Everyone Else Is A Returnee

by Srtyi

Left out during elementary school picnic. Left out during middle school camp. Left out during high school trip. I finally became a college student and what? I’m left out from the entire humanity? Yu IlHan who protects the earth alone while everybody’s away in other worlds. His legend starts after humanity comes back and meets the Great Cataclysm!

1. 1

Everyone Else Is A Returnee

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Left out during elementary school picnic.

Left out during middle school camp.

Left out during high school trip.

I finally became a college student and what? I'm left out from the entire humanity?

Yu IlHan who protects the earth alone while everybody's away in other worlds.

His legend starts after humanity comes back and meets the Great Cataclysm!

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Everyone Else is a Returnee - Chapter 0: Prologue Part 1 Light Novel Pub

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 0: Prologue Part 1

Earth Alone

The time was April. The university newbie left the room as soon as the lecture ended before everyone else at 2:45. He did not want anyone to recognise him as not an outsider, though no one knew him as such hence he would not have been stopped anyways; he still resolutely walked on to the hill road outside of the plaza.

There, he felt the unexpected change for the first time.

'No one's around…'

There was a huge number of people in lectures that ended at 2:45 Sure, not all of them were like Yoo Il Han Il Han, an outsider returning home, yet the complete absence of people in the plaza as well as in the hill road was strange.

'Carnival is not on today. Was there a school event?

Even so, there was no need to feel strange. Yoo Il Han Il Han exited all invited chat groups ever since he attended his university! It was not as if he left out of pressure, it was solely out of his choice!

Sensing sorrow out of vain, Yoo Il Han walked down the hill valiantly in spite of the dearth of people. He wanted to hitch a ride on a shuttle bus, but there were no vehicles to be seen.

Was there a military exercise in the university? Perhaps a school wide hide-and-seek? All kinds of thoughts came into his head but he dismissed them readily. For twenty-odd years he had never held hands with a girl, and the lack of other presences right now was nothing in comparison.

However, those musings dissipated as soon as he exited the school entrance.

'What?'

There was no one.

'What the hell!'

No one was around!

'What's going on. What's going on!'

In panic, Yoo Il Han repeated the same phrase inanely as he ran around. No-one. To conjure up a crazy idea like a mass picnic was impossible. The situations were too alarming to escape reality.

No one. No human to be seen!

He looked through the windows of the convenience store he often visited. The meal on a table was emitting warm vapour, the chair was pulled slightly back as if someone was sitting on it moments before. Furthermore, spoons and chopsticks were erratically thrown aside, giving them a sense of their users abruptly disappearing out of thin air.

This oddity applied for all shops. Incidentally, how about parked cars? Moving cars that were in traffic had violently collided in such a way that they lost their drivers, with some on the verge of explosions due to leaking, ablaze gasoline.

'Damn it'

His mind may have been in disarray, but Yoo Il Han identified the hazard and escaped to a vehicle-less street. The reverberation of explosions like the ones in films soon tickled his ears.

Wind carrying the hot air blew, and Yoo Il Han fled like he was drifting on the wind. Then he shed pointless tears.

His mind was puzzled back together at a bus station.

'Let's go home'

Maybe after he washed and ate his mother's meals, maybe after he slept, things would be different.

Foolish ideas again sprouted the moment the crises were over. His fantasies were broken quickly this time though .The bus was simply not arriving.

'What the fuck. What's going on.'

Yoo Il Han prided himself over his mental fortitude. From primary to high school, he overcame everything by his own effort. As a result, he was attending a quite reputable university, and he was confident to do well on his own for a foreseeable future.

The chinese character 'person' is to symbolise two men relying on each other; he never needed such weak stuff. Yoo Il Han always believed that he was like an upright number '1'-someone could accomplish anything unassisted

But, this was too much to handle

'Have I alone moved to a different world?

His situation was too out-worldly that he said something so stupid. Nothing was changing. The bus was not coming, his knees were swelling in pain due to reckless running. Growing sadder every minute, he noticed his tears falling onto the bare earth like bird-droppings.

'Pathetic, crying over trivial matters as a university student. No, fuck it. If I don't cry now, over what would I ever weep? Isolation during his primary school days has made me dismal before, now the entire district is avoiding me.'

Knowing crying wouldn't change anything, Yoo Il Han came back to his senses swiftly. It was feverishly hot and tiring. Home was his priority.

'Let's walk'

Despite the knowledge that no one was there to hear him speak, he shouted in hope for someone to reveal oneself. Yoo Il Han embarked on an hour-and a half journey shrouded in an added layer of disappointment to the obvious result.

Of course, his mother wasn't present. He tried to check the time, yet all clocks, including those in mobile phones and computers, were stopped. Dad wasn't coming either, Yoo Il Han concluded following a couple of hours of waiting as he stared at the everlastingly blue sky.

The TV only showed static screens, the radio the same and the internet was not working. It was like humanity itself had vanished. Except himself, who was trapped in a stagnant time.

At least, water and gas pipes worked. He showered and cooked a package of instant noodles.

Slurp…Delicious

The taste deepened his sadness and more tears flowed down. He was drowzy now that he was full. I don't care for the mass disappearance, and whether or not the night was arriving, I must sleep. Possibly, something may become different as I sleep. He laid on his bed in these complacent thoughts. At that moment…

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 1: I Live Alone (1)

I Live Alone (1)

As Chamber was the one to TL this there are few difference.

MC name is a bit different, the "disaster" as my friend TLed it is called the Great Cataclysm (probably use that one after this chapter)

That's all enjoy reading:)

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

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

"It's delicious."

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

"And if she earns a lot of money, then she'll be number one wife material."

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

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

"Well, then."

What to do now.

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

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

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

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

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

'Going to the gym, eh…'

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

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

"Fuu."

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

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

Yu IlHan went to the gym without complaining at all.

For 3 years.

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

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

"But I need to do it, though."

[You do.]

"That's why I'm doing. It's not much different from studying for 3 years in high school."

[……]

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

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

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

"Don't make it my fault!"

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

"I have to learn some martial arts and some weaponry right?"

[There's no one to teach you though?]

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

"I don't know why, but internet and electricity is still working so I will study by myself by looking at some videos on youtube or something."

[Well, time stopped after all.]

"You're going to keep using that excuse right?"

[Yeah.]

Yu IlHan stopped staring at the angel and exhaled a sigh.

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

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

"I said one!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that thought, Yu IlHan sat his grown body in front of the computer. He thought that Vale Tudo and spear arts were difficult to learn just from the internet, but he had5 years. He just thought that it was possible for him to do it if it was just getting the basics down.

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

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

'Martial arts in the end is the same as studying.'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What are you taking my efforts as?!"

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

"Leave me alone."

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

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

[You know?]

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

"You want me to hit you? Angel-noona?"

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

"You know what Vale Tudo is, right?"

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

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

"Is it really okay? You won't say otherwise later right?"

[Of course.]

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

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

[Fuu.]

And he got beaten up badly. The angel was a star born for Vale Tudo.

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

"No…….!"

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

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

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

The angel was proud and Yu IlHan was in pain. His techinques in Vale Tudo and spear arts increased.

Until the promised 10 years came.

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

"It would be good if I was a bit taller."

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

"What about my face!?"

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

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

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

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

"How can I kill those monsters? I thought you said you can't kill them without mana."

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

"You decevied me angeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllll!"

"Fufuu. I didn't lie. You just didn't ask for details!]

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

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

When he thought like that, he couldn't get angry so instead, all the energy left his body.

"Ordinary college life would be impossible, right?"

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

"Phew……"

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

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

Yu IlHan purposedly moved to the same place. The grass square inside the college campus. It was a scene he hadn't seen for 10 years but there was no difference.

"Thank you for everything until now, angel-noona."

[Wow.]

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

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

"Will I be able to see you again?"

[Well, that will depend on you.]

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

[My name is Rita.]

"Rita."

Yu IlHan kept muttering her name as if he didn't want to forget it. The angel, Rita, watched such a figure contendedly before flapping her wings again.

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

"Have a safe trip, Rita-noona."

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

Nothing happened.

"……"

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

"……Care to explain?"

Yu IlHan said with a quiet voice. Rita slowly came down to the ground and laughed cutely with a 'teehee'. And blabbed.

[I think there was a mistake.]

"Hey you crazy XXXXXXXX!"

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

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh."

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

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

"Good. It's just 10 or 20 years. I will wait no problem."

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

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

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

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 2: I Live Alone (2)

I Live Alone (2)

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

"Vale Tudo and spearmanship are still sloppy. Actually, it's better for me!"

[Such a strange human…….!]

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

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

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

"I'm turning 40 soon. How is it? Do I look more mature?"

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

"You think so too? My mom won't tell me I'm pretending to be mature, right?"

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

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

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

He endured for 20, 30 years.

[Just how much did it deviate!]

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

"Rita."

One day, Yu IlHan said with a lowered voice.

"I can't remember my mom's face."

[……I'm sorry.]

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

[Don't say such things!]

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

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

"I'm fed up. I want to do something else."

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

"I know."

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

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

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

"I'll read some books."

[That's a good idea.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Let's learn another language."

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

"Where is that food coming from?"

[Secret.]

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

License? There was only Yu IlHan in this world so it was okay as long as the car he drove didn't fall off a cliff or explode after crashing.

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

And the China he arrived at somehow was too wide. And there were of course, many texts.

"Maybe it's a mistake to set China as the first stop."

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

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

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

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

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

[Are you really alright?]

"It's alright. Anyway."

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

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

"As expected, I can't understand technical books even after reading them."

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

"Now let's go to Europe."

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

"Hyvää!"

[Okay, we can go to Finland.]

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

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

"Now there's just Oceania and America left!"

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

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

"It's alright. There are many boats without owners in this world!"

[That's called stealing.]

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

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

"Rita, humanity didn't die out by any chance, right?"

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

"How exciting."

After he finished preparing for the voyage, Yu IlHan unhesitatingly left the land he was on. As long as Oceania and America waited for him, there was no time for leisure.

And several tens of years passed again.

"I finiiiiiiiiiiiiished!"

[Such a nasty guy.]

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

fed up voice.

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

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

"What do I do now?"

[Martial Arts?]

"I've done that until now too."

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

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

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

"Rita, other than martial arts or knowledge, is there something that might help after the Great Cataclysm occurs?"

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

[You……]

His question proved one thing.

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

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

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

[You, how can you be like that?]

As she was dumbfounded, Rita spat out the question she endured until now.

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

"You said I need to do it, so I do it. I can't practice mana so I need to do other things."

[……]

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

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

[I'm going!]

"Tell me what to do before leaving!"

[Think about it yourself from now!]

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

"Let's first go back home."

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

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

Humanity didn't return yet.

Author's notes

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

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

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

Then I'll come back tomorrow! Adieu!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 3: I Live Alone (3)

I Live Alone (3)

Yu IlHan, who returned to his home in Seoul, Korea, revised the fantasy novels. What would change when monsters start appearing in society, what else is needed other than strength and knowledge to do well in the changed society – he wanted to learn these.

The things Yu IlHan did right now was no different from Korean youths getting specs and studying early in order to 'go to a good university' or to 'get employed in a good company'. That was obvious as the only thing he learned before he was left out was that. So perhaps it was an acceptable thing to pile up specs for hundreds of years.

[No, I definitely can't accept it……!]

Rita, who came back, sneaked back to Yu IlHan's side while he was researching various things from all kinds of fantasy novels, looked at him and shook her head. No matter how study-stricken Korean students were, was it possible to study for several hundreds of years!?

Of course, Yu IlHan's current actions were mostly due to escapism to forget his own loneliness, but not submitting under such a situation and finding new things to do was proof of his strong mentality. No, perhaps the long period of training may have changed him.

"Rita, since you're here, tell me. I want to try corpse disassembly or smithing. What should I try first?"

Yu IlHan looked at Rita with a serious gaze. Rita thought it was absurd but she had no choice but to reply.

[To confront monsters, defensive equipment and weapons made with monsters as materials are the most efficient so I can say 'both', but I think it's easier for you to learn the basics of disassembly rather than smithing. It's also more prioritized on the scene.]

"Then disassembly it is."

[Hey, rest for a bit!]

Animals were abundant in this world, and Yu IlHan had the confidence to hunt any animal if he had a good spear so he didn't hesitate. He looked for a suitable weapons factory and acquired a few spears and went into action.

Disassembly wasn't easy. Not only was it difficult to hunt the animal without injuring it much, peeling the leather without damaging it and cutting the meat by parts and processing all of it was considerably profound; and the process was different for cows, pigs, bears, tigers, lions, elephants, etc.

However, time solved everything. Yu IlHan hunted and disassembled most of the animals he could hunt in several decades and learnt the techniques. It was to the point that he could estimate and see through how he would disassemble an animal he had never seen before.

"Rita, if I hunted all the animals now, wouldn't monsters not appear then?"

[God has sent humans to other worlds in order for humans and monsters to compete in the same conditions.]

"Excluding me."

Rita naturally ignored Yu IlHan's words and continued speaking.

[But if you kill all the animals now, then it goes against the 'balance'. The reason I'm also helping you now is to match the balance, so do you think I will let you hunt all the animals? Just obediently hunt the amount I allow you to.]

"Tch."

The last task of disassembly was the sperm whale.

[Stop it, you idiot!]

"Call me Ishmael……"

[Don't tell jokes that nobody can understand!]

"Don't say stupid things. It's not that there's nobody to understand but there are no people at all!"

While training martial arts for hundreds of years, and conquering all the libraries in the world, Yu IlHan became strangely stubborn. He acted first after deciding something was necessary to complete a task. Hunting sperm whales was an example.

Of course, as sperm whales were designated as endangered species and was prohibited to hunt, but honestly, Yu IlHan couldn't care less.

"Won't the animal population have increased rapidly after humanity comes back?"

[Unlike you, they can't eat and they don't grow either, but like you don't age, they don't age and can't reproduce. And that's all……]

"And you'll say 'because time stopped'!"

[Because time sto……Whoa!?]

He spent one month before encountering a sperm whale, but that amount of time wasn't even considered 'waiting'. Yu IlHan who was calmly training his martial arts on the deck, finished hunting the sperm whale as soon as he encountered it and he disassembled it.

According to what Rita said, there were some monsters which carried parts that had a special effect or some other reason to be exchanged for a large sum, so disassembling a sperm whale which had ambergris was an extremely advisable practice.

[People usually think of escaping first when monsters appear in the world.]

"Who was it that made them prepare to fight and now you're speaking nonsense? Anyway, now I've gotten used to disassembly, I will learn smithing."

[Yeah, you do everything, eeeeverything.]

This was exactly on the 300th year after being left behind.

It was a hammer that he picked up without thinking, but he unexpectedly spent a lot of time on it. As he had to learn from existing records since there was no one to teach him, it was too difficult.

Still, as he had a body that was developed to an extreme due to hundreds of years of training, he was saved on the point that he didn't feel tired even with all the perilous work.

"When! I! Read! Fantasy! Novels! They! All! Learn! Skills! Easily! But! Why! Can! I! Not! Do! Anything! Easily!?"

Yu IlHan spat out each word each time he hammered the piece of metal on the anvil and ground his teeth. 'Then don't do it' – these words came up to Rita's throat but as she knew that Yu IlHan wouldn't stop even if she said so, she just called wind and cooled the sweat on his head.

"Just! Teach! Me! The! Skill! To! Call! Wind!"

[I said you need to handle mana?]

"ARRGH!"

It took no less than 5 years for him to become used to using the furnace, extracting various metals such as iron, blowing the bellows, and produce a sword that could be considered 'having an edge'.

Rita, who received Yu IlHan's first work, which was neither a longsword nor a shortsword but somewhere in the middle, gently closed her eyes and looked at the sword before voicing her honest opinions.

[I wonder if you can slice a radish with this.]

"I won't tell you to slash a radish so give it back."

[I want it was commemoration. I'll ask Lord God to preserve this even after the world resets.]

"Why do you want to bully me so much……!?"

And when about 30 more years passed, Yu IlHan had the confidence that he made a sword that was better than factory-made ones.

And after 50 more years passed, he had confidence that the weapon he created surpassed all the existing weapons on Earth, but Yu IlHan, who knew well that his ability wasn't good enough yet couldn't stop there.

Like a student who received 97 points on a mock test, Yu IlHan clung to smithing which had no clear answer. He created weapons that contained metals such as swords, spears, and axes, and even polearms. He conquered defensive equipments such as battle gloves as well. And 50 more years passed like that.

"No, you can't even cut a cucumber with this!"

[Are the cucumber you know made of diamonds?]

It was truly unfortunate but all humans had something called 'talent'. According to the presence or absence of this talent, there were people who wouldn't be able to achieve something no matter how much effort they put into it; and there were people who would achieve a world record by just trying once; and there were people who achieved as much as they put into it.

Yu IlHan was in no way a genius that mastered a technique by just trying once. However, as he steadily put more effort, his ability was increasing. Slowly, but never stopping.

It was truly a coincidence, but to him who was forgotten by God and was left alone in the world, it was a blessing. The centuries became his asset without being wasted.

When 200 and a few more years passed since he first picked up the hammer, Yu IlHan succeeded in creating a weapon to his liking. He pursued weapons that he could create in his personal space so it wasn't made from anything like titanium alloy or carbon nanocubes (!!) and such new materials, and was made from steel, but that spear was overly hard and sharp to be created by a human.

"How is it?"

[I thought there was a limit to the technology on Earth… but human tenacity brings miracles…….]

"Ahahaha. I've finally created a steel sword that can make Mo Palmo cry!……!"(T/N: Mo Palmo is a master swordsmith in the Jumong Myth, the closest English alternative would be https/en./wiki/Wayland_the_Smith according to google)

[This is a spear though.]

There were points that even Rita, an angel, would marvel at. The sharpness which seemed like one would get cut from just looking at it, and hardness. The spearpoint and the spear shaft was separated by a socket but the spear shaft was also made entirely from steel, and it was heavy.

Wielding this spear freely was only possible by Rita or Yu IlHan. Of course, there were only the two of them on Earth right now other than animals.

[But I kept telling you, though? When mana is released, new materials would be birthed endlessly, so why are you so obsessed with steel?]

"Now that I've gotten used to handling metals, I'll be handle whatever material that comes at me."

Yu IlHan indifferently replied and swung the spear after Rita handed it to him. As it was created to fit his body figure, the feeling he got when he swung it was addictively great. A handicraft that can be used for several decades or more if maintained it well, had been created.

This was on the 507th year after he was left behind.

"Then."

Yu IlHan sighed while putting down the spear.

"What now?"

Rita's heart sank after she heard those words. She wished for the time humanity would come back when she saw him holding the hammer for more than several decades, but she didn't know that even now, when more than 50 times the estimated 10 years had passed, humanity didn't return.

