, the crew was scattered all over to repair the ship. Meanwhile, someone disguised as an astronaut to kill the others. Therefore, the number of people decreased by one every day, and currently, there were only eight people left. There was more than a week left until the rescue spaceship arrived. If things continue like this, after a week, there will be no survivors left except the murderer. And when the rescue spaceship arrives, the murderer will board there and repeat the same nightmare. Before everyone dies, we must find the killer, I said. That was the core story'' here. * * * After a while, Red summoned all the crew of the ship. Just like Red, all astronauts were wearing colorful spacesuits so that they could be distinguished from each other. Also, except for Red, they changed colors every day to hide their identity from each other. Maybe it''s because the situation would become even direr if the engine manager'' and photon orbiter engineer'' were killed. Even their voice was hidden by tampering. Red was the only one who revealed his identity as a leader. Hmm isnt the murderer completely disguised as an astronaut? I looked around them slowly. The protagonist''s name is Haucolor'', and when I asked Red, he said that theres no astronaut with that name. In other words, I don''t know who is who except for their color. On top of it, the Protagonist Hashtag'', which usually pops up above a protagonist''s head, didn''t float on anyone''s head. However, to forcefully remove their helmet was also not the option since it was impossible to do so before the wearer was killed. So, if I try to do that, theres a chance they would be suspicious towards me. What is the possibility of killing them all by fighting? Unlike magic, science that has reached its limit does not go through the process of thinking. The moment the system recognizes someone or something as its enemy, it will kill them. Therefore, the maximum I could kill was 3 astronauts. Although I had no intention of killing innocent people, it was better to keep my eyes on every one of them to avoid the worst-case scenario where I spent all my killing count without being able to kill the protagonist. In other words, I would have to rely solely on my brain to find the murderer as well as the protagonist hidden in the spaceship. Im glad we got more hands on board. Can you guys help with the night mission too? I''ll let you two get around together." "Sure," I answered. Even if Red didnt ask me to, I had always planned to do it. Woiing-!! Woiing-!! The alarm rang. It was a reminder of the incoming stellar wind which would damage the ship. Red gave us simple missions that even beginners could do, and the smart Aracelli stored what to do in her head right away. The important thing is not the mission'' After all, if we successfully catch the culprit, the maintenance would naturally become uninterrupted until the rescue ship comes. Judging from the fact that the title of this world was Who Will Be Killed In The Dark Night Sky?, theres no doubt that the protagonist was the murderer. Theres nothing particularly strange about the genre in which the culprit was the protagonist. Though, one thing I regret was the fact that this mission was leaning more towards the mystery genre rather than towards the Sci-Fi genre. But, isn''t it much better than meeting a protagonist who could turn back time or the protagonist who creates his own world? [The main episode It is night has been detected.] The search for the protagonist starts now. * * * This translation was hosted by Nocturne Translation * * * Please consider to become our patreon to read up to 10 advance chapters starting from 3$ https://www.patreon.com/Protag_Nocturne Or donate to us for extra chapter for every 9$ donation. https://ko-fi.com/nocturne_translations Ready to join the Masquerade? Take a glance, be our guest! ;Don your masks and wear your capes. Get your invites here and let the party begin: ;https://discord.gg/PBdzVD CH 207 The missions Red gave us were not as important as we thought. It was a simple task which anyone could do, like disposing oil waste off, incinerating garbage, turning on all power sources, replacing lights, etc. [E/N: I miss when Among Us was good. *sigh*] Pull the lever down and the gate will open. Then you can just throw it out. Its something I dont agree on since it will increase the amount of space debris, but in this situation, it cant be helped. Why do you care about that? In our homeworld, the space environment is the number one issue. The biggest reason why the negotiations with the fairies of Markan 3rd Green Planet broke down was because our sky was too dirty. Well, its because fairies love clean places. What bad luck. Me and Aracelli laughed as they exchanged jokes. After we completed one mission, we moved to the next destination while looking at the map. But suddenly, Wiing-!! Wiing-!! An emergency alarm rang and the lights went out. It didnt hinder me or Aracelli in the slightest since we both had superhuman-level eyesight, but for normal humans, this darkness would render them useless and they wouldnt even be able see what was right in front of them. I think the generator has been turned off. If we go this way, we will find the generator. Red said that the most dangerous situation is when the alarm sounds, so its better to be together. Lets go too. I spoke. Looking at the map, we quickly ran toward the generator where the alarm sounded, and the three people who had gathered before us turned their heads the moment we arrived. They were Green, Pink and Gray respectively. Then the ships lights turn on just in time. Seems like those three had fixed the generator. Lets return to our respective assignment, this one is already fixed. I understand. Thank you for your hard work. We dont have much time to chat. Lets go. Ill go to the captains office right away. Saying that, Gray hurriedly left. If the spacecraft was not repaired quickly, there may be dangers such as trajectory malfunction or engine leak, so there was no time for chatter. Let me and Pink go back to the medical room. We need to fix the vital scan device. Then, we are going to go back to Sector 7 and incinerate some garbage. Work hard. After exchanging such dry and necessary conversations, we immediately parted and moved to our respective mission sites. Sector 7 was the place where Red and us first met, and it was also the most central area of this spaceship. Originally, the place was crowded with all eight people, but now it was empty. Even though they knew that it was dangerous to scatter, the crew members couldnt help but do so for their survival. Although we were in a position where we would be safe as long as we killed the protagonist, we didnt intend to take the mission assigned to us lightly. Piip-!! Psshhh-!! Watching piles of garbage flying into outer space gave me a strange feeling. It was surreal to think that I had just thrown garbage into darkness where thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions or even trillions of stars were twinkling. On top of it, it was mind-boggling to think that the civilization of this world had developed to the level where traveling through those countless stars was as easy as taking an airplane from Seoul to Washington D.C. Perhaps, this world was the most realistic and scientific world I have ever been to. Professor. Aracelli suddenly called me. Yeah? What kind of person was Reina Ju? It was such an abrupt question which had absolutely no relation with what we were doing, so my hand stilled in the air for a few seconds. Well She was very mature. Not childish at all. Is she older than you, Professor? She should be. But actually, Ive never heard about her actual age, so I dont know exactly how old she is. She looked like she was only one or two years older than me, so I guessed that she was around that age. To be honest, Reina Jus appearances in my memory had become blurry. I could only recall things I did with her, not her exact face. It seems like she was such a wonderful person because it is not easy to be mature at such a young age. Though, when she became angry, it was very scary. It was only once, but there was a time when Reina was really mad at me. It was when I had tried to do something at the risk of my life. This crazy moron!! Are you sane right now!!! That was the first and last time I ever heard Reina curse. That time I instantly burst into tears because Reina, who was always gentle, got so angry. Then Reina hugged me and cried while muttering, Im sorry, Im sorry. I cried because I was afraid of Reina, but I still dont know why she cried at the time. And, if I couldnt meet her again even after clearing the Hell Gate, then I would never know why she cried that time, forever. It seems like she cares a lot about you, Professor Right Though, till now, I still feel like her care was burdensome. Why? Its because I didnt do anything for Reina. She had only protected me, without me doing anything to pay her back. Always. I see So, shes like your parent, huh? Right. Parent. One-sided love for no reason. I felt a parents love from Reina even though I have never felt one, since I dont have parents. As we carried out our duties while chatting like that, our quota quickly piled up. However suddenly, Wiing-!! Wiing-!! Wiing-!! The alarm echoed. However, It was not a system alarm but a different alarm. its an urgent meeting. Someone was calling us all. * * * Red had told us that if an emergency meeting was called, it would be held in the captains office. So, we hurriedly moved there. And after we arrived, Th-this is Aracelli covered her mouth and stuttered. In the captains room, there was a mutilated body. I dont know if I should even call it a mutilated one, since the only parts of the body which was left was the lower body. The upper body was completely gone. G-gray is dead. Oh My God W-who wore gray today? Come on, answer me! Red! I cant disclose that. Or else, the murderer would know our identity. Damn it! Marisa, as long as Marisa isnt dead Blue you stupid bastard! Dont mention her real name! Marisa is an important person, so she has a high chance of being targeted! If Marisa reacted just now, you would have killed your lover! Keuk. Gray is dead. Therefore, there were only seven crew remaining. Even though everyone else was crestfallen and angry, Red as the leader had to keep his cool. Tell me all of your destinations. Red spoke in a calm tone. Hearing his words, starting from Pink, each and everyone of us told him our destination. A total of three people passed through the captains office. It was Blue, Red, and Green. However, they said that all of them stopped by just for a short amount of time at the beginning and then left. They also did not meet anyone along the way. But Gray met us in the generator room earlier. In other words, it means that he was the last one who went to the captains room. Arent there other personnel in this spaceship? Theres none. The ships vital signs could even capture microbes. There were obviously only ten people on this ship. Red said. In other words, the murderer was disguising themselves as an astronaut. Which means, some of these people were lying. Im suspicious of those two. How could they suddenly appear in this spaceship? They must have been hiding while killing our crew until now, and then lied that they crash-landed here because they got discovered! Right! Ive never heard of an extraterrestrial race that manipulates light! Those guys are the most suspicious! Calm down, Pink, Green. I witnessed with my own eyes that both of them came from Hangar 3, an impossible route for anyone else. What if I kick them out and the murders happen again? Are you guys going to take responsibility then? Is responsibility the problem now? We were all going to die! The astronauts emotions intensified. Their suspicion towards us was justified, so we had no option but to keep our mouths shut. Blue, Red, Green. The three visited the captains office. Gray also visited. But hes dead now I already confirmed that Blue and Green went to the captains office. But I dont know when Red went there. First, lets calm down, and lets end todays mission here. More and more, the case fell into a labyrinth, and thus our first day on the spaceship came to an end. * * * It was now our second day on the ship. The 7 astronauts who had gathered in Sector 7 got up from their seats helplessly. They were livid since they were haunted with the fear of their comrade dying every night. However, they couldnt be together every time, because they needed to repair the ship. If they didnt do that, they would all end up dying after all. Everyone, please once again work hard on todays mission. Just like yesterday, Red gave Aracelli and I a simple task. Aracelli. Who do you think is the murderer? I said as we left the captains room. Im not sure, Professor. If I could look into the persons eyes, I can tell what they were thinking. but since they are wearing a helmet Aracelli said. Until now, I still hadnt found anyone suspicious yet. So, I think I had to change our approach. Lets set aside todays mission a little and change our destination. Yes? Why? Just because. Then, the alarm echoed through the corridor. At the same time our body started to float. Whiing-!! Whiing-!! It seems that theres a problem with the gravity machine. If it wasnt repaired right away, it would hinder our movement more and more since we had to float now instead of walking. Therefore, it would have been the best decision to repair it right away. Professor. We have to go through North Gate 17 if we want to go to the Gravity Chamber. Is that so? Then, lets go in the opposite direction. Yes. We moved right away as Aracelli accepted my words without questioning even further. The gravitational chamber was located on the right side of the ship, so, as we deliberately went in the opposite direction rather than going there, we went to the left side of the shipthe furthest place from the gravity chamber. The reason for doing this was simple. It was to check whoever was there and not go into the gravity chamber. Why are you guys here? While moving in the opposite direction, we suddenly ran into Red. Ah, its because we left something behind. How about you Red? It was because I had an unfinished mission. is that more important than the gravitational chamber? It is. Hmm I hummed. I found him suspicious. This place was far away from the gravity chamber, a place which if it wasnt your mission, you wouldnt come here. And since theres damage in the gravity chamber, the fact that hes here was really suspicious. Perhaps, he was intervening in someone elses mission or trying to kill someone. Well then Excuse me, I have to go to my assigned mission. Red said so before disappearing. We also went our way without tailing him. My suspicion to Red was only a baseless conjecture with no facts whatsoever currently. Therefore, theres no reason to tail him. Rather, if Redthe leader of the astronautcalled us suspicious, we would be at the disadvantage. I have to pinpoint his weaknesses. Even if someone becomes a victim. Soon, the alarm stopped ringing. It seems like some crew had repaired the damage on the gravity chamber. Aracelli and I also moved to another place to do our mission. However, Whiing-!! Whiing-!! Whiing-!! Someones distress signal suddenly rings. Aracelli and I used our magic and hurriedly ran towards the place where the alarm sounded. The location was the medical room. A place where you can check the crews vital signs. However, the moment we opened the medical rooms door, our eyes instantly opened wide. What the hell is this? It was because, with the upper body missing, Reds corpse lay flat on the floor. Just how? However, no matter how many questions I asked, the dead wouldnt answer. After all, dead men tell no tales. CH 208 [6 people remaining] Red is dead. That fact shocked all remaining members of Zermalt 13 to the core. A Oh my god It was only natural. Red, the captain of the astronauts, was a spiritual pillar who kept everyone together in this perilous situation when they were being hunted by a murderer on top of being stuck between 2 gigantic stars without any means to escape. No, thats absurd. Didnt the captain say he wouldnt be killed even if he didnt hide his identity? The captain is a first-class special combat agent Was the captain, who was a general in the Alien Counter Force, really murdered? This, this this, I I Everyone was in a state of panic. The barely standing house, which the last pillar had just gone now, began to truly crumble. Please calm down. Probably this is what the murderer was aiming for by killing Red. If we are not vigilant, we will all be in danger. As I said that, a soldier in a blue spacesuit grabbed me by the collar. Hey! Who are you! What do you, an outsider, know! damn it! Unhelpful uninvited guests! Thats right! No, wait, you guys are the murderers, right? You mustve snuck in this ship before we departed! Thats right! Certainly! Get those bastards out! Lets throw them into the blue star! The atmosphere changes dramatically. The astronauts glared at me menacingly. Looks like they were really trying to kill me and Aracelli. This development Isnt this the situation the protagonist, that is, the murderer, wants? Maybe its too far-fetched, but perhaps our existence, from the killers point of view, was a hindrance to his goal. Lets think about it. The route all astronauts took when they did their mission was fixed. Which means, they must go through a set route to perform a mission and pass through a set place. Red was the only one who knew the most about the crews movements. The murderer should also be aware of all that fact, and it must have been difficult for him to move if we intervened. Thats why I thought the culprit was Red. Because he knows all the routes taken by the astronauts. And that theory enhanced the reason why Redwho was the only one who revealed his identitywas not killed. However, now that Red is dead, my theory was proven to be wrong. Even though I suspected him as the culprit, the same couldnt be said for the rest of the crew because they trusted Red a lot. Probably, it didnt sit well with the murderers plan. So, he killed Red and changed his target to me and Aracelli. In other words, the true culprit must blame someone else for the crime he commited But why? Even if he kept doing what hed been doing, he wouldnt be discovered. Since hes disguised as an astronaut, even if he takes off his helmet, no one would suspect them since hes part of the crew. However, it seems like the murderer thinks he couldnt continue to do so. Why? At that moment I recalled the of this world. With the ability to kill only one person per day, he kills every day and will finally kill everyone and go unnoticed, but if something goes wrong, and the crew finds a decisive hint about his identity, he would be the one who would be killed. Please calm down for a moment. When I spoke, the astronauts went silent. Though the atmosphere was still prickly, they would undoubtedly kill me if I made a wrong excuse here. But I had no excuses. I was keeping it a secret from all of you, but I am actually a space detective. This friend here is my assistant. What I have instead, is a lie. Sp-space detective, you say? A guy like you? Space detective? Bullshit! Thats right. You really dont value your lives. To think you are impersonating a space detective who solves all the mysteries of the universe!! If you are a space detective, show us the evidence. Wouldnt you carry a space detective badge with you? Oh, it seems that there was actually a job called space detective. Besides, it seems like it was a very reliable job. I didnt know that. It doesnt matter, though. My badge sank with my ship, but I can show you other evidence. I spoke. Extremely advanced science is similar to magic. Therefore, for them now, all kinds of magic such as hyperspace warp, the theory of everything, the secrets of black holes, how to deal with the dark matter which was the origin of the universe, and such, which would turn the modern time Earth upside down, was not surprising at all. However, what if Vivienda Empires magic technology was used here? What if we could apply all that magic without the help of machinery but using ones body? I spread my palms out, and created both fire and ice on top of each. I am not actually from the race of light, but a special detective android Y-SD No. 1 designed to explore and investigate the mysteries of the universe. I have ultra-precise mechanical devices built into my body that allow me to perform special functions. A-android?! Impossible! You would have been banned for reasons related to human rights In the end, human rights issues can be solved with the money of those who are ranked high enough and possess money. Th-that indeed makes sense Then the astronauts glanced at Aracelli and nodded their heads. Im not sure if its male android like you, but if I can make an android as pretty as that girl, I can give up anything. Me too!! These guys, are they crazy? Aracelli pouted her lips, but it seems that it didnt bother her to pretend to be an android. But now it makes sense how youre safe even after direct exposure from the light of both stars which has a mixture of ultra-high heat and ultra-low temperature. And to work without a spacesuit in this environment You look really human. May I take a little look at your assistant? That is not possible. Even if she looks like that, shes still a terrifying weapon of mass-destruction. Its done. I was able to deceive them to some extent. Professor, what are your next plans? Aracelli asked me with her twinkling eyes alone. To be honest, I have no plans after this. I still have no idea who the murderer was. If it was an ordinary mystery, after revealing the murderers movement and evidence of murder on this spaceship, decisive evidence would also be revealed, making it impossible for the murderer to escape. Unfortunately, I am neither a protagonist nor a detective. Thus, such highly strategic methods cannot be used. For that reason, I had to change the method. It was to take advantage of the 1% information that I currently know. I have spent two days on this spaceship, using state-of-the-art Alio-Olio searching methods to track down the killer. were there any results? There is. With the Toowoomba reasoning system, I found some very conclusive evidence. Stupid killer, you left a deadly evidence unattended. Well, there must have been no way to get rid of it. Thats all I know currently. In other words, The murderer has left a decisive hint, so its a very urgent situation. I havent found anything other than this, but from the killers point of view? He might be sweating right now as a space detective android, who just conjured out fire and ice from thin air, had got his hand on decisive evidence. At this crucial moment It would be great if I could really present evidence Next time. Yes? Unfortunately, the evidence was not properly verified yet due to the emergency call. For now, I dont know anything, so Ill leave it for tomorrow. But tomorrow, Ill check it properly and submit the evidence. As I said this, the murderers gaze will naturally turn to me. * * * Because of the clich of this world, the murderer could only kill one person per day. Of course, it wasnt a confirmed fact, but at least I was certain of it. Otherwise, the story with the mafia game concept would not have been established at all. Actions that can only occur once per night, killers, mysteries, and the collapse of the ship. Because those keywords were the protagonists clich, I had to wait until night to face him. It is night. Everyone, are you aware of your respective duties? Originally, Red will change it every night, but for now, lets carry out the missions weve been doing before. What about Reds mission? The two of us will do it. Reds mission would require quite a bit of expertise It doesnt matter because we are androids. In fact, I had no intention of carrying out the mission. I just want to look around. But of course, I couldnt say it. Then, lets disperse. Alright. I will trust only the space detective. Aracelli and I separated from the crew and slowly went to our destination. Professor, do you have any plans? Aracelli asked using telepathy. Plan? Of course, there is one. However, that plan involved taunting the murderer and luring him to me. If the murderer ignores my taunt and goes to kill another crew member, I will be damned. After all, to find the evidence, I had to have a certain clich with me, but I dont have any. For that reason, the first place we checked was the captains room. is nothing wrong? Lets go to the next place. Second, the energy fusion room. Its hot Next. Third, sector 7. Theres a leftover potato chip. Next. Fourth, the broken warp station. Wow. Isnt that a magic circle? Its a wire circuit. Its very similar to the magic circle. Up till now, nothing has happened. There were no interruptions from the murderer, such as an alarm from the gravity chamber or power generator breaking down. Slowly, I began to feel suspicious of my own actions. Is this method working? However, when we went to our 5th destination which was the medical room, we met a particular man with his spacesuit off. As expected! The first room you visit is the medical room! Youve found evidence to catch me, space detective! It wasnt the first room, though, but the fifth. but I didnt tell him that. I tapped Aracelli on the side. Who is he? It looks like Red from his word, doesnt it? He has a dialect mixed with a strong malegreton accent and he has a habit of elongating the end of the sentence. Right. You are Red, arent you? you noticed that I was Red too! Splendid! Androids are truly scary. How long have you known? I kept my mouth shut because I came to know just now. Then Red laughed. Yeah, you will arrest me like a space detective, right? They never talk to criminals and kill them unconditionally. It suits the way of the Space Allies! I took the Winchester out of my inventory. So far, everything was as planned. I dont know why Red was still alive. But it didnt matter. He most likely disguised himself as another astronaut after putting the victims body in his spacesuit. In the end, he ate my bait and appeared before me, and now there was only one thing left to do. It was to fight. His murder by clich doesnt work for me. I dont know how he could kill a person, disguise himself as that person, and blend in without leaving any vital signs No, wait a minute. Something is strange. Things worked out too easily. In the first place, was Red stupid enough to be lured this easily? The murderer who commited murder without leaving any evidence behind? !!! Which means, Red was not the protagonist. He was also not the murderer. If so, why did he pretend to be the murderer? Wait a minute Suddenly, I remember that the concept of this world was mafia game. The mafia could kill citizens, but only with the consent of the moderator. If so where is the moderator? If there is a moderator, who is it? Suddenly, I turned my head and looked at the scanner that checked the vital signs. There, the vital signs of the six remaining crew members and even our biometric information as uninvited guests were explicitly revealed. Not even any microbes on the spacecraft could escape that scanner. Thats why the astronauts trusted the scanner and thought the killer was one of them. But, what if the spaceship itself was the one who was hostile to us? I looked at Red again. I am the culprit. So, arrest me. He spoke to me as he raised both of his hands in surrender. It was at that moment the realization dawned upon me. A fairly cheap clich of the sci-fi genre came to mind. have you planted anything into the artificial intelligence of this spaceship, Red? What? I tried to throw a shot in the dark and spit out even the most absurd things that came in my mind. I never said you were the culprit. So, why did you confess and insist on being arrested? That The reason I came to the medical room first was to check whether the crew was safe or not. Perhaps, this spaceship needed humans for fuel every day. Am I right? Science fiction stories about spaceships using humans as fuel is not common, but it does exist if you look for it. Though, never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that it would be mixed with the mystery mafia game stuff. But you have enough fuel for now. So, you have to get rid of me and my assistant in order not to get caught. Why did the murderer try to frame someone else and expel him? The reason why Red, who seemed most likely to be the murderer, was not the murderer was because he was killing for the sake of his beloved Zermalt 13, the protagonist of this world. CH 209 Shutout to Qlikster, our newest protagonist tier Patron~ you guys keep us going truly! Reds expression turned sour. Tell me. Who is it? Whose legacy is this spaceship? Or where did you steal it from? Why did you do it? It doesnt even work properly, it breaks down every time, causing trouble for the crew Hey stop! its not like that! Damn it, youre talking without knowing anything! I wondered why I assumed that the protagonist had such a useless skill as breaking down a spaceship before. Turns out, it wasnt really an ability, it was just a function. Then is there perhaps a problem with the artificial intelligence? There must be some serious flaws in it. Cant it be upgraded? Ugh, we wont receive any upgrades from you, Space Alliance! Your skills that deal with artificial intelligence as parts, erasing all memories, and just use total control! I dont know what this Space Alliance thing is or what kind of things they did, but I think they were a villain for the protagonist in this world. Perhaps, the protagonist of this world was an artificial intelligence. If that is the case, then, the story would be roughly like this: The villain was trying to control the AI, but the protagonist hunts humans in order to avoid them. And Red was someone who had a role as the protagonists assistant. I presumed that he was the protagonists acquaintance from the time the protagonist was still human. Okay. She has committed a crime. But, what can you even do? Zermelt 13 has its own defense system! Androids like you could be disposed of in no time! To be honest, that was one of the biggest problems I was facing right now. The combat power of this spaceship could undoubtedly subdue me in an instant. But it would be difficult for me to beat it without suffering any damage unless Aracelli had the strength from her heyday. Thats why I tried to talk to Red as much as possible. We are aware of it. But do you know? As soon as a Space Alliances android was eliminated, their latest location would be sent to the headquarters. On top of it, our memories are completely saved, so we can just get a new body with new parts and return right away. Honestly speaking, it was all nonsense. I just squeezed any contents I could remember from sci-fi novels I had read before. Wh-what? No matter how strong of an artificial intelligence you are, your memories cant stay intact after being destroyed! It seems that all the sci-fi novels I had read were nothing but lies. But since I already told him so, I couldnt simply brush it off. I just have to go along with it. You are wrong. It is now possible. We are based on a new technology which completely integrated our memory into the main computer. Thanks to that, we are able to function forever without any memory loss. Do you understand what it means? Even if I am erased from here, I will pursue you to the ends of the universe. And I will scrap your ship in the most terrible way. Keuk-! However! I continued to speak without giving Red time to speak up. The target of this arrest is artificial intelligence. But, since both androids and artificial intelligence are similar, we decided to be a little more peaceful. Of course, it was nonsense. In fact, I did not even know how similar androids and AIs were. Aracelli stood beside me and looked at me blankly. It seems like the topic we just touched completely flew over her head, but she didnt say anything. The vicious and emotionless space detective wants to resolve it in a peaceful way? Thats right. After all, there are always exceptions in everything. Didnt you say she before? Let us talk to her then. Maybe we can show tolerance and mercy. Red fell silent. It seems like hes pondering over my offer. From the information I got from the crew, Reds fighting power was quite high, and if Zermelt 13 decides to attack us, even without him being involved, we will die in an instant. So if both of them work together, it would be close to impossible for me to kill them. However, even though its a lie, currently Im a space detective. Now that he knows that nothing good could come from touching a space detective, and that even if they kill us, we would be resurrected and chase after them forever, he probably would be open to the idea to resolve it in another way. This is no choice. In the end, Red had only one option to choose from. Lets do it then. Let me guide you to her, the most precious thing in my life. * * * As expected, the AI ??was originally human. On top of it, she was Reds spouse. Long story short, one day, she died. And through a very special science and technology that was not disclosed to the public, she turned into an artificial intelligence. Since there had never been a case in history where humans turned into artificial intelligence, Red was delighted by this discovery. However, a problem came up soon after. It was that she had to constantly consume the brain of a living human in order to retain herself, or to be exact, her memories and thoughts. Is that why the upper bodies of every victim were devoured? Red led us to the heart of Zermelt 13, the Main Control Room. Inside, a supercomputer responsible for everything on a spacecraft, including engine, orbital trajectory, warp, route, scan, and bio maintenance was located. However, the truth is, it was not a supercomputer, but an artificial intelligence. Perhaps because the size of the spaceship was not so large, the main control room was not as huge as I initially expected. The room makes me think that someone claimed that it was a cyberpunk just because they put machinery in a small attic. Wiing-!! Wiing-!! In the center of that small space was a monitor. However, it did not display any text whatsoever. But as Red slowly approached and tapped it, a figure of a woman made of dots appeared. Its me, Zermelt I brought the space detective. C I was watching. It was truly a mind-boggling sight to see a woman who had turned into an artificial intelligence. Yet, her partner was still unable to forget her. At first glance, you might think its a sci-fi romance, but in fact, those parts were just a useless background to the progression of the world. Its just ridiculous. if you think about it in detail, Its a bit strange, isnt it? Even for me who had traveled into many dimensions, I still felt uncomfortable. Romance that transcends the four-dimensional wall? Is it possible to feel a heart-warming romance from an artificial intelligence that could only continue living by ingesting a living human brain every day? However, that fact didnt make me hate her. Rather, I just felt uncomfortable because she was so similar to me. The artificial intelligence Zermelt was forced to prolong her lifespan by killing others. I also had to kill protagonists in order to keep living. So its quite unpleasant. However, I didnt intend to show any mercy to her just because of our similarities. After all, she was the protagonist. -Their vital signals are close to those of humans, are they really androids? No. We are not. I shook my head. But I am like you. -What is that? Youve been killing innocent people all this time because you want to live, arent you? Zermelt was silent for a moment, then she affirmed. -Yes. Thats right. It is the same with me. Even I killed because I want to live. -Pardon? I felt sorry for Red. But I had no intention of keeping the cannibal AI computer alive in the first place. Slowly approaching the AIs ??body, I took out an EMC-A1 bomb from my inventory and attached it to it. It was a bomb which used ether while at the same time enchanted with magic, Therefore, it was a bomb that cannot be detected by science and technology in this world, where neither ether nor mana exists. Beep! Beep! C Wa-wait! What is this thing! C Jijik! Unidentified energy has been detected in the General Control Room! C Appears to be capable of inflicting catastrophic damage to the hull. Please find the source of energy and eliminate it as soon as possible! However, as if it was impossible to completely hide the energy, the spaceship that sensed the ether and magic shook violently. C What, what are you doing! Space detective! Wait a minute!! What have you done!! Sensing danger, Zermelt 13 tried to activate its defence system. However, I was still calm. This room had no defence system whatsoever. So, even if it was activated, It need time to arrive at this room. But I only need to push the button I held in my hand to destroy her. You You deceived me! Belatedly, Red rushed towards me. But Aracelli jumped on his path to block him. Even in a world where science has advanced so much that interstellar travel has become possible, magic which was still close to the unknown unfolds in the palm of the small girl. Red drew and swung his lightsaber. In retaliation, Aracelli erected a barrier in front of her. When the two forces collided, Reds lightsaber bounced, pushing his body away from the barrier. Meanwhile, I clenched the detonation button in my hand. -W-why! Didnt you say that you want to resolve it in a more peaceful way? Of course, it was a lie. -Didnt you say that we are alike just now? So why!!! You should know. Didnt you commit murder because you wanted to live? So do I. I said as I pressed the detonator resolutely. Im killing you because I want to live. -NN-NOOOOOOOO!!!! After a brief silence, a small storm swept through the control room. I was fine thanks to the barrier the flowerpot and Aracelli put out, but the same couldnt be said for Red. Kuekkk!! Curse you, space detective!!! Even though Red was engulfed in flames, hes still screaming curses at the space detective, not me. For some reason, I felt sorry for the space detective. But since we would have nothing to do with each other, I shrugged it off. Wiingg-!! Wiing-!! C Severe damage is detected in the hull! -The damage to AI How Color has been confirmed. C Checking whether the SS protocol is corrupted. C Checking the damage to the space orbit system. [You have killed a level 179 protagonist.] [1790 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your current lifespan: 11913 days 9 hours 31 minutes] [Your level has been raised by 4.] [You have acquired the skill How to Emotionally Understand Machines (A).] -Pajijik!! Central control protocol beta system took over the control. -From now on, all systems on the hull will be operated manually, so please take special care When the artificial intelligence that Red arbitrarily inserted died, the old control AI returned. With this, the remaining crew members will be able to survive until the rescue ship arrives. Professor. Whats wrong? Even though you have succeeded in hunting, you look unwell. Is that so? As I got out of the control room and slumped against the wall, Aracelli followed and sat down next to me. Its just I didnt feel good about this hunt. Is it because of what you said earlier? Yeah. To live, for my own happiness, I am hunting the protagonist. But, at this hunt, I had a thought. What is the difference between what I am doing now and what the protagonist was doing? Just like them, I also received the selfish blessings in the shape of [Protagonist Hunter]. Moreover, the way I act was no different from them. The protagonist of this world, Zermelt, lives as a predator until the moment she dies. I am a protagonist hunter. A hunter who hunted all protagonists in many dimensions who endangered the worlds safety. But over and over again, I thought that even if someone killed me, I wouldnt feel any sense of incompatibility, I know. I was aware it was such a useless thought. After all, in the first place it was me myself who decided to tread on this path. So, it was just absurd if I started to have such thoughts this late in the game. Rather than being obsessed by those thoughts, its better to just move to the next world. This mission ends here, so lets move on to the next one. My current level is 188. There was not much left until my target, level 200. CH 210 The work on Zermelt 13 was neatly completed. I informed the rest of the crew that the real culprit behind Reds murder existed and I had killed him. Because they completely trusted and relied on Red, there was no need to tell them about the truth. It would lead to an unnecessarily complicated situation where they would become emotionally distraught even though they still had to survive being caught between the two suns. The atrocities of Red and the AI How Color will forever be buried deep only in our memories. Aracelli. Lets go. It was a pleasure to meet you and your companion, Space Detective Yoo Seodam. I hope to see you again next time. By the way, how are you going to leave without a spaceship? We have detected the signal of the rescue ship, so you can wait here Well be fine. Instead of elaborating further, I grabbed Aracellis hand. The probability I absorbed from the last world could still be used about three more times more, so it was possible for me to move together with Araceli again. So, from now on, we would start to do dimensional traveling, not space traveling. Lets choose a world with moderately dangerous destruction progress. Where is that? The client posted the hashtag in front of me. The Demon King Raises the Demon King Castle #FantasyDungeonManagementGrowthZone #Villain #DemonKingCastleisMyGirlfriend What a messy hashtag Really? That messy long sentence which wouldnt pass the grammar test is a trend? I could not believe it. Dont lie. Since when did the system become this emotional? Slowly, a ray of light spread and enveloped both my and Aracellis body. At the spectacle the astronauts took a few steps back. Take care of yourself! Yes. You guys too. Stay safe until the rescue ship comes. When the surroundings began to distort. A series of familiar texts appeared in front of me. [Moving to Ascanta, the world where the protagonist Diablo Kim, resides.] [1098] [210] [Moving complete.] When the sensation settled, I opened my eyes. But suddenly, something I had never thought would happen to me, happened. Ohooo, are you the Hero of this generation? Eh? I was greeted by an old king draped in a fancy red robe. He was seated on a throne flanked by two golden dragon statues which stood proudly. [You have become the Hero of Ascanta.] What in the world When the king forced his heavy body out of the comfort of the throne, his belly shook violently. Once he stood, he fixed the position of the crown above his head and swept the sweat on his face before speaking with his arms wide open. The Hero has finally arrived to save the world from the Demon King! Let everyone rise and bless him! Boom, boom boom!! At his words, colourful fireworks exploded across the sky, and women in pure white priestly robes started dancing in front of me. Rows of knights cladded in silver armor raised their sword high into the sky, and at the same time, a woman in a pink dress appeared from behind the king, and she burst into laughter. Looking at the development of things, it seems like shes a princess. Hero, please save our world! Haha I let out an empty laugh. It was an extraordinary situation that I had never experienced in my life. However, it wasnt bad at all. Humans were adaptive animals, and I considered myself to have a slightly more extraordinary talent for adaptation. So, I would be able to adapt easily. Kuhum. I cough deliberately to get some attention. Excuse me As I slowly parted my lips, everyone around me who had been celebrating my appearance looked at me. If I kill the Demon King, how much is the reward? Just because my identity in this world was a hero in this world, I had no intention of doing it for free even though it aligned with my goal. Like I said so many times before, only a crazy person would work for free. What are you talking about? Looking around, I saw Aracelli plopped down. It seems like she felt motion sickness as a result of moving through dimensions with me. Then she looked at her body before looking around. It seems like she was confused and was trying to learn something. After all, unlike the Aracelli-style dimensional transfer, the systems dimensional transfer was powerful enough to be able to preserve clothing, etc. First, let me introduce myself. I can say that I am a veteran hero who travels around numerous worlds and specializes in hunting Demon Kings. Oh, oh!!! However! I raised my finger up with a serious expression on my face. As a veteran hero, how can I move for free? Think about it Hunting the Demon King is a really hard thing to do. We have to cross through the scorching heat of desert, traversing the humid jungle, passing the land of death infested with the beasts of hell, before finally reaching the Demon King. That is not the end yet, I still have to fight fiercely to kill the Demon King! Do you know how much mental energy is consumed in the whole process? Thats thats right. But what if you guys pay me? This veteran hero here, will do all he can to kill the Demon King. Thats why His Majesty The King must pay a reasonable reward to the hero. In fact, even though I talked about reward or what not, theres very little reward I can receive for doing this. After all, even if I do get it, I wont be able to take most of it to Earth. But I have a reason to still ask for it. But all the heroes throughout history did it without any reward. The valor of the Hero and his comrades became a song sung by many bards and the most beautiful poem. how can you claim a reward? Sigh There was a time when I did that too. But these days, times have changed. This hero is tired of the ever-increasing difficulty of subjugating the Demon King, yet he didnt even get a helping hand from whoever summoned him. That Should I just go home now? You guys are not even paying my salary Come on, wait! In order to summon you, the 2 Empires, 4 Kingdoms, 1 Church all worked together and consumed the amount equivalent to 5 years of the Empires national budget! Our kingdom is responsible for this summon. If you return, we will be in a perilous position! So what if you already spent a lot of money? I had no intention of changing my mind whatsoever. So, how about taking my offer? There is only one answer the king could say anyway. After all, the king could never go against the words of the Hero. * * * There were 8 Demon Kings in this world. They were all spread all over the world to increase their own power. Except for the fact that their inclinations were evil, they were similar to the 2nd Empire, 4 Kingdoms, 1 Church. Their power was also comparable to that which was called the strongest nation of humans, so there are few wars amongst them, but they never invade human nations. After hearing the story, you might be wondering why the Demon Kings had a comparable power to the human nation when the humans have 7 strongest while the Demon Kings camp have 8. Well, the reason was simple. The Demon Kings were the type that gets stronger in the Demon Kings Castle, and the Demon Kings Armys troops were very few in number. There are only a few elites in their ranks. On the other hand, humans sometimes have Expert-level masters, and the number of ordinary soldiers in their rank was also very large, so the Demon Kings cant attack humans recklessly. However, the power was not so equal from the beginning. There was a time when the number of Demon Kings reached 30. At that time, of course, the power of the Demon Kings Army was stronger than that of humans, and there were times when their numbers reached a point where they could cover the whole world with demons. At that time, humans summoned an unprecedented Heroes through the hero summoning ritual. Those heroes were crazy beings who could cut the mountain, overturn the sea, and destroy the sky with one swing. Once, a hero cut down seven Demon Kings as soon as they were summoned, while another stopped a war caused by the union of the five Demon Kings alone. Every time they appeared, it was clear that they would leave their name in history. Elite demons? Strategy? Numbers? It was something they didnt think about. The Heroes were humans who grow powerful simply by existing. Over time, humanity began to depend more and more on the existence of a Hero. It was around that time that Hero Summoning became a tradition and a custom. Nearly 200 years have passed since then, and now the power of the Demon Kings has barely reached a level similar to that of humans. The fear for the Demon Kings was not the same as it used to be. They were no different from sandbags now. In such a world, the protagonis reincarnated as a Demon King!! 5 years before Hero Yoo Seodam was summoned to the world, An ordinary student, Kim, who lived in a world far from this world, one day got into a car accident and woke up in this world when he opened his eyes. He was reincarnated as one of the 8 Demon Kings. However, the Demon King he reincarnated as was the weakest amongst all. The new name given to him as a Demon King was Diablo Kim. When he is still trying to regain his bearings and figure out what to do, his Demon Kings Castle constantly repeats the same words. [Hunt adventurers and absorb experience points.] However, it was simply something he couldnt do. I mean, Im not good at fighting Kim was an ordinary student who lived in a world where magic and war never existed. The only fighting experience he had was fighting against an 8-year-old boy in his neighbourhood. So, he would have been killed if he faced the Hero directly. For that reason, Diablo Kim decided to invest in the Demon Kings Castle rather than hunting adventurers to increase his power. It was a madness which had never been seen in the long history of Demon Kings. It was proven by the fact that the Demon Kings Castle kept saying what kind of Demon King does not develop his own power and only cultivates his castle? at his decision. After all, no matter how strong the Demon Kings Castle is, the one who has to be strong is the Demon King himself! However, he had a different mindset from other Demon Kings. Trap, strategy, betrayal, and alienation was his modus operandi. He lured adventurers to the Demon Kings Castle and killed them using a cowardly and dirty way which didnt fit the name of Demon King. Then five years passed. Rumour about a new Hero had been summoned to the world began to spread. At the same time, Demon King Diablo Kim became one of the strongest Demon Kings. Although the original power of Diablo Kim was very weak, the one which made him become one of the strongest was the power of his castle. A hero was summoned? -Yes, my lord. Diablo Kim, who had become a dignified Demon King, looked at the woman with purple hair in the picture who was bowing toward him. She used to be an existence that could be called as a Demon Kings Castle, Darkness Delete itself, but now, she has manifested into the form of a woman. -My lord. Heroes are the beings who imprinted fear on the demons throughout history. We could never match them alone. Please ally with other demon kings. Do you think I will lose to those skinny humans? Although his power is only at the level of a human knight, but with his Demon Kings Castle on his side, the title strongest was too far-fetched for him. His arrogance was also founded since other Demon Kings wouldnt dare to attack him, and no other Empire or Holy Church dared to challenge Diablo Kim. I wont leave the Demon Kings Castle anyway. Since the Demon Kings Castle was the strongest, it guarantees absolute invincibility. But what if the Hero got tired and came to his castle himself? At that time, the Hero will become my experience. Diablo Kims mouth curved upwards. He began to look forward to the day when the man called the Hero would come to his Demon Kings Castle. CH 211 As one of Ascantas 2 Empires, 4 Kingdoms, 1 Church, Zeckelfen Kingdom possessed an enormous national power which could be said to be on par with the worlds most powerful nations, the Gritrin Empire and the Eyla Holy Church. And that said kingdom was where I was summoned at. This is nice I said as I enjoyed 38-year-old white wine that King Zeckelfen had prepared for me while submerging myself in a hot bath in the huge bath house surrounded by five dragons as well as eating the finest ice cookies prepared by the servants. By what qualification can I enjoy that much you ask? Of course with my qualification as a Hero. After taking a bath, I put on my robe and left the bathhouse. The moment I stepped out, the female servants who were on stand-by around the bathhouse came up to me. They bowed their heads and said, Hero well serve you I was stunned by their words. Even though Im a human trash, I dont think I would ever stoop so low to get my way with women using my authority. So, I answered, Its fine, just go back to sleep. Pardon? Is it perhaps because we are not attractive enough? After one of the maids said that, all of them began to weep simultaneously. Well, I think it was only natural for them to cry like that. After all, they are probably thinking what kind of punishment the King will hand to them because they couldnt satisfy the Hero. I felt a bit sorry for that, so I said. Actually I like men. (P/n well, that explains his denseness) Then then we will send male servants! Do you want me to hit you? I apologize, Hero! We will leave! I sighed as all the female servants left. In the first place, the reason I abused my authority as a Hero to the King was not because of money, women, or alcohol, but for other reasons. After returning to the luxurious room prepared just for me, I equipped . This armor, obtained from the SSS-class Luck Protagonists world, was made of materialized light. Hence, it constantly emits light like a luminous light, which gives it a very sacred feeling. Then, instead of the black , the one I hung on my waist was the ether blade. The reason was because the Lost Morning Star has an evil attribute and contains a curse, which could cause discomfort to the people near it. While the ether blade was bright, which matched the feeling of Light from the armor. Once I wore the boots, I was fully armed. When I came out from the room, Aracelli was already waiting for me, wearing a black high-quality robe that the kingdom had prepared for her. Professor, did you enjoy the bath? Yeah, It was refreshing. I want to take a bath too Isnt there another bathroom prepared for you? The one used by the princess. But I want to take a bath with you I facepalmed at Aracellis answer. This little girl had become bolder and bolder with every trip. Shes actually about the same age as me, but because of the side-effect of traversing dimensions without the correct spell, her appearance looked so young. Thanks to that, I could hold myself from jumping on her. If you are ready, lets go see the King. Yes Its been only a week since I arrived at Ascanta. It was not long by any stretch of meaning. But Im sure from the Kings point of view, it must have been quite a frustrating time. After all, the Hero, whom they summoned to eradicate the Demon Kings, was only lazing around in his castle and indulging himself in extravagance without going out to do his job. Hero. May I ask when will you start your adventure? As expected, that was the Kings first words as soon as we arrived in the throne room. Since I already have a plan in mind, maybe later. But while waiting, cant you defeat the Demon Kings servants and purify the land contaminated by their magic? What the King said makes sense. Its the natural progression in this kind of story. At first, the Hero who doesnt know anything had to go on an adventure to look for a suitable party member as well as hunting a low-level mob such as: slime, goblin, wolf, orc, etc. to level up. Although those creatures were also the servants of the Demon Kings, their power was so weak to the point that they only became the fuel for the growth of the Hero. After hunting them, a slightly more powerful servants of Demon Kings will appear one by one. They were the likes of: ogres, trolls, wyverns, and werewolves. The point was, the Demon Kings will somehow keep sending their subordinates according to the strength of the Hero rather than killing him outright, until eventually, the Hero becomes strong enough to even kill a dragon by himself. But for me, that kind of progression was impossible. Even though I was given the role of the Hero in this world by the system and at the same time was hailed as a saviour by the people of this world, it was nothing but a useless title. In fact, I didnt even have the blessing of a Hero at all. Catching such miscellaneous mobs wouldnt even raise my level. Therefore, theres no point for me to go on an adventure. In other words, I dont have to take the Level-up Arc for nothing. I just have to wait and make a thorough and perfect plan to hunt the Demon Kings. When it was finished and I got something like Ah! I guess I can beat him! Then Ill go on an adventure. Your Majesty, are the preparations ready yet? That preparations that you, just wha- Did you do what I said? Sigh The kingdom, of course, is attracting wizards from the empire. But can I ask you why you wanted them? The Demon King I wanted to hunt is Kim Diablo. He is the worst Demon King who cant be killed easily. Therefore, adequate preparation is essential. I understand that well enough. But Kim Diablo has built the strongest Demon Kings Castle ever. Even when numerous expert-level knights and famous adventurers entered there simultaneously, they did not come back alive. What are you going to do with only wizards? I nodded at the Kings words. Indeed, Kim Diablo was a very out-of-the-norm Demon King. Instead of nurturing his own power, he reconstructed his Demon King Castle into something akin to a dungeon and made it into the most difficult dungeon ever. Once people entered his castle, their chance of walking out with their lives was practically null. Professor. What are you going to do? Since it was Aracelli who received the briefing about the Demon King from the King, it seemed that she also worried a lot about what I was going to do. The bottomless cliff of hell which would make you fall endlessly once you stumble! A dragon guard who sleeps in the lava! Cerberus, the three-headed gatekeeper of hell! The gateway to the thorny hell where you cannot relax even for a moment! The moment you choose the wrong path, you cant get out of the infinite maze forever! Each stage in the Demon Kings Castle was extremely difficult that fit the word hardest very well. And it seems that Aracelli, who remembered it all inside her head, was actively researching about the most appropriate way to deal with it all. To be honest, I didnt even read the briefings. After all, I had no intention of entering the Demon Kings Castle in the first place. Araceli. Lets say you are tasked to exorcise a ghost from a haunted house. What will you do? Aracelli fell silent and pondered for a few seconds before opening her mouth. If I think about it in an ordinary way rather than with magic, I will first prepare an exorcist who can talk to the ghost and five holy knights to escort him. And then Ill order the exorcist to resolve the grudge of the ghost. However, at the same time I will prepare a special salt in case the ghost becomes angry. Also, I will prepare a branch that has been struck by lightning. Your method is wrong. I smirked. Yes? Why cant you just fire a cannon at the haunted house and set it on fire? Oh Aracelli let out a surprised gasp with her eyes opened wide. In the first place, the ghost was clinging into the house. So why do you have to work so hard to get rid of the ghost? All you have to do is burn the house down. In other words, I had no intention of confronting the Demon King directly. I will prepare a very powerful shot which can destroy the Demon Kings Castle in one hit. Although Aracellis mana circle was barely in the second circle, there were expert-class knights (estimated level 150-200) and grand-class wizards (estimated level 200) in this world. So it was possible to do that. In the first place, back in Vivienda Empire, magic which was labelled as a strategic weapon was casted by several wizards at once rather than being casted by a single wizard. For example, Professor, are you perhaps talking about a super strong magic like Meteor Storm? Yeah, thats right! I had no intention of jumping into a fight either if I could help it. Who cares about the title of a Hero? A Hero doesnt always have to be honourable or dignified. Whether he struggled in the process or not, if in the end, he still killed the Demon King, he would still be hailed as a Hero. For that reason I have received a call from the Magic Tower. They are ready to meet the Hero now. Is that so? Thats good. Meteor Storm is a spell that literally summons and drops a meteorite from the sky. Those who did not know much about magic would say that Meteor Storm was an earth or fire type magic, but they were wrong. That meteorite was summoned through a space-time magic and then was dropped and accelerated with gravity magic. It could be said that this particular spell was the ultimate spell for mages who specialise in spatial magic. Therefore, the prerequisite of activating it was also very strict. Naturally, the spell requires a caster of at least 9 circles to cast it. On top of it, an astronomical amount of materials were needed. Therefore, It wouldnt be a stretch to say that it would never have been possible to use it in normal circumstances. However, isnt there a magician who had once reached the top of the magical world next to me as well as a wallet overflowing with infinite money supporting me? If I want to use magic in the same tier as Meteor Storm, a super-giant magic circle is needed, right? Yes, Professor. If you want to focus the magic on one point, at least six magic circles need to be built with the target point in the centre.. The Meteor Storm spell was by no means a simple magic. Even more so when I couldnt rely on Aracelli. Therefore, Ill have to go around the world and look for a medium which is strong enough to replace the mana of a 9 Circle magician. And, that will be the goal of the adventure of Hero Yoo seodam. Theres no need for anything like killing goblins, rescuing kidnapped villagers, or helping a damsel in distress and then falling in love after my adventure. After all, once the Demon King was killed, everything was going to be over. Why should I do such a useless thing? Then, shall we leave right away? * * * A month has passed since Kim Diablo heard the rumour that a Hero had been summoned. What are the goblin units doing now? He said anxiously while biting on his nails. -They are still waiting at the expected destination of Hero Yoo Seodam. When the Hero begins his journey, it was an implicit rule that the Demon King had to send out his servants to hunt the hero. It was because, in the long history of Demon Kings, theres quite a lot of Demon Kings who gained the greatest power ever after successfully killing a Hero who had become strong enough. Kim Diablos thoughts were the same. He wanted to properly raise the Hero of this generation, Yoo Seodam, and lure him to his Demon Kings Castle so he could kill him. If that happens, he would undoubtedly become the strongest Demon King that no one in the world dares to defy! However What the hell is that crazy Hero doing?! Kim Diablos scream echoed through his throne room. The Hero Yoo Seodam, even after 1 month being in this world, didnt even hunt a single wolfone of the weakest mobs. Rather than adventuring, it was more apt to say that the Hero was on vacation. Green fields, refreshing mountains, and the songs of chirping wild birds as snacks. Drinking a glass of medicinal wine, meeting some villagers and playing Go with them. Cheating people by selling arrowroot juice as wild ginseng juice, building a sand castle on the beach. Hes really just playing around. It was ridiculous to the point that Kim Diablo doubted whether Yoo Seodam was truly the Hero or not. What the hell is this crazy Hero thinking? Kim Diablo bit his lips tightly. However, even when he was so frustrated because of Hero Yoo Seodam, he still had no intention of going out of the Demon Kings Castle and went to him by himself. Thats right He might be a tactician like me. What if all of that was part of his plan? A plan to lure the Demon King out of his Demon Kings Castle because of frustration? With that thought in mind, Kim Diablo firmly pressed his ass to the Demon Kings throne and sternly clenched his jaw. No matter what kind of plan the Hero thinks of, it will never work on me. Kim Diablo smiled confidently. That was the well-founded confidence of the protagonist who had defeated the forces of many adventurers and rival Demon Kings. CH 212 Prev Manga Info Bz bz bz bz bz It was only a month after I arrived in this world that I left for what people called adventure. However, different from what people thought, my adventure was not dangerous at all. Instead, it was rather relaxing, just like a vacation. It was good to give yourself a break to take care of your mental health. Besides, just because Im taking a break now doesnt mean that the plan for hunting the protagonist stopped, right? Hero. The first tower you mentioned is ready. Is that so? Great! To cast the 9 circle great magic Meteor Storm, quite a lot of preparations were required. The most important one of all was the medium for summoning meteors. Since there would be no 9th circle wizard who can cast it directly, 6 special towers designed by Aracelli would be the substitute. However, it couldnt just be placed anywhere random as it had to be precisely placed so that they were located in a circle with the Demon Kings Castle at its center. Each tower had to be built exactly 500 km apart from each other. There was no room for any errors. If theres an error, the meteor might not get summoned, or even if it was summoned, the meteor wouldnt fall precisely at the intended locationthe centre of 6 towers. This is more cumbersome than I thought. Well, it was because you wanted to use a 9 circle magic without a 9th circle wizard, Professor. Sigh Anyway, even though weve done all this, its still not perfect. There is still one annoying flaw. In my words, the wizards put on a gloomy expression. But it was true that the towers alone were great enough. They were all well aware because it was close to impossible for 7th circle wizards to reproduce the original magic of 9th circle. Once again, I was reminded about how great the magic of a 9th circle magician was. If the rank of my Library of White Witch rises, will I be able to take a closer look into this level of magic, I wonder? After all, White Witch was actually a magician thats at least two levels higher than Aracelli. Hmmm Thinking like that, I was reminded of Aracellis potential once again, too. When she reached the 9th circle, she was still quite young. What if she trains her double circle to the extreme and regains her original circle? Maybe she can be stronger than the White Witch? Thats unlikely to happen now. Her nine mana circles had already hardened, and there was hardly any way to get them back. Look how beautiful the tower looks! An old man named Marvin, who was also a court wizard of the Kleiben Empire as well as a 7th circle wizard, exclaimed, waking me out from my thoughts. His eyes were locked into the blue column towering into the sky in the middle of the ridge. Each of those towers ??had an astronomical monetary value, but none of the wizards cared about it. After all, it was all something with great magical value which was worth more than a mere money for them. Speaking of which, grand level wizards in this world were equivalent to 7 circle wizards in many worlds. Normally, when they reach that level, they would be given the title of Great Sage or Arch Mage, which was similar to the Vivienda Empire. In other words, the best wizard in Ascanta World was only at the level of 7th circle, so it was only natural that they were mesmerized by a sudden appearance of someone who knew 9th circle magic. Hero, cant we just build the second tower right away? The court mage, Marvin, turned to look at Aracelli with eyes full of excitement. I smiled at him and nodded my head. As expected, the wizards were really friendly. Sure. Then lets go now! From what I heard, no other Hero had ever received such support and assistance from the magic tower. As soon as I thought of that, I felt quite proud of myself. From now on, please go to the points I marked on the map and work hard to build the tower. I cant go to the construction site to avoid the Demon Kings eyes. Of course! Then, please excuse me. Using the Demon King as an excuse, I was able to hand over the hard labor to the wizards and the soldiers of the kingdom. Where are we going now, Professor? We need to look for more materials. Not all the materials needed to build the tower are ready. Among the magic materials used in the tower, there were rare items such as flea liver, cuckoos conscience, grapes left behind by foxes. There were also some things which could only be obtained by killing giant monsters such as griffins only golden feather and hibernating arctic twin dragons scale. and giant mountain bears gallbladder. Of course, gathering those things wasnt my only purpose. I glanced at Aracellis outfit. Unlike me, who was armed with dazzling items and a state-of-the-art ether dispenser, she only had an old wooden staff and a shabby robe. She said it couldnt be helped since she had to lose all her equipment while jumping between dimensions. No matter how good the equipment she would get in one world, when she moves to the next world, she will lose everything. However, only one thing was different: A bullet necklace hanging on her neck. When I asked why it was not lost in the aftermath of dimensional travel, Aracelli said that before she began her journey, she managed to obtain a small amount of a rare material and applied it to her bullet, and made the bullet a part of herself. In other words, with that material, it was possible to deceive the world itself while moving through dimensions That material was none other than dragon scales. What if we could get our hand on more of them here? Aracelli would be able to travel between dimensions without any worry of losing her gear. I dont know if there were dragons in this world or not. But Aracelli told me that, according to legend, dragons should exist in every world. If I find a dragon For that reason, I was thinking of searching for the existence called dragon while at the same time looking for materials for the tower. Wouldnt this be the most efficient Heros Adventure ever written? * * * After hunting the protagonist last time, Yoo Seodam acquired a skill called [How to Emotionally Understand Machines (A)]. The skill would make him able to manipulate the machine a little more precisely and at the same time make him understand the structure of the machine more easily. Also, it would make him emotionally understand the machine more. In other words, Its hard. If I consume more energy than that, my body will burn. Hey! Come on! Use me! I want to explode! Explosion! Explosion! Explosion! Hurry up and blow me up! Im sleepy Cant you just turn the power off? The hum of the machine, the crackling sound of sparks, etc. would sound like words to Yoo Seodam. That doesnt mean the machine actually had feelings or anything like that. It was just that Yoo Seodam was able to see the state of the machine a little more clearly. Was it a useful skill? Of course, it is. Lets say, for example, he got a bomb that mumbles, Lets just get some sleep and a bomb that shouts, Detonate me right now!. In the case of the sleepy bomb, strangely, a malfunction would occur; or the destructive power would be weaker than expected. However, the latter bomb would explode without any problem when detonated, and its firepower was even stronger than average. For Yoo Seodam, who often handled machinery and was equipped with ether blade and winchester, it was a fantastic skill. Pop, puff, puff!! When a gas bomb enchanted with diffusion magic detonated, the nine-headed wolf monster slumped into the ground in agony. Without wasting time, Yoo Seodam buried his ether blade into the gaping wounds caused by the explosion on the nine-headed wolf. Once he pressed the rupture button on the handle, the energy exploded and the wolf died instantly. The monster he just killed, the nine-headed wolf, was one of those boss-class monsters which could only be defeated when at least five master-class knights gathered. The reason why Yoo Seodam dared to catch the nine-headed wolf was If you make a shopping bag out of their leather, it will be no joke. Did you mean handbag rather than shopping bag, Professor? Arent they both the same? They are different!! It was just to make one shopping bag. Professor, you seem to have been slightly injured from the explosion I will treat you. Okay. Aracellis leaned closer to Yoo Seodam. The wound he suffered was nothing but a slight burn, but it would still take some time for it to be healed naturally. However, with Aracellis magic, it was healed instantly. It was just a simple light-element magic, but her magic, which had once reached the level of the 9th circle, seemed to be no different from the divine power of the priests. Demon King The movement of the Hero is odd. A shadow said telepathically while secretly watching the hero from the distance. The creature was black from horns to toe. On top of it, he was assimilated into the shadows, making him unseen to normal eyes. C What do you mean? Didnt you say that hes finally working on something now? Thats not it. -Then? What is the Hero doing now? He He hunted a nine-headed wolf. -Wh-what?! How can a Hero who has only been summoned for a month hunt a nine-headed wolf! Unbelievable! But it is true. The Hero has an excellent cleric girl as his companion, and he also uses a very unique swordsmanship. -Damn it looks like the humans had summoned a formidable guy. So, why did he hunt the nine-headed wolf? A cleanup? Monster conquest? Or Magic suppression? No, thats not it The minion contemplated whether or not to tell the Demon King the truth for a moment. However, in the end he decided to report it as it is. Its to make a shopping bag. Kim Diablo was silent for a moment. Then, moments later, he shouted. -What did you say, you bastard? Are you fucking kidding me?! No, my liege! Its the truth! I will never tell a lie to you, my liege! At the minions words, Kim Diablo furrowed his brows. -What the hell is this bastard of a Hero doing? He was confused and irritated by the Heros behaviour. He simply couldnt know what was happening inside his head. Only when he could infer, grasp, and calculate his movements will he be able to push him into a trap with a perfect scheme when he arrives at the Demon Kings Castle. However, it was simply impossible to predict the Hero of this generation. Right after he was summoned, he didnt do anything and was just lying around in the royal castle for a week. Then, when he finally decided to set off on an adventure, it was not a bloody and full of difficulty but a relaxing one! C Th-th-then this time, he hunted the nine-headed wolf, the ruler of the Antauri Mountains, just to make a shopping bag? Is he sane? On top of it, the appearance of Hero Yoo Seodam, whom Kim Diablo could see through the vision he shared with his minion was closer to that of a barbarian rather than a Hero. He was doing something a Hero wouldnt do: tearing the skin of the wolf while giggling. Then, suddenly, a good idea came to Kim Diablo. If the Hero was already strong enough to hunt a nine-headed wolf, it means that the Hero of this generation was already complete. If so, wouldnt that mean that there would be no big problem if he hunted him right now? -If the other Demon Kings knew about this, they would rush towards him However, going out on his own was suicidal. But, isnt there a very good way to attract him to his castle? -That girl is his priest companion? Yes thats right. Kim Diablo stared at Aracelli. The potential of a priest was limitless. When they become strong enough, they would become more powerful as well as raise the partys power from two to ten times. But they had a glaring weakness: they were vulnerable when alone. In other words, it would be simple to abduct them. Although the priest girl was useless to him, the Demon King, isnt it a long-standing tradition for Demon Kings to abduct beautiful women and brag about it? That girl was more beautiful than any other beauty he had ever seen, and even when he looked at her through someones eyes like this, her beauty still took his breath away. -From now on, try to kidnap that girl and bring her