Just how much deviation is there on the time axis to become like this? Rita wanted to nitpick with God, but in truth, she hadn't even met God in person. An existence that forever had to wait without requesting answers. She learned that from a senior angel.

[The Great Cataclysm must be coming soon, right? You don't know when you have to fight with monsters so I think it's better to train your martial arts and heighten your senses.]

"Well, I think we're past the 100 year boundary so it's about time for them to come back, right?"

Yu IlHan, who lived by immersing himself in the task in front of him, didn't know the flow of time well. All time observation devices in the world had stopped so Rita, who was a higher existence, was the only one who could tell him the time. To Rita, it was instead fortunate.

And so, Yu IlHan started training his martial arts again. It was still Vale Tudo and spearmanship, but too many things had changed when compared to the beginning.

The degree of body tempering and techniques were different, and especially, his concentration was different. The concentration which increased due to reading and smithing was an incomparable achievement.

"Whoa, I feel like I've swung the spear for 3 hours. Rita, give me food. I'm so hungry that I'm about to die."

Perhaps due to conentrating while swinging his weapon, he got more hungry. Yu IlHan thought that but Rita inwardly sweated cold sweat even though she was smiling outwardly. The time he concentrated on his spearmanship wasn't 3 hours but 3 days.

From then, Rita prepared one meal per day – meaning one every 24 hours. Of course the amount was huge, but Yu IlHan instantly cleared it and concentrated on training again.

And when 200 years passed like that, Yu IlHan felt it was insufficient with just the spear so he started picking up other weapons. Daggers, greatswords, axes, and even guns couldn't avoid his hand.

Martial arts was the same. He researched into and learnt Taekwondo, Aikido, Karate, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and even some martial arts which only existed in records.

With that moment as the turning point, his physical body overcame the limit and started transforming. Above all, the power and durability of his muscles became stronger but the volume was decreasing little by little.

It wasn't just something like 'compressed muscles' that people talked about. His body cells which were exposed to a miraculous state where it didn't age but kept being active, was mutating due to the long period of training. Stronger, but more efficiently in order to not become a hindrance to movement.

Of course, the bones, the skin, and even the inner organs were the same. As if it knew that it would have to confront many enemies in the future, it was strongly evolving to optimize itself to battle. Roughly speaking, it was comparable to a mutation that wouldn't happen for several generations was happening in one human's body.

Rita observed that and she couldn't hide her disappointment. Thanks to God's mistake, she was able to see a human exceeding humans even without mana, and when the Great Cataclysm happens and Yu IlHan learns mana, then he might grow up into a truly amazing existence!

'Did you perhaps intend IlHan's growth? Are you bullying him since IlHan's growth isn't to your liking yet? Just when…… Just when is it? He would approach his limit some time. Please send humanity back to earth before that happens. Before he decides to give up life, please……!'

As if mocking Rita's prayer, which contained her earnest feelings, time kept flowing. Fortunately, Yu ILHan was immersed in martial arts so he wasn't well aware of the flow of time , but unless he was God, he would eventually hit a limit.

When the limit approaches, what could Rita do for Yu IlHan? Just what?

'If there is something that IlHan didn't experience yet……'

Rita's imagination which extended endlessly arrived at one point. A scene where a man and a woman were passionately entwining themselves on top of bed was playing in a strangely vivid manner inside her head. Among them, the woman's face belonged to Rita. Then the man's was……

After looking at Yu IlHan kicking and punching lumps of steel as fighting partner, her cheeks reddened like a tomato.

'I'm so superficial even though I'm an angel who proceeds God's orders. Even though it was a long time ago when I was freed from trivial emotions and desires…'

However, the more she thought about Yu IlHan's figure immersing himself in reading, martial arts and smithing, her thoughts became more realistic.

The most novel and shocking stimulation. No matter how fed up Yu IlHan was with everything, wouldn't he have no choice but to be fascinated by such a stimulation? Like the time he immersed himself in reading or smithing. To the point that he would immerse himself for 200 years without doing anything else……

Rita's face became even more red when she imagined that. To think her face would change due to emotions! If she told this to herself before coming to Earth, she would never believe it.

'Yes, this is, in the end, to proceed with God's orders and not to fulfill my desires. If there is a person who can't wait for the Great Cataclysm and die mid way, that's ruining God's reputation. From the beginning, this was my reason for coming to IlHan so I'm absolutely in the right.'

With a speed that would make Usain Bolt cry, the thoughts inside her mind was justified. From the next moment, she was pondering on the timing to pounce at Yu IlHan.

She wanted to provide a new stimulation straight away according to her heart… No, for Yu IlHan, but while he's immersing himself in martial arts, she can't bother him. To tie his will here, she had to wait persistently.

At this point, Rita was having a huge misunderstanding. Yu IlHan was, of course, moving to escape from the dull life, but his principles in acting was was based in surviving after the Great Cataclysm occurs.

If he just wanted new stimulation, there were many things he could do. Whether it was games or sports, or whatever.

As she hadn't considered this point, Rita was basically confessing that she loved Yu IlHan. Perhaps Rita also might have become strange while observing Yu Ilhan for so many years.

However, sadly, or fortunately, the time for Rita to erupt her feelings and desires to Yu IlHan didn't come.

When exactly 1 thousand years had passed after Yu IlHan was left by humanity.

The world reset and humanity came back.

Author's notes

I will even return humanity if it's to block MC's graduation from virginity!!!!

Jokes. It was planned as 1000 years from the start.

Then I'll come back tomorrow. Please enjoy your reading

PS – I added explanations as to why Yu IlHan can't kill all the animals. Everything's for the sake of balance! All Heil Balance!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 4: You Can't See Me? (1)

You Can't See Me? (1)

The first one to realize that something was wrong was not Rita but Yu IlHan.

"Something's moving."

[What's moving?]

"Your sword."

[What? Kyaaaa! No!]

The sword was trash amongst trash to the current Yu IlHan's eyes – that sword which he made on his 5th year after picking up the hammer was vigorously vibrating on Rita's waist.

Was it only that? The cars on the street, the clothes Yu IlHan was wearing, and others which made up the world was showing movement.

This meant one thing. The world was returning to the time when time first stopped.

"They are all the ones that were moved or changed since time stopped on Eart!"

[Rather than that, do something about this sword.]

"I'll make you something better so why don't you give up on it?"

[Never!]

While Rita was flustered and praying while grabbing on to the shabby sword, Yu IlHan's body finally also moved against his will.

It wasn't that his physical body was returning to its former state. It was just that he was moving to the place he was at when he was left out by humanity. With a visual that looked like a flying bird.

"I can fly!" (T/N: Said in EN)

[Ah, IlHan, wait! L, Lord God, just a bit! Just give me time to say farewell!]

Rita who realized the situation after she was focused on the sword, desperately shouted but God didn't fulfill her request.

While Yu IlHan's physical body was flying to the college campus from his home due to the irresistible, huge force, Rita was dragged to the sky due to another type of power. It was strong to the point that she cried from being sad.

[You took it easy until now but why so suddenly…… You're going too far, You're going too far!]

Rita insulted God while complaining, truly unbefitting of a God's envoy. The only thing she could do right now was to watch the distant Yu IlHan's back and pray for his fortune. While tightly embracing the shabby sword.

'You left the sword. So I take back the words 'you're going too far'.'

Will there be a time she meets Yu IlHan again? She prayed that they did. She prayed that she will see Yu IlHan after he is free from the clutches of time.

As soon as possible. Even tomorrow.

While embracing the hope that she wouldn't even think about one thousand years ago, when she came to find Yu IlHan, a drop out, Rita slowly closed her eyes. And she realized one thing.

[In the end, we didn't even kiss!]

At the same moment that poor angel Rita was returning, Yu IlHan also dropped in to the campus. Yu IlHan, who was half thrown at the last moment, balanced himself in mid-air and landed in a neat pose to reduce the damage done to him.

"I have a good feeling"

Above anything that he experienced in the long years, flying just now was definitely the most interesting. Wasn't that a clear proof that the boring days had ended? While resolving that he would learn to fly by himself after learning mana, he raised his head.

And found Rita who was ascending into the skies.

"Ah."

Yu IlHan subconsciously moaned. To think she left like that without any farewell, as expected, was Yu IlHan no more than just an interesting human to Rita? Was he an existence she gained out with only to serve to fill her boredom?

But that didn't matter. No matter what, Rita who confronted him was an existence who was kind, pretty and someone who consoled his loneliness. When he thought that he wouldn't see her again in the future, he felt that his heart was empty.

Originally, this was normal. He thought that being with her was natural as he was together with her for a long time, but an angel such as Rita coming into contact with an ordinary person like Yu IlHan was, in the first place, an extremely rare case.

An existence that can never be connected to even in the same space. Didn't Rita herself name herself a higher existence?

"A higher existence, eh……"

Yu IlHan softly muttered to himself and tightened his fists.

Pile up techniques and knowledge to not lose behind other humans when the Great Cataclysm occurs. This was Yu IlHan's objective until now.

However, now, he had a grand, but a firm objective.

Higher existence, if I become one, then I'll be able to meet and talk to her again. I will finally be able to stand on the same level as her.

So I'll become one. There was nothing that didn't work out after I put in effort so won't I be able to become one if I work hard as if I'm about to die? – Yu IlHan resolved himself as such.

Of course, Yu IlHan didn't know that forget the same level, he had completely caught her heart to the point that he couldn't catch any more. It was because he was a virgin who didn't even hold hands with a woman for more than 1000 years.

Regardless of whether Yu IlHan resolved or not, the world was returning to its original state. The exploded cars were restored and returned to their original positions, and everything in the world, which was damaged when coming in to contact with Yu IlHan, returned to its former state.

And that moment was approaching.

Yu IlHan calmly closed his eyes and waited, like he did in the distant past.

And when a few hours passed, he felt the world, and himself changing. He knew about his physical body more than anyone else. And a small but a clear changed had occurred to his body.

A cool, luminous, wondrous, strong energy. When his heart beat, that energy also beat along with his heart as if it was originally like that.

He didn't even need to ponder about it. This was mana. A new energy that Earth had come in contact with. The energy that humans adapted to in the 10 years they stayed in other worlds. The energy that Yu IlHan had to adapt to in the future.

'Well, I'll probably be able to do it.'

He was different to his past self who was a childish college freshman. No, well, the two were on the same point in the time axis, but didn't he have a history of the countless years of effort, and its achievements?

He opened his eyes. There were a lot of people inside the campus which was cramped. While making expressions that they were surprised, but nervous as if they were waiting for this.

People. There were really a lot of people. Due to being too happy, he wanted to scream, but he suppressed it.

"We really came back after 10 years."

"According to their words, we can finally……"

"Uu, I'm scared."

"Hey, I can open the status here too!"

"Kek, Everything really reset!"

Screams and exclamations happened here and there. It was at this moment that Yu IlHan felt that something was off.

The fact that they said that they came back in 10 years was something that Rita said and it was nothing strange. However, weren't they too familiar with each other? Normally, when people lived separately in other worlds, it was normal to be awkward with each other.

If not, then what. Doesn't that mean that everyone here was in the same world!? No, wait, thinking about it, there was no reason to separate the people who were in the same place. And if that's true…… Wouldn't they find out that Yu IlHan was left behind!?

Yu IlHan became nervous and he turned his head even though the 'people' he had missed for such a long time were in front of him. However, it was impossible. He was in the center of the square. He could only be found o……

'……Eh?'

Yu IlHan raised his head. However, the people around him only talked to themselves and didn't spare a glance towards Yu IlHan. No, it seemed like they hadn't even noticed him.

Of course, the special situation of just being returned played a role, but they had a good reason to find out about him but as if they had planned beforehand, they were all ignoring him. How was this possible!?

'Oh. It was like that wasn't it?"

However, after pondering for a bit, Yu IlHan had no choice but to accept the impossible situation.

He had forgotten due to talking with Rita for so many years, but he had a legendary achievement of being left out during elementary school picnic, middle school training camp, and high school trip.

Was it only that? Being missed out even if he raised his hand at the very front seat while registration in college happened very often. It was no exaggeration to call him the Phantom Sixth Man.

And so, there was no way the excited Earthlings could recognize Yu IlHan. Once a loner was forever a loner.

"Great, I say. Great, you Earthlings……!"

He even spoke out loud but the people surrounding him didn't look like they had noticed him at all. For some reason, the returnees he had waited for such a long time had appeared but he cried tears of not from being touched but tears of sadness.

He really wanted to see Rita who always recognized him. He wanted to become a higher existence as soon as possible. However, before that, he first.

'Let's go back faster than anyone and different to everyone.'

With drooped shoulders, he left the campus while ignoring the returnees' cheers, their unease for the future, and their expectations for change. It was none of his business. I hope everyone falls down and have their noses broken – he thought.

The bus still didn't run. Well, it was no time for both the bus drivers and the passengers to sit down on the bus. They would probably go home and wait for the official announcement by the government or hurrying to meet their beloved ones after the unavoidable separation.

In any case, It was Yu IlHan, who could run at tens of kilometers per hour if he ran a bit fast, so he didn't have the intention to take the bus in the first place. It was no lie that he was faster than anyone. Of course, that was if mana wasn't taken into account.

'She said that mana was an almighty power. It can strengthen the physical body, make it move faster, or generate strong strength.'

If he remembered the scenes where Rita used magic, he could accept it. Human class would once again be divided into those who can and those who can't. Unlike humanity who had practiced for 10 years, Yu IllHan awakened to mana just now, so it they were categorized in to mana ability, then he would be placed at the bottom.

'What's so wrong about that? The knowledge and training I piled up is in no way inferior. If 10 years pass, I can grow without having to be envious of anyone.'

Now that he trained for countless years, he now had such a confidence. Truthfully, even that was under evaluating his personal ability, but he himself didn't know that. It was because Rita forbid him to say those in order for him to not get ahead of himself.

'Oh, yeah. Status.'

It was his thought just before he arrived at home. Rita said that due to the Great Cataclysm, the Akashic Records had come into contact with Earth and humans gained the right to see some of its records. The other returnees also talked about status and whatnot.

But how can I see this?

As soon as he thought that, green texts started popping up in his eyes as if it was being engraved on his retina.

[Yu IlHan]

[Human Jobless Lv1]

[Title – Pancosmic Loner (Concealment becomes passive)]

[Strength – 72 Agility – 81 Health – 78 Magic – 1]

[Active Skills – Concealment Lv Max (Evolvable. Skill evolution materials are necessary.)]

[Passive Skills – Unidentifiable]

[Dropout bonus was acquired, and distributed]

[Status rises by 5 when leveling up by 1.]

"……"

The thousand years of training was showing its results.

Author's notes

Humanity's strongest loner! (Bang!)

It's obvious but Rita is not a side character so she will come up later. Humanity's loner MC gets along with angels rather than other humans. Tears are covering my eyes.

Despite being the beginning, I'm delighted that many people are interested. In some time, if I have enough stockpile, I will release a multiple!!! Please take care of me in the future too!

PS – There was a big edit. The initial setting was that the status increases were to be reflected in levels, but while answering several readers' question, and explaining, my thoughts started becoming inconsistent. Conclusion – I edited MC's level to level 1. I will also mention his in the next chapter's notes.

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 5: You Can't See Me? (2)

You Can't See Me? (2)

Yu IlHan became silent. He was in a state of being greatly surprised.

From the moment Rita mentioned the word 'status', he was able to predict that human power would be measured using levels. And so, a game stat window that anyone would recognize had appeared and that wasn't a problem.

The monstrous status also wasn't a problem. The results of his training was visualized so he could only be happy.

The distributed status bonuses weren't a problem either. It wasn't a game where you could raise the stats you want and he also expected that he wouldn't be able to raise magic that way.

Yes. Those weren't the problems.

The problem was the title and the skill. Hiding which he does not remember learning and that title which was full of intentions to make fun of Yu IlHan!

What is this, concealment becomes passive? You mean I'm concealed!? Is my life concealed!? I'm a loner even if I go into space!?

A violent rage he never experienced in his life surged. This was the moment where he got another objective other than becoming a higher existence to meet Rita. An objective to beat that Akashic Records up!

If there was one thing that he had questions about, that was the passive skills. Thinking about the definition of Akashic Records on Earth, it was unbelievable that it couldn't record one person's ability perfectly.

It wasn't some human who could make mistakes and it was a universal record! To make it error, one had to be outside of the realm of recognition and record – like a God.

How could this be unidentifiable? Yu IlHan, who thought about this until he reached his house, successfully thought up of one hypothesis.

'Currently, my physical ability and concealment techniques are revealed so it can record it. However, it might be that it doesn't have any records of the abilities I learnt in the past. All my training happened on Earth when time was stopped. Moreover, that was before the Akashic records came into contact with Earth.'

Under the assumption that Yu IlHan's hypothesis was right, It was very possible that all of Yu IlHan's doings on Earth, when time was stopped by the power of God, aren't recorded in the Akashic records. Yu IlHan wasn't sure but in reality, it was like that.

'Well, I'll know if I move.'

Yu IlHan trusted more in the days he had lived and trained than the sudden few lines appearing in his eyes. It wasn't like he couldn't swing his spear just because the skills status is unidentifiable so it had none to do with him.

He opened the front door to his house and went inside. He was planning to have a simple shower before moving around to check what passive skills pop up.

But in the next moment, one person came in his field of vision.

"Ah."

Really, only that stupid sound came out of his mouth. The moment to realize how foolish he was came next.

How could he have forgotten the most important thing? How couldn't he remember his most beloved family?

"IlHan."

His mother was in front of his eyes.

Although they were far apart for such a long period of time to the point that he felt unfamiliar even when he looked at the picture, he realized just after seeing her like this. The fact that the middle aged woman crying in front of him was his mother.

That wasn't remembered by his brain, but his heart.

"Mom."

While saying out loud the word he hadn't spoken for a long time, Yu IlHam embraced his mother.

He cried like a little child that made the past countless years seem like nothing. His mother cried along with him. They cried just like that until his father arrived.

After crying their hearts out, they became hungry. His mother, Kim YeSeul, also seemed to be the same as she started cooking.

Yu IlHan had received his meals from Rita for as long as 1000 years (Though, he himself didn't know), but he hadn't seen the scene of her cooking, so he was touched when he saw his mother standing in the kitchen.

The savory smell as rice became done, the rhythmical kitchen knife sounds and the sound from the heated up frying pan were all delightful to him.

"Thank you for the meal!"

The dinner using all the ingredients in the house, was very peaceful. There were some that looked like she had learnt from the another world.

However, Yu IlHan couldn't enjoy the meal peacefully. It was because his parents started talking about the other worlds.

"Where were you sent to, my son? Mother went to a world called Ya-umin along with the people in our neighborhood."

"A nameless one."

He couldn't make them worry by saying that he was left on Earth all alone. Fortunately, his muscles decreased in volume while mutating so on the outside, there was not much difference before being left out. There was no worry that he would be found out just based on his outer appearance.

"Heishia was a truly perfect world if you ignore the fact that there's no rice. And also, that handling mana or whatever was truly hard. Even if I do get used to it, there's no way your father would be able to confront monsters."

Yu IlHan's father, Yu YongHan (T/N: can mean useful) complained while having the first big spoon of rice he had in 10 years. Kim YeSeul also agreed.

"That's what I mean. They brought the newborn babies, elderly, and even pregnant women and made them suffer. It was too pitiful to see them suffering for those 10 years. It would've been better if they just took the young and sturdy ones."

"They said it's because it would go against the balance. Meaning that even though they knew the most efficient way, they couldn't take it."

"Sorry?"

Towards Yu IlHan, who blurted the truth he heard from Rita by accident, the gazes of his parents were directed. Yu IlHan realized then.

There weren't many occasions to lie in his life until now, but to him who had lived a different life from others, there would be a lot he had to hide from now on. The moment he had to fix the habit of saying what he thought in his mind had come.

"N, no. I'm just thinking if that is the case."

"Balance? Efficency? To hell with that. When I think about how they brought people away from home for 10 years and put them through suffering, I grind my teeth, my teeth."

"So you ground your teeth to your heart's content so you won't anymore, right? Every time I hear you grinding your teeth, I grind my teeth because I'm annoyed."

While wishing that the day he had to present them with implants in their gums won't come, Yu IlHan finished eating his meal. But when he realized, his parents' gazes focused on him.

"How about you, son? You can kill monsters if you handle mana well, right? When I talked with the ladies around, they said that the people who can kill monsters well will earn money!"

"They sure will. There weren't many that had talent in that, were there? Monsters or whatever bullshit they are, they are dangerous, so if one says they want to kill it, won't the country take care of them?"

"What are you saying, what money would the country give us!? It's not that. Their corpses are worth so much money!"

Looking at his parents talk about fantasy stuff that only happened in novels so naturally, it was quite strange for Yu IlHan. His feeling of being left out was really serious and he thought about the dropout life.

Even though humanity returned, I'm still a loner…… He was angry at the fact that it was no different from his life until now and he didn't feel that sad.

But I should be more aware of deep-sea fish than my parents! – when he thought that, he became even more empty so he stopped there.

"I can't use mana."

And he confessed the truth.

"Yes. Let's study well, son."

"I knew it. You can't win against genes, eh?"

His parents accepted it too easily so he instead became dejected. However, that was not unreasonable. To his parents, he was a son who was stuck at home playing games or reading or studying all day, and hated exercise.

For them, it would be hard to imagine that their son would suddenly wield mana around his body and rush out while saying that he would hunt monsters. They probably asked with 'what if' only to get their answer of 'as expected'.

"Just listen to the government's announcement. Apparently, it will come out on the 9 o'clock news."

"They are so untrustworthy. What if a monster appears in out neighborhood? Should we move to a place where a strong ability user is?"

"It'll be alright. But you shouldn't go to work for a while."

"How could I? The company already called me more than ten times. I have to go even if I have to die on the way."

"Hey! Don't say unlucky things like that!"

His parents were happily chatting together. As it had been a long time, their longing for each other seemed to have piled up and they seemed closer. Honestly, he was prepared for a reverse effect, so Yu IlHan could only be thankful.

He gave up watching TV in the living room, and he returned to his own room while thinking that he might have a little sibling this time next year. He planned to search materials on the internet about the current situation.

However, he stiffened his body with the same amount of shock as when he first met his mother.

"……Why is this here?"

Was this God's prank? Or was this because Rita's wish flooded in a strange direction?

Wrapped in dry cloth, his masterpiece steel spear was in the middle of his room.

The moment he noticed that, Yu IlHan locked the door to his room. His mother would be surprised if she knew that there was a weapon inside her son's room, wouldn't she?

"Why did this remain?"

Every change that occurred due to his influence should have been reverted back when the world was returning to the point when he was first left out. Even his spear made with the efforts of his body and soul shouldn't have been an exception.

But why? There was no way of finding out. Did God give him a bonus because he felt sorry for just a status bonus? Rita all over the place wanting the sword to remain, was there some over-effect from that?

In any case, it was a thankful thing. He was thinking of making a spear he would use in the near future, so he was thankful to God who relieved him of that effort.

Yu IlHan first picked it up intending to hide it in his closet. But at that moment, like the time he saw the status, green texts started appearing in his eyes.

[Yu IlHan's steel spear]

[Rank – Unique]

[Attack Power – 800]

[Durability – 500/500]

[A miracle made by human hands using pure technique to mold the spear without mana. It has hardness and strength comparable to that of a mid-class monster's bones.]

"How should I know if attack power of 800 is high or not?"

But looking at the description from the Akashic Records, he thought that it would help until he acquired new materials so he put it in his closet. He wished for there to be inventories since there was status and mana and all, so he was disappointed.

"Then shall I start?"

The return of humanity, and the Great Cataclysm that happened at the same time as it was waiting for it. People were spread out to countless other worlds, but now that they had returned, they had to cooperate to adapt to the changed reality. Countless people should be pouring out information on what they know through countless routes.

Among those, the route that Yu IlHan selected was the internet. it was because it was the most approachable, the widest, and the one he was most familiar with.

'There's new text.'

Yu IlHan sat down in front of his laptop with shining eyes. The internet pages which weren't renewed for such a long time was now changed to something completely new. Yu IlHan smiled when he saw that. He now felt delight when there was the slightest of a new stimulation. Did Columbus feel like this when he found the new continent?

He became the captain of the boat which sailed the new seas and sailed to the seas known as information.

When 4 hours passed, Yu IlHan closed the laptop. It was because he was assured that he had enough information now.

As everyone talked differently, he had a hard time picking out the truth, but Yu IlHan's analytical ability and concentration was at the peak due to the several centuries of reading.

When he used the official announcement from the government as basis, and organized the information inside the articles that other people wrote, it was over easily. In other words, there was not much information that he could fish out.

'There are too many liars.'

I hunted a dragon in another world, I subdued a princess knight made her as a sex slave, I solved the bonus question engraved on the back of throne of a huge empire so I acquired permanent item – b*llsh*t like these were everywhere.

The description about levels and monsters were also all over the place, so listening to them, he might as well believe that a kobold killed a demon race.

'Then shall I pick out the most objective milestones?'

He first organized the information on levels.

Until level 5 was an ordinary civilian. The majority of the standards to pick soldiers in other worlds were 7, and when one became level 10, one could have swordsman, archer, and other classes as their jobs and could think of becoming a captain of 10 men.

When one became level 50, then the class advances. It was a sort of 2nd advancement. As it seemed like powerful people and non-powerful people were separated using that line, advancement wasn't done by anyone and passing a strict condition to understand the Akashic Records better.

If one didn't advance to the 2nd job, then one could not go over level 50, and if someone did their 2nd advancement, then even nobles wouldn't look down on them.

3rd advancement was possible at level 100. From that moment, one would be treated as a high class fighting power of the country. Levelling up by one became hellish and there were not many who would grow anymore.

It was known that there was a 4th advancement, but at least on the internet, there weren't any that had seen a person with the 4th job. There were only predictions about high class monsters, such as dragons, on their 4th, 5th or even higher jobs. This was the information about the levels.

Among the rest, there weren't many that were important.

First, tomorrow, he had to go to college as normal. It was because the government, joint with the army, said that they would come up with countermeasures against monsters and emphasized everyday life.

There were also announcements about making a special corps made up of mana users after creating anti-monster headquarters, but who knows. It wasn't such a credible announcement.

'I should protect my own body.'

The training and suffering was for that. He had no thoughts of going to college normally and be dragged around passively with the situation.

So let's train in mana.

"Phew."

As he thought that there weren't many differences even after humanity had returned, he sighed. At the same time, he remembered about the kind and beautiful Rita who was always next to him when he was training and he longed to see her.

"I want to see Rita."

[If she knew that, she would be very delighted.]

At the voice he heard from somewhere, he stiffened before abruptly turning back.

On the wide open window sill, a small, winged something was standing there. If one ignored the fact that it was very small, its outer appearance was similar to Rita.

[I am sent here to help you adjust to mana, and I'm……]

"An intruder of private property?"

[Angel Erta.]

The second intruder of private property…… It was that moment of meeting with an angel.

Author's notes.

There was an important edit. Please read.

There were many people who were questioning about the level, so even I became chaotic while explaining every one of them. I set the settings too hard.

And so, I did a big edit. 'MC's current level is 1'. In the initial settings, status bonuses were reflected on the levels, but I've 'excluded' it. This will probably be easier for you to accept.

Also, the status distributed from the level up is automatically reflected on the physical body. To use a game word, it's 'auto distribution'. The details will be revealed in the story later!

There's no other change than that. Please enjoy!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 6: You Can't See Me? (3)

You Can't See Me? (3)

The small angel who came into the room, Erta, ignored the pre-conversation and started talking whatever she wanted.

[For humans, the energy they acquired post-natally, mana, is extremly difficult to handle. The reason why humanity had to spend 10 years in other worlds is also because one has to experience that many number of years to acquire the possibility of using mana.]

"Humanity excluding me."

At Yu IlHan's tackle, Erta showed a clear annoyance on her small face and continued speaking.

[Angel Rita used that point to strongly claim the assistance on the human Yu IlHan. While saying that it was seriously unfair to leave the dropout, who only trained his body a little, like this, she requested the dispatch of an angel to help him adapt to mana in a short period of time.]

When he heard that Rita stepped out for him, Yu IlHan felt his heart pound. Although they separated without being able to say their farewells, she also seemed to worry about Yu IlHan.

[Because of her strong claims, her request was approved. Rita wanted to take on the role herself, but due to the decision of the higher-ups who were worried about a human becoming too close to an angel, I was dispatched in her place.]

"Is that so."

It would be a lie if he said he wasn't disappointed, but he also thought that it was instead fortunate. He resolved to become a higher existence in order to meet Rita, but if they met for some random reason before that, wouldn't he be fired up for nothing?

However, Erta had the expression of not liking the situation.

[But now that I'm here, the situation is a bit different to what she said.]

"What is?"

[How is this 'a little'……]

While scanning Yu IlHan's physical body which ascended into a new realm without the help of mana, she muttered with a small voice that couldn't be heard by Yu IlHan.

Even considering 1000 years, the evolution of his body was at the level of being unbelievable. If the strong power of mana was added to this body, how far could this human grow? It was to the point that she was curious about it.

If they knew that he had trained his body until this point beforehand, then the dispatch of Erta wouldn't have happened. However, Rita drived this work with a force that was never seen before with her, the moment she returned to Heaven, and her request which looked very reasonable on the surface was passed, prepared, and realized at the speed of grilling beans with lightning. And the situation Erta met was this.

However, an already realized thing wouldn't be reverted. Erta, who descended with a mission, couldn't return until she completed that mission.

In other words, they were all perfectly done in by Rita. To think she would use such a sly method even though she was an angel, who is supposed to be the most pure existence in the world!

Erta sighed again and spoke with a powerless voice.

[In any case, I'm planning to help you until you can use mana skillfully. So please learn it fast.]

"How will you help me?"

[It's simple. A higher existence, me, just being near you activates the mana inside you. Recognition, control, use – in these regards, you would be able to adapt 10 or more times faster than ordinary people.]

In the past, when he didn't have a single inkling of mana in his body, it was impossible even with Rita sticking to him for 1000 years, but now that the Great Cataclysm had occurred, 1 year was sufficient – this was Erta's calculation.

Yu IlHan also didn't know anything about mana so he could only nod his head at her words. He would just accept whatever she spoke of.

When the conversation ended, Erta flew and placed herself on his head. What are you doing? – he said while brushing his head, but Erta didn't budge a a bit.

[I have magic cast on me to prevent recognition from other lower existences so you don't need to mind.]

"……So you will continue to stay on top of my head in the future?"

[That is so.]

That was no good. Mostly, the 1.7 Terabytes of treasure in his hard drive (And one piled up during the countless years) was in a difficult position.

Even Rita didn't stick to him all day, but to think an ambush like this would come now!

[I don't care whatever a lower existence like you does. So you don't need to worry.]

"You read my mind?"

For that instant, Yu IlHan seriously pondered whether to return the angel or not, but he couldn't miss the opportunity to adjust to mana in just 1 year.

Yes, it's one year. He needed to endure for just one year. Yu IlHan cried blood and accepted reality.

[I really don't care if you breakdance, belly dance, or dance dance dance revolution.]

"I care! And you know what the last one is, right?"

The next day after humanity returned, the Korean morning was mixed with the anxiety that the world would change and a slight expectation for the changing society, it looked very lively on the surface. The people Yu IlHan saw, after leaving his house with Erta on top of her head, was like that.

If one ignored the soldiers in army uniform with guns securing the perimeter while walking due to the joint operation with the government.

"F*ck, I was drinking with a woman at my side until yesterday morning……!"

"But it's better than the climbers in the mountains, sir…… I heard monsters have already appeared."

"If I kill monsters, I can at least level up! I need to find my Thunder Sword quickly!"

"Corporal Seo, The entire regiment knows that you didn't earn a skill until the end in Guundia……?"

Yu IlHan shook away the breath of despair which would come his way in the near future and hurried to college. (T/N: All males have to go through a compulsory military service in Korea). He thought that he walked slowly, but as it took the amount of time it would take him by car and he arrived early, he felt funny even when he himself thought about it.

He went to the humanities campus of Sungkyunkwan university. (T/N: one of the top tier unis in Korea, will be shortened to Sung U when necessary.)

Befitting of being built within the city, Sungkyunkwan university was built on a hill that made its students seriously wonder whether it was commuting or climbing, thanks to using a small area of land as efficiently as possible.

Of course, that level was laughable for the current Yu IlHan.

The campus was filled with a lot of people. As most of them were young college students, they tended to think positively about what they became able to do rather than the crisis they were about to meet. And most of them were talking about a topic that Yu IlHan didn't know about.

"Did you make a skill?"

"How about you? I managed to make one somehow."

"Fuu. Two for me."

Yu IlHan asked Erta with a small voice.

"……What does it mean to make a skill?"

[It means creating something to use in an attack somehow by combining tiny bits of mana and insignificant records. As a higher existence, in my view, even if you combine all the skills that they are boasting about, I think that it will pale in comparison to your concealment.]

"Concealment wasn't a skill I wanted……!"

One could arbitrarily make skills? Anyway, this was something he didn't learn yesterday. Yu IlHan perked up his ears and walked. New stimulation. New information. They were all things that he loved.

Anyway, the results.

"In the end, who was 'Empress'?"

"Nobody knows. Does that make sense? It's the sole Sung U's person who flew her name for 10 years in Lanpas, and we don't know."

"But wouldn't we know if monsters appear?"

"I don't know. Maybe she would wear a mask again."

He learnt that there was a woman called 'Empress' who showed mighty ability in the other world in his university, and.

"When would dungeons appear?"

"Even if it appears, you wouldn't be able to go in, I think. There's a level requirement. What level are you?"

"Level 7."

"I'm level 4."

"Huu."

"Sh*t……"

He learnt that there were places called dungeons in other worlds and that one needed to have high levels in order to enter it. Other than that, there weren't many information that he could make out, but there was a reward just in knowing about dungeons.

Dungeon. It was a word that made a person's heart pound.

In the lecture room he arrived quickly, there were already many people. To think that they attended school even after they spent 10 years in other worlds… Did they perhaps also miss the ordinary lives like Yu IlHan did?"

While soaking himself in emotion, he looked around the lecture room, but there wasn't a person he knew anyway. It was trivial but what is the reason that he became sad all the time? Yu IlHan, who found an empty seat and sat down, was afraid that he might be heard by other people so he wrote the questions he had until now that he didn't ask Erta.

'What is a dungeon exactly?'

And when he held it up slightly, Erta, who was on top of his head, recognized that and spoke.

[It's a trap.]

"A trap?"

As he heard an answer that was too unexpected, Yu IlHan ended up speaking out loud. However, his concealment was truly amazing and that level of voice wasn't found out by the people around him. So sad.

[It's a trap installed by God. By installing attractive baits for monsters, it attracts them and close the exit. The gathered monsters become trapped inside the dungeon, and unlike monsters, humans, who can freely enter and exit once they have the qualifications, can hunt with more safety.]

'That's also a consideration from God to the humans, huh. …… But Isn't it over if they're trapped? You can just leave it alone, right?'

[A dungeon is naturally destroyed after a certain period of time, so the monsters inside it have to be dealt with before that. In the first place, there are many monsters who don't get caught in the trap, and there are many which can destroy it, and many that can camouflage as dungeons so carelessness is forbidden.]

While Yu IlHan and Erta were conversing, the professor came and the lecture started. However, the professor didn't seem to have an intention to teach a lecture and the students didn't seem to want to listen properly either. Yu IlHan, who expected a lecture after such a long time, became slightly disappointed.

"Every one of you will have to adapt fast to the changing society. The situation is that UN is already proposing the banning of indiscrete use of mana, and a regulation on levelling up, and strong countires including America and China, are focusing their attention to the changing environments and monsters due to mana. According to how Korea would act, countless industries would collapse and countless other industires would rise."

During the entire 50 minutes of the lecture, the professor was haughtily spouting out what anyone could think up about. Thanks to that, Yu IlHan forgot the centuries of loneliness in an instant and waited earnestly for the end of lecture. No, he questioned if he needed to keep going to university in the first place.

In his life in the future, how much importance would a certificate of university graduation have? He could only shake his head. He just came as he knew how much worry his parents would have since they knew he couldn't use mana.

If he became able to use mana, then he will stop going to a school where he's ignored by everyone! It wasn't his fault! It was the society, and the university who's bad!

Erta spoke as if she predicted what he was thinking at that moment.

[The efficiency in training mana doesn't become different no matter what you do in whatever place. No, there's one.]

'What is it?'

[Hunting monsters.]

'I don't like dangerous things.'

He couldn't even use mana but she wanted him to confront monsters? It was Yu IlHan, who rejected thinking it was nonsense, but Erta spoke as if she knew that such a reaction would come.

[Like the humans on Earth having low levels right now, the monsters which would appear later and the dungeons too, would have low levels. It is because they came into contact with mana just recently. There may be high level ones or colonies from natural disasters, but that is, in the end, a special case, and it's possible to recognize and avoid beforehand.]

'Hmm. That's true but……'

[Now that the absolute majority of the monsters are weak, it would be advantageous in the long term to adapt to mana faster by acquiring experience.]