to the castle. It was a pretty risky plan, but there was no risk to Kim Diablo. It would be a pity if it fails, but its good if the Hero comes to his castle out of anger. CH 213 Back when Aracelli was still in the Vivienda Empire, the reason she could get her hands on a dragon scale was much more trivial than I thought, so it wasnt helpful for our current situation. There are rumours that my ancestor, Archmage Rinekal, interacted with dragons. Some history books say that she learned magic directly from dragons, but Im not sure about the authenticity of those claims Anyway, there was this one dragon scale which was passed down from generation to generation. Absolute perfection. That was the property of a dragon scale. It was harder and tougher than the skin of any living creature, and it was a magical object which could conduct mana better than any existing material. Since one scale contained such an extraordinary effect, I dare not imagine just how great the dragons were. Come to think of it, I think there was a world related to dragons The system had said that just as the human race was the same in all the worlds, dragons were also the same race in all worlds. It means that the dragons of Vivienda wouldnt be much different from the dragons of Ascanta if they did exist. So, Mr. Adventurer, are you looking for a dragon? In the northwest of the Ascanta continent, there was a strange forest called Silent Forest. In this place, no living creatures made any noise. The chirping of the birds, the roars of the animals, and even the whistling of the insects couldnt be heard. Even though this place was not devoid of the living, not even a sound of their presence was heard. After wandering for a week inside the forest where the sound itself was the enemy, Araceli and I were finally able to meet a hermit fairy wizard hiding in a valley deep within the forest. The fairy wizard with gray-white hair with pointed ears was rumoured to have been alive for at least three hundred years. He clicked his tongue when he saw us. Again, adventurers chasing behind vain dreams. A dragon is not something you can meet just because you want to meet one. What does that mean? Human history books are full of strange nonsense. He scoffed. From what I know, dragons live by building fortunes. They dominate all the monsters in the mountain range, like treasure, collect all kinds of rare things, threaten dwarves, and sometimes go out into the world just to play. However, It is all a lie. Dragons are not like that. All these ideas were shattered. I know that all worlds must follow clichs. If so, dragons should also follow the clich, therefore, their characteristic should be one amongst the things listed above. What did you say? Yeah, but thats because Im a protagonist hunter, isnt it? Hmmm The more I heard about them, the less my understanding was about the existence of dragons. Beside that, a question bloomed on the back of my mind. Why was the dragon scale preserved even through dimensional shifts? No other material could be carried through Aracellis incomplete dimensional travel. Only one was possible: dragon scale. Just what is the real identity of the dragons, I wonder Anyway, in the end, I concluded that it was impossible to find a dragon in Ascanta. It was because I couldnt even find a clue about dragons even though I had traveled for about three months while the tower was being built. Well, it wasnt necessarily a wasted trip since I gained a lot of rare materials. But still, I couldnt help but feel regretful. First of all, thank you very much. Yes, young man. The dragon is no longer in this world, so give up looking for them, and enjoy your life. ? With the hermit wizards meaningful words, we set out on our way out of the forest. * * * After travelling all around the continent, Aracelli somehow became famous amongst the mass as a Cleric. Even if wizards had no divine power whatsoever, they could still heal some simple bruises or detox some poison with mana alone. But high-ranking wizards could go beyond that level and even perform a surgery if they had a lot of medical knowledge. Unlike healing through divine power, which purely regenerates and repairs wounds, the treatment done by magic was very systemical, similar to modern medicine. As a battle-hardened Archmage, Aracelli naturally had a lot of medical knowledge on top of magical knowledge. Therefore, whenever she met wounded adventurers or sick villagers while venturing through Ascanta to build the tower, she generously healed them. However, it was not purely because she had a generous heart, it was because the mana circle would grow faster as she consumed mana to heal people. Thanks to that, her double circle finally reached the 2nd stage. And due to Yoo Seodams nature that ventured into all kinds of remote areas, Aracelli was able to meet a lot of people and patients As a result, Aracellis title escalated from Cleric into Saintess instantly. If you ask if its a good thing, Yoo Seodam would answer no. It was because the place they were currently at was the Holy Palace of Elia Church. Elia church was second only to the two empires which had the most power in Ascanta. It was not an exaggeration to say that 50% of the people in this world were members of Elia Church. So, it was not far-fetched to say that they had the most influence in Ascanta. And in their rank, they had the real Saintess. This Saintess, who rarely reveals her face to the outside world because she rarely engages in outside activities, was the one who was truly recognized by God and had abundant divine power. are you, Saintess Araceli, who is adventuring with the Hero Yoo Seodam? The Saintess, Lenica said as soon as Yoo Seodam took Aracelli to the dining room after receiving the invitation from the Pope. Neither the expensive red wine nor the mountain banquets could change the mood of the Real Saintess Lenica. She was upset beyond words, and she found the fake Saintess sitting opposite her was so detestable. Yum. However, Aracelli didnt even pay any attention to her and only sliced ??the steak that was laid in front of her and put it in her mouth. Naturally, as the successor of the great Rinekal family, she used elegant dining etiquette which did not go well with her ugly clothes. It probably didnt have any meaning other than a habit that was ingrained to her body. Are you ignoring me? Yes? No. The food is delicious. Sigh Are you not ashamed at all lying to people by impersonating a Saintess? Saintess Lenica glared at Aracelli with her venomous gaze. Until now, she had never met or heard someone who dared to use the title Saintess. Did she know how hard it is to get the title of Saintess? Did she know that she had to prove her worth amongst all the purest women recognized by God to get the title of Saintess? How dare such a beggar, whom she had never heard of until recently, impersonate her title? But Aracelli really had no idea. What am I supposed to do when people call me that? She replied calmly. What? Lenica tried to refute that brazen remark, but Araceli spoke in a passing tone. People call me that way because I took care of the injured, healed the sick, and listened to their concerns. I didnt know you had to have a license to do it, so I apologize. But I swear I never once called myself a Saintess. Lenica bit her mouth, and didnt say anything. She was aware that she told the truth. Aracelli had never once titled herself as a Saintess. It was just a title which the mass gave her derived from the fact that she had done so many kind acts. But Lenica hated her so much, enough to the point she would rather die than to acknowledge it. Lenica thought that it was too dirty and messy outside the church, and full of dangerous things. She really hated to venture into a place where monsters, robbers, murderers and demons existed and she did not like to touch dirty patients. The reason she got the title of a Saintess was because she just wanted to live the most comfortable and luxurious life. Looking at the battle between the two women, Seodam let out a sigh. In fact, rather than a fight, Lenica was the one who was one-sidedly angry, while Aracelli was just chewing the steak without any care. Nevertheless, it was still burdensome to watch. Hero Its already late, I think it will be best for us to rest. Yoo Seodam, who was grateful to his words, bows deeply towards him before leaving the dining hall with Aracelli. Well, not leave, more like fleeing. * * * At the same night. A black mist crept into a very small gap in the Holy Barrier that surrounded the Holy Church. Eventually, the fog split into two figures. One figure had a horn on its right forehead, and one had a horn on its left forehead. Although the two were two different entities, they were one at the same time. Right There is a problem. What is it, Left? Didnt the Demon King tell us to kidnap the Heros companion? Thats right. And the Heros companion is just that one Saintess. The one with a horn in its forehead spoke. And right now, the Hero is training at the training ground. This is a great opportunity, Left. Thats not the problem, Right. The one called Left stood on the highest point of the church steeple and looked down at the ground. The barriers and walls of the church were not a problem at all for him because he had the vision of the great demon who could see through any obstacles unobstructed. There are two saintesses. What!?!? Right shouted as his face clearly showed confusion. There are two saintesses? I have never heard of such a thing! The two demons were quite powerful great demons, so they did not appear in the front often and only worked under the shadow, executing Demon King Kim Diablos order. However, a few days prior, they received a summon from the Demon King and were ordered to abduct the Heros companion, the Saintess. Common sense dictated that there could only be one Saintess in one generation, so they recklessly entered the church, and the rest was history. What should we do? Left. What do you mean what should we do? There was only one way, anyway. Kidnap both the saintesses and return. * * * At dawn, Aracelli, who was sleeping alone in a luxurious room called The White Rose Room opened her eyes and waved her hand in the air aggressively. Tuk! !!!! The clouds that covered the sky slowly drifted away, letting the moonlight shower the night. The great demon Left felt his breath suffocate for a moment. Ju-just when?! Still lying in the bed, Saintess Aracelli had her blue eyes wide open. As if she hadnt slept at all, her bright eyes seemed to have known their approach in advance. Its been awhile since I met a demon. As her mouth parted open, white cuts began to appear on the wall of the White Rose Room. Seconds later, a huge golden cog appeared and began to turn. The small light pillar protruding from there kept trying to take away Lefts power. Hey, this is! Left couldnt resist. At that moment he realized that the Saintess in front of her was the real one. However, the moment he thought of that, he felt a chill of death creeping closer towards his soul. In an instant, all of his magic power was gone, and Aracelli smiled at him. From this moment, if you open your mouth without my permission, you die. Saying so, Aracelli got up from her bed, folded the blanket, and pushed both her hands towards Left. Then shall we continue? Kidnap me. Left couldnt quite comprehend the situation, but since he didnt want to die, he had no choice but to follow her orders. CH 214 < Hero Yoo Seodam (5) > When Lenica opened her eyes again, she was lying in a completely unknown place to her. It was eerie, dark and cold, but at the same time, it felt dignified, luxurious, grand, while still being a terrifying place. Huh? Lenica, who opened her eyes, could not immediately understand the situation she was in right now. She opted to think about what happened last night first. The meeting with Hero Yoo Seodam was the part that Lenica had been looking forward to for a long time. It was because shed heard the story of Heroes who saves the world by slaughtering evil while wearing splendid silver armor, traveling through all kinds of difficult and remote areas. It had been Lenicas dream since childhood to accompany such a Hero. The story of a princess or a saintess accompanying a Hero had been heard and known throughout countless generations. Perhaps, the woman who followed the Hero of the time was the woman who lived the happiest life in that era. It can be said that Lenica had become one step closer towards becoming the happiest woman in this era by obtaining the qualifications as a saintess. By any chance, if she and Hero Yoo Seodam could be together, a romance, which would be told even to the next generations, could unfold! However Aracelli was the problem. She was a thick-faced woman who pretended to be a saintess. Not only that, with her pretentious face, she seemed to have done a good deed, and she was monopolizing all the attention, love, and attention of the people on the street by just giving them a treatment. I treat nobles who are more valuable than beggars, but why is it all for that woman! It was already annoying enough that she was clinging onto the Hero, Yoo Seodam, but she even took the title of saintess away from her! So then last night, Lenica returned to her room and opened the bottle of whiskey she had been saving. Then She ran into a certain man wearing a full dark garment and then Where is this place? Her head felt like it was going to break. Getting hit by something? Because of a hangover? She did not know. To overcome the headache, Lenica tried to touch her head with her hand. Rattle-!! However, her arms couldnt move. Rattle-!! Rattle-!! What!?!? So did her opposite arm. Looking up, she saw black, thin chains wrapped around both of her arms above her head. Ah, ah?! Rattle-!! She tried to pull her arm with all her might, but only felt stinging pain. The chains stood strong, chaining her hands to the wall. Wh-what where is this place? Shhhh Be quiet!! A voice comes from the other side of her. When she looked there, there was a girl, who, like herself, was standing with her hands bound over her head. It was Aracelli. However, unlike herself, who was dressed in her pajamas, Aracelli was wearing a white, elegant dress. It was so absurd to the extent that anyone who saw her would never consider her as someone who just got kidnapped. You, why are you. Just what is happening right now? Dont you know? We were kidnapped by a Demon King. The one who kidnapped us was none other than one of the strongest Demon King Kim Diablo. AhAh. Lenica starts to let out mumbled randomly. She was aware that it had been a common development since ancient times that princesses or saintessess would be kidnapped by Demon Kings. But that action will lead the Hero to destroy the Demon King because his precious companion was kidnapped. However The story of the Hero rescuing a kidnapped princess, marrying her, and living happily ever after was just a story in a fairy tale. While in reality, what happened? It cant be It cant be By the time the Hero rescued them, it was already too late. Tortured by the demon king, they had lost even the minimum dignity to live as human beings. And even if they could come to their senses, in many cases, they would commit suicide eventually. It was very easy to predict what the Demon Kings would do to the girls they kidnapped. This made Lenica even more desperate to escape. Lenica bit her lips tightly and lowered her head, sobbing silently. She knew that no matter how great of a Hero Yoo Seodam is, it would take at least a few years for him to break through this impregnable Demon Castle. No, even if several years pass, would it be possible for him to break through this place? The very same Kim Diablos Demon Castle that the Empire and the Holy Church evaluated that they would never be able to break through even if they all worked together! In any case, if Hero Yoo Seodam miraculously had the power to save her By that time, it would have been too late. I, my life, like this A sense of despair engulfed Lenica. How did it happen? She couldnt quite understand. Tak-!! Tak-!!Tak-!! At the sound footsteps which came closer and closer, Lenica slowly turned her head. She was restrained to a wall adorned with beautiful decorations facing Aracelli, and someone was walking on the red carpet between them. Black hair and bright red eyes. It was the Demon King, Kim Diablo. With a smile that caught his mouth, he slowly approached the two saints. Well, seeing both of you put together, both of you truly look like fine pieces of art. It was a good thing I invested the Infiltration stat in Left and Right. He stroked his chin and looked at Lenica, and then Aracelli. The Hero Yoo Seodams comrade was definitely Araceli, but Lenica was by no means a bad loot. By the way, why is she wearing a dress? He had heard from Left and Right that they had infiltrated at dawn. It was proven by the fact that Lenica was still in her pajamas and didnt have any make-up on. But Aracelli had her makeup done thoroughly to the point even her lips were dyed blood red, and she wore a dress with a slight exposure to it, giving off an alluring atmosphere. As if intentionally exuding an atmosphere of the abducted saintess who was sad and pitiful, but she was beautiful nonetheless. Unbeknown to him, his assumption was to some extent correct. It was because Yoo Seodam had shown Aracelli the abducted princess rule book and taught her that it was an implicit rule for people who were kidnapped by the Demon King to dress up beautifully. Oh, are you interested in my clothes? Pretty, right? I did my best to look good for Professor. I dont normally enjoy dressing up. But its human nature to want to dress up beautifully in a special situation like this. That sound like you knew you were going to be kidnapped? Kim Diablo said as his face hardened. He was aware that the Hero Yoo Seodam was by no means an ordinary enemy. He possessed swordsmanship above the level of a master, and his strategy was above the level of normal people. So its impossible for him to not know that his companion would be kidnapped. Or Did he know in advance that his companion would be kidnapped? Something feels fishy. However No matter what Hero Yoo Seodam is planning, its useless. From the moment you enter the Demon Castle, there would be no way for you to escape. His words were not mere arrogance but well-founded confidence. And it was a word that drove Lenica even further into despair. Aracelli, just give up As long as were here, its almost impossible to get out of here forever Oh, yes. The saintess over there seems to be able to grasp the reality. Dont worry. Because Im kind and gentle to women. If you just cooperate, nothing bad will ever happen to you. [The protagonist, Kim Diablo, activates the skill Stockholm Syndrome Charm (A+).] [Even though they were kidnapped and found themselves in crisis, the supporting actors sympathize with the friendly and warm appearance of the protagonist who treats them kindly!] (P/n the fk?) Lenicas eyes widened slightly. She suddenly developed a certain gratitude and attachment to the appearance of the Demon King who treated her kindly even though she had kidnapped her. [Aracelli uses the skill Eyes of The Great Sage (SSS) to resist.] Well, it didnt work for Aracelli. Then, what do you think, saintess? Kim Diablo asked Aracelli. He knew that she didnt have to care about Lenica anymore. Hmm Aracelli frowned and pondered for a moment, then she suddenly ripped the chains which bound one of her arms. What?! Kim Diablo hastily retreated. However, Aracelli didnt have any intention to attack him. She just ripped the chains because she wanted to scratch the itch on her cheek. Once she put the chain back on with magic, she smiled and opened her mouth. Can you repeat the question? about this situation, what do you think? Oh, right. Are you curious about my Professors strategy to break through this castle? Kim Diablos eyes darkened. Because of the sudden act of Aracelli, he had summoned his subordinates through magic. And they slowly flocked to the surroundings. Something was clearly fishy. That woman, how could she break that chain so easily? That chain can only be broken by people with a strength equal to or above a grand-class wizard! After thinking for a while, Aracelli started talking. Actually, my Professor did not have any thoughts of attacking you, o Demon King. You must have been looking forward to it, but Im sorry to disappoint you. What? So, are you saying that hes going to throw you away? No? Araceli reacted sensitively to the words before suddenly looking up to the ceiling. A beautiful vermilion chandelier was swaying. But she wasnt looking at the artistic chandelier. She was looking beyond that, to a much higher place. There was one fatal flaw in my magic. Not even six magic towers or 20 grand-class wizards could solve it. What are you talking about? Of course, she was talking about Meteor Storm, an offensive magic that drops meteors at a designated location. Even though they had prepared all materials needed to execute the magic, in the end, 9 circle magic couldnt be perfectly casted by 7 circle wizards, no matter how many of them gathered. However, there was still a way to cast it on a specific place. It was to cast Meteor Storm right on the target. In other words, someone needs to cast the spell inside the Demon King castle. Actually, this part wasnt much of a problem. Because that someone just had to use magic as soon as they entered the Demon Castle. Thats why Yoo seodam was preparing to depart for the Demon Kings Castle to directly cast the magic from the inside. Perhaps, if it had been as originally planned, he would have come to the Demon Kings Castle immediately after meeting the Pope at the Holy Church? However, when the Demon Kings servants came to her, Aracelli suddenly had such a thought. If there are minions with this level of kidnapping ability, are there perhaps other victims who have been kidnapped? She understood Yoo Seodams beliefs well. He was someone who would always properly kill the protagonist, but he would never harm innocent people. So, Aracelli decided to check the Demon Kings Castle with her own two eyes by letting herself get kidnapped. It is truly a great castle. If I were to try to attack it with normal means, hmm Unless I can regain my original strength, I will be quite troubled. I even struggled to find out where the prison was. Have you been walking around my castle? Just a bit at dawn. Well, its thanks to the fact that you are not here. Now that I have confirmed that there are no ordinary people here, I can destroy the castle without any guilt. WHAT DID YOU SAY? Did he perhaps hear it wrong? Destroying this castle? Youre talking nonsense This castle will never fall. How many stats do you think you invested in its defence? I know. Internally and externally, this castle is perfect. Thats right! Even if the legendary 8th circle wizard appeared on my door, it was impossible for them to destroy it! At those words, Aracelli let out a sweet laugh without realizing. Well then, how about the magic of the 9th circle wizard? Crack-!! The chains which bound her arms were torn apart in an instant. Aracellis body slowly rose into the sky, as a golden glow emanated from her whole body. Numerous cogs, turned behind her back, and jagged thorns protruded from her back. Aracellis blue eyes sparkled, and moments later. Lenica was already in her arms. Woooonngg-!!! High in the sky, an ominous noise filled the world. Aracell slowly flew away as she spoke to the Demon King, Kim Diablo. If you give up on this Demon Castle and run away I wonder Maybe youll be able to survive? Flash-!! At the end of those words, Aracellis figure turned into light and disappeared. At the same time, Kim Diablo, who was still raising his head to look at Aracelli moments before, could see something through the window. A catastrophe more terrifying and greater than any other catastrophe that had ever come upon mankind. A catastrophe that far surpassed earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and typhoons. A meteor rain. The beautiful and dazzling trajectory of light was pouring down into the Demon King Castle, which was his everything. CH 215 By the way im back!!! And yeah, start of new month so Go subscribe to our patreon. Please LMAOOO I put Aracelli on my shoulders and asked in an absurd tone. Why did you do that? Even if she didnt do anything, the original plan would still be carried out. I would have personally gone to the Demon Kings Castle and at the last moment, cast the magic using the High Density Magic Crystal Stone prepared by the wizards as the medium. However, something else happened. [Professor! I got kidnapped!] Aracelli disappeared from her room. The blankets were neatly folded and even the refreshments were packed. The only addition to the room was that note placed conspicuously on the bed. Unable to contain my surprise, I rushed to the Demon Kings Castle, and the things that happened next really blew my mind. Suddenly, meteors started to fall from the sky. [You have killed a level 109 (+134) protagonist.] [109 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your level has been raised by 3.] [Your level has been raised by additional 2, following your achievement of hunting a protagonist who had built a strong foundation in the world using a large amount of probability] What followed after the meteor shower was nothing but a catastrophe. The terrain near the Demon Kings Castle was devastated and overturned to the point the map of the continent had to be redrawn because of it. Of course, Aracelli, the one who caused all this, was completely exhausted after that. She had said that in order to use the original Meteor Storm, 50% of total mana had to be usedor to be exact, 50% of her total mana in her original state, the total mana of a 9th circle magician. So, even though the gap of the magic circles was covered by various magic materials and the towers, since the mana inside Aracellis body was not even 10% of her original mana pool, it was natural that she was completely exhausted. You know Sometimes Sometimes? When you see a bubble wrap, you feel the urge to pop it, right? I think so? I felt like that. What the hell is that example Is that so? Anyway, I roughly understood her reason. Then I turned my head to the other side. There, for some reason, Saintess Lenica was glancing at Aracelli with red cheeks. Then she mumbled something under her breath. It was barely audible. What the hell was that? Is it a demon summoning spell? Oh thank you for today Long story short, I was able to bring Lenica back to the Holy Church. O Hero You have challenged the invincible Demon King Kim Diablo, defeated him, and even saved the saintess!! Our church will always praise you for your bravery and strength! Fireworks decorated the sky. Flowers flew around and great festives followed the Popes word. However, I dont think I deserved it at all. After all, most of the work was done by Aracelli. However, the girl in question couldnt enjoy it at all, since she was busy because Lenica was talking to her all the time. Hmm, Aracelli-nim. Where are you going after this? Maybe to my heart? Ah, thats not right. Lenica was the one who talked by herself all the time. By the way, its about time for us to leave. Since one of the Demon Kings is dead, for the time being, humanity in this world would prevail even without the help of a Hero. Perhaps they would also be able to kill the other Demon Kings with their own power. Hmmm, my level has risen a lot. I wondered if the hunt would still be successful if Aracelli wasnt here with me. After all, the protagonist was quite formidable, proven by how high his level is, although most of it probably came from how strong his castle was. [Level: 195] *Stats [Strength 191] [Strength 193] [Agility 189] [Energy 1] [Mana 321] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting S] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vitality SS+] [Focus C] [Others] *Skills [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 5] [White Swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth Sense (B)] [Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SS+)] [Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SS+)] [Library Of The White Witch(C)] [Looking at all things with a cold gaze (B)] [How to understand the machine emotionally (A)] [Double Circle (SSS)] I have almost reached level 200 now. Compared to most SS rank superhumans on Earth, I am still far behind in terms of raw power output and ability value. But if I were to fight one, I am confident that I can fight them on equal grounds with the help of my various abilities such as swordsmanship, magic, and all. Its time for us to leave. Hero. Cant you stay for a while and enjoy all the festivities? All countries around the world are celebrating the death of Demon King Kim Diablo right now. Well, thats such an appetizing proposal. I like festivals a lot. If I can enjoy it, I want to enjoy it as much as possible. But, the time I spent in Ascanta was longer than I expected. With all the breaks I took, quite a lot of time must have passed on Earth. Thank you for your consideration, but I must leave immediately. Sniff Aracelli-nim, I will miss you! The Pope showed a sad expression while Lenica shed tears at my words. It was such a common expression that comes at the moment of parting. Judging from the fact that Lenica didnt give Aracelli aggressive gazes anymore, at least at the moment of farewell, she was actually doing pretty well in my eyes. With that thought in mind, I took Aracellis hand. The remaining probability around me was at the level where I could exhaust all of it once I perform three or four more dimensional travel. However, the time has come for me to worry about consuming all the probability at once if I didnt want to turn into a protagonist. Like last time, I want to spend a little bit of time and use all the probability. That is enough. Use dimensional travel to show me a world where the protagonist is huntable. The client immediately posted the title in front of me. Hero! Raise The Princess! #Fantasy #BeautifulGirlTrainingSimulation #Love #Politic #Bloodline #SuccessionBattle #Muscle Its a raising simulation-type. Its the first time Ive ever seen such a genre. Naturally, I havent studied the genre much. Check the summary. C One day, a mysterious woman comes to Faeden, a hero who retired after defeating the Black Dragon King Caberus, with a little girl in her arms. Please make this child the empress. I will make sure to do so with my life on the line. Now, the journey of a former-hero-turned-guardian who is raising a Princess begins! C I think the plot was about a former hero raising a Princess. But looking at the summary alone, as always, I couldnt be really sure. Raising a Princess, huh? What is needed for a Princess to become an empress, I wonder? Considering that the world was a fantasy world roughly set in the Middle Ages, to be an empress, manners and appearance should be important. Moreover, it seems that dancing, musical instruments, culture as well as having excellent knowledge in politics and strategy was also important. Not all Princesses and empresses had to be like that, of course, but its still a good idea to remember that they all generally follow such clichs. It should be fun. Shall we go? Yes! I grabbed Aracellis hand and closed my eyes. [Teleporting to Friedelia Empire, the world where the level 199 protagonist Ivan Faeden, the main character resides.] [1098] [210] [Teleport complete.] Fwooosh-!! A huge, shadow figure covered us as soon as we arrived. It was the soles of some giant monster. What is this? Without a moment of surprise, I quickly drew my sword and flew high to block the giants kick. It was to protect Aracelli, whose mana barely reached 1%. It would immediately kill her if she was caught up in it. Crack-!! The giants foot was instantly cut into two when it collided with my ether blade. It seems like his level was the only thing he has, and his level was far below mine. Kuunng-!! Kuuuung-!! After that, I jumped at his body and slashed it with the mana-infused ether blade. His body instantly split in half. However, thanks to the flowerpots water shield, the disgusting, green drops of blood splashing from the giants corpse didnt touch me. When the giants corpse fell to the floor and followed by a rumble, I later realized that there were two women beside Araceli. One was a woman in her late twenties, and the other was a young girl who appeared to be in her early teens. When I looked closer, a small message floating on their heads as they hugged each other, trembling. [Supporting actor, Third Princess Yerina Friedelia] [Supporting actor, the Princess exclusive maid, Saeran] Hm? The Princess and her exclusive maid? Arent their clothes too shabby for that title? By the way, supporting actor, huh? When moving dimension, the system had always moved me to a location with the highest probability of success to hunt the protagonist. Hence, there must be a reason why the system dropped me here. As I slowly approached them, the Princess shook more violently while her maid quickly hugged and protected her. How should I proceed I wonder? However, as if mocking my worry, the Third Princess Yerina opened her mouth first. Valiant warrior, your action of defeating the giant leaves quite an impression on me, can you tell me who you are? There was a slight tremor in her voice, but it was not difficult to guess that the little girl had mustered a lot of courage even when she only said that much. I am nothing but a passing woodcutter. While I was living in the woods, I had learned to kill giants. As you know, the liver of a giant is the best ingredient to make alcohol. Pretending not to notice their identity, I continued. What is a noble such as yourself doing here, if I may ask? Even though I already know everything, I tried to pretend that I have a good eye for people. To be honest, it was pretty fun. You have good eyesight. However, we cannot reveal our identity I am Yerina Friedelia, the Third Princess of the Friedelia empire. -Princess! Didnt I tell you that you could be in great danger if you reveal your identity recklessly to outsiders! I know that, Saeran. The Third Princess forced her trembling feet to stand up. Its quite admirable when she still did it even when theres a giant corpse in front of her. .I dont know if the woodcutter is aware of this, but the battle for the crown is going on in the Imperial Palace of Friedelia. Of the three Princesses, only one who is the most suitable for the Empress will survive. I am a loser who has fallen out of such a scramble.but, if I have your strength, it seems like I will be able to set foot on that battlefield once again. Woodcutter, will you please be my guardian? Is it really going to go like this? Perhaps the protagonist also received a similar offer. Hes probably acting as the guardian of the first or second Princess. What can I get from it? Wealth and fame, all the power of the country, and all the precious treasures, even women and wine. You can have anything you want. What if I cant put you in the place of the empress? What will happen to me? Then the Third Princess bit her lip. Her fingertips trembled and then told me the truth. you, as a guardian, will die along with me. That was a more satisfying answer than I expected. CH 216 Third Princess Yerina Friedelia. She turned 14 this year, therefore, she was qualified to participate in the succession battle of the superpower Friedelia Empire, which spanned over half of the continent. No, rather than qualified, as a princess, she was forced to take part in the struggle. After all, as long as she was a member of the royal family, it was impossible for her to refuse to participate. If she gives up or refuses to participate, only death awaits her. In addition to her life, the lives of all her attendants and every noble house who followed her would also be taken for the felony of supporting a princess who failed to become the Empress. It was nothing but a cruel and merciless treatment, but it was said that this culture of Friedelia was the reason why the Empire of Friedelia was the most powerful nation in the world. In order to survive, to qualify to become the Empress, the princesses were forced into extreme conditions and finished a more perfect and systematic education course. Interesting. While chewing popcorn, Yoo Seodam who disguised himself as a woodcutter heard the story about the succession battle. The old-fashioned carriage which they boarded was neither very convenient nor comfortable enough for him to relax. He felt that his ass was about to break but he could still bear it to some extent. it is an implicit rule not to bring in outsiders to the battle, but somehow, we ended up bringing you in. We are very sorry about that. Saeran, Yerinas exclusive maid, said with an apologetic face. Together with her, Yerina herself bowed her head all the way to the ground with an apologetic expression as well, but Yoo Seodam only picked his ear and responded bluntly. I have no intention of receiving an apology from an exclusive maid. Pardon? Its my decision to serve the Princess. And it was the Princesss decision to hire me. So, I will not blame anyone if something bad happens to me. By the way, is it okay for a maid to apologize on behalf of the Princess? Ah At that time, Saeran hurriedly bowed her head toward Yerina. Princess. I apologize for acting presumptuously. No, thats fine. I know that you only do actions that benefit me. Saeran was smarter and more thoughtful than me, so its no wonder you are concerned. Thank you very much, Princess. I will think more carefully in the future. Hmmm Yoo Seodam looked at Yerina and Saeran while stroking his chin. He was trying to figure out what their relationship truly is. He thought that their relationship was nothing more than a master-maid relationship, however, now, he was sure that Saeran truly supported the princess she served. Shes a loyal woman. However, he still had some questions in his head. Why were there only two of them? Wheres the princess other attendants? Neither the princess nor the maid could properly answer that question and only hung their heads in shame. At that moment, Yoo Seodam could roughly understand the situation, but he still pushed them to tell him the full story. As I said earlier, whoever supports the defeated princess in the succession battle will be executed. So, of course, competent knights, wizards, and nobles will be siding with the princess who has a higher chance of winning Right First Princess Perina Friedelia. She is the prime candidate for the throne. You can literally call her the next Empress already. Her guardian is the Duke of Maracello and Haivan, a great War Hero who stopped the Great Civil War in the past with his own knights. What a cool guy Second Princess Kerina Friedelia. After the Hero Ivan was attached as her guardian, she formed a power and network comparable to that of the First Princess. Even if Kerina Friedelia loses the battle for the throne, it is said that if she revolts, the empire will be shaken violently. Hmmm Guardian of the First Princess, a War Hero. Guardian of the Second princess, a Hero. And the guardian of the Third Princess Yoo Seodam, a woodcutter. By that fact alone, it was clear to see just how bad Yerinas situation was. Ha, but! It doesnt mean that princess Yerina had no chance to win at all. Network and supporters are, in the end, only a factor in the battle for the throne. The battle for the throne has to be fought by the princesses themselves. Well, thats right. Yoo Seodam said. However, in the end, the First and the Second Princess could be said to be on the super-elite course because of the support of a War Hero and a Hero. Will the Third Princess have any chance of success with only a woodcutter as her guardian? Yoo Seodam did not know. He just had to do what he usually did. Because this was the only way to hunt the protagonist. However, unlike him who was quite relaxed, the Third Princess was quite worried. But now that I think about it, Im a little worried. About what? I was wondering if I was driving the woodcutter Yoo Seodam to death for nothing She had impulsively asked him to be her guardian. But now that she remembered that her chance of winning was quite slim, she felt quite sorry for him. I dont have any thought of dying, though? Yoo Seodam said calmly. Pardon? I will live a good life for a very long time. Ah At Yoo Seodams words, Yerinas face softened. She was moved. The words Yoo Seodam just said was no different than he saying that he was going to make Yerina the Empress. She never thought that the person she met for the first time would risk his life and do the best for her since she was used to the situation where her family and servants abandoned her all the time. If things go south, I can just run away. Yoo Seodam thought. If he ever found himself failing and in danger of being executed, he was going to take Aracelli and escape to another dimension. * * * The imperial road, a road which only opened on the day the next Empress was crowned, passes through the whole Primel City, the capital of the Friedelia empire, and ends in the Friedelia Imperial Palace. Today, the guardian of the Third Princess has been decided. Compared to the other two princesses, who returned after completing the guardianship quest in just one day, the Third Princess took a whole month, but Empress Primel still gave Yerina her blessing nonetheless as she returned safely anyway. However, Did you say that your guardian is just a woodcutter? The current Empress, Primel Primellia said as she arrogantly crossed her legs on her throne and looked at the four people kneeling in front of her. Yerina as well as her exclusive maid were both skinny. On their side, the man who was supposed to be Yerinas guardian was also skinny and didnt have a lot of muscles. On top of it, he even wore armor. Hey! Heaven has finally abandoned the Third Princess! Someone muttered. But since everyone was thinking the same thing, no one could say otherwise. Hmm! When the Empress, Primel Primellia jumped up from her seat, Yoo Seodam broke into a cold sweat. Its because she towered two or three heads more than Yoo Seodam, who was close to 2m tall himself. On top of it, her forearms and thighs were thicker than his waist, which made her even more intimidating. Crunch-!! Empress Primel Primellia chewed and swallowed the protein bar (439kcal) she was holding in her hand, and touched her forehead. Then the First Princess Perina Fridellia, who was standing to her left, opened her mouth. To bring in a weak man as a guardian Also, a coward in armor! Are you really crazy, Yerina Fridelia! First Princess! How dare you open your mouth in front of the Empress! Are you trying to challenge my authority? HAH! Shut up, Empress! How dare you speak like that as someone whose skeletal muscle mass is 0.2 kg less than mine! Tch! Thats because I urinated that day and measured my whole body! Their family was truly a muscle maniac family. The Second Princess also did not stand still. Yerina! No matter how weak you were and how desperate you are, how could you bring such a skinny guardian! Its unsightly! Look at the muscles of your guardian! Arent they thinner than even my fingers? Yoo Seodam frowned at her words, Thats a bit of an exaggeration. How can such a skinny guy be strong! Can you see the muscles of my guardian, the Warrior Ivan? Even though he was born as a weak man, he has beautiful muscles comparable to mine! Then, Ivan, who was standing next to her, ripped his shirt off, tossed it away and did a Side Chest pose. Standing on the side and showing off his side chest, this pose boasted the savage muscles of his shoulders. His thigh muscles that looked like a log were also wriggling like crazy. Are they crazy? Yoo Seodam stroked his forearm. It was true that he was definitely slender compared to them. However, his muscle was a real-life muscle which was trained in a superhuman way by using magic rather than in a human way which could make their muscle bulge and raise their total weight. But since Yoo Seodam pursued agility rather than strength, it was inevitable for him to look relatively thin. Even when that was the case, hed never thought he would be treated like a skinny anchovy. In fact, if anyone in the throne room had a one-on-one battle with Yoo Seodam, he would definitely wipe the floor with them in less than 5 minutes. After all, he had fought in too many fights to know that muscle strength wasnt all that there is in a fight. In the end, when Yoo Seodam was silent and kept his mouth shut, the Third Princess, Yerina, covered her mouth and burst into tears. She felt pathetic since her mother and sisters treated her badly. She regretted being born with a body which couldnt build any muscle at all. She also felt sorry for her guardian for being compared to a War Hero and a Hero. So she cried silently, and no one comforted her even when they saw her. Shut up and scram! I am really looking forward to the battle for the throne. At the request of the Empress, Yoo Seodam and his party were kicked out of the palace and driven outside. Hiks Hiks! the Third Princess sobbed, but no one could offer her some condolences. At that moment, a huge shadow passed in front of her. It was the shadow of the guardian of the First Princess, the War Hero, Duke of Maracellona and Haivan. He, like the other princesses and the empress, was flaunting enormous muscles. As he hardened his expression, his shadows were thickly cast, creating a heavy atmosphere. The Duke of Haivan patted the third princess on the shoulder and passed. Dont cry, girl. At the firm voice which pierced her trembling heart, Yerian lifted her head involuntarily. The War Hero didnt even turn her head, only showing his back and waving his hand. If you shed tears, you will lose muscle. Yerina immediately stopped her crying. It was because, if she lostlost more muscle, it would be problematic. CH 217 Inside the Imperial Palace of the Friedelia Empire, Primel Castle. The Second Princess always invests 18 hours a day in muscle training. Princess. Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Tomorrow should be lower body training day. Im asking for your schedule, not that. Ugh! Bang! A heavy thud echoed as a hexagonal barbell fell to the ground. Then, Karina wiped the sweat dripping on her face and raised her upper body. Second Princess Kerina Primelia, she was a monster among monsters which could lift a total of 7,500 kg in the three major exercises (squat, deadlift, and bench press), and was known to be strong enough to grab a trolls head and pull it sideways with her bare hands alone. Why are you asking for my schedule? Its because the First Princess movements are a bit unusual. Hmmm. Its a pity that I cant train my muscles. It wouldnt be just a pointless resistance, would it? Until the Hero appeared as her guardian, everyone in the empire agreed with the sentiment that the First Princess, Perina, would win the succession battle this time. After all, she was someone with a natural talent for muscle training and someone who was supported by a War Hero who had lived on the battlefield for decades! In addition to that, she also enjoyed the privilege that only the First Princess can enjoy, which is monopolizing rare drugs in the Imperial Palace from a very young age. So, throughout history, the First Princesses often won the succession battle, and it was expected that this time would not be much different. However, with Hero Ivan by her side, it wouldnt be the same. Hes special, hes someone who brought a very systematic and scientific muscle training method from another world, and it was incomparable to the muscle training method of this world! The First Princess, Perina, who sweats blood and sweat every day, could only lift about 7,000kg in the three major exercises, which was far below the Second Princess, who could lift a total of 7,500kg in the three major exercises. Moreover, her growth rate was also much faster than the First Princess, so it was only natural that the First Princess would prepare for a contingency plan in case she lost the succession battle, which was to create a rebellion. So laughable. She doesnt trust her own muscles and is relying on cowardly schemes. Dont worry about it, you can leave I understand The loyalists following the Second Princess, Kerina, had to worry a bit, but she said she didnt care, so they couldnt get her involved in this anymore. Yes, no matter how hard the First Princess tries, in the end, she will not be able to defeat the Hero and the Second Princess strength. Their worries were nothing but trivial. We also dont have to worry about the Third Princess. It is already obvious that she will undoubtedly lose. * * * Among ordinary people who couldnt use magic, if someone could lift around 500 kg in 3 major exercises, they could be said to be an extremely fit person. And if they hit 1000 kg in the 3 exercises, its safe to say that they have reached the pinnacle of the human body. An F rank hunter could hit an average of 750 in 3 exercises. Hitting 1000kg in the 3 exercises with a normal human body without magic or aether or any other energy was not necessarily good. It was because, by doing so, the body would become heavy, dull, and an enormous amount of time would be invested in maintaining the muscle. But for a hunter, who had to stay on the battlefield for several days, or even weeks, such a thing was simply impossible. In other words, muscle couldnt determine someones fighting power. Didnt you say that the succession battle would be evaluated based on combat power? Thats so. The Third Princess, Yerina, bowed her head towards Yoo Seodam as sweat dripped profusely on her gloomy face. She tried to hide her trembling arms behind her back. Just now, she tried to measure her stamina again, but it was still as hopeless as ever. What a pain in the ass. What can a weak person like you who couldnt even lift 100kg in the three major exercises do? At least I can do 100 Is that so? Didnt you exercise every day? Thats all you can do? Yerinas cheeks dyed red as she saw Yoo Seodam lift the same dumbbell she had been exercising with only one finger. Yoo Seodam decided that he couldnt let things continue like this. In the first place, her skeletal structure was the problem. There is one thing that people here werent aware of, muscle was also a talent. The natural skeleton structure, protein digestibility, etc., every little talent was combined to eventually achieve the perfect muscles. In a world where everything is determined by muscles, its natural for Yerina, who had a disastrous muscle talent, to be judged as talentless. What will we do, Professor? Aracelli worriedly asked. However, when Yoo Seodam was about to answer, the words couldnt leave his mouth when he saw Aracellis destructive action. What are you doing? Yes? Oh, Im sorry Rumble! The weight of the barbell that Aracelli hurriedly put down on the floor was 150 kg. It weighed 1.5 times more than the total weight the Third Princess could lift in the three main exercises. However, Aracelli easily held it in her hand. How did you do it? arent you currently in a weakened state? Uh Thats right But, I recently completed the third circle of the double circle, so I can do it now. What does that have to do with it? Ummm. Im good at circulating magic to strengthen my body, so I can just do it? Crazy Yoo Seodam exclaimed in his head. From what he knew, basically, people of Murim as well as swordsmen could only quickly distribute their magic power to various parts of their body to create superhuman power because they accumulate it in their danjeon. However, it was almost impossible to do so if someone gathered the magic power in their heart. In his own case, both his magic and physical abilities could be easily strengthened because he gathered the magic power both in the danjeon and the heart even without a circle. But Aracelli was distributing the magic power to the body very naturally while collecting the magic power in the heart. It was absurd Then, Yoo Seodam had a sudden thought. If Yerina had no talent for muscles whatsoever, would it be right for him to still train her to gain muscles? This world was basically a world where everything was determined by muscles. And in such a world, the protagonist, Ivan, receives a perfect [Protagonist Correction] for the subject muscles. Even if he infused modern scientific muscle training methods into Yerina, Ivan would still somehow figure out a better muscle training method. Therefore, its impossible to win purely based on muscle alone. He had to change his strategy to win the succession battle. Lets change the plan. Sorry? Lets not train your muscles. Even without it you are still healthy enough. Instead, you need to learn magic. If I learn magic My mother is going to kill me. Thats right. There was magic in this world too. However, it was judged as something for weakling as it was only taught by skinny, weak and glasses-wearing scholars who were stuck in the corner of their room. Fireballs flying? Like the sunset in the sky, they could shatter it with a single fist heated with a burning passion! Lightning bolts flying? With a strong will of steel and strong muscle, it would only tickle! Ice spears flying? Even in extreme cold, the hot pectoral muscles will never freeze! Muscle! In this world where everything is resolved with muscles, there was no place for such things like magic. Therefore, in the end, its progress was bound to be slow It wouldnt be a problem since theres Aracellis magic. And, we will fight for the throne with magic as well as with great dignity. Isnt there a saying that the strong is the law? What if magic is stronger than muscle? Can they still criticize it as nothing but tools of weaklings? Ah Convinced, Yerina nodded her head. Then, Saeran, who had been listening quietly, added. I think its a good idea. 50% of the results of the battle for the throne are reflected in muscle, but theres still the remaining 50%, based on dignity, manners, politics, management and interpersonal relationships. It cannot be ignored. But Saeran. There are no princesses who study such things in this day and age. I know, Princess. But now we have to do anything we can. In other words, she would challenge the throne by breaking the tradition of only muscles that had never changed in the long 500 years of history. Yoo Seodam, who was thinking like that, suddenly realized that he was thinking too much in a normal way. Come to think of it, isnt it too natural for a princess to study dignity, manners, politics, etc? Since this world was abnormal from the beginning, it was only by thinking in a normal way that it became abnormal. Its a really funny world. But there is one problem. Saeran sighed and said. What is it? Dignity and etiquette were hardly taught by the royal family, so all the teachers had been kicked out from the royal palace. What? Wait a minute, does that make sense? Yes. Nowadays, they are treated as human cultural assets that protect the old traditions, and they live in the most dangerous and remote countryside of the continent, preserving knowledge so that it does not disappear. Whats wrong with this world How about politics? The empire occupies half of the world. Doesnt it need politics? Yerina shook her head. We do not need it The empress will smash anything and anyone who doesnt listen to her. Wow When Yoo Seodam started to think that it was possible to govern in such a way, another thought came to his mind. Then what is this empires policy? Theres no policy for the people. Whether its welfare for the elderly, or the law on public safety Theres none.. Everything is solved by force. The people too. Its a wonderful country. Yoo Seodam sarcastically said before laughing out loud since he now had a rough idea of just much the people were suffering under that policy. However, it was of no concern since the story of the people wouldnt be included as most of the story would be focused on muscles and succession battle. Is this really a country? Its more like wilderness. * * * Fortunately, the maid Saeran knew one of the locations of the scattered teachers around the world. It was located in a place where ordinary people couldnt easily go to, but if you borrowed the power of the woodcutter Yoo Seodam, there would be no problem to go there at all. The most important subjects for Princess Yerina would be dignity and charm, politics, intellect, and finally communication. Muscle strength and communication were both taught in the Imperial Palace, but most of the communication methods taught there were how to use frivolous communication methods such as how to ignore others and how to cut someones words. Well, its a necessary technique, but its not all there is. Yoo Seodam and his party arrived at a place called the Blue Great White Shark Coast. Immediately, Saeran immersed her bare feet in the white, fine, soft sand. She looked at the princesswho was enjoying a dip in the sea with a satisfied look on her faceand said. Princess, do you see the island across the sea over there? Yeah. Its a pretty island. Do we have to cross there? Yes, thats right. The terrain here is very special, so no boats or bridges are needed. Now, would you like to see it? Saeran dipped her feet in the sea. But her feet did not sink; rather, they were floating on top of the water. Although it is only about 5m wide, the shoreline here and the other side are connected by solid seawater. It is a mysterious bridge created by nature. Wow It was indeed a very strange phenomenon, but, for Aracelli and Yoo Seodam, who had seen a lot of unusual things, it was nothing but ordinary. Hmm. Sea, huh? As Saeran and Aracelli walked behind the princess and walked through the transparent bridge, Yoo Seodam, who was watching the sea carefully, took off all his armor and shoved it into his inventory. Hey, woodcutter. What are you going to do? This is the sea, its a waste if I dont go swimming. Lets go get some shrimp tempura. dont you have to fry shrimp in flour to cook shrimp tempura? However, the Yoo Seodam didnt answer Aracellis question and plunged into the sea. At that sight, Yerina burst into laughter, saying that he was such a funny person. Saeran hurriedly smiled awkwardly as she looked at the place where he disappeared without saying a word. Anyway, shall we go? Although the distance was a bit far away, Yerina had no time to get bored as she crossed the bridge. It was because a lot of fish jumped out of the sea while they walked and even some good-natured dolphins approached them. After chatting with Aracelli, who seems to be her age (only her appearance), they finally reached the island. Why do you say this is a dangerous place? Its a place full of such beautiful and mysterious animals! Yerina thought so, and then followed Saeran toward the centre of the island. There was only one building built on the island, however it was almost the size of a mansion, and it was beautifully decorated with beautiful red bricks and opaque glass windows, boasting a very splendid appearance. Who are you? An old woman slowly walked out of the hut when they got close. When she saw Yerina, her eyes widened. Arent you the Third Princess of Primelia? Did you come here to look for a guardian? I came here to learn about dignity. Dignity? Are the muscle head princess going to come and lift me up? If youre joking, shut up. No, Im not joking! I want to learn it in order to revive the tradition from 500 years ago. The old woman narrowed her eyes and looked at Yerina with sharp eyes. Saeran swallowed his saliva without realizing it. She had heard that the old woman in front of them enjoyed leisurely fishing in the countryside, so she was at a loss why such a woman would have such fierce and sharp eyes as well as a muscular body tempered from actual battles. Then, soon after, the old woman withdrew her eyes and chuckled. Thats fine, I guess. I know for fact that even the most courageous female warriors would not have crossed the fearful White Bridge of Death. Its been years since a princess who had the courage to learn dignity After several dozen generations, a princess who barely came to her senses has finally appeared. But there was something in her words that Yerina couldnt understand. Is it really dangerous? There were only mild fish Yerina said that in a bewildered way and looked at Saeran with Is that right? gaze, It was to ask her for confidence in her own words, but Saern quickly avoided her gaze. Ummm? Before she could even understand whats going on, a loud bang could be heard from her back. When she turned around, she could see Yoo Seodam dragging a gigantic fish with a drenched body. This hotel really has good service. They even prepared a meal for me when Im swimming. Uh Wait! Isnt that a pestier fish? It tastes so good and I heard that it is a rare species, so its hard to even catch 10 of them a year Saeran said. Unfortunately for her, she couldnt recognize the biosensor radar, a product of modern science, held in Yoo Seodams hands, so she was simply amazed. Is that so? I picked up the most nutritious one. Anyway, study hard and work hard. I will prepare the food for you. After creating an environment similar to a refrigerator by magic, Yoo Seodam took out all the cooking utensils stored in his inventory. Then, Aracelli, whose cooking skills were at the level of a restaurant chef, immediately started preparing to cook. Saeran looked blankly at the both of them before turning her gaze to the sea. How did he prevent every single monster from the sea of death from approaching us, and even caught a pestier fish that only inhabits the deep sea? Is he really an ordinary woodcutter? Saeran thought that they might have indeed found a miracle for the princess. CH 218 Ngeeeeeeeennnngggg~ It took Yerina about a year to learn the first subject, Grace. Of course, Yoo Seodam was not simply wasting his time while she was doing that. He used [Fast Forward Time] to fasten the training. In the first place, Yoo Seodam came to this world to use up his probability, which could somehow turn him into a protagonist if it accumulated too much. One of his best extracting methods was none other by accelerating time. Unlike when using time leap, Fast Forward Time allowed him and Aracelli to continuously intervene in important events while also staying together with Yerina and Saeran throughout the process. That is why, they didnt even realize that Aracelli and Seodam had accelerated their time together. A few days for Yoo Seodam and Aracelli was a year for Yerina and Saeran. Youve been through a lot. Shall we go find the next master now? Oh, yes. Even though she had only learned one subject so far, Yerina had changed drastically. She was now taller than she was a year ago. And, because she ate well, she was quite lively. That was not the most surprising thing though. What surprised Yoo Seodam was the fact that she became so mature. It would be great if a princess with brains like you could become the Empress! These days, they only focus on their muscles, but their heads are all empty! The old woman, who taught Yerina grace, praised her for passing the first test. After listening to it, they immediately moved to the next place. Guardian, what is the princess going to learn next? Its Charm. Its time for her to learn how to decorate herself to reach the highest point kf beauty. She also needs to learn how to act in a way that would make her attractive to other people Within a year, Saeran had started trusting Yoo Seodam a lot. He couldnt figure out why, but the truth was, she was overestimating Yoo Seodams power. He quietly dealt with the monsters in the Sea of Death without leaving any trace In fact, Yoo Seodam was simply killing the sea monsters by using the power of electricity such as a stun gun and a million-volt whip. But Saeran, who only thought of him as a swordsman, had no choice but to think that he had terrifying strength, to be able to deal with such monstrous beasts in such a disadvantageous arena for a swordsman, such as the ocean. As you know, theres no princess who has learned Charm properly. They always think that the best way to show their charm is to show the strength of their muscles, not their appearance. Haha. Yoo Seodam laughed helplessly. No matter how he thought about it, it was just absurd. It is a strong belief in this empire that adjusting ones behavior for other people and presenting themselves in a delicate and beautiful manner is something that only the weak would do. A woman only had to show off her muscles! Aside from that, the act of putting powder on their face or wearing clothes with jewels had disappeared 500 years ago. Will it be easy to show off your charm in a world where the essential beauty has disappeared? * * * Just like the teacher of Grace, the teacher of Charm was also banished to the deepest part of the continent 500 years ago. Though, banished was just a sugar coated word since the truth was, they were being thrown away because the Empress of the Empire did not want anything that did not have to do with muscle inside her Empire. Its definitely a setting which didnt appear in the actual [Main Story]. After all, there was absolutely no reason for any useless science to appear in this world where everything revolves around ones muscles. Am I looking for the background of the story again? Yoo Seodam thought to himself as he let out a yawn while watching over the three women walking down the road. The place they were currently at was in the Malek Mountains, a place with a very rugged terrain, where powerful monsters appear all the time. Therefore, it was impossible for just anyone to enter this place unless they were a strong person. Perhaps because of that very reason, Malek Mountains, was not only the place where the Charm tutors, who were exiled 500 years ago, were located at, but also a place where royal families often come in order to test their strength. It was at the level of the C to B rank field But when Yoo Seodam took a closer look into the area, it wasnt a very dangerous place. It seemed like it was deemed as a dangerous place by (Muscle) warriors of this world simply because they didnt have the know-how of how to navigate through forest or hunt monsters effectively. Then again, they do spend half, if not full, days of their everyday lives immersing themselves in training their muscles. Their motto was its only the weak who figure out the opponents weakness in advance! While jumping from tree to tree, Yoo Seodam narrowed his eyes when he noticed some movements in the bushes at a distance through the one-eyed telescope he carried. Immediately, Yoo Seodam activated the [Looking at Everything with a Cold Gaze (B)] skill, and the targets information, weakness, strength, and energy waves were all processed in his mind. Oh, something at the strength level of peak B rank A pretty rare creature around here. Yoo Seodam quickly rushed towards the direction of the monster. On the way, he gave a quick glance at the three women. At the forefront, Aracelli was cutting tree branches obstructing their way with Wind Cutter magic to make it easier for Saeran and Yerina to walk. The princess was chatting with her right behind her, and it seems like she felt relaxed because they hadnt encountered any monsters since they entered this forest. Fwoosh-!! Yoo Seodams shoes bounced off on one thick branch and flung his body to the air. And immediately after, the head of a certain monster who had reigned as the ruler of this area was cut off without a sound, just like what happened to other mobs who encountered Yoo Seodam in this forest. * * * Splash~! Splash~! Pitter-patter-pitter-patter The heavy rain drops trickled down from the clouds above, hitting and wetting the ground. As the party of three girls sat together in a fairly large cave and lit a bonfire, their emotions became somewhat damp. By now, Princess Yerina had become quite acquainted with Aracelli and she had quite a lot of fun listening to Aracellis personal story. Wow. In Aracellis hometown, magic was regarded as the most important study? Yeah. Throughout their journey, Aracelli consistently taught Yerina some magic. Afterall, once the succession battle took place, 4 years from now, Yerina had to be strong enough to fight and win against muscle monsters who scored 7,500 kg in the 3 main exercises. Maybe Yerina was lucky to have met Aracelli and Yoo Seodam, or was it them who were lucky? She said that she had always been secretly studying magic because she had a deep interest in it from a long time ago. On top of it, she was also quite smart and was blessed with talent. Therefore, her progress was quite noticeable. So, both Aracelli, who was teaching, and Yerina, who was learning, enjoyed each others company quite a lot. By the way, Aracelli, why did you leave your hometown? Princess Yerina asked. It was a question she asked out of pure curiosity. Even Saeran quietly looked forward to her answer. The time they had spent together hasnt been that long. But, Saeran and Yerina know for sure that Aracelli was by no means an ordinary wizard, even though they had little to no knowledge about magic. Im following Professor. Professor? Do you mean the woodcutter? Yep. Back in my hometown, he was a professor. Aha If thats so, why is he working as a woodcutter here? Aracelli broke into a cold sweat at Yerinas question. After all, it was merely something that Yoo Seodam had said randomly. I dont know Maybe he wanted to run away from society? I see it seems like I forced such person to return to the society. Princess Yerinas expression darkened. Oh, no. Please dont think so. Professor always said he would never do things that he didnt want to, and would only do things that he wanted to. Hm I hope its truly the case. While talking like that, a question rose on Yerinas head. Uh where is Sir Guardian? Now that Yerina thought about it, it was always like this. Whenever they all gathered together and had a conversation, or when they wandered around the remote areas, she hardly saw Yoo Seodam. However, it never occurred to her that he wasnt there. Was it because she enjoyed talking with Aracelli that much? No, that wasnt the case. It was just because she always felt his presence wherever she was. Why? Yerina didnt know why. But, as Saeran and Aracelli were silent at her question, she moved her gaze from them to the cave. Then suddenly, with water trickling down from his body, Yoo Seodam walked leisurely from the depth of the cave. Yerina wasnt completely sure about it because of the darkness, but she thought there was something like blood on the hem of his trousers. With a very tired face, he set down a sack containing a few small beasts on the floor. Ahhh. Ive been looking for something to eat and found this deer. But it looks like its been dead for a while. Though, it will be fine if we cook it thoroughly, right? Yes. Shall we prepare right away? If you want to do that, then Im grateful. I will dismantle it now. Then, Yoo Seodam started to take out the butchering tools from the air and Aracelli casted a magic. Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! A formless veil spread out from her hand and stretched out to envelope Yoo Seodam and herself inside it. It was a barrier to block the smell of blood from spreading in the cave. Aside from that barrier, even now, several layers of barriers were blocking the rain and cold air, and they were even preventing any monsters from approaching the cave. Magic is amazing. Yerina muttered. It was something which never could be done with muscles. Though, muscle addicts would say, When an enemy approaches, you just have to tear them apart! After some time, they finally finished cooking. And then, they quickly filled their stomach. Even though the quality of the meat was far from good, Aracelli somehow turned it into an edible dish by adding spices and seasonings. So they didnt have to complain about the taste at all. After finishing their meal, Saeran, who was powerless to stop Yerina from washing the dishes, cleaned her up once she finished. At that moment, Aracellis head jolted up. Something is approaching. Is that so? Is it a monster? Yoo Seodam asked. Even though his detection ability was quite good, it was still incomparable to the range of magic detection which Aracelli had set up in advance. No. Its a person. A person? Yoo Seodams brows furrowed. Why are people coming to such a remote place? There would be no reason at all for that. Are they coming this way? Yes. I think they are also trying to avoid the rain. It was still raining heavily outside, and the largest cave in the area was the very place they were currently at. So it was natural for people to come here. Hmm Well, what can we do? Its not like we own this place, so just let them be. The Princess and Saeran should be safe inside. Puk! Heavy footsteps echoed through the heavy rain. Only then did Yoo Seodam realize that the person who came had an unusual energy. The energy wasnt calm at all. Its burning fiercely like fire Before long, an unidentified person entered the cave. Hmm? What are you doing here? Her Majesty the Empress? And that person was none other than Primel Primelia, the Empress of the Friedelia Empire. Behind her, a person, who boasted a larger size than the Empress herself, walked in, he was the Zaberov, the Empress Guardian Knight. In the past, when the empress was still a princess, among the guardians of the seven princesses, Zaberov was the strongest of them all. He was the strongest person in the world at that time and possessed powerful muscles that could not be defeated by anyone or anything! Zaberov used an ax larger than human body as his weapon. It was said that once he wielded it, the walls of the city would be torn apart like a piece of paper, and the enemy often surrendered before the fight even began. Yerina and Saeran immediately rushed towards her and paid their respects to the Empress, but she seemed uninterested in them. You all. Do you know what kind of cave this is? Its just a normal ownerless cave in the forest. Ownerless? This cave has an owner. Yerina and Saerans complexion instantly turned pale. It was because they wouldnt be able to do anything if the Empress insisted, This cave exists in my land, so it is mine. However, even though the Empress was a musclehead and a battle maniac, she was not a thug. The owner of this cave is the King of the Mountains, Black Dog Hwang. Bl-Black Dog Hwang! Yerina and Saeran looked at each other, shaking. Afterall, theres no one in the empire who did not know the famous monster, Black Dog Hwang. Wasnt he the legendary werewolf who collapsed four cities with a single body, and destroyed two fortresses that had never been invaded, before suddenly disappearing? After disappearing to the Malek Mountains 30 years ago, there was no news of him at all, so it was slowly being forgotten. That Black Dog Hwang is in this cave? However, even after hearing the empress words, Yoo Seodam still spoke in a confident tone. This cave is ownerless. What makes you think like that? Because I killed the owner of this place. No one lives in this cave anymore. Ohh? At his remark, Yerina and Saeran, as well as the Empress and Zaberov, seemed to be intrigued; their eyes lit up intensely. Is that really true? I also applied for a duel with him in the past, but after losing 10 years ago, I finally came back thinking that it was time to get my revenge.. Zaberov said, his voice lowered. are you saying that you, a coward with armor, have defeated the Black Dog Hwang? Kwaang!! As Zaberov stomped his foot, the ground shook as a weblike crack spread all over. Yoo Seodam looked at it unamused. It could be said that he had some amazing muscle strength. Although his muscles might not be as good as they used to be since his prime has passed, his technique in power fighting must have reached an unmatched level. Then, would you like to try it? Yoo Seodam smirked. What? My strength. You weakling. Just by looking at your muscles alone, I can tell you are weak. It looks like its going to break if I hit it. Yoo Seodam didnt say anything in retaliation. Actually, he didnt feel the presence of this Black Dog Hwang they talked about at all. Is that mountain dog really what they called Black Dog Hwang? Yoo Seodam couldnt believe it. While he tried hard to shake his disbelief, Zaberov took his ax from his back and slammed it down to the floor. What should I do to him, Your Majesty? Should I tear the mouth of the man who dared to tell a lie in front of the Empress, who is the most majestic under the sky? At that, the Empress smiled at him as if intrigued, and nodded her head. Hmm Do that and make him never lie ever again! Because they had the best muscles in the world, losing was something they had never thought about. CH 219 The rain stopped soon after. Sunlight, which slowly peeked from the cloud, was reflected on the puddle left by the rain on the ground. On a sharp ridge located a little away from the cave, Yoo Seodam and Guardian Knight Zaberov were facing each other. At some distance away from them, the Empress and the others watched the two of them. Hmm, for someone with a weak body, your aura is respectable! Zaberov blabbered. An expert who has accumulated ki and mana in their body will subconsciously release the energy from their body when it is in a heated state of tension just before battle. And it was said that an expert who had achieved a certain level could release it in any form at any time. In Yoo Seodams case, the energy he released was in the shape of a blazing blue flame. As Zaberov raised his axe and slammed it into the ground, the ground shook and the sharp ridge flattened very slightly. Yoo Seodam did not draw his sword. Instead, he raised the staff he borrowed from Aracelli to the air. If I remembered correctly, he was a monster who reached 7,000kg in 3 exercises It was true that Zaberov was a formidable monster, but in reality, his rank was significantly lower than Yoo Seodam. On average, an S rank body-strengthening superhuman could lift 7,500kg in all 3. A swordsman and a Murim warrior that has an equal strength to an S rank superhuman recorded a much lower score than that. Body-strengthening superhuman who invested all their abilities in a single body enhancement ability barely managed to reach 7,500 when they reached S Rank. Which means that the Zaberov was at the level of A rank at best. I am well aware how many A rank superhumans who only strengthened their superpowers have died until now. Superhuman who have given up agility in favour of strength didnt have very long lives. That was why Yoo Seodam invested a lot of time in evasion techniques. Are you ready? -Yes~ The flower yawned and replied. Recently, she had been busy reading all the available spellbooks in the Library of White Witch every day, and she had told Yoo Seodam that she had achieved quite a bit of magical achievements recently. Arent you going to take out your weapon? This is my weapon. Isnt that a wand? Indeed, it was an old wand Yoo Seodam borrowed from Aracelli because he didnt have his personal wand. What are you going to do with the wand used only by those weak wizards? I use magic. At his answer, Zaberov and Empress Primel, who seemed stunned for a moment, burst into laughter. Heh heh heh heh hehahahaha!! Pohahahahahak!! Even the sound of their laughter fit how bulky their body was. The Empress, who shed tears because of how hard she had laughed, suddenly stopped laughing. She smirked and lowered her voice. Are you kidding me? Trained muscle transcends magic! Are you going to deal with Zaberov, who is called the best warrior in the world, with a weak power like magic? Please, just watch. Ha! Fine. I can already imagine when your body is broken in half, the scene where the youngest princess is crying is going to give me a headache! When Yoo Seodam no longer responded to the Empress words, the duel began immediately. Huap! As Zaberov sprinted out with a raucous roar, cracks spread around the ground he stepped on, resulting in stone fragments flying all around the place. Boom Boom Boom! The gigantic axe Zaberov swung around made a terrifying ripping sound. However, it was not fast enough. There was still plenty of space for the flower pot to cast its magic. Yoo Seodam, without moving a single step, stretched out his hand. In fact, no such action was necessary for flower pot to cast magic, but it was a much-needed showmanship to perfect his wizard role-play. Wooong-!! As soon as a blue diamond-shaped magic circle formed and blocked the ax, the water pool on the ground quickly floated to the air and started to take the shape of icicles with sharp tips. It flew towards Zaberovs feet, as he swung his ax as hard as he could and destroyed them all. Unfortunately for him, once a wizard decided to go on the offensive, they wouldnt stop until they spent all of their mana or were forced to stop. Yoo Seodam closes his palm. Then, a void formed around Zaberov. From it, blue chains slithered out and bound Zaberovs body. Ugh!! With a shout, Zaberov mustered all his strength and broke the chains. However, by the time he broke free, Yoo Seodam had already finished his next spell. A huge sphere of flames floated above Yoo Seodams head. Magic Has this kind of power? Zaberov muttered in disbelief. Immediately after moving his axe to his front in order to defend himself, Yoo Seodams fireball crashed into his axe. Fwoosh-!! All the remnants of rain in the ground evaporated, creating water vapor. Zaberov swiftly swung his axe to clear the fog which obscured his vision, but even faster than his movement, blades of wind slashed through Zaberovs limbs. It hurts. Is that so? Yoo Seodam chimed calmly. The truth was, however, he was also a bit surprised by what had just happened. How could someone withstand a wind cutter, which was sharp enough to amputate even the limbs of superhumans, with just pure muscle strength? Thats something that even most body-strengthening type superhumans couldnt do. A sufficiently hardened muscle is harder than steel! Zaberov leapt high into the sky as he shouted. At that moment, Yoo Seodam thought, Are you stupid? Since he was in the air, he couldnt change his direction, which meant, regardless of how Seodam attacked him, it would definitely hit him. Wooong-!! Just like what Yoo Seodam thought, the purple bullet he let loose directly hit Zaberovs skin. But that did not deter him in the slightest. Zaberov charged forward and struck his axe to where Yoo Seodam was standing. Judging by the fact that his eyes were bloodshot and opened wide, it seemed like he was enduring the pain with sheer tenacity. The reason why Zaberov showed such movements and used a destructive technique was probably because Yoo Seodam hadnt moved even a single step so far. But HUH!? Yoo Seodam was down on one of his knees, and his palm was touching the ground. Above him, four earthen pillars rising from the guard to guard him. The pillar was destroyed by the shock immediately after blocking Zaberovs attack, but it shocked Zaberov to the core. He could not wrap his head around how such an insignificant pillar made of mere stones could withstand the shock wave of his ax, which was boosted by his leaping power. Paang! Yoo Seodam fired a shock wave with the tip of his finger and pushed Jaberovs body about 5 meters away from him, and then he brushed the dirt off the armor he was wearing with his other hand. Do you know why I wear armor? Tell me. Because there is no need for pride in a real battle If you dont have armor, you cover your body with bark, and if you dont have that as well, even a piece of cloth would do fine. In other words, to survive, you have to take, use, and do everything that is needed. Zaberov went silent and just stood there. I also have fought real battles! With his face reddened, Zaberov shouted. He swung his ax wildly against Yoo Seodam, but Yoo Seodam stood motionless. He condensed a magic bullet in his palm and threw it towards Zaberovs abdomen while evading his attack. Keuk! Zaberov staggered at Yoo Seodams attack. Wizards were weak in close combat. A wizard must always be protected in a fight. Magic could never beat trained muscles. Such common sense was slowly being shattered in front of Zaberov and Empress Primel. Real battles? Have you ever faced an enemy stronger than you? No one has ever been stronger than me! But now, theres one right in front of you. Boom-!! The ground exploded and pillars of fire rose to the air. After that, pillars of light fell from the sky, striking Zaberovs hard muscles. He thought that his muscles and tenacity would be able to withstand the scorching heat and cold which would instantly freeze normal peoples bones. However, it seems like in front of a real strong person, it was impossible. All the wizards he had met so far were weak physically, so one grab was all that it took for him to defeat them. On top of it, all the warriors he had met also had weaker muscles than himself, so they were never a threat to him. That was why he only knew how to fight as the stronger one. He didnt know how to fight and overcome someone stronger. Tung! The ax flew and embedded itself on the ground, and Zaberov fell to his knees. The Empress silently watched the result of the duel. The best warrior she trusted the most was defeated. On top of it, he was defeated with magic. Could she accept this reality? The Empress looked at Zaberov and Yoo Seodam with blazing eyes, but there was no sign of her guardian knight standing up again. After she pondered for a long time, the Empress clenched her teeth and nodded her head. a defeat for Zaberov. It seems that you have really hunted that wolf. Even though Empress Primel was a battle junkie, she had no choice to accept the result when the outcome of the duel was this obvious. After all, there was nothing worse than a warrior who would refuse to admit the result of a duel. Now, wait a minute Your Majesty! I can still figh- Zaberov. Admit your defeat. Keuk-! Zaberov glanced at Yoo Seodam with flaming eyes and shook his head. His master had given him her order, so there was nothing he could do anymore. Stand up, Zaberov. Lets return. There is no reason to be here anymore. I understand, Your Majesty. Primel looked at Yoo Seodam for a moment, then she turned without a word and disappeared into the distance. And, when she had completely disappeared from their sight Puha I thought I was going to die of suffocation Saeran and Yerina sat down on the floor and made a sound. Professor, are you okay? I used quite a lot of magic earlier, so my head hurts. By the way, didnt you say you are not a magician, Professor? Im not. But I know how to use magic. HA? The flower pot was already included in Yoo Seodams imaginary world, so even Aracelli couldnt figure out his tricks. But, Professor, why did you fight while just using magic earlier? Because I want to show the power of magic to the Empress. Didnt you see that she waited for Zaberov to wake up before she announced the result? She did not want to admit that I won until the end. But in the end, when Zaberov couldnt get up, the Empress had no choice but to declare defeat. Probably, if I didnt show my magic here, it would have been the same in the battle for the throne later. Yerina trained her magic so much that she beat up her older sisters, but she wouldnt have admitted her win because she had won using magic. That was why Yoo Seodam showed the strength of magic four years earlier than the start of the battle for the throne, and made the Empress think for four years about the magic that has been trained enough can be stronger than muscle. Well, if after four years, she still refused to acknowledge it, theres nothing we could do. Should we also prepare to leave? Yes, yes! Yerina got up from her seat in a hurry. She wasnt tired because of the great duel that had just happened. The reason she was exhausted was because she had spent the night with the Empress. This is magic. Yerina was skeptical if she could learn about magic, even though she had enough talent for it. She always had this doubt. No matter how much she trains her magic, will she be able to beat her elder sisters muscles? She has experienced the strength of the muscles her whole life, and she had watched countless times how magicians were beaten thoroughly by the warriors. That was why she could not imagine herself winning the succession battle by developing her magic instead of her muscles. But today, she knew for sure. I can win too. If she becomes a real wizard, she would be able to gain the same strength the warriors who trained their muscles have. Which means, she had a shot at beating the first and second princess. Her body was filled with confidence. Guardian, I think we should climb the ridge. Is that so? At Saerans words, Yoo Seodam went ahead and tried to disappear from sight again, but Yerina ran hastily and grabbed the hem of his robe. that, yesterday. The wolf in the cave. Why? You want the wolf meat? Oh, no. I just want to express my thanks Yerina didnt even know that such a dangerous monster was hiding in that cave. That was why she was able to laugh and talk and have fun like an immature child on a picnic. However, now that she knew, she had to express her gratitude as a princess. Yoo Seodam looked at her for a moment and then smiled. If you are grateful, once you become an empress later, you can build a castle with my face. Of-of course! Of course, Yoo Seodam was merely joking. However, Where is the best location to build the castle, I wonder? The Maureka Cliffs are spectacular Will they take the place of the Lord of Baranta? No. Id rather build it in the Pavelov wilderness Yerina was seriously contemplating the construction of the castle. CH 220 < Healthy Princess Maker (3) > Time passed by quickly. Now, it has been three years since Yoo Seodam and Aracelli arrived in this world. Naturally, during that time Yoo Seodam and Aracelli used [Fast Forward Time] to consume the probability absorbed by Yoo Seodam in the previous world. Therefore, in reality, they had only stayed in this world for 3 to 4 months. Its comfortable. Yoo Seodam said to himself. Once again, he was reminded just how convenient the existence of the protagonists was. Nevertheless, it would be impossible for Yoo Seodam to experience this level of convenience anymore since it would be extremely dangerous for him if he accumulated more probability in his body. In the meantime, Yerina also changed quite quickly. The young 14-year-old girl who knew nothing, who was timid and had low self-esteem, had turned seventeen. By learning grace, charm, and manners, she learned to decorate herself to the fullest, and she was also able to vividly imprint her presence in front of others. The dignity of the imperial family could be felt in each of her hand gestures and every word she spoke. She learned to play various musical instruments. Her dancing and singing skills had also already exceeded basic level. On top of that, she also studied politics and war. Thanks to her extraordinary brain, she even mastered magic at an unbelievably fast rate. Currently, she has already completed 3 circles. Considering the fact that wizards in this world barely reach the 3rd circle when they reach their 40s, her growth was nothing but astounding. You worked hard this time too. Yoo Seodam said to Yerina, who, after finishing her military class, wore an adventurer outfit that looked a little sloppy but was very easy to travel in instead of her old pretty, flashy and frilly dress. The reason she wore it was because she wanted to hide her identity as a princess and could act as much as possible. For the last lesson, we have to return to the Imperial Palace. Saeran told the party. Is that so? What lesson would that be? Governing Lesson. Because its a monarchy, it would be good to think of it as a lesson on management, military, law, diplomacy, and administration all at once. But there was something out of place in Yoo Seodams mind. I dont think it would be normal to learn governing in the current Imperial Palace. What Guardian-nim said is right. Saeran took a deep breath. The current governing study in the Imperial Palace pursues the ideal of country of muscles, by muscles, for muscles. It is natural for the strong to survive, and the theory is that in order to protect what they have, they must be strong. In other words, the public policy of the empire was nothing but nonsense. Come on, wait a minute. If I pay today, my children and I cant eat today! I trusted you and made a deal! If you are dissatisfied, try to take it by yourself! Bam-!! Keuk! While Yoo Seodam and his party were wearing a hoodie and sneaking past the crowd in port city Hanvalem, a violent incident occurred right next to them. As a key city in the western sea trade, it was a very active city, so most of the people living in the city were living in wealth. But behind the scenes, the merchants who didnt really have anything to sell were struggling to get the price of the goods, not just to sell them. Yerina, who was watching the scene where several muscular men grabbed and beat one shabbily-dressed man, clenched her fists, her body was trembling. the have-nots who couldnt train their muscles because they couldnt eat well are being deprived of even what little they had by the haves who eat well. And it is said that such an act was known to the royal family and nobles. Saeran spoke in a calm manner. In the past, it would have been a mortal sin to even dare to speak about the royal family like this. The law that the strong dominates all was the will of Empress Primelia, who was nothing but the empire itself. However, Yerina had a completely different mindset from the rest of the royal family now. Since she was young, she had a soft heart, and instead of pursuing her own strength, she kept turning her gaze to her surroundings to protect them. the fortunate part is that the governing study, which was used 500 years ago, still remains within the Imperial Family. The problem was that, even within the Imperial Family, it was a discipline that was rejected. There is no tutor, so you have to study on your own. Naturally, governing study was not something for the people either. However, Yoo Seodam had no intention of introducing the idea of democracy or anything else into another world. Each world had their own way. So, he didnt think that the current philosophy of this world was wrong. Its just a different way of life. Hmm, self-study, huh? Yoo Seodam muttered. Is it really possible for a 17-year-old girl to study the Primelian Empires way of governing, which had been maintained for countless years alone? He honestly wasnt sure about it. Im worried about her as the protagonist hunting has never been so dependent on other people But still, since there are two years left, maybe something will work out? After all, the other princesses will only learn muscle governing study, so in the end, Yerina will have an advantage in terms of pure grades. However, Yerina made a slightly different decision. Can I delay the return to the Imperial Palace by just one year? What? Pardon? Priprincess. Even if we return right now, theres an absurdly short amount of time to study about governing. I know. However, just because I mastered all of the governing study which was used since long ago, I dont think Ill ever be able to become the right monarch. Yerina looked at the people tormented here and there with crestfallen eyes. I want to completely overhaul this country from scratch if I become an Empress. To do that, I have to see with my own eyes how the Empire works. Yoo Seodam admired her decision a little bit. She was no longer worried about whether she could win or not like when he first met her. There was certainty in her eyesthere was a conviction that she would become the next Empress. And she looked to the future even more than before, proven by the fact that she talked about what she would do after she became an Empress. The current Primelia, the title of the empire itself, is merely a fancy title. Truth is, it was nothing but wilderness. In the meantime, Yerinas gaze moved towards her guardian, Yoo Seodam it seems like Im going to have a pretty hard road ahead, can you please help me? It was never easy to see a small young girl like her taking a thornful journey to become an Empress, so even Yoo Seodam, who thought that this trip was just a preparation for hunting the protagonist, couldnt help but change his mind a little. He hesitated, trying to raise her hand and stroke her sharp hair as usual. But then he stopped, because it wasnt polite to do that to a woman who would become an Empress soon. If its your will This one will happily oblige. * * * All imperial palaces of the Primelian Empire have facilities that should always be present. Thats right, it was a gym. The Empress of the Primellia empire, Empress Primel Primellia, was training her muscles in her dedicated gym. When someone had reached the power of 7,000 in 3 exercises, muscle training was not an easy feat. It was necessary to use a barbell weighing almost 2 to 3 tons, and it was difficult to obtain such equipment. On top of it, it was rare to find a building without damage even when handling heavy equipment harshly. There was no saying that the higher your status, the more money you have, the stronger you are. Your majesty!! Thats great!! You succeeded in lifting 2,700kg barbell! Indeed. As expected of the empress who has the best warrior as her guardian! Thud!! When Empress Primel set down the 2,700 kg barbell, the floor vibrated for a moment. However, the gym, which was built with special metal, did not even move. The Empress clasped her hand as she felt her muscles heating up. But somehow, she didnt feel content like usual. The reason was because skepticism had grown inside her mind. If I train like this, will I be able to stop that mans magic? After her guardian knight, Zaberov was defeated by a woodcutter named Yoo Seodam, she couldnt acknowledge her strength for a while, so she worked hard every night to train his muscles. However, as time passed, she began to think about the source of his strength. Think about it. Just because they are wizards, it doesnt mean that they didnt make an effort to train Although they dont train the muscles. By accumulating knowledge, it was sufficient enough to help the Empire. Thud!! Wasnt magic the reason why this tiny barbell weighed 2,700kg? The reason the floor beneath her did not collapse was also because of the magic coating. Without magic, such a training method would never have been possible. Where do you usually train? Yes? Ah, thats in the other dedicated gym. Bring me there. The servants did not understand why the Empress suddenly asked them to visit their gym, but they still followed the orders. The Empress, who arrived at the 17th Giant Castle, stormed into the gym facilities used by the humble nobles without any notice. All the nobles, who had been training in their own way, got up and tried to get down on their knees quickly, but the Empress told him not to. I dont want to disturb your training time. Continue. The nobles had no choice but to start training again with a very uncomfortable face. Meanwhile, the Empress was looking at the gym with a confused expression on her face. They trained their muscles in such a poor facility. The Empress herself was using a whopping 1 ton weight barbell compressed on a very small disk, so there was no problem at all in training. However, such compression magic required very expensive materials, so others could not easily use it. The more she looked at the gym, the more annoyed she became. They were struggling in uncomfortable positions, lifting dumbbells larger than any other wagon. Return to my palace. When the Empress went back to the 0th Giant Castle without a word, the servants who followed him did not say anything. However, they all have the same thought in their mind. What is it that makes the Empress upset? And then, when she returned to the gym, another servant was already standing there, waiting. He was sweating a lot after running straight to the gym because he had something to inform the Empress. Your Majesty. What is it? Recently, the movement of the Dongtamatin Allied Powers is unusual. It is said that they are conducting military exercises that seem to be openly provocative, and that they are gathering troops at the border. Hmmm as expected. After all, the moment the Empress changes is the moment when the power of the Empire is at its weakest. Throughout history, not all princesses quietly accepted their death. Because all the princesses had enough muscles, the princesses could overthrow the empire due to their considerable strength and connections. And if their muscle or network were sufficient, the princesses would cause confusion with their political ability. However, in the end, there is only one princess who can become the Empress. During its 500-year history, every battle for the throne has always been accompanied by blood and chaos. It will be the same this time as well. Perhaps, when the second princess ascends to the throne, the first will revolt. However, the imperial forces were all armed with steel-like muscles, so whether the first princess wins or the second princess wins, the remaining forces alone will be able to thoroughly destroy the Allied Powers. But What else do you want to report? It seems that the Allies gave up on muscle training and secretly prepared war magic. It is said that its power is so great that it could pierce through the castle gates with ease. I can also easily tear the gates apart. So, whats frightening The Empress, who was about to speak up further, suddenly remembered woodcutter Yoo Seodam. Weaklings who couldnt do anything on their own. Cowards who only mumble and memorize spells and cowardly shoot fireballs from behind. However, that man had completely changed her perception about wizards. Yes. It is just like Your Majestys words. Haha, how can magic beat hardened muscles? It seems I was too concerned. sorry. it should be like that, right? The Empress nodded her head with a firm expression on her face. However, in her heart, she was questioning herself. Is it really okay to leave the magic prepared by the Allied Power just like this? For the very first time in her life, the great muscle empires empress, the Empress of Primelia, was worried about the power of magic. CH 221 Princess Yerina said that the road she was going to take would be a hard road, but in fact, both Aracelli and I had never once thought that this trip would be hard. The monsters which appeared along our way were all so weak that they could be easily dealt with simple firearms. And when a third-rate villain, namely bandits, comes stopping you out of nowhere, you can just beat them up to relieve some stress. Compared to the battlefield where I had to keep my eyes open all night long, this trip was nothing but a healing trip. However, for Yerina, this trip wasnt healing at all. After all, even though the monsters and the villains did not threaten their lives, the stress was getting to her since the place they were travelling right now was the other side of the empire which she had never known while living as a princess. For her, this place was hell itself. She was experiencing first-hand the horrors which couldnt be explained by common sense. It left her wondering just how in the world this huge empire was still standing even after 500 years. It seems like the reason the empire is still standing is because of the Protagonist Correction. Protagonist Correction was a mysterious and unique power. It could make whatever the protagonist sees as correct or ideal into something where the laws of physics or common sense did not work at all. Just like the protagonist from a few worlds prior whose skill was related to common sense, quite a number of the protagonists were using these common-sense-based abilities. Especially in the case of this world where all people and nobles trained their muscles and took everything with strength. Such a subtle change in the world made the hero, Ivan, stand out even more amongst the crowd with his ability to have the best muscle training method in the world. However, in this case, the situation was very different from that hero protagonist from another world. At that time, the common sense of the world changed simply by instilling real common sense into the protagonist, but this world was moving with common sense that really exists. Even if the abnormal muscle love was not caused by the protagonist, it was a setting which their ancestors have changed from 500 years ago, so killing one main character would not completely remove this setting. If the protagonist dies, probably the side effects of excessively trained ones muscles will be exposed to the whole world and the empire will be destroyed. But, if Yerina had proper common sense and became an Empress Now, lets return to the Imperial Palace. I understand. Without any such side effects, the world would be restored to its original state. * * * Originally, the Empress of Primelia would invite all the scholars with the best knowledge and virtue into the castle. Wise men hiding in the forest were brought into the castle to teach, wise wizards and mathematicians were also invited to teach, but the current Primelia no longer invites such scholars. Those who were braver and had stronger muscles were those who qualified as scholars. Thats why, to gain that common knowledge, Yerina had no choice but to use the old and rusty library located in the corner of the Imperial Palace. She didnt even have anyone to attend her aside from Saeran, so on her very first day after returning to the castle, she had to spend all day mopping and dusting off cobwebs and organizing the books in the library. Even after doing that, since the library had been abandoned for a very long time, some books were unreadable. But its okay. With this much, I can study enough. Yoo Seodam shook his head in admiration as he heard Yerina say so while opening the first page of a moldy book. Korean alphabets 500 years ago were those from the Joseon Dynasty. If you ask modern people to read the letters from 500 years ago, would they be able to read them? The answer is: its impossible. Unless they were a linguist, that feat was something unattainable. But, since Yerina was diligent and had read numerous books from old times and interpreted the alphabet one by one, she had become a linguist herself. Shes really amazing. Yoo Seodam complimented her in his mind. From Yoo Seodams perspective, he who had given up his studies at an early age, this part of Yerina was even more admirable than the fact that she trained her muscles even when she knew she was not talented. But what are you doing? Yoo Seodam said as he moved his gaze towards Aracelli who was turning the page of a book with a twinkling eye. Yes? There are a lot of interesting strategy books here. The language system of another world is also interesting. Its good to know a lot about things, right? Is that so Unlike ordinary people who memorize the knowledge they deemed as important, Aracelli, who had far transcended the human realm, stores all the knowledge she had come across in her head. Therefore, she always had the thirst to know more, and because of that, she would always read any books she could find anywhere, anytime. Therefore, when she came into a library where the traditions and history of this world were sleeping, she couldnt stand still. Im going to accelerate time from now on Ill be fine, Professor, please go on without me. Uh-huh. Aracelli, who had always been with Yoo Seodam, for once refused to spend time with him after falling in love with the books, which came as quite a shock to him. At that moment, a feeling that his daughter who had always followed him had finally reached puberty and had turned cold assaulted Yoo Seodam. Although he did not have a daughter, at the moment, he was able to understand the heart of a father who had a daughter. Am I going alone? Yes. am I really going alone? Yes. I will be fine. Yoo Seodam, who was going to say that it was him who was not okay with it, finally began to fast forward the time after keeping the words from leaking out from his mouth. The remaining time was one year. The battle for the throne was just around the corner. * * * It was said that the peculiar system of succession battle originated from 500 years ago, when the muscle began to dominate the empire. At that time, the Crown Prince was weaker than the first princess and had a weaker willpower, therefore the Empress at that time was displeased with the fact that he was the one who would inherit the throne. For that reason, from that day on, the names Crown Princess and Crown Prince were no longer used. All children of the empress were called princes and princesses equally. It was because no one dared to take over the position of the emperor without training their muscles. Your Majesty. All three princesses have gathered for the succession battle. Is that so? The succession battle was nothing less than a national project and a national festival. Visitors from other countries were allowed to spectate. Even people who were not nobles could spectate it. The city of Ferrodels Dome, was built exclusively for this event. It was a crowded city full of merchants who gathered for business all year round, and it was also a place for merchants to get an opportunity to somehow attach themselves to the nobles who had territories. Looking at the dome whose roof stretched high into the sky, Empress Primel Primellia looked at the six people kneeling in front of her. The first princess and the war hero. The second princess and the hero. The third princess and the woodcutter. The Empress gaze was particularly directed towards the woodcutter, but no one noticed it as all the nobles just gossiped when they saw the Empress. Your Majesty seems to have lost some muscle, doesnt it? Recently, there have been rumors that she has been training her muscles less and less Shh! It must be nonsense! But doesnt she look like shed lost a lot of muscle? Shes much thinner than last year. Hmm! Now, I think I can win against her with my strength You cheeky! The whispers of the nobles could be heard in Yoo Seodams sensitive ears. He glanced up and looked at the Empress. And obviously, she had lost more muscle than the last time he met her two years ago. Hmmm However, he couldnt think about it much longer. Now! From this moment on, no nobles nor peoples, knights nor soldiers can ever help the princesses! If the princess dies on the battlefield, the people need not feel sorry for them. It happened because the princess was weak! The crowd erupted in applause at the empresss heavy cry. Its a mess. Yoo Seodam was confused for a second thinking whether this was the Olympics or the succession battle. I will start the first trial to test their fighting power, breaking through the difficulties right now! When those words fell, all three princesses stood up and looked at their guardians. They have trusted and depended on their guardian all their life, but from now on they would not be able to receive any help. Yoo Seodam looked at Yerina with new eyes. When he first met her, it was probably because she was a 14-year-old girl who couldnt eat well, she was short and skinny. But the current Yerina had transformed splendidly. She was now over 170cm tall, and healthy muscle could be seen all over her body yet she still retained the curve a woman had. If she starts modeling for an advertisement on Earth, Yoo Seodam bet that she could easily rival Hellony. Have you studied well? Of course. She smiled brightly, revealing her white teeth. Seeing that smile, Yoo Seodam felt reassured. Glancing at her side, he saw the second princess, Kerina Friedelia, the heroine of the world, and the hero Ivan, speaking with a serious expression on their faces. Pot. eavesdrop. -So, the Dongtamatin Allied Powers have prepared a mighty magic. Can you win against it? C Dont worry, Princess. With this muscle! I can break anything! Let alone magic! The princess only needs to be concerned about the succession battle! After hearing their exchange, Yoo Seodam guessed. Perhaps, in terms of the main story, the topic they just talked about would be the red-thread of [Part 2 of the story]. If the content of Part 1 was Ivan, the hero who finally conquered the empire with one muscle, along with the second princess, Kerina!, Shock! A powerful magic attack?! However, a sufficiently trained muscle destroys magic! would be the content of the second part. After all, if from the beginning, the same content was repeated over and over again, people would inevitably get tired of it. Perhaps, the end of this world was when hardened muscles destroy even a great magic and the empire unify the whole world? Yoo Seodam had never written a novel, but it was easy to predict what would happen next because he had encountered so many clichs. The current empire had conquered 50% of this world. But to think it will be 100% conquest Its truly terrifying to even imagine that. Go and crush them all. Yoo Seodam said towards Yerina. Fufu. It is forbidden to duel with each other until one princess is eliminated. Is that so? Yeah. It was something Yerina had explained to him before, but well, Yoo Seodam didnt really pay any attention to it. It was an offending act, however, for Yerina, she was okay with it. After all, she preferred the uncaring yet caring Yoo Seodam. Then I will come back with a win. Currently, Yerina has already gained 5 circles in magic. However, she still could not let her guard down as the body specifications of the other princesses were also at the top level of the A rank. Although Aracelli had bestowed her with a strategy to bring down a fighting warrior who believed in only one superpower, she couldnt rely on it completely. Fuhhh this is the beginning. As the three princesses walked towards the dome of Ferrodel with heavy gait, everyone was silent. Gulp-!! Someone swallowed their saliva. That was because it was a battle between two princesses with the greatest body specs of all time, unprecedented in 500 years of history of the empire. The battle of the princesses who easily passed 7,000kg in 3 exercises before they turned 30, how fierce would it be? The third princess, on the other hand, still looked sloppy and had little muscle, so she was merely an object of criticism. Well, shes indeed pretty. Yeah Or, that was how it should be. However, the third princess, Yerina, who came back after 5 years, had turned into a very splendid figure. The timid youngest princess had disappeared, she was walking shoulder to shoulder with her two older sisters with her sharp, dignified steps. The confidence that flowed out of her eyes was enough to make the words of those who tried to criticize her swallow their words back. However, amongst the countless pairs of eyes who looked at her, there was only one who could truly see her. It was Empress Primel Primelia who knew the true identity of the spirit exuded by Yerina. [Yerina Friedellia is one step away from awakening the skill Emperor Spirit (SSS).] Watching the spectacle, the system who had been silent throughout the journey felt befuddled. It was because the probability was slowly shifting. Towards Yerina? No. It was towards Yoo Seodam. It was a very small amount, but it was clear that it was flowing in. Yoo Seodam had used a lot of probability in order to exhaust it and he had never done anything that would make him the protagonist. But why was it that the probability was still flowing towards Yoo Seodam? Her stomach started to burn more and more due to this unanswered question. CH 222 Christian christian christian!!! Thank you for becoming our Patron!!! If he can, you guys can do so too!!! Go to our Patreon page and subscribe~ The first part of the trial in the succession battle was overcoming obstacles. It was a trial which tested how the participant could overcome various trials, crises, and traps when they appeared. In the past, the participants always had numerous ways to overcome the obstacles. However, nowadays, of course, all of the obstacles were being overcome through pure muscle and will. Destroying, smashing, bracing and thoroughly dismantling, even if in the end the participants were covered in blood, the warriors who eventually arrived at the finish line were the best of the best. Pugh!! When the violent cheers erupted from the stadium, the three princesses set off. Thousands of people had come to see the princess who would soon become the Empress. They sat around the dome of Ferrodel with their hands sweaty due to sheer excitement. The three princesses couldnt interfere with each other during the trial. On top of it, they wouldnt know how far their competitor had progressed until they arrived at the finish line. Only the people watching the game could know the progress of all the princesses. Ahhhh!! Haab! Their start was flashy. They leaped forward in the air and rushed towards the trial. Of course, Yerina was the only one who didnt do that. Oh oh! What a forward leap! The first hurdle of the trial was crossing a rocky mountain terrain. The princesses had to climb over, or break through it to clear it. But the problem was, the rocky mountain was too high to climb over! The weak but strong willed princess would normally climb through to pass it, and the strong one would smash the mountain of rocks. Whoosh-!! Whoosh-!! As the first and second princesses swung their fists, a light storm broke out and a hole started to drill itself in the rocky mountain. Meanwhile, the third princess had not even arrived yet. She was slow to the point that the few people who had some expectations from her were instantly disappointed. OObviously, the second princess is much more powerful. The first princess seems to have realized that her strength is less than the second princess. And it seems like she has been polishing her techniques more. The speed at which the two of them broke rocks was unbelievable. Then, when the two princesses were about to finally break the last rock, the third princess arrived at the front of the rocky mountain. The spectator clicked their tongue as they watched her walking leisurely, not even running or sweating. Has she given up on her life? Well, she doesnt even have enough vassals to become an Empress. Yet she didnt even want to challenge herself. However, the people who had been chatting were astonished when the third princess raised a wand. Wand? Maybe its magic? Huh, you see all sorts of absurd sights in life. Finally, the third princess has turned crazy! At that moment, the third princess gracefully waved her wand and chanted. Lapisman fight. It was a type of high-level magic which channeled the casters will towards the rock. Thump-!! Huh??? What just happened?!?! What the third princess just did was vastly different from the other princesses who were loudly breaking the rocks. Since the rocks were making way for her, all she had to do was walk leisurely through the created passage. When she passed the rocky mountain without any effort, the other two princesses, who had a headstart, were also finally able to pass through the rocky mountain. Unlike the other two princesses whose muscles had already turned red, Yerina was still walking gracefully. No beads of sweat could be found on her beautiful face. The next obstacles which stood in the way of the princesses also had a similar pattern to the rocky mountain; it was blazing fire. To get through it, they would need strong muscles as well as mental strength to overcome the pain. Aaaaaah!! Haaaah!! While the two princesses were sprinting forward even when their whole body was charred by fire, Yerina gracefully waved her wand. Flamita. Moments later, the blazing fire miraculously split sideways, it was as if a red carpet had been laid for just one person. Th-this is With magic, something like that can happen? Of course not. The reason why Yerina could do it was because the magic she was currently using was an extremely high-level magic. It required its caster to not only cast a simple offensive or defensive magic but to also understand and deal with the nature of the element itself. With only a few years left for the succession battle to take place, Yerina was determined to learn these high-level magic spells, and what just happened proved that she was able to master them completely. Its great Slowly, Yerina began to take the lead from the other princesses. It was indeed nice to see them somehow break through the obstacles with their guts and strength alone, but in the end, Yerinas method was much faster. When she encountered a bridge made of lava, she gently swung her staff to create a bridge of rock and walk over it. And when she arrived at a cliff with nothing leading to the land across, Yerina summoned a flock of luminous birds in front of her and used them as a foothold. Watching her progress steadily, the audience was dead silent. For five hundred years, the perception that muscle was the best had been taken for granted by all people and nobles. With muscles, tenacity, blood-and-sweaty passion and brute strength, they thought that it would be enough to overcome any difficulties. But.. right now, they were attracted by the third princess magic rather than the first or second princess strength. It was because it was more elegant, more relaxed, more beautiful, more mysterious and classy. How could they not feel so when such beautiful magic was beating the two strongest warriors of the continent even though the caster was doing so only by shaking the staff a little. No, no, no. These are nothing but puny tricks. Yes, thats right. There is a golem as the last trial before the finish line. Can she even defeat the golem with magic? When Yoo Seodam heard about the golem, he smirked. Its not like he thought that Yerina would win unconditionally. Rather, he was surprised that there was such a high-tech golem here in this world. In a world where everything is ruled by muscles, its good to see they still use some magical elements in the succession battle. After all, without magic and science, the world would be nothing. Its just that magic wasnt being described in detail in this worlds story, but it still managed to constantly reveal its presence behind the muscles. Boom, boom!! When the three princesses finally arrived at the final gate, the crowd clenched their fists. A part of them was hoping that either one of the first two princesses would win, and the part that wanted a change in the empire wanted the third princess to win. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Kuooo!! The first princess rushed in with a roar as loud as the roar of the golem. Koong-!! Moments later, the first princess arms had already clashed against the golems arms. The height of the golem easily surpassed 5m, but her strength even managed to push this golem backwards! But something even more surprising happened on the other side. The second princess had ripped off the golems hand with her grip forcefully! Even though the golem had three pairs of arms, it was surprising that she could rip one off so easily. Waaaaaaaaaaaah!! As expected! There is nothing in this world that cant be beaten by muscles! Continue to smash it, Princess! Meanwhile, the third princessthe first to arrive at the final gatestill hadnt taken any action. She just stood there taking her sweet time. Some said, Her taking the lead was nothing but a trick. Now that she has reached here, I think she is afraid that her insignificant fighting power will be exposed. Why did she have to wait for the other two princesses? Everyone who saw her wondered so. But, her next actions made the spectators think that she wanted to do so to show the overwhelming difference between her and the other princesses. Aktoma Frohibeire. As she graciously moved her wand, a fluorescent rope materialized around the golems body and bound it tightly. Jenu Gibin. Then, the golem knelt down on its knees. Lux Klumna. Pillars of light rose from the ground and smashed the golems head. Huh? The golem was destroyed after only three magic spells were casted. Unable to accept that reality, everyone gasped in disbelief. Shes smart. Right? However, the truth was, Third princess Yerina didnt do it to show overwhelming dominance. She had to meditate once she found out the opponent was a golem and had to think on what type of spell to cast. But no one knew that she was preparing for such magic. Rumble-!! Eventually, the second princess succeeded in destroying the golem. When all the obstacles were finished, the veil blocking each other would be lifted, and they would be able to see how far the other princesses had progressed. Naturally, the second princess, who thought she would be first one to finish the trial, leisurely trampled on the golems head with her bloody body and lifted her head up. Huh? To her surprise, she made eye contact with Yerina who, after killing the golem before her, was sitting elegantly with her legs crossed on a pile of golem wreckage while enjoying a cup of coffee. You are late, big sister. You what how? Maybe I was stronger and faster than you? Kuang-!! Before long, the first princess also successfully took down the golem. And when the veil was lifted, she really didnt say anything. Unlike the first and second princes who were covered in blood and bruises, the third princess was clean and perfectly fine. Apart from the fact that her breathing was a little ragged, she looked elegant and sharp, just like before she had started. It was almost as if she had just gone out for a walk. Of course, the truth was, she had almost run out of mana, so she only looked a little different on the outside. Hmmm. Well-trained muscles werent as good as I thought? Yerina smiled brightly. But her words only provoked the two princesses. * * * Your Majesty! We cant let it continue! Your Majesty! We must immediately execute the third princess who used magic in the succession battle! To mock the sacred succession battle with magic, not muscles! The Empress looked closely at the faces of the numerous nobles who rushed at her as soon as the first trial was over. Those nobles who were questioning the third princesss use of magic were the ones who either supported the first princess or the second princess. If the first and second princesses were defeated, they would lose everything immediately. It was no wonder they were so desperate. They are weak. But in the eyes of the Empress, they only looked pathetic. It couldnt be more lamentable that in this empire there were still nobles who lacked muscles and will. I will ask you. Have I ever banned the use of magic in the succession battle? You have not. However! However, what? The succession battle is a good place to do anything to prove your strength. Is it unfair because the magic is stronger? Do you think so? Th-thats right! Why is she using magic at a place where you have to prove your strength with muscles? Thats funny! Empress Primel Primelia cut off the nobles. She had no more interest in hearing their ramblings. Since when have wepeople who trained our musclesbegan trembling at the sight of magic? Are you ignoring our national power? Are we that weak to the point we forbid it? ! The reason we pursue muscle, isnt it for the sake of strength? Are you afraid of strong magic? Then train your muscles even more. If that doesnt work, Id say learn magic like the third princess in order to become stronger! Magic was no longer a discipline that could be ignored. When its sufficiently trained, magic could reach a level that even surpassed the power of muscle. The Empress finally had to admit that fact. You know? The combat power of all the trials were extremely fair. The reason why the first and second princesses lost is simple; it was because they are weaker than the third princess! The Empress slammed her fist on the chairs armrest and stood up. If it had been the same as before, the ground beneath the chair would have collapsed, but for some reason her slam only made some cracks on the chair. The succession battle for the throne is a very sacred ceremony, and it is also a place to prove your qualifications to become emperor. You guys dare to object the results of the battle?! Guards! Lock them all in Anti-muscle Prison! The nobles turned pale at those words. P-please Your Majesty! Thats not what we meant! Please! Please withdraw that order! Your Majesty What are you doing! Bring them all out! Anti-muscle Prison. This prison was a very terrifying prison with the restriction that you can never train your muscles. While imprisoned in this prison, no protein would be provided, and no exercise equipment was allowed. If it is muscle lossC!! Your Majesty!! In other words, it was the most terrible punishment in this world. In this world where the scale of muscles proved the strength and dignity of a nobleman, losing muscles because you couldnt exercise meant a vertical fall in the position! Sigh. The empress sighed. It was quiet sigh released only after the nobles were taken away by the guards. The Empress stroked her chin and thought about the trial which had just concluded. In fact, the victory of the third princess in the succession battle could be considered almost certain just by taking first place in the battle power trial. The virtues of being a true emperor, huh? It was something which had been completely forgotten 500 years ago. Subjects that no one cared about were now looked at by the Empress. The quality of an Empress? Grace? Etiquettes? Policy? The Empress didnt know anything. After all, she was strong so she had no need to learn them. However, the princess of this generation was somehow very different from her. A princess who gains strength with her brain, and not her muscles She stroked her biceps which were slowly fading away. Recently, when she cut the intensity of her workout by less than half, her muscles didnt grow any more, and now it was hard to even keep them in their original condition. However, she didnt felt that it was a loss at all. After all, recently, the empress had been interested in reading. Moreover, the books were also related to magic. If the next Empress ruled the empire based on magic, not muscle She thought that maybe it would be a pretty interesting world. CH 223 Even though in the first trial Princess Yerina showed an overwhelming display compared to the other princesses, there were still many people who wanted the muscular first and second princess to win the succession battle. The reason was simple. They didnt want magic to win. However, even in the second and third trial, the other princesses could not defeat Yerina. After all, her dignity, manners, charm and governing knowledge were impeccableShe wasnt just outstanding, she was simply perfect. The reason for the difference between the two princesses and Yerina could be attributed to their goal. While Yerina had a clear goal in mind which reflected her values, the other princesses simply wanted to show off their charms by building their muscles and dream of becoming a muscly ruler. Obviously, it was normal in this world to have such muscular value. A person who has grown their muscles has dignity that is as strong as their muscles. It was also a form of politeness and normalcy for people who had a lot of muscles to be considered attractive or charming. How about Princess Yerina, though? At best, she was only at the level where she could lift 100kg in the three exercises. Such a fragile body could be said as a body with no dignity, charisma or strength. However, something was different today. Wow, as expected of the second princess! Her muscles are so different! It was a graceful choice Mmm thats right! People outwardly cheered for the first and the second. However, at the same time, their gazes couldnt help but secretly be drawn to the third princess. Why? Why do my eyes keep moving towards that weak girl with no muscles? Why does she feel so different today? Even though she had no muscle, it was clear as day that she had charisma, dignity, and charm. The people listened to her every word; every step of her attracted their eyes away; and every single gesture of hers made them bow their heads in front of her. For a reason unknown, a sense of intimidation emanated from Princess Yerina. [Supporting actor Kerina Fridellia uses Front Double Biceps (S) skill] [Her muscles are temporarily pumped over 1.5 times, giving an overwhelming sense of intimidation!] The guardian of the second princess, Hero Ivan, knew a lot of muscle training methods and muscle knowledge that gave the opponent a sense of intimidation. It was a technique which was at least 10 to 100 years ahead from the knowledge of this world. [The villain Yerina Friedeliia uses Empress Spirit (SSS) skill.] In the first place, she was not competing against Second Princess with her muscles so the intimidation had absolutely no effect on Yerina, who competed with pure skills. [The Protagonist has detected a crisis!] [Guardian Yoo Seodam is designated as the villain.] However, even after seeing the message, Yoo Seodam was still calm. I mean I knew from the beginning that I was going to be the villain. Yoo Seodam presume that the first princess must have been the designated rival for the second princess in the development arc, and the third princess Yerina would only appear at the climax of the story, and was probably the second villain character who would finally give the protagonist a sense of crisis. Perhaps the concept of the stand-off between Yerina and the second princess was to compete with knowledge, the qualities of a ruler, and oratory skillsa subject which did not have any relation with muscle. However, due to Aracellis intervention, Yerina had learned magic and gained strength which surpassed muscles. But since the protagonist of this world had poured all his probabilities into muscles, when a crisis arrives, there is only one answer for him. To sort it out with the power of muscle! [The flow of the story changes.] All three of you are wonderful. Its reassuring to have so many candidates who truly have the qualities for an Empress. I can see that the future of the empire is bright and prosperous. However, not everyone can become a ruler just because they have the qualifications of a ruler. I will now start the final test. Empress Primel Primelia said in front of the three kneeling princesses. Princesses, you may have heard of it, but the recent movement of the neighboring Allied Powers has been unusual. It is said that they have prepared war magic and plan to challenge the Empire. They dare challenge us with something like magic!?!? Is the test going to war? I will go ahead and destroy it! Leave it to me, Your Majesty! The first and the second exclaimed with excitement. Both of them had a strong force backing them, therefore they were confident that they would make a breakthrough even if they went to war right away. But Yerina was different. No noble stood behind Yerina, so she had no power whatsoever. If the test is going to war, Im going to lose Yerina broke into cold sweat. In the past, there was a history that a princess who made a contribution in war became the empress in the end, so it was not strange to go to war to defend the empire as the last test. If the flow of the story was changed because of the probability, it might have proceeded in such a way. However, the current flow of story was slightly twisted by others interference, not by Yoo Seodam, the protagonist or protagonists correction. Yerina The Empress mumbled. Her eyes were drawn to Yerina, whom she felt the spirit of Empress from. The trial in succession battle must be fair to all candidates. And the Empress knew very well how unfair the test would be for Yerina if she gave her a test to play a role in the war. The third princess who is not supported by either nobles or the people. But, what if a very powerful ally, the Empress, would take her side? Of course, she has no intention of favouring one princess in the sacred succession battle. If they become an Empress without honour, the future of the empire would never be bright. If so, at the very least, she could give a test which would be fair to all the three princesses. No! The last test is a battle. By proving your strength for the last time, I will decide whether or not I can entrust the safety of the Empire to you! !!!! As the empress words fell, the three princesses opened their eyes wide. The rules of the match are simple. All three princesses will enter the Ferrodels dome at the same time and fight until one last princess standing. There will be jungle, desert, plains, rivers and seas inside, so you can use the terrain to defeat the other two princesses. Any questions? When all three princesses were silent, the Empress nodded her head with a smirk plastered on her face. Then, lets look forward to the princesses performances! The final test, both her life and fate were at stake. With cold sweat dripping down her neck, Yerina clenched her fists. I can win! * * * Although royale battles were not unprecedented in the history of succession battle, the people couldnt help but be surprised at the empress decision since the princesses of this generation had tremendous strength and charisma, which was very rare even in the long history of the empire. Some people discussed that the seasoned first princess would win, while others said that the strong second princess would eventually win. There was almost no mention of the third princess in the discussion between the people. C Lets start the battle! Since the Ferrodels dome was huge, and the three princesses started from different positions, they wouldnt meet the other princesses from the start. -Go! As soon as the magical voice of the Empress echoed, Yerina took a step into the arena. This battle was not only a battle where she risked her life, but also the life of people who had supported her this far. If she lost here, even Yoo Seodam, who became her guardian, would face death. I cant let that happen. I never want to disappoint the person who believed in me and has supported me for five years. The terrain which she departed from was an ordinary forest. It was not that difficult, but she would certainly be exhausted if she moved without thinking. I have to fight strategically. The fact that everyone starts from a different position was clearly meant to add a strategic element. It would be best if the other two princesses could fight each other first. And when one was eliminated, she could attack the other one who would be exhausted by then. But the other two princesses rarely think about strategy. Its because they think that its only the weak who strategize, and look for their opponents weaknesses. Since the two princesses had come this far just to prove their muscle strength, Yerina thought that they would do the same in this trial. Princess Yerina moved slowly and explored the energy around her with her mana. As she walked through the woods for almost an hour, a wide reed plain appeared. The reeds were too small for the two large princesses to hide. I thought that if they were to fight, they would definitely choose this place Then, the sound of something crashing was heard in the distance. Goo-!! There was no doubt in Yerinas mind that the sound was the result of the two princesses colliding against each other. Are they in the jungle? Yerina hurriedly ran towards the jungle. If the terrain is the jungle! For Yerina, who had weak stamina, the jungle was the worst battlefield as her feet would have to constantly move on the uneven terrain. But she was still fine with it. If two princesses fight ignorantly and then she uses that timing to make a surprise attack, she can win without any problem.However, Its nerve-wracking to fight one-on-one against a warrior. She had asked Aracelli the other day. Miss Aracelli. What should I do if I have no choice but to fight a one-on-one fight with a warrior? Of course She said with a cute smile. You have to run away. Pardon? A wizard can never defeat a warrior. Assuming they are of equal skill. Bu-but didnt Guardian-nim defeat Jaberov, the best guardian knight in the Empire, only with magic last time? Thats because the professors level is far higher than that guardian knight. But your situation is different from him, right? In other words, Aracelli was insisting that a wizard must unconditionally avoid a fight with a warrior. Still There is such a thing as what if. So, what if I need to fight a warrior? That Aracelli contemplated, then snapped her finger as if she had a good idea. You should use the professors method! The guardians method? Yes. Professors method is Flinch. Yerina woke up from her reminiscent as she felt something was wrong. The crashing sound felt too regular. Normally, she wouldnt have recognized it, but since her sense was currently better than usual, she sensed it right away. Yerina went down to her knees, placed her hand on the ground and let her mana run on the floor. Oh So, thats why Somehow, a laugh leaked out of her mouth as she realized what happened. It was a situation that she could not have imagined in the past, and it was a situation that could be said to be the biggest crisis of her life, but she wondered why she couldnt stop smiling? Thud-!! Two shadows from the front slowly walked towards her Big sisters. You two seem to be in good shape for someone who just fought fiercely. In other words, the sounds they made was to lure Yerina to the jungle, a battlefield most unfavorable for a wizard with weak stamina. Both of them said nothing. The deep shadows on their face were the only way to know how they felt about the situation. Yes. The two older sisters with a really strong self-esteem had no choice but to face reality and work together with each other. Though, their strategy wasnt anything fancy since they did something everyone could easily think of. However, their actions came off as very different to Yerina. In the end, both of you opted to identify the weakness of your target and think of a strategy which both of you deemed as nothing but something used by weaklings. Yes? Thats why Yerina was happy. Someone might say shes crazy, but she was too happy to the point mana was exploding from her body. She was despised for being weak. It was common for her to hear abusive language for her lack of guts and muscle. However, the two princesses who were considered to be the strongest in the history of the Empire, had just joined forces to fight against herselfsomeone who people considered as nothing but a feeble girl. Yerina, who was quietly resting one of her hands on the ground, slowly straightened her waist and faced the two princesses. She was 170cm tall, but she was still shorter than her two older sisters who easily exceed 2m. Still, at this moment no one watching this spectacle dared to say that she looked small. Rather, the two princesses felt a huge wall in Yerina. A wall that could never be broken or crossed. They became disgusted with such thoughts, and the princesses inflated their muscles like balloons. Well then, shall we begin? Sisters. CH 224 The professors fighting method, number one! As soon as the 1v2 fight started, Yerina, who shouted as if she wanted to rush towards the other two princesses, suddenly turned around and sprinted with all her might. Never fight in the terrain where the opponent has the advantage. When Yerina trailed back to the way she came, the first and the second princess were bewildered, and so they were late for a split second in chasing her. They couldnt even blame her for her cowardice, after all, it was them who started first. You!!! However, before the two princesses could run for long, the ground suddenly exploded, and they had no choice but to stop sprinting. The intensity of the explosion itself was weak. However, in the aftermath of the explosion, the fog suddenly descended into the jungle, obscuring their view. At that moment, the two princesses realized. Perhaps, from the moment Yerina knew that the two princesses held hands and were trying to strike her first, she was already preparing for this magic. Stop calling such useless mist! As the two princesses smashed the floor with their fists, an enormous tornado swept away the mist. But unfortunately for them, Yerinas magic didnt end there. Whats happening! The sky suddenly grew dark. The reason was because Yerina used the spell Noctis which darkens the surrounding in succession. Then, Miss Aracelli, are you saying that I should take advantage of the terrain? Yes. But you cant always fight with advantage on your side, can you? In that case, you have to get rid of your enemys advantage as much as possible. Seeing the two princesses bewildered, Yerina let her voice flow through her mana while trying to be as calm and composed as possible. -My sisters. Can you blow darkness away with your muscles? Or did you train your eyesight with an iron barbell? The field of vision of the two princesses gradually narrowed. They both tried to focus their mana on their sight, but in the first place, the warriors of this world focused on training their muscles rather than magic, so it was simply impossible for them to escape the magic cast by a 5 circle magician with their miniscule amount of mana. However, that didnt mean that Yerina had an overwhelming advantage. The radius of the Noctis magic she casted was at most only 50m. Its unavoidable since she casted in a hurry. Which means, once they get out of the jungle, the magic would be undone. I have to make sure my sisters notice it as late as possible. Yerina swallowed her saliva. A 5 circle magician could store 3 spells beforehand and cast them at will. But the power of that magic would be halved by 30% and at the same time, she would only be able to cast a spell one circle lower than her current level. In case of emergency, she could cast a spell immediately, but its power will not be able to defeat the strength of the princesses. As Yerina moved slowly, she gathered her hands in a diamond shape and tried to cast a spell. But then, the first princess suddenly lifted her head and looked at her. Found you! !!! The first princess took a jagged rock from the ground and threw it with all her might. It broke all the trees on its path and rushed towards Yerina. She hurriedly lowered her body to the floor, but at some point the second princess approached her with her fist tightly clenched. Indeed, eldest sisters senses were much better than second sisters. Second princess specialty was strength, while the first princess specialty was skill and sense. Recognizing that, Yerina cast the flame curtain spell she had prepared beforehand in her front. Thanks to that, the second princess advance was halted as she was forced to guard her body with both arms. However, the magic Yerina just casted was not for attacking purpose; it was to gain momentum. Yerina rode the blast and slid 10 meters back, before placing her hands on the ground. Moments later, seven-pronged chains of light rose from the ground beneath her and slithered towards the second princess and tried to bind her. But, before the chains could coiled around her, the first princess smashed all from her before grabbing the last one with both hands and tried to pull it. Lets see how long you can continue with your tricks! However Yerina only smirked. Even when she put her hand on the ground, it didnt mean that the chain was connected to her. She snorted and raised her palms slightly. !!! The moment the first princess realized that what she had done was in vain, a shadow cast upon his body. When she looked up, a huge awl was falling from the sky! Because of her muscles, she was the furthest from being agile, so the falling awl was an unavoidable attack for her! Thankfully, she had the second princess on her side. She hurriedly got up, raised her arms and clamped it when it was right in front of her. Boom-!! A spider web-like crack started to spread on the awl. However, unlike the awl, only a small wound could be seen on the second princess skin. Judging by the fact that she just repelled a giant awl, it could be said that she was unharmed. her agility is amazing, after all. Yerina murmured before disappearing again. The professors fighting method, number two! If you find yourself at a disadvantage because you have a lot of enemies, fight as cowardly and dirtily as possible. I-is that so? Yes. Do you know that its annoying to fight an archer or a thief who hides among the bushes while shooting poison arrows? While telling Yerina that, Aracelli caressed her own chin with her hand, pondered for a moment, and then put her thumb up. But when it is done by a wizard, its cool! Wait a minute does that matter? Its very important! Aracelli smiled brightly as if she was just talking about some profound saying or something. After all, in the battle for the throne, showmanship is important! At that moment, the ground split open and thorns protruded from the gap. Meanwhile, a small streak of lightning struck from the sky. Since the two princesses had no knowledge of magic, they could not let go of their tension. However, for someone who knows magic, only one magic could be activated at time by default. The spells which Yerina was currently using were Terra Terror, a magic that turned the ground upside down and lasts for 5 seconds and Thunder Pericutin, a lightning strike spell that triggers immediately and lasts quite a while. She only activated both of them at completely different timing to make it seem as if two disasters were triggered in succession! In the meantime, Yerina also prepared a spell that only activates when the other person steps on it. The professor fighting method, number three! To win, you have to do anything you can. Isnt that obvious? No. You have yet to understand the meaning. Even after fighting against Aracelli for countless times, she still said that she had yet to understand the meaning to do anything to really win. But now she realized. The fight she had right now couldnt be considered a real fight. It was just her harassing her two sisters. Because she was only using improvised magic, she couldnt even land a proper blow to her sisters. She just blinded their sight, gave them hot, cold, stinging, painful, sensation before running away again to avoid being struck back. Found you! When Yerina was caught up in her own thoughts, goosebumps grew all over her body. She hurriedly raised her head, and saw the second princesss viciously contorted face right in front of her. You know what? Among the training methods of hero Ivan, there is a method to strengthen the eyesight! When the second princess slammed her fist to Yerinas stomach, the sound of balloon popping echoed. Then, her body bent like a bow and flung to the distance. But he said I didnt have to train it, so I just kept the knowledge in my head But now I can finally use it and see through your magic! Keuk Yerina staggered and stood up. Her stomach was burning like fire, and her heart was beating really hard as if it was about to explode. When she looked at the second princess, the distance between them was not even 5 m. It was a fatal distance for a wizard who was fighting a warrior. The second princess was also aware of the fact and tried to maintain the distance. Yeah, I never thought that they would keep being a sitting duck anyway. When Yerina glanced at her back, she could see the first princess standing there, blocking her path for running away again. She even stood outside the range of Noctis magic that darkens the surroundings. However, unbeknownst to her, the moment she escaped the influence of Noctis spell, the spell which Yerina put down beforehand in the reeds field would be triggered. Wheeeeing!! The wind suddenly blew and the reeds swayed. In the next instance, the reed, which seemed to be dancing, was broken in half. Looking at the sight, the first princess bowed her head to avoid it since she knew that she could not withstand the magic of her little sister. Meanwhile, Yerina thought. She was currently really at a disadvantage. Being flanked by two warriors as a wizard was synonymous to being defeated. Then, she recalled one of the conversations she had with Aracelli. What if, really what if the warriors are stupid and set foot on a field where our spell is prepared? At her question, Aracelli just shrugged. A perfectly prepared wizard can never be beaten. Well, as long as the enemy is not a dragon, thats it. Rumble-!! Rumble-!! The ground began to tremble. However, Yerina did not make any gestures whatsoever. After all, her enemies were people who knew that a certain action was necessary for a wizard to cast their spell. And as she expected, the two princesses soon moved. Ill twist your neck! Ill make you unable to use magic ever again! The two princesses leaped towards Yerina. However, when the third princess snapped her fingers, two pillars rose from the floor and pierced the stomachs of the rushing princesses. Keuk! Ghaaak! In the deltoid and brachialis muscles of the princesses, the veins of them wiggle like snakes. It was a nonsensical superpower which could block pillars that were rushing faster than trains due to magic! But the magic didnt end there. A huge blue line was slowly sparkling in the sky, and before long, the line changed into the shape of a circle. Swwooshh-!! Then, heavy rain poured out of nowhere. Yerina laughed as she stroked her wet hair. To manipulate the weather in such a small area, an enormous amount of time as well as a lot of preparation were required. And now, the result of those preparations is unfolding in front of her. Boom-!! Boom-!! Boom-!! Boom-!! The two princesses, who had finally smashed the pillars which obstructed their moves, let out a ragged breath and felt the temperature drop little by little. At the same time, they saw a pure white frost cladding Yerinas hands. On top of it, the ground beneath her was slowly freezing. Four years! Have you been wasting your time learning something like this? Yes. Thats right. The third princess slowly spread her arms out, with the palms of her hands pointing towards the sky. The tiny whirlpool of frost whirling on her palm was clearly proving that her main specialty was Ice Magic. When the white frost reached the sky, all the raindrops changed into icicles. The small icicles then join up with each other until they become huge icicles and slowly surround the two princesses. Standing in the middle of it, Yerina raised her hands high into the sky. Snap-!! Thud-!! Thud-!! Thud-!! Giant icicles with fluorescent runes engraved on it fell one by one towards the two princesses. They did their best to avoid, but their action was hampered by the ground which started to freeze even more because of the falling icicles, making it difficult for them to even properly maneuver. Ahhhh!! Aww! Both the princesses shattered the ice while wriggling their thick muscles, pierced through the icicles, or punched hard at the ice growing from the ground. But it was not enough. How does one fight against the cold, which naturally begins to grow after receiving the moisture of nature? It was as if a huge flower of ice had bloomed. Yerina trembled as she walked through the ice flowers. Ha! An exhilarating feeling which seemed to make her lose her mind pierced her whole body. At that moment, she felt that her past self, which did not fully understand the words of fighting in a prepared wizards space, was foolish. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Shut up! As she watched the two princesses struggle like worms, surrounded by her ice, she woke up to an ecstatic sensation. Ah, this is really I think Im addicted! CH 225 Translator: Asta Editor: Aaghna Proofreader: Kig NEW month~ Monthly reminder for joining our Patreon to read up to 10 chapte ahead~ Thank you in advance. No one dared to open their mouths when the jagged pillars of ice soared high in the sky like a blooming flower of ice. Just like the spectators, the First and Second Princess were also stunned and couldnt move an inch. Yerina stood alone surrounded by the ice blue mist. She looked mesmerizingly beautiful. That gorgeous and dazzling figure was also the victor of the succession battle. Soon, she will be the Empress who will rule the empire. Ah Someone yelped a moment later. It was a certain nobleman who had bet his life and his family on the First Princess. Just like him, a lot of people on the stand screamed, some were angry, and some simply passed out. These people were those who never thought that the Third Princess, who had no support and had no gift of building muscle, could ever win the succession battle. I, I cant admit this She uses magic!!! How can we recognize someone who won using magic! Some nobles denied the reality, but it was to no avail. After all, most of the people who saw the succession battlenobles, knights, coachmen, innkeepers, cardinals and nuns, pharmacists, jesters, wanderers, farmers, hunters, philosophers, craftsmen, the greatest knights of the empire, and even the Empressall of them were overwhelmed by Yerinas presence. Her existence had challenged and started to change the common sense of the people of this world. Before this event, they thought that because the Empire was the strongest in the continent, the Empress of the Empire had to be the strongest in the empire. Therefore, magic, which they assumed to be nothing more than a trick for the weak, would never ever be a match against the strength of muscle and was rejected. Because of that reason, wizards were considered the shame of the family and were often cast away from their own homes. On top of it, wherever they went, they were always stoned and ridiculed. However, in front of them right now, such a wizard was the one still standing after a violent battle. Next to her feet were the two princesses whom the people thought of as the strongest of the empire. The people had to admit. Yerinas frost magic was strong yet beautiful and dignified; worthy of being the power wielded by the empress of this empire. Not only that, the charisma Princess Yerina radiated could also be felt despite all the dirt which covered her entire body. With just slight eye movement and combing her hair behind her neck with her hand, her elegance and her grace flowed out. It was as if she was a woman who was born to be the Empress. The people finally realized. All this time, they had forgotten what a true Empress was. They started to wonder why they thought that it was only people with strong muscles who were worthy of being the Empress. After all, doesnt it mean that an empress with strong muscles could only be good at fighting and lifting barbells? A true Empress must be dignified, polite, adept at politics and possess the dignity of an empress, just like Princess Yerina. -As of now, I declare that the succession battle has ended!!! The Empress voice echoed. It didnt feel as heavy as in the past, but nevertheless, it still carried an authority. -The next Empress has been decided. Everyone, prepare yourself for the change that will happen in the Empire. * * * Sometime after Yerinas victory, I was revising my plan of hunting Ivan, the guardian of the Second Princess as well as the protagonist of this world. If things continue as they are, Ivan would surely die. I wouldnt have to prepare for anything. The rule wherein the princess who has been defeated in the succession battle will be killed alongside her guardian and those who support her is too harsh. There must have been people among the royal families in history who wanted to live a normal life without any interest in the battle for the throne. I remembered Yerina saying that. She vowed that once she became the Empress, she would tear this system down first and fix it. I decided to follow her opinion. Even though it seemed like my efforts so far were going to be wasted, it was not true. It was because just with Yerina winning the battle for the throne, Ivan would die. After all, who in their sane mind will peacefully accept their death when they have the power to resist? Hero! Are you really going to wait for death like this? If a weak, muscle-less person like the Third Princess took over the Empire, this empire would certainly be ridiculed by other kingdoms! The person who spoke those words was a certain count with a vast territory who fully supported the Second Princess. Thats right. So far we have been competing, but now is the time to join forces. Lets protect the empire together! Said a certain marquis who served as a faithful servant of the duke who supported the First Princess. Lets do it together, Hero! Duke Haivan, who was the guardian of the First Princess, gave up and decided to accept everything the moment the First Princess lost the succession battle. Perhaps it was due to the fact that hes already old. The only one I can trust is you, the Hero! The person who said that was a certain person who held onto both the First and the Second and was confused about which stance to take before the Third Princess won. [The main character faces a crisis.] [The episode will change due to the probability.] In a secret meeting with numerous nobles, Ivan closed his eyes. Then, after sorting out the thoughts in his mind, he opened it. Okay! Have we been training our muscles just to let our Empire be taken over by magic? That doesnt make sense! Right! Right! Ivan shouted, and the nobles agreed. The hero flexed his muscles and his tendons bulged out. We dont have to wait long. Tonight, lets turn the Empire upside down to save the princesses and the empire! Rebellion. Hero Ivan and the nobles were planning to rebel against the Third Princess, Yerina. It will be Yerinas first ordeal as the future empress, but unfortunately, as long as probability was behind the Hero Ivan, Yerina would never be able to overcome it. So, now its my turn to work. I finally found my justification to kill Ivan. Until now, there was no reason for me to kill him. However, when he revolts against Princess Yerina, the rightful heir to the throne, the story would be different. Lets go, Aracelli. Lets finish our work in this world. [Accelerating Time.] * * * ACCCKKKK!!!! It-its a rebellion! You guys! Do you think you will be safe after doing this!!! Kuk-huh! A certain book described that the Primel Imperial Castle in the evening looked as if the castle walls were burning like a bright gold flame as it reflected the brightness of the sun on its golden wall. However, it was no longer a simple description in this current situation since the imperial castle had literally caught fire because of the wind of blood that brewed. The nobles who supported the First and Second Princesses did not recognize the victory of the Third Princess and eventually raised arms. Yerina was staying in her own palace when the rebellion broke out while the Queens Guards came forward to stop the rebellion. However, the troops of the nobles were too strong. In due time, the rebellion will eventually be subdued Yerina thought. She was certain of it since the troops of the nobles were nothing but a bunch of private soldiers who were thrown together. They could never overcome the elite forces of the Imperial Palace. But, even if thats the case, would there be anyone to protect her until then? Although Yerina was the next Empress, the current Empress was still Primel Primellia. Until the succession was done, all of the troops were working for her. Which means, the only one who could protect her was herself. Thud-!! Thud-!! Thud-!! Rumble-!! Ahh! Yerina could hear a huge explosion from downstairs. It was the sound of someone ignorantly smashing the wall with their fist. If that person kept doing it, the castle would eventually collapse. He must have rushed to catch me! Even though she had no one to protect her, she had no intention of dying quietly. Yerina quickly ran to the top of the imperial castle. Normally, the princess who won the succession battle would move to the First Imperial Castle. If Yerina had been there, she would have been protected by the empress troops along with the Empress. However, the rebellion occured not long after the last trial of the succession battle ended, so she hadnt moved yet. Meaning that they were aiming for her who would become the next empress. If things continue like this, I will die for sure! Yerina spurred as fast as she could and made her way to the highest floor. The imperial castle she was currently staying in was the 40 stories high ninth imperial castle. Even if the imperial troops arrive to protect Yerina, they would be blocked by the troops of the nobles who have taken over the castle. Thats the Third Princess over there! Get her! If capturing is impossible, just kill her! Seeing the troops of the nobles chasing after her, Yerina bit her lips tightly. Whoosh-!! The wind blew violently as she slammed the rooftop door open. She didnt reduce her speed and sprinted towards the railings. Then, she threw herself into the air with all her might, the rebel behind her belatedly swung their blades into the place she was seconds ago. The rebels clenched their teeth and looked at Yerina, who stood as she stepped into the air. She laughed as her hair fluttered freely blown by the wind. You guys didnt bring a bow? Oh, yeah, I forgot. You guys dont use ranged weapons because its a weapon for cowards, isnt it? Yerina bluffed as much as she could. Floating magic was a 5 circle spell. While using it, it was almost impossible to use any other spell. Though, if she pushed her concentration to the limit, she would be able to cast some magic of 1 or 2 circles, albeit barely. But with only those spells, she knew that she could not inflict fatal blows to them. I can still bluff She lit a flame in her hands. It was one of the only three spells she stored. When the magic of 4 circles, Pyoxytium, was activated, the rebels faltered and retreated a bit. Wh-what is that To use magic while flying Yerina swung her hand with all her might, and when the fire hit the rooftop, flames exploded and ripped half of the rooftop. As the winds further spurned the flames more violently, the rooftop of the 9th Imperial Palace shone even brighter and burned even fiercer than any other imperial palace. Because of that, the sight of Yerina flying in the sky while using her magic could not only be seen by the rebels who arrived on the 40th floor, but also by most of the Imperial forces watching the sky from the ground. Its absurd Did she hide this kind of power all this time? Hey, how can we fight her She used magic while flying! The rebels faltered even more as they already witnessed the horror of Yerinas magica great magic which robbed the two princesses of their successor rights! Haha Yerina could only laugh. After all, back in the third trial, she was only able to cast those spells because she prepared for it. Meanwhile, currently she couldnt use a lot of spells while she was flying through the air. Now, what should I do! Floating in the air right this was good and all. However, it consumed too much mana to move. It would be nice if she could go to the 0th Imperial Castle, where the Empress resided, but it was simply impossible because she didnt have the required mana to do so. At that moment, What are you guys doing standing around like that! How are you supposed to catch a princess if you are just standing idly! The floor of the 9th Imperial Castle rooftop was torn off. And a person with a huge body appeared. It was the Hero, Ivan Faeden. Its the Hero!!! He has entered the war for us! Heup! Ivan snorted his nose, dug his hand into the floor, ripped the ground off, and threw it at Yerina. Wooong-!! Damnit! Yerina cursed as she cast one of the remaining two stored spells, namely mana shield. It was spread out in front of her to block the incoming brick. However, when the two clashed, the shield shook badly. Looking at Yerina who couldnt retaliate, Ivans lips twitched. just managing to float in the air, doesnt it consume a lot of your mental strength? Unlike other warriors in the Empire, Ivan had a lot of experience in dueling against wizards while traveling to other continents. Among them, the floating spell was a spell which could only be used by wizards who had reached the highest level of magic. He was quite surprised when Yerina used it, but the fact that she would eventually die didnt change in Ivans mind. Rumble-!! Ivan tore the floor again. A huge boulder was lifted into Ivans hands. At the sight, Yerina sharply bit her lips until it bled. She was frustrated. It was impossible for the shield to take Ivans attack any longer. If this continues The moment when such desperate thoughts pass by Yerinas thought. Above Ivans head, a man appeared and fell. Tuck-!! Uh-huh! Ugh! Ivan lay flat on his stomach when the man who fell upon him, Yoo Seodam, quickly rolled sideways. Yoo Seodam staggered to get up and checked the clock floating in the air. Crazy Why did you accelerate so much? Youre saying that its all my fault? Yoo Seodam looked around him and saw Yerina floating in the air. Her dress was ripped in several places and she was clearly not in a good shape. Her pretty braided hair had also been undone and hung loosely on her shoulder. Yerina pursed her mouth, and grimaced in an attempt to suppress the feeling of something rushing in her heart. That expression makes you look ugly. !!! Yerina realized her slip up and hurriedly covered her face. At the same time, the floor shook because some muscly guy had just violently stood up. He then stared at Yoo Seodam with eyes that resembled a wild beast. Yoo Seodam also took out a white sword from his inventory and aimed it at the hero Ivan. Still, the way you look now suits you the best. As soon as he finished saying that to Yerina, Yoo Seodam and Ivan ran towards each other. After only a brief exchange, the 40-story imperial castle completely collapsed. 15 minutes later, when the Empires elite troops arrived, everything had already ended. Your Majesty The leader of the rebellion, the former hero Ivan Faeden, was defeated by the Third Princess guardian, woodcutter Yoo Seodam. The former hero was defeated by the woodcutter. Upon hearing the news, Empress Primel laughed for a long time. She really, really laughed for a long time. CH 226 It was unfortunate, but we could not see Yerinas coronation ceremony. In the first place, Empress Primel did not immediately step down from the throne, but took her time to give Yerina a proper transition time. It would take at least one to three years before Yerina ascended. And since Yoo Seodam couldnt accelerate time anymore, he thought that there was no reason to stay here any longer. Are you really leaving, guardian-nim? Yeah. Yerina lowered her head at his words. She wanted to show Yoo Seodam the moment when she became the Empress, so it saddened her quite a bit. As you know, Im not a person who likes to stay in one place for long. This is the first time Ive ever spent a long time with someone. They had spent nearly five years together. Of course, most of the time was shortened because Yoo Seodam used the probability to accelerate time. Nevertheless, he had a lot of memories with Yerina, so he also felt slight regret in leaving her behind. However, just because memories had accumulated, he couldnt simply decide to stay in this world for longer. After all, his original purpose of coming to this world was to strengthen himself to raid the Hell Gate. Can we meet again next time, guardian-nim? Yerina asked carefully. No. Ill go somewhere you cant go to. Even as the Empress, it will be impossible for you to come to where I would be. Yoo Seodam shook his head. Unless shes a magic addict whose daily routine only consists of eating and researching magic, like a certain someone. Still, if there is an opportunity someday, I really want to see you again. At that time, I will show you that I have become a true empress. Promise of a reunion should not be taken lightly. After all, Yoo Seodam had never been to the same dimension more than once. However, in front of the pleading Yerina, Yoo Seodam couldnt just say that it was impossible. And after pondering for several seconds, he opened his mouth. Okay. Lets meet again someday. After saying that, Yoo Seodam turned away from Yerina, followed by Aracelli. Both of them left the Primel Imperial Castle, walked for a long time and eventually left the Primel City. its easier not to hold on to it any longer. Is that so? Yes. Im used to those obsessions and regrets because Ive seen them a lot. Where did you see it? Just here and there. Aracelli looked at Yoo Seodam at that moment, but he was already doing something else. [You have hunted a level 199 protagonist.] [1990 days of lifespan has been paid.] [Your level has been raised by 3.] [You have completed a long-term project hunting as you slowly and painstakingly hunted the protagonists, absorbing a lot of the protagonists probability in the process.] [Your level has been raised by an additional 2.] [You have obtained Muscle Tightening (A) skill.] It really took a long time for Yoo Seodam to reach this level. And thanks to absorbing a significant part of the probability, the level went up by a whopping five steps. In other words. [Congratulations! You have reached level 200, you have once again broken through the limits of human beings!] [Ability can now exceed the limit!] C [Level: 200] Stats : [Strength 203] [Health 205] [Agility 201] [Energy 1] [Mana 373] *Talent [Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D+] [Shooting S+] [Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A] [Insight B] [Vitality SSS] [Focus C] [Others] *Skills [Protagonist Hunter Lv. 5] [White Swordsmanship (S)] [Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SSS)] [Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)] [Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SSS)] [Library Of The White Witch(B)] [Looking at all things with a cold gaze (B)] [How to understand the machine emotionally (A)] [Double Circle (SSS)] [Muscle Tightening (A)] C The effect level 200 brought to You Seodams body was much more intense than the effect of level 150. Normally, all stats could never be higher than a certain level. However, the moment someone reached level 200, the stats could exceed the level and all possibilities were infinitely opened. On top of it, even talents and skills grew. Skills could grow as long as they were trained, but it was impossible to raise talent that way. However, by throwing away the frame of being human, Yoo Seodam broke past the limit. In addition, all the talents and skills that are related to Sense were combined to become a single talent: [Quick-wit (A)] Yoo Seodam clenched his fist and felt the mana running through his body. Previously, he had been able to relatively move the mana inside his body freely. However, now, he could feel the mana was flowing endlessly inside. Even though there was only a five level difference, the difference was akin to land and sky. He could feel that his body was much lighter and healthier. He also felt as if from this moment, he is unbeatable. Even so, at the thought that he was barely on the same level as Taylor Nine, Yoo Seodam was able to calm down once again. On top of it, as he thought that Seol Jungyeon was at level 350, and Aracelli, who had a record of achieving level 500 in the past, he gained his composure back. After all, compared to them, he was still a long way off. Still, this is enough for the Hell Gate raid. Now all that remains is to really return to Earth and prepare to enter the Hell Gate. Aracelli. When I return to Earth this time, I think I will take a break from this work for a while. I-is that so? Yeah. By the way, since you already learned the double circle, is it still impossible for you to move to Earth? At his words, Aracelli closed her eyes and sensed the energy of the dimension. Yes Its still impossible. If the distance to Vivienda from here is one step, the distance to Earth is almost ten steps. Its too far. Hmm. Should we try again after moving to a different dimension? No. Thats not what it means. Huh? Then? Araceli said slowly, with a look that seemed a little cryptic. Earth is soooooo far away. I can go to most other dimensions with my current strength if I dedicate one year of my age to it. But its still impossible to go to Earth with just this much. Its away all alone as if it was isolated from other dimensions. What does that supposed to mean. Yoo Seodam was puzzled. In the first place, he could not understand Aracellis words properly because he had never felt the dimension with his own senses. In Aracellis case, her dimensional sense was already beyond human awareness, so it was possible for her to properly describe it. Only the Earth is far apart Is there any reason? Just as Yoo Seodam was about to think about it, Aracellis expression softened slightly and then slowly hardened. This Whats the matter? Something is strange. There is an aura that should no longer be felt at Vivienda. What!? Did the demons return? No. Thats not it. Its like She closed her eyes with her fidgety look and felt her own hometown in the distance. In the process, she had to consume all the mana she had accumulated so far, the mana of 3 double circles, and the mana that she recieved from Yoo Seodam. Thanks to that, she was able to find an answer. However, it was by no means a good result. Ah. Aracelli, who opened her eyes again, looked at Yoo Seodam with darting eyes. It was due to the fact that the aura she felt at her hometown was the very same aura she had seen and felt countless times as she traveled together with him. It was also the aura that drove her child self into a wretched abyss. What? Does that make sense? Think about it. A two-part series, or a side story series. There is something like that, isnt it? But who? The more Yoo Seodam thought about it, the more his head hurt. Meanwhile, Aracelli was still looking at Yoo Seodam with anxious eyes. Rebirth of the protagonist. That means, in the end, the world will continue to head towards destruction. Aracelli knows that fact very well. She is also aware that no matter what kind of beings come and no matter how weak those beings are, she will never be able to defeat the existence called protagonist. But, does that mean she has to watch her hometown perish? She didnt want to. But the only existence that could hunt the main character was Yoo Seodam, her professor.. However, the professor just said that he will stop hunting protagonists for the time being What are you doing? We have to go quickly. Yes? Dont we have to go to Vivienda? Or should I go first? No thats not it. Professor, didnt you just say that you are going to stop hunting protagonists for the time being? Why are you bringing that topic now? Yoo Seodam shook his head in frustration. After resolving the Hell Gate problem, I was going to dedicate the rest of my life to you. He had to use his own lifespan to travel between dimensions with someone. And he planned to bring Aracelli to Earth one day after collecting enough lifespans. I see. Aracellis cheeks blushed a bit at his words. She knew that her behaviour was something which didnt go well with this situation, but it made her feel better without realizing it. Lets hurry. We should go before your world goes crazy. Yes! Aracelli shouted and held Yoo Seodams hand before casting the Dimensional Shift spell. As Yoo Seodam couldnt consume probability anymore, the place they would arrive would be different from each other, but it doesnt matter. After all, this time too, she would be able to continue breathing the same air with him. * On the other hand, on Earth. Seol Jungyeon, the leader of Murim, stood on an empty field in the United States and looked up at the sky. Currently, Earth is in a very chaotic state. It was due to the fact that Hell Gate suddenly started becoming active. News from scientists who said they didnt know when it might explode was being reported one after another, and at the instigation of some irresponsible person, a lot of people bought several years worth of food and put them in an air-raid shelter. My lord. What are you doing here? Are you taking a break? Seol Jungyeon smiled at Shin Hye-jis question. It was simply a scientific calculation that allowed humans to know that Hell Gate is expanding! However, for Seol Jungyeon who had a keener sense than anyone else on Earth, it was different. When she closed her eyes, blocked her sense of hearing, and emptied her mind, she could feel it. In the distance, an ominous being was slowly trying to escape towards the Earth. But strangely, the Hell Gate itself was not hostile to Earth. It was like, it seems to be trying to have a conversation with Earth, or maybe it wants something else. What the hell is that Startle! In an instant, Seol Jungyeon drew a sword and aimed at something. The time it took from her initial movement until that moment was at most 0.0075 seconds. In the direction where the sword was pointed, a certain man with gray skin stood. He was looking at Seol Jungyeon with a face devoid of any expression. (Is that animal the strongest creature on Earth?) (Its not an animal, its human.) (Is there any difference between the two? They have the same body of fragile skin and dangling bones.) Behind the man stood a slightly short woman. She also had gray skin. They mumbled in their own language, thus Seol Jungyeon could not understand it. They arent human? Seol Jungyeon narrowed her eyes. She was aware of the existence of different races which come to Earth. Among them, there were people who wanted to learn martial arts from her, so she had to face them in person. However, the two otherworlder in front of her were different from other otherworlders she had encountered so far. She felt as if the two otherworlders were experts who had reached a higher level than herself. No. They are weaker than me. So, why did she feel that way? (Anyway, doesnt it mean that if we give her the energy, she will become a protagonist?) (Yes.) (Humans are cumbersome~ Why do they continue to live their lives like garbage which has not been chosen? Why are they satisfied with their current position even though, as it is, they are destined to be only extras for the rest of their life? Oh, she cant hear this, cant she?) (The beast cannot understand us.) The gray-skinned woman slowly approached Seol Jungyeon, her eyes were fully black. (Earth needs to be absorbed quickly, so please take care of us!) As she said that, she tried to transfer some energy to Seol Jungyeon. Swish-!! (WHAT?) As she stretched out her hand, her right arm was cut off. (Uh, uh, what. Why, why are you doing this. Huh?) (Calm down. Its just a simple cut!) (Ah yeah) But, the most disturbing thing for her beside her arm being cut off was the fact that she, as someone from perfect race was unable to see the attack from such a lower species. Seol Jungyeon brushed the tip of her sword and sighed. I dont know for sure, but I know that you are ignoring me. When she tried to recall the last time she was ignored, she couldnt clearly pinpoint it. But she knew that it was at the time when she had yet to ascend to the seat of Heavenly Demon. Therefore, she was quite upset by the two otherworlders who ignored her. I cant just let you go now. Immediately after saying that, Seol Jungyeon danced. At that moment, the perfect race that came from Hell Gate witnessed the true meaning of perfect from her dance. CH 227 BTW, subscribe to our patreon as this month and maybe next month is the last time you guys could do so! Thank you in advance~ Beijing, China, Click-!! Click-!!! Click-!! At the familiar yet boring sound of the camera shutters snapping, Taylor Nine barely managed to stop herself from falling asleep. Although she was someone who lived her life however she wanted, after joining Another League, she refrained from doing things which could badly affect the guild. Aish Its so boring. There really wasnt any reason for her to hold a press conference today. It was only held because an SSS-class gate had appeared in China, and Taylor Nine was dispatched to clear it as a Korean hunter. She originally did not want to do it but ultimately relented when Yekaterina suggested doing so to cement her identity as a Korean. Even though it has been quite some time since she changed her nationality to Korean, a lot of people still thought of her as Russian. Hunters with SS rank were still rare on the planet, so when she moved, all the headlines, whether it was in paper news or the internet, were all covered with her activities. With a chance for publicity showing up in front of them, there was no way the Chinese Hunter Industry would simply let it slip by. Therefore, they held a press conference for Taylor in a hurry. (Next question.) Since technology had advanced to the point a translator device could automatically translate over 99% of what people said, conversing in different languages was no longer hard. I said I have another question for you. I know, so please wait. (Question! I heard you did a great job at this gate. Can we enquire what special training do Korean hunters go through?) Hunters in China were excellent in both quality and quantity; it was to the point that there was a saying that they were second only to the United States. It had been that way for several decades. In other words, the question the reporter just asked was not a question someone from China would normally ask to hunters from Korea, which lacked both the quantity as well as quality of hunters compared to China. However, lately, the status of Korea in the world has risen quite a lot. Although the number of hunters in Korea was still small, they covered it with quality. The reason for their rise was clear; it was due to Another League Guild which Taylor Nine belonged to. Therefore, the reporters were all trying to dig information regarding their unique training method. If they found some clues, it would certainly be of great help to China. We tell them to eat and live well. Ah, okay.. Of course, Taylor didnt have any intention of telling them about their training methods. She even answered the question without batting an eye. When Taylor replied in such a casual manner, a lot of peoples faces turned rigid. However, she didnt have any intention of inquiring about their moods. (Question. Why didnt Korean hunters salutes toward the Chinese flag when the Chinese national anthem appeared?) Out of a sudden, one particular reporter deliberately asked a nonsensical question. Hearing the question through the interpreter and through the translation device, Taylors face instantly turned into looks of absurdity. What nonsense are you talking about, you crazy bastard? Mi-miss, Taylor, please calm down But that bastard was the one who started taking sh*t first. Hey, come here! Or should I bring you here myself? The interpreter hurriedly spoke into the microphone. No comment! No comments! The reporter who asked that question already ran away, but there were still many reporters who had a strong mentality there. They all booed at Taylor as she grabbed her coat and tried to get out of his conference room. Boo! Return to your country! Ah, those bastards are really just Most of the reporters instantly went silent when Taylor raised her fist to the air. It was due to the fact that once superhumans get angry, the entire area could turn into a wasteland as a result. Godammit! If she was still her old self, Taylor wouldnt even think twice of making a fuss here. However, ever since she became an SS rank, peoples eyes changed when they looked at her. It was as if they were looking at a monster. Therefore, even Taylor couldnt help but be bothered by it since she didnt know what people would do if she made a ruckus. Ill let it slide, today. As she said that, Taylor lowered her fist and was about to leave the conference room. However, at that moment, without any notice or signs, !!!!!! The ceiling of the room was torn away. Half of the people sitting in the conference room were swept away in the process. Ugh! There wasnt even a noise. It could be said to be the quietest explosion in the world. Taylor hurriedly put a protective layer around her surroundings and pulled out her bat. Wh-what is happening What the hell is going on! The people who managed to avoid the damage slowly raised their heads. And at that moment, they could see it. A certain humanoid monster was entering the room through the ceiling. It resembled a human, but it had a strange energy different from that of a human. Its skin, eyes, hair, and everything also felt one step further than that of a human. (So that woman is one of Yoo Seodams close colleagues?) The woman stroked her chin and muttered. But no one could understand what she said since she didnt use any language belonging to Earth. However for Taylor, even if she didnt understand, she could easily infer the fact that the woman didnt like her. Hey. You guys! You didnt even thank me for saving your asses! After saying so to the Chinese reporters, Taylor swung her baseball bat and slung it over her shoulder. It seems like it will be quite a close fight. Taylor thought that maybe the woman in the air could be stronger than her, but it also didnt seem like she was going to lose. After all, This is the M-001 minor version, built for testing. Be sure to wear it! please! Why! This is our first time producing a magic product, so a well-known star must use it first to promote it! But I dont know anything about magic! But you just need to press a button and say the keyword to activate it? It had been a long time since Taylor Nines equipment was completely replaced by parts from Another Leagues technology. However, it was by no means a normal equipment since it was enchanted with powerful magic. Taylor then grinned as she imagined Yekaterinas elated face as she promoted the equipment. Lets start quickly. I want to test the equipment. *** Meanwhile, miles away from China, Yekaterina was also facing someone while floating in the air of Another Leagues Guild Hideout, Floating Garden. Otherworlder. From the moment Yekaterina met the creatures eyes, she had already guessed its identity. After all, it looked very similar to the Hell Gates creature that Yoo Seodam had fought in Iran the other day. Not long ago, you went to the Master of the Murim alliance, didnt you? Is it my turn this time? The incident where Seol Jungyoon was fighting against two creatures from Hell Gate was featured on breaking news a lot. They attacked the hideout of the New Murim Alliance but were able to escape with their life intact. How did they get into this place? Yekaterina frowned. It seems like since they think Seol Jungyeon unnie is too strong, they are aiming for someone who is weaker. It was the conclusion Yekaterina drew after Taylor Nine informed the guild that she had been attacked through the guilds emergency contact. Seol Jungyeon, Taylor, and herself. There was only one thing all three had in common. They are looking for people related to Seodam? For what reason did the Otherworlders of Hell Gate approach Yoo Seodams colleagues? However, despite the question lingering in her mind, Yekaterina could already guess that their intentions would not be peaceful by any means. Also, as a former protagonist who had received the power of probability directly, she was able to estimate the energy contained in the body of the man in front of her. That man is definitely a protagonist. The strange man with gray skin and blue eyes in front of her was towering at a whopping 3 m tall and sharp steel-like wings spread behind his body. Her expression was cold without any change, but all in all, Yekaterina didnt even feel afraid of him. (To think a lower species like you can touch dimension You made a pretty nest.) I dont know what you mean, but I know for sure that you can easily pass through it. Yekaterina answered in a calm voice, almost cheeky even. She knew that she was obviously weaker than the likes of Seol Jungyeon or Taylor. She wouldnt be able to defeat him like both of them. However, the place they were currently in was Yekaterinas spaceCa magicians space. Whoosshh-!! Rumble-!! Whiing-!! Fireworks flew through the sky from all over the ground, wind blew viciously, the ground trembled, and pillars of water soared. It was all due to the spirits residing in the hideout which reacted according to Yekaterinas will. The next moment, Woong Woong Woong Woong-!! Light began to gather from the rooftops of all the buildings in the Hanging Garden before shooting to the sky and created a humongous magic circle in the sky. Even though I am still only at the level of a 5 circle magician The amount of knowledge that Yekaterina had acquired from the Library of White Witch inside Yoo Seodams imaginary world was unimaginable. With that knowledge, Yekaterina was at least on par with 7 circle magicians or even more. Although she couldnt cast those magics even if she poured all of her power, what if she borrowed the power of various tools, science and technology in her prepared field? She would be able to wield the power of an Archwizard. Even if I tolerate other things I cant stand people who break into the guild hideout. As Yekaterina said that, her hands flashed. At the same time, a single line connects numerous constellations which embroidered the sky of the Hanging Garden. She activated a technique to cast magic through the celestial bodies as the source. So, please just peacefully surrender. As long as the constellation still exists, Yekaterinas magic will never stop. *** Somewhere inside the Hell Gate, a man was sitting peacefully. The place he was currently at wasnt the terrible space that the Hunters from previous expedition, including Yoo Seodam, had suffered at. Instead, it was a really plain white space. He was sitting on an ordinary leather chair while typing into a normal-looking old computer. Thats right. Earthlings there have superpowers, dont they? As he said that, the man took both of his hands off the keyboard, removed the glasses he was wearing and rubbed his eyes and massaged them. It was clear that the man was exhausted. Then, a creature resembling Yoo Seodam appeared right before him. No matter how bad the environment, we, the perfect race, will not suffer Perfect? Who? You guys? When the woman with gray skin spoke, the man snorted at her. You guys are not perfect. Thinking you guys are perfect is just your own misunderstanding. Just what is perfect from that needlessly hard skin and not so beautiful skin color? I cant understand. Seriously, I cant.. Wha-what are you saying Ah, sorry. I guess you guys are the only species which was the closest to perfection compared to any other race which has ever existed. The man said as he glanced at the woman. His eyes looked the same as when she looked at the Earthlings; those were the eyes of someone looking down at beings lower than them. You guys are different from me, arent you? When the man threw those words, the woman disappeared. No one knew where she went. She just simply disappeared. By the way, to think such problems will occur The man mumbled as he moved and clicked the mouse. The time for them to absorb Earth had come, but it hadnt been done yet. However, he also couldnt pay anymore attention to the matter as he had another pressing work he had to focus on right now. Lets see Has any new work been uploaded today? Dammit, this one is boring, this one has a shit ending Wait, wouldnt it be better if the ending was shit? Uhm. This one is good. The man nodded his head as he found a work called How to Survive in Fantasy, a novel uploaded by an anonymous writer to the Internet. He then copied all of the content to his computers text editor and clicked the [Upload] button. It was a really simple and trivial act, but that trivial act of him would create a [protagonist] somewhere in the many dimensions. The man continued to scour through his computer and repeat the act of making protagonists. Considering that the average time it took for Yoo Seodam to hunt one protagonist was about two or three months, the pace of making protagonists was extremely fast. I have finished my work for today The man stretched his back and picked up his teacup which was no longer hot. When he looked out of the window, a completely twisted and grotesque interior of the Hell Gate was revealed. However, it was no longer completely twisted as it was before. It was slowly being finished. Perhaps some of those distorted spaces would be buildings, some would be roads, some would be intelligent bodies, and some would be beasts. A completed civilization in an unfinished world. In it, they were living like that without even realizing that the world they lived in was twisted. But sooner or later Sooner or later, the perfect world will be created. A world where no one is the main character but at the same time anyone can be the main character. Waiting for that day to come, the man closed his eyes. He had a feeling that he was going to have a good dream today. CH 228 Far beneath the ground of Floating Garden of Spirits, there is a top secret laboratory which could only be entered by a few scientific researchers and wizards trusted by Yekaterina. That place was filled with magic science and technology which Yekaterina had deemed to be either too dangerous to be exposed or too early for the public to know. Currently, there were 5 people gathered in that very room. It was Taylor, Seol Jungyeon, Lacanthal, Smiling Shadow, and Yekaterina herself. Shadow. Hows the cover-up story about these corpses progressing? We are saying that they are disappearing by themselves after death. So, the media control is done? Yes. We made an announcement that it was the work of the anti-mage group who were dissatisfied by the existence of magicians. We also stated that we would respond positively. You did a great job. If they ask you about otherworlders, please avoid it as much as you can. I will do that. In addition to being stealthy, Smiling Shadow was very good at manipulating the scene of an incident. Changing computer evidence or CCTV recordings, even disposing of the body without anyone noticing, it was all nothing for him. It hasnt happened yet, but if a situation arises in which Another League has to get their hands dirty, Smiling Shadows skills would play a pivotal role. Yekaterina took a deep breath and looked at the four preserved corpses in front of her; They were all Unidentified Otherworld Races. All of them also had the same exact DNA as the one that Yoo Seodam had defeated back in Iran. Yekaterina thought of something which people would have thought at least once in their life at the moment. Why do humans have five fingers? What if there are more fingers? How about less? Wouldnt that be good? Why only two arms and two hands? Wouldnt it be nice to have more? Why do we not have any tail? Why dont we have wings when its convenient to travel if we have one? Why? Why? Why? The human race is incomplete and weak. They have fragile skin which can be torn by even a piece of paper. And even just a small hole in the body could put their life at risk. However, the strange otherworlder in front of Yekaterina was different. They were perfect. No word other than perfect could ever describe them. There was not a single cell in their body which was useless. All the bones in their body had a reason for their existence and their skin and other organs were so strong, it was to the point that they could survive in any extreme environment. Looking at how perfect they were, Yekaterina assumed that they must have been born with the strength of at least an A rank or higher. No race would have dared to use the word perfect unless they were Dragon, the most supreme race. When Lacanthal, the only otherworlder amongst the five, opened his mouth, Taylors gaze changed into that of curiosity. Dragon? Do they really exist? They do. However, they are beyond the common sense of races like us. Sorry? Didnt Lacanthals race have the technology to move between dimensions? How can you say they are beyond even your races common sense? We indeed have that technology. However, it was only possible because we had developed this particular field of magic technology to the limit. But Dragons were creatures which were capable of dimensional movement and time travel from the moment they were born. I cant believe it'' A dragon is simply a being like that. They can easily travel into another world through sheer willpower. They can go back in time whenever they want, and they can even create new races and worlds. To think such a nonsensical existence exists Yekaterina swallowed her saliva. She herself had the blood of a different race called witch running through her veins. It was an outstanding race which could be called the evolution of humans. Without any cumbersome emotions, their thought process was concise and quick. However, even for them, who were born with magic, it was almost impossible to travel between dimensions. Well, dragons dont show up all the time. On the contrary, if a dragon appeared in a particular world, it could be said that that world is ruined. Why is that? When a dragon comes, it means that an event which could not be resolved had occurred in that world. For example, destruction of the world. Lacanthal said in a somber tone while meeting Yekaterinas gaze. When Yekaterina, Taylor as well as Seol Jungyeon lost their words, Lacanthal smiled. You guys took my nonsense too seriously. Anyway, from that point of view, these races are not perfect. Why is that? Look at that anatomical data. Even though they look perfect at the first glance, all the shortcomings of human beings in their body have been forcefully fixed. Lets say it like this, if you humans are old pots with holes in them, then these guys are the same old pots but only with the holes being patched with anything nearby with which they could cover the hole. Huh? When Yekaterina thought about it more, she realized that Lacanthals words were indeed true. The otherworlders corpses in front of her were simply another version of a human whose flawed body parts that everyone thought were imperfect, inconvenient or lacking were perfectly fixed. Thats it. They were nothing more, nothing less. To conclude, these bizarre races are not naturally created nor divinely crafted. Lacanthal laughed. Then, are you saying that they were born by the hands of an intelligent creature like us? It should be the case. I dont think God would have created such a clumsy rag. A race which was close to perfection, but ended up being a defect because it was just a clumsy perfection.. Who the hell created these races? Why are they so obsessed with being perfect? And, most importantly. why did they come from the inside of the Hell Gate? Yekaterina frowned. Hell Gate, what kind of existence resides inside? What kind of technology and magic was used to create a new race that was close to perfection? In this situation where the more you know, the more you dont know, what should they do? Well, we have found out everything we could find out. By dissecting that body here, I dont think well get any more information. Then, what should we do? Why are you asking me? Lacanthal shrugged. Isnt there someone who has a better understanding than me in this field? So, we have to wait for him to come. At his words, Yekaterina nodded her head with a slightly dark expression. It had already been three months since Yoo Seodam was dispatched to another world. When will you return? * In the Vivienda Continent, a world where magic had been developed to the limit, only one empire ruled the world. Magic exists solely for the sake of humanity. With Archmage Rinekal at the forefront, the early magic civilization developed explosively and became the foundation of the Vivienda Empire. Over time, it ruled over ten continents, controlled over a thousand aerial islands, colonized all five moons, and spread the magical civilization to other planets which were inhabited by fairies. At that point, under the sky, or even above the sky, there was no race which did not use magic. It was the era where magic was used by everyone and was everyones daily routine. Thanks to her ancestor, Archmage Rinekal, Aracelli Rinekal was living in such a great generation. Everything was peaceful. She thought that there would be no more threat to her world since she had defeated the magicians natural enemies, demons. Even when she left her world, Vivienda Empire was still flourishing with its great magic civilization. However, AHH WIiiing-!! WIiiing-!! -Magican detected. Magician detected. -Eliminating the magician. -Eliminate all magicians!!! A horrifying and eerie voice rang out from the gigantic mass of machinery that covered half the sky above Aracelli. Whiinnng-!! Suddenly, a flash of light flashed from the gigantic mass of machinery and hit the ground. The ground, which was hit by it, was instantly charred and overturned. -Successfully eliminating the magician. -MKM409 will now return to HQ. After a while, the gigantic machine disappeared into the sky. It was only then Aracelli realized that something strange had happened in her hometown. The moons!!! Aracelli closed and rubbed her eyes a few times to make sure she was not mistaken. After all, unlike what she remembered before, the five moons were now covered with some kind of bizarre machinery. And, in that machine, a certain huge eye was rolling around as if watching the ground. It was not magic nor the technique of the demons. It was a technology which she might have thought of as something that only existed in fantasy novels if she never went to another world with Yoo Seodam. The true identity of those technologies was Science. However, no matter how hard she thought about it, it didnt make any sense, since in this world, the existence of science was merely treated as a superstition. After all, it was a world where science did not exist in the first place. Why did this happen? In midsummer night of August 31, Year 709 of Rinekal calendar, Aracelli witnessed her hometown being destroyed by science. * The moment I opened my eyes, the blue sky filled my vision. On a planet with an ozone layer, even if you stare at the sun with your bare eyes, your body is strong enough to not get affected by it. But nevertheless, it was always unpleasant to make eye contact with the sun as soon as you opened your eyes. By the way Ouch This trip was bumpier than usual, wasnt it? Originally, we would have arrived the moment I closed my eyes and opened it again. Hm? Is everything okay now? Is that even possible? Summarize please. Ah Okay. A panoramic view of a dazzling city fills my field of vision. Magical civilizations specialized in beauty, therefore a lot of colorful buildings floated in the sky as if it was a decoration. Around it, a huge flying vehicle passed through the air with an advertising hologram on its side. As an icing on the cake, fireworks of myriad colors were decorating the skys shot from a palace which was built upside down from the clouds. Fantastic scenery that could not have been imagined on a gray earth was now unfolding here. Is this a magic civilization? The world where magic had developed to its limit was in truth similar to art itself. How beautiful can it be? How can we make this world more beautiful? It was as if the people lived here thinking only about the beauty not the magic. By the way, where is Aracelli? Unfortunately, this time around, I couldnt move together with Aracelli due to the probability, so we were separated just like usual. But for some reason I couldnt feel Aracellis aura at all. No, wait. What do you mean? Huh??? Wait, that was totally unexpected. Well, then, how far into the future did she go? The system thought about it for a while, and then printed the current date right in front of me. [August 31, Year 597 of Rinekal Calendar] As I read it, the system continued to answer my question in a subdued voice. < She moves 100 years into the future. Since she was originally part of this world, she couldnt follow you through time.> WHAT!?!?!?!? 100 years? Thats three times more time than Ive ever lived. Then how can we meet? My mind went blank. CH 229 [Month 8 Day 31 Year 709 of Rinekal calendar.] Whiing-!! Whiiing-!! Aracelli traversed through the lush forest while dodging dozens of strange mechanical sensors floating in the sky. All the forests in the Vivienda Empire were cultivated by magic, therefore, all trees and plants grew uniformly. -Magician has been found! Magician has been found! When the soccer ball-sized spheres flying in the dark sky above her started to emit red light, a huge machine appeared in the sky again and fired a laser from its laser gun towards her. Looking at the scene, even someone who wasnt capable of thinking well could infer, The machine is hunting magicians. As soon as the giant machine finished hunting the magician, it disappeared again into the darkness of the sky. Looking at the scene, Aracello wondered where the hell the giant machine was hiding. Sigh Aracelli let her breath out as she stepped on the grass. However at that moment, Whiing-!! A sphere suddenly appeared above his head. !!! Aracelli held her breath once again and quickly hid under the tree. But belatedly, she had a thought. Can I really hide from the machine that destroyed the magic civilization with just a tree? I have to hide my mana! However, she had covered her entire body with mana in the process of traveling to this dimension. On top of that, even though she had returned to her home dimension, her frozen 9 circle had not yet become usable again. Therefore, if she had to fight the machine in her current situation, she would inevitably lose. I have to run away! But, where? Is there really a place to hide away from the gaze of those machines? I think it will be better if I secretly intercept the machine that comes close to me With that in mind, Aracelli channeled all the mana she could find in her body to her fingertips and slowly pointed to the strange machine which looked like a soccer ball floating some distance away from her. Now she only needs to let it fly and it would annihilate the machine in front of her right away. At that moment, however -Stop!!! Please wait for a moment!!! Someones voice reverberated in Aracellis head. She immediately drained the mana on her finger and moved to trace the one who talked in her head. Once she located them, she moved her head to where the sender was and she sent back a reply. Telepathy? Are you a magician? There, she could see someone draped in black outfit surrounded by a strange mana barrier watching her. -Wh-what!?!?? How did you know my location No, thats not important. you! Are you a magician? Yes I am. -As expected She really showed up here. The person muttered to herself. Then, she talked to Aracelli again. C But wait a minute If you are a magician, why did you do that? Did you go crazy and suddenly want to die?! Ring-!! As the person shouted, a slight headache assaulted Aracelli. She frowned as she struggled to stay composed. What happens if I attack them? -Theyll immediately detect your mana, find you and kill you. Those guys are connected to each other, so they will notice instantly if one of them disappears. Thats close. Aracelli let out a sigh of relief again. She didnt know that those objects were connected to each other; she was only a step away from being in great danger. -First of all, come this way. Since I have found out that youre a magician, I have the obligation to save you. Okay. Aracelli said as she slowly approached the grass where the mysterious magician was hiding. This way, this way. Quickly! When Aracelli walked closely, a woman draped in black rag grabbed onto Aracellis arm and pulled her into her own arms.. With this electromagnetic shielding cloak, your mana will not be detected by them. Electromagnetic Thats right. You know about it, right? Although Aracelli had heard as well as seen a lot about science and technology as she traveled to many worlds with Yoo Seodam, she still didnt know about the details; Its still a study which felt foreign to her. I dont know about it. What kind of world did you live in until now? Why do you have no sense of crises and why arent you wearing clothes? Aracelli wondered what she should say at that moment. But then, she remembered the knowledge she got from her professor everytime they moved to a new world. I lost my memory. It was to lie first, think about it later. * Even in a magical world which had been occupied by science fiction, the magicians still somehow found a way to survive. While walking through a secret tunnel located deep underground, Aracelli had a conversation with a wizard woman who was leading the way. Your name is? Aracelli. Aracelli? What a common name. The only difference will be the surname. I am Shewell. A magician of the 5th circle. You? Uh its the 3rd circle. HUH!?!? How old are you now? Uh Well ThirtC NO, seventeen To already reach that stage at such a young age You are amazing. However, unlike other people who would either get arrogant or get embarrassed after being praised like that, Aracelli was calm. It was due to the fact that she had heard it at least a million times back in the academy. Then why did you try to do such a reckless thing earlier? I didnt really understand the situation because I had no memory. SIgh Then, what about your parents? They are not here anymore. Didnt you say you dont have memory? How come you know that? Hehe. Whew okay. Ill let it pass for now. After all, that person said to bring you to her. That person, who? No, in the first place, it has only been a few hours since she returned to this world, so who told her to bring her? And the fact that you did not respond to the sensor installed at the entrance means you are not an android. Android It was a word used by Yoo Seodam back when they were in outer space . Did he say that an android was a human made of machines? Even the existence of a machine alone was nothing but a vague concept for Aracelli. Thats why the existence of a human made of machines was more difficult for her to imagine. Can I ask you something? How the hell did the world become like this? you really dont know anything, huh? For now, follow me. There is someone you must meet first. The tunnel they traversed was long and dark. It was a maze-like structure reminiscent of an ant tunnel. Some spaces were wide, some were cramped, and some were closed. But they had something in common It was the presence of humans in every space. They were a mixture of people who could and could not use magic. All of them wore ragged clothes and were also famished, as it could be seen by how they couldnt even eat properly. However, they still had smiles plastered on their faces even though they were forced to live this way. Come this way As Aracelli followed Shewell and went into the deepest part of the tunnel, she instantly noticed that the gaze of people who were there was different from people in the previous room. They look exhausted as if theyd been stressed out, but their bloody vigilant eyes said that they would jump straight into fight if the need ever arose. They are the warriors who protect this place. Probably they are battle magicians who have mastered magic to the limit. This is Its the biggest room in the tunnel. You cant even see the ceiling, right? Wow The place they finally arrived at was a gigantic city located in an underground cave. The buildings around were not bad, and it was clear that it was a city which used to be a coal mining city. Under the ceiling that stretched out to the sky, dozens of holes were drilled in the walls of the cave, and dozens of coal mine rails were entangled like spider webs. And, at the center of the coal mine, there was a tall tower. What is that? That is where the savior lives. She lived at the top of that tower, a place which was closest the ground above in this entire coal mine No Not that That! Aracelli pointed just above the tower. A place where whitish mist kept glimmering at a constant pace. And since Aracelli was a dimensional wanderer, she could recognize it at once. That the dimension itself looks like its vibrating? to recognize that fact after only a glance, the more I look at you, the more I find you amazing. Shewell looked at Aracelli curiously, but she didnt ask any more. That is our hope. You can think of it as a kind of rescue signal. Oh, a rescue signal? To whom are you sending it to? Shewell shut her mouth and looked around her. The splendid magic civilization had long since disappeared into the column of history. All that remains now are those who lived with a little hope for the future. Do you know why hope is called hope? It is because even though the chance of it happening is small, people are still hanging on to it. Shewell sighed About 200 years ago, there was one hero. A hero? Yes. She saved our world that was about to fall apart, and when peace finally came, she suddenly disappeared into the shadows of the world. Wow who is she? Her name is Aracelli Rinekal. Ye-YES!?!?!?? I didnt call you. I was talking about the greatest magician in history, Aracelli Rinekal. A hero who saved the world from the demons 200 years ago.. Having said that, Shewell then looked at Aracelli and smiled playfully. Since then, more and more people have been using the name Aracelli. Your parents must have liked her too. O-of course!! Anyway, my thoughts are that she just slept for a while. She will return someday and set us free from the world of machines, just like how she freed us from the grasp of demons. And then, Shewell went silent. On the other hand, Aracelli bowed her head. Haha, thats a silly idea, isnt it? That moment, Aracelli remembered the machine that filled the night sky. Sooner or later, she will fully regain her original power of the 9th circle. But that doesnt mean she will be able to destroy those machines with her own strength. Obviously, the 9th circle was similar to godly power. But it was far from enough to deal with the already-completed corps of machines. On top of it, they were an ill-match for Aracelli as they were pros at hunting magicians while she, on the other hand, was ignorant to science. I cant save this world again. Shewell said what she was thinking when he saw Aracellis crestfallen expression. Dont worry. Its not like were only relying on that hope. We have another way. Another? How? Before Aracelli could get the answer to her question, Shewell who walked in front of her stopped. They had finally arrived at the tall tower located in the center of the coal mine. Many wizards stood guard at the entrance, but when they saw Shewell, their expressions relaxed. Is that child the child the savior spoke of? Thats right. I found her in the forest, as expected. Will she be able to do it, though? I dont see anything exceptional except for her beauty Well I dont know. That person had never been wrong, though. Passing by the battle wizards standing on the entrance of the tower, Aracelli entered the tower and quickly poured a little mana to explore the surroundings. Ordinary but thorough. The interior view of the tower was ordinary. It was built just like a lighthouse, but thorough protection magic was installed all over it. The person you will meet from now on is our savior and our real hope. So, be polite. Absolutely. I had a moral score of 100. Aracelli said those words playfully to relieve her tension, and Shewell looked at her for a moment before taking a deep breath and then knocking in the air. Savior. I brought the child. C How many times have I told you not to call me that? Sigh bring her in. Eventually, a solid line of light flew into the air, and the space split open, revealing what was inside. I cant go in. Shewell said so and backed away, and Aracelli nodded his head once and stepped inside. And, inside, Aracelli could see a familiar woman with bright purple eyes and moonlight-like hair dangling down to her waist. Huh? Aracelli pupils shook. After all, the woman she was currently looking at was someone she had met in a different world and different time. Empress Sahar Serenity? Correct. She was someone Aracelli thought she would never meet again. Its been a while, Aracelli. The woman who was once a regressor, a saintess, a duchees and an emperor greeted Aracelli with a beautiful smile that melted her soul. CH 230 The time Aracelli spent in the different world was different from Yoo Seodam. While it didnt take long for Yoo Seodam to travel from one world to another, Aracelli could only move to another world years after Yoo Seodam disappeared. And so, it could be said that her last meeting with Princess Sahar was ages ago. So, it was only natural for her to be surprised when she met her after such a long time. But before she could dwell into the nostalgia of meeting an old friend, her curiosity took over. Can, can you tell me what method you used to travel between dimensions? she asked. Huhu, you are still the same. As curious as ever. Empress Sahar got up slowly from her seat and walked towards the window. Although it was clearly a tower located in a coal mine, different spaces were projected through the windows. It was as if it was a CCTV screen. Some windows displayed the seashore, some the cliffs, some the ruined city, and some showed the night sky full of machines. She caught the view of the destroyed world in her purple eyes. Arent you the one who told me? Pardon? To work hard all my life in order to meet that man again Ah It was then that Aracelli realized what she had told Sahar. So I worked really really hard. Fortunately, I realized that, as a saintess who worshiped the Goddess of Time and Seasons, I have already experienced going back in time twice. Then, as expected, did you travel using the power of faith? At Aracellis words, Sahar burst out laughing. No way. Amongst all the hard work I put in, I worked extra hard trying to understand divine power and faith as logically as possible. Logically Thats right. I tried to logically understand how Goddess Kader sent me back in time, and whether there was a being higher than the Goddess? In other words, on what kind of principle does the divine power work? There was not a single person who had succeeded in analyzing God scientifically, or even magically. It would still be the case even if you looked at any dimension. However, there were a huge number of philosophers and priests who tried to dig into the cause and truth of the manifestation of that divine power. Why do I believe in them? In what ways do they give me strength, and how do they affect the world? Sahar Serenity studied it all. Holy scriptures? Faith? God? Turns out, it wasnt like that. The existence of divine beings, or rather, those who exist in a higher dimension than humans and granted power to humans, who lived in a three-dimensional world, was what Sahar was actually studying. In order to answer the why, it was necessary to understand the entire process involved. I had to approach what I thought of as fantasy from an academic point of view, and I realized that the power of faith, which I had received and used without cost, was actually no different from magic. And the very day when she came to understand such a simple yet incomprehensible truth. I lost all my divine powers. Pardon? The moment I uncovered the identity of the divine power used by the gods, the moment I realized the truth behind the existence of the divine power which was stronger than anything else, and the moment I understood its essence I lost it all. In other words, she could no longer receive divine power by believing in God. Sahar spread her palm. Then, on top of her palm, a subtle divine power shone Now, I use divine power in a pretty logical and rational way. Just like how magicians use magic. The divine power contains the power to manipulate time and space. Thats right. Thanks to that, I was able to travel through space and time. It was truly a mysterious and beautiful experience. I felt like I knew a little bit about that mans life that I had never been able to understand. It was interesting and quite enjoyable. But a problem arose. I tried to pursue him, but I had no idea where he came from. Ah Aracelli received a bullet from Seodam, therefore, she was able to track his trace down using it. But Princess Sahar couldnt do that, as she has no such thing as Aracellis bullet to be a hint. However, I still had hope. Its the energy of another world that you and that man scattered into my world. I tracked it again and again. As a result Sahar pointed to the window. There, the terrible condition of the Vivienda Empire occupied by machines was shown. I reached your hometown. . Aracelli looked out the window without saying a word. As she stared blankly at that mysterious window that transcended even space, complex emotions ran rampant in her heart. You once protected my world with that man. In order to repay that kindness, I also desperately tried to protect your world. Sahar gathered all the scattered magicians and built a fortress in the coal mine and covered it by distorting the space around to prevent the machines from finding it. But I dont have enough strength to stop them. Whiiiiing-!! On the window, a huge battleship was being shown flying through the sky. Then, hundreds, or even thousands of humans appeared through it. No, looking closely, Aracelli realized that they werent humans, but androidsCan existence with the looks of humans but were built with mechanical devices rather than flesh and bone. They shot missiles from their finger tips, fired lasers from their eyes and mouth, and held lightsabers, which appeared from their own hands. They smashed through mana barriers and smashed the places where the wizards hid. Their power was simply overwhelming. At the very least, each of those androids have the power of a 5th circle or more. Sahar sighed. The commander level is even more powerful than that. Currently, the strongest magician in this world has barely crossed the 7th circle. Yet, the strength of someone like that can be found easily within their army Therefore, when a war broke out, the magicians of Vivienda had no choice but to be defeated. When Aracelli was silent, Sahar forced a smile. Its not like theres no way at all, though. Do you have any other way to win the war? No. Winning the war is simply impossible. But there is a way to bring this world back to the way it was before the war. Ah!!!! Come to think of it, wasnt Princess Sahar a time traveler? Hope flashed in Aracellis eyes for a moment. But it extinguished soon after. It was because, If she could have done that, why wouldnt she have done it already? Is there a reason why you havent done it yet? There is. There are two main reasons. Sahar takes a deep breath. The first time these things appeared was more than 100 years ago. Traveling back in time that far is not yet possible with my abilities. Just as Aracelli was unable to travel long distances to reach Earth, Sahar also had limits on her abilities. And the second reason is, They are also capable of time travel. It was like a bomb had been thrown. Aracelli almost collapsed to the floor due to her wobbling legs. Wait a minute Does that make sense? It seemed like it was an easy task for science. When I generated a time force field, the scientists in their ranks scanned it with a device called a computer and calculated it. They keep track of where I time-traveled to change history. Nonsense What is this power? Science? How can it rival the power of magic and faith alike? The computer solved what I had been thinking about all my life in just one second. We need billions of humans to think together at the same time to fight against their absurd computational speed. Nonsense Even though my time travel can go back a week, or at most 10 days they used overwhelming equipment to make a passage back to the 112 years ago Huh? Wait. Dont tell me thats why Yeah, thats the case Sahars shoulders, who had always been held high, drooped at that moment. They have already changed the past once. They went back to 112 years ago and scattered a lot of advanced technologies there. The result of that, is this current timeline, where magicians are dominated by science. That was the horror of science and time travel. Despair ran through her body, and Aracelli, unable to bear the pain, had no choice but to look at the floor and kneel with her head in both hands. She was silent for a long time. Neither Sahar nor Aracelli opened their mouths any more. Then, after a lot of time has passed. Aracelli barely pulled her lips apart. Exactly when did this first happen? Princess Sahar reached above her and literally pulled out a book from thin air. There, history about how the Vivienda Empire changed into something like now was recorded. She opened the first page and read the first date written there. 31th day of the 8th month, year 597. It was the day when the world of magic ended, the day when science first broke out, and the beginning of how science would destroy magic. It all started then. Aracelli swallowed her saliva. Didnt you say earlier it was impossible to send someone to 112 years ago? Thats right. Then, why dont we just send a consciousness? If it was only consciousness it would be possible. You might be able to have a conversation with someone in the past. But that still wont resolve the problem. What can you do with just your consciousness? I can do something. Aracelli closed her eyes and focused. Although she had traveled the dimension with him, somehow his aura couldnt be felt at all. However, she had experienced this same situation before. Did you know that, Professor can also time-travel? !!!That man can time travel??? Yes. If Professor had arrived on that day 112 years ago Sahar and Aracellis gazes collided. Maybe, returning the world to how it normally is It may really be possible. * [Day 31 Month 8 year 597 of Rinekal Calendar] Buy lamb skewers! lamb skewers! Buy lamb skewers with plenty of ferben sauce! The fish skewers are delicious! Ah! tasty! Come and buy! No matter where you go, there is always a fantastically built city, and there is always something behind it. I explored the back streets with a bunch of lamb skewers in my hands. Its a place where the lower classes of the citizens of the empire, who received little benefit from magic, lived. I dont think there is much difference between this and old neighborhoods in our country No matter how much magic develops, in the end, the benefits would not spread far enough to the lower classes. Of course. Hahahaha. Its very nice here. They even sell lamb skewers on the street. Well, its not because I like lamb skewers that I am neglecting my research. I was just walking around the market street and had nothing on hand, so I got bored and just decided to buy lamb skewers. (T/N suddenly tsun tsun?) By the way since we arrived here, far away from the timeline in which Aracelli is, wouldnt there be a reason? It was due to the fact that right here, right now, I had the highest chance of hunting the protagonist. Which means, the protagonist must be somewhere nearby. What was the plot? The Magical World, Ruled By Science! #Sci-Fi_Fantasy #$^&#@*!