Yu IlHan hated dangerous things. The countless years of immersing in self-training was, in the end, for him to not die meaninglessly after the Great Cataclysm. However, perhaps as a side effect, as countless years have passed, when he knew that it wasn't dangerous, he had the boldness to unhesitatingly move his body once he was sure that there was no danger.

A typical example would be crossing the world to conquer libraries, and the one where he went out to sea on a fishing boat to reproduce the scene of Moby Dick.

At that time, he thought that it was necessary, but strictly speaking, it was close to the domain of amusement rather than the domain of training. He had acted unconsciously to not paralyze his mentality in the flow of the countless time.

'……Good. I'll have a go, then.'

This was the same. He judged that it wasn't dangerous, and when he was assured that it would help his survival in the future, he expressed his will to 'do it' without a moment of hesitation. Erta spoke as she waited for this moment.

[You won't be able to go inside dungeons as there is a level requirement. So you would have to hunt the monsters outside. Considering your level now, then wouldn't you be able to kill monsters around level 25?]

'……I'm still level 1, you know? I can't even use mana, you know?'

[Instead, you have a monstrous physical body. I even said this considering that you don't have a sturdy defensive equipment. If you have a good defensive equipment, then you will be able to hunt even higher level monsters.]

The problem was to find such monsters.

[Fuu. I'm a higher existence. To get away from you faster…… not that. To help your growth, I can help you finding monsters.]

"How?"

[If there is a monster nearby, then I can detect it.]

"……"

In the end, the route Yu IlHan chose was the internet again. Honestly, he didn't expect much. He planned to leave with Erta as soon as the lecture ended.

However.

[F*ck. People inside the building, never set foot outside from now on.]

[Who the hell lied? Outside right now is hell.]

[The inside is also hell. Can't you see the building collapsing?]

[It's the first time I saw soldiers shooting guns since I was born. Sh*t. soldier bros are so cool.]

[Yeah. you'll be able to shoot them soon ]

[Before training mana to level up, don't we have to legalize arms first?]

The articles in a community website were slightly overexaggeratingly harsh. Yu IlHan clicked one of those articles, and not a long time later, one photo came up on the screen.

A hunting dog which grew to the size of a bull, was attacking a human with a fiercely twisted face.

It was too terrible to accept as reality, but the dog was too realistic for it to be a CG.

Yu IlHan raised his head. When did the lecture pause. Everyone, including the professor and the students stuck themselves on the window and looked down on the square.

He stood up slowly and approached them. While nobody paid attention to him. He looked down at the narrow grass square over the glass window.

They were there.

Insects the size of humans – monsters.

Author's notes

Rita's inner state is!?

Dance dance revolution = DDR

Dungeons aren't that important in this work

Thank you for the recommendation, Closet Leg-nim! As thanks, it's a continuous chapter in order for the readers to not insult me after looking at the recommendation article!!

Start of the legend of a loner.

I will come back tomorrow at 6 o'clock!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 7: You Can't See Me? (4)

You Can't See Me? (4)

While looking at that scene, Yu IlHan was unexpectedly calm. It was because he always thought that a day where this could happen would come.

Perhaps other people may also have some worry about this in some corner of their hearts. In fact, they may have more resolve than Yu IlHan. They experienced other worlds for the last 10 years. Wouldn't everyone know well that the Earth is different from before the Great Cataclysm?

However, they had insufficient preparation. The fighting power to go against the monsters weren't there no matter how they looked at it, and the levels of the monsters seemed quite high.

They either judged the situation wrong, or they don't have the leisure to.

[Tutorials have already ended. Lord God has already given everything that he can to humanity. Humanity has to survive by itself from now on.]

Erta's voice sounded quite distant. From that, Yu IlHan felt that she looked at the scene with different eyes. He was convinced that she wouldn't help in anyway no matter how much energy she had.

Unless an unexpected element comes up.

It seemed like there were no casualties yet. However, lest their eyes fall on the buildings, it was a matter of time before a casualty occurs. Actually, they were slowly coming towards the building, that is, the Business Hall that the students along with Yu IlHan was in.

"Kyaaaaak!"

"What should we do? We gotta run!"

"Everybody calm down. The school has already contacted the……"

"Who wants to party with me and hunt that!"

"Here! One more casualty please!" (T/N: Said as if someone's ordering at a restaurant)

"Run, f*ck!"

"F, Finance Hall! Let's run to the Finance Hall!"

"Isn't the roof better!?"

The students who realized that danger was approaching, ran out the lecture room while screaming. The professor also sighed and followed them.

As a result, in an instant, Yu IlHan was left alone in the lecture room. If it came to this, it was suspicious whether he had a special skill to become a loner.

However, he also had no thoughts of sitting there quietly alone in the lecture room.

Yu IlHan looked over the window again, and sighed shortly.

And started moving.

[You're planning to go, aren't you?]

"They look much worse than a sperm whale. Isn't this a good opportunity?"

[Monsters are different to animals. Skin…… Well, in their case, carapaces, become abnormally hard, and their motion capacity changes too. However, yes…… There doesn't seem to be any that goes over 20 so it's a good opportunity for levelling up.]

"Yeah. I don't move it's dangerous."

While muttering in self-mockery, Yu IlHan looked around before approaching a desk and taking out its legs.

It was insufficient with just one so he pulled out all 4 of them and grabbed one in his hand while tying up the rest after ripping a part of his shirt and tied it around his waist and tightened it. That happened in 10 seconds after he was left alone.

[……Your handicrafts are neat.]

"Yeah. I was bored so I played around with some things and I got better at it."

[Rita……!]

The abs that were revealed due to ripping his clothes were truly perfect. His physical body, which was trained to its extreme limits to become the peak of the living, was revealed slightly.

However it was his own body, so Yu IlHan ran out of the lecture room without reacting to that. At first, he was about to go straight to the square but he soon remembered that he was bare faced.

"No matter how high my concealment level is, they will recognize me if I stir up the square, right?"

[A mask is sufficient. It will probably increase the effect of concealment.]

If it was a mask, he could think up of one.

The underground stationery store of the Business Hall.

When his thoughts reached there, he quickly ran towards the stairs and jumped over the railings. He grabbed onto the pillar to slide down to floor B3. He ran to the stationery store and randomly picked an Ir*nm*n mask and put it on his face.

This was another 10 seconds. It was an inhuman reaction time.

"Shall we go?"

He jumped over the stairs to go to the ground floor and came out to the square. Coincidentally, a human sized mantis was in the middle of destroying the spinning door of the Business Hall.

[Kuiiiiiiiii!]

"Paha!"

With a strange shout, Yu IlHan's body flew across the air. The moment his razor-sharp kick landed on the mantis's head, its head burst with an unpleasnt 'puk' sound. It was a refreshing laughable insta-kill.

[Experience rises by 800.]

[You have become level 3. 2 Health, 2 Magic, 3 Strength, 3 Agility increases]

[You have awakened Close Quarters Combat lv Max. You can evolve it to the next level skill if you have the skill evolution materials.]

[You have earned the record of Lv13 Big Mantis.]

Texts that momentarily appear on his retina and disappear – With those, suddenly, a wondrous strength filled his entire body.

This was level, the system of strength that the creatures in the worlds that have come in contact with the Akashic Records have acquired.

It was the act of stealing the opponent's records and even potential by stealing life.

He felt his muscles gaining strength. The millet-sized lump of mana which was emitting a faint light inside his heart, was very slightly increasing its size.

This was a truly marvelous and wonderful experience. And the other humans experienced this for 10 years? He felt as if he was dying due to being envious.

'But from now, I'm no different.'

Yu IlHan landed on the ground and slightly smiled. It wasn't just because he levelled up but because he was satisfied with his first fight with a monster. It was a different feeling from the animals that he hunted for disassembly. It was more fierce and heavy and thrilling.

The new information and new stimulation that Yu IlHan liked so much, was raising him to new heights. At that moment, Erta spoke with an uninterested voice.

[Did you open your eyes to the pleasure of violence?]

"Yes. I will definitely beat you up some time."

The square which was full of insect monsters fell into silence again. They didn't seem to think that their comrade will die so easily.

However that was brief. The monster's gazes focused on the human that killed the Big Mantis.

[Kih!]

[Kiik kik!]

[Kuiiiiik!]

Perhaps because their comradery was strong, even the monsters that attacked other buildings became conscious of Yu IlHan and turned their bodies towards him and showed off their hostility. Their numbers were no less than 40.

While looking at that, Yu IlHan spoke with a calm voice.

"Now that I think about it. I didn't learn how to fight groups."

[Just cover it with your body! They can't kill you with their ability anyway!]

Using Erta's words as signal, Yu IlHan dashed out. The insect monsters also moved as if they were waiting for that moment.

[Kuiiiiiiii!]

The first one to come at him was a pillbug which rolled itself up to roll towards him! Above it, there was a fly-looking thing that flew towards him while flapping its wings unpleasantly.

Yu IlHan burst the fly's head first by throwing the desk leg at it, then he took out another short spear from his waist and smashed it towards the pillbug.

With a refreshing sound that sounded like splitting watermelons, the pillbug's carapace burst away. The desk leg was amazingly still holding out.

[You have earned 700 experience.]

[You have awakened Spearmanship Lv Max. You can evolve it to the next level skill if you have the skill evolution maetrials.]

[You have earned the record of Lv11 Big Fly.]

[You have earned 850 experience.]

[You have become level 4. 2 Strength, 1 Agility, 1 Health, 1 Magic increases]

[You have earned the record of Lv14 Big Vulgare.]

"This is useful!"

[Above!]

They were giant mosquitoes seeming like the fly's comrades. And it was 3 at once! Yu IlHan jumped using the pillbug's corpse as foothold while clicking his tongue. After snapping the mosquito's dangerously developed mouth, he swung his short sword to break its head.

[You have earned 400 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv7 Big Mosquito.]

At that moment, one of them swiftly went behind Yu IlHan and tried to bite him. Its mouth touched Yu IlHan's back the moment he realized it, but unfortunately it failed to see Yu IlHan's back. For a low level mosquito to pierce it, the tough skin had broken its mouth.

"How dare you!"

While letting go of the mosquito's corpse, he jumped backwards and swung his short spear. When the short spear which hit cleanly on the mosquito's mouth and smashed its head just like that and was shot down, the remaining one came at him with hostile flapping sounds, but even its tube was grabbed by Yu IlHan and could only be swung around.

[You have earned 300 experience.]

"Mosquito Strike!" (T/N: Said in English.)

[Kuiiiiiiiiiiii!]

Yu IlHan, who landed on the ground while grabbing the mouth of the mosquito, swung it and bullseye'd the giant honeybee that flew at him fiercely.

The mosquito was killed by the honeybee's sting, and perhaps a honeybee was just a honeybee even after evolving as the honeybee also died just like that. It was truly a brave death.

[You have earned 350 experience.]

[You have earned 580 experience.]

[You have become level 5. 2 Strength, 1 Agility, 1 Health, 1 Magic increases]

[You have earned the record of Lv10 Big Honeybee.]

[To think it would die with its own attack, it seems like it wasn't perfectly monsterized. But then, what is this level about…… hm……]

"Fuu, so refreshing!"

When he turned his gaze while ignoring Erta's mutterings, coincidentally there was a mantis that looked exactly the same as the mantis he killed first, but just 1.5 times bigger, in front of him.

Immediately after he recognized that mantis, its scythes which shined dangerously, swooshed at him with no breaks.

"Tch!"

Yu IlHan, who limboed the scythe threw the short spear backwards in that position to sever the breath of the fly that flew at him from another direction. And when his 2 hands became free like that, he went and did a back tumbling just like that to distance himself from the big mantis.

[You have earned 380 experience.]

[There are monster reinforcements!]

[Kuiiii!]

[Kuoooooooooon!]

Just where did they hide before coming out? Flies, mosquitoes, mantises, pillbugs, centipedes and even cockroaches! He moved his body while clicking his tongue.

"Heh!"

[Kuik!]

He grabbed the two remaining short spears in both of his hands and swung it without restraint to break open the insects' heads. The insects that came like a swarm of bees fell powerlessly like mosquitoes in front of mosquito repellent incense.

[You have earned 700 experience.]

[You have earned 550 experience.]

[You have earned 950 experience.]

[You have become level 6. 1 Strength, 2 Agility, 1 Health, 1 Magic increases]

The body fluids of the insects soaked him but he didn't mind. What if they were insects? The important thing now was the fact that those monsters were opponents that Yu IlHan could bring out his techniques from the long time of training!

Yu Ilhan, who rampaged like a crazy storm inside the monsters was already in a state of half selflessness.

And when some time passed.

Something flashed in front of his eyes.

"Mm?"

The honeybee which was about to sting him couldn't even scream before falling onto the ground. When Yu IlHan raised his head, he met his eyes with a woman who held his out towards him, no, to be exact, to the honeybee which collapsed over the countless insect corpses.

With a woman who was wearing a cheap H*lk mask which was sold in the underground stationery store in Business Hall.

"No. I'm worse as Ir*nm*an……!"

[Stop speaking nonsense and kill those monsters!]

As Erta's point was truly reasonable, Yu IlHan cleaned out the monsters with effort even while pouting. The woman wearing the H*lk mask also emitted lightning bolts from her hands and attacked the monsters steadily. It was a truly strong destructive power.

[That's an unbelievable amount of mana quantity. How can she grow that much in just one day……]

"Isn't she levelling up like me?"

[Oh, it may be like that…… How did you know that mana recovers when you level up?]

"Because my stamina is recovering every time I level up!"

When H*lk mask joined the fray, the situation settled down soon. There weren't many monsters in the first place, and her attacks also had the power to kill monsters in one strike.

But perhaps the military already knew that monsters invaded the school as not long later, several tens of soldiers on 2.5 ton trucks came. However, the scene they saw wasn't one a where a square was full of monsters.

It was a scene where a man wearing an Ir*nm*n mask was splitting the last insect, a centipede, in half with a drop kick.

"I'm sorry. The f*cking truck couldn't climb the hill……Whoa!?"

[You have earned 1,250 experience.]

[You have become level 7. 1 Strength, 2 Health, 2 Magic increases]

While splendidly ignoring the soldiers, Yu IlHan muttered as he was fliping the centipede's corpse.

"Isn't there some Jewel of the four souls?"

[If you mean a magic stone, there is one.]

"Oh, there really is one?"

[Didn't you say you learnt disassembly? For insect monsters, you have to take out the hardest part of the carapace, which became like that due to mana, and the magic stone. I will tell you the parts so do it now.]

"Okay. Wait a bit."

Yu IlHan stepped on the joints of the smallest Big Mantis and pulled out the its scythe. The soldiers who were coming to the square stopped while being frightened after they looked at that scene.

"Who is that guy? What level is he?"

"How did he acquire that much strength in just one day?"

"That was a drop kick!"

Whatever the others said, Yu IlHan started the first monster disassembly of his life. He couldn't eat the meat so he threw them away, and as Erta said, he took away the hardest part of the carapace and the magic stone.

The scythe of the Big Mantis was very sharp, so when it was in the hands of Yu IlHan, a disassembly meister, it sliced apart the monsters' corpses as it became a peerless sword.

[You have awakened Disassembly Lv Max]

The soldiers were obvious and even the H*lk masked woman could only stare at his lively movements dumbfoundedly.

When they confirmed that all the monsters had disappeared, the people hiding inside the buildings also started crawling out but they also couldn't approach Yu IlHan.

"Is this it?"

While cutting apart the centipede, a small blue stone rolled out. When he picked it up and asked Erta with a small voice, Erta nodded her head.

[It's a magic stone. The crystalization of mana. It's a high efficiency energy and at the same time, the origin of every artifacts.]

After Yu IlHan wiped it on the grass on the floor and put it in his pocket, he changed his target. Of course as he was a Korean man with manners, he didn't touch the monsters killed by the H*lk masked woman. The corpses killed by the H*lk mask had unique traces of a burn so it was easy to identify.

It was not that every monster had a magic stone, and not every one of them had hard carapaces so there were less spoils of war then he thought. There were 8 magic stones with the size of a millet, 3 rice grain-sized ones, 1 soy bean-sized one, and a few carapaces the size of his head.

"Phew……Whoa."

Yu IlHan raised his head like a farmer that just finished working on his field. But from some time, the H*lk masked woman was staring at him. Without moving from the place she appeared at the beginning.

The people who came out to the square, and the soldiers who came too late, gulped while looking at the confrontation of the two heroes.

It was the meeting of the two strongest in Seoul, no in the country of Korea as a whole, or perhaps even the whole world. How historical was this scene!?

"Uh……"

The H*lk masked woman carefully spoke. It was an unexpectedly calm and unflustered voice.

"Can you…… disassemble for me?"

Yu IlHan fell into thought for a brief moment before replying.

"How much will you give me?"

It was the first meeting of the dropout and the Empress.

Author's notes

Ah… really, I should cut it off at a suitable point but why do I have so little control…Fuu…

It's not that Yu IlHan's power and the Empress's power is the same. It's just that Yu IlHan was too much of an overkill.

Erta's blatant bait.

Apparently, there's a plot where Ironman gets thrashed by Hulk in the Marvel World.

The 2.5 ton truck … cannot… climb… the hill……!

The jewel of 4 souls(Shikon no Tama) is an item that appears in Inuyasha. A centipede monster swallowed it at the beginning of the story.

Today, I have something to ask of you readers. This chapter is the chapter where Yu IlHan's first fight occurs. What do the readers think of the fighting scene? No, not about whether the author did good or not, that's a problem with the author's ability so let's put it aside… TT

Short, lengthen it.

Alright, keep it as it is.

Long, shorten it.

I would appreciate it if you express your opinions!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 8: You Can't See Me (5)

You Can't See Me (5)

"30%……No, I willl give you 40%"

At the H*lk mask's generous declaration, he unhesitatingly disassembled her worth. H*lk mask watched him while exclaiming at his high level disassembly technique that moved as if he became one with the mantis' scythe. Of course, the others weren't like that.

"That woman! She's definitely Empress. She became a lot weaker but its 100% her with that lightning bolt!"

"She came to school today. She's a student, right? Look at that body figure."

"Quiet. If you get close, then you'll get struck by lightning."

"That's what I want!"

"……But who in the end is that Ir*nm*n?"

As the citizens that they should protect had killed the monsters, the soldiers also stood there dumbfoundedly watching them. The second lieutenant-looking leader was also giving a report while deeply sighing, and the soldiers were all busy sneaking at the H*lk mask's body figure, while calling her Empress and worshiping her.

He pitied the soldiers, who became soldiers in less than 1 day after 10 years of being in other worlds, but honestly, it wasn't something that Yu IlHan could care about.

"And so, who's that Ir*nm*n?"

"Oh yeah, now that I think about it, what was that attack technique? Did he shoot a beam from his palm?"

"Wasn't it an axe?"

"He just swung the monsters around, though?"

Yu IlHan's concealment skill was at a point where it half-distorted reality. He became very willing to tackle every one of those humans speaking nonsense, but he suppressed it and swung the scythe. From the fly's ass, a magic stone emitting faint light flew into the air.

"Finished."

Yu IlHan, who splendidly caught that in mid air clicked it towards the Empress and passed it. She received it before politely nodding her head.

"Thank you."

The 40% worth was already taken by him under the negotiation with the Empress. Their greetings ended and transaction had ended so what was left was just the parting. The Empress put her spoils of were inside a bag she prepared beforehand and started walking after turning back.

"W, wai……Kek!"

Perhaps having received an order from the higher-ups, the second lieutenant approached her, but he solidified after getting struck by a weak lightning before he even approached 3 metres close to her.

He lightning, which could delicately stop movement to make someone stay away without injury, was running at the peak in regards to not only power, but control. If God looked at this scene now, then he would probably shout 'Yes, I sent humans other worlds to see this!'

The gallery, who saw this, whispered to each other.

"Amazing."

"Looks painful."

"He must feel good."

"He got a struck by lightning from the Empress, he must feel good……"

"I want to try getting struck too……"

"Are there only perverts here!?"

Immediately after the Empress left while attracting the gazes of the people, Yu IlHan, who organized his spoils of war, also stood up. He peeled the pillbug's carapace to use it as a make-shift tray and piled the carapaces on top of it. The 4 desk legs were disposed of a long time ago.

People should start running at him soon, too. It would become a pain to carry his spoils of war out amidst that chaos. But it wasn't like he could throw away the monster by-products. so what could he do?

Yu IlHan fell into panic like the time he was asked 'do you like mother, or father?' from his aunt when he was 5 years old.

However, his agony was meaningless. It was because when the gazes that focused on the Empress turned back to the original position, they couldn't see Yu IlHan's figure.

"Whoa, where did he go?"

"Amazing, he must have run at a speed we can't see."

"SungDaein Bolt……!" (T/N: Sung – Sungkyunkwan, Dae – uni, in – can mean 'person', and also a part of Usa'in')

"SungDaein Bolt!"

Yeah, I knew this would happen.

Even though the situation went as he wanted, Yu IlHan couldn't hide his complicated emotions. Especially, the fact that the second lieutenant was looking for Yu IlHan with a serious face but couldn't find him, was heart-aching.

He left through the crowd of people while pouting. It was because he wanted to eat his mother's food.

The time he recognized that he left his bag in the lecture room, was after he came down to the bottom of the hill.

That day, when he came back home (of course, he went back to get his bag), after Yu IlHan ate dinner with his mother, who greeted him overly delightedly due to the monster incident at the campus which was broadcasted to the whole country, and his father, who came home with a scared face due to some incident, Yu IlHan left his house quietly after locking the door while pretending to sleep inside his room. (T/N: Super long sentence… so hard to TL)

In his hands was a bag which contained the carapaces of the insects he hunted that day and some tools.

[Where are you heading?]

"Anywhere secluded."

In truth, nights nowadays were all without human figures. It was because the nervousness of Korea, especially Seoul, reached the extreme due to the monsters that brazenly invaded the college campus in the afternoon.

He placed himself inside a random neighborhood playground and spread the carapaces out on the floor.

Yes. He came out to make some defensive equipment himself befitting of Yu IlHan, who couldn't stay still without doing anything.

"As expected, it it a bit insufficient to make an armor? Moreover, it's non-metal too…… It should be possible to make if it's just the wrist and knee protectors."

He wanted to make an armor by whatever means possible but insect carapaces were too hard to handle. As it wasn't like he could melt it and process it like metal, so he had to go with a making a DIY furniture feel rather than a blacksmith feel.

But, Erta became worried even at that simple process.

[Monsters' byproduct's characteristics are very hard to handle. It's better to not touch it rashly as there is no proper craftsman on Earth yet.]

"What are you saying?"

Yu IlHan retorted while wearing the work gloves.

[Oh…… Ritaaaaaaaaa!]

Erta seems like to like Rita a lot – Yu IlHan uninterestedly muttered before taking out a saw from the bag and started working. But Erta, who was watching him cutting the carapace with resignation, spoke.

[Even so, you were in a world without mana so you don't know about mana crafting, right?]

"What is that, that awesomely strong sounding name!?"

[It refers to to putting a special power inside a defensive equipment or armor using mana crystals, including magic stones. In other words crafting artifacts.]

"Teach me!"

Yu IlHan's eyes burned with passion for new knowledge and technique He lifted Erta up before placing her in front of his eyes and shouted as if to hypnotize her.

"Teach me!"

[You're close, too close! I will teach you so put me back on top of your head!]

He obediently placed her back on hish head. Erta was taking deep breaths to forget Yu IlHan's face, which came close to the point that she was about to get swallowed up (physically), and spoke.

[As the generalization of the process of making defensive equipment and armors using mana, which is not only on the physical body, strictly speaking, mana crafting is a concept that developed from blacksmithing.]

"I can't do blacksmithing even if I want to right now. First, tell me the method to create an artifact."

[Do I owe you something?]

"Teach m……"

[I said I will teach you!]

She would preach a grand sermon to Rita to manage her man properly when she goes back to heaven!

[The ingredients are the materials to create the armor and magic stones, or some other mana crystals of similar characteristics. For example, there would be a dragon heart.]

"Don't use something so grand as an example. It makes my heart pound."

Yu IlHan took out the magic stone while complaining. Erta continued speaking.

[First the basic form. You create the gear while putting the magic stone near you. After this process, called 'synchronization', and finish creating the gear, you then grind the magic stone into powder to apply it on the gear's surface and wait for it to absorb.

"Then?"

[That's it. Artifact masters call this 'finish'.]

"What finish when it hasn't even begun! I cannot acknowledge that as work!"

Erta's words continued as if she predicted that Yu IlHan would complain loudly.

[Of course, there is an applied form. It's a method used to bestow a special ability and not stopping with just raising the defensive equipment, or the weapon's capacity.]

"Yes, you should have taught me that!"

[However, this method is not only very difficult for you, it also requires quite a lot of magic stones. Also important is the will of the craftsman.]

"Tell me first."

Was he really a human who lived for 1000 years? With Yu IlHaan, who was stubborn like a short fused kid, in front of her, Erta spoke while carefully selecting her words.

[It's the same until the synchronization part, but it goes through a process to bestow a directional nature onto the magic stone. This process is called the 'bestowal'.]

"And to bestow a directional nature?'

[The easiest is for the craftsman to use mana, but even without, you use another magic stone to bestow a will to the magic stone.]

Will. Yu IlHan softly muttered.

[If you want the wielder to become stronger, then you wish for that, and if you want the person to become faster, then you wish for that, and if you want the person to have the ability to defend against fire, then you wish for that, and if you want the person to have the ability to emit fire, then you wish for that. The level of that ability will drastically differ according to the quality of the magic stone, the mana of the craftsman, and the craftsman's will.]

And so, it was hard for the current Yu IlHan, Erta spoke as if she deemed as such.

It was because whether it was the quality of the magic stone, or Yu IlHan's mana, or Yu IlHan's will, in her eyes, it wasn't above the lowest level.

As Yu IlHan also knew that he didn't ask her back. Instead, he spilled out the magic stones inside the bag and silently entered work.

Knee guard to protect both of his knees, and wrist guards. He randomly cut, sanded, holed, sanded, connected with a strong leather rope, and sanded.

It was easy to think that it was crude due to being a product of a simple work, but the protectors that Yu IlHan made were created to fit him, so it looked quite, considerably good.

It wasn't satisfying in an angel's eyes, but Erta had no choice but to acknowledge the fact that the equipment he made transformed splendidly to the point that it would be hard to recognize it was once a part of a monster.

After creating defensive equipments, Yu IlHan neatly powdered the rough magic stones, which went through synchronization, and applied it on each of the protectors.

Despite being a process that he had never done since he was born, all of his movements were extremely efficient and neat. It was to the point that the angel, Erta, thought 'elegant' while looking at it.

[Is it a familiar process?]

"It's not that, but I realized after doing a lot of things until now…… the fact that labor is just finding the trick."

[If you didn't say that at the end, it might have sounded cool.]

He spoke as if it was a joke, but that was a huge realization for Yu IlHan. He acquired the ability to see through the most efficient process and apply it in real work no matter what he worked on. It was a power that was applied to not only just simple labor, but smithing, disassembly, and martial arts.]

Erta was laughing at it, but if she knew the meaning behind the words Yu IlHan said, then she would be shocked. This was an absolute power which cannot be materialized even as a skill.

[You've learned mana crafting!]

The 'basic form' knee guards and wrist guards were completed. Erta was dumbfounded while looking at it and muttered.

[You've really made an equipment like this even with those shabby materials……With this level 27, no, you may even be alright in confronting level 30 monsters. Considering your fighting ability, then it should be sufficient.]

"It's not over yet. There's still magic stones left."

Magic stones were definitely left. And it was the biggest one of them, the soybean sized one, and about 4 millet sized ones which paled in comparison.

Erta instantly realized after looking at components. He was challenging 'applied form' right now.

[It's impossible.]

"I'll try it as experience."

Yu IlHan also didn't assure himself that it was possible currently. He was assured that he would be successful some time, if he kept trying.

Yu IlHan achieved success until now like that. Alone, he did all of them.

This was Yu IlHan's life.

Erta, who realized that Yu IlHan didn't have any thoughts to stop, shrugged her shoulders and didn't interfere any further. It was because that the equipments that were already finished were products that surpassed her imagination, and that throwing away some magic stones like that wasn't that important in regards to safety.

At that moment, Yu IlHan took out something from the bag. The only part which was not carapace from the spoils of war. It was the Big Mantis' scythe.

[……What are you trying to do?]

"Just watch."

On one hand, he held all the millet sized magic stones, and on the other, he held the left wrist protector, Big Mantis' blade, and the soybean sized magic stone.

While looking at Yu IlHan's incomprehensible actions, Erta questioned if he understood what she spoke or not.

Regardless of whether the angel thought that or not, Yu IlHan focused with closed eyes.

'By using the mana of the magic stone……will……!'

The millet sized magic stones started lost their light and crumbled apart one by one. Yu IlHan didn't understand well about mana yet, but this process helped him feel mana more clearly.

He concentrated more, fearing that he would lose the faint feeling that he caught onto.

'Scythe…..like the mantis……!'

The millet sized magic stones eventually all disappeared. However, the soybean sized one, which was on the brink of failing, seemed to emit light before the scythe started emitting blue light as if to respond to it.

[……Ah, perhaps?]

Erta, who knew what was happening by then, ended up thinking that it was disappointing for his attempt to fail just like this.

'Eii. I don't know anymore.'

She flowed a tiny amount, a really tiny amount which was unnoticeable by Yu IlHan, in to the protector. At that moment, the soybean sized one flashed brightly before it disappeared with the scythe.

What was left was only the left wrist protector.

[Mana crafting increases to Lv2!]

[Did it fail?]

"No."

Yu IlHan confidently replied before equipping the wrist protector and tightening it.

After confirming that he equipped it properly, he exhaled shortly and rushed towards one of the swings which was swinging near him.

He brushed past it without coming into contact.

However, the moment he brushed past the swing, the two chains that connected the swing were severed and the swing was buried into the sand.

Yu IlHan posed himself immediately and raised his left arm.

[Oh.]

"You see it, right?"

From the middle of the protector which completely covered the wrist, sharp scythe protruded out at a 90 degree angle to his arm. A sharp scythe which would stay hidden normally and would pop out when he wanted. This was his intention.

"I'll get busy."

[Although I did provide some mana, I didn't know that you would be successful in crafting an artifact for real. You've realized its possibility so you will indeed get busy.]

"No, not that."

Yu IlHan quickly organized his belongings and put his bag over his shoulders. Then started running hard.

"I broke the swing so I gotta run!"

[I will use a recovery magic so get over here right now!]

Yu IlHan still haven't let go of his habits to treat things roughly, which he acquired during his dropout days.

Author's notes

The reason I've mentioned the university name is for the Sungdaein Bolt pun! (Really)

Mana crafting is in fact a type of a similar magic.

The staff…Erta fixed the broken swing later.

I have something to say to the readers.

It's about the question I asked you in the last chapter! It's not about the length of the chapter TT. No, honestly, you're saying that the last chapter and the one before that became pointlessly long due to the lack of ability from the author? The chapter may get longer or shorter from normal according to the story's development. Of course, it's a problem because it keeps getting longer nowadays…TT

What I can promise you is enough 'volume of the story' which wouldn't be cut absurdly in the middle of the story! Everyone, please trust in me and follow me!!

Although I may not be able to reply to every one of the replies, I am reading all the comments 2 or 3 times! The reader's precious opinion, I won't ignore it! Then I will come back tomorrow at 6 PM!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 9: I Hunt Alone (1)

I Hunt Alone (1)

The day after he exorcized the low level monsters, Friday – That day, Yu IlHan left home to go to college again.

Despite the fact that there were no lectures on Fridays.

"You're going to college, son? Be careful, run away if you see monsters. It would be good if you just rest at home."

"Today will be alright. Mom, you stay at home and don't go out, okay?"

Yu Ilhan had succeeded in making a blank Friday somehow during his course registration for first year, which he didn't even remember now, but it was more stifiling for him to stay at home now.

This was because the only thing he could do at home was to eat popcorn in his room due to his mother receiving a positive bonus on her child-worrying skill due to the 10 years of separation.

But he also couldn't tell his worried mother that although he couldn't use mana, he was so awesomely strong because his body developed to the extreme. The easiest path was to fool his mother, who couldn't remember her son's lecture timetable after 10 years, and come outside.

'I know how she feels, but…'

And that was exactly the reason he had to move. To become as strong as possible before dangerous monsters come out, to acquire strong skills and get used to mana, to protect his mother and father and for him to live well.

"I want to have a workshop. I want a car too."

[You need to earn money.]

"I want to use mana quickly."

[You need to level up.]

"I also want to make a good defensive equipment."

[You need to kill strong monsters.]

That's right. All conclusions required for him to hunt monsters!

Therefore Yu IlHan wore a big bag over his shoulders, and was walking with the cloth-wrapped steel spear in his hands. He was looking for monsters himself.

Of course, although the current Republic of Korea was in the middle of being on guard as if it were a war due to the simultaneous monster incidents, such as the campus monster invasion incident, for Yu IlHan, who even evaded God's eye before, evading the eyes of the military humans who were unknown whether they were from the Korean military or were idiots, was easy.

No, even so, it would be alright for one of them to find him, but nobody saw him as if they purposely looked away. It was a sad thing.

"Can we really find monsters this way?"

[Are you looking down on me, a higher existence? I will find it even if a slime comes out through a gap on the ceiling air conditioner so believe me.]

Even with the big talk from the self-claimed monster radar, Erta, he only snorted. At that moment, inside a store he was passing by, he saw a somewhat familiar scene inside the big TV. He automatically stopped his steps and looked at the screen. And when he did, he knew instantly.

It was the campus of the college he went to. Not only that, the ones rampaging there was the Ir*nm*n mask and the H*lk mask!

[The government is tracking these people who rescued the people by appearing suddenly on the disaster scene and defeating the monster horde.]

[The two ability users, who are thought to be related to Sung*kwan university, immediately appeared after the monster horde appeared inside the campus and defeated all the monsters before a casualty occurred and suddenly disappeared. The researchers named these people 'overbalanced' ability users, and they are estimating that their mana adaptability was way too high and that they had recovered and raised several skills immediately after the return.]

You don't have the qualification to research yet!

[Disasters are occurring in many parts of the world due to the Great Cataclysm. Many people are expressing their worry at the rapid proliferation of monsters, and are demanding fast countermeasures from the government. The government is aiming to create an elite ability users' unit with these two 'overbalanced' as the center……]

There was no value to listen to it anymore. He was already annoyed due to not being able to use mana and they called him 'overbalanced'? If he wanted to follow his temper, he would've swung his spear, but when he thought about how he had to listen to a power sermon from Erta after he snapped the swing, the raging anger also calmed down.

He snorted with a humph and left that place.

Of course, he wasn't that honorable to cooperate with the government. The things Yu IlHan had to protect was first himself, then his family.

In the end, what remained in his head from the news just now was one person.

"That H*lk mask, she was called Empress, wasn't she?"

[Are you interested? Although I didn't see her face due to the mask, her body figure was exceptional. Well, if the level is high, then she will become pretty due to the racial correction, so it might be worth it to look forward to. Anyway, men are all…]

"No, I'm not interested in that direction."

[Really?]

"Yes."

It was a very Yu IlHan-like rejection, who can't lie very well.

Erta thought 'impotent?' at that moment when she heard the answer. It was because even in her, an angel's, view, the charm of the one called Empress was unordinary.

However, of course Yu IlHan wasn't impotent. This was something that Yu IlHan himself had questions about: he didn't feel that much excited even if he saw a very pretty woman or a woman with exceptional body figure. It definitely wasn't like this from the beginning. Before being left out, it was normal.

It was the same with the 'treasure' that shone brightly behind the screen and not just real women. Worrying for his son who didn't react no matter how much put his strength into, he could only give it energy after trying many different genres. It was no different now.

He didn't think about the reason until now for some reason, but now that he thought about it, he realized the reason instantly.

"It's probably because I'm too used to Rita's looks."

[Oh.]

Erta agreed with a sad voice.

[It's probably that. You spent so much time with Rita, a higher existence, so you're no different from being impotent with human women as a partner……]

"I'm not impotent, not an impotent!"

As it was a sensitive topic, Yu IlHan ensured that point. However, the fact that no one glanced his way even though he shouted impotent, impotent in the middle of the street, made him even more miserable.

He lowered his voice, despite the fact that no one paid attention to him, and spoke to Erta as if emphasizing.

"The thing I'm talking is about that power. the ability to use mana."

[……Oh, as expected. It's not such a special thing compared to you who can process monsters's carapaces without mana. The name of 'Empress' is truly grand but the reason why God sent humanity to other worlds is to create cases such as that woman.]

"Except me."

[Except you, who can pancosmically hide his presence.]

Yu IlHan thought that Erta became more eloquent with her words faster than Rita. Even while doing that, he moved was continuously moving his body.

[Wait. We finally found one. it's near.]

At one moment, Erta stopped him. Her solid tone of voice indicated that it wasn't anything common. Yu IlHan asked carefully with a voice comprable to picking potato chips with his hands.

"How many?"