&^ #Tyrannical # One day, a piece of paper accidentally fell. It contained amazing power, but it was not magic. The sad life of the lower classes who were ignored and persecuted for not being able to use magic! From now on, I will pay you back with science! C From the title and introduction, its clear that the protagonist was bloody violent since I think Ive never seen Tyrannical tags until now. By the way, whats with that weird tag? Hmmm I was going to take a closer look at it, but suddenly I felt something ominous behind me and turned around. Huh? The feeling came from deep within the alley. As I walked there, I could see someone in that dark alley filled with only piles of garbage and the sound of a meowing cat. Shhhh. Ignoring the systems words, I hid behind the wall, and the identity of that someone was revealed. [Protagonist Fiore] It was a little child. At most, he was just eight years old. He was dressed in ragged clothes and his body was riddled with scars from being beaten by someone. And beside him, there was someone else. Giiiiing-!! What is that? When I looked closely, it was an awkward thing to call it someone. It was in the form of a man, but it was a machine. In other words, a humanoid machine. Android? That very thing which was the furthest from the setting of magical worlds was passing something to the kid. It was clear that the scene in front of me could be considered as the . I have to stop it! As soon as I had that thought, I ran into the alley, pulled out a pistol from my pocket, and was about to shoot the kid. At that moment, the kid raised his head and looked at me. Huh? For a moment, I stopped. It was only for a very fleeting moment, but Fiollens face, the protagonist of Vivienda Academy, overlapped with the little boys face for a moment. It wasnt an illusion. Because I could vividly feel his existence. However, his face disappeared in an instant, and the face returned to the face of the bloody little boy. [Protagonist Partellian] Who are you? The moment the little boys frightened voice came out, an android stepped in front of him. C Discovery of risk factors. I will rule out the irregular. Damn it! Androids technological prowess was clearly far ahead of Earths science, but I had no desire to lose here. I have to kill the kid and get rid of him no matter what. At that moment. -Professor! No! If you kill that kid now, a paradox will occur! Huh? A familiar voice echoed in my head. It was Aracellis voice. CH 231 Wait, what, a paradox? Before I could even listen to Aracellis answer, the androids lightsaber flew towards my neck. Wooosh-!! Immediately after activating the ether blade to block it, the two light-based swords resonated and pushed each other away. -Discovering an unknown kind of technology. -Attempting to collect information. My ether blade was not purely made out of science. It functioned on a completely new energy obtained from monsters called ether. Since it did not work off electricity, it gave a slightly different form even though it was a byproduct of science. Therefore, it must have been an extremely unfamiliar technology to the android, which comes with the knowledge of future science. -Information uninterpretable. In accordance with Article 179 and Article 1109 about Unknown Technology Encounter, we will try to absorb the enemys technology. If unable to do so, we will eliminate the enemy. And so the android let out a dry mechanical sound and rushed towards me. In its right hand, it held a lightsaber which radiated an ominous light while its leap, which was helped by the thruster on its back, was quick. What is this? However, for me who had reached SS rank, his leap was at a snails pace. On top of it, it was only an attack which relied solely on raw power, with no special technique or swordsmanship. I dodged the lightsaber by taking half a step to the side, before brandishing my sword towards the android. Swiish-!! The androids right arm was severed as I swung my ether blade. In a split second, I changed my grip on the hilt and rotated the ether blade like a windmill and lopped its head off. Tung-!! -Dangerous.Operation Failed.. The battle was over in an instant. The android was obviously quick, strong, and powerful, but it didnt even pose a threat to me, who had learned various swordsmanship techniques, as it lacked any finesse and skill. -Woah Well, it is an android which was made to specifically hunt magicians, so of course it would not be a match for you, Professor. Aracellis form appeared from thin air. Then her eyes followed the back of the little boy who had already run away. You really dont want me to kill him here? -Yes. If Professor had already witnessed the incident in the future and stopped it, it would be okay. But as of now, you shouldnt do that. Why? -For a time traveler, witnessing a particular event is by no means an ordinary feat. It means that the history that will happen in that time period is completely fixed. What how is that possible? If I could turn back time -Thats impossible. Youre a time traveler, and at the same time youve witnessed a kid receiving something from an android. Do you have any memories in your head right now where the future Yoo Seodam appeared, stopped the android and killed the little boy? No, of course not. -Thats why Professor can only do it if you went back to the past once again. Thats right, If this incident had been prevented, there should have been no such thing as a failed memory in the first place. Because the present me must have witnessed the future that must have come and prevented the incident. But what if I go back to the past after witnessing the success of my future self? Or what if I dont try to go back to the past? -Thats the time paradox. Time travel is intricately intertwined with cause and effect, so no matter who you are, even if its you, Professor. It is a natural flow of the world that has nothing to do with probability or story progression. Thats right, its a pain in the ass. I sighed. Then what should I do now? Where the hell are you? -That -Let me explain about that. At that moment, another form of a woman appeared next to Aracelli. She was about 10 centimeters taller than the petite Aracelli, and unlike Aracellis black hair, she had silver hair. She was looking at me with a fox-like smile. E-Empress Sahar? -Thats right. Its been a long time. I wish I could kiss you again, but its a pity that I cant. -K-kiss? You cant -Why? -Anyway, you cant Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that I was going to see her here, so I could only put a bewildered expression as my response. Sahar smiled widely. It seemed like she liked the expression I was making. -Its nice to see that face after a long time I finally feel like Im alive. It was quite a burdensome word, but thankfully I could hide my expression this time since Im pretty used to those words now thanks to Aracelli. Yes. Its good to see you after a long time. She gently landed on the ground while still maintaining her whitish-foglike figure. Then, with her bare feet, she slowly approached me. At that point, I even felt that this dirty alleyway was being cleansed. Princess Sahar caressed my cheek, but I felt nothing. Then, she said with a sad expression. -You cant even feel my touch even after meeting me again What a cruel reality After that, Empress Sahar told me her story. In short, she renounced her faith in the goddess, gained divine powers of her own, and became a time traveler. Time traveler, huh -What are you so surprised about? Aracelli had told me that you can time travel too. In addition, you can travel between dimensions whenever you want. Well, not really. I can only do that thanks to the system. Moreover, time travel is only possible with the power of probability. Compared to me, Empress Sahar, who defied time with her own abilities, and Aracelli, who transcended the boundaries of space with her own effort, was more amazing. you dont have to tell me that You are noisy. I sighed and said. Anyway, the fact that the event has already occurred means that the future has been set, right? -Thats right. But that doesnt mean there isnt a way to change it back. If we can prevent other events that we and you have not yet observed, we can change the future. What about other incidents? -History records several decisive events that led to the destruction of magic by science. If you can find the time frame and block it, the future will surely change. Okay. But, how can I move to those time frames? C Ill give you the time coordinates. Would you be able to move with your abilities with that? Oh, really? The cost is my lifespan right? I glanced at Aracelli with the corner of my eyes. She was flying to the entrance of the alley, probably sightseeing. I slowly approached her and asked. This era, how long has it been since you left this world? -Ah If the current year is 597, its about 70 years after I left. The city was beautiful. Although it was the most difficult town to live in the whole Vivienda Empire, the world that had not yet perished was still overflowing with vitality. Would you like to walk around? -Yes Thank you. I walked through the city with Aracelli and Empress Sahar. The streets were full of life as it was crowded with people who stopped on the stalls at the side of the road. -Its not very different from when I left Aracelli left her hometown and wandered around other worlds. She abandoned this beautiful world only to find me. Has she ever completely forgotten her hometown? Of course not. After all, the reason Aracelli became a 9 circle magician was to save her world. Therefore, she must have loved Vivienda more than I loved Earth. After walking for a while, a huge square appeared. This square, which was called the cultural street, had a familiar name attached to it. [Aracelli Square] A woman more beautiful than any other goddess, angel, and fairy all over the world was there in the form of a statue. The woman was looking up at the sky. That statue depicts the figure of Aracelli after she becomes an adult, something I had never seen before. Having only seen Aracelli in her young form, I had no idea she would be that mature. -Hehe Before I left, I told the people that if they want to make a statue of me, they have to soften my eyes. Really? -Yes. However, they softened it a little bit too much. Thanks to that, I look like a goddess of love and family. Its embarrassing. That means there are a lot of people who like you. -Undeservedly, it seems. No explanation was written on the Aracelli statue. Perhaps, it was because she was famous to the point no explanation was needed about her. Afterall, shes a hero who has fought against the demons and saved the world. -You know, Professor In the future, there are still people waiting for me. Waiting for you? -Yes. They believe Im still alive, and they always hoped I would come to help them. But she couldnt listen to their wishes. By the time she returned home, it was already too late. The world has been occupied by machines, and there is no way to save the world that has been destroyed. Dont worry, Im here.. -Professor Just like youve helped me without expecting anything in return, Ill help you too. Time travel costs a lot of lifespan. At least 1000 days had to be paid for one jump. But, as long as you have the lifespan, it can be used continuously. Therefore, I didnt hesitate even for a second to burn through the lifespan of mine, which was obtained by a dirty and filthy way of hunting other humans, for the life of Aracelli, who was more noble and lovely than anyone else. Once we save your world and when my work is done in my own world Lets travel together. -Ah There were a lot of beautiful places in the countless worlds. We can go there and relax after all of this is over. Its a trip to another world Aracelli looked into my eyes for a long time with her transparent, blue eyes. Then, her eyes finally sparkled, and she smiled brightly. -I like that! Lets make sure to travel together. Okay. -By the way Then, Empress Sahar interrupted and said: -Arent you forgetting me? Rude Oh, no. Of course, I also included you in our plan. C Hmmm Your bond is already very strong, and there seems to be no room for me to intervene. Its really burdensome for me. After saying that, Empress Sahar smiled softly. -But I traveled through time and space, making the impossible possible. I look forward to the future. Really. - Aracelli bit her lip, and Sahar smiled slyly. I thought I was lucky because the two of them seemed to have a really good relationship. Okay, so lets move on. Please tell me the coordinates of the next time zone. -Lets do that. Princess Sahar said so before opening a thick old book. -You should go to Day 19, month 1 in the year 607 of the Rinekal calendar. A particular law was amended that day: magical support to many lower-class people would be cut off, resulting in a lot of people complaining about their suffering. Then -Around that time, a man armed with scientific equipment appears. The mans name is Partellian. He spread the convenience of science to the lower classes. Convenience of science? No matter how much I think about it, I couldnt wrap my head around it. Isnt magic more convenient than science? -Thats right. Science is so weird. Even if you dont use mana, everything could still be done. With only a few tools, an ordinary man could be proven to be more effective than a magician. After all, unlike magical devices, which need a magician to activate it, science could be activated even by ordinary people simply by pressing a button. Oh, I see. I understand. That was definitely true. No matter how convenient magic or magic tools are, without mana, it was only a piece of useless junk. But science was different. Even if someone was not a magician, they could still enjoy something close to magical power, and even if they cannot train mana due to their limited talent, they still could be armed with powerful equipment. -Yeah, so you have to go to that date and stop people from being instigated by science. Can you do it? Uh, I have to try, I guess? For the record, I am a believer in science rather than magic. Even if I cant do it, I have to. If it was to save the world of Aracelli, I was ready to do anything. -Thats a good attitude. Lets leave right away As soon as Sahar finished speaking, a message came to mind. [Moving 10 years into the future.] [1000 days of lifespan is consumed.] CH 232 Chapter 232 - Day 19, Month 1, Year 607 (Astiella Square) [Day 19, Month 1, Year 607] When I opened my eyes, the back alley I was in a moment ago had changed into its older, rustier form. It was only a brief moment for me, but everything I was seeing with my own eyes had aged. Even though time traveling was only a little different from dimensional travel, it still left me with a strange feeling. Numerous torn or shriveled leaves lay on the floor of the back alley, the ground was dented and the walls were cracked. The paint which was coated 10 years ago is almost completely erased now. [Protagonist Partellian] [Level 109] When I checked the protagonists information, his level had risen considerably. If his growth was compared to other protagonists, it was far behind their pace. But since he was gradually accumulating knowledge from a young age, it was clear that he would be a protagonist with a higher growth limit than any other protagonists I had met till now. Afterall, while most protagonists only make themselves stronger, the protagonist of this world will completely overthrow this worlds principles, common sense, culture and technology. -You really arrived on the correct date. -Even when I knew the date, I couldnt travel to the precise date You are truly amazing. Haha I wasnt the one who was amazing though, the system was the one who was amazing. By the way, I dont think science has been spread out yet. This place looks even worse than before. I looked around the town slowly, but I didnt see anything related to science anywhere. On the contrary, the alley looked similar to the old neighborhood in Korea, which had now become a really outdated alley -Dont be deceived. Even at this very moment, Science is still moving in full swing. Today is the day where the first scientist, Partellian, also called as the god of electricity, appears in history for the very first time. Hmm For a protagonist who was blessed with the power of protagonist correction, I supposed 10 years was enough to master science. And by now, its likely that he was already armed with countless inventions and all kinds of scientific equipment. Since his level is still not that high yet, I can still easily deal with him even when he is armed to the teeth. But if more time passed, I dont think that would still be the case. Afterall, the science brought by Partellian might have evolved to the point it could call the ether dispenser I used garbage. -Its a bit embarrassing to say this with my own mouth but theres a very wide gap between the rich and the poor when it comes to magic in the Vivienda Empire. Since magic has existed for so long, families that have existed for a long time hid their technique from the masses and passed them only to their blood relatives. Thus, those without affluent families had a limit to what they could reach no matter how hard they tried. Its the same wherever you go. Even in my hometown, that was also the case. -So It could be said that the situation in which the poor have no choice but to continue to be poor and the rich keep getting richer has been maintained for nearly 100 years. Therefore, the complaints of the lower classes piled up. However, it didnt explode since in this magical world, the magic possessed by the lower classes could not overcome the magic of the upper classes. They had no choice but to hold it in and live on. However, sometimes, some people from the lower classes who cannot stand it, will commit violent crimes. Hm So, in other words, theres a reason why this alley is getting older, isnt it? As I was walking around the streets that were littered with garbage, I was able to vividly feel that it had changed considerably from 10 years ago. At that time, there were still many people selling skewers on the streets and the overall atmosphere of the alley was lively. But now, it was deserted and gloomy. People around the alley had dead eyes; they had lost their vitality. It was clear evidence that they only live on without any aspiration whatsoever. -However, Partellian appears while carrying a pamphlet in which he promotes what science is. I took one of the aforementioned pamphlets and read it. A talent for magic? Not required. Magic knowledge of historical family? Not required. Anyone can learn and use it as long as they want to study!! -Partellian reveals the identity of science for the first time in Astiella Square. Then, when I walked towards the square, I could see it. How long will we live while being trampled on when its because of the environment that we cannot learn magic!!! Why do we have to suffer for not being able to learn?!?!?!?! Lets stand up on our own and fight against them!!!! The power of science will be enough to be independent of them! At the top of the square, where the old structures were piled up one after another, the main character, Partellian, who had grown into an adult, used a microphone to spread his voice. A device which required no mana at all and yet could perfectly replicate magicians voice amplification spell. In addition to the microphone, Partellian also gave the pamphlet about science to the people who had gathered. And most of them were captivated by it. But, Do you think you can fight magic with something like this? Absolutely impossible! There were still those who did not fully trust in science. -Soon, an incident will occur where even those who do not believe in science will start changing their beliefs. Then, five wizards with their robes flapping because of the wind, appeared over the sky of the square. Hey, its magicians!!! Ugh, ooh! They are trying to kill us again! The magicians looked down at the ground from the sky with a proud expression on their face. To be able to float in the air like them, someone had to be in at least 5 circles. However, that was not all. What differentiated the magician over the sky of the square and other magicians was the mark on their robe. -They are magicians of the magic tower. Partellian looked nervous, but he still said confidently. I had expected some magicians to come to this place. Then he pulled out a long black rifle from his waist. It had a bunch of blue tubes hanging around it, and the holosights were incomplete and bad looking compared to holosights I knew, but I still know the identity of the weapon. -Pro-professor, what is that? its an energy melting gun. Energy melting gun, a gun specially developed to melt the protective layer which could be found in a monsters skin. However, since the cost of making one of those was astronomical and because it was so heavy that it was impossible to carry, it was an object that was not fully developed on Earth. However, in just 10 years after his fateful encounter with Science, Partellian, the protagonist of this world, had developed it. Moreover, it was small enough to be carried. -It looks similar to the mana melting gun used by future androids. Theres something like that in the future? -There is. And its a terrifying gun which can pierce through the wide-area protection fields set by magicians with just a single shot. When Partellian aimed his gun at them, the magicians all snorted and cast a shield spell around their body. Well, I know why they did so. Theres no way ordinary people who they couldnt feel mana from could use a magic artifact. At best, they would only attack with a non-magical attack. Then, a blue flash started to flicker on the tip of Partellians gun. And moments later, it shots towards the magician. Uh, uh? The shield of one magician was pierced by the blue laser. Not only that, the laser also pierced his chest. Then, the magicians lifeless body fell to the ground. What is this Belatedly, the remaining magicians tried to cast attack magic on Partellian. However, before they could do so, ten people holding the same gun as Partellian appeared from the back of the square and started firing at the magicians. Although their aiming skills were poor, the wizards floating in the air could not dodge the laser because they could not move quick enough, and in the end, all five wizards died in less than 10 minutes. Ah. Silence descended on the square. WOOOOOWWWW!!!! However, it was followed by a fanfare right after. How could they not do so? Afterall, someone from the lower class of the society, who couldnt wield magic at all, had just defeated a magician with science! Of course, most of them were young wizards, and they werent any good except for their floating magic, but that didnt matter to them. The fact that someone from the lower class killed the magicians, who not only came from the noble family, but were also excellent enough to be affiliated with a magic tower was enough for them. -The news about anyone could beat magicians as long as they know how to deal with the products of science and technology, which they called inventions, will spread quickly from now on. Tsk This is why villains are so useless. In fact, if those magicians hadnt used floating magic, the outcome of the battle would be different. But well I cant fault them too much since the reason for their existence in the first place was to make the protagonists victory look more dramatic. -Yes? Forget it, its nothing Anyway, it all changes if a magician isnt defeated here, right? Using magic in combat was something I didnt normally do. But that didnt mean that I wasnt confident in doing it. If I kill Partellian here as a mage, it wont go against the probability, so there shouldnt be any problem. Lets go right away. Flowerpot, time to pay for your meal. -You dont even give me a meal. I deliberately kicked the ground with some power to make the people aware of my presence. Then, I used the same floating spell like the magicians from earlier to create the same dramatic effect as them. Those poor bastards couldnt control their floating spell properly, thats why they died. However, I am different from them. After clearing my throat, I purposely shouted loudly. Partellian! Youre trying to seduce the people to use demonic magic! Are you going to bring back the demon that disappeared 100 years ago due to the sacrifice of the great heroes? What, what? Demon? What do you mean! In fact, the only way for demons to appear in the human world was through humans who give their soul to the demon in exchange for power. However, its not necessary to tell the people here about that. Afterall, a MSG was needed for the story to be more juicy. Who are you? Me? You could say I am a more professional magician compared to them. It doesnt matter who you are!!! We will kill all magicians!!! Wait, then why did you ask? At that moment, Partellian pointed his gun at me. Hey, are you ready for that? -Yes Tell me for sure! -Its done As soon as I received the answer from the flowerpot, I waved my hands towards the incoming laser. Then, the blue laser fired by Partellian bent and flew to the direction far away from me. Wh-what? You could only beat those magicians from before because they are weak. Your toys will not work against those who are experienced. In fact, there were quite a few ways to counter a laser attack. One of them was to make overlapping prisms to refract light, or to use the exact same light to cancel the attack altogether. However, in the face of his attack just now, theres no need to do that. The output of the gun Partellian used was at most at the level of D-rank, and the defense penetration was only at B-rank. Which means, even if I block it with some normal shield, it wouldnt harm me. But, again. MSG is important. Damn lets all fire together! As one of Partellians men shouted, lasers shot towards me from all directions. But without moving my body, I simply cast a blue shield around my body. And a few seconds later, it all stopped. The output seems to have been lowered a lot for portability Moreover, it seems like the gun didnt have any aim correction function. Obviously, Partellians energy melting gun was superior to that of the Earth. But, the other parts of technologies that make up that gun were so crude that they couldnt produce proper output. To put it in an example, it was like an engine of a maglev train from the 21st century being added to a train from the 18th century. The fight progressed one-sidedly even though I only used flashy magic to add a dramatic effect to subdue Partellians subordinates. If I kill Partellian here, everything will return to normal. I must kill you as soon as possible! While preparing for a wide-area magic spell, I concentrated and saturated the magic by even adding bits of my lifespan on top of the mana. However, Partellian managed to get away by using strange science tools, a bizarre energy barrier suit to withstand my attack, using a pair of flash bombs and some kind of shoes to instantly move to another area. But there were bound to be limits too on those items. So, in the end, I could corner Partellian to a dead end. Please, die. I desperately hoped and shot a white beam towards Partellian. Paah! Shhh! Shhh! Suddenly, however, several humanoid creatures, which didnt have flesh and were wrapped in strange mechanical devices, appeared from thin air, and blocked the beam in front of Partellian. My expression hardened, and at that moment, a message appeared in front of my sight. [The protagonist faces a crisis.] [Protagonist correction has been activated.] Damn it! As I hurriedly backed away, ten androids glared at me with their ferocious red eyes. Each individual was on a different level from the one I had killed before. It made me wonder whether they mastered swordsmanship in that brief moment they fought me because even their movements were more fluid and sharp. -Enemy in sight. -I will eliminate the enemy to preserve history. Princess Sahar, who was watching the android, said in a nervous voice. -They are the Type C. You can think of them as elites which have been upgraded by at least two levels compared to the android you killed last time. But Since their energy wavelength is enormous, they shouldnt have been able to time travel So, how That cursed protagonists correction!!! As I quickly retreated, the androids beams scanned the spot where I was standing. -Unbelievable!!! They shouldnt be able to send an android back to 10 or 100 years ago! -Even sending one individual is hard for me since I dont have enough energy, so how Isnt this a bit harsh? Its never been like this before! Then, belatedly, the client spoke in a subdued voice. Of course. Its always like this. I cant just kill a protagonist with regression ability because their ability will be triggered by the protagonists correction. The same works for the protagonist with reincarnation ability, since they will only reincarnate again. Therefore, I had to create a reasonable story which justified the death of the protagonist. And so far, I have been hunting the protagonist with such methods. But this time, for the first time, that method didnt work. What kind of nonsense is that. All the protagonists I had hunted so far didnt have such hunting conditions. It was as if someone had intentionally made sure that Partellian could not be hunted. C Apparently, something is being planned at the headquarters of Stella Horizon. If we dont stop their energy, theyll constantly send androids back to the past. -If thats really the case, we wont be able to change the past. In other words, both Aracelli and Empress Sahar could not just sit still and wait. And if the act of sending androids to the past was the protagonist correction in action, we just need to find that energy source and remove it. -Well move too from now. Yoo Seodam, we failed to hunt the protagonist in this time frame failure. So get out of here. -The next coordinate is Month 3 day 27 year 609! You must hurry! Finally, the voices of the two women faded away. Each of those androids abilities exceeded S rank, so it was difficult to deal with them, so I had no choice but to run away. [Moving 2 years into the future.] CH 233 < Day 31, Month 8, Year 709 [Day 31, Month 8, Year 709] Aracelli returned to her original timeline and opened her eyes. Her blue eyes glinted and captured the world again. Slowly getting up from her seat, she approached the window and looked out at the world. Fyuuuh. Empress Sahar, who also returned to the present a beat later than Aracelli, approached Aracelli. Sensing her presence, Aracelli opened her mouth. Where is the time travel device located at? In the Stella Horizon. is that the name of that gigantic ship that covered half of the sky? Thats right. It was the center of all science, as well as the place where science began. It was also Partellian himself. Yes? Thats. As she was about to rebuke Sahars words, Aracelli remembered one protagonist she had met before. Do you mean that Partellian is an artificial intelligence? Thats right. To be more precise, they said that Forebrain (Mind Uploading) is something even magic cant do. Fo-forebrain? It is said that it was a technique that allows anyone to live forever by uploading their human mind to another virtual world created by science. Partellian succeeded in realizing that technology, and replaced his human body with the huge battleship called Stella Horizon. What in the world If the battleship itself was really the protagonist It would be impossible to defeat it, even if both herself and Yoo Seodam work together. Just how could science do that? With magic, it was possible to make a passage to subspace. However, it was incomparable to that power of science, which could create another world where one can enter it to enjoy eternal life. Partellians technology has already far surpassed my level of magic. Therefore, it was impossible for her to win against him. So, Yoo Seodam had to do all the work from the past if they wanted to stand a chance against Partellian. But, even that was not an easy task, since the androids could time travel freely. Dont be overly concerned. Even Partelian cannot use time travel so willy nilly. Some functions of Stellar Horizon mustve stopped working because of that one F-type android which they sent to 100 years ago. Isnt it possible that they discovered another energy source in the meantime? No, that wont be the case. We have confirmed that the planetary generator-which is energizing the Stellar HorizonCis still working in the Valley of the Sleeping Heart. Planetary Generator was a huge generator built in the valley of the sleeping heart. It was something which was built to extract energy from the world itself, and if it was destroyed, most of the functions of Stellar Horizon will be stopped. But, will such important places have loose security? There is one thing we can use to attack. Aracelli said. That is? The only subject they have not conquered; space. Aracelli put her hand on the window. The strange window, which through several twists and turns connects to another space, was created by space magic. And, Aracelli was a wizard who reached the pinnacle of such magic. They are the ones who rule time and even created a virtual world Papat-!! The landscape of the mirror that Aracelli caressed changed; It flickered and began to display another place in an instant. The place displayed on the mirror was none other than Valley of Sleeping Heart. But do they really know about the existence of another dimension? Empress Sahar approached the mirror without hiding her startled expression. It had been a long time since she arrived in the Vivienda Empire, so she had a good grasp of how normal wizards use space magic. In order for other wizards to link one place to another, they must go to the location, install a device there, and collect the coordinates for at least 12 hours. But thats not all, they also need to use the spell in the two places at the exact same time for the spell to be successfully activated. This is amazing. Aracelli closed her eyes and focused her mana. Thanks to her circles gradual recovery, she was able to use dimension magic in more various ways. In the state of her circle being frozen, she was someone who could use dimensional magic for dimensional movement. But, in her heyday, she was able to use it in a more colorful way, for example: Opening the dimension high up in the sky, expelling her enemy out of the universe, or even summoning magma from deep in the ground to attack the enemy. For her, the third dimension was no longer a barrier. No matter how far away it was, everything was as close as it was before her eyes. Therefore, everything that came into her sight was immediately within her grasp. There it is Finally, in the mirror, the true Valley of Sleeping Heart was reflected. A huge, transparent dome-shaped glass tube was encased in a strange red building, where a blue halo was glimmering like a mist. There were dozens of such domes around the place, and the power plant-like structure, which had a complex structure such as antennas and steel frames, is the heart. The mana nearby is twisting, so approaching till here with a mirror seems to be the limit. That should be the case. They set up a base on top of the mana pulse, but they drained all the mana around and only ran it on some specific area. Therefore, it was said that it was almost impossible to use magic around there. In other words, it was an Anti Mana Field. It was a technology that nullifies the implementation of magic itself by generating a vortex of mana. Dont worry about that. As long as you can control your mana within it, you can use any magic with ease. Of course it wasnt as easy as how Aracelli portrayed it. However, as Aracelli was someone who had reached the realm of nine circles, she was certain that her mana control was second to none under the sky. My circle hasnt fully recovered yet, but theres an energy that I can use, isnt there? Energy? Aracelli pointed her finger at the top of the tower in the mine. There it is. The great hero who disappeared from this world 200 years ago, Aracelli Reinkal. The survivors of the Vivienda were still waiting for her, not giving up hopes. I cant live up to that expectation, but I can at least make it worthwhile. After saying that, Aracelli crossed her legs. Then, a vortex of mana rushed in an instant. The amount of mana flowing out of her body wasnt much, but it was enough to draw the energy of the hyperspace rescue signal that was being sent from the top of the tower. Moments later, as Aracelli covered her own left eye with her palm. A translucent eyeball appeared in the air in front of her. Im sharing my familiars view with the mirror. As those words fell, Empress Sahar was reflected in the mirror. It was due to the fact that Aracellis familiar was looking at her. I will go to the valley. As Aracelli stirred the air, the position of the eyeball shifted in an instant to the Valley of Sleeping Heart. The view inside the huge glass tube, which had not been confirmed up until now, was clearly captured in the mirror. Ugh Because of the swirling vortex of mana. Aracelli had a slight cold sweat running down her body, but she didnt seem to have any major problems. However, the problem was that the detection ability of science was greater than expected. Wiing-!! Wiing-!! Wiing-!! C Unidentified mana was detected. C Finding the source to eliminate it. Fortunately, the androids had not yet found her familiar. She painstakingly moved her familiar into the interior of the power plant. Thankfully, she was someone who had been inside a spaceship with Yoo Seodam before, so she didnt find it awkward here, which was made up of pipes, wires, monitors, and automatic doors that spewed steam all over the place. I can feel a huge wave of energy from somewhere close. Aracelli moved her familiar slowly, chasing after the source of her energy. Automatic doors opened and closed repeatedly in all directions, red lights flickered threateningly, and a mysterious technology called CCTV, a technology higher than familiar magic, was looking over every place. Aracelli tried to hide her familiars face as much as possible to avoid their eyes, but they still ended up detecting her. -Discovering a substance made up of mana. -Confirmed that the material passes through the wall ignoring the physical force. -Coating all walls in the power plant with anti-mana waves. -Proceed with the coating. Aracellis eyebrows twitched at those words. For the first time, the movement of the familiar was blocked by a wall! Its okay, its okay A wall like this can be jumped over with a short distance movement Maintaining a familiar within the vortex of mana was daunting, and yet, she also had to be stealthy and teleport at the same time. Even though blood dripped from her nose, Aracelli did not stop casting her magic. A little bit, just a little bit more! Some walls were still passable, while others were no longer passable. Aracelli moved as efficiently as possible, avoiding CCTV and android troops. Finally, when her familiar reached the depths of the power plant Keuk! Unbelievable The sight they saw was something they never thought they would see. Is that the power plant that mines the energy of the world? Thump-!! Thump-!! In the center of the power plant, a certain huge heart was beating. Around it, hundreds of gigantic eyeballs floated, and tentacles presumed to be its arms and legs were wriggling to all directions. Thats not all. The walls were also lined with veins which pulsed as if they were alive. The pillars supporting the ceiling also wobbled as if a giant earthworm had stood upright, and the floor shook as if thousands of snakes were crawling on it. Both Empress Sahar and Aracelli realized something was wrong with the place. It was a kind of space that shouldnt exist in this world. Barely holding back the acid which rose up to her throat, Aracelli broke down in tears and disconnected from the familiar. Cough Cough Cough Cough Aracelli. Are you okay? Yes, yes, I am fine. You are not okay. Seems like the psychological wound was great Get some rest. Fyyyyuuuuuhhh Even though Empress Sahar told her to do that, she too, had a pale, tired face. She had seen all kinds of things up to this point of her life, but it was the first time in her life that she had seen such a horrific sight. And it was also the same with Aracelli. What the heck is that, do you know? Roughly But, it doesnt make sense Doesnt make sense? Aracelli wiped her head with cold water and took a deep breath. Because she still couldnt understand this situation. Thats Aracelli recalled the sight she had just seen. Although she had never seen it in person before, she had heard many stories about it from Yoo Seodam. That place is called Hell Gate. Or at least, a part of it. It was a space where all debris from the universes go I dont know how it could be there * Somewhere inside the Hell Gate. A man was sitting in a room which looked like an office. The man, for some reason, looked identical to Yoo Seodam. As if he didnt like something, he continued to tap the desk with his restless fingers. Its late. On his desk lay an ordinary, state-of-the-art, Earth computer. And on the monitor, all kinds of prompts were popping out. [Thank you for loving On a Street Without Nobody until now. The epilogue will be serialized in the next episode.] [Thank you for loving I Will Return and Become the Strongest until now. The epilogue will be serialized in the next episode.] [Thank you for loving I fell into the magical world, but I only know how to use swordsmanship? until now. The epilogue will be serialized in the next episode] News of the completion of all kinds of works was coming in one after another. And each time it popped out, the landscape of Hell Gate gradually changed. Even if the story of such small worlds ends, it wouldnt be much help. The man let out a breath and moved the cursor. Magic World, Ruled by Science! Even if the insects were small, they all had different sizes. Similarly, there were tall humans, little humans, wide continents, narrow continents, huge planets, small planets. Everything had a size, and so did the dimensions. Small dimensions hold less energy. So, it was more efficient to absorb the energy from the finished story of a large dimension. In particular, they would be able to absorb a large amount of energy from a huge dimension with an ultra-high civilization such as Vivienda. By the way, That guy, Yoo Seodam Why did he return to Vivienda? He knew that Yoo Seodam traveled through numerous dimensions to prevent the storys completion. However, he had never come back to the world he had visited previously. Realizing the occurrence too late, he hastily consumed his probability a lot and bestowed protagonist correction [Protagonist Partellian could never be defeated by magic.] to the second protagonist of Vivienda. However, judging from the movement of Yoo Seodam in Vivienda, he was sure that the protagonist would die soon. Annoyed, he leaned on his chair and called for someone. Reina. Are you there? A moment later, the door to the office opened, and a woman with golden hair and golden eyes entered. With a somewhat gloomy impression, she kept her cold expression on her face and lowered her head. Yes. Do you know why I called you? I dont know. Yoo Seodam, hes currently at Vivienda. Didnt I tell you not to transport him there? That. However, since she knew there was no point in making excuses, she decided to just bow her head. I apologize. Whew. I dont know what youre trying to do, but are you aware of the fact that its useless? Why are you so rebellious? You did everything you wanted. Yes. So, lets do a little better from now on. The man was right. Yoo Seodam could never kill or stop the man in front of her. Thats why Reina thought that it would be good if Yoo Seodam just lived a happy life with the things he got through hunting the protagonist. However, Yoo Seodam didnt do that. His new life and acquired abilities were all used for one purpose: Hell Gate. To be precise, to meet her. Looking at his action, how could she possibly say, Youll never be able to do it? Editor Im just saying this just in case, you didnt reveal your identity to him, didnt you? Of course not. I know best that Yoo Seodam will die if I do that. Thats right. Be careful in the future. Because if he dies, Im the one who will be in the most trouble. After saying that, the man waved his hand, so Reina walked out of her office. C Hmm. What did Aracelli say will happen in the year 609, again? In one eye of hers, the image of Yoo Seodam traveling to another world and struggling to solve the story, was reflected. Reina Ju could not hold out the stabbing grief she felt in her heart. CH 234 Hi everyone, Asta is back from his busy week of various things! And as this is the start of new month, I will remind you guys that you guys can subscribe to the highest tier of patreon if you want to finish the story this month. Cuz with the laterst patreon release, which was chapter 245, we only have 13 chapters left on the story. And I will finished it all by the end of this month! Thank you in advance!! [Month 3 Day 27 Year 609] After arriving several years in the future at the same spot where I had a fierce battle with the protagonist Partellian, the first thing I did was contact Aracelli. Aracelli, can you hear me? -Yes, Professor. I just arrived. Oh? Didnt you leave earlier than me? -Its because we are moving from a different time zone, Professor. On top of it, in the 709th year, something happened, so I spent a few hours doing other things. Few hours? I really felt that only a brief moment had passed. Is that so? What happened? Your voice sounds tired Then, the figures of Aracelli and Empress Sahar appeared in a form of whitish fog before his eyes. Both of them had a somewhat pale impression painted on their faces. C A problem broke out in the year 709. If its a problem, dont tell me -It was as you thought, Professor. The restrictions on their time travel were almost gone because they had an almost infinite energy source. What? How is that possible? Aracelli mumbled something for a moment, then transferred some of her memories about the Valley of Sleeping Heart to me. In the deepest part of that place, where all the energy empowering the technology in this world comes from, a phenomenon quite similar to the ones I had experienced at Hell Gate back then has been discovered. That!!!! -As expected. Thats a part of Hell Gate, right? Its not just similar; it is the exact same structure as those terrible things which had something that stimulates the instinctive fear within humans that I remembered. That overwhelming sense of intimidation it possesses made me feel infinitely smaller. -How can you survive in a place like that? Well Come to think of it, its a relief that Im not mentally ill after surviving that place. Even though I had lived in that place for years, just glancing at it for a moment made me nauseous. In fact, considering that most of the hunters who went to Hell Gate suffered mental illness or died while suffering from anxiety, I think I was on the very lucky side. By the way, how the hell did Vivienda have a part of Hell Gate? It should only exist on Earth C I dont know either. However, in that place, I found a passage which was connected to another dimension. Science has not yet discovered spatial science, so Im sure it was made by someone else I have no idea who it is though. There were only three people in this place who had the skill and knowledge about dimension. And science of this world somehow had still not touched that subject yet. -Currently, the space was in a passive state, so it should be fine. but if we leave it as is, androids will constantly visit you from the future and disturb Professor. So, we decided to solve this case. How will you solve it? -About that Aracelli looked into Sahars eyes and smiled before speaking. -We are going to destroy that power plant. What!?!?? Thats dangerous! I can take care of it from the past, so just stay still! C No, thats impossible. -. What do you mean by impossible? Sahar said in a slightly subdued voice. -The energy flowing from a place called Hell Gate is getting stronger. Perhaps sooner or later, more androids will go into the past. There is a high possibility that it will detect your time travel destination and follow you precisely to your destination, Professor. Im really going crazy I scratched my head and grimaced. But no matter how long I think, I cant think of a possible way. In fact, back in 607, because of the androids interference, the history could not be changed. If such interference becomes more and more severe, this mission will surely fail. If theres no other way, I beg you two to be as careful as possible. Just sneak in and destroy it. Dont try to do anything else. You are a dimension traveler, Empress Sahar is a time traveler. So, if the two of you work together, you should be able to do it, right? -Thats natural! -Professor is running around sweating blood for my world, so I should never fail. Then Aracelli and Sahar laughed awkwardly. -Before we go, let me tell you about the history of the year 609. Ah yeah. Tell me what happened. -Actually, there are no major incidents in that year. However, a decisive event occurs in that year. A decisive event? -Yes. A girl is murdered by a mysterious monster. Why is that a decisive event? Empress Sahar closed the book loudly to the point it made a thud sound. Then she said, -That girl is the great Archmage Elaim, someone who led the future human race to victory. Pardon? -Science has been defeated by magic once. And at that time, she was the third Archmage to ever appear in this world, and said to have inherited the will of the Great Archmage Aracelli Rinekal. At that point, Aracelli coughed loudly. Apparently, she was embarrassed to be called a Great Archmage. -Elaim said that she taught herself by reading the books that Aracelli left behind. She also said that she inherited all Aracelli beliefs and magic to protect the world. And, Elaim finally broke science and rose to victory. -But the problem is their time travel ability Dont tell me. -Thats right.. As soon as those people realized defeat was inevitable, they went back to the past. They killed little Elaim to change the future. Im going crazy, really. Its so complicated. Im going crazy. -You understand now? Your role is to protect Elaim. I am almost certain that the androids will keep coming at you until they sort things out, so its probably best to run away. How long do I have to run away? -Until we destroy the power plant. -Their time travel is different from ours. Its like riding a rope to the past. However, if the energy source to supply the passage of time disappears You mean that all androids will be forced to return? -Yes. Aracelli and Empress Sahar, who had spoken up to that point, suddenly looked back. It seemed like something had happened in their timeframe. -Anyway, well go now. We dont have time. C I wish you good luck. After this is over, Ill give you a big hug. -Yes? Wait, I- Aracelli tried to say something, but before she could finish, they both disappeared like a mist. Apparently, time travel was done via Empress Sahars powers, so Aracelli had no choice but to obey her. Uh-huh, to think its an escort mission. Escort missions were actually the hardest mission for F-rank hunters. This is because, most hunter at that level will have difficulty responding to a suprise assassination attempt. However, back when I was still F rank hunter, I had no choice but to learn to do anything I could to survive another day, from using complicated devices or just simply roll around in the dirt to kill a single monster. Thus, from that experience, I had done quite a lot of escort missions. However, I have never guarded someone from a cutting-edge mechanical monster. Well, it will work somehow. Like it has always been. * Sohyangchon was a quiet secluded village where the harmonious mountain birds could be heard almost every time. In that place, the scenery was breathtaking and the air was pure and refreshing. Not all settlements in Vivienda were a bustling city just because they were called the magic empire. There are still rural areas like Sohyangchon, and there are quite a lot of its citizens who are not magicians. Elaim too, was not a magician. She was nothing but a simple and ordinary country girl. Because of her pretty appearance, she was very popular amongst the villages youth; they were all vying for her. But of course, she had no interest in them at all. I will go to the city and become a magician! And I will meet and marry a wonderful man! However, she was worried about her freckles and her red hair to be able to do that. On top of it, she was also resentful to her parents who told her to stop dreaming such nonsense dreams and just focus on farming. Today, Elaim, who like always, escaped from her farming duty without her parents knowledge, lay down in an abandoned hut in the field and enjoyed her leisure time reading. Her parents didnt like reading much, so she had to create a secret place like this to avoid getting caught reading books. Hummmmm~ The book she was currently reading while humming was none other than a biography book. In this small town, there were magic books too, but they were all stored in the village heads personal library, so Elaim couldnt take them and read them. For that reason, whenever she had time, she always read the biography about Archmage Aracelli Rinekal. She was a mysterious hero who suddenly disappeared from the face of the world after pushing back the demon army of hell that appeared 100 years ago, dyeing the sky red. Even though a long time had passed, her stories were still constantly sung by the bards, being performed in musical drama, and her mannequins as well as statues modeled after her were constantly being built. In this world, when the name Aracelli was added to anything, it will without fail create a positive image, so the name Aracelli is the most popular name in the present generation. But that too will make a funny complication when two friends have the same name. It was such a common name, but Elaim sometimes hoped that her own name was Aracelli Elaim! Elaim! Are you here? Uughhhhh! At her fathers cry outside her, she lifted her head like a meerkat deceived by an eagle. She hurriedly tried to hide the books, but unfortunately, it was already too late. Her father slammed the hut door open and came in. Ah, Dad. All this, I will explain. . Her father sighed as he looked at the books littering the old hut. As Elaim bowed her head in apology, her father came and stroked her hair. Im going to the city soon, and I think Ill need a porter. Yes? Yes? Elaim thought that shed be scolded, so she was confused at her fathers words. When Elaim raised her head while processing the words, her father looked at her and smiled. Im thinking of buying the porter something they wanted If there is anyone around you who wants something, could you introduce them to me? Ah City and what she wants to have. It was everything Elaim had longed for so far. Elaim jumped into her fathers embrace. Dad, thank you so much! There there So, lets work hard today. By the way, can you please keep it a secret from your mother? Yes! Absolutely! Elaim smiled and nodded her head vigorously. When the two finished chatting and were about to leave the hut, Kwang-!!! The wall of the hut collapsed. Then, a black silhouette came in. Ahh! Ugh!! Her vision was obscured by the dust. She couldnt even move because of the surprise. Thankfully, her father immediately grabbed her, placed her in her corner, and raised his scythe toward the intruder. Who are you? What is your purpose! Then, from the dust, someone, or something appeared. Kiikk-!! Kiikk-!! Its eyes emitted light as red as blood and with every move, an eerie scrape of a metal was heard. Its body was covered with black iron. JuJust what -Target found. Removing it. Its identity was Android. The android saw Elaims hiding place at once, and began to approach it in stride. This bastard dares to!!!! Elaines father ran with all his might and swung his scythe. However, in front of the approaching attack, the android didnt even move. Kaaaang-!! When the sickle touched the androids head, the sickle shattered. It sent chills down Elaim fathers guts, afterall, modern scythe was made of state-of-the-art alloys which should never break in any way. !!!!! In retaliation, the android swung its fis toward Elaims father, without even responding. He was hit in the stomach and thrown into the corner of the hut. Unable to utter a single word, Elaims father slumped over, unconscious. Meanwhile, Elaim covered her mouth with her trembling hand. Ack uh! Gi-ing-!! Gi-i-ing-!! Standing in front of Elaim, the android stretched out its hand towards her head. When she saw a strange light emanating from its palm, she sensed her death approaching her. Ju-just like this. At that moment, the wall across her shattered, and a man jumped in and smashed the androids head. Kang-!! The android, which was unbothered when his father attacked it with his scythe, turned to the side. Whoa Even though I ran as hard as I could and even stole the latest sports wagon, I was almost late (T/N Sports wagon. The equivalent of a sports car.) (E/N: Do you think they have F1 races with sports wagons?) (P/N Imagine a grand prix for wagons) The man then spoke to Elaim. Elaim, right? Yes, yes, yes, yes First, you have to get out of here- Whoong-!! Pang-!! As Yoo Seodam was about to say something to her, the android got up and kicked the hut debris at him. Damn it. Well talk later. Just wear this. You wont be hurt by any shock by wearing it. As Yoo Seodam took off her coat and threw it, Elaim grabbed it tightly. Then, thinking of her father lying in her corner, she crawled towards him. Ah, Dad! Ugh Fortunately, her father was still breathing. Without hesitation, Elaim wrapped the coat around her fathers body. Paang-!! At that moment, a laser was fired from the androids palm, and it brushed past Elaims ear. HIIIIKKK! If the aim had been a little more precise, she would have died by now. Thankfully, just before it shot, Yoo Seodam hit the androids hand to disrupt its aim. You idiot kid! Why are you giving what I told you to wear to someone else!!! H-H-He is my father For gods sake!!. Hearing her reason, Yoo Seodam couldnt say anything else. Whing-!! Yoo Seodam blocked the fist swung by the android with his fist too. His physical ability was now at a level that allows him to wrestle with a robot. However, if he knows that if he keeps this any longer, hell soon be pushed into the corner. After kicking the android in the stomach as hard as he could, he pulled out an etheric blade and pretended to wield it. At his stance, the android retreated and tried to evade. However, rather than swinging it, Yoo Seodam stepped on the ground. At that time, the earth magic prepared by the flowerpot was activated, creating a huge steel wall between them. Taking advantage of the momentarily blinded android, Yoo Seodam aimed his Winchester towards the wall. Taang-!! A volley of bullets blasted past the steel walls, before hitting the androids head. After that, Yoo Seodam quickly ran towards Elaim and shouted. Get down!!! Rumble-!! The hut shook violently. Keuk! Ngiiinnngg-!! Elaims ears rang and her vision kept shaking as her consciousness slipped away. For now, lets get out of her. Ela Grip Someone shouted, but she couldnt understand it properly. E In the end, Elaim, who fell to the floor, couldnt do anything but capture the image of the man who was screaming at her. Well For now, sleep comfortably. Eventually, silence melted into her world. CH 235 Elaim had a strange dream. In that dream, some kind of armored monster appeared, hurt her father, and even tried to kill her. On top of being strange, the dream also felt realistic. She could feel the pain vividly and even remember the voice as well as the face of the man who was trying to save her. Ugh Elaim, who was about to open her eyes, frowned as her temple throbs. You are ugly when you wrinkle your face like that. Ugh!!!!! Elaim looked up in surprise when she heard an unfamiliar voice suddenly speaking. When her gaze fell on the man whom she presumed to be the one who just spoke, she realized the face of the man who was speaking belonged to the same man she had seen in her dream. He was sitting there with a bored look on his face. Elaim, who was lying on the floor close to the crackling bonfire, immediately tried to get up from her seat. However, she could only grimace and grab her head as it throbs. At that moment, Yoo Seodam held out a pouch of walnuts he had been munching towards her. Would you like some walnuts? I heard its good for your head. Maybe because its shape is similar to a brain. The reason walnuts are good for our brain is because they are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which stimulates brain activity. Not because it resembles a brain. Is that so? Either way, its good for your head, isnt it? It should have no effect whatsoever on a headache Even though Elaim said it like that, she still accepted Yoo Seodams walnut pouch politely with both of her hands. Afterall, besides the throbbing headache, she could also feel that her stomach was rumbling. As she finished chewing her first bite, Elaim asked cautiously. My father Is he okay? Hm? Yoo Seodam looked at her and tilted his head at her question. Rather than asking who I am, where is this place, or the identity of the monster who attacked you, you asked the well-being of your father first as soon as you woke up? Elaim stared wordlessly at Yoo seodam. And then, with a smirk, Yoo Seodam answered. Your father is fine. I already treated him, so his life wont be threatened because of the wounds. Then I think you are going to finally ask the questions, so Ill answer it in advance. This place is in a forest about 100km from your house. The monster who attacked you came from the future, and I came back in time to protect you, just like them. How is it, any more questions? Waitwaitwait! What does all that mean. This forest is about 100 kilometers from your house. The monster who attacked you came from the future- If you are just going to repeat your earlier answer, just forget it! Its just Theres too much happening I cant process it As Elaim began to organize her thoughts, Yoo Seodam closed his mouth and pulled a bag of peanuts. In fact, both the bag of peanuts and walnuts were taken from Elaims hut, but it seems she didnt notice it at all. You just said that you came from the future, didnt you? Yes. As Yoo Seodam answered while chewing a peanut, Elaim met his eyes. Honestly, I have a hard time believing it. But I choose to believe you because youve saved me and my father from a monster Ive never seen in any books before. For that, too Thank you very much. Your ability to understand and adapt with the situation quickly is commendable. When Yoo Seodam nodded at his own words like an old man, Elaim asked carefully. Have you dealt with that monster? I split its head open. Then, can I return to my house now? I want to go see my father. Thats not allowed. Yoo Seodam threw another peanut to his mouth and laid his back to the chair he always brought wherever dimension he went to. There are still a lot of androids targeting you. So, you have to run away if you want to survive. . For how long? Until the problem in the future is resolved. I dont even know when that will be. We just have to trust the folks in the future and wait. The word future still felt real to her, so Elaim was silent and bowed her head. Just lie down and go get some sleep. Tomorrow we will be busy. Yes Without being able to shake her uneasiness, Elaim crawled into the sleeping bag and closed her eyes. * [Month 3 Day 28 Year 609] The next morning, Yoo Seodam, who woke up just before sunrise, woke Elaim up and left their camping site. As a means of transportation, they used a mana-powered carriage which Yoo Seodam had stolen on his way to save Elaim. After traveling through the vast wilderness for hours, they finally arrived at a city with towering buildings and towers. The name of the city was Arterial City. As it was built on a high cliff, there was a huge flying boat port there. and it was also a place that served as a transit city for many cities. Wow Elaim, who entered Arterial City for the first time in her life, scanned her surroundings excitedly without even thinking of keeping her mouth shut. The buildings were all tall, and theres a wagon flying through the sky! Roads ran through buildings, strange magic statues floated and the voices of merchants who promoted their goods using magic filled the area. However, even though there were a lot of sounds, Each and every one of them didnt disturb each other at all, so she could hear a new song with every step she took. Have you never been to the city? Thats so Originally, I was about to go to the city with my father After all of this is over, you will be able to explore the city without any trouble with your father. Haha I hope I will really be able to do so. Its fine to look around, but dont forget to cover your face. Enemies can scan your biometric information. Okay. As Elaim pressed her hood down, Yoo Seodam also wore his hat even more tightly. Fortunately, there are no artificial satellites in the year 609, so the androids tracking ability could be said as being cut to half. But since it was almost certain they still had excellent technologies, Yoo Seodam wanted to lead Elaim to a safe place as soon as possible. By the way, why did we come to this city? We are going to Rinekal Rigatuma. They said it was the safest place in the world. If it is Rinekal Rigatuma. Do you know about it? In ancient language, Rigatuma means heritage, so Rinekal Rigatuma could be interpreted as Rinekals Heritage. And history said that it was Archmage Aracelli Rinekal herself who named it. The only reason that made that place famous was because its former name was Vivienda Academy, the very same magic school where Yoo Seodam once worked as a professor. However, it had become a place which could no longer be used due to the invasion of the demons years ago. But for some reason, Archmage Aracelli claimed that place later in her life and sent it high into the sky again It was said that until now, there had never been a mage who could break through the barrier around the place which was set up by Archmage Aracelli. Hence, till now, no one had been able to enter that place. We cant enter that place I know. The security system of that place is excellent, isnt it? Then why I have the key to get in there. At Yoo Seodams words, Elaim furrowed her brows. She couldnt believe it. Inside that place, there must be a lot of knowledge and information about archmage Aracelli. Therefore, someone who enters that place would be able to become the archmage of the century. Whats wrong? You dont believe me? Honestly Not at all. Dont worry about that. Even without me, you were destined to go there. What are you talking about? She asked. She was just an ordinary country girl, how in the world was she destined to enter that place? In the first place, there was no barrier set in that place. However, I was told that only wizards with the same belief as her could enter. She was surprised and upset when she was told that no such person has appeared for over 100 years. Why do you talk like you personally know the great hero? I do know her. Elaim bit her lips tightly at his words. No matter how much she is grateful for him as he was her benefactor, she could not stand the fact that he was joking with the hero she had admired her whole life. Please dont say nonsense like that. Hm? Now that I think about it, your hut was all covered with Aracelli Rinekal biography. Do you respect her that much? Elaim quietly nodded her head, and Yoo Seodam smirked. Its amazing but feels weird at the same time. Sorry? Nothing. For now, lets quickly go. We have to take the flying boat. The flying boat?! Why are you screaming? What if you get caught? I-Im sorry After hearing Yoo Seodams words, Elaim suppressed her beating heart which had begun to pound like a drum from the excitement. She had always wanted to ride it, but she had long since abandoned that dream because she was nothing but a poor country girl. Seeing Elaim with excited expression painted across her face, Yoo Seodam put on a bitter expression. He doesnt know what she expects, but the flying boat wont be as exciting and enjoyable as she imagines. Afterall, he had a hunch that their movement had already been detected by the androids. Its only a matter of time before they catch up to them. Lets hurry. Yes! Famous or slightly larger flying boats usually have names attached to them, but Yoo Seodam only bought a ticket for an unnamed flying boat. The 12th flying boat they were going to board was huge. To compare, it was as big as a cruise ship on Earth. And as it was the cheapest boat around, there would be a lot of passengers on it. Wooong-!!! WIth a rumbling noise, the flying boat flew high into the sky. Wow Elaim exclaimed as she stood on the deck with her hooded still up. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked down to the ground. People look like ants! Yeah. The magic tower became smaller than the model toy I had at home. Wow, thats really cool. How could this be? Seodam. How do flying boats fly? The floating crystal is supporting the entire ship. Wizards control the entire ship by determining the output and direction of the floating crystal. Wooowww. Are you listening? The flying boat gradually increased its altitude. Eventually, it soared above the clouds. Since the outer surface of the flying boat was protected by a pressure shield, there was no need to worry about the pressure difference. Watching the curious and excited Elaim wander around the flying boat, Yoo Seodam also tried to enjoy a brief moment of leisure. But at that moment, out of the blue, the deck went into chaos. What? Who is that? Is it a magic show? Armors? Underneath the flying boat, an unidentified monstrous creature, wearing black steel armor, appeared. C The energy of the target has been detected. C Finding the target to eliminate it. Goddamit! Yoo Seodam cursed. He promptly ran towards Elaim as 12 B-type Androids surrounded the flying boat and stuck their arms out. Wiiingg-!!!! Boom-!! Ahhhh!! Help!!!!! When a red beam was fired from the androids hand, chaos ensued onto the deck. Seo-Seodam!!!! Stay calm. When all the androids eyes were focused on her, Elaim hiccuped and plopped down to her bottom. They are weaker than the last ones Nevertheless, he still refused to lower his vigilance. Tung! Tung! As soon as several androids landed on the deck, Yoo Seodam ran to one of them and reached towards it. Woosh-!! In an instant, an android ceased to function as he shoved his right hand into its chest area before pulling its energy core away. Shortly after he tossed it to the chest area of an android running right next to him, Seodam turned and swung his forearm to meet another androids fist head-on. Kwaaang-!! A brief struggle ensued. Just like before, the more he endured, the more disadvantageous he would become as he had to protect the people by himself. As he slipped his opposite hand into the air and pulled out an etheric blade, he tried to quickly dispose of the android in front of him. Unfortunately, he was blocked by another androids lightsaber protruding from the side. C The enemy uses swordsmanship. C Swordsmanship scan completed. C Reinforcing self to cope with the fighting style of humans. Tsk The other day, Yoo Seodam used swordsmanship when fighting an android. At that time, he destroyed them in just two hits. Back then, they judged swordsmanship to be an unknown technique, but now, they had already come up with a countermeasure to counter it by fighting with enhanced athletic ability rather than magic. Which means, his swordsmanship and magic had already been grasped by them. Should I use the Winchester? However, he threw the idea away. Guns were not suitable for dealing with large numbers of enemy at close range. Moreover, Winchester was a sniper-like firearm, which means, it takes time for it to shoot another bullet. The choice Yoo Seodam had right now was to use the ether sword. The item was a type that weakens the opponent by applying a debuff, so it was not suitable for dealing with non-living things. Reluctantly raising the ether blade, he moved quickly using the Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique. Footwork, it was a mysterious technique that even those with advanced science could not grasp. Woosh-!! When another android was cut into half, a series of laser beams rushed into its place. Yoo Seodam casted a barrier magic in one direction, avoided the lasers which were not covered by the shield and blocked some which aimed at his vitals with his swords. Then, he jumped high into the air. As the androids soared into the air to chase him, he used the skill once more and rushed towards them. C Responding to enemy attacks. As the androids built-in computer judged that it could not block that attack with only a single entity, five Androids gathered and deployed an energy shield. Wiiing-!!! Yoo Seodams sword hit the energy shield, but it did not penetrate; only creating a small crack. At that moment, light flashed from the tip of the sword, it also rotated like a drill. Moments later, a sharp needle of ice broke the energy shield and charged towards the android. When the head of one android was torn off, the energy shield naturally collapsed, and the formations of the other androids also collapsed. Ba-bang!! As a mechanical arm grasped his hands, Yoo Seodam hugged it and slammed it to the ground. Then, when another machine slammed it into his head and fired a laser, Yoo Seodam either blocked or deflected it with the ether blade. Meanwhile, Elaim was hiding in a corner and watched the fight without even blinking. She was terrified and frightened, but she didnt want to close her eyes, turning away from him as he was fighting for her. Dung-!! Dung-!! -Mission, failed. Yoo Seodam let out a long breath as he killed the last android. He then ran to where Elaim was hiding. Fortunately, she was unharmed. Elaim, are you okay? Behind you!!! !!!! As Elaim shouted, Yoo Seodam hurriedly turned around and crossed his arms in X shaped in front of his chest. In the very next moment, a red-skinned android collided head-on against his body. Kwaaang-!! When they collided, a huge shock wave spread in all directions. It was not the kind of shockwave one would imagine would occur when two humans collided. Kyaahhh! Elaim body rolled over the deck for a long time, then smashed into another wall. Ugh! Her breath was caught in her throat, and she struggled to get up. Unbelievable! Yoo Seodam cursed once again. He had just finished dealing with 12 androids, but now, another 30 androids were appearing? On top of that, every android which just came had better ability than the previous one. Yoo Seodam looked at the red android, sweating profusely. At the very least, the android was at the same level as him. If they fought in a one-on-one fight, he was certain he could kill it. But, as of now, that chance was slim. 30 D-type and C-type androids had appeared cutting through the air and blocked him from all directions. How can they send this much? Before, they could only send a single D-type android to the past, but after the last time, their amount was increasing more and more. This is going to be difficult. Yoo Seodam bit his lips tightly. Even though he always said that he only fought when he was sure about his winning chance maybe, he had always just been fighting a losing fight and had been fortunate enough to have won. Then, a sudden thought came across his mind. Wait a minute, isnt it time to pass by there? With that in mind, Yoo Seodam looked down to the ground. I didnt even have to think of any other way. As what he thought was true, he decided. Heuppp! Yoo Seodam raises the ether blade to the air, and starts to radiate mana. At the sight, the androids took on a defensive stance in their own way. Their enemys combat power was stronger than they had initially expected, so they had to deal with him properly. However, rather than attacking, Yoo Seodam concentrated all the mana he had gathered on his legs and ran towards Elaim. He took her into his arms and asked, Elaim, do you believe me? Yes Yes? Okay. Come on wait a minute Kyaaaaaaah!!! Without being able to finish her words, Elaim screamed as Yoo Seodam blitzed to the edge of the deck and jumped off the railing! The wind slapped her on the cheek, but it was nothing compared to the fear she felt. Oh, this is how Ill die, huh? Elaim thought. If she had known that she was going to die at such a young age, she would have tried dating someone. She thought so and closed her eyes tightly. Elaim a flowery 18-year-old, dies today. Goodbye world. CH 236 For a long time, Elaim kept feeling the wind hitting her body. On her way to what she presumed to be on the road to hell, she thought, What will my parents do if I die? Will they be sad? Even though I wanted to learn magic, in the end I couldnt even take a peek at a magic book. Does falling to death hurt? I hope its not. That strawberry cake that I hid, I wish I could have eaten it By the way, was falling supposed to be this long? For some reason, the wind had abated when she was deep in her thoughts. And theres no pain whatsoever from hitting the ground. She mustered her courage to open her eyes and lifted her head. Huh? What she saw surprised her; a gigantic castle, a really really gigantic castle, entered her eyes. Its towers shone brilliantly in five colors and numerous spires scattering a subtle magical field in various colors. Its definitely the first time shed seen such a place in her entire life, but for some reason, the place didnt feel extremely unfamiliar. Its due to the fact that shed read countless times about this place; the very place where Archmage Aracelli Rinekal sealed everything about her. Rinekal Rigatuma? Yeah. Yoo Seodam put Elaim down from his arms and nodded his head at her question. As he had expected, flying boat number 12 passed right above Rinekal Rigatuma. The reason was simple. These days, the Rinekal Rigatuma has become a must-see tourist attraction, unlike in the past where the place was regarded as a mysterious and mythical place. During the battle with the second batch of android, when Yoo Seodam confirmed that Rinekal Rigatuma was right below him, he grabbed Elaim without hesitation and jumped off the ship. And, as he expected, Aracellis barrier did not reject him. We really entered Rinekal Rigatuma, the legacy of the Archmage. Isnt that what I told you what we are going to do? Elaim saw Yoo Seodam with a different gaze from before. She to some extent knew that he was a great and mysterious person, but are you really acquainted with Archmage Aracelli? She wasnt an acquaintance, she is an acquaintance. Pardon? But I heard that the Archmage disappeared 100 years ago Shed been with me ever since that day. Ah Crackle-!! Crackle-!! Elaim, who was taken aback by Yoo Seodams words, looked up at the sky at the sudden sound of the explosion. She could see in the sky that androids were firing missiles and lasers in order to break through the blue curtain that stretched endlessly. Their number seems to have increased? Yeah. The army of androids now numbered in almost 50. However, with their current ability, they will never be able to break through the barrier erected by a 9th Circle Archmage. However, since they were coming from the future where they had developed a weapon system to hunt wizards, nothing would be impossible. Even now, the number of androids keeps increasing. Perhaps, as time passes, the barrier will also be broken. Even though he knew that, Yoo Seodam couldnt do anything as of now. He just has to wait and trust Aracelli. Once she finished her job, all of the androids flying in the sky would return to the future. Once that happens, only the development of Elaim awaits. She would grow stronger and will be the beacon of humanity later down the line. * [Month 9 Day 1 Year 709] When science starts to decimate the magic civilization of Vivienda Empire, the survivors hide and send a certain signal to call their hero, Archmage Aracelli Rinekal who had disappeared 200 years ago. Although Aracelli did not receive the signal, the signal that the wizards fired with hope contained the power to transcend time and space. And currently, Aracelli put her mana into the signal, amplifying its power more and more. The reason was simply to fully activate the Nine Circles in her heart. Empress Sahar looked at Aracelli with worry. Your nine circles will be restored within a week even without you doing this. What will you do if the circle breaks? The time tunnel they created is connected to Month 3 day 27 of year 609. Aracelli replied. If it was just a normal time travel, I wouldnt have been in such a hurry. Whether its months or decades, if you travel through different times and return to your original time, for everyone except yourself, it would only amount to less than 5 minutes. But they are different. However, the technique the android used wasnt time travel but time tunnel. Literally, two times were connected and flow at the same speed. If one day passes in 609, one day also passes in 709. If I waste my time waiting for my circle to return naturally, more and more androids would go to the past. Thats why Aracelli was pushing herself. She had to move quicker or her professor would be in danger. As she slowly defrost her nine circles, Aracellis blue-sky eyes become even bluer. A single magic will be enough. A battle between high-level wizards does not require a lot of magic to conclude. As the power of their every spell was out of this world, a battle between high-level magicians would end with just three to ten spells. Does science have a weapon as powerful as herself? Every wizard was already a weapon themself. Its just that they hadnt been able to shine until now because of the overwhelming number of androids. However, if it was a 9 circle magic, which had the power that went beyond even the limits of science, barely touching godhood even Empress Sahar swallowed her dry saliva and stepped back slightly. Woooong-!!!! A huge storm of mana spread from Aracellis body. Although Sahar was not a wizard, she was well aware just how great the power of a 9th circle magician is. However, as it was her very first time experiencing the power directly, she came to a realization. If she becomes a little more stronger, Im sure she can claim the title of a goddess. Flash-!! Aracelli opened her eyes. At the same time, a huge golden cog manifested around her and began to spin. In front of that spectacle, Empress Sahar could immediately recognize its identity. It was destiny or fate itself that bound Aracelli. Every human being has a certain destiny. For example, I will stumble down in 39 seconds or I will sneeze in 3 seconds etc. All events that happen to that person and every action of that person were determined by fate. However, unlike other people, Aracelli could rule over her own destiny and fate. Perhaps, she could even see something few tens of seconds or as long as a minute to the future. Moreover, she seemed to have reached a point where she could change her fate, or at least a part of it if she ever wanted to. In simpler terms, Aracelli has reached a level that makes even reality manipulation possible with magic. How Sahar was stunned. However, it wasnt due to the fact her true power was better than she thought. Rather, it was because of what Aracelli had decided to do. If she was as powerful as her, would she be able to do something like her? Leaving all of her power, wealth, and achievements behind, just so that she can be with someone? Empress Sahar doubted that she could do so. Because if she did that, she was afraid that she would become a nuisance to the person she likes. Or even died without being able to do anything for him. It seems like I also need to be more decisive. When Empress Sahar saw Aracelli opening her eyes, the space had already been turned upside down. Sahar almost inadvertently tripped her foot because of it, but she was able to remain calm. Just when? Without warning, they had already been transported to the Valley of Sleeping Heart in a blink of an eye. Aracelli said to Sahar. Can you buy me some time while I prepare my spell? That should be no problem. I will do my best. Please Having said that, Aracelli soared high to the clouds and put her palms together. As golden cogs spun violently behind her, she began to slowly correct her fate. In the ground, Empress Sahar could vividly feel Aracellis power moving beyond the sky and reaching the universe. Her magic power was ginormous and terrifying to the point even anyone could feel it even if they didnt have a detection ability or even mana. Wheeing! Wheeing! Wheeing! Moments later, alarms blared through the entirety of the valley where the heart slept. It signaled that a crisis had come to the heart of Stellar Horizon, the headquarters of science. Just 30 seconds after the alarm sounded, the sky parted and dozens of missiles started pouring down at both Empress Sahar and Aracelli. If it hits them or the ground, they will be erased without a trace. Even after knowing that fact, Empress Sahar only laughed. I dont know why you believed in me and left your back to me but She will return as much as the trust she received. Hu. As she exhaled a hot breath, steam formed in the air. Aracelli was a wizard who had reached the pinnacle of spatial magic. No human should be able to compete with her. Meanwhile Empress Sahar was someone who had an unparalleled understanding of time. Unlike their science, which travels between time by artificially drilling holes in time to make paths, she travels by using the flow of time itself. Although it is slower than sciences way, and she couldnt go as far as theirs To deal with the flow means that it was possible to even reverse the flow and manipulate it. The difference in understanding quickly became apparent. When Empress Sahar clenched her fists and moved it counterclockwise, the missiles which were flying into her started to run in the opposite direction! Boom-!! The missiles soon returned to the missile launcher and exploded. Beautiful fireworks embroidered the night sky. However, Empress Sahar smirked, as if she wouldnt let the constellation shine brighter than herself. -An unobservable level of magic wave was detected. -Finding the cause and eliminating it. -The enemy has unrecorded technical skills. But missiles were not the only weapon the androids had. More than 100 android troops were descending from the sky. At the same time, they raised their right arms and fired small missiles at empress Sahar from all sides, without leaving even a single gap. Sahar quickly raised his arms high into the sky, but it was impossible to turn back all time just like what she did earlier. It was due to the fact theres a limited amount of something she could reverse in time. And as they sent a lot at once, her power couldnt cover all of them. But she also had a way to deal with it. If its impossible to turn back time, I just need to freeze time. The name of the technique was Time Lock On. After freezing all the missiles, she time-regressed them one by one. It was her way to deal with the limitation the time reversal has. The sight was one of a kind. Missiles that were launched, missiles that stopped in mid-air, and missiles that returned to the direction they were coming from. The androids fired lasers and missiles while dodging the missiles returning at them, but none of them hit Empress Sahar. C Identifying the enemys attack trajectory. Since they had computers, Sahar was also expecting her attacks to be read. However, she just smirked at their attempt. You are trying to identify it? I dont think youll be able to.. Click-!! When Sahar snapped her finger, another 12 androids suddenly appeared in the air, fired a laser at their ally, and then disappeared again. The twelve lasers accurately hit the enemy android, and when the 12 were destroyed, the other android fell into confusion. Time loading. Until now, only time stop and reverse were used, but this time Sahar used a technique that brings the past event to the present. As it was a technology that brings history itself to the present, the burden was considerable for Sahar, but what if it happened only a few seconds ago? She could do it all day long. However There was something empress Sahar could not have imagined. -Enemy can summon past attacks. -Prepare for counterattack by loading all attack data so far. Androids were to record every move they made in a database. This All of her technique was countered. Therefore, she had no choice but to take out a sword and wield it while using time acceleration and cognitive acceleration on her own body. But even with those boosts, it was still impossible to deal with all of them alone. -Additional reinforcement arrives. -B type android team-1009 12 units, confirm participation in battle. Android reinforcements continued to come, and Stellar Horizon also appeared in the sky. Empress Sahar wiped her bleeding nose and devoted herself to defending against any attack. Even when an attack landed on herself. She tried as much as she could to not let any attack land on Aracelli. A missile stopped in front of Aracellis nose and fell to the ground. A laser breeze past Aracellis hair, and waves of her rays shook the air around her, but nothing could harm her. Thanks to this, Aracelli was able to concentrate solely on her magic without thinking about anything else, and by the time Empress Sahar finally reached her limits Flash-!! Energy exploded from Aracellis body as her blue eyes took over the world. Whiiing-!! Whiiing-!!! Whiiing-!!! Hundreds of androids explode into flames. Even though Aracelli had yet to unleash her spell, the waves of magic leaking from the spell alone had enough destructive power. -Danger, danger, danger -Preparing for enemy attacks. It seemed that an urgent order was coming from Stellar Horizon, which sensed the danger from the existence named Aracelli. However, it was already too late. Ah Kneeling on the ground while grabbing her pulsating head, Sahar looked at the sky. There, something akin to pure white sun was falling down. It was ginormous, bright, and hot. Science obviously couldnt conjure something like that. It was clear that it was real magic. -Energy waveform analysis Unable to defend. All facilities will be shut down and enter emergency evacuation mode- The Stellar Horizon quickly ascended to the other side of the sky, but the generator fixed on the ground would never be able to avoid it. With a deafening roar, a dazzling flash of light covered the area. The time it took for Stella Horizons heart to die was really fleeting. As the heart was destroyed, they will no longer be able to time travel. Haha, this is it, this is it. Not even having the strength to float his body anymore, Aracellli, who fell to the ground, smirked. However, at that moment, a part of Stellar Horizon was once again showing its gigantic form in the sky. On top of it, hundreds of androids which had not been seen before, were covering the night sky. They deployed that much android for one purpose: Fighting Aracelli Rinekal. But it was already too late because Araceli had accomplished her mission. Now I can die in peace. In the first place, she was prepared to die here. However, when she thought of someone who would be sad after she disappeared, her heart ached. Even if Im not there Im sure Professor will still be able to live on Though, she would like it if she could just see his face one last time. Huh? However, suddenly, an unknown feeling washed over her body. She mustered all of her remaining power to open her eyes. Once her blue eyes were opened, she could see some kind of creature that she couldnt explain other than that it was magnificent. It had demon-like wings on its back, golden horns which challenged the sky, beautiful white stripes all over its body, golden eyes, a lizard body, and a dragons head. It wasnt as huge as Stella Horizon, but its presence even made the sun pale in comparison. Dragon. Aracelli didnt doubt that the figure she saw was a dragon; The legendary being who was said to suddenly appears in a world in crisis, saves them, and then disappears again It circled around the sky before making eye contact with Aracelli. -I came here because the rescue signal was very intense But its over already? Huh? The vivid voice that resonated in her head was really nice and beautiful. She couldnt tell if it was a boys or a girls. -The world line is changing. I dont know what you guys did, but someone who can travel through time has successfully changed the past. The dragons expression could not be distinguished, but somehow it seemed to be smiling. -Congratulation. You have succeeded in protecting your world. In return for giving me a good spectacle, Ill give you a present. Aracelli stared blankly at the blue cube-like object that had fallen into her arms. When she lifted her head again, several other figures appeared beyond the sky. At the appearance of the unicorns, human-like creatures, angels, and a figure which looks like a snake, the dragon hurriedly spoke. -Oh my My friends are waiting for me, so I need to go. Then, I wish you good luck. At its last words, Aracelli closed her eyes. And the world slowly changed in the meantime. Woong-!! Woong-!! Woong-!! Even amidst the loud noise of the world itself opening up, Aracelli was able to have a sweet dream after a long while. Though, it was just an extremely ordinary dream of traveling the world with someone she cherished a lot. CH 237 [Day 28 Month 3 Year 609] The androids finally succeeded in breaking through Rinekal Rigatumas barrier, which was unbreachable up until the moment. Right now, the number of androids has reached 300. If a fight were to break out, both Elaim and I would be in danger. But, suddenly. [Detecting changes in the world line.] One by one, the androids in the air began to disappear. On top of it, the clouds and barriers they had pierced and torn were restored to its original state instantly. All of their missiles had also disappeared without a trace. Huh? Elaim also felt something strange, so she opened her tightly shut eyes and looked up at the sky. Meanwhile, I relaxed my grip on the ether sword and said, Elaim, Its all over. The world gradually turned white. Im used to it now because Ive experienced it countless times before. Perhaps because the reason for my existence in this timeline had gone, I was being transferred to the original time zone, which is year 709. Now you are safe. Is that so? Elaim had a bewildered expression on her face as she saw me wrapped in white light. Then she asked slowly. Are you going to go now? Yes. Because my job is over. She tried to say more, but I interrupted her by saying my piece first while pointing behind her. Elaim. Look behind you. Elaim followed my hand and looked at the panoramic view of Rinekal Rigatuma, which shone in many colors. Its the thing youve been waiting for so long. The tower behind her was once a building of Vivienda Academy, and now it was the only place in the world which was said to be holding the legacy of Aracelli. In such a place where all wizards dreams lay, can a curious girl who aspires to be a wizard withstand the zeal for learning? Of course not. Come on, wait a minute. I Can someone like me really learn magic? Of course you can learn. I said I come from the future, didnt I? In that future, you are the archmage of the era. Do you still not believe what I said? No I believe it She hesitated and muttered a word, then looked at my eyes with me. But, you are really returning to the future, right? Yeah, I think? If so, okay then! She smiled broadly and nodded her head. I will study hard until then! Until then? Before I could even ask why she chose those words, the world turned blurry. [Returning to the original time zone.] [. On day 31 Month 12 of year 699, the protagonist Scientist Partellian, who completely lost the probability, was defeated by the supporting role Archmage Elaim.] [History is turned upside down.] [You have successfully hunted a level 400 (+120) protagonist.] [Your level has been raised by 15.] [Your level has been raised by additional 3 levels after successfully hunting a protagonist who had absorbed most of the probability existing in their world.] [Your level has been raised by additional 3 levels by hunting the protagonist who had an extremely slim chance of being hunted.] [4000 days of lifeforce has been paid.] Those messages floated in front of my eyes. By the looks of things, it seems like the future Partellians power exceeds SSS rank using the power of science. By the way, I just hunted a protagonist who was just slightly weaker than Supreme Dharma. Should I delay the distribution of skills this time too? The moment I wanted to tell the system those thoughts. [A minor error occurred during the traveling process!] [Day 1 month 9 year 709 (Abandoned World)] Bzzzztttt-!! An error message popped up, and an ominous air rushed through my face. Huh? An error occurred? Ive seen countless error messages so far, but most of them were messages related to the protagonist. But what is this? An error occurred during the traveling process? What is this? I climbed the hill close to me in order to come to my senses and had a quick look around the area. At that moment, I realized that something was strange. For some reason, there was no wind at all, except right after I arrived in this world. Then, I become fully aware. The clouds in the sky, the blades of grass, the water in the river and the splashing water drops, every single one of them was unmoving. What the hell is this Hey, system, what is happening? But there was no answer. System? There were times when the system was silent like this. However, she had never become silent in front of the question which we deemed as important. At that moment, I could feel other strange things. There are no living things here. Not even a little bug could be found on the ground. The space was filled with silence. That sensation really drove me to fear. -Calm down Ah Thank you for being here The calm voice of the flowerpot echoed in the silence, where even the wind did not blow. Its truly comforting to have something familiar in this strange and unfamiliar place. -It feels strange over there Over there? I had no idea of what I should do here. Therefore, for the first time, I had no choice but to trust the sharp sense of the flowerpot, who I always ignored. I walked across the silent and still world. We crossed mountains, passed some cities, and crossed a lot of rivers. Even common rabbits couldnt be seen in the mountains. The city where there could be a floating population of millions, was empty. On top of it, since the sun did not set, I did not know how much time had passed. And since the time display of the system was stopped, I had to count the time by myself. Finally, we arrived at a certain huge valley. Though, since it was completely dry and deserted, it was too far-fetched to call it a valley; the word canyon is more appropriate. However, unlike all places. There are living things here. Huh? On top of it, it was a place that seemed to have been hit by some kind of disaster. I could see some remnants of a building which had been broken to the extent that its shape was unrecognizable. However, the original shape of the building did not matter to me because the thing which caught my attention was the weird structure situated in the middle of the valley. Hell Gate? It was a structure which looked very similar to Hell Gate. Although Aracelli had said that Hell Gate appeared in the year 709, it was in the future occupied by science. In other words, it was a history which had disappeared. Why the hell is Hell Gate still here? Even in a world where everything stopped, Hell Gate was still there. On top of it, in the pieces of Hell Gate in front of me, I could see something in the shape of a human moving busily. Slowly, I approached them and checked their heads. ? ?? ?1 #??0? #??? #?? ?? ????? #?1? #?? #??? (T/N this is Nonsense But as I couldnt think of anything, Ill just put it in there.) On top of their head, a message which I was certain was a protagonist hashtag was floating. Ive seen things like this before. It was on top of the unidentified woman who came from Hell Gate. And the guys in front of me now had a similar appearance to that woman. I drew my sword and slowly approached them. However, they only glanced at me without showing any kind of hostility. Rather, they bowed their heads to me before returning to their duties, such as tearing the ground or attaching something to it. Something is strange. Last time, that woman said she was going to kill me, but why are they acting like this right now? you guys, what are you? When I asked them those questions, they all turned their heads at me at the same time. Because of the immense pressure I felt from them, I involuntarily took a step back and took a battle stance as if the kindness they had just shown to me was nothing but an illusion. Can I win? No, it was absolutely impossible. They were not enemies which could be beaten by force in the first place. They too had the power of probability behind them, and each one was similar to or more than the probability behind me. The moment I bit my lips and was about to eject the ether blade, their movements suddenly stopped. Then, all at once, they bow their heads towards somewhere. Step-!! Step-!! Step-!! The sound of shoes hitting the ground echoed clearly despite the fact that the air does not reverberate and no sound will be transmitted. The center of the Hell Gate-like structure cracked, and someone slowly walked out from it. Huh? I couldnt say anything when I saw the figure. Seriously why did you come here? Were you that curious about the abandoned world? Although the figure was wearing glasses, had a different hair style than me, and was wearing a brown suit I had never worn in my life, theres no doubt. The figure was me! Its not just someone who looks like me. I could tell that he was me. Even though he was a completely different person from me from the tone of his voice, his expression, and even his actions, he was different. Yet he was me. I why, how? He slowly approached me while waving his hand. Then all the Protagonists in the area started to do their jobs again as if nothing was wrong with our situation. Hm? Why are you so bewildered? OH! Thats right! This is our first time meeting each other, right? How do you greet someone you meet for the first time again? Nice to meet you, Ive heard a lot about you? No no no There should have been a better greeting Then the figure said with a snake-like smile. Ah, its time for me to introduce myself, right? Nice to meet you. My name is Yoo Seodam. Youve heard the name a lot, right? !!!! Woah. It seems like I chose my greeting correctly. Im proud of myself. Who the hell are you Didnt I say that my name is Yoo Seodam? Above his head, something flashed before disappearing. I looked at it. There is only one thing which is supposed to be in that place; the protagonist hashtag. However, his protagonists hashtags were odd. The more I tried to look at it, the more it tried to run away. By the way, you have ruined my plan splendidly. If we had successfully absorbed this place as planned, we could have created a completed world Why are you so obsessed with this kind of story, really? I dont understand. What? No no no Well, it doesnt matter anymore. A gigantic existence in the completed world had even left its footprints here. They had unknowingly helped our cause. So I can continue with my plan. Just, just what are you talking about? Then, the other Yoo Seodam said to me, By the way, I want to ask you. Why are you here instead of returning to your world? Why dont you just do what you normally do? Oh, right! You cant return to Earth because your system is gone, arent you? I apologize for her disappearance. He bowed his head playfully. Your client will be a little busy from now on since I asked her to do a lot of things. So you wont be able to receive requests anymore. Its not your philosophy to put emotions into the relationship you have, right? Yes. That was undoubtedly my philosophy. But, why does this guy know that? What happened to the sys- no, her? Hm? Did you feel attached again? Well, shes fine. Shes just busy. The other Yoo Seodam said. If you are truly thinking of looking for Reina Ju, It would be better for you to not look for your system anymore. That will be the best for both of you. What? Whats the matter? Why are you so surprised? Werent you also vaguely aware of it? At that moment, all the memories I shared with the system rushed towards my mind. Do I really not know at all? Had I not been aware of it at all? A long time ago, when I just returned from the world of constellations, I could catch a glimpse of the clients face. At that time, she was wrapped in lights. So it was impossible for me to look at her. However, I remembered that I could get a certain familiar feeling from her. Ever since then, I have been living with my doubt. After all, it just didnt make sense. Why did she give me this chance? Why did she give me this power? Why did she want me to be happy? There was only one answer, wasnt there? Really the system is? Realizing that, I fell to the ground. But it was already too late. Hmm, originally, it would have been a big deal if you said something like this. Well, thanks to the plan going off, things were resolved quickly, so it doesnt matter now. For that reason, this time, Ill have to send you home. Originally, there was no such service, but since you are a very important existence to me, Ill do it for you. [You have successfully hunted the protagonist of this world.] [Returning to your original world.] But unlike usual, it was not the Systems voice who said those things but a voice of an emotionless manCme. As soon the dimensional shift occurred, the other Yoo Seodam smiled. It was a smile I had never seen before, so I was enveloped in a terrible sense of unfamiliarity. Youve worked hard for me until now. Unfortunately, this is the time to call it quits. Didnt I tell you? I want a world where anyone can be the protagonist and anyone can draw their own story. Thats why I designated you as the protagonist of All Stories. So, stick to your role until the very end. For all of us. Right after those words ended, I found myself back on Earth. Huh. I sat down on the floor and grabbed my head. It was really hard for me to accept what had just happened. System? Just in case, I tried to call her. Someone with a kind voice who always gave me strength, became my helper, and always listened to my concerns when I was mentally struggling. Reina? However, no answer ever came back. CH 238 Month 9 Day 2 Year 709. When Aracelli rose from her slumber, the world had turned upside down. She woke up in Vivienda, where science and machines didnt exist at all. Everything was united under magic, and the truth of all things in heaven and earth could be explained from a magical point of view. Are you awake? With her back leaned on the wall, with white wallpaper and sunlight illuminating her face, Empress Sahar asked the struggling Aracelli, while looking up from the book she was reading. Ah Aracelli slowly removed the blanket and moved her feet to the floor. At that moment, neatly designed slippers wrapped around her feet. This place is a hospital. The system is running with magic, not science, so you dont have to worry about it. everything has returned to normal. She put strength on her feet and forced herself to walk towards the window. Looking at the world beyond the window, Stellar Horizon, which covered half of the sky, was no longer there. On top of it, the existence of aircraft, as well as the drones which made both the clouds and the earth scream, couldnt be seen. The city of machines, which didnt have any other color besides gray, disappeared, replaced by magnificent magic towers that shine in five colors. On the street, children who aspired to be wizards ran with laughter plastered on their faces while holding on to a broomstick on their hand. Meanwhile, on the roof of the building, wizards enjoying their sweet relaxing time on top of their carpet could be seen. That is so. It is recorded that 10 years ago, on the 31th day of month 12 in year 699, the leader of the Science Revolutionary Army, Partellian, was killed by the Archmage Elaim, who is said to be the successor of Aracelli Rinekal. What happened to that wizard named Elaim? That I dont know. Empress Sahar closed the book in her hands. After that day, she completely disappeared. Just like the hero of the past, Aracelli Rinekal. She may be dead, or she may be wandering somewhere. Who knows Ah Somehow, it felt weird to hear people say that the Archmage Elaim was her successor. She left after solving many of the problems the magical society had to solve. In order to root out the reason behind the science revolution that started from the magical knowledge gap between the rich and the poor, she shared all her knowledge about magic with society so that anyone could learn her magic. Compared to the knowledge of the Archmage Aracelli and Elaim, the familial magic owned by all the long-standing families was nothing. So a huge social change occurred. Shortly after Elaim spread her knowledge to the public, those who held high positions simply because they came from good families were stripped. And the Vivienda Magic Association were willing to hire anyone talented regardless of their background since Arcmage Elaim herself was someone from a commoner background. Thus, the concept of nobility itself completely disappeared. Now, anyone can learn and use magic, and anyone can make their dreams come true by putting enough effort. I wanted to meet the person who is called my successor We cant help it.. But, who knows? Maybe someday, well get a chance to meet her. I hope so. Having said that, Aracelli suddenly remembered Yoo Seodam. What happened to Professor? Did he return safely to this timeline? Empress Sahars hand stopped turning the page of the history book at that moment. She sighed, closed her history book, and stared blankly out her window. He didnt return to this timeline. His presence suddenly disappeared immediately after the world line changed. When Aracelli closed her eyes and focused, she realized that Empress Sahars words were true. Anytime, anywhere, if Yoo Seodam was in the same dimension as her, she would always be able to feel his presence, even if the time period was different. However, for some reason, Yoo Seodams existence was currently so far away. I think he has returned to his home world. If he really returned safely and is still alive that alone gives me peace of mind. Thats right But for some reason, Aracelli didnt feel relieved at all. On the contrary, she felt that something ominous was brewing. After all, even at this moment, his presence was still getting farther and farther away. Just why. Aracelli bit her lips as the unknown sense of uneasiness that she had never felt before washed over her. * In a huge artificial island in the Pacific Ocean, stood the Hell Gate World Research Center. It was said that tens of billions of dollars were invested every year in that very place, whose only function was to observe and study Hell Gate. However, no government nor organization had ever voiced their objection, even though they had to pay that outrageous sum every year. It was due to the fact that every single one of them were perfectly aware that their life could really be over when Hell Gate starts running rampant. An unknown territory that humans cannot conquer. Is Hell Gate really a dungeon? Or is it a Gate? Or is it another unobserved natural phenomenon? Since human beings still had no clues about dimensional science yet, scientists predicted that it would take at least 100 years for them to complete their research on it. So people of Earth waited patiently for the day scientists could conquer all the anomalies that occur in the Hell Gate dimension and finally reveal the identity of the Hell Gate itself. However, Hell Gate did not wait for them. -Breaking news from Busan! The Busan Tower had collapsed! S Rank Hunter Kim Kwang-wook and 17 other superhumans died! -139 civilians went missing due to an anomaly that occurred in the state of Texas. According to the American Anomaly Research Institute, the phenomenon is related to Hell Gate -New Murim League has yet again resolved another anomaly phenomenon. However, as the frequency of the occurrence increases day by day, concerns are increasing among the civilians. -The International Supernatural Phenomenon Association has announced their official position, We will find out about the anomaly as soon as possible. Unexpected phenomena began to occur all over the world. This anomalyC completely different from normal dungeons, gates, and cracksCwas characterized by the disappearance of the damaged area. When everyone across the globe was grasped by the fear of thosr strange anomaly, the situation spiralled even more when otherworlders with power of SS rank or higher begun to terrorize people all over the places. C It turns out that the otherworlders that terrorised Earth came from Hell Gate. -According to the words of Dr. Lacanthal, an otherworlder belonging to the Another League Guild, the otherworlders from Hell Gate is a higher species of humans, and so far, there are no found weaknesses. -If you find a Gray Human, please report it immediately. Gray Human. It was a name bestowed by the humans for the pseudo-humans which come from Hell Gate. Each of those individuals had at least SS rank level stats, so theres only been a few cases of successfully killing it so far. However, since their numbers were still low, there was no major damage thanks to the systematic movement of the Hunters but people were aware that if this phenomenon continues, there will be no safe place on Earth. Therefore, concerns were spreading. In the headquarters of the New Murim League, Seol Jungyeon was having a meeting with the head of the Federal Anomaly Safety Committee of the United States who came to visit her. so, in other words, you want me to just stay in America without going anywhere else, right? Thats right. For the time being, I hope you will do your best to keep America safe as much as possible. Of course, we will compensate you plenty. The Federal Anomaly Safety Committee was a separate organization from the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association. Their sole purpose was the safety of the United States. No matter what happened in other places on Earth, the safety of the United States was their only concern. Before the Hell Gate phenomenon occurred, their movement was rare. It was due to the fact that there was no danger which threatened the well-being of the United States. Therefore, they were pretty obscured from the light. But when the organization was first established 20 years ago, the United States was criticized severely by the rest of the world. Im speechless. When Seol Jungyeon swept her platinum hair behind her shoulder, the chairman of the Federal Anomaly Safety Committee swallowed his saliva and looked down to the floor. She was more seductive than anyone else in the world. However, the chairman didnt have the guts to even try to seduce her, as at the same time, she was also the most frightening entity in the whole world. The only superhuman with the strength of SSS rank in the whole world. If only he could tie her to only working for America, the damage America will suffer will decrease exponentially. Do you know who I am moving for? Yes. I know that you have a close relationship with Another League Guild. And you still say those words to me knowing that? The chairman nodded her head. We are aware that they have reorganized your martial arts and provided your group a place to live. But we promise to give you even more than that. Once this situation ends, we will create a city for your group. On a real, gigantic piece of land, not in sub-dimension like this. We will also provide you some financial aid. If you have any desire in the political world, you could also do that. You are wrong. Pardon? The chairman tilted his head. Then, the woman across from him stared straight into his eyes, making him quickly stare at the ground. Because her gaze was completely different from her gaze from before. The reason I have a close relationship with Another League is not because they have given me so much. Then, then When the chairman asked the reason, Seol Jungyeon kept her silence. After all, its not like she could tell people her reason. From now on, I will continue to work not only in the United States but also around the world, and that fact will never end, so please go back. I understand. When the chairman left the room, Seol Jungyeon leaned back on the chair and let out a long deep sigh. The chairman she just talked with was already the seventeenth person who came to her. They all asked her to use her powers for themselves. Amongst them was China and various other conglomerates from all over the world. They all promised her the same; a huge sum of money plus more rewards. That fact made her realize just how grave the situation was. People were afraid. It was because of the Hell Gate. To be precise, the destruction caused by Hell Gate. I just dont know how the world is going to be However, after a moment of worry, when the light passing through the window went out and the light on her monitor came on, she turned her gaze to it. From the anomalies occurring around the world to the appearance of the Gray Human, everything was being briefed on her monitor in real time. Standing up from her seat, Seol Jungyeon grabbed her sword. Once she made her mind over something, she will not break that oath until the very end. Im not entirely working for the world, though. But only to protect the ones she loves. * Russia, Vladivostok. Alexandre Blestash, the head of the Blestash family who specialized in light-type power, invited Taylor Blestash for a talk. Taylor, who normally wouldnt have returned to Russia, decided to accept his invitation because in the handwritten message her father wrote, there was a passage which said, I have something I want to say to you, so please come back. Although the relationship between them was by no means good, in the end, Taylor was a human who could easily be moved by family ties. What is it? Taylor asked curtly. Taylor, I know you are well aware of the recent phenomena. And since you belong to the Another League, you might even have more intelligence than us. Well, thats right. Taylor responded half-heartedly as she twisted her straight hair that mimicked the hairstyle of the female lead in the movie Leon 3. The reason why she responded like that was because the place where she was invited to was not Bleshtash mansion, but a restaurant in the downtown area. If she had been told to come home, she might have returned by plane. Aleksandr Blestash spoke slowly in a low-pitched voice. You know, this time its different. The world is too dangerous for you to be active any longer. Return to the family now. Its okay if you dont show up and just play and eat. I just want you to be quiet and be protected by the knights of our family at home. Ah really. Taylor snorted at her fathers words. But Alexandre just continued his speech. I cant deny that Another League is a great guild. Afterall, its a guild which has become the most famous guild on Earth. However, I judged that our family will be safer at our mansion rather than anywhere else. Therefore, Taylor Blestash, please, cant you come back to your family? Its the first time Taylor had ever heard Alexandre make such a request. But Taylors heart did not waver. Hm If youre worried about me like that, why dont you just lead the whole family into the Another League? That Of course, I know you cant. The dialogue itself was not established in the first place. Both Alexander and Taylor knew that from the beginning. However, both of them were not bothered by it in the slightest. They were satisfied with it. Yes, if that is your will, then please remain there. Alexandre got up first, and said while he passed right beside Taylor. I just want you to know that this father cares about your safety. After saying that, the head of the Blestash family left the restaurant. Leaving Taylor alone fiddling with the steak in front of her with a fork. He left without even eating it. Taylor grunted and put down the fork. Because even if she knew she would die tomorrow, she would never eat alone in a restaurant. After leaving the restaurant, Taylor fastened her coat and took in a few breaths. The weather wasnt particularly cold, but somehow, she felt incredibly lonely. Wooooooonggg-!! A squadron of fighter planes passed through the sky. It was not the first time today. It was proof that something strange had happened again somewhere. The current Earth was not as peaceful as before. Therefore, the street was deserted and no one came out from their house. Food from stores and shopping stores had long since been out, either bought in bulk, or stolen. There were more and more people on the internet saying they would teach anyone how to build a shelter, and the overall atmosphere of society was changing. Nevertheless, Taylor remained in the Another League. Where the hell did that motherfucker disappear to? And why in the world did he still havent returned Because the most reliable person whom she cherished a lot was there. Tiring! As she was walking down the street, her phone rang. When she looked at it, it was a text message notification. [Sender: Yoo Seodam] After confirming the sender, Taylors expression brightened. However, after checking the contents, her complexion gradually worsened. This bastard What is he thinking? CH 239 After returning to Earth, I thought a lot. What should I do next? The moment the system disappeared, I became alone once again. Just like the days when I was still nothing but an F rank hunter with no superpowers, who struggled to earn a living every day somehow. Of course the me back then and the me right now are different. I am no longer powerless. My current power level was close to SS rank. On top of it, as the master of the worlds best guild, Another League, I stood tall in the hunters industry, and I had a lot of people who trusted and followed me. However, all of them only existed for one goal. Reina Ju. That was the goal I created right after I woke up from the death door and gained a new life. To be more precise, the goal was to enter the Hell Gate and bring her back. Ive been running as hard as I could for that one goal until now. However, everything went wrong. Theres absolutely no way around this situation. The road ahead of me was dark and foggy. I couldnt see anything. That said, I will not sit down in despair. After all, my life has always been filled with a series of gloomy darkness. Like a wanderer wandering blindly through the dark and deep forests, like a shipwreck drifting on the vast open seas, like a climber who has to navigate through mountain ranges covered in pure white snow with no sense of direction. Thats my life. However, in the end, I always managed to find the right path. It wouldnt be much different this time. Reina Ju was inside the Hell Gate. Thats for sure, right? -Eung~ Maybe~ It will be simple. Everything will be okay once we go through Hell Gate. However, will I be able to get through Hell Gate with my own strength? Of course not. I will be borrowing the power of my friends to overcome the trials inside the Hell Gate. Postponing the plan any longer is impossible. Right now, Hell Gate is actively absorbing the energy of countless worlds, including Earth. On top of that, I cant increase strength any more. No, wait. Theres one more way left. It was to be a protagonist. However, if I become a protagonist, I would receive the fate that will lead my world to destruction. Wouldnt it be meaningless to save Reina if the world collapsed? The guy who looked like me told me to do what I usually do. What I usually do Thats hunting the protagonist. But why did he force the protagonists to be killed? Obviously, there must be a reason. At that time, a sudden thought occurred to me and I lifted my head. Although the client had disappeared, there was still a notification floating in the air. [You have successfully hunted the protagonist Partellian.] [Do you want to absorb his talents and skills?] Yes. What I did was not simply killing a protagonist. After hunting them, it was also my job to absorb the probability and a fraction of their power. My probability, which was mixed up after absorbing the probabilities of countless worlds and stories, were always on a tightrope. When the probability became excessive, they were forcibly consumed immediately, and when the probability became excessive again, they would have to be used again. The circle always continues. After all, it is impossible to completely erase the probability that begins to build up in the body. There is also a limit to consuming probability this way. At the time, I didnt think much of it. It was something I had to be a little more careful about Just like I couldnt acquire a skill due to excessive probability after hunting protagonist Lee Dong-jun, who was at level 500, I was planning not to acquire a skill after hunting Partellian, who was at level 400. However, if If I become the protagonist of Hell Gate, what will happen? What if Hell Gate is also treated as a dimension? So, what if I could destroy it by becoming its protagonist? Of course I cant be sure that it will work. Before questioning whether Hell Gate was a normal world or not, there were already a lot of protagonists there. I guess I just have to find out from now on. Now that I have decided what to do, its time to move. Immediately after turning on the smartphone and checking the contact information, I sent a text message to the guild members of Another League. [Another League Guild Master Return Notice] And, after thinking for a while, I sent another text message. [Hell Gate attack schedule notice] * After the Anther League Guild became the number one guild in the world through their exploits, the presence of its executives became so famous to the point it outshone the fame of most top star celebrities. For example, when Yekaterina buys a cheap 5,000 won T-shirt and wears it, it will become a hot fashion item and all the women will follow her fashion. Just like other members, the netizens always had this one question in their head. Where and what did the guildmaster do? He often hid himself by saying that he was going to dispatch. He also did not appear in public for quite a long time and only appeared when something grim happened on Earth. Each time, netizens speculated by saying, Isnt Yoo Seodam actually dispatched to a different dimension? There were a lot of negative comments on that topic, and Another League kept silent as if they would not answer those useless questions. In fact, when he killed Saek-ma, Yoo Seodam announced to the world that he was someone who had affairs related to dimension. He even returned from a completely closed crack, didnt he? Yoo Seodam was also the one who revealed the power of magic and mugong, which did not exist on Earth. He also took in not only the returnees from other worlds, but also other races from other dimensions. For that reason, there were a lot of people who believed that he was well-versed in dimensional-related study, and publicly, he has already become a being who could go to other dimensions. Not only them, even the people who occupied powerful positions in the world also believed so. Unlike netizens, those people always had those possibilities in mind through a fairly accurate source of information. Therefore, it was only natural for them to move quickly as soon as Yoo Seodam announced his return and declared he was going to attack the Hell Gate. How will he attack the unknown dimension called Hell Gate? United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War about 30 years ago, the UNSC, which was greatly reorganized because of the arrival of superpowers, added war on monsters in its regulations along with preventing international acts such as wars between nations, aggression, and terrorism. Most of the cases were handled by the The International Supernatural Phenomenon Association and the International Association of Superhumans, but when an event large enough to shake the worlds peace occurs, they will eventually move. It was not a coincidence that UNSC grew interested in Another Leagues movements, or rather, it was only a natural choice-of-action. The UNSC had approached Seol Jungyeon several times to receive the protection of the most powerful martial artist, no, human on the planet. And in the process, they discovered that Seol Jungyeon had shown considerable obsession towards Yoo Seodam. No matter how many rumors about Yoo Seodams dimensional shift circulated on the internet, even though it was said to be an almost definitive fact, an international group like the UNSC could not move only based on a mere rumor. However, the Murim Lord told them, He knows more than all of us, and even Lacanthal, the leader of the otherworlders, who was now working as a Hell Gate researcher, said, I dont know much about it. I think it will be better if you guys ask Yoo Seodam about it. In other words, the two most powerful people on the Earth had told them, Go and ask him. He should know better than us. At this point, there is surely something about him. It was a conclusion they drew when Lacanthal, who was unparalleled in terms of dimensional-related science, and Seol Jungyeon, who had reached a level higher than any other superhuman on Earth, both strongly recommended Yoo Soodam to them. -So, you want us to just leave the job to one hunter? United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Originally, the meeting hall of the UN headquarters was a place where the original 6 chairperson could be found. However, this place was currently reserved for only one person, the UN Secretary-General. -Huh, how did the UN become like this? -From the beginning, 15 years ago, when we invited hunters to the UN, it was definitely wrong! -Che. What would the people of the world think of us? Its not funny. Numerous negative voices were heard from the hologram floating in the air, but UN Secretary-General Allen still looked at them indifferently. Hes been to Hell Gate, and even has a broader knowledge of dimensions than any other scientist on Earth. Cant we just trust him? -Thats absurd! It would surely be fine if we just took his advice for use, but to leave all the decisions to him is not! United Nations Security Council (UNSC). In fact, their opinion of treating the UN as a puppet may be justified from a certain point of view. As it is a parliament that protects the international community, it is undeniable that the image is important. But more important than that, was whether or not peace could be maintained in the end. C Cancel it and kick him out. There must be another way! Another way Allen shook his head. He didnt expect them to agree in the first place, but he didnt expect it to be this bad. The guys in front of him were old men who believed it was because of their presence that the system of psychics was properly established, and thanks to this, they were able to win the war against monsters. Therefore, no matter what he says, it would be of no use. Theres only one way to convince those old men, who believe they were contributing more to world peace than the hunters, who were rolling on the battlefield, risking their own lives. Then, please have a meeting with Yoo Seodam directly and have a conversation with him. He should have never met them, but Allen had no choice but to have that person talk face-to-face with them. C You want us to talk directly with him? Yes. I already invited that person to this event. He said he had a way to make sure of his success in attacking the Hell Gate. -What? -Youre lying. You and that Hunter You will find out the truth of my words soon. In the hologram, the board looked at each other and reluctantly agreed. Please, I hope you persuade them. Allen hoped so and called for Yoo Seodam, and the back door of the spacious conference hall opened and the man leisurely walked in. The appearance of wearing an ether suit instead of a working suit was not very suitable for this place, but it represented his identity more than any other attire. Wow, the UN. Yoo Seodam, who was looking around the conference hall with curious eyes because he did not expect to ever come to the UN headquarters in his life, stood in front of the hologram of the board of directors. Then, he said, Its me. Lets all cooperate. Khuk! -Wha-wha At that brazen attitude, Allen coughed. It was such a funny moment which would surely enter Allens top 3 moments of his life. CH 240 A day before. The executives of the Another League, including the actual Guild Leader Yekaterina, and the representatives of different races, such as Lacanthal, Taylor Nine, and the Spirit King, gathered together without hiding their anxious expressions in the conference room of the headquarters. The cause was because Yoo Seodam, who announced that he would attack Hell Gate, had called for a meeting. However, after summoning them, Yoo Seodam only sat in the chairpersons seat, leaned back, closed his eyes and didnt say anything, as if he was waiting for something. When Yoo Seodam fell silent, the others were also silent. Tick-!! Tick-!! Tick-!! Time passed, and after about fifteen minutes of complete silence, Taylor, feeling impatient, smashed her hand onto the desk. Hey! If you called someone, you should say something!! Thats it! what, what? At the same time as Taylor shouted, Yoo Seodams eyes opened, and Taylor flinched. Actually, I almost died from suffocation. I was waiting for you to break the atmosphere. What are you saying you b*st*rd? Yes. Yoo Seodam was the last to arrive at the conference hall, but for some reason everyone was holding their breath and waiting with tense expressions. Therefore, It was difficult to open his mouth hastily, because Yoo Seodam had never experienced such an atmosphere before. You b*st*rd with no sense of humor, seriously? Seodam-nim it is okay for you to say anything you have in your mind. The atmosphere has calmed down a lot now. Yoo Seodam leaned back on the chair and gazed towards each of them sharply. Hey. I heard you even texted the reporters that you will be attacking Hell Gate? Hehe, there are such rumors floating around? I am really looking forward to it. Yes. Its a total mess outside. Thanks to Seodam-nim, the employees are having a hard time answering the phone calls. When Yoo Seodam announced to the media that he would attack Hell Gate, the world, which was already chaotic, became even more so. In some media sources, it was pointed out that it was nothing but a noise marketing tactic, but at the same time, there were also people who wrote articles such as, Lets pray for Another Leagues success!. The world reported Yoo Seodams words in various ways, and it was something the Another League didnt want very much. Isnt it okay if I did it quietly? No. Thats not allowed. Yoo Seodam shook his head and said. I really intend to attack Hell Gate, but our strength alone is not enough. were you really planning on doing it? Of course. When was the last time you ever saw me lying? Huh? You borrowed money from me to buy coke 12 years ago and havent paid it back until today. Yoo Seodam took two five hundred won bills from his pocket and rolled them over to Taylor. Anyway, I am really going to go into Hell Gate and carry out the raid. To do that, we need the strength of the people of the guild. When people wanted to join another League, instead of giving them better conditions than the other guild in order to make sure they joined the guild, Yoo Seodam put one clause in the contract, which would surely make them think twice to join. I will fight for the guild master just once in the future. After all, he never gave away his own things for free. On top of it, Another League was his first step towards Hell Gate. However The situation of those who were not bound with contract to Yoo Seodam was different from the people who did. If there is someone who does not want to participate in this fight, please tell me separately later. I do not intend to force you into joining the battle. After saying this, Yoo Seodam gave them some time to think. No one spat out thoughtless words like, No, Ill follow you anyway! because they know, if they said that, even someone who doesnt really want to go may be forced to go. Then, lets stop here for today. I got a call as soon as I told the plan to the press. He chuckled and showed them a text message from Allen, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Back to the present. Haa. Yoo Seodam entered the UN headquarters and spat out some bombshell-like words. There is no way the UNSCs board of directors can stand still after hearing that. They all burst into rage. C Hey, hunter! What did you say just now? -This is why hunters who didnt have proper education are so C What are you doing? You are rude In front of their belittling words, Yoo Seodam simply pulled a drink from his pocket. It was strawberry juice in a bottle with the face of a penguin character Pengroro on the front which was greatly emphasized. Pop-!! As Yoo Seodam was drinking it all the way out loud, Allen thought that this was a good thing. After all, if Yoo Seodam, who is one of the best hunters around the world, had come all the way to this place and ended up caving in at their words, the pride of all those old folks who think hunters were nothing but their chess piece would soar even higher. At this point, the thought of wanting to squash their arrogant mug came to Allens mind, however, with great patience, he swallowed it in. The board of directors was outraged and continue to point out Yoo Seodams actions, and when the situation showed no signs of improving and signs that something was about to explode start to show, -Lets stop. A man, who had been quiet so far, opened his mouth. Moments later, everyone becomes silent. At that time, Yoo Seodam, who wanted to have a conversation, put down his drink and straightened his posture. -Hunter Yoo Seodam. I was familiar with your antics through the stories Ive heard, but I didnt expect you to be this rude. I think its better to call me someone with thick guts. -Whatever you want to be called is of no concern for us. But do you truly have enough power to back up your guts? If I dont have it, why do you think I am still acting like this? At least I am thoughtful enough to think about such a thing. -Then Can you try to convince us right now? As soon as those words fell, Yoo Seodam took his smart tablet out with his arms. It was quite surprising that a machine almost the size of a grown mans torso jutted out from the inside of the thin ether suit, but no one questioned about that. Ppa-!! Then, a hologram floated in the air, and a map of a certain terrain was roughly displayed on it. On the map, which looked like a slice of pizza, a reddish mass of energy was flashing. This is a map of the terrain inside Hell Gate. It was something based on some of the terrain I had explored in the past. -Ridiculous! I know that almost all of the data at that time has been lost! Yes. So I went straight into my own mind to make this.. Thats not surprising, isnt it? Actually, the map Yoo Seodam drew was really the terrain he had explored in the past. He even put another piece together to create the perfect Hell Gate shape, but the rest was blank and unfinished. On top of it, there was a disconnected part in the unfinished part, and Yoo Seodam pointed at it and said. If an egg has a white and a yolk parts, and the Earth has an inner core and layers, there are also layers in the Hell Gate. And the last expedition I participated in managed to break through the second layer and retreated when the third layer was right in front of us. When Yoo Seodam talked about Hell Gate in detail, no one cut his words off. Although all of them had a dissatisfied expression on their faces, they had no choice but to put that aside and listen. In the past, in order to pass that layer, we had to move forward with the sacrifices of countless hunters. It was due to the fact that in Hell Gate, what was on the north side yesterday might be the west side today, and it was difficult to just break through that space where the top and bottom are indistinguishable. Until this part, all Yoo Seodam had said was all true. But from now on, lies are going to be mixed. A lie which was covered in truth, which was only possible because of the image Yoo Seodam had built for himself so far. However, this time, we will not go through that complicated and dangerous road. Using my ability to penetrate dimensions, we will break through the crack easily and move forward. -To break through a crack Is that really possible? Of course, it is impossible. Of course, its possible. Since his connection with Reina Ju had been cut off, he no longer had the ability to move between dimensions. Thanks to the dimensional shift he had experienced, he could feel the dimensional wavelength, but it was still impossible for him to do anything beyond that. The reason Yoo Seodam chose to tell such lies was because it was close to impossible to explain the madness hes trying to do in the Hell Gate to them. Which one of them is going to understand the existence of protagonists and probability? Even within Another League, less than five people know about the existence of the protagonists, so it was not easy to reveal the fact to the world. However, Yoo Seodam did not explain his plans to those who knew about the protagonists. The same plan that he explained to the board of directors of UNSC, who were in front of him now, was also laid out in the conference room of Another League. After all, the goal is to become the protagonist of Hell Gate. Only I can handle it. In the past, the Hell Gate Expeditionary Force could not penetrate the third wall, and Yoo Seodam still couldnt forget the memories of that time. The first layer of Hell Gate was infested with monsters which attacked indiscriminately, and the moment the expedition reached the second floor, they encountered a trap. The monsters there had minimal intelligence. As if they had formed a society, other monsters bow down under a powerful leader and do not invade each others territory. In addition, the very clever monsters dug traps and even hunted for prey, but the Hell Gate Expeditionary Force was caught there. The oddly shaped monster that looks like a monkey when seen from the side, a gorilla from the back, a dinosaur from the bottom, and a toad when seen from above formed a neatly polished road for humans to walk on. And, when they entered so deep that they could not escape. The monster rolled up its tongue and swallowed them. The first floor is just a taste of Hell Gate, not the real thing. The real Hell Gate unfolds from the second floor. And Yoo Seodam had no intention of taking his companions to the second floor. -Penetrating the three layers and breaking the Hell Gates core. Is that your plan? Thats right. You are very understanding. The board of directors was silent. Then, soon after, the old man from earlier broke the silence and asked a question. -Then, are you planning to lead UN forces into the Hell Gate? No. At first, they couldnt believe his words. However, they soon understand that Yoo Seodam was someone who knew how useless troops were inside Hell Gate. He wouldnt take them if he thinks that they were not good enough, no matter how strong they were. You must be the focal point for all hunters around the world. As you know, the moment the expedition enters the Hell Gate, the monsters that exist inside will be pouring towards Earth. Since quite a few Hell Gate expeditions have been attempted so far, it was a fact they knew well. This time around, the scale will be different. Even at this moment, alien races called Grey Humans are continuing to invade from inside the Hell Gate, and Hell Gate is absorbing the energy of the Earth. Isnt that right? In other words, the role of the United Nations will be cleaning up. Which means, when Another League goes in to perform the main mission, they will stay outside and catch all the mobs. However, it was not a bad proposal from the UNs point of view. After all, if Yoo Sseodam actually clears the Hell Gate, the UN can once again argue that they have contributed to world peace, and it will be very safe because they dont even have to go inside. The board of directors gave a positive opinion because they thought they could overcome this situation without suffering significant damage to their troops, compared to the prize they would get in case the expedition was successful. -I will also accept your idea, like the others. Let me trust you and leave it to you. In that way, the sketch for entering the Hell Gate was drawn to some extent. Now, there was only one thing left for Yoo Seodam to do. [Are you sure you want to absorb the skills and talents of protagonists Partellian?] [Warning! It has a very strong probability!] A message that Reina Ju might have left behind secretlyCthe notification window of skill absorption. After she disappeared, she recorded a number of warning messages and left them behind in case Yoo Seodam misunderstood her. But he had no intention of listening to such a recorded message. He will only hear her once they meet in person. CH 241 The Another League Guild was established less than three years ago, but their impact on society rose steadily during that time. For example, thanks to them, if someone wanted to be a hunter, but did not have any talent for superpowers, they could try walking the path of mugong or magic. There was also Another Leagues new technology; a product which was created by combining ether engineering and magic engineering and was constantly developed by the magic engineers belonging to the Matop built in the name of Yekaterina. They also reorganized mugong and magic to make it more suitable to deal with monsters. Even at this moment, countless aspiring hunters from all over the world were gathering to learn from them. The Another League, which produced numerous inventions and many talented people in a very short period of time, had only one purpose, and that was to attack Hell Gate. No soul on Earth was unaware of this fact. This was due to the fact that Must be prepared to attack Hell Gate was written as the first condition for joining the guild. Thanks to that, one of Yoo Seodams nicknames circulating on the internet was Hell Gates survivor or Hell Gates crazy man, and his obsession with Hell Gate was so famous that even a kid on the other side of the world would know about it. But no one who joined the Another League took that condition seriously. It was due to the fact that the Hell Gate subjugation would only happen in the far, far future. -As Another Leagues guildmaster, Yoo Seodam, announced that he would attack Hell Gate, the United Nations announced that they would actively support his endeavor. -Dr. Jang Young-wook. Is it really possible to successfully attack Hell Gate? -In fact, it is considered as close to impossible. However, for the UN to support the action of one guild in Korea, there must definitely be a reason. The media pounced on the topic like hungry sharks, but the opinions of experts they interviewed were mostly negative. Thanks to that, the atmosphere inside Another League also began to stir. You really dont want to go, do you? I dont know. In the past, my friends envied me for joining Another League, but now they pity me. Ah. Im really going crazy!!! Should we just run away? Are you crazy? Do you know what will happen to us if we run away from the battlefield which was chosen by the guild for us? But, isnt that still a lot better than dying? However, even though there was constant unrest among the guild members, Yoo Seodam never had any intention to take the members who had just joined the guild. The personnel he was thinking of bringing were the 50 swordsmen and magicians growing up under Yekaterina. I will go. Kang Hyuk-do said. He had been training kendo for 30 years and had been called a master of swordsmanship to this day. Since he was a man who excelled in only one technique, the moment he realized how to practice mana and how to strengthen his body with mana, his growth, which had halted for a long time, finally raged like a storm. Thanks to that, his status rose in an instant, and now he has surpassed the level of S Rank, and hes already looking at the gateway of SS Rank. If Kang Hyuk-do is going to go, I will also follow. The grace I received from the guild is not small by any stretch. On top of it, if you have the strength you need to fight, but decided to run away from a fight because of fear, you dont deserve to call yourself a martial artist. The growth that was experienced by Kang Hyuk-do was also experienced by other swordmasters. The moment they learned how to accumulate mana, they showed a terrifying growth, like water which had finally burst from the dam that had been closed for years. On the other side of the coin, the magician of the Another League did not have the privilege to experience what the swordsmens was experiencing. The magic engineers in the tower were all excellent enough to combine magic with science, but it has only been about two years since they first encountered magic and mana, and with that amount of time, it was simply impossible for a magician to achieve a high enough circle to be useful in a fight. It might be possible if they had witch blood mixed in their blood like Yekaterina. However, in general, after studying for about two years, they could only achieve 1 to 2 circles while the talented ones would go up to 3 circles. That kind of power was nowhere near enough to fight in A rank dungeon, let alone in Hell Gate. But This is the Chomana Ether Collapsing Cannon that we developed. Theoretically, it could kill an A rank monster in a single blow, and if its compatibility is good, it is also possible to kill an S rank monster This is Mulun High Radar. The rune word mulun means to lick the ground, and this device will keeps you from getting lost even in dark and unfamiliar places, and automatically records the terrain within a 100m radius on a map This is a healing capsule. If you put it in your mouth like a pill and eat it, your wound will be healed in an instant. However, serious lethargy might follow as a result, so please use it only in case of emergency. If you attach this suit to the existing ether suit, it can withstand any environment, even in space. This gas mask can easily overcome moderate high and low temperatures, and when a poison is sprayed nearby, the built-in supercomputer immediately interprets it and will filter the poison within 3 seconds. . . . Also, this thing. Immediately after the discovery of the new energy called ether, the level of human science developed rapidly beyond imagination. And when mana was founded, the technology once again developed at a breaknecking speed. It was a proof just how extreme humans can develop once they can handle monster energy ether, as well as natural energy mana. Another League was blessed to be able to advance the technology without burden with the support they received from numerous investors from around the world, and now it was finally time to put them to use. We are sorry. If we had had a little more time, we could have provided better equipment. Dont be. All of these things are great. Yoo Seodam could not help but admire Yekaterina and the magic engineers as well as the researchers who had worked hard to this point. Regardless of how short the time period was for Lacanthal, someone who came from a world where magic engineering had reached its peak of perfection, to join the Another League, Yoo Seodam never thought that this much equipment would be developed to use. In addition, it seemed that most of them were equipment for combat, so it seems that Yekaterina had ordered them to prioritize development of combat equipment. The next place Yoo Seodam visited was the Murim Alliance. In fact, he had no intention of asking for help from the Murim Alliance. It was due to the fact that he couldnt help them at all recently even though he held the position of their military advisor. However, the Murim Alliance was the one who first brought the Hell Gate-related agenda towards Yoo Seodam. Murim Meeting Originally, Yoo Seodam was required to participate in this meeting as a military advisor. However, because he had been busy hunting for protagonists, he had not been able to do so. Thus, right now he was feeling extremely uncomfortable. Ummm In the conference room, the 10 elders of Murim Alliance, the head of seven main family of Murim as well as all head of the the sects, were sitting in the same space. It was something which never happened in the original Murim. And what was odder was the fact that the current head of Murim Alliance was the very same person who used to be the head of the infamous evil sect in MurimCCheonma sect. My lord. Everyone is here. Seol Jungyeon nodded when Shin Hye-ji, who had dark circles under her eyes since she was acting as the military advisor while Yoo Seodam was away, said so. In an instant, the air froze and became heavier as she scanned the whole room. Isnt she really majestic? When Yoo Seodam called for a meeting at Another League a few days ago, he felt greatly burdened as he had to make decisions for a lot of people. He only managed to calm his nervousness thanks to Taylors help before proceeding with the meeting. However, Seol Jungyeon was different from him. She did it as naturally as water flowed. She summoned all the higher-ups of the Murim, who were said to never obey someone else, and dealt with the major issues. Yoo Seodam had never known before, but as he had experienced sitting in the same position as her, he was able to re-evaluate just how great she was. Youre probably familiar with the fact that our Military Advisor is preparing to enter the Hell Gate. She deliberately emphasized the word Military Advisor and Yoo Seodam was grateful for it, but also felt sorry at the same time. We have been greatly blessed by him. If it wasnt for him, we would still be living in hiding at the edges of the world, losing all our strength and will. At that, everyone inside the meeting room nodded their heads. In Murim, people dedicated their whole lives to train their martial arts to the limit in order to pass them onto their descendants. In other words, for people of Murim, their mugong means everything. When they lost mugong, they lost everything, and when they regained mugong, they regained everything. For them, who spent their time day by day without even having a reason to live without their mugong, the grace they received from Yoo Seodam meant as something they had to pay back even with their lives. So, there was no need for Seol Jungyeon to persuade them. They were all willing to help Yoo Seodam in the first place. From the beginning, I was going to follow him. Recently, what is it called e-mail? I wrote it myself and sent it to Another League Sigh Senior, its too late for you to learn something new. Just ask your son to write it for you Hey! Writing your own words reveals the sincerity! So, the Murim meeting ended sooner than Yoo Seodam and Seol Jungyeon expected. And after everyone left, Yoo Seodam stayed alone with Seol Jungyeon to spend some quality time. I had said before that since it was the purpose of your life, I wont stop you. But, I will also follow you, so dont overdo it. Okay Actually, Yoo Seodam used to think like this: Can I really drive those I love into the battlefield for my own purpose? And since he thought that he wouldnt be able to do it. He made a grand plan. I will be stronger. Stronger than Lee Dong-joon, who has reached the state of a demigod, and stronger than White Witch, who has reached the state of godhood. If he holds strength that no one dares to surpass, he will be able to achieve his goals on his own without sacrificing his loved ones. But now things have changed. A new race of Grey Humans inside the Hell Gate invaded the Earth and even began to absorb the Earths energy. The situation was getting worse day by day, and even now, news about some city in some country had collapsed and how many people were killed in the process continues to pop out. If there was one saving grace, the news about the Grey Humans defeat reached 10, and as Hell Gates movements became more intense day by day, there was no time to wait any longer. Keep in mind. What you have gained while traveling to another world is not only life and strength, but also a lot of relationships. I always keep that in mind. Yoo Seodam said so firmly. No, you do not. What? Seol Jungyeon shook her head. The bewildered Yoo Seodam tried to examine her expression, but it was impossible because she had turned her head slightly and looked at her floor. I never treat people I have met with this power I have gained lightly. If it wasnt for the guilds opposition, I was originally going to attack Hell Gate by myself. He hurriedly tried to make excuses for her, but Seol Jungyeon remained silent. Then after a while. I no, we. Raising her head, she barely met his eyes. Somehow, Yoo Seodam was worried about her slightly red eyes. I want you to know that I think of you a lot, and I want you to think about me too She first finished her speech and then left her conference room. Yoo Seodam, who was left alone in his seat, just stood there with a stoic expression planted on his face. CH 242 Somewhere inside the Hell Gate, Reina Ju walked silently through the dark space. A lot of monitors could be seen around her. Each of those monitors showed the view of a world. A fantasy world of swords and magic; A world of sci-fi romance where artificial intelligence and humans love each other; A world of martial arts where someone wanders around the world to conquer the continent with one fist; A world where a chaebol wants to put the world under their feet with only their money; A world where the protagonist always meets a sad ending; and a world of mystery where someone is killed in a secret room once every 5 seconds. Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? How many worlds exist in this universe? That was something which Reina would never know. Ding-!! When one of the monitors went out, Reina reflexively turned her gaze onto it. It was because the fact that the monitor turned off also meant that the story of the world displayed on it was completed. In other words, that world was completely over. ding-!! ding ding ding-!! [Thank you for loving I got to the 99th floor, but Im too lazy to challenge the 100th floor.] [Thank you for loving Murims Big Mouth: I rule the world with my mouth.] [Thank you for loving My love dies today too] [Thank you for loving, Void No. 19, Disappearing Sailors] However, there were not only one or two worlds that were approaching their end. Countless worlds were running towards the end with every ticking second. The worlds, which were destroyed in that way, will later be absorbed by the Hell Gate and become a part of the completed world. Reina Ju looked at the collapsing world without any emotion in her eyes. It was because, even though countless worlds were crumbling right now, there were simply too many worlds in this universe. That was the goal of another Yoo Seodam. But the progress of the story was too slow for that. He encountered a problem, which was called [Serial Hiatus]. In some worlds, the protagonist disappeared out of the blue, and in some other worlds, the protagonist suddenly gave up on his goal and lived peacefully day by day without consuming any probability. There were obviously more worlds that were perishing, but there were also a huge number of worlds which didnt. Force them to consume the probability and absorb the crumbling world. That was the situation that another Yoo Seodam did not expect at all. But he couldnt do anything. After all, even though its possible for him to give a world a protagonist and a story, its impossible for him to be involved in the story. In fact, he had expended a tremendous amount of energy to give Vivienda its second protagonist and story. With this many worlds existing, it was impossible for even god to manage them all. Which means, the mans plan was bound to fail as soon as it started. However, that certainty changed 8 years ago, when Yoo Seodam entered Hell Gate. Ah that year As a voice suddenly appeared, Reina shrugged her shoulders and calmly turned her head. A man with the same face as Yoo Seodam looked at the monitor and sighed. Its annoying. Then, he smiled brightly and looked at Reina. But now, that doesnt matter anymore. He was looking at the screen somewhere. Among these numerous monitors, there were a few monitors which were bigger than the rest. Those bigger monitors were monitors which were dedicated for worlds that were close to completion. Representative examples of such worlds were Earth and Vivenda. However, amongst the few big monitors, another Yoo Seodam was looking at the monitor which showed Earth. In that monitor, a large number of humans were gathering to enter Hell Gate. Originally, there was a penalty for the human race. Humans, a race with intelligence, dexterity, and creativity, were said to even beat gods in terms of greed. So the world has given humans numerous penalties. Weak physical ability, short lifespan, limited resources, and hatred towards each other. It amazes me how humans have developed the world to such a degree just by accidentally lighting up a spark of fire. Humans grew up by biting and scratching each other. They developed their skill and technology to kill others, honed their abilities to become better than others, and devoted themself to whatever it takes to stand above others. As a result, there were very few places in the countless worlds which were not conquered by humans. Among all, Earth is special. Looking at any other world, it is really rare to find a world where humans shine so splendidly. From another Yoo Seodams point of view, the world called Earth was the world closest to his ideal. Earths technology was special. They developed it in order to live in comfort, in convenience, and to pursue pleasures which enriched the dignity of human beings. With a simple button push, people of Earth could have a face-to-face conversation with someone on the other side of the world. They could also get something they wanted without even stepping out from the comfort of their house. On top of it, they could obtain almost every piece of information in existence simply by asking through a machine. On Earth, human beings were equal, even if only on the surface. Therefore, anyone could realize their innate potential. In theory, it was close to an ideal world. A utopia. Its really a pity that Earth has too many flaws. Out of nowhere, monsters start to appear on Earth. After that, even superpowers appeared. It was that moment when all the peace and perfection that Earth had maintained for so long was broken. But its okay though. Thanks to that, I am who I am today. Isnt that right? Reina. Yes. Haha. Why are you so lifeless? You knew it was going to end like this, didnt you? On Earths monitor, the image of Yoo Seodam was being shown. Even now, he was running around trying to solve numerous political and technical problems in order to enter Hell Gate. All of this is what Yoo Seodam wanted. You dont have to be like that. She lowered her head with a somber expression. She simply couldnt refute his words since it was all true. I have waited so long. Really, it was a long, long time of waiting. But now the waiting time is coming to an end. Sting! Ugh! With a sudden headache, the man grabbed his head and staggered. His limit was slowly approaching. It was because he consumed too much probability in a short period of time. I cant delay any longer. We need to get things done as soon as possible. To do that, he has to provoke the other party. * Pacific Ocean, Earth. International Hell Gate Institute. As it was built around a massive crack called Hell Gate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hell Gate Labs was currently being converted for warfare. All of the research facilities were removed, replaced by state-of-the-art modern weapons. Most of the researchers also returned to their hometowns and the vacancy was filled by hunters and soldiers. There was only one instance in the past, which turned the laboratories into something like this. It was back In 2045, at the start of the last Hell Gate expedition. Well, I do think it was much different from back then. The SS rank telekinesis superhuman, Cheong, stood by the window of the research lab and looked at the entrance to the Hell Gate, which shone menacingly. That red lump on the surface of the rippling portal seemed like nothing at first, but sometimes it looked like a wild beast with its jaws wide open. Beep Beep She lifted her head at the sound of the ringing sensor. Oh, Hunter Cheong, you dont have to worry about it. Its ringing just because the Hell Gates absorbing wavelength has been slightly amplified. Even with a single glance from her, the researchers were instantly on their toes. They were also someone who studied Hell Gate, so they would be called elite wherever they go, but it seems inevitable for them to react like that in front of an SS rank hunter whose number was less than 100 in the whole world. Dont worry about me. By the way, since when did Hell Gates absorption wavelength get amplified? Ummm it has always been getting stronger day by day. However, the wavelength has been amplifying every day since a few days ago. If it keeps getting stronger Yes Earth will be completely absorbed into that dreadful pit. However, the researcher quickly added that the wave had not yet reached that level yet. As Cheong contemplated their words and was about to say something, the automatic door opened and someone walked in. He was a man who, unlike others, wore a martial arts uniform. He was the Dang Baek-soo of Murims Sichuan Sect, who was renowned for his terrifying nickname of Thousand Blood Poison (ǧѪ). He was also one of two SS rank hunters who were on standby at the Hell Gate Lab. Hey, Im terribly bored! Is there nothing wrong? Pardon? Yes, everything is alright. There are still more than three months left until the scheduled attack date. If something happens already, its a big deal. Didnt you say that sometimes something like a fly comes out? They do, but they are not coming out of that hole. What? Im here to catch them, but how will I catch them if they didnt come out of there? Even if you tell me that Cheong sighed. She was also an SS ranked hunter, and she has had a lot of exchanges with the Murim recently, so she was well aware about them. In particular, their leader, Seol Jungyeon. Shes a very beautiful woman who had all kinds of mugong, which almost made her bow her head at her noble figure. As with other Murim people, she was able to understand their personality just by having a brief conversation. Dang Baek-soo. Please lower your voice slightly so that the researchers can focus. What the Everyday, only me, damn it. Dang Baek-soo ruffled his hair in frustration and floundered in his chair. Well, I just need to wait here until they come out, I guess? . The researchers wanted to shout that it was more burdensome for them if he did that, but they couldnt. So they looked at Cheong with pleading eyes. But since the man had already said he would do it, there was no way for her to stop him. However, very fortunately. The researchers no longer had to feel burdened. Whiing~! Whiing-! Whiing-!! Wh-what is this? Get your shit together! Something has escaped from inside the Hell Gate! Something with a huge amount of energy Okay. Show it on the monitor. The researchers, who were moving in a hurry, moved the monitor belatedly at Dang Baek-soos words. For the first time, thinking that his words were cool, Cheong also checked the monitor. In the blue Pacific Ocean, something flesh-colored emerged from the Hell Gate. It looked so ordinary and did not match the amount of energy detected by the sensor. The thing was a person. However, It wasnt beautiful. It was neither male nor female. It wasnt a new race called the Gray Humans, but wasnt a monster either. what is that? Cheong asked with a bewildered face, but the researchers did not answer. No, they cant answer it. Because it was their first time seeing it too. However, the answer, unexpectedly, came from Dang Baek-soo. Is that important? He might be dangerous, so we have to quickly get rid of it. Yes Thats right. Cheong nodded her head and steeled her resolve. Meanwhile the monster in the monitor raised its palm. What? Huh? Before they even realized what the action meant, the consequences came first. Woooong-!! In an instant, the outer wall that protected the Hell Gate Lab was torn off and sank to the bottom of the sea. Kugugugung-!! Beep-! Beep-! Beep-! Clink!! Keuuuukkk! Belatedly, as the waves crashed and smashed the laboratory, all the windows were smashed and the sea breeze raged violently. Smelling the salty smell of the sea, Dang Baek-soo broke out in a cold sweat. Watching the exterior wallCwhich at the very least towering in 50m highCbeing torn off completely that easily, he couldnt calm his pounding heart. As far as he knows, there is only one person on Earth who can exert that level of power: Seol Jungyeon, the master of the Murim. CH 243 Prev Manga Info You guys can read until the Epilogue now by subscribing to our 15$ Patreon tier. Woong-!! Woong-!! The sky above the Pacific Ocean, which was clear a few moments ago, was now thundering with dark clouds above. Not long after, rain started pouring down. Dang Baek-soo got out of the building and stepped on the top of the transmission tower, the tallest tower in the Hell Gate Lab. There, he was faced by the unidentified monster who escaped from the Hell Gate. Hey, hey. Seeing it up close, that thing is actually no joke. Dang Baek-soo mumbled. The creature stayed expressionless, as if it had no emotion, and didnt say anything. However, the truth is, the creature was trying to communicate and was expressing its emotions, but Dang Baek-soo didnt understand it since it was something which couldnt be comprehended by humans. It even stood in the air! If its only walking on the air, Dang Baek-soo could also do it. However, he did it by stepping on the air. That monster was literally standing on his feet in the air, which was known to Murim as the Void Walking Technique. When his body tensed even more, Cheong, who silently appeared next to his side, spoke to him. What a terrifying creature. You surprised me! What are you? How are you in the sky? Dang Baek-soo asked as he saw Cheong flying in the sky just like the monster. All superhumans with telekinesis power can do this. Are you talking about Void Walking? Thats right. HuhSuperpowers are really mysterious. You can freely use the things that are said to be only used by those who have reached the pinnacle. From Cheongs point of view, the existence of martial artists who were capable of reaching the realm of superpowers through training alone was more mysterious, but as the situation didnt permit them to chatter any longer, she didnt voice her feelings. Woosh-!! The waves grew stronger, the raindrops fell heavier, and thunder began to roar louder in the sky. It was as if nature itself was responding to that monster. By the way, why did it stop attacking? When the creature first appeared, it acted as if it was going to destroy everything just like it destroyed the Hell Gate Lab. Anyway, it is certain that it is hostile to humanity. We have to stop it. As Dang Baek-soo snapped his fingers, sharp daggers and flower petals painted in black jumped out from somewhere and landed in between his fingers. All of those were coated with a terrible poison called Thousand Blood Poison (ǧѪ). At the same time, Cheong took out an ether dispenser, which looked like a baton, from her waist and stirred the air as if conducting an orchestra. Then, dozens of pillars of water rose from the sea and reached the clouds above. Despite seeing the magnificent sight, Dang Baek-soo shouted without blinking an eye. I will hit first! Dang Baek-soo immediately jumped and tried to pierce the monsters neck with a dagger. But before he could even reach him, a streak of lightning suddenly fell from the sky and shot towards Dang Baek-soo. Keuk! Cheong quickly pushed Baek-soos body away with her telekinesis. Thunderbolt? How could such a worst scenario coincidence happen all of a sudden! While thinking like that, she compressed a huge amount of water steam into one and shot it at the monsters neck. The attack she just unleashed could even cut diamonds as easy as cutting a piece of paper, so she was certain that it would inflict some damage to the creature. Puuussshhhh-!! !!! However, the streams of water she shot out evaporated in the air. What the hell? Why? Even though she didnt understand why it was happening, it didnt stop her from attacking once again. Swinging her baton as hard as she could, she commanded the gravity around the monsters body collapse. Normally, whatever she attacks with this attack will burst out because of the pressure. However, the monster didnt even move, and Cheong was the one who suffered; blood flowed from her nose. Its rock hard If she were to compare the creatures endurance with her abilitys strength, it would be like trying to break a rock using an egg. Until now, she had never met someone or something which was completely unaffected by her power, so she was quite perplexed. When the creature raised its hand and was about to do something, Dang Baek-soo passed by Cheongs side like an arrow. Nettle! Dozens of petals shot out from his hand! Seeing it, Cheong was stunned. However, at the same time, she was also doubtful about what those petals could do to the monster when even her own telekinesis couldnt scratch the creature, Its usel! Chung, who was about to scream those words to Dang Baek-soo, immediately bit her mouth. It was because the petals thrown by Dang Baek-soo easily exceed the speed of human perception No, its because they flew as if they had penetrated the space before digging into the creatures body. She snapped from her amazement and waved her baton high in the sky. Rumble-!! Rumble-!! WOOOOOOSH-!! The debris of the collapsed wall, paper, desks, sharp knives, mugs, wine glasseseverything around her flew into the air and began to swirl. Ugh!! Then, she put her hand down. All the objects were shot at the monster as if they were being sucked into a black hole. However, it was to no avail. As if there was an intangible veil, all the items were destroyed as soon as they touched the monsters body. However, as long as his throwing knives hit their target, it was enough for Dang Baek-soo. He snapped his fingers and shouted. Corrode! Then, something inside the monsters body gurgled, and its skin was dyed blue. The moment something was infected, Baek-soos Thousand Blood Poison literally turned all blood into a bomb. However, Dang Baek-soo clenched his teeth with a dissatisfied expression. Originally, with the amount he just injected to the creature, the explosion it produced would be powerful enough to blow away the entire area. Why didnt the poison work properly? The question could not be resolved immediately. With a dagger dipped in poison in his mouth, Dang Baek-soo brought his hands together and raised his qi. Whirlwind of death Seven Strike(ߓ) Explode()! When he slammed his palm into the air, seven purple daggers were created and rotated violently. Once Dang Baek-soo moved his arms, the daggers, which were swimming in the air, followed his gestures and flew toward the monster one by one. Then, for the first time, the monster twisted its body to avoid the attack. Cheong struggled to hold back her amazement, and forced herself to press the monsters body with her telekinesis, preventing it from moving. Fwoosh-!! Four of the purple daggers missed and were destroyed, but three hit the creatures body. Break ()! When Baek-soo snapped his finger again, the parts hit by the dagger exploded, leaving a scar the size of a palm. Eventually, the inside of the creatures body was revealed. Flash! Eyeballs blinked at the area where the body was cut. In another part, dozens of tongues moved like swarms of worms, and in another part, a mouth opened wide and sharp teeth protruded as if it was gnawing the air before disappearing once again. Crazy. Ugh! At that horrific sight, Cheong covered her mouth with her palm to suppress the acidic taste which rushed through her mouth, releasing the pressure on the creature. And the moment the pressure of her telekinesis disappeared, the monster raised his hands high into the sky. Boom-!! Boom-!! Flash! The sky filled with dark clouds brightened. Dozens or even hundreds of thunder started to flash! Oops! Cheong, who later realized her mistake, tried to squeeze the creature again with her telekinesis, but the monster endured the pressure while shaking its arm. Dammit!!! The sensation she was feeling on her hand now was like trying to move Mount Tai with her bare hands. On top of it, with every attack she launched, she felt like her mental strength kept decreasing. She looked up at the sky, while blood and sweat dripped from her nose. Why didnt that monster attack right away? What is the monsters attack method? Why isnt the monster doing a proper counterattack? Why, at the same time as the appearance of the monster, there was a dark cloud? Did its powers come from nature itself? It was an unbelievable notion. It was because even where theres a superpower which could control water or move the wind, theres no superpower that deals with nature itself. But, the creature was able to create clouds and calls for thunder. Not good. Really, not good! While she was trying to bind the creature with her telekinesis, she also moved many objects and threw them at the creature, but not even one managed to hit it. It was because the monster is also finely controlling the wind, changing the trajectory of everything she throws. I cant hit it! All of her attacks were neutralized. Air manipulation, water flow manipulation, and space control through telekinesis. Until now, there had not been any enemy which could stop all three of her attacks at the same time. Why am I so weak Boom-!! Cheong bit her lip and looked up at the sky. The sky was completely white, and now the whole world was filled with thunder and lightning. Thats the true power of a monster Cheong realized that in the first place, the word battle couldnt be used for this situation. The monster was merely playing with them. Death. When the creature came closer towards Cheong, Dang Baek-soo moved. Sichuan Sect (ĴT), Unique Skill (^). Whole Sky Flower Rain (M컨). A feast of flowers unfolded in front of Cheongs eyes. Ah? Purple petals fluttered all over the place. Some petals went up, some went down, some went forward, some went backwards. Hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of petals were moving in different directions as if they had their own minds. However, Cheong knew that every petal moved because of telekinetic force. All of those flower petals were being controlled by a single person. Nonsense! Thats telekinesis. Its definitely telekinesis. Cheong thought that the human mind would never be able to move tens of thousands of objects in tens of thousands of directions. How could that She had the title of Earths Greatest Telekinesis hunter, something she thought would never change even after wizards and murim warriors appeared. However, it seems like she was wrong. Even though theres someone stronger than her right in front of her, why couldnt she recognize it? Tens of thousands of petals flew through the air and slowly gnawed at the monster. The monsters skin, which wasnt scratched by Cheongs attack, began to be torn by the attack of Dang Baek-soo. If I join the attack! But, when Cheong was about to swing her baton, Dang Baek-soo landed on the transmission tower. At the same time, The storm of petals had started fading. Hey. I know! I will be joining you soon! No, just run away. Sorry? Look, hes getting used to the poison. He will soon become completely immune to my poison. On top of it, a lot of Dang Baek-soos attacks failed to hit the creature. However, it wasnt because the creature was capable of avoiding hundreds of attacks at the same time. It was just the wind around the area seemed to move by itself. You need to get out of here alive. And let the world know about that creature. The tower has been completely destroyed. That means, communications are no longer available. No, if I stay until the end and fight, we can definitely win Calm down, you stupid woman. Cheong looked blankly at Dang Baek-soos back. He couldnt even turn his head towards her in order to control Whole Sky Flower Rain. That creature is a disaster. However, it is still in its learning phase. Learning. It had a lot of energy, but it didnt know how to use it. That energy was neither air, mana, ether, magnetic force, gravity, nor anything else. It was something Dang Baek-soo and Cheong did not know. Do you remember the first time I attacked it? At that time, the energy moved on its own and sent a strike of lightning towards him. Dang Baek-soo was certain that was by no means done by the monsters will. And the same also happened when Cheong attacked with a stream of water, and when Dang Baek Soo attacked with poison. That monster didnt dodge a single attack. Its just that the huge energy moved and offset it. That energy Its like it has its own will. It manipulates the very providence of nature We can never win on our own. Cheong, who had not thought about it until then, made a crestfallen expression. When he looked at Dang Baek-soos action in the lab, she simply thought he was just a fool who had no idea what he was doing, but it turned out that he was superior to her in every way. The only person who can get out of this place is you. Hurry up and go! I will reach my limit soon! Cheong looked at the Dang Baek-soo once, the creature once, and the broken tower once. Living as a hunter, sometimes there comes a time when you have to make a choice. Will she abandon her comrades and retreat for greater good? Or Will you get caught up in your feelings and fight together with your comrades until the end? Until now, Cheong had always chosen the latter. And in the end, she still survived because she had the ability to do that. But not right now. She was completely aware that her telekinesis was weak in front of the creature. It couldnt bind that bastard for even a second. So, Cheong had no choice but to bow her head. Im sorry. Because she couldnt help at all and had to run away. But Dang Baek-soo just smiled brightly. Heh heh! I heard an apology from such an arrogant woman like you! Today is really a very good day! With those words, Dang Baek-soo rushed to the monster with both hands full of petals, and Cheong, who gave a last glance to his reliable back, quickly escaped from the radius of the dark clouds. Then, after she had run away for a while, a loud explosion shook the sea upside down. BOOOOOM-!! Ugh! Cheong, who was flying in the air, turned her head unknowingly to check the place. Thousands of thunderbolts were falling all at once, resulting as if a huge pillar of light had been erected. Ah At that sight, she was certain of one thing. The Hell Gate Labs no longer exist. Everything in that area would have been destroyed. With gloomy feelings buried in her chest, Cheong turned her head again. She now had to make sure that Dang Baek-soos dying wish comes true; to make the world know about that monster as soon as possible. CH 244 As a famous vacation spot, Waikiki Beach in Hawaii was a place filled with tourists all year round thanks to the clear blue sky and the calm waves in the emerald sea. There was one time when it was designated as a danger zone because of the invasion of sea monsters, but not anymore. Hunters who work in the Hawaiian Islands are on guard 24 hours a day, and a state-of-the-art anomaly detection device ensures that evacuation orders would be issued long before gates or dungeons appeared. Because of that, there were very few dangerous incidents that happened these days. Children laughed and ran around the beach, some people enjoyed the sun while getting a tan on their skin, and some plunged into the sea and enjoyed swimming in the cold sea water. And in one corner, tourists enjoyed their vacations while holding colorful drinks in their hands. Huh? What is that? Because it was Hawaii, where there was no danger, they did not show much caution when something unfamiliar appeared. Rather, some teenagers approached it out of curiosity. Is that a human? Isnt he too tall for a human? Darling, could that be a monster? Lets just go. Thats absurd. Have you ever seen a monster looking like that? No matter how you look at it, hes just a normal superhuman. You know Giant Boy, right? He must have the same type of ability as him. Appearing out of the blue on the shore, the subject of the topic had flesh-colored skin whose features were common among the humans. It gave an impression that people will forget once they no longer look at it. Its height was close to 3 m, but in the 21st century, that was a normal thing. It was due to the fact that there were numerous unique superhumans in the current world, with them having a much taller body height than average, blue skin, etc. Hey, you like me right?! Someone approached it and tapped it on the thigh, but it still didnt move. By the way, why are you all naked? Yeah. EH That guy doesnt have d**k? Beeeep! When anything out of normal happened, it was a protocol in Hawaii that the first security personnel to respond had to blow a whistle to alert the other security personnels. All of the security personnel were by no means ordinary, since they were all at least rank C or higher, and had sufficient ability to respond to any situation. So, when such security personnel came, the civilian who had crowded the man had no choice but to back off. Cih! No fun! Right! As the tourists retreated, the security approached the monster and spoke in English. What are you doing, without even a single pair of clothes on? However, the monster just stared at the security guard without answering. The security sighed and put his hand on the monsters shoulder, thinking of taking it to the security office. You seem to be a superhuman, but for now, please cooperate with me huh? However, when he pushed, the security couldnt feel his hand pushing the body of the tall man in front of him. So he tried again But Slice-!! His right hand fell to the sand below and blood started gushing out from his shoulder. Uh uh Tuk! Eventually, the security guards head was separated from his neck. Without even realizing his own death, he met his end with his eyes wide open. A A Ahhhhhhhh! So-so-someone is dead!! The tourists, who realized the situation a beat later, began to run away. Unfortunately for them, their lives were already over the moment the monster stepped its foot on the sandy beach. Weeing-!! Weeing-!! Weeing-!! A siren blared out all of a sudden. But it had a different sound from the one which signifies that a monster had appeared. -Tsunami warning issued! Tsunami warning issued! Flap-!! Flap-!! Flap-!! Tens of thousands of seagulls flew in droves in the sky. And a moment later, a thick layer of dark clouds began to fill the sky. And, the tsunami finally came. Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! The Hawaiian Islands tsunami warning system was famous for sounding the alarm long before the tsunami arrived. But for some reason, the tsunami arrived just mere moments after the siren rang. Hey, run away! Its a tsunami!! No superpower, advanced equipment, nor countermeasures could resist the tsunami. Because it was literally a natural disaster. Therefore, the scene quickly came and went. It took only 30 minutes for the Hawaiian Islands to completely disappear after being swept away by a devastating tsunami. The monster watched all the deaths caused by the disasters that he had called with uninterested eyes before leaving the place by flying to the sky. -A tsunami of magnitude 7 occurred in the western part of the Hawaiian Islands at 14:48 pm today. -Amidst numerous casualties The incident was immediately reported around the world. -At the time of the tsunami, an unidentified monster was spotted floating over the Hawaiian sky It also imprinted its presence on the world. * Around 4pm, Another League Lab. Using that part reduces the effectiveness of the ether. Why dont you try using a conductor instead? But, by using a conductor, mana wont flow smoothly Cant be helped. We just have to use both of them in two different layers. After all, this suit is a space suit. Under the advice of Lacanthal, who lived in a world where magic engineering was developed to the limit, I was participating in the development of a brand new suit. In fact, I was rarely directly involved in the development, and what I was doing right now was closer to experimenting while checking what the hell was being developed while I was away. The thing that I value the most amongst all the developed equipment was the suit. An ether suit could be said to be the wearers second life. Depending on how much money you spend, you can survive even going out into outer space. In other words, the performance varies greatly depending on the direction of the modification. Why am I going to space? Your kind will have to go there sooner or later. It wont be long before we catch up with the level of interstellar travel. The space suit that Lacanthal painstakingly developed was very different from the old thick and stuffy space suit, which was uncomfortable to wear. After being improved a lot, it now only had about 5 cm thickness even though it was made out of a special alloy. It also had an energy protection field, making it possible for the wearer to move freely in a non gravitational zone. And by applying the principle of such spacesuits, a suit, which was called Hell Gate Suit, was developed. From my experience, I know that the space inside Hell Gate rendered any protective clothing useless. But Lacanthal directly investigated the environment of Hell Gate and made a suit which could adapt to it. As of now, this suit was nothing different compared to other suits. But the moment you wear it and go inside Hell Gate, the suit will adapt and evolve by itself. No matter how high or low the temperature outside the suit, the inside will maintain a temperature suitable for humans to live. Of course, the environment inside the Hell Gate was not something as simple as hot, cold, or bad air. Something was wrong with the environment itself. And it was something which Earths technology couldnt cope with as of yet. Okay, lets try inputting some data first and then experiment. You are the one who has to do the clinical test. Wait a minute, why should I? Dont you have superpower to adapt to any environment? I have it, but While I reluctantly looked at how to wear the suit, my smartphone rang. However, it was not my main smartphone but my second smartphone which I only get called in urgent situations, so I rushed to answer the call. C Master Yoo Seodam. Did you watch the news? Whats going on? -Hell Gate Lab has collapsed! Sorry? I dropped the suit I was holding in my hand out of shock. Come on, wait, what the hell does that mean? The Hell Gate Research Lab was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to observe the energy of Hell Gate from the distance of the Hell Gate. It is also equipped with armaments to fight any monster which might jump out of it. In other words, the lab was a command center which was ready to go to war anytime. C Well send you the data right away! Theres only one survivor from the lab. It was SS rank hunter Cheong. She explained what happened to us, so please read it right away. Yes. thank you. It was only after hanging up that I found out that the person calling was a high-ranking person in the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association. Data related to the Hell Gate Labs collapse was immediately delivered to my phone. However, before I could even read it, the phone rang again. -Hello? Hunter Yoo Seodam! I just heard about the collapse of Hell Gate lab. -No. Rather than that, please take a look at the video we are sending now! The Hawaiian Islands were completely swept away by the tsunami! Tsunami? Why I had doubts, but I decided to listen to the story until the end. When I pulled the smartphone from my ear, the screen expanded and a certain video played. In it, a scene of the catastrophe in the Hawaiian Islands captured by the satellites and drones was shown. And then, I noticed something strange. Whats that strange thing flying in the sky? -Did you get the message that the Hell Gate Lab had collapsed? I have. -Presumably, the collapse of the Hell Gate Lab was also the work of that monster. What, thats crazy Hell Gate Lab and Hawaii Islands. The two places with the best defense against anomalies in the world were destroyed by a single monster in just one day. I will call you again later. Without even checking who the caller was, I immediately checked the data related to the lab collapse in my smartphone. [Hunter Cheongs testimony: The subject is a being who escaped from the Hell Gate and is at least SSS rank or higher, but it is not certain.] [It is meaningless to measure the monsters energy level using human standards.] [Subject is capable of inducing natural disasters, and has been confirmed to be able to create an always favorable environment for itself through some unusual ability.] SSS rank? Although the Gray Humans continued to invade Earth within the Hell Gate, each individual was only at SS rank level, so with enough preparation and personnel, their attack could be blocked. But if its an SSS rank, the story was different. Dozens of SS rank superhumans need to be gathered to deal with it. But there is no way to gather such a large number of hunters in one place because who knows where the monsters will appear next. Damn it SSS rank monster, huh? What a headache. Yeah In the past, when theres still only a very few hunters that received the SS rank, there was this one terrorist. As an SS rank superhuman who handles wind, he flew around the world on the stratospheric air current and terrorized all over the world. Authorities never know when or where he will appear. Thus, the fear he caused was great. People stopped seeing each other, and everyone hid inside buildings. And now, the same situation has happened. But the culprit wasnt just an SS rank superhuman, but an SSS rank monster. Although it was not certain yet whether the monster was capable of rational thinking or not, by looking at the behavior the Gray Humans have shown so far, it was highly probable that the SSS rank monster could think by itself. If noonim and I go together and find that guy, we can somehow win, but There was one thing that struck me the most. One of the reports says able to create an always favorable environment for itself through some unusual ability. At first glance, ordinary people may not understand that, but I could easily guess. Protagonist correction. All the protagonists I have dealt with got their abilities strengthened by protagonist correction whenever [crisis] that exceeds the protagonists threshold occurred. And since that monster also comes from the same place as those Gray Humans, which have the protagonist hashtag, it was certain that it would have protagonist correction. And as far as I know, there is only one person on Earth who can suppress the protagonists correction. Me. CH 245 To hear more details about the monster that destroyed the Hell Gate Lab, I had to take an early flight with Yekaterina to China. After reading some additional documents about the monster, I turned on the TV. -The so-called walking disaster or Monster 2 has appeared and many people are trembling with fear because of it. A mysterious monster that swept Hawaii Islands and disappeared. What exactly is it? We have brought in expert Professor Alex to dwell deeper into the matter! -Nice to meet you. My name is Alex. No matter what channels I tuned in, it is all filled with stories about the monster. -Professor, is it possible for us to identify the true identity of the monster? -There is still not enough data to exactly know its identity. But according to the information we had gathered so far, it has been confirmed that the monster resembles a human more than a monster. -It resembles a human? -Thats right. Normally, because of the influence of ether, monsters bleed blue blood, whereas, according to Hunter Cheong, the monsters blood was red. In addition, some of its body organs have been found to closely resemble humans. C Then, can we say that the monster became another species of human? -I cant say for sure Prof. Alex answered vaguely before drawing a deep breath. - It would be more apt to view it as an evolved form of humans rather than another species of human. -Ah. The remarks of Prof. Alex, the number one monster researcher, will spread widely because it was something he said on TV. But will it impact humanity greatly? No. Whether its a new race or not, people dont care. The only thing they cared about was the fact that the monster was a walking disaster which had reaped countless lives. -We confirmed that the so-called Monster 2 landed in Mexicos Baja California Peninsula around 15:00 Korean time. C Citizens were not evacuated from Baja, California because the monster was not detected by the monster sensor, resulting in numerous casualties. As a result, the Hunter Association is being criticized by the media for not properly protecting humanity. -Hunters! What the hell are the hunters doing without protecting us! Whats the point of taking our money! -Next, we brought an expert to dwell deeper on the movement of Monster 2 In my preparation to Attack Hell Gate, I planned to only include several elites while leaving the rest. I believed that all power that was left behind was sufficient to block the threat of the Gray Humans which was threatening Earth. However, the story changed when that monster, which exceeds the level of the SSS rank, appeared. -Breaking news! All fifty-five hunters, including three SS rank hunters, who were waiting on the predicted path of Monster 2, died. Sigh Monster 2s speed was faster than expected. Since it first appeared, in less than a day, it has already destroyed a part of Mexico. A part of the battle in Mexico was shown on TV, but most of the scenes were edited out. The video they showed was no more than three seconds long, but it was played over and over again. I should have asked them to send me the unedited video While I was watching all the events on TV, the plane landed at Beijing airport. I felt I had moved as secretly as possible without notifying anyone. But it seems like I was wrong, because reporters were already all over the airport. UghI really hate them Yekaterina said with a disgusted expression as she saw the reporters. Dont hate them too much. They are only doing their job. At my words, Yekaterina nodded and walked towards the reporters. At that moment, the superhumans of Another League, who had boarded the same airplane as me, put on their suits and split into two rows. The next moment, the reporters all retreated to the side, reminding me of the miracle of Moses. Of course, some reporters had physical strengthening superpowers, but if they dared to jump on their own to press for an answer, they would only get kicked out and would be unable to get the answer. What do you want to do, Seodam-nim? I cant speak Chinese. Ill give you a translator. I wasnt going to do anything big in China, so I guess I just need to give them a few answers. (Hunter Yoo Seodam! Do you have any plan in mind to kill Monster 2?) I have to make it from now on. (I heard that the reason you wanted to meet Hunter Cheong was to hear about the weakness of Monster 2 which she secretly discovered. Is that true?) If there was such a thing, why would I be here rather than hunting it? (Hunter Yoo Seodam came here to protect China, right?) The last question was so far away from the earlier question, so I was taken aback. Why should I do that? (Because. Isnt it natural for you to protect China? Research has already revealed that Hunter Yoo Seodams ancestors originated from China.) Did you eat something wrong? How do I have the same origin as you? (Yes?) Seo-seodam nim! Lets just go! Yekaterina panicked and dragged me out from the reporters. Only after we boarded the back seat of the limousine waiting for us, did she become angry. Im already dying because Taylor noona is so popular in the media. So what do I do if the guild master also does the same thing as her? Sorry Whew I know you must have been angry, but the correct answer is just to ignore them. She was right. And, if it was the former me, I would definitely have ignored it. So why did I do what I just do? Something Something is strange Ignoring all political, diplomatic, and social issues that exist in reality, I spoke only for the sake of the moment. This is similar [Give some cider to get the probability!!] !!!! Seo, Seodam-nim, Whats wrong? Because of the message that suddenly appeared between my face and hers, I unknowingly stared at her. Thanks to that, Yekaterina, whose feeling assimilated with me, got flustered and bumped her head to the window on her back. No Its nothing. Seriously Dont surprise me. Okay I have something to think about, so dont talk to me, please. Okay. Yekaterina opened her laptop and started to write something down. Meanwhile, I moved my hand and pinched my temple. It was something I had expected before. So, theres nothing to be upset about. But, its just not the time yet. I have to be patient. Now, not only the act of hunting the protagonist, but also the simple act of everyday life has begun to build probability. And that was not a good sign. Maybe killing Monster 2 will be my last time hunting a protagonist. After all, once I successfully hunt it, I will receive a large amount of probability. I cant avoid becoming the protagonist anymore. Fear bud in the corner of my heart. It was something unavoidable. After all, I was human too. Tiriing-!! [Taylor: You crazy bast*rd LOLOLOLO] [Taylor: Hey, why are you so cool today? LOLOLOLOLO] When I checked my ringing smartphone, those texts were the ones who greeted me. Looking into it, my mind somehow calmed down. [Yoo Seodam: Well I know Im cool.] [Taylor: LOLOLOLOL] Thanks to her, my tension fell considerably. And, I firmly hardened my heart as I reminded myself of my purpose. The limousine passed through the road for a long time. And that long time was enough for me to organize my thoughts. We arrived at the Beijing New Age Hotel, which was built after the Great War 30 years ago. This hotel was mainly used as a banquet hall for high-ranking people, and it was even featured in many dramas. So, I found the place familiar even though it was the first time I came here. As I was escorted by the receptionist of the hotel to the restaurant, I was able to meet the people I wanted to meet: SS rank hunter, Cheong, The Hunter Associations President, Rycle Cyrus, and, Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon. I especially invited Noonim to this event because I thought I would need her help to hunt Monster 2. Nice to meet you, Hunter Yoo Seodam. Ive heard about your exploits a lot. Likewise, Hunter Cheong. Ive always respected you, and its an honor to meet you like this. Cheong smiled bitterly at my words. As a mixed-Chinese woman, she had a strong Asian image, but the sadness in her smile was vivid. I am not worthy of respect. This time, I escaped without being able to protect those who died Someone even sacrificed his life for me. I know that. Wasnt his name Dang Baek-soo? He was a person I met every time I stopped by Murim hideout to meet noonim. But I didnt have a good impression of him because his personality was too easy going for my liking. But such a guy had sacrificed himself for others It was only after he died that I was able to understand his heart. To be honest, I didnt like him because of his personality.. Yes. Hunter Yoo Seodam is right. I too, used to not like him. Hunter Cheong said. After a brief moment of mourning for Dang Baek-soo, Rycel brought up the subject first. Its really reassuring to know that Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon and Another Leagues master Yoo Seodam are directly participating in the extermination of Monster 2. On behalf of my family, I would like to thank both of you, as I do not dare to represent the whole Earth. Noonim burst into a small laugh at his polite humor. First of all, we are gathered here because we need to hear more about Monster 2 in more detail. I understand. Cheong hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of her tea and put something on the table. This is the file of the action cam I was wearing on the day of the incident. It was not disclosed to the public. Then, when I plugged it into the tablet I had prepared in advance, the video was immediately played. Monster No. 2 appeared after destroying the Hell Gate Lab, and Dang Baek-soo and Cheong immediately responded to it. The video went by quickly, but some scenes could not be seen properly because the quality was either blurred or cut off. Fortunately, the person in question was right in front of me, so I was able to get a supplementary explanation about the situation from her quickly. The video ended shortly thereafter, and Cheong spoke first. Hunter Yoo Seodam. Do you know why I called you here? Yes? I dont know That monster and Hell Gate were connected. Yes? After a moments hesitation, she tapped her own head. Telekinesis is fundamentally a mental attack. Gravity is another force that violates the magnetic force. This allows telekinesis users and gravity users to react a little more sensitively to the movement of forces. Is that so? Monster 2 is a part of Hell Gate. For example, would you like to see this tea? Cheong raised the tea with her telekinesis and floated it in the air. Then she took a small drop of water from the tea. This little drop of tea is Monster No. 2. When it is separated from the main body water like this, it can be active on its own. But She once again combined the small and large water droplets. The tiny water drops were nowhere to be seen. Like this, Monster 2 will melt into Hell Gate again. I pondered without saying a word, and then nodded my head. Thats why you called. She lowered her head because she was deeply sorry, but I understood her. After all, Monster 2 was the worst monster to ever threaten mankind. If theres no way to defeat it, its better for me, who had promised to enter the Hell Gate, to sacrifice myself to kill it. With just one sacrifice, all 7 billion human beings can live. Its okay. Its natural for me to do it. Because I promised to go through Hell Gate anyway. Sorry Im really sorry. Im sorry theres only one thing I can tell you Dont blame yourself. Cheong bowed her head again and again. However, before long, Noonim stopped her. Huuuh. Even though I was sipping on hot tea, my chest only grew colder. CH 246 The catastrophe with the official name Monster 2, but nicknamed the New Human by humanity, quickly traversed the South American continent. In the process, the number of hunters who lost their lives to it exceeded thousands, while civilian casualty was simply beyond the scope of anyones imagination. Orlando, Florida, USA. This largest theme park on earth was always crowded with people 365 days a year, but now, except for one creature, no one else existed. That one creature was, of course, Monster 2. It stared blankly without even knowing its own purpose. However, Monster 2, who was just about to head somewhere, raised its head when it heard a sound from somewhere. -Next news! Another Leagues Guildmaster, Yoo Seodam, announced that he would go to hunt Monster 2. Peoples expectations are growing, knowing that he will work together with the Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon. -Is the subjugation of Monster 2 really possible? -Its possible, if I must say. Afterall, Murim Lord is an SSS rank superhuman Monster 2 tilted its head at what was displayed on the screen attached to a tall building. It was because the face of that man in the news felt familiar to it. And a few seconds later, a memory rushed towards its head. It was a memory which reminded it of its reason for being born. Yoo Seodam. His goal was over there on the screen. Monster 2 pointed at it with its finger, and the screen went off after letting out a small spark. However, Monster 2 knew it wasnt the real Yoo Seodam. I have to find the real one Taang-!! Ting-!! Monster 2 turned its head. By now, it had already become used to the sound of the explosion it heard just now: it was the sound made by the lower race called humans to express their hostility toward itself. What the freaking The bullet was blocked by a sign that was blown by the wind!!! The person who fired the special sniper rifle was a 9-year F-rank hunter; A veteran who had survived countless live and death battles. Therefore, any wind, or whatever which could become a hindrance to him was something he had already calculated. However, just now, a sign was blown by the wind and deflected the bullet coincidentally. Thanks to that, without being able to injure the creature, his location was discovered. Damn, I have to run! When he failed to snipe Monster 2, the hunter jumped from a high-rise building with a wire attached to his body, leaving behind all of his other items. However, the wind started to blow wildly at that moment. Ugh What is this It was literally a natural phenomenon. An ordinary natural phenomenon in which not even a shred of energy was detected. But why now!! Due to the natural phenomenon, the hunter failed to shoot the monster before, and now, his body was rocked back and forth by the wind. And eventually the wire attached to his body snapped, making him fall to the ground. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!! Crack-!! Although he was a 9-year-old veteran Hunter, he did not have any superpower. And so, by falling, he lost his life. Without batting an eyelash, Monster 2 turned his head back indifferently. There was another screen floating in the direction where it was looking. -This evening, Hunter Yoo Seodam will hold a press conference in Beijing, China Beijing, China. For Monster 2, that information was more than enough. It doesnt matter where on Earth it was, or what country it was. If it could know where it was; It could go there right away. Monster 2 disappeared from the spot. * There was still no way to know where the creature called Monster 2 was moving towards. However, there was a calculation based on the route it traveled across South America that it would have reached Africa within a day at the earliest. Noonim, tomorrow, we will go to Africa. After saying that to Noonim, I held a press conference in Beijing. To be honest, I didnt really want to do it, but the Chinese government politely asked if I could give their citizens peace of mind, so I had no choice but to do it. Its funny to think theres still people thinking about politics even in the midst of this trying time. Haha Its not like that. Actually, what I said was right. China was not trying to reassure its citizens. If they simply wanted to do that, there would be no way that there would be politicians in suits sitting next to me. Perhaps the purpose they followed by helding this press conference was to promote extensively, saying We can control Hunter Yoo Seodam. Originally, I didnt want to do all this, but since I didnt have a choice, Im just going to leave after telling these people about my belief. I am not protecting China, I am protecting the world. The boundary between the two was almost invisible, but Yekaterina thought it would be pretty good if I spoke those words at an official place. The meaning of the statement would be, its not like Im not going to protect China. But at the same time, its not like Im only protecting China. In other words, once I said those words, I would be able to counter the political ploy cooked by the Chinese politicians. Take it easy. All the necessary preparations for the hunt have been completed, all that remains is to wait. Noonim said to me as she smiled. Right Not only that, evacuation orders in the western part of the African continent had also been issued. Truly, the only thing left for me was to wait. Click-!!! Click-!!! As I proudly walked to the press conference room, reporters of various nationalities bombard me with their cameras. It felt like a thunderbolt was hitting the ground right in front of me. I tried my best to ignore all the flash and walked out at a leisurely pace to shake hands with those who had come in advance before approaching the podium and grab the microphone. Wait Noonim grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. Her expression was cold as usual. But this time, if i must say, it was colder than ever. Is there- Before I could even finish uttering my question, an ominous feeling swept over me. What happened next was purely instinctive on my part. I yelled, EVERYONE RUN AWAY! and hurriedly took the gear out of my inventory. However, I dont know what I was taking out. Ngggging-!! My ears rung as my body flies and destroys several walls. My back was impacted by the shock, my vision was flashing and I couldnt hear anything but the ringing. It was only when I slammed to the ground did I realize that I had been beaten by something. Kuhhuukk! A handful of blood comes out with the cough. Meanwhile, tosca sparks erupted in the area around my abdomen. [Battery Level: 0%] With just a single impact, the barrier of the first-class ether suit was completely broken. This is crazy However, as I raised my head and scanned my surroundings, I realized that it wasnt only the suits barrier which was destroyed because of that one attack. The press conference room, which was filled with numerous people just a moment ago, was completely gone. All those who were living just a moment ago had become either corpses or were severely wounded and were strewn all over the place. The hunters who survived the shock were also by no means unstached. They were all stumbling to wherever they felt safe with one or two limbs gone. And in the sky above, Monster 2 and Seol Jungyeon noonim were facing each other. I rose to my feet and quickly checked my physical condition. Fortunately, even when all the suits barriers were exhausted, I suffered no major injuries thanks to my SS rank body. Noonim Are you okay? Noonim asked without looking at me. Her pinkish sword had already been drawn, aiming at the monster. I promptly drew my sword and faced the monster. At that moment, I could finally see what I didnt see earlier. I%m T9e B35t 3v3r! #clich #SadEnding #None What the Although I couldnt understand the sentence properly, to some extent, the text was readable. However, what caught my eyes the most was three hashtags attached under the title. Clich, sad ending and What the hell is none? While I was wondering, Monster 2 slowly lowered his head and met my eyes. Yoo Seodam. Thats me. It was as expected. Like with the Gray Human, I was also able to talk to him. I didnt know why you do all the things you do here Whats your purpose? Did you come to Earth for me? Yes. Why? Then the monster blinked. That, I dont know. is that so? Though, whatever its purpose was, it doesnt matter. Click-!! After loading the WinchesterCwhich was now close to the finished formCI aimed it at him with one hand. If you dont know, you must die. Taang! Bullets equipped with various energy analyzers quickly fly to the monster. However, at that moment, the power facility underneath the floor exploded, creating a magnetic field. Thus, the trajectory of my bullet was bent. [Protagonist ???s skill, Protagonist Cliche has been activated.] [Cliche No.1: The protagonist could never be hit by bullets fired by the enemy.] Monster 2 caught the straying bullet between its fingers and threw it back at me. I hurriedly activated Dharma Footwork technique and escaped the trajectory. [Cliche No. 2: However, the protagonists bullets will always hit their enemy..] The bullet bent because of the wind and hit my leg. Keuk! It was only a light blow, but the impact caused me to roll over the floor. Shortly thereafter, Monster No. 2 turned his palm toward me to create a whirlpool, but when he saw Noonim blitzing towards it, it immediately turned its hand away. Kaang-!! A shock wave swept the area as the sword and the hand collided. Then, Noonim clenched the hilt of her sword with her two hands and then slowly let her body hang down like a cherry blossom floating on the shore of a lake. Cheonma Heavenly Art (ħ) Cheonma Sword Of Destruction (ħ焦) Snow Plum Blossom (ѩ÷) Waves of pink spread from the tip of the sword. At the end of the wave, plum blossoms began to scatter. If there was a difference between cherry blossoms and plum blossoms, plum blossoms are shorter than cherry blossoms, but they fill the world densely. The skin of Monster 2 began to peel at the feast of plum blossoms that rained like a heavy snowfall in midwinter. Without even realizing that its own body was being wounded, it gradually crushed into powder just like that. Before long, the feast of plum blossoms completely covered Monster 2 to the extent that it could not be seen at all. I thought that was also what noonim intended. But suddenly, my mouth opened and a word came out without my permission. Noonim, did you kill it? [Cliche No.3: If the protagonist was badly wounded and the enemy says, Did you kill it? afterwards, the protagonist will appear once again without a single wound.] Noonims plum blossoms were scattered in an instant, and Monster 2 appeared from it. Hey, flowerpot! Is it still not ready? -No, Its complete~ At the same time as the answer fell, I gathered mana in both hands and brought my hands to the floor. The legendary sealing magic Seven Barriers, which was said to have sealed even the balrogs at one time, was activated. A stone, which looked like a moon, floated into the air and then, pillars of fires shot up. Shhh! ..!!! The monsters appearance disappeared in an instant. Damn, where!? The moment I said that, I fell to the floor as I felt pain in my back. Then, a message appeared in my mind. [4. If the protagonist ever suddenly disappears mid-fight, if the opponent says Damn, where is he?, the protagonist will always appear from behind the enemy.] Ugh, you shouldve told me sooner! The attack landed on my back was not fatal, so I hurriedly rolled down the floor to widen the gap. Amongst all the protagonists so far, there were several who had similar skills as Monster 2. However, none of them had a power as blatant as Monster 2s power. That being said. Monster 2s power was simply broken; it had the most broken cheat skills Ive ever seen. However, I have come across countless clichs while traveling to hunt protagonists, and I have broken countless cliches so far. On top of it, I also have my own skill: [Protagonist Hunter]. Therefore, I wouldnt just sit still and fall for all the cliches Monster 2 was armed with. CH 247 Earth, North Pacific. In the vicinity of the collapsed Hell Gate Research Center, some of the remains of the buildings which could not sink were swept away by the waves and floated in the open sea. In the meantime, eight aircraft carriers, which mostly were filled with US troops camouflaged as UN peacekeeping forces, rushed forward. The aircraft carriers with added etheric technology had a history of defeating SSS ranked great monster Kraken. Therefore, to honor that, all of these aircraft carriers were called Kraken-class Aircraft Carriers (LPDs). But, in reality, its the hunters who boarded the ship who beat it Taylor Nine looked at the open sea with bored eyes as those thoughts running on her head. For her, whether there were eight Kraken-class aircraft carriers or not, it didnt really matter. Tsk, I cant even enjoy the sea view because of the boats. The things that obstructed Taylors view werent just the aircraft carriers. Behind the parade of aircraft carriers, several destroyer-class ships followed closely. Even under the sea, submarines followed and fighter jets were flying in the sky. -Hunter Taylor. We have arrived at our destination. Okay. -Can you come to the captains office? I was already on my way. Taylor lied, answering through the remote radio placed in her ears. In all carriers combined, thousands of B and A rank hunters and more than 200 S-rank hunters gathered. However, only a handful of SS rank hunters had gathered here. Of the less than 100 SS rank hunters on the planet, including those affiliated with Murim, only 9 people had gathered here. Under normal circumstances, this big of an army would rarely be seen moving together. It was only possible because the worst case scenario had happened: The collapse of the Hell Gate Research Center. As Taylor scrambled down the hallway to get to the captains office, she opened her mouth wide when she saw a huge, red object that had begun to appear in front of the convoy. . That object was the entrance to Hell Gate. The place she had heard a lot but saw it for the first time in her entire life. He survived after entering that place through that? To be honest, Taylor was quite scared at the moment. Fear was something which normal people would feel when they were standing in front of Hell Gate. So, Taylor thought, What was Yoo Seodam thinking when he entered such a place? And now, he wants to enter that place again However, there was still a lot of time to go before she would follow him inside. Right now, she was here only to search the area, clear out any monsters that escaped from the Hell Gate, and recover the wreckage of the Hell Gate Lab. And, the ultimate goal was to install a temporary shelter. The Hell Gate Research Center had a special gate obstruction device installed, but thankfully, even when it had disappeared, all the professors shared the same diagnosis, Hell Gates expansion rate had decelerated. So for now, if she just does what she was supposed to do, nothing special will happen. But What the hell is that? Taylor approached the window, literally put her nose one inch away from it, and stared at Hell Gate. There, just like the corona radiating from the sun, something like an aurora was leaking out from the Hell Gates entrance. It wasnt only Taylor who discovered it, proven by the fact that the alarm rang loudly throughout the cabin. -Anomaly occurring! Anomaly occurring! Instructions to be prepared for battle had been issued, and the hunters and soldiers quickly ran to somewhere. However, unlike them, Taylor stayed there and looked at Hell Gate for a long time. What the hell is that? Something felt ominous. * [13. If the protagonist is attacked by multiple enemies, the enemy will only attack one at a time.] Its a very historic clich. The majority of people who attack the protagonist for some reason will always rush one by one instead of going together, and the next one will just get hit just like the one who rushed ahead by the protagonist. Thats precisely the situation I found myself in right now. [Body movement skill is momentarily suppressed by the skill Protagonist Clich!] Keeukk! At the same time, Seol Jungyeon noonim cut one of Monster 2s arms, but she was promptly countered, which forced her to retreat. At the moment when the monster was showing a gap, if I had come forward and attacked it with a big magic shot, I could have landed a fatal blow, but unfortunately, I couldnt move yet because of the monsters skill where I couldnt attack him till the monster regained its stability. [The skill Protagonist Hunter partially resists the skill effect.] Fortunately, the debuff lasts shorter than normal debuff, but it was almost meaningless due to the difference in ability between him and me. When I was about to move, a sudden storm hit my body and threw me to the ground. Thud! bang bang-!! Damn, that clich. As I was wiping the blood coming down from my lips, Noonim, who was visibly exhausted, raised her sword to the sky. Although it was not strange for support to come late, with [9. While the protagonist is fighting the main villain, support never comes for the villain] cliche being triggered, so we could not even hope for it. The level of influence it has on the world was just as dangerous as, or even more dangerous than, the protagonist who shifted the worlds common sense into his own, which I fought in the past. (P/n for those who forgot who this protagonist he mentioned is, its the Japanese protagonist from the long-ass world title) If that protagonist was at a level where he can change the common sense and the laws of physics of the world, then Monster 2 is shaking the fate of this world itself. And in order to gain such great feasts, a lot of probability needs to be consumed. In other words, Monster 2 was extremely dangerous. After all, the more it gets attacked, the faster the Earth will be on its way to destruction. Now that I know that fact, another fact comes to my mind. That monster will never die. As long as Earth did not perish, and as long as there is even a slight probability left on Earth, it will live on until it has exhausted all the probabilities of this world. What should I do? How can I win? Why isnt the Protagonist Hunter skill not doing anything? This skill has been ignoring the probability of numerous protagonists and destroying them. But for some reason, it didnt work right now. Is it because my level is too low? No, if it was for that reason, it simply makes no sense. I even successfully hunted down the Supreme Dharma, who was far stronger than that monster. It means that the Protagonist Hunter skill can still interfere with the clich of the protagonist on that level. Im missing something here. If the system was still here, she would surely have given me some advice. If its Reina What would she say to me in this situation? I wonder At that moment, my heart became surprisingly calmer than before. For some reason, I remembered the advice Reina had given me in the distant past. It wasnt a very meaningful word but a simple sentence. You can just do what you normally do. Why did I think of that moment right now? It felt too artificial, but I dont care. Because that gave me a pretty decisive hint. Noonim! I am still fine Seol Jungyeon noonim answered. She was breathing heavily, but there wasnt even a single tremor in the hand which held the sword. It proved that she was still able to continue the fight. Can you trust me and use a great skill just once? She looked at my eyes, obviously doubting my words. After all, its not like she deliberately didnt use a big skill. It was just wasteful since the enemy would still avoid it in the end. If she performs such a skill again and again, it will only turn their winning chance slimmer than before once she expends all her stamina. But her doubt didnt last long. She nodded her head with a firm expression and raised her sword upright. Then the monster moved and tried to point his palm at noonim, but I shouted first. No matter if its an ally or an enemy, when they are preparing for a big skill, the protagonist never tries to distract them! At that moment, the attack which Monster 2 launched changed direction and blitzed towards me. Boom-!! The ground turned upside down as a shock wave swept the area after the attack clashed with the layers of defense I had erected. Woooshhh-!! However, at that moment, noonim finished her preparations. Contrary to magic, the preparations for the attack of the Murim Warriors were not very long, so its enough to just distract the enemy for a short time. Whhiing-!! As noonim slowly shook her sword, the movement of the air changed. Even Monster 2, who was able to forcibly manipulate the weather conditions, just stood there. It seems like the flow of air which noonim shook had reached the stage where it couldnt be controlled. Cheonma Heavenly Art (ħ) Cheonma Sword Of Destruction (ħ焦) Soar (w) To me, it just looked as if the sword was drawn vertically down very slowly. But the next moment. I felt as if the world had turned black, and the sky was torn in half. !!! Amidst those illusions, only the trace of the sword that noonim waved showed off its presence! But at that moment, time slowed down. [14. Just before the protagonist receives the final blow, time slows down as they recall the past.] In that slowed world, I desperately rolled my eyes. Drops of sweat, scattered dust, and even broken clouds could be easily seen. Everything was motionless, almost stationary even. Only me, who can resist the clich, and Noonim, whose sense was already beyond the human realms, were aware of this fleeting moment. Of course, even though we were aware of it, we couldnt do anything. I could see the hand holding the sword tremble slightly as a bewildered expression was painted on noonims face. [15. Someones advice always appears in the protagonists recollection of the past, and that advice plays a decisive role in the protagonists attempt to overcome the crisis.] The protagonists clich skill, which was almost like a cheat, was activated again, and the monster started to move its body again. It stepped away from the trajectory of Noonims attack to avoid being mortally wounded. But it doesnt matter. In the first place, I was aiming for that exact moment. An enemy who recalls the past before the final blow is always defeated. Again, this was a clich. If the protagonist recalls the past, it will eventually become an opportunity for them to awaken and realize their latent abilities, but if the villain was the one who recalls the past, it was a sign that they will be defeated. As soon as my words fell, Monster 2 stopped on its track. And then, Noonims attack cut its body in exactly half. When its body parts into two, a message comes to my mind. [Warning! Probability exceeded the limit!] Use my lifeforce to offset it! [Impossible!] Damn it!!! I cant turn into a protagonist just yet. After all, I was never supposed to be the protagonist of Earth. Once I become the protagonist, I will be anchored to this world, and I will not be able to enter Hell Gate. On top of it, because of me, the world I loved will be destroyed. I cant. There is still a chance. Then, can we move to the nearest dimension? [Precise movement is impossible without the power of the system.] I bet that was the case. After all, you are nothing but a will that Reina left behind. The reason humans find it difficult to reach towards the unknown realms was because they have never experienced the unknown. However, while traveling to countless worlds, I made dozens of dimensional shifts, and in the process, I experienced a sense of melting into space several times and adapted to it. Although I cannot perform it by myself, if its only moving to a dimension which is connected to Earth, such as a dungeon, crack and Hell Gate, I was certain I could do it. Keukk! I moved towards the monster whose body slowly recovered. [17. When the enemy thought that the protagonist had suffered