[70].

I beg your pardon? In his surprise, Yu IlHan was almost about to reply in English.

[It's the presencen of a monster horde with a level 35 Direwolf as the head. Not in a dungeon, but on a field.]

"Do you perhaps remember what you said to me yesterday? You said that high level monsters wouldn't appear since it's the initial stages of the Great Cataclysm. Didn't you say that even if they appeared, it would be in dungeons?"

[They didn't fall for the trap. Due to the fact that their intelligence was too high.]

When Yu IlHan sighed due to the absurdity, Erta sighed even more magnificently than him before speaking.

[Truthfully, I thought it was strange even yesterday. No matter how I think about it, there's a problem with a large number of level 10 monsters appearing.]

"And you reacted so calmly then."

[I didn't want to show a ripple to a lower existence.]

Erta's tone of voice while replying was strangely cold. Was Rita also like this in the past? To Erta, who built a too sturdy and thick wall between them, Yu IlHan became a bit fed up.

Emphasizing her own position and secretly disdaining her counterpart made her seem like a haughty ojou-sama. He wanted to see Rita's face, who he was used to like his real sister.

At that moment Erta spoke as to interrupt his thinking.

[However, now, I have to request cooperation from you so I will tell you honestly. The current state of Earth is not normal.]

It seemed as if just speaking while standing still was a waste of time as Erta pulled his hair to indicate him to go in a certain direction. While experiencing the feeling of a giant robot, controlled by a hero, Yu IlHan dashed out while Erta continued speaking.

[You must already know that during the mass migration of humanity, in other words, during your dropout period, all life forms except humans were left on Earth.]

"Well, yeah, since I disassembled some of them. Rita was noisy about killing a small number of them."

[There was no choice but to do that to match the balance of the world. We can't be too biased towards humans so…… Anyway, you must also know that they weren't allowed changes unlike you.]

"Yeah."

[Lord God deemed that that was enough. He had thought that it wouldn't be a problem even if he left them alone for 10 years before humanity came back.]

Somehow, Yu IlHan felt that he knew what she wanted to say.

[However, due to an unknown mistake, the time axis of Earth became very off, and while 10 years passed in other worlds, on Earth, one thousand years had passed.]

"A thousand years!?"

And as expected, Yu IlHan was surprised at that part!

"I thought it was about 150 years!"

[It was a thousand years.]

"Not 300 years, 500 years?"

[Millenium!] (T/N: Spoken in English)

"Mommy!"

Regardless of whether Yu IlHan was frightened at the past years, Erta pressed on.

[Although it is said that they were reset at the point that humanity came back, but it didn't manage to revert their mentality. It's a thousand years. If animals, who are suppose to live 10 years, lived for 1000 years without dying, then it would instead be strange that they don't change. And it happened at the exact moment the restriction on time disappeared, dramatically.]

"Just the conclusion."

[It's highly possible that the monsters that will appear on Earth will be absurdly strong and intelligent compared to other worlds.]

"We're doomed……"

[We exist for that to not happen.]

Erta declared. Even Yu IlHan, who felt distant at her arrogant, emotionless words just now, felt that she was cool when she said those words to the point that he felt favourable towards her again.

[I've already reported to heaven, and to tune the balance, everybody is moving. However, it will take time for that to implemented. Yu IlHan, do you have any thoughts in moving quite busily just until then? A suitable reward will be waiting for you if you do.]

Erta was saying this – Become the human shield until the weapons are prepared.

Yu IlHan replied while smiling bitterly.

"It sure sounds painful and difficult."

[I won't deny that.]

He stopped in his place. And spoke his honest feelings.

"And so I like it!"

It was a masochistic thought even when he thought about it, but Yu IlHan liked moving better than spacing out doing nothing. Now that he had lived for countless years, or as Erta said, 1000 years, he had changed like this.

Moreover, he even thought to be enthusiastic if it was approaching the unknown that no one had experienced.

If he didn't die.

"If I think I'm about to die, I will run away, though."

[There's no way you will die. You are underevaluating your own ability.]

Erta snorted. She already saw a fragment of Yu IlHan's ability. Yesterday, she saw his overwhelming fighting ability against multiple monsters, she saw a scene where he created an artifact worthy of evaluation using monsters' byproducts,

and she saw the steel spear that he took out while leaving his house today.

Erta was meticulously misevaluating him. Level 30 monster? Don't joke. He wasn't someone who would struggle with monsters at that level. The power and technique, trained to breach the limits, inside his body was proving that fact!

[The Monsters will show up soon. And they will bare their fangs to devour humans to reach higher heights. So before that.]

Yu IlHan's steps became faster.

Wwearing the Ir*nm*n mask on his face, he gripped the steel spear, shining under the sunlight, after unwrapping the cloth and stepped out.

Now, he also felt it. A murderous intent on a different level he felt in the campus!

Erta shouted.

[Pull out all their fangs. Oh, Exectutor!] (T/N: Apparently, a TYPE-MOON reference)

Author's notes

There are other executors other than Yu IlHan. It will be explained soon, but just in case you're curious.

Truly, what higher existences are doing is basically robbing Peter to pay Paul……!? As many people had guessed, the surpassing existences in this novel are not almighty nor omniscient in any way.

To think I…I'm impotent!

Then I will come back tomorrow at 6 PM! Please put it on your reading list/recommend it/comment if you like it!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 10: I Hunt Alone (2)

I Hunt Alone (2)

His thoughts became complicated. The time he randomly thought 'it shouldn't be over 200, right?' was actually 1000 years, and the animals who had matured well like him evolved into monsters to take revenge for the 1000 years of solitude……

[Kuhaaaan!]

But so what.

After finding the horde of monsters that showed themselves on the streets, and the leader-class huge Direwolf which led them, Yu IlHan thought while moving faster.

No matter how long the time that had passed was, it couldn't change his current situation.

Even if the monsters on Earth were stronger than those in other worlds, I don't even know how strong they are since I neve went there! Fuck, so it's none of my business! – he thought.

There was one thing that was sure.

That I'm stronger than that thing!

[Kuhoaaaang!]

His steel spear stabbed head on in the giant Direwolf's face, which didn't know that Yu IlHan was approaching thanks to his passive concealment.

The spear which was accurately stabbed between its eyes, pierced everything from its spike-like fur, hard skin, the complexly formed muscle, its flesh which strangely tightened to block foreign substances, and the bone which developed to be stronger than steel, to smash its brains.

[You have earned 12,904 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv35 Brown Direwolf.]

[You have become level 9. 4 Strength, 2 Agility, 2 Health, 2 Magic increases.]

[You cannot become Level 10 without obtaining a class. All records acquired before obtaining a class will be calculated after generating a class.]

[All of your records will be materialized into possibilities. From the following jobs, you can select……]

At the same time the enormous experience and record that the Direwolf had was all absorbed by Yu IlHan, countless texts appeared on his retina.

However, Yu IlHan had to move his body quickly without even the opportunity to recognize that. It was because the monsters on the streets attacked him fiercely, much less being frightened after their leader died.

"Fuck, monsters!"

"So many……One man is fighting them!"

"Wait, I will emit fire from my hands!"

"Soldiers! Really, these guys are never here when we need them!"

At almost the same time as Yu IlHan's preemtive strike, the people moved around chaotically after they recognized that monsters were attacking. Whether it was running away quietly, calmly reporting, looking for the military, or looking for signs to shield themselves in.

They didn't seem to have gone to other worlds for 10 year for nothing as they reacted calmly to the monsters, but amidst of them, a few clumsy people were trying to show off their non-existent fireballs with their non-existent mana.

[Kuhwaaaa!]

And a wild dog which disdained that man barked lowly and attacked him. Yu IlHan, who half-expected that situation, swung his spear once to throw them all apart and kicked off the ground.

The moment the strength stored in his body kicked the ground, it was purely turned into thrusting force and his body shot out like a cannon ball.

After focusing his strength by leaning forward in that state, Yu IlHan pointed the spear towards the front with both of his hands. At the end of the trajectory that the spearhead drew was the wild dog's head which was about to assault the man.

[Kak!]

[You have earned 1,700 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv18 Wandering Dog.]

For a dog, it has a too cool of a name!

While tackling only in his heart, Yu IlHan landed on the ground. The monsters which didn't deviate their gazes from him from the beginning, glared Yu IlHan with a 'I will kill that guy and live' gaze while shortening their distances with Yu IlHan, after their comrade died. Anyway, it was fortunate that other people weren't in danger now.

"Step back."

Yu IlHan warned shortly while looking back. However, the man who was rescued after failing to shoot fire from his hands, was surprised when he saw the Ir*nm*n mask that covered Yu IlHan's face and shouted.

"I, Ir*nm*n mask……!?"

Someone who heard that blurted out.

"Perhaps, Sungdaein Bolt!?"

"What, did you just say Sungdaein Bolt!?"

"That cheap Ir*nm*n mask……It's the real Sungdaein Bolt!"

From some time, that embarassing nickname was spread out loud! Yu IlHan hid his feelings to cry and turned back. His feelings were complicated – he was slightly happy that his name was known, but he was still sad.

"I said step back!"

"Cheer up, Sungdaein Bolt!"

"Wow, so strong. Just how many levels did he level up in one day to become like that?"

"He got his 2nd job, definitely."

The returnees were adapting too well to the situation. They all distanced themselves and watched the fight. Someone even took out a smartphone and recorded Yu IlHan's fighting on a video.

Yu IlHan thought it was truly fortunate that he was wearing a mask and swung the steel spear. His spear, which would have already been ripped apart if it was made of ordinary steel, was in reverse, showing its might by breaking all their teeth.

[You have earned 3,300 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv26 Grey Wolf.]

[You have earned 1,950 experience.]

[You have earned 1,500 experience]

Countless texts were printed on his retina. He thought that not levelling up despite killing so many of them was related to class or whatever that popped up when he killed the Direwolf, but as the monsters didn't even give him room to rest, he had no time to read and confirm it.

Of course, these things were insta-kills so it didn't matter if he levelled up or not!

But it was when he decreased the number of monsters about 20. From the hole where the monster horde first apeared, a big sized wolf popped out and howled loudly.

[Guwuuuuuuuuuh!]

[It's the second strongest. It seems like it's passing some sort of order down so be careful.]

"……So they can even pass the authority of control and even give orders, eh?"

At Erta's warning, which made him instantly realize that the monsters' intelligences were high, he turned the gear upwards in his heart.

I can't hear what the people were chatting loudly about back there. The important thing was me, and the things I had to kill with my spear. – he thought

At that moment, 5 wild dogs, which were distancing themselves from him and only watched while on guard, attacked him simultaneously.

[Kuhaan!]

Left leg, right leg, right arm, left shoulder, head. Their figures of attacking different parts of his body when assaulting him reminded him of the humans' bullying. (T/N: Raws was 합격술/合擊術, it's some martial art… but it's basically bullying martial art.).

"Fuu…….Hap!"

When he saw that, the move Yu IlHan chose was attacking. If he fell back, then his posture would become unstable and be in a state where he would receive continuous attack easily; and if he defended, then he will get bitten somewhere.

Stepping out with his right foot, he leaned forward and shot the spear to smash the head of the one aiming for his right leg, with its corpse still stuck on the spear, he swung it and sruck the one aiming for his left leg.

The strength stat that should be calculated to several tens of levels suppressing the wild dog's body was truly a frightening scene.

[You have earned 1,300 experience.]

[You have earned 1,250 experience.]

However, by that time, the third dog was already within 10cm of his left shoulder. A trajectory that wouldn't hit even if he swung the spear. He let go of his left hand holding the spear and swung his arm. At that moment, the sharp scythe that popped out from his wrist cut apart its mouth.

[Kyaaaak!]

He retracted his left arm to hold the spear with both of his hands, and he smashed hard on the ground with the spear while stepping out with his left foot.

After getting rid of the dog's corpse with that shock, He struck upwards with both the 4th and 5th dog in the trajectory which were about to bite his head and right arm respectively.

"Hup!"

[Au?]

[Kuhung!]

The moment after the sharp spearhead shined due to the sunlight, the two's bodies snapped in half and was trashed onto the ground.

[You have earned 1,400 experience.]

[You have earned 1,330 experience.]

Lastly Yu IlHan finished the fight by stepping on one of the dog's head, which was wailing on the ground and had half of its mouth gone. He had finished five of them in a blink of an eye.

[Kahang.]

However, the wolf which watched that cried short as if he disdained it. The moment Yu IlHan raised his head while thinking to smash it apart after rushing up, a different scene came inside his view.

"Kkuk, Please… help me…….!"

[Kuoohh.]

Did it have an objective to distact him from the beginning? It had procured a 'hostage' by moving fast in those few seconds.

Where? The hostage wasn't from the streets. The crowd from the streets were also shocked after they recognized that there was a hostage, and that was just now. There were many kinds of humans such as those who ran away too late fearing that they would also be captured and humans resolving to rescue the hostage.

However he was able to realize soon. The time that these monsters appeared and the time that Yu IlHan found these monsters couldn't have been the same.

So, in other words, these things have already assaulted once or maybe more, and may have procured the hostage from then.

It looked at Yu IlHan. Its disgusting-looking mouth and the protruded fans seemed as if it was lauging at Yu IlHan.

Although Erta said that killing humans to earn experience and record was a monster's instinct, it was even temporarily suppressing its instinct to try to corner Yu IlHan.

The aim of that action is to suppress Yu IlHan's actions. That wolf had the most simplest but efficient scheme to defeat Yu IlHan by attacking his weak poitn while he couldn't move properly due to minding the human under its foot.

It was a strategy only possible because of having seen through human psychology.

And if it really thought that, then it had judged Yu IlHan wrongly. Because the moment he saw that, Yu IlHan threw the spear in a straight line without any hesitation.

[Kak!]

The moment Yu IlHan showed movement, the wolf panicked and put a little strength into his foot, but returning the spear that was already out of his hands was impossible even for Yu IlHan. It had become a situation where threatening didn't work.

The wolf which figured that out not too late, tried to kill the hostage then avoid the attack. And the moment it thought that and was about to put strength into its foot, the steel spear penetrated its head.

[You have earned 6,700 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv32 Cunning Big Wolf.]

Yu IlHan thought of himself as an ordinary human.

He wanted to save a person if that person was in a crisis, and would help even if he had to exert himself if he could. To him, who had lived for 1000 years without human presence, a living and breathing human had become a precious existence.

However, if he was asked 'can you put yourself in danger to do that?' then he would just laugh it over. That should be the same for other people. A person had to respect his/her own life as much as he/she respected others' lives.

Just that was what was different for him from criminals, was that it was possible to judge the situation instantly and move and not show panic in the face of a crisis like other people, who may even be selfish.

[Guoohhhhhh!]

[Kiiii!]

Immediately after Yu IlHan threw the spear to kill the Big Wolf, the remaning wolves and wild dogs simultaenously assaulted him.

It was obvious that they were trying to do something now that he had lost his weapon, but their current actions were also a bad move. This was because Yu IlHan's body, which learned all kinds of martial arts with Vale Tudo at the beginning, was a weapon enough to kill them even without the unique rank steel spear.

"Fuu."

Yu IlHan laughed at the fact that he could now relieve some anger when he was coincidentally feeling down, and he threw his body towards them.

[Keng!]

[Kak!]

[Yelp!]

"Wow, even on dog days I wouldn't be able to kill that much."

"Did you see that eye-poke? Look at him poking the eyes with his index and pinky fingers just because their eyes are wide. Such a meticulous guy, that!"

"Someone save that girl. Quickly! She's about to be run over by monsters!"

"2nd platoon, move out fast!"

And at that moment, the soldiers had arrived at the scene. Fortunately, as they had arrived before the monsters' indiscrete rage, due to having lost their leader, spread to the civillians, succeeded in dragging out the collapsed hostage before she was injured.

And after that to suppress the monsters they……

"Don't shoot! Sungdaein Bolt is inside there!"

"You should've come earlier! soldiers are as slow as always!"

"W, wait! Hold your fire, didn't you hear that there's a person!?"

They had to retract their barrels while panicking due to the people's barrage of complaints before they even got to shoot. Meanwhile, Yu IlHan severed the monsters breath one by one while moving like water.

After he thrashed the 2 leaders, it didn't seem like there was a new one to take the lead so the monster's fighting methods became instantly simple, and Yu IlHan, who was rampaging, could process all the monsters at that place within 3 minutes.

It was a truly dominating battle.

[You have earned 1,100 experience.]

"Fuu."

After Yu IlHan severed the last wild dog's breath, he sighed at the fatigue that came at him and raised his head. The same type of gazes that looked at him after he rampaged at the college campus yesterday were mercilessly striking him.

And there was one that gave him the most fierce gaze, and it was the gaze of the platoon leader. It was a second lieutenant that had a pressed berret on her head. She shouted while looking directly at the Ir*nm*n mask that Yu IlHan was wearing.

"I finally found you. Sungdaein Bolt!"

Are you the main culprit behind the rumors!

Author's notes

The activities of the returnees will be revealed bit by bit from now.

The brand that MC prefers is Un*ql*. Finding him, who has a generalized loner skil attached on him, is harder than finding Wally,

Then I will come back tomorrow at 6 PM!

Translator's notes

Let's… hold back some of those donations ok? I can't translate all day…. (This was the first time I received more than 3 chapters worth of donations in one day…) I started this for fun! It's not even (supposed to be) my main project! But thx people for donating!

(This was around when chapter 7 was released)

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 11: I Hunt Alone (3)

I Hunt Alone (3)

The soldiers drove away the civillians with the excuse that monster might appear again.

Even if they went to other worlds for 10 years, the civillians couldn't boast about themselves in front of rifles, right? The people obediently left.

"Fuu. It's fortunate that we meet you again like this."

How could both of the soldiers that he met two times be both women? He was curious but that was that. He could tell what the soldiers wanted to say to him without asking.

As for the reply the reply, Yu IlHan had already prepared one.

"I've looked for you a lot. Really, why did you leave when a person was about to speak to you?"

I didn't go… I was packing up right in front of you…- he thought.

"Ha, I wouldn't be treated like this if I wasn't wearing a military uniform…… I'm really frustrated. I should just throw all of it away or something."

"Second lieutenant. Sungdaein Bolt isn't listening to your words right now."

Yu IlHan moved his hand up to hold the spear by the head as he started to dismantle the monster bodies while using it as a knife. It was unbelievably uncomfortable, but he had no choice as the leathers of the wild dogs and the wolves couldn't be cut without the sharpness of his spear. He could schedule a day to make a knife.

And for that, too, he needed a personal workspace.

"Just! Listen when a person's talking!"

"I'm not listening. I'm not doing it. I'm not helping."

Yu IlHan replied shortly.

"So you don't have to say anything."

"D, do you perhaps have any feelings against the country or the military……?"

He didn't have anything against them. He, too, felt proud when the Korean sports representatives in world-scale competitions achieved good results, and he also believed that there was a value in Korean history and tradition. He never regretted being born Korean.

It was just that such a sense of belonging to the country cannot direct Yu IlHan's choices, and his fate. Just that.

Yu IlHan, who was peeling the wild dogs' skins in a blink of an eye, questioned whether he really needed to take the wild dogs' bodies when there were a lot of wolf bodies.

Due to the level differences, the dogs' leather, teeth, and bones were obviously weaker than that of the wolf's. Of course, it was frightening that it had higher defensive stats than steel plate armor.

"The dog bodies, would you like to buy them? I will dismantle it for you."

With Yu IlHan, who changed his attitude as if flipping a hand when a matter came up, even after he said he wouldn't talk, in front of her, the female second lieutenant was dumbfounded.

However, the moment that Yu IlHan turned his head while saying that it was fine if they didn't need them, she came to her senses and shouted urgently.

"I'll buy! We'll buy them!"

"Then I'll sell it to you."

"If possible the magic stones too……"

"I won't sell those."

"Yes!……Tch."

Yu IlHan bargained with the second lieutenant while he kept dismantling the dogs. The second lieutenant said that she didn't have the authority to decide and contacted her superiors, and those superiors who learned well that they needed to use the monster's bodies in the end to go against the monsters, accepted Yu IlHan's offer right away.

However, in truth, monsters were appearing in the whole world and not just Korea. Of course, strong monsters, such as the Direwolf that Yu IlHan killed, didn't appear, but sightings of those as strong as the [Wandering Dog] were quite frequent, and those were in the range of what the K-2, K3, and grenades from the strong Korean military friends could manage.

But why did they nod their heads when Yu IlHan said that he will sell the bodies? That was because of the state of the bodies.

The strong friends from the military shoots guns when they meet monsters. Even soldeirs confident in their physical ability would shoot guns.

Just those at the level of the Wandering Dog would have unbelievably thick skin, so they needed to use several tens of rifile bullets, and sometimes grenades to kill them with no difficulties. As a result, the state of the corpses would normally be horrible to look at.

The leather would be damaged to the point of being considered trash, and the bones would shatter. So, although it may be possible to use it for research, it would be impossible to use it on its own.

In contrast, how was the state of the bodies of the Wandering Dogs that Yu IlHan hunted?

Even otherworlders would raise up their thumbs as they looked at Yu IlHan, who would insta-kill monsters, with the least amount of damage, and call him the best hunter.

Even that would be a good deal for them, but if his dismantling skills were also accounted for, then they would become speechless. The scene where the intact corpses separated into leather, bones, and meat as if they were like that from the beginning, was passed to the second lieutenant Han YeoRang's superiors without problems no matter how bad the quality of her phone camera was.

'Second lieutenant Han, don't ever let him go. Drag him here using any means other than violence!'

"But he says that he will never talk with us."

'Even if you have to use a honey trap, drag him here!'

The strong friend and 'beauty' second lieutenant Han YeoRang, who heard the word 'honey trap' for the first time in a real situation since she was born, was in agony. Did she have to quit the military after beating up her superiors, or did she have to take him to the optometrists to check his eyesight…

"…..I will try to persuade him."

In the end, her grass root-sized patriotism and the even smaller soldier's attitude grabbed a hold of her. However, before Han YeoRang ended the call with an amazingly small voice after killing her emotions, Yu IlHan, who finished dismantling the dogs and was about to go into working with the wolves, spoke.

"I will exchange in cash so please get it ready."

"……So he says, sir."

Han YeoRang wanted to cry. This was the tragedy of the middlewoman.

On another hand, Yu IlHan finished dismantling while humming.

Unlike yesterday, when he fought with the insect monsters, he had gained more. It was because it was easier to process animal bones and leather in comparison to insect carapaces.

Of course, the wolf's bones weren't metal so it would be impossible to melt them down, but he could recreate them into defensive equipment and weapons according to the innate structure of the bones, and the leather would become good defensive equipment without a doubt. Not only that, he would be able to create other artifacts using the magic stones.

However, the more important profit were the magic stones. He didn't know while he was killing, but the leader, the Direwolf, and the vice-leader, the Big Wolf, both had magic stones.

Moreover, unlike the soybean sized magic stone from the Big Mantis, the Direwolf's magic stone was about the size of an almond chocoball.

"It looks quite tasty……"

[NEVER! A magic stone isn't something that a human can intake directly! Do you want to be controlled by the monster's mana!?]

"Whoa……"

Yu IlHan, who heard Erta's sharp warning, voiced his horror.

Because… Wasn't this too blatant of a foreshadowing!?

Yu IlHan, a trained loner, ended up predicting the disaster that her words would bring. Some time in the future, humans would turn into monsters by swallowing magic stones in their greed to become stronger faster, and Yu IlHan would fight against them……

Yu IlHan could assure himself that this would happen not just once, but many times, as humans are foolish and would repeat the same mistakes.

He lost all his strength as he already knew that, so Yu IlHan rolled the guiltless magic stones in his hands.

"The magic stones are sure pretty."

"Yeah, well."

Excluding the boss and the mid-boss magic stones, the trivial magic stones that Yu IlHan harvested numbered about 20. Han YeoRang gulped when she saw that.

Combining all of those, it would end up equalling an enormous amount of money even in Guundia, the other world that she had gone to. And as it was one of the key materials to make 'artifacts' that everyone wanted, on Earth, its value would multiply by hundreds or thousands of times.

Of course, it was a different story as to who ccould create such artifacts.

'Hmph, what, shall I use a honey trap?'

While Han YeoRang was thinking idiotic things, Yu IlHan organized the maagic stones and the dismantled wolf bodies. To carry them, he temporarily made a bag using the wolf leather, and he put the leather, bones, and magic stones inside it.

And when he put all of them inside, what was remaining were the mountains of wolf monster meat.

"Is this edible?"

[If you have the weak poison resistance skill.]

At Erta's cool headed words, he gave up on the wolf meat. However, when he was about to put the bag on his shoulder, Han YeoRang approached him carefully and asked with pitiful eyes.

"Can you… sell some mwagic stwones and some of the grey wolf lweather…..?" (T/N: Ask cutely…?)

"Nope."

"Okay."

How could he reject so refreshingly? Was he some stiff general in his past life…? (T/N: Actually, this was a pun in Korean. Raws are literally, 'Was he some danhobak farmer in his past life?' with danhobak being a pun of danho(being determined))

Han YeoRang, who spoke with a bit of cuteness, had to step back with tears in her eyes when her charm didn't work on him. She resolved to beat the soldiers up until they were half dead when they went back.

At that time, the cash arrived. It was a cash delivery service with a lieutenant colonel-level personnel, and a government personnel attached as bonus.

Yu IlHan wanted to refund just the bonus, but things didn't turn out that way. It was said that the Goddess of fortune and the Goddess of misfortune always came in pairs, and it seemed like it was true.

"You're really amazing! To think that you killed all those monsters with your strength alone!"

Nonsense starting with those words were completely chewed by Yu IlHan and he just quietly checked the amount of money. (T/N: chewed is a Korean way of saying 'ignored'; You can 'chew' someones words means you can ignore someone's words)

370 million won in total. ( 320,000USD)

His hands trembled lightly. Despite the thousand years of training, he couldn't not be nervous in front of the enormous sum of money in front of him. It was because despite the fact that he had driven big ships and high-class sports cars, he had yet to steal from banks.

[No matter how good of a condition that the leather and the bones are in, considering that the Wandering Dogs are less than level 20, this is quite generous. It's highly possible that they want to leave ties with you.]

"As expected, it's like that, right……?"

Yu IlHan carried the bag on his shoulders. Yu IlHan, who confirmed that their gazes were fixed on the bag with the wolf leather in it, which was incomparbly more valuable than some wild dog, he relaxed and spoke.

"The exchange is over right? This is my money, right?"

"Of course it's yours! However before that, why don't we tal……"

"We'll probably see each other again soon."

"Huh?"

Yu IlHan retorted icily and ran an app after taking out his smartphone. It was an app he downloaded after realizing something yesterday in the campus square.

The app's function was very simple. It would flash an enormous amount of light in one moment. After the flash, everyone there, except Yu IlHan himself, closed their eyes for a moment, and opened.

"Wh, what was that!"

"He's not here. He disappeared!"

"He disappeared in such a short time!? Just how high level is he……!? Just what kind of vision(?) did he acquire in the other world?"(T/N: the raws literally says vision… but I don't know what it is, may be a reference to an anime or smth)

"Amazing, Sungdaein Bolt……"

"No, m*n *n bl*ck……!"

Of course, there was no need to explain. Yu IlHan was still right in front of them. (T/N: LOL)

Even though the passive concealment wasn't active during to the fight, if he distracted their gazes, then the concealment would activate again. What Yu IlHan used was the gap in recognition.

"Shall we go now?"

[The time it will take for heaven to move due to my report is one day. I'm sorry but during that time, we'll need to keep moving. Dangerous monsters would have shown themselves in other places as well.]

"Okay, okay. Let's go after leaving this in a safe place. And I need to check that class thing."

Yu IlHan left the people who were desperately searching for him and moved his body.

His long day had only began.

Author's notes

Next chapter, he will get his class! I was trying to shove it in this chapter, but it was too long…

I should give him a mask full of originality and strip him of the ironman mask……!

After Yu IlHan's busy day finishes, in other words, chapter 3 finishes, I can say that the main novel will start. Please look forward to it!

Translator's notes

Disassembly will now be called dismantling… thx guys.

'Strong friend' refers to the military.

Poor second lieutenant… lol

What I love about this author is he gives blatant foreshadows… and that the MC knows them!

Weak poison - poison - strong poison (the other two will come up later)

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 12: I Hunt Alone (4)

I Hunt Alone (4)

Yu IlHan liked espionage movies a lot. That was a romance that provoked a man's heart. A cool suit, cool moves, and the agents that don't forget to have leisure. Villians that act cool but get beaten up by the protagonist, and a cool sexy heroine for a finish!

However, he didn't know that there would be a day where he himself would shoot an espionage film. And with a midget angel on his head instead of a heroine.

[If I use magic, then you will not be found out. Don't worry.]

"Tsuup, I believe you." (T/N: Tsuup is like bitter intake of air)

He was about to have a nervous breakdown due to carrying a bag with an enormous sum of 370 million won. (320,000 USD).

If I knew that I would be so weak to cash, then I would've robbed some banks rather than training in martial arts when the time on Earth had stopped- he thought.

[You will get used to it soon. If it's you, then there will come a day where you roll around in 1,000, or even 10,000 times the money that you're carrying now.]

"Even if you praise me like that, I won't give you any."

[I don't need it!]

Erta spoke seriously, but Yu IlHan lightly ignored her. He was still underevaluating himself even after he now knew that his strength worked on the monsters. He always did his best, and he even got good rewards, but his general evaluation of himself was still so low?

That was a truly strange personality he had there, but as a result, Yu IlHan would move without resting to improve himself. Whether it was because he would feel lonely if he didn't do something in those 1,000 years, or whether it was because of Rita's strict education, it was not known.

He secretly entered a secluded alley and left all his spoils of war there before looking at the scene where Erta cast magic. He somehow felt lighthearted.

[Then let's depart.]

"No, the class is left."

[……Don't tell me you haven't even acquired 1st class!? And you swung your weapon with that amount of strength and training!?]

It was the first ripple on Erta. While feeling that the distance has closed somewhat, Yu IlHan smiled.

"I scrolled up because there were too many words on my retina last time, can't I scroll down?"

[Reading the record – I should have told you that this is the change that Earth has met. If you will that you want to read the records related to class, then that will suffice.]

Erta's words were vague, but they were somewhat directly felt on the skin. It was also like this during his first mana crafting. Yu IlHan closed his eyes and remembered the record he saw last time.

[All of your records will be materialized into possibilities. You can acquire one of the classes below.]

[1. Lancer]

[2. Grappler]

[3. Swordsman]

[4. Blacksmith]

[5. Shielder]

[6. Hunter]

[……]

[……]

[23. Assassin]

Somehow, they were all names of classes that may appear in RPGs, but there was no time to ponder over that matter. Yu IlHan slowly read over all the 23 classes and fell in to thought.

"First, let's exclude assassin."

Concealment was enough as it was now. If his presence became any fainter, then he feared that his existence would really disappear.

Above all, he currently couldn't use mana. Thanks to that, he couldn't even use the Max level concealment as an active skill, and he could only use it as a passive one. No, actually, he didn't want to use it, but it was constantly activated without using mana and he couldn't cancel it.

And so, he needed a he needed a strong job, but doable without mana.

[23 for the 1st class?]

Meanwhile, Erta paled in fright when she heard that there were 23 jobs for his first class.

[23 within just two days of being in contact with the Akashic Records…… If you had more time, then you might have seen 30, or even 40.]

"What's your recommendation?"

[Lancer, or grappler.]

Yu IlHan also agreed with that. He had achieved proficiency in countless techinques and he was confident that he could bring out maximum power with any kind of weapon, but the thing he was most familiar with was spearmanship and martial arts.

The two techniques that Rita recommended to him – the technqiues that he put the most efforts into. They were the techniques that made him remember her, and the technqiues that he was the most confident in.

[Choosing a class means that you become specialized in it. However, that doesn't mean that you're throwing away all the other possibilities. It's possible to choose a sub class in 2nd and 3rd jobs so don't hesitate and choose.]

"There weren't anything like that on the internet, though?"

[The internet is originally a place where incompetent trash boast about what they've heard about. People who've reached level 50 in other worlds wouldn't waste their time on something like internet, right?]

"Do you have a bad memory related to the internet……?"

Erta exercised her right to remain silent. Yu IlHan kept his mouth shut to respect her mentality and decided after pondering for a bit.

"I think Lancer is better."

[Although I'm not curious, shall I hear the reason?]

"The differences in destructive ability due to weapons is big."

[……]

Grapplers could also use weapons if they felt like it. It was the same with the wrist protector that Yu IlHan was using now, and it was also possible to make other offensive equipments. In simple words, sub-weapons.

However, the spear was different. Without needing any supplementative elements, it was a technique that focused all of one's strength onto the sharp weapon to pierce through enemies.

Yu IlHan had the confidence in becoming stronger through his own ability and his technique, as well as using the new materials that he would encounter to create a spear.

And that was an answer he could arrive at due to having perfectly seen through his own ability. Erta also was planning to reommend him the Lancer, but she was satisfied that he arrived at the answer by himself.

If it's this person, wouldn't he have the qualifications to become strong? – She even thought this, albeit briefly.

In contrast, Yu IlHan, who had no interest on what Erta was thinking about, closed his eyes as soon as he decided. However, at that moment, a new job appeared below the 23 jobs.

[24. Bl*d Lancer.] (T/N: I could only do this as the original only put the pronunciation, it's a pun)

"!?"

Yu IlHan's body stiffened as he was dumbfounded. Now that he'd decided on one, a new one had appeared!? Moreover, in front of the name 'Lancer', there was a new descriptive word attached. He took deep breaths to calm down and asked Erta.

"A new job has appeared now. It says 'Bl*d Lancer'."

[A descriptive word……! That's a unique job! To think that you will acquire a unique job from the first job!]

Erta unprecedentedly became excited. Yu IlHan thought that it was vaguely good without knowing exactly, but it wasn't a problem he could accept just with that.

A unique job. That was, in other words, a class that only existed for one existence. A class that appears when his path, achievements and records become one to write a new strike that didn't exist in the world. It was optimized for that existence, so obviously, its performance was exceptional.

[Choose that no matter what! Moreover, Bl*d. the descriptive word looks good too. It must be a job that focuses on destructive ability. No doubt about it!]

Yu IlHan also agreed with her. He already planned to become a lancer anyway so he chose Bl*d lancer without hesitation.

It was sufficient to think in his heart that he wanted to become a Bl*d Lancer. The appropriate class, power, and qualifications for his records he piled up until now was bestowed on him

[You have become a Blurred Lancer. When attacking while concealed, attack power increases by 10%. The power of spearmanship increases by 10%.]

[Concealment skill, Spearmanship skill's evolution conditions become easier.]

[You absorb the piled up records. You have become level 18. 11 Strength, 12 Agiligty, 11 Health, 11 Magic increases.]

[You cannot use mana. You cannot learn active skills.]

"……"

At this moment, Yu IlHan realized his trivial misunderstanding.

He thought of 'Blood', when he saw 'Bl*d Lancer', in other words, a spearman of blood. He honestly thought it was awesome.

However the reality was 'Blurred'. In other words, a faint spearman.

"What the hell is a faint spearman!"

[Oh my gosh…… It's too fitting that I can't argue against it……!]

At that moment, when he was about to counter what Erta had said, an electric current flowed down his body.

The growth of his soul (T/N: Check TL notes at the bottom) due to acquiring a class, as well as the rapid changes in his body due to absorbing all the piled up experience and records made Yu IlHan dizzy.

While adapting to the stronger muscles, faster legs, tougher skin and bones, his consciousness became faint for an instant before coming back to reality. It was a strange feeling that couldn't be explained using words.

However, it was not a bad feeling at all.

Yu IlHan became really annoyed, but he decided to accept reality. There was no way that he could not accept it anyway.

"Well, shit. Let's go with this. I did become stronger……"

[Earning 2 unique abilties in the first job is close to a miracle. Moreover, they are abilities that fit your characteristics.]

Concealment attack, spear attack. Stacking, it would be a 20% increase in attack power.

It was really as Erta said – while thinking that, Yu IlHan muttered silently after checking his changed body due to the job advancement.

At that moment, his status automatically renewed itself and appeared on his retina.

[Yu IlHan.]

[Human Blurred Lancer Lv18]

[Title – Pancosmic Loner (Concealment becomes passive)]

[Strength – 96 Agility 102 Health – 98 Magic -21]

[Active Skill – Concealment Lv Max, Mana Crafting Lv 2]

[Passive Skill – Close Quarters Combat Lv Max, Spearmanship Lv Max, Dismantling Lv Max]

There was a time when Yu IlHan thought that a change would occur in his title when he advanced.

However, the reality was cruel. It was because the Pancosmic Loner title was keeping its place as if it declared that it will stay there for all his life.

[Did you earn an active skill?]

"No, I didn't."

[I knew it. Well, you can rest assured since most people don't learn one for their first job. ……Although, looking at your growth rate, I think you won't be able to use mana even by the time you earn your 2nd job.]

"Hey, isn't that really dangerous? If everyone wields active skills and I don't……"

[It is dangerous.]

"Then……"

[If you are a normal person.]