the final blow, it was nothing but an illusion, because the things inside their clothes blocked the attack] Youre not wearing anything. Chijik! The healing of the wound was canceled. Its power had become so weak that the clich was canceled even with a single sentence from me. If not now, there will be no chance again. I grabbed the monsters head with both hands. [Do you want to move right now?] I looked into the eyes of Seol Jungyeon, who was slowly approaching me. What are you trying to do? This is the only way to kill this monster. What are you- Ill take this guy to Hell Gate. What? The bewildered expression of Noonim made it evident that my plan was nothing but reckless. But it cant be helped. It seems that the thought of crawling safely into the Hell Gate was me being greedy. I thought so and told Noonim. Ill be back again soon, so please wait for me. Wai-wait! Noonim hurriedly approached me using her movement technique, but she couldnt catch me. [Moving to another dimension] CH 248 Vivienda Empire. Aracelli, who was able to save her world from the imminent destruction, spent a leisure time with Empress Sahar. Both of them stayed in a hut they built in the forest with a good mountain view, good air, and good quality necessities like food and water. If they need firewood, they would cut firewood, and if they need food, they would simply either hunt or harvest the vegetables they had cultivated. However, contrary to Aracelli, who is enjoying this kind of life, Empress Sahar was very dissatisfied. Just go out into the world and say your name right now! Everyone will look up to you, she said. That is burdensome. I dont understand why!!! The Vivienda Empire did not know that the Archmage they always looked up to had returned. No, they didnt even know that their world had already been destroyed once and everything had been reverted. But Aracelli did not even try to reveal the truth. How can you go through all that hard work and yet keep everything a secret? I dont understand. Well, this world doesnt need me anymore. Araceli smiled bitterly and continued. Moreover, I also prefer to live a simple life like this. Empress Sahar said nothing more. She has always lived a luxurious life, but she didnt want that life even in another dimension. Because in the first place, she had already given up on everything she had when she decided to move from her home dimension. From that day on, the leisurely days continued. Aracelli recovered all of her circles, but she still couldnt pin-point where Yoo Seodam was. So, when Aracelli had free time, she sat down at the little handmade table she made and fiddled with blue cubes she received from the dragon. That is? Ah, this is the thing the dragon gave to me right before the world line changed. Dr-dragon? Dragons were something which were treated as mysterious beings in any dimension. It was due to the fact that only a handful of people have seen them. However, from time to time, anecdotes related to dragons were recorded. In particular, when the world is in crisis, they would always suddenly appear like a hero, save everyone, before disappearing once again. In fact, Vivienda Academy was also visited by the dragon when they were on the brink of collapse. However, the situation had already been resolved by Aracelli and her group, and the dragon returned after tossing the gift at her. By the way, what is this gift? No matter how much Aracelli rolled her head, she didnt know what was its use. Why dont you visit the Imperial Library? I heard that there are records related to dragons there. Ummm Yeah, theres indeed records about dragons there. But Ive never read it. In the first place, Aracelli was someone who had no interest in superstition, so she had never even touched books related to dragons. Then, should we sneak in and check it out? Im really curious. That sounds fun. Sometimes, it was necessary to deviate from these small daily routines, so it would be a good memory to sneak into the top secret archive of the Imperial LibraryCwhich was said to be the most heavily secured place in the EmpireCand read books about those dragons. The plan was implemented immediately, and frankly, it wasnt that difficult. Aracelli and Empress Sahar, who had snuck into the library, took a lamp hung on the wall with her hand and blew the dust piled up on top of the books. To be honest, she could do anything with the flick of her finger, whether its light or dust removal. But she just wants to create an analog-like feeling. There are surprisingly a lot of books about dragons. Ah, It was because theres a record that this world was visited by dragons thousands of years ago. Well, there are quite a few people who claimed it was real, but theres little evidence left now. In fact, there were quite a few statues of dragons erected throughout the Vivienda Empire. Theres also a kingdom which was said to be a descendant of dragons a few hundreds years ago. Although in modern times, it was all unified under the banner of Magic Empire Vivienda. Here Empress Sahar put some papers in front of Aracelli. These are all documents related to the object. Really? There were more dragon-related legends than Aracelli expected, and surprisingly, the answer to the cube she had failed to understand was quickly found. The Dimensional Travelers Guide? Even though it could only be used once, it was said that the object Aracelli currently possessed was once used by a person who wanted to chase their loved one who was far away beyond time and space. But its too early to be happy. Because it seems that the cube Aracelli has had already been used. Why is this happening to me Aracelli lamented. Few minutes later, just as Empress Sahar rummaged through the book to see if there was a way to use the cube again, Aracelli suddenly dropped the cube and sprung to her feet. Huh? Whats wrong? Whats going on? Oh, no, thats uh Aracelli stuttered as she looked all over the place. Empress Sahar closed the book, stood up, and put her hand on Aracellis shoulder. Calm down, take it slow and look into my eyes. Whats going on? Ah. At that time, Aracelli barely spoke, cold sweat ran all over her body. I cant feel it all of a sudden What do you mean you cant feel it? Empress Sahar felt as if Aracelli was going to say something ominous. Suddenly, the professors energy disappeared I can no longer feel it !!! Sahars premonition turned out to be correct. What Aracelli just said was quite a shock to her; it was to the point she was speechless and didnt know what to do. The two of them stared blankly at each others eyes, not saying anything for a long, long time. * Pacific Ocean, near Hell Gate. Eight Kraken-class aircraft carriers each carried 100 jet fighters on them. There are also destroyer-class battleships surrounding it on all sides. So, it wasnt a stretch to say that one Kraken-class carrier would be able to envelop both the sky and the water. Each aircraft carrier carried a special protection designed by Another League which enabled them to convert ether into a Magic Shield and various other technologies such as magic radar. Not only that, thousands of hunters were also aboard on the aircraft carriers. With a force of this size, any monsters would be dead before they could even get close. -Breaking news! The expansion of Hell Gate had begun. Absorption of energy proceeds. Suddenly, a huge tongue came out from inside the Hell Gate, pierced the clouds, and plunged into the sea, as if trying to take root on Earth. Thousands of eyes twitched from the tongue, and some deformed features, which looked like mouths, noses, hands and feet, gushed out. In front of the grotesque scene, people vomited, and some people who had weak minds and bodies even passed out. Even though all the people gathered here were veterans, there were always people who just couldnt stand to look at it. Foosh-!! Foosh-!! Shortly after, fighter jets far in the sky fired missiles in succession, and the tentacles exploded, scattering into the sea. -The enemy monsters defense is weaker than expected! Originally, the reasons for not being able to use weapons such as missiles in a fight against monsters was because such devices could not be brought inside the dungeon where they didnt work properly, and using them in urban cities in case of a dungeon break would destroy the buildings around it. However, as the years passed and a new substance called mana was discovered, the situation changed a lot. It was now possible to use modern weapons which could break the enemys energy shield. Something is strange, isnt it? Taylor Nine conjured five spheres of light and floated into the air and looked at the monster coming out of the Hell Gate. At this moment, Hell Gate was still rapidly absorbing Earths energy, and the monsters inside were constantly coming out. But, it looked as if the monsters were forcibly squeezed out rather than naturally coming out. It was as if the Hell Gate itself was trying to throw away all the monsters inside. And the truth is, Taylors conjecture was right. However, unbeknown to Taylor, Hell Gate was trying to squeeze out every monster inside to Earth, rather than just a few of them. Once that happened, it was doubtful whether these eight aircraft carriers would be able to block it. Hunter Taylor. While she was piercing the foreheads of the monsters approaching from the sea with her sphere of light, someone called her. It was General Robert, the commander in charge who had three stars on his shoulder. What happened? As General Robert was famous worldwide as someone who, despite his lack of superpower, had never once retreated from the battlefield, Taylor respected him a lot. I have heard news from inland. They told me to tell you right away. In Shanghai, China, Another Leagues Guild Master Yoo Seodam and Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon had a bloody battle with the so-called Monster 2, and finally succeeded in killing it. Oh As expected. It was good news to convey, but for some reason General Roberts expression was not happy at all. and what? The quick-witted Taylor asked first, and Robert said. Guild Master Yoo Seodam seems to have entered the Hell Gate alone. Yes? Wait We are guarding this place, how can he? I dont know about that. But since it was the testimony of the Murim Lord, it should have been true. Taylor massaged her forehead arms. They had decided to enter the Hell Gate together, yet he still entered alone. Why? Despite her confusion, General Robert continued his speech. Now, reinforcements are coming, they are bringing the Murim Warriors of the New Murim as well as Another Leagues Hell Gate Expedition Team. its reassuring, but General Robert looked at Hell Gate with a bitter expression. Would it be possible to rescue Hunter Yoo Seodam? They looked around the Hell Gate. Both of them wondered what the hell the Hell Gate was doing by pouring out monsters over and over again. However, at that moment, the answer came to them. The sea of over 200m turned into an environment similar to the inside of Hell Gate which they only see through videos. The monsters, which had just left the Hell Gate entrance began to stagger and walk over it. Some monsters were so huge that the bombardment didnt work at all, and some just walked and killed themselves. Kurreung!! Not only that, a red cloud began to form over the Hell Gate. -Gas! -Wear a gas mask! Taylor silently pressed the belt attached to his wrist. Then, the etheric suit, which had been converted into a baseball jumper that she wore, instantly transformed into a black suit covering her entire body. It was the newly developed suit which was able to adapt to even the environment of Hell Gate. What the hell is the situation? Taylor didnt know for sure, but if its true that Yoo Seodam really went to Hell Gate. The exit is only this entrance anyway. Then There was nothing she could do other than wipe the exit clean so that Yoo Seodam could come back comfortably. You bastard, Ill kill you when I see you later. CH 249 The Hell Gate area around the entrance constantly expanded as the material from the inside poured out. The seawater around it had completely solidified, so hunters could not land there either. However, within the grotesque area, no machine worked properly, and it was very difficult for some hunters to even keep their sanity within the area. It wasnt just a matter of supernatural strength, it was a matter of mental power. After all, who could easily set foot in that horrific place where limbs protruded from what was thought as a wall; mouths that suddenly appeared from the ground, cutting off their ankles before running away; and eyes twitching in the sky? We have to deal with it as soon as possible. Fortunately, the Hell Gates expansion was temporarily prevented thanks to Lacanthal, a magic engineer from another world who came to join the army on a high-speed boat together with Another Leagues raid team. He installed a special device that looked like a power transmission tower on eight aircraft carriers which created a dimension screen upon activation, blocking the extension of the Hell Gate area. Of course, this is only a temporary measure. We must destroy all of those plants to stop the expansion at once. These so-called plants werent living things, but they cant be considered dead as well. Those bizarre substances which moved with their own will were slowly coloring the Pacific Ocean with Hell Gates substance, and destroying them could wipe out some of the realm. In other words, currently, the fight was on a stalemate. The Hell Gate can no longer expand further, but it was also impossible for the human army to enter either. Isnt there any other way? Well In response to the question of Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon, Lacanthal could only glance around. Large guilds had their own meeting rooms spread through the 8 ships, but Another League didnt have it. It was simply because there was no room available. However, thanks to the active support from the UN, the operation control room of one aircraft carrier was transformed into a temporary meeting room for them. However, even though it was Another Leagues Meeting room there were quite a lot of big names in attendance. Such as the three-stars commander in chief, General Robert, several SS-ranked hunters. masters of famous guilds, and 20-year old veteran hunters who were famous for their solo activities. Theres a way And it is rather simple. Form a team consisting of only a few elite hunters and go inside. If we cut the plant on the inside first, the plant on the outside will also disappear, effectively destroying the Hell Gate area. Of course, it didnt mean that whoever didnt get chosen to enter the Hell Gate would not have the same risk as the one who entered. However, its also important to station some hunters on the outside to prevent the personnel who entered inside from being isolated. Therefore, the number of people participating in this operation would be a lot. In the plan, the guild members of Another League were the only ones who were supposed to enter the Hell Gate. But now things have changed a lot. If they did not reduce the area of ??the Hell Gate manifesting on Earth by dispatching other hunters and the defensive line was breached, the Hell Gate area would immediately stretch out and the area might even reach inland. Which means, all available troops in this place had to participate in the operation. Hunters and soldiers with at least 10 years of experience in monster warfare should camp in the area. A certain number of troops could not endure the sheer pressure emitted by the Hell Gate and its grotesque nature due to their lack of mental power, and most of the machines did not even work, so they needed an etheric dispenser and the experienced veteran hunters. On top of it, Hunters with a rank of B or lower with no experience are practically useless. Pardon? That. At Lacanthals words, most of the people in the meeting room were bewildered. In fact, everyone should have fully agreed with what he said. After all, no matter how advanced the ether dispenser is, what can an F rank hunter do with it? However, theres one reason why they expressed their doubts like this. It was because of the involvement of Yoo Seodam, who had no superpower at all, at the last Hell Gate expedition 8 years ago. If you said that F-rank hunters will be useless, we might agree with you What I said was simply a fact. It is because hunters below B rank wouldnt offer much help even when armed with various things. Ha! Didnt Hunter Yoo seodam enter the Hell Gate even when hes only F rank? Thats something I never thought made sense, myself. Lacanthal sighed. If it were me, I would never take an F rank hunter into the Hell Gate, lest I want to get everyone killed. At that time, the leader of the expedition was an SS rank hunter, and I heard that there were also many elite troops in the team he made. If he simply took Master Yoo Seodam just for him to be a porter, it would make more sense if he took a hunter with a physical strengthening superpower rather than him. Even so, the fact that the leader of the expedition dared to take an F rank hunter means that Yoo Seodam wasnt chosen for his fighting prowess. But then, it only makes another question buds on Lacanthals mind. Why did Yoo Seodam agree to enter the Hell Gate? Also, how did he come back outside without going crazy? But whatever the reason, it doesnt matter right now. What they need to do as of now had no relation with that reason, after all. And if they want to know the truth, they need to pave the way for Yoo Seodam to return safely first. * [Transfer complete.] When I lose control of my mind, I sometimes dream of things. The contents of the dream are mostly nothing important, but sometimes, I re-experience the events I had experienced in the past. Such as the time when I first became a hunter, my very first monster hunt or when I formed a party with other children, whom the word colleagues was more appropriate to use rather than friends. Amongst those colleagues, Reina Ju disappeared into the very first great crack which appeared on Earth, and right now, I was dreaming about the times when I chased after her and entered Hell Gate. Back in those days in Hell Gate eight years ago, there were brave colleagues, trustworthy leaders, and reliable comrades whom I could always trust my back with. However, most of them died, and all the remaining survivors went crazy. Haha, Seodam. This is my wife. Didnt I say that I wanted to introduce her to you every day? Shes a looker, isnt she? Baby, are you shy? Come here. However, the truth is, the one he introduced wasnt his wife, but a monster. No matter how many times I told him, he didnt believe me. He asked me why I called her a monster and ended up shooting me. So, I had no choice but to kill him. How long has it been since the last time I ate beef steak? As expected, the T-bone fits my palate the best. Did you know what white truffle is? It is said to be one of the worlds top 3 delicacies! Not everyone gets the chance to eat this thing. Seodam, would you like to take a bite too? Its not food, its the body of the colleague I just killed. I begged them not to eat it, but they didnt listen. So, I had no choice but to kill them too. Some of my colleagues were killed by monsters, but most were killed by my hand. Its not out of the ordinary, Its just that when someone enters Hell Gate, everyone naturally becomes like that. And I was destined to be like that too. Interesting What are you? Until I heard that voice. I didnt understand it at first. I only thought I had become crazy just like my colleagues. Otherwise, there would be no reason why I heard auditory hallucinations. But there was one crucial difference between my mentally ill colleagues and myself. They were unaware that they were crazy, while I was aware that I was hearing hallucinations. Calm down. It took me a really long time to understand your language. Im really glad I managed to learn the language you speak. haha. Who the hell are you? Me? Well. If I had to call myself I think I am the will of this world, which youre calling Hell Gate? To be exact, I am Hell Gate itself. The will of the Hell Gate? Yeah! Thats right. Interesting, right? I was surprised too. Because I didnt even know I had a will until I encountered a conscious being like you. But now I know. And now, I even have a dream! I conversed with it as if I was possessed. It said that he was originally an unfinished world wandering in the blank story, and he struggled to shape the world to complete himself and ended up in such a terrible state. Hell Gate, a world in which there is no distinction between non-living and living things, even between others and oneself. Now I can definitely realize my dreams. I will make a perfect world! It will not be a world where the story flows according to the will of the protagonist, but a world which is completely independent from the story. I dont understand what you mean. Then, the will started to explain it to me. Each world exists for only one protagonist, and if the protagonist perishes from existence, the world loses its existence. Without exception, all worlds follow that principle. It even said that perhaps even his own world, this Hell Gate, would have ended up in that same state too. So I stretched out my will to every world and established a concept of completeness. After all, the moment such a concept is established, the world quickly begins to run toward destruction. And I am building my own world little by little by absorbing the power of those destroyed worlds. What will happen if you do that? Isnt it obvious? It began to take shape little by little. It definitely appeared in front of me in a form that looked exactly like me, and said with a smile that was similar to mine. A world where everyone can be the protagonist will be created. ! Dont you think the world is unreasonable? That its.unfair? Look at you. Unlike your friends, you dont have any superpowers, connections, parents, and even your foster parents are dead. You were born poor, and will end up living like that until you meet your end. That Its because someone like you is just a background character that exists for the sake of the protagonist. Those guys are taking away all the fate and probability you could have had. But, what if youre living in a world where everyone is the protagonist. You dont have to go through such absurdity anymore. A world where you dont have to live the way fate has decided. How is it? I can save you right here and now. And you can help me. Me? How? Thats That moment, I woke up from my dream. Huh! My chest and my back were wet. Cold sweat was also dripping from my forehead. Since when have I been sleeping? No, what was I doing up until now? Ah I forced a dimensional shift to the Hell Gate in order to defeat Monster 2 [The dimensional shift to Hell Gate has been completed.] Yes. In the end, I succeeded in moving to the Hell Gate and defeating the monster. Haha I burst into laughter, as my heart felt relieved. But at that very moment, I sprung to my feet, I was startled by the sound of a loud horn. You crazy bastard! Why are you laying down in the middle of a crosswalk? Huh? Get out of there quickly! When the middle-aged truck driver roared with visible anger towards me, I unknowingly walked towards the side of the road. With the corner of my eyes, I could see people looking at me as I passed by. Did I do something strange? Wait, they were talking about my clothes. What? What kind of armor is that? Is it cosplay? Something is strange. In modern times, thanks to the design of the ether suit which was full of individuality, my plain armor didnt get much attention. No This place should be inside the Hell Gate, should it? The system also had already told me that I had successfully moved to Hell Gate. But A tall gray building, flashing neon signs, crossroads as well as crosswalks, people in casual clothing of modern design and cars spewing fumes. No matter how I look at it, this place was undoubtedly Earth. Pat-!! Can you please get out of the way? Someone tapped my shoulder and passed by. I looked over the mans head without realizing it, and I had no choice but to open my eyes wide. Park Seon Joo #Office_worker #Taken #Why_is_the_manager_already_angry_this_early? My eyes darted wildy as I was surprised because I suddenly met a protagonist out of nowhere However, Hes not the only protagonist in this place. Something which I never experienced before was happening in front of me right now. Kim David #Unemployed #KoreanAmerican #Handsome #I_want_to_appear_on_a_foreign_TV_program Kim Seok Kwon #Soccer_player #Father_of_two_daughters #I_love_you_Seyoung Seo Haneul #College_student #Self_made #Taken #Who_wants_to_have_a_drink_today? A protagonist hashtag was floating above the heads of everyone passing by. However, when I looked closely at each of them, they were all far too ordinary to be a protagonist. Some were ordinary office workers, some were ordinary college students, and some were just ordinary people. A world where everyone was the protagonist even though they were ordinary. Dont tell me I pedaled back as realization dawned upon me, However, just after a few steps, I was forced to turn back as my back hit something. What I saw there was surprising. No, it was an understatement. It simply made my mind go blank. Because, Protagonist Are Murdered By Me #Modern_time #Hunter #World_hopping [You are the protagonist of this world.] I finally turned into a protagonist. E/N: Ahhh!! I love it when the plot circles back to the main theme of the novel. Cant believe there are only 8 chapters left till this novel ends. This is a friendly reminder to all the protagonist readers~ Bombard our beloved translator with donations~~ And subscribe to our patreon to have an early access to read the end~ CH 250 I always entertained the idea of becoming a protagonist. It was because the only way I could think of to destroy Hell Gate was through this method. I really did become the protagonist of Hell Gate As it is now, if I do anything that consumes probability, I will quicken the end of the world, and the epilogue will arrive. But Can I really do that? When I looked around, thousands of ordinary people were walking on the streets. The sight was no different from the scene I saw on Earth. No, to be honest, it was exactly the same as Earth. No no no, how can my conviction shake this late in the game? It cant be. And it also wouldnt be the case. After all, the sight of the chaotic Hell Gate, which I saw 8 years ago, was still vivid in my mind. I immediately grabbed someone who was passing by and asked. Excuse me, but what year is it now? What? You are not even wearing a mask. Yes? It is 2020. And since a pandemic is circling all over the world right now, please wear a mask. Ah yes If its 2020, it was the year when the first gate appeared and the Great War broke out on Earth. And judging by the fact that the temperature is quite low, the current time should be around November to December. If it were the Earth I belong to, it wouldnt be strange if gates suddenly appeared non-stop. But it didnt happen here. So, is this a world without gates? I walked along the street. It was because I believed that in order to fully understand the situation, I had to hear and see more. And the more I walked, the more people looked at me. Some talked about why I didnt wear a mask while some discussed my clothes, which in their standard, was weird. A pandemic, huh? I cant remember anything like that happening around this year on my original Earth. After all, after the technological advances caused by the discovery of the materials from the gates, and with the use of ether technology, the only pandemic still present on my Earth was nothing but influenza. What is the probability that I will catch the disease? [Since you possess Protagonist Correction, the chance is none.] Huh? So what about them? Arent they protagonists too? [*gibberish* *gibberish*] What is this guy saying now? Those guys were indeed protagonists. However, they havent received their Protagonist Correction. ! I quickly turned my body as my own voice was heard from my back. As soon as I turned back, I could see a man sitting on the overpass while biting on an apple waving his hand to me. Long time no see, Yoo Seodam. He smiled at me as he straightened the suit he wore. Dont smile like that with my face. Oh sorry. I cant help it. After all, it is now impossible to move the world and make a new face and voice. Look, the world is almost complete, isnt it? Then, can we just let this world complete and get destroyed without us fighting each other? Then Hell Gates will shook his head. No. We cant do that. Actually, youre only looking at the finished part right now. What you see now is just a small part of the goal I want to achieve. Saying that, he ripped off the reinforcing bars of the overpass. Then a terrible mass of flesh wriggled through the opened section for a couple of seconds before disappearing once again. You know what? In order for game companies to reduce the overall capacity of the game they develop, all parts which are not visible to users are left blank. Users will feel that they are playing a finished world, but in reality, there is nothing inside of things that theyre looking at. That is precisely the state of my world right now. He pointed his finger at the sky. Do you know how rain clouds are formed? It is formed when warm air from the earth rises, expands and then cools in the sky. But my world hasnt been able to replicate even such a trivial setting yet. I had to do everything manually. Whats wrong with doing it manually? Well, I will die soon. So I have to automate it. What? As if it was nothing special, he shrugged. Hasnt your memory come back yet? My lifespan is on the verge of ending. However, I will only die the moment the world is completed. Then you Thats right. Its all thanks to the contract I signed with you. At that moment, a memory flooded my mind. I used to have a perfect plan to realize my dream. It was to apply the concept of completion to many worlds. After all, with a world being destroyed, my world will be completed thanks to the energy from those destroyed worlds. By the way, why do you need my help? It smiled. My plan was a failure from the start. There were a lot more worlds than I expected which stopped their story before completion. Cancellation, indefinite hiatus, protagonist replacement, and such For some reason, the worlds in which probability was no longer consumed began to increase. He said that he even intervened on several occasions. But the more I intervened, the shorter my lifespan became. It was only then I realized that I couldnt handle everything by myself. There seemed to be no way for him to realize his dream. However, in those dark days, I met you. And then, I thought of a way. If the world couldnt complete the story by itself, why not create a protagonist of all worlds and let that one person complete all the stories? The moment I remembered it all, goosebumps rose all over my body. Wa-wait a moment I Dont tell me Thats right. Do you remember? The other Yoo Seodam smiled as he chewed the apple. I know what your plan is. You must have been planning to commit suicide after becoming the protagonist of this world, arent you? My mind was blank. I wasnt only a protagonist of Hell Gate, but the protagonist of all other worlds. Which means, if I consumed all my probability, I will destroy all worlds except the Hell Gate. Hahaha! Dont take it too seriously. There is still a grace period of 20 to 30 years. And during that time, you will live your happiest time of all. The Will snapped his fingers. Then, the Pacific Ocean in my real world was reflected on the screen that floated like a hologram in the air. More than ten aircraft carriers and numerous battleships could be seen on the surface of the sea. Countless flying monsters, fighter jets and hunters were fighting in the sky, and within the realm of Hell Gate spread out over the sea, many hunters were fighting a bloody battle. Amidst all the chaos, familiar faces could be seen: My guild membersCmy most precious people. They are working so hard for you. To pave the way for you to return. Would you like to look at the scenario that will unfold for you from now on? Without waiting for my answer, some letters lined up in the air. Thanks to the efforts of Another League guild members, the Hell Gate area is finally cleaned up. However, since there were still many monsters lurking inside the Hell Gate, it was unclear whether hunter Yoo Seodam would return or not. I didnt want to read it. However, my eyes couldnt help but to continue scanning the letters in the air. (omitted) Somehow, the Hell Gate began to crumble and everyone around the world cheered at the spectacle. Master Yoo Seodam has done it! People praised him as a hero and went out into the streets, singing his name late into the night. However, no one in Another League rejoiced. Please, come back. After all, they didnt want a dead hero. They just wanted him to come back and live as an ordinary person. As I read it, I bit my lip. How is it? Did you like it? It was all thanks to the karma you have built up so far. And I think its the reward you deserve. You deserve to be happy. Me too, I deserve it too. (omitted) But Just before the Hell Gate completely collapsed, something came out from its entrance. And the people who were waiting on the spot knelt on the floor and cheered. Its Master Yoo Seodam!!! He had returned. That is what I will experience in the future as long as I follow the path set by the will of Hell Gate. In other words, something I would get in exchange for being the protagonist of the world. Arent there a lot of beauties around you? Should I add #harem to the tag of your story? But, if I do that, your lifespan will be a little bit shorter. No need Well, understandable. Harem tag isnt popular these days. He said as he scrolled down the screen. (P/n Im starting to like this guy) You will become the king of Earth. You will have a power that no one dares to oppose. Your bad blood with Lost Day will also end. Perhaps Yoo Haram will beg you with tears in his eyes. Actually, it was for your sake Wow, what a tearful ending! As of now, you are weaker than the White Witch, Aracelli, Seol Jungyeon, Taylor and even Ha Sun-young! But once you get out of this place, you will acquire the worlds strongest power. You will probably even surpass the Supreme Dharma, who was a URS rank. AH RIGHT! I will also throw in some more! I will connect Earth to all the worlds youve been to! To Vivienda where Aracelli currently resides, to the world of Malea, who is still working hard at climbing the tower, to the world of your four players who were struggling among the constellations, and the world of Marilen who was struggling in the world of fairies. You will be able to reunite with all the people you have a connection with. A very, very happy ending awaits for me. You just have to turn around and walk out to get it all. He bit the apple again and smiled. For some reason, the size of the apple didnt decrease at all. As the protagonist of all worlds, shouldnt you be able to enjoy the happiness that befits your status? What about Reina? Huh? What will happen to Reina? Oh yeah. Reina At my question he scratched his head and made a troubled face. Cant be with you. I need her to edit your story. Isnt it romantic though? Reina, who loved Yoo Seodam, was the one who created a happily ever after for Yoo Seodam in the story. At his answer, I could feel rage bubbling up in my heart. This madman, is he serious? He smiled so much that I thought he had feelings. However, it seems like I was wrong. He had no emotions, he was only laughing to imitate a human being. Are you saying that people can be truly happy just by watching the person you love live happily from afar? Uh isnt that the case? In dramas, dont the protagonist often say, Its enough for me to just watch her smile. Its enough for me as long as she is happy? Im going crazy. It seems like since he learned all the principles of the world through story, he just took it all as the correct ones. Give me back Reina. Sorry, that cant be done. This is also her will. Reinas will? It cant be. But, a voice rang in my ears soon after, denying my denial. -Seodam Re-reina? Where are you now? -That I cant tell you No no its all okay, Its okay, so lets go back to Earth, okay? Lets stop doing this and go back. But she was silent at my pleading. She only answered after several seconds passed. -Im sorry Startled by her words, I asked once again. My voice was not as loud as before, on top of it, it was quivering. Why? -With me, you cannot be happy. The moment the contract is canceled you will die immediately. It doesnt matter if I die or not! Just come here!! -It cant be done, thats the problem! Even though I love you, I cant just do so. Because the moment you die, Earth will no longer receive your protagonist correction. -Does it make sense that those who fight in the Pacific will win without your protagonists correction? Havent you experienced it too? Hell Gate beings were something humans will never be able to overcome! I looked at Hell Gates will after hearing Reinas words. Thats right. Hell Gates army is a lot stronger than you think. Ah, wait! Dont get me wrong. Its out of my reach in the first place, I cant interfere with everything in Hell Gate. The reason they came out was because you broke into this place, you know? What he just said was something I was aware of. Hell Gate spits out mass equal to the power of the ones who invade it. Therefore, the reason why so many monsters were invading Earth right now was because of the strong probability I carried within me. But I just heard something good. Hm? What I was talking about was the fact that the will cannot interfere with anything in Hell Gate. Just knowing that was enough. Reina, you are right. The reason I hunt protagonists across the world is for my own benefit. -Thats right. Hell Gates will smiled brightly at me, and Reina sighed, seemingly relieved by my words. But now everything has changed. I can no longer live well alone. -Sorry? I pulled out the pistol I had hidden in a socket on my waist and pointed it at my temple. Isnt it the job of the protagonist hunter to hunt the protagonist? It doesnt matter whether it is someone I love, a hero or whoever. C Seodam, thats Move me to the void of the world. A world of nothing, a world of where theres no story. -Wait! Please, please dont! Otherwise I put my index finger on the trigger. Im going to pull the trigger. Youre crazy! Reina! Dont do anything and stay still! This guy is completely crazy!!! 3. - Yoo Seodam! Do you want your world to perish? If you die, they will be defeated by the forces of Hell Gate! Will it perish now, or will it perish in 20 or 30 years time? If I cant stop it at all, its better to end it right here right now. This will be my last selfish thought. 2. And if you survive, even if the Earth wins! You will be thrown into the boundary of the story, tormented by nothingness forever! Do you really want that? Clack-!! The floor twisted and something rose up from the ground. It seems like it was there to stop me. Hell Gates will was forcing its probability to move me. But, now I know. That guy isnt that strong. YOO SEODAM!!!! !! I applied force to my index finger to pull the trigger. [Starting dimensional movement.] I could feel the presence of my body completely fading away. CH 251 My consciousness grew fainter and fainter. It felt as if all of my five senses had been cut off. What was I doing? [Moving to another world] Oh, yeah Thanks For Letting Me Know [Moving to another world] Until now, I had done countless dimensional movements. It was to the point I was extremely familiar with it. A sensation of floating as if I was swimming in nothingness. Not sure what this feeling is called? Anyone who has ever ridden a Gyro Drop or a Roller Coaster Express or a Viking might understand me. And, when you multiply those sensations by maybe 100 times, thats what I feel like when moving between dimensions. Then, suddenly, a thought passed my mind. I want to eat kimchi ramyeon with kimchi. Kimchi ramyeon was literally kimchi flavoured ramyeon, but if you eat it along with the real kimchi, its really amazing. Oh, I also want to eat jajangmyeon with sweet and sour pork. Actually, I dont like jjajangmyeon, but since Taylor liked it, I ended up eating lots of it. By the way Why am I thinking of all of this stuff now? The process of moving across dimensions was supposed to be completed in 1 second at the shortest and 10 seconds at the longest. But something is odd Why does the dimensional shift feel so long? [You are moving around the world.] Flash! The moment I had that thought, I unknowingly opened my eyes and had no choice but suck in a deep breath. Ah! In front of me, the universe unfolded. An endless galaxy-a feast of beautiful constellations, which was stupendous no matter where one looked, unfolded in front of my eyes. As if they were trying to emphasise their attractiveness to me, their lights kept flickering. Wooosh-!! A wave of starlight touched me and then moved away. WOOOOOOO-!! A humpback whale made of stars soared above the waves of starlight and then disappeared beyond. All the constellations in the world were spinning around me. Even if I tried to describe the sight in front of me, I would always fall short for words. It could only be summarised in one word: Beautiful. Is this the same space I know? The space I knew was nothing more than a place with dark sky all over. Even if it feels like there are many constellations in the night sky, when you actually go out into space, there are more spaces without stars than space with stars, so it is normal to feel as if there is nothing in darkness. But why are there so many stars here? -Each of these stars is a world. They are appealing their presence to you, who has become the centre of the story. Huh? Reina? Are you Reina? -Thats right, Seodam. Its been a long time. No, no, no. We were always together, werent we? C Thats right Weve been together all along, I just didnt know that shes Reina. Have you been well? -Im fine. Every time I wake up in the morning, I start my day by pouring out a cup of hot Americano. My laptop is also updated to the latest version. But, since Im not good with that kind of stuff, I cant really understand what my laptop has become after each update Is that so? hahahahha. -Can I tell you something strange? All the stories in the world flowed into me. Therefore, throughout my time working here, I was able to see a lot of the world and learn both sad and happy stories. There are times when I burst into anger while watching a world with a Makjang romance story. These were really nonsense and unproductive conversations. Its just a daily conversation with friends. However, I was so happy that I could have such a conversation with Reina. It made me a little sad though, as this might be the last conversation I will ever have with her. Reina kept telling me about her life. Since she already knows what Ive been up to, I just listened to her in silence and smiled. However, at some point, her happy storytelling ends. Then, -You will soon find yourself in a void in the story. I know. If I get farther away, the story wont progress any more, right? In other words, I would find myself in a condition where I will be neither alive nor dead. Moreover, I wouldnt be able to do anything about it. The only future which awaits me is wandering through this darkness forever. However, the silver lining is, as I am the only protagonist in all the worlds right now, all other protagonists have become sub-protagonist, therefore the world will not be destroyed no matter what they do. After all, I have all their probability. As it is, I just have to wait until all probability accumulated in my body disappears. Its not a big deal. - But, how long do I have to wait until that happens? -You may have to wait thousands or even tens of thousands of years. By that time, your existence I do not care. I was already happy enough. -Is that so. As Reinas voice subsided, I hurriedly asked. What happened to Earth? -Fortunately, the invasion of Hell Gate was prevented. Since you are still alive, your probability progressed the story of Earth into the waiting for Yoo Seodam to come back alive episode. I nodded in understanding. Earth would be stuck in that episode for a long time. After all, the episode would only progress once I return alive. Which means, Earth wont be destroyed anytime soon. And since I already left many things on Earth: Magic, science and different kinds of martial arts, many people will remember me. Even if I disappear like this, I am incredibly happy to know that there are so many people who will still love me. After all, for me, who was once just an F-rank hunter, who could just die anytime in some random corner of the world, hoping more than this was nothing but greed. This much was already something I didnt deserve. -Would you like to see the colleagues youve been with for the last time? I tried to say no, but I couldnt, since Reina, who stared into the air without saying a word, suddenly brought up a holographic screen. Taylor was the first to appear on that screen. She was still in the Pacific Ocean. Sitting on some kind of chair. From time to time, she would doze off. However, she would jerk up and look back at the spot where the Hell Gates entrance used to be before falling asleep once again while looking at the night sky where a meteor shower was falling. Show the others too. Next was Yekaterina. She was in her office. I noticed that there was a large picture of me hanging in the back which wasnt there the last time I was there. It seems like she was the one who hung it there. It seems like, before she could mourn over my disappearance, she was caught up in the hustle and bustle of work. The thick dark circles under her eyes prove that. Yekaterina suddenly turned her attention to the TV that was playing in the corner of the office. C Chichik! Breaking news! The monsters of Hell Gate, who lived in hiding in the Mirror World, have started pouring out! The Murim League is responding quickly, but it is happening all over the world at the same time! -According to the opinion of experts, the remaining monsters of Hell Gate will make their last move, and that this will truly be the last war of mankind. After all the cleaning we did, theres still some mirror worlds left? Just how many are there Though, it doesnt look like humanity would lose. Because those monsters were nothing but remnants in the end. Perhaps, Another League will play a big role here as well, and it will become a world-class guild. As I thought so, the screen showed other guild members of the Another League. Ha Sun-young, the swordmasters, magic researchers, and even the spirits. They seemed to be getting along well, so I was relieved. Can you show Noonim? Seol Jungyeon noonim appeared on the screen as I finished my words. She still had her pale blonde hair, resembling a snowy mountain in the sunset, and she was wielding her sword at the forefront of the battlefield. As always, she was beautiful and radiant. C My lord! Are you okay? -Im okay. Just dispose of all the bodies. -Ha!! Noonim, who flicked the last bit of blood in the tip of her sword, turned her back quietly after putting an end to the battlefield. But for some reason, there was no emotion in that expression. Her eyes were empty. Her previously perfect doll-like appearance looked artificial because of those soulless eyes. If she just stood still, those who saw her would think she is a really well-made, pretty mannequin. There were also a few dark circles around her eyes, something which shouldnt be possible for someone once they reach the height Noonim had reached. So why C My lord. Please rest now! Its already been six months. No matter how strong you are, it can be really dangerous Shin Hye-ji appeared and said to Noonim, half-screaming. Six months? That much time had passed? -Well If I die, that will be my destiny. C Lord, please dont say things like that It was my misunderstanding that she seemed to be living well. Noonim wasnt living properly because she couldnt forget me. I tried to rack my brain for a method to ease her pain. But I couldnt find anything. After all, I will be stuck in this situation for a long time -Seodam Would you like to see those from another world? Yes please The screen flickered and showed a huge spiral world. It was the world of Arash, where you have to climb through stages while being broadcasted to the constellations. Somehow, the four people I had helped appeared on the screen. They were holding a certain trophy. It seems like they finally cleared all the 50 stages. -Make your wish, human. -Our wish is to bring back the human world. Just like before, back to those days when we lived in peace. -Huh? You could wish to be a constellation or become powerful to rule over all humans. Are you really going to give up those for that wish? -Yes. Because that has always been our goal! -Alright, then. Ill return your world to how it used to be. Click-!!! The screen ended with the world breaking. They finally achieved their wish. Ha Those guys were stupid at first, but seems like they pulled through. Next, the island of dreams appeared. Marilyn and Sarylene. They used to be close friends, but now, as sisters, they were preparing for war between the islands by developing elemental skills. Is it because of their outstanding talent? They were able to block any attack from any other island. An impeccable heavenly fortress that does not allow any invasion. That was the island of dreams. Next world was the Murim. Baek So-hwi, who became the protagonist of that place, had only one goal: to remain in the world and exterminate all the demons which were plunging the world into chaos. She had more willpower than any other protagonist I had met, even more than me. She was the first and last woman to reject the fate of the protagonist. Had that woman been in my place, things might have been a lot different from now. In front of Baek So-hwi, a huge demon with red menacing horns, which were taller than Mount Tai, wider than the sea, and hotter than lava, had fallen. It was the Archdemon Ragrezion. -Baek So-hwi! We did it! We defeated the last demon! -Yeah The sword in Baek So-hwis right hand began to chatter. The swords name was Lianghon. He was a mascot in charge of cuteness and a guide who soothed Baek So-hwis heart. -It was an honour to be able to fight alongside you, Lianghon. Thank you for all your hard work. -What are you going to do now? -Now Baek So-hwi looked at the distant mountain as if thinking of someone. -I should go to the world that man said. I cant stay in this world now. Finally, the screen changed again, and I was able to see another world. At that moment, realisation dawned at me. I really had travelled through many worlds and made many connections along my journey. The screen showed Malea, who climbed the tutorial tower again to find me, Yerina, who became a full-fledged empress in the Muscle World, and Elaim, who succeeded in saving the world as an archmage. However, they were people who I was no longer able to meet. I will just remember them in my heart. At that moment, the screen blurred together with some static sound. -Seo Dam. You are too far away My voice can no longer reach you Reina Youve been through a lot. Reinas voice gradually faded away. I felt like something was clogging my throat and a lump of something was suffocating my heart. However, I still tried to smile. So, you should rest now. -Thank you Yoo Seodam. With those last words, even Reinas voice disappeared. I found myself In a place where nothing was left, even the constellations were moving further and further away from me. The space had turned black, and no light could be seen anymore. I closed my eyes. Because there was nothing to see, the sense of sight was not important. I closed both my ears. Because there was nothing to hear, the sense of hearing was no longer necessary. And, I decided to constantly repeat my thoughts. It was because I dont want to forget about my hometown in case someday all the probability accumulated in my body disappears, and I am able to return. Haha by that time, it must be too late to go back. In a place where time, space, and even stories do not exist. I alone recalled happy memories that I cant get back to. Thats how I fell into my own world. [Protagonist Are Murdered By Me] [Thank you for loving Protagonist Are Murdered By Me.] Chiijijik-!! Chijijik-!! Thud-!! Huh? When I opened my eyes to the loud roar, I could see the space was being torn. Due to some pure white pillar, the empty space was collapsing. The darkness dispersed into fragments, and they all became a constellation and began to illuminate this empty space. And, there A jet-black hair pushed through. Professor Aracelli? I mumbled. And with a beaming smile, she finally opened the space enough for her body to push through. I told you, didnt I? Uh, huh? As Aracelli stepped her foot into the air, a series of shimmering fragments of space formed under her feet to connect to me. With each step she took, waves of light spread out and she reached out to me with an elegant gait. Wherever you are Then, she smiled brightly. Im going to find you. Ah At that, I felt my expression changing between absurdity and happiness. And when I held her hand which she stretched out to me, the world suddenly turned brighter. The constellations that disappeared had returned to my side again. The twinkling stars in the distance were also calling me again. You know, Professor. There are so many worlds in this universe, and there are many places where stories dont exist. I didnt know that. From now on, we will travel to such places together. We will buy and eat skewers on the street to our hearts content. Sometimes eat buffet-style meals, sometimes roll around in the mud like a beggar, sometimes become rulers and rule an empire. We will do all that, until we erase all the probability inside you.. Chijijik-!! And shortly after, someone else walked in from the broken space. With her silver hair that sparkled even more than the constellations, Empress Sahar walked gracefully and said. And maybe one day, you can go back to your hometown. Aracelli and Empress Sahar looked at the horizon of the constellations we were about to depart to, and said so. Now. You have a lot of time to spend with us, dont you? I smiled at that question. CH 252 Message from the team before you read the last chapter! Be sure to read them all okay? (Proofreaders note: welp, I guess this is the end. For all of you readers out there, thank you for following the story of Yoo Seodam hunting protagonists from many different worlds. Its been a hell of a ride. And, theres nothing more that I can say, except Thank you for lovingProtagonist Are Murdered By Me. End Note. Kig: See ya around. Aaghna: Hello. Its your rusty editor Aaghna here. The one who is often the reason why you get late updates. This is the last time I will be able to cause a late update for this fandom so thank you for putting up with me so far. Since this is my last note, lets take a trip down the memory lane, shall we? It has been over a year since I first started working on this novel and had the wonderful opportunity to work with our mighty Asta who carried this project on his shoulders and delivered updates as consistently as he could even though I was dragging my feet lol. Eventually, I even managed to find a wonderful and skilled fan turned editor Kig. Honestly it was such a relief finding him that time since I was swamped with IRL and on the verge of quitting everything. When I first started reading the novel, I was hooked on it due to its QT type elements. It had me upset in some arcs due to the potential lost in plot elements and straight up frustrated in others (especially the brainless Japanese guy arc. We really spent the whole night dissing and elaborating on his death.) And now finally it has come to an end. I wish we would have had the actual reunion scene too but this is it I guess. It was an oddly perfect ending for an imperfect novel. Well, I will still be salty about how the sexy guy died (a toast to him) and the lack of bros in the novel. It was really fun editing for this novel and the support we have received from the readers has been amazing! Now, I will ask for your support one last time. If you loved this novel, please consider donating to the staff and to the site. To donate to the team, head over to our kofi page and send a donation with the name Protag (along with any message you would want to add). and to donate to the site, title the donation NT or specify that this is a donation for the site. Your donation to the site will help us to pay for the site maintenance. And your donation to the team will help us splurge a lil more on things we like. Thank you for your continued support and I hope to see you in whatever next project Asta will pick up some day. P.S if you have any amazing novel with text raws, hit me up. Asta: Hi bois! Ah~ Our adventure ended here I guess? I said to you guys theres 258 chapters on protag a few weeks ago, but turns out, it only has 252. Whoever input the COO list on NovelUpdate troll us all it seems. First and foremost, I want to thank every single one of you You guys are amazing people. You guys are beautiful, beautiful souls. You guys rocked! By reading this novel, donating and subscribing to Patreon, you guys make me more and more eager to learn Korean. I start this Project at Chapter 54, or maybe 55. At that time, I had just finished learning Hangul. Then Shichi, the boss at Centinni asked who wanted to TL this novel, either MTL or Manual. So, I told him, I am willing. At that time, its 100% MTL. You guys probably noticed. My years of watching Korean shows, dramas and listening to their music didnt really help with my meager skill to read Hangul. But with time, and all of your support. I keep learning. And now, I can proudly say I cut the usage of MTL to like 30% In other words! Every single one of you contributes to my Korean Learning. Thats one kindness you guys had done. Lastly, Thank you for commenting. Thank you for Pointing out mistakes. Thank you for entertaining me through this hell of a journey. Seriously, Thank you!! Aaghna and KIg is awesome by the way. They keep up with my whims all the time LMAOOOOOOOO. AND SERIOSULY LAST!!!! MAKE SURE YOU GUYS STOP SUBSCRIBING TO THIS PATREON LEST YOU GUYS ALSO THE READER OF SWOA. BECAUSE STARTING NEXT MONTH, THIS PAGE WILL BE REPURPOSED INTO SWOA PATREON!!! THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! For the last time, Enjoy the chapter! < Epilogue C The Completed World > Six months had passed since Yoo Seodam disappeared along with the Hell Gate. And as per the regulation, if a hunter does not return for six months from beyond dungeons or rifts, they would be considered as dead. So naturally, Yoo Seodam was presumed dead. Woosshh-!! In early summer, it was unusual for any rain showers to occur. However, this summer, water was pouring without stopping from the sky. [In memory of Yoo Seodam, the hero who saved the world.] Was it a coincidence that it rains on this sad day, or was it due to the flow of the story? Yoo Seodam left his name as the greatest superhuman in history. His funeral was to be held in a needlessly grandiose manner. Thousands of people and world-famous giants gathered, and it was going to be broadcast in real time to countries around the world. However, Yekaterina did not want that at all. She just wanted to escape from any pretentiousness and grieve quietly. You should use an umbrella. Yekaterina placed a long umbrella over Taylors head, who was standing in the rain while staring blankly at Yoo Seodams tombstone. [2020-2054] [Yoo Seodam] [When I die, put the rice cake soup on the altar!] On the tombstone was written the joke that Yoo Seodam had always said. It was none other than Taylor who had suggested it. Back when they still fought together everyday on the battlefield, Yoo Seodam had once made a joke that if they were to die, they should write a nice quote on their tombstones. I wish I could write something similar to Einsteins sayings. Einstein? Yeah! Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Do you know this? I know, but are you going to copy it and use it as it is? Of course not. Ill change it a little. Yoo Seodam laughed. Only the life lived for myself is a life worthwhile. What is that? You look like a bad guy. I mean, why should I live my life for others? Im going to starve to death right now. Thats true? Taylor and Yoo Seodam laughed raucously after sharing such a joke. Thinking about that moment, Taylor bit her lips tightly. How good it would have been if he just lived selfishly until the end Contrary to the belief he hugged tight on his early days, Yoo Seodam chose to be annihilated together with Hell Gate. How he did it, and what he was thinking, was still unknown to anyone Taylor Nine stood there blankly for a while. It was hard to even stand still. But she felt that if she just turned away from this place, she thought her heart would break again. Tuk, Tuk Tuk! Days passed as Taylor kept standing in front of the tombstone. With each passing day, less and less people came to the tombstone. Even less were those who stood there for days like her. How about using an umbrella? There was an albino who was saying the same thing a few days ago. Taylor answered without turning his head. Seol Jungyeon, who gave her an umbrella, didnt expect her to look at her either and simply looked at the grumpy picture of Yoo Seodam on top of the tombstone. The two stood silently and stared at the tombstone for a long time, and it was Taylor who broke the silence first. Do you think you will ever be able to forget that motherfucker? Seol Jungyeon thought for a while without saying a word and then shook her head. No. If I had even the slightest feeling to be able to do that, I wouldnt have stepped down from my position. On the same day that Yoo Seodam was presumed dead, Seol Jungyeon stepped down from her position as Murim Lord. After all, being a Murim Lord was something she had done for the sole purpose of helping Yoo Seodam. So, without him, why should she still stand there? From now on, how are you going to live? Well I dont even know what it means to live anymore. Me too, me too Yes. I still dont understand I want to be a little happier, I want to live a good life But he Taylor sobbed, and Seol Jungyeon patted her shaking shoulders. After a really long time, Taylor was able to raise her head again. Seol Jungyeon silently waited for her. Now its over. Did you get it all out? Taylor shook her head. She wasnt able to. Her heart was still breaking. Probably, it wouldnt even heal for the rest of her life. However, for now, for the very least, she would be able to take one step forward. Taylor turned back and smiled towards Seol Jungyeon, trying to assure her that shes fine. However, a moment later, her facade crumbled as someone entered her view. Uh, uh? It was a woman with sparkling golden hair and golden eyes that looked like they were dripping honey. And even though she was wearing a black suit, a sign that she was mourning, she was undoubtedly a woman with a golden brilliance shining all over her body. Reina? The next action that Taylor did as soon as she realized who the woman was purely came out from her instinct. She grabbed Reina by the neck, and she, too, had her sad eyes down. You, you are you Reina? Oh my god That motherfucker is right ! Long time no see, Taylor. You, how are you Lets talk about this. Taylor came to his senses and stepped back. Seol Jungyeon, who came running behind her, also looked at Reina with her bewildered eyes. She rarely saw Yoo Seodam with his childhood friends except Taylor. But the woman with golden hairs who was standing in front of her right now looked exactly like Reina she had seen in a photograph Yoo Seodam had shown her that one time. How the hell are you alive? You are too much. Is that really something you have to say to a friend who you havent seen in a long time? Answer quickly!! Thud-!! As she shouted, a small shock wave spread around her. Reina sighed and spoke mournfully, Hasnt Yoo Seodam told you anything? Then, did that bastard really break into the Hell Gate to save you? Yes Then What happened to that bastard?! He didnt die At Reinas words, not only Taylor, but also Seol Jungyeons eyes shook wildly. He isnt dead, what did that mean? What are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand please. After destroying Hell Gate, Yoo Seodam had two options. Will you watch the world perish because of you? Or, will you disappear from this world? And Yoo Seodam chose to disappear. He will be floating around in the blanks of the story that even Reina was not aware of. Which means, he didnt die. However, he suffered something worse than death. Reinas words destroyed all the hope Taylor and Seol Jungyeon had felt seconds earlier. Taylor eventually fell to the floor. Then Can you find his whereabouts? I am currently looking for him, but its not that simple. Is there really no way? Even if there is, it is impossible for Yoo Seodam to come back. Reina answered with a gloomy and sunken face. Is that so Im sorry, you must be sad too. Sorry for showing an ugly side like this No, its fine. Taylor turned and disappeared with her shoulders drooped. Reina followed her receding figure with sad eyes. Seol Jungyeon bowed her head to Reina and passed by her shoulder. If there is a way to find him. Whing-!! She disappeared into the wind and rain, leaving her last words. Please tell me too. Everyone is leaving. There was only one person left in the funeral home, Reina. * Reinas day begins with waking up in the morning and opening the window so the sunlight could pour into her room. Uhhhhh After staring at the dazzling sky for a moment, she pours a cup of hot Americano and combs her frizzy hair. Once she is presentable enough, she heads straight to her studio and opens her laptop. The leftovers of whatever she was editing yesterday stands before her eyes. Is this also serialization suspended? In this world, there were a loooooottt of protagonists. And, something very special was happening to them. As someone had taken on all of their probability, most of them, who no longer needed probability, were giving up on being the protagonist. Which means, in those countless worlds, the existence of the protagonist was no longer needed. That was a positive phenomenon, and it was good to say that Reinas job was already finished. Still, Reina sipped on her coffee and looked at her laptop. Maybe it was because she had already been doing it for 9 years, it was hard to suddenly stop doing it.. Nine years ago, in 2043. Reina Ju was sucked into the super-giant rift and died. But that day, Reina did not die. Because Earthlings didnt know that the super-giant rift was none other than the gate leading to the Hell Gate. She was able to survive to some extent inside the Hell Gate. Even in the midst of her body rotting, she had persevered with her unbreakable spirit. Then, the person who reached out to her was none other than the Will of Hell Gate. The Will of Hell Gate, which Reina jokingly called the boss, was very curious about Reinas existence, and suggests that she join her in his plan. Reina accepted because she had to live for now, and she felt her head light up when she heard of his future plans. And, what happened By chance, Yoo Seodam came to Hell Gate two years later. His lifespan was at the limit. It was then that Reina decided. He had lived his entire life unhappy and had no choice but to die unhappily Lets make the man she loved the most the happiest person in the whole universe. Even if ruin awaits at the end, it would be better if he could enjoy a good life before dying rather than to die just like that. Reina? Hmm, interesting. Hell Gates will was slowly acquiring the human language from Reina. He was still clumsy and couldnt even make his own figure properly, but it was enough for him to communicate. I like that man too. Just like you. Some time has passed since then. Perhaps the story you know has unfolded. F-rank Hunter Yoo Seodam, wins with special performance! From the point in time when he was chosen as protagonist, his story was already being written like a novel. It wasnt bad in Reinas point of view because Yoo Seodam had gained a loving bond and trusted colleague. She had also allowed him to travel around countless worlds, make him see and hear many things. For the first time in his life, he found happiness, and he was able to laugh. Reina liked it. Even if she couldnt be with him, she was still satisfied looking at him being happy like that. Reina, who suddenly remembered the boss, put down her coffee and got up. Although the bosss goal was to destroy and unify all the worlds, she and the man she loved could be happy because of him. In a way, it can be said that the boss was their benefactor. As Reina opened the door to the bedroom where the boss was sleeping, something squirmed inside. Reina? Have you lost your form already? Yeah its become a hideous mess, so please dont look at me. I dont like something ugly either so I wont look for long. Haha. You are really, really The boss voice still resembled Yoo Seodams. But since he couldnt keep his figure anymore, he simply hid from Reina under the blanket. Cant you just let go of everything? Why are you so obsessed with that figure? I have one last thing to do. No one else could do it, except me. Are you trying to stabilize Hell Gate? Haha Yeah. Hell Gate was still unfinished. Even the sun in the sky was nothing more than an imitation. On top of it, there were no natural phenomena nor no physic laws. So, Yoo Seodams sacrifice was necessary. Do you also think Im wrong? Its not a matter of wrong or right in my opinion. Humans are inherently selfish after all. I am not human. I just do it for me. That makes you human. What? The boss who was hiding under the blanket, popped out slightly, turning only his eyes and looking at Reina. You dont need anything else to be human. If you act selfishly just for yourself and for the things you love, that means you have become a human being. Right Yes. You are a wonderful human being. Many people were already born in Hell Gate and were walking around. They all have a will of their own, although they dont even realize that the world they were living in was a created one, not a natural one. Reina what will happen to me now? Well, dont you know already? You will die. Thats really too much. Reina looked out of her window. Its a really weird feeling. Since Hell Gate could no longer absorb any world, the details of the Hell Gate will not be improved. But for some reason, that sun feels real. Reina. Please speak. if I disappear, you too will return to your world. There is no hope here now. If my will is extinguished, this world may no longer be able to endure and it will degenerate again. An unfinished world. A world without any story. There was no way such a world could exist without the will. With Yoo Seodam, the protagonist of all worlds, leaving this world, this world will soon crumble. Yes, I think so too. Im very sorry for everything I did to you till now. Did I overdo it? Its fine. But the salary here is too low. Sorry At that moment, Reina felt a certain aura surrounding her own body. Realizing its true nature, a road that connects this world to another world, she had goosebumps all over her body. Until now, it was the ability that she could only use by borrowing the bosss hand. It was the key to dimensional movement. However, it was now possible to do it by herself. Th-this is Its your severance pay. Even if I dont have money, at least I can do this for you Thank you. Reina said so sincerely and lowered her head. The boss coughed loudly, and then he laughed. Well then, I hope you are happy. Reina. With those last words, the blanket slid down. The shape of the boss had completely disappeared. And as the will that maintained this world disappeared, the world would soon follow. The death of this world was inevitable. Reina had a gut feeling that it was time for her to return. But before that, she still needs to take something from her workroom. It was her laptop. The laptop not only contained the stories of countless worlds, it was also the link that allowed her to always be with Yoo Seodam. After all, through this laptop, she always watched Yoo Seodam. Feeling his joys and sorrows. I cant see you anymore With that in mind, Reina unintentionally opened her laptop. [Hi, Na] Huh? To her surprise, she found a strange text floating on the laptop screen. With a trembling hand, she moved the mouse and clicked on it. Then the text was changed. [Ar ou ell?l] She wondered what the words were. And as soon as she knew the meaning behind the words, she typed her answer. She couldnt help but instinctively know who the sender was. [Yoo Seodam?] Then a reply came immediately. [Yes] Next, [Im do ine] [ving well] Ahhh After a moment of speechlessness, she wrote and sent a message as long as she could. Shes still doing well, though, her boss fired her, and now she can live freely. However [ Read] [H e ll o] [Cant read it properly] She got a reply saying he couldnt read it properly. Just as it was difficult for her to read the words of Yoo Seodam, it seems like he also had difficulty reading the message she sent. There is only one reason for that. Hes too far away To be honest, it didnt make sense. Reinas laptop contains all the world. And if Yoo Seodam was in one of those worlds,, there is no way that Reina would not know, and the conversation would not be cut off like this. But If there is another world that I do not know about. If the place where Yoo Seodam left is not a blank space in the story, but a place where new stories are being written. Yoo Seodam is still alive! In other words, they could meet again. Feeling her heart pounding at that fact, Reina concentrated her mind on the traces of the message as much as possible. She doesnt know what Yoo Seodam did, but delivering a message to her would probably be very hard. Perhaps, he must have used most of the lifespan he had earned. Therefore, she couldnt waste this opportunity. Reina showed a superhuman concentration and chased Yoo Seodams traces. However, she found nothing. But at that moment, she felt something tugging her heart. To put it in a picture, it was as if a butterfly was leading her into a dark road. I can go. On the laptop, the last message comes. [Lets meet again someday.] [All together.] Finally, communication with Yoo D Seodam was cut off, but the butterflys path was already clearly engraved on Reinas golden eyes. It would never be gone. Ever. I have to leave right now Reina, who was in a hurry, suddenly remembered the people left on Earth. In addition to herself, there were countless others who wanted to find Yoo Seodam. And now, thanks to the power given by the boss, it would be possible to travel with a few people. Reina, who was about to slam the office door with that thought, saw a strange sight. What? With the Will of Hell Gates death, the world shouldve originally collapsed. However, for some reason, everything was still the same. Tuk-!! Tuk-!! Aww! its raining! What the The Meteorological Agency didnt have such a forecast. Should I go to the convenience store and buy an umbrella? People on the street were startled by the sudden rain and started running around. Reina also had no choice but to panic, because the rain showers in this world would only fall when the boss wants it. An imperfect world. A world that would have remained unfinished forever if a being with a will did not refine it. Such a world had now become a completed world. No way Reina ran out into the street and looked over peoples heads. There, she could no longer see the protagonist hashtag. Hahaha. At the scene, Reina realized that the world no longer needed the Will of Hell Gate. This completed world, which doesnt need a protagonist, becomes completed only because everyone is the protagonist. The world that the boss wanted was only completed after the boss left. Back in her office, she sat at her desk and turned on her laptop. Now, she will never come back to this world again. But, at least, if this world had become real. Shouldnt she let people know that there were people who worked to make this world? Reina checked the date of this Other World where hunters, monsters, dungeons, superpowers, great wars, dungeons, cracks, and gates do not exist. [Earth, South Korea] [November 27, 2020] [12:30 pm] Tack, Tack! She uploaded someones story to her laptop. She really didnt know who would see it, however, she didnt care. [The Protagonist Are Murdered By Me.] [Upload] Reina pressed the enter before draping her pink coat over her shoulders and ran out of her office. Then, she looked up. After looking at the sky for a long time, she politely bowed her head and said to those who might be watching her right now. Thank you for loving Protagonist Are Murdered By Me until now.