Erta's words cut Yu IlHan's counter argument off. When Yu IlHan became quiet, Erta smiled and continued speaking.

[As I said a few minutes ago, there is no wasted record. If you didn't earn a skill in the 1st, and 2nd advancement, then you will earn a strong skill in your 3rd. An ordinary person would have problems in their growth to their 3rd job if that person didn't have an active skill, but well, if it's with your ability, then I think it's quite possible.]

"So you're saying it's the difference between learning a chain of weak attacks and a single strong one, right?"

[You've understood correctly.]

Yu IlHan could rest assured when he heard those words. Of course, it wasn't like he would stop training in mana.

However, there was something that Erta didn't tell Yu IlHan. That was the special characteristics of his situation.

'He learned a unique job so he should have originally acquired two active skills. However, he didn't, and a record will remain and it will pass on. If the same thing repeats in the 2nd advancement, and he reaps the rewards in the 3rd advancement……'

Just what kind of skill would he earn. She shuddered just thinking about it.

Ah, is there another lower existence that is worth watching over like this person? She laughed and pulled at Yu IlHan's hair for no reason.

[Well then, move.]

He hid the items. He advanced successfully. Now all that was left was to do his mission as an Executor.

Yu IlHan sighed shortly with a 'fuu' and asked Erta.

"Where do I go?"

[You will search for one now.]

"What the heck…"

The self-proclaimed almighty monster radar's, Erta's, words were not surprising now. He grinded his teeth and with her on top of his head, waited until she grabbed some of his hair for safety before leaving that place.

[You're not the only Executor. Albeit unreliable, the moment I reported to heaven, they selected Executors to kill the monsters and sent angels. So you can just hunt monsters that are within your capable range.]

"Then that Empress person would also be an Executor, right?"

[Of course…… Although, I think that it's quite rare for two exectutors to appear from the same university.]

What was she talking about? Empress is someone who grew in Lanpas, where Sung U's people were sucked into, and Yu IlHan was a loner who matured in the thousand years on Earth. Yu IlHan felt uncomfortable being grouped together with her.

[Anyway, this is a quest from heaven. If your ranking……achievements are higher than the other Executors, then the reward will increase. So do your best.]

"That I like."

Erta's request was like this – Not 'Everybody's in danger so save them' but 'You will be rewarded according to your effort so show your best ability'.

Yu IlHan liked Erta for not speaking words of justice or morality despite being an angel carrying out heaven's decree. Looking at the fact that an angel was like this, wouldn't perhaps the existence known as God be a refreshing existence? Well, looking the scale of how he sent all of humanity as well.

"However, I don't like the fact that I have to run around like this……!"

[You should ride a car, then.]

"I'm faster than a car!"

Yu IlHan searched the internet on his phone while running at his full speed for the first time in a while. As always, it was an action that stemmed from 'It should be better than just runnig blindly, right?' rather than expecting something.

However his actions gave fruit, which was rather rare.

While running without a destination and was feeling the growth of his body to his heart's content, he clicked an article, [Who said that a tiger lived in Bukhansan (mountain), without thinking.

[F*ck, bears are scarier than tigers. Soldiers are shooting loads but it's not even going through.

Jeongneung's going down TT]

He could encounter a movie CG-like scene where a huge bear destroyed a store with its paws.

"Destination set."

He raised his head. How could he be so lucky? He was about to arrived near the vicinity of Gireum station (T/N: Basically, 3~4km away). In his full speed, he would arrive in 3 minutes.

[If it's set, then go quickly!]

Erta urged him. Yu IlHan accelerated without turning the direction and asked Erta carefully.

"But I can eat the gallbladder from the bear right?" (T/N: Thought to be healthy in traditinal Asia)

[Of course.]

Erta retorted while smiling brightly.

[If you have the poison resistance skill.]

Author's notes

You have become a faint spearman!

Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines (a song) was famous for various reasons. It's the same 'Blurred'.

This chapter will reach its climax soon!

Then I will come back tomorrow at 6 PM! A continuous release will happen soon when the reading list reaches 20,000…

Translator's notes

Lance = spear in this novel… well, a lance is supposed to be a type of spear anyway. (Lance is a spear that cavalry use)

The same thing happened here… People wanted too cool of a job for first job…(the same thing happened in Munpia) It's just the first job! Why do you think he'll get 'sage' 'executioner' and other cool things… although… Blurred Lancer is… cool(?)

The soul – that's the close translation I could find.… the original word is '격' which literally means the 'class' of his existence (but I can't use class… it's already there). So I'm guessing MC's soul is becoming more refined. Ofc, if you have anything better do feel free to suggest

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 13: I Hunt Alone (5)

I Hunt Alone (5)

Yu IlHan drooped his shoulders when he heard that he couldn't eat the bear gallbladder, but his speed didn't change much. He, who ran after changing his direction for a bit after passing the train station, was even faster than a 60km/h car.

[Hm, this is quite fun. I'll hold tight so don't you have any thoughts in somersaulting in mid air?]

"Am I a roller coaster?"

Despite running with a lot of booming noises, whether it was the cars or the motorbikes or the pedestrians on the street, nobody gave a glance towards Yu IlHan.

As he was already used to it, Yu IlHan didn't pay it any mind.

"People are decreasing."

[The police are blocking them.]

The scene became more and more unordinary as he went uphill on Jeongneung street. Empty roads instead of crowded streets, with police cars and military vehicles replacing the people. Soldiers were walkie-talkie messaging somewhere and the civillians were running down the hill.

Looking at the people running down while crying and carrying 007 bags, heavy bags, or etc., this appeared no different from a disaster scene with refugees.

They would probably think that reality is unfair – they had lived in other worlds for 10 years to adapt to situations like this, but as soon as they returned, monsters they can't fight were breaking their houses.

On Earth after the Great Cataclysm, there were no more tutorials. The trial that made people realize that was too cruel. It was to the point that Yu IlHan, who was moving due to the reward promised by the angel, could feel the sorrow.

"Will the government really compensate for that?"

[The morale of the populace becomes the morale of the country, and the morale of the country becomes the power and and unity of the country. If the leaders know that then they wouldn't do nothing.]

Yu IlHan pushed one gear up inside his heart. Whether the government compensated or not, the thing he had to do didn't change. That was destroying monsters as soon as possible!

While he was in the middle of running, there was a bang, like the sound of something exploding. Did the military use a rocket or something!? Yu IlHan thought idiotic things like that but the fact was that they didn't. It was just that a 7m tall brown bear had smashed into a 2-storey building, the sound resulting from its collapse.

[HuuooOOooooo!]

Yu IlHan realized that he had arrived at the scene of destruction.

"Shoot, shoot more!"

A commissioned officer wearing a cool uniform was shouting, and the sounds of machine guns, rifles, and grenade launchers which were emitting fire came from all directions. However, they were too weak to penetrate the skin of the bear that was as big as a two storey building.

"Fuck! It's not working! It's only the 4th day after the Great Cataclysm, but what can we do if these fuckers start appearing already!?"

"Bite on a knife and charge or something!"

"Ability users, aren't ability users here yet! What about the one who expressed cooperation with the government?"

"The bear is changing directions! ……Fuck, scatter!"

There was no other chaos that was like this. When the bear crashed into something, it would collapse, whether it was vehicles, signposts, or buildings. Like that, a whole street had become a mess and buildings were collapsing in real time. Erta clicked her tongue while looking at that scene.

[To think that they break from a monster that just earned its 2nd class, human architecture is really fragile.]

"There are no materials, you know?"

The people were already used to worlds with monsters. However, what did that do? They were lacking in everything whether it was architecture, materials, money, techniques, and even levels, and they only had the knowledge and experience.

If it was another world, then it may have been near impossible for a monster at that level to create chaos, but currently, it was the strongest. If there was no tiger, then one would greet a rabbit as one's master – this proverb really fit in this situation.

The bear was a disaster that had descended on the modern world. Yu IlHan decided to name that state as the 'Fuck, nobdy can stop me' state for convenience's sake.

[What are you doing, not killing it immediately? You aren't scared right? If it's you you can kill 2nd class monsters without pro……]

"Timing."

He cut Erta's urging and retorted as if he was scolding her while taking out his spear and holding it. He could feel the strength of the record that was allowed to him, and the power of the Blurred Lancer that enhanced his physical body as it held the spear.

Ten percent increase in attack power due to concealment, 10% increase in attack power due to using a spear. Someone might say it's only 20%, but to Yu IlHan, who trained his martial arts so that he could bring out the most of his physical strength, it was a big difference.

He felt good. He felt that he might achieve anything like this.

He had experienced a lot of things, so Yu IlHan knew how great his concealment ability was. He felt enormously insulted that his ability was an innate ability and one that he didn't even train in, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't use it.

The max level concealment that was activated as a passive. The concealment that gave him the strongest opportunity of a preemptive strike. The concealment which contained the essence of the insulting title of Pancosmic Loner.

Now came a time where he could use it.

Yu IlHan kicked off the ground, and met the huge face of the brown bear, which had been exposed when it had raised its arms just now.

[Ku-oh?]

Unless Yu IlHan attacked 'first', the bear wouldn't recognize Yu IlHan. While the bear tilted its head in confusion due to having noticed something, Yu IlHan stabbed the spear in its wide open mouth.

[KUuuuuAaaaaAAaaa!]

The brown bear screamed for the first time after appearing in the human world. Was it only that? A huge hole appeared on its tongue and at least several tens of litres of blood was plopping onto the ground.

One of the soldiers, who couldn't avoid the blood, was soaked as he was ran over by the blood. He flailed his arms before being rescued by Yu IlHan, who landed a bit late. And with that, finally, the soldiers recognized the existence of Yu IlHan.

"M*n *n Bl*ck!"

"Sungdaein Bolt……!"

To think that there was a new nickname because one wasn't enough! However, he had no time to get angry at those soldeirs. Unlike the monsters he confronted until now, it was impossible to kill that bear in one shot, and the creature in question was running towards him after becoming angry from allowing a critical hit to land.

Blood flowed like a river from its mouth.

Yu IlHan shouted shortly.

"Run for your lives!"

"That bear will be killed by our 96Tiger plato……!"

"Then stay if you want."

Yu IlHan kicked off the ground again. Immediately after, the bear's thick front paw smashed in to the exact same place and the concrete collasped with a booming sound. When Yu IlHan, who was in mid-air, checked the status of the ground, the 96Tiger platoon was truly courageously running away.

[Kuo-,KuhwaAaaOooooo!]

"Heh."

The front paw of the bear which smashed into the ground was raised like a manekineko that may appear in a Japanese souvenir shop. When it was about to strike Yu IlHan again, he somersaulted backwards and flew down head first, sticking the spear into its front paw.

[Kahacuuuuu!]

"Ho!"

In addition to Yu IlHan's strength, on top the direction of the paw itself, the spear momentarily pierced deep into the front paw.

A violent shock passed through Yu IlHan's body due to rebound, but he instead used that to pull the spear out of its front paw and jump in to the air just like that.

The enormous amount of blood from its front paw scattered in the air to make a rainbow, and Yu IlHan was even higher up in the air, his figure was like a dolphin swimming in the skies.

His grand and fantastic movements, which made one wonder if it was really the movements of a human, made the soldiers who were fighting against the bear dumbfoundedly look in his direction.

[Woohoo! It's really fun as expected!]

"Don't enjoy it!"

The bear, which had a refreshing hole pierced into both its tongue and front paw, couldn't win against the pain and was intimidated. However, Yu IlHan, who jumped high due to the rebound, didn't have any thoughts to let it eat some aspirin. (T/N: Raws literally said 'apply some Fucidin)

The brown bear destroyed buildings as it swung its front paw wildly while roaring. However, due to the extreme pain, it seemed like it had forgotten about Yu IlHan.

It would have been alright even if the passive concealment didn't activate, but this was within his expectations. He was just thankful for it.

Yu IlHan corrected his spear hold when he stopped in the sky.

The spear of steel created by a human who surpassed the peak of technique was holding out well even while clashing with a mid-class monster's leather, muscles, and bones. Yu IlHan believed in his spear.

'It should be able to hold out at this level, right?'

While muttering with a bit of confidence, he held the spear tight with both of this hands, and aimed at the head of the bear which was thrashing around violently.

There was no way a human without wings could fly – his body started dropping.

At that moment, Yu IlHan focused all his body weight into the spear. His body figure was similar to before he was left out, but his muscles, which were condensed and compressed, carried considerable weight.

[KuuuoooOhhooo! Ah-SU-KREEEEEEEEM!]

The bear howled in pain and was thrashing around. However, despite the fact that the bear may go out of his range if he was a bit late, Yu IlHan was calm. It was because he could just attack when he was on the ground as his concealment would remain active.

[It's dangerous to get hit by the attack. You know that, right?]

"It's alright. I won't get done in by a thing like that."

What weak-talk was she saying when she was the one to believe his ability? Yu IlHan kicked Erta's words and tensed his body.

I can do it! Let's remember the first time I succeeded in striking Rita succesfully! – he thought,

'With all my strength……Nooooooow!"

He extended his spear outwards.

The spear which contained all of Yu IlHan's strength and weight struck deep into the brown bear's head.

[Ka!]

The bear screamed a single syllable. And didn't move anymore.

"Kuk……!"

"Don't tell me he……"

Everyone at that place recited revival spells – 'did it die?' – but the bear didn't come back to life.

It had really died from to Yu IlHan's spear strike. (T/N: 'reciting revival spells': You know, when people say 'did it die?' then it never EVER dies…)

[You have earned 154,928 experience.]

[You have become level 23. 8 Strength, 7 Agiligty, 5 Health, 5 Magic increases.]

[You have earned the record of Lv54 Brown Big Bear.]

[You have earned a new title – 'One hit for me, one hit for you'! Critical hit rate increases by 10%.]

[You have learnt the Critical Hit Skill! It increases the probability of succeeding a fatal strike by cultivating your eyes to see the weak points of enemies.]

The large body of the brown bear, which had lost the strength to move, started leaning towards the ground. Yu IlHan became urgent and desperately pulled out the spear embedded in its head jumped before landing on the ground.

Immediately after, with a boom that was similar to the sound of a bomb, the body of the brown bear collapsed.

"Phew."

[I didn't know you would finish it in just three strikes. You did well when you don't even have a skill.]

"Just tell them to prepare the reward."

When Erta praised his achievement while smiling, Yu IlHan retorted while looking over his spear, looking for any damage that might have occurred due to overexertion.

However, it must really have been a great achievement. Otherwise, there was no way that he could have acquired a new title or skill.

He was now sure about it. That skill was related a lot to the 'record' just like mana.

The record that is created from all of Yu IlHan's movements, achievements, and other things that mixed with each other influenced the creation of skill, growth, and change. Critical Hit was just the beginning. He would probably be able to acquire countless other skills according to the way he acted.

After he finished inspecting the spear, Yu IlHan raised his head. The moment he was about to leave for other hunting rounds when he finished dismantling the huge bear in an instant –

"We have arrived. We will take care of the rest!"

"Where is the monster!?"

An offbeat resounded loudly and grandly. (T/N: heroes of justices have come late.)

Author's notes

Thank you people for donating, I will strive my best to bring out better stories!

PS – The Blurred Lancer was strong!!

Translator's notes

The bear's roars(?) were all written in English in the raws. Hence you see capitals in the middle of the onomatopoeia.

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 14: I Make Them (1)

I Make Them (1)

[They're Executors.]

"I vaguely expected that."

The 5-person group of men and women shattered the half-frozen situation made by Yu IlHan's fight. The soldiers came to themselves and the leader (who was a major) tapped his cheeks twice lightly and turned his head towards them.

"The monster was exterminated."

"Exterminated? I heard it was a 2nd class monster though…… Oh."

The man who looked like the leader of the group retorted while looking around and found Yu IlHan. This was only possible because Yu IlHan was in the middle of dismantling the bear.

"Sungdaein Bolt?"

"It's him! It's the Ir*nm*n mask!"

"Wow, then he really finished that bear alone? No way! Just what kind of arcane magic did he learn to get so strong?" (T/N: 'Vision' last time was actually arcane magic… I think…)

Yu IlHan didn't like the group a lot when he saw that they were whispering to each other while evaluating him, but they were Executors who had the same objectives as him. There was no need to antagonize them for naught.

He ignored the five and started moving again. It would take a lot of time to dismantle the huge bear so there was no need to waste time on useless staring cont……

When he thought to that point, the huge bear corpse started decreasing in size. To Yu IlHan, who was shocked, Erta naturally explained.

[You didn't know? It had a Giantification skill. If its real body was 7m tall, then it would have been much stronger.]

"There are all sorts of skills, eh…?"

Honestly, Yu IlHan was delighted that the size of the bear had decreased as he had nothing to use all that bear leather for anyway. So, he waited silently for its body to decrease, and in the end, he started dismantling the bear that had been reduced to a size slightly less than 3m.

"H, hey. Sungdaein Bolt?"

"You're really strong! Did you really get your 2nd job? Did you perhaps find a dungeon?"

"Hey, if a person's talking to you, then ans……"

To a loner like Yu IlHan, such outgoing and grouped people were people who he was uncomfortable with. Therefore, he perfectly ignored the Executors who approached him and quietly wielded his spear.

"He doesn't seem to have any intentions on confronting us. Give it up."

"Tch, such a disgusting individual."

"Why, isn't he cool? He looks like a solitary gourmet."

"Wow, this woman's preferences are really something, alright!?"

They tried to converse with Yu IlHan a few more times, but after they found out that he had no intentions on conversing, they clicked their tongues and turned away.

"It doesn't seem like there is anything we can do here. Let's go."

"There was a request for support in other regions, can we request……?"

"Of course!"

It was a truly amazing communication ability. If it was Yu IlHan, he would've failed at the greeting stage, because his counterpart wouldn't be able to find him.

However, whether they went or not, another line flew towards Yu IlHan, who was dismantling the bear. It was the leader who went 'Sungdaein Bolt?' in surprise when he first saw him.

"My name is Do WooJun. Looking at that bear, it looks like I will lose to you in the 'first quest' , but I will show you that I will surpass you. You should remember my name."

"……What will you do after surpassing me?"

From an outsider's basic mentality, he didn't want to mix words with insiders when possible, but as Yu IlHan didn't understand what Do WooJun was saying, he ended up speaking that line.

Do WooJun momentarily stood still as he was surprised that Yu IlHan had replied, but eventually, he spoke while looking at him.

"The living and breathing world is urging me. Akashic Record, the record of power of all existences! Our strengths are expressed in levels, and we can grow however much we want on the condition that we put effort in. Meaning that the strongest will be revealed clearly! So I will stand on a higher place than anyone in the future."

"……"

It was a more childish reason than he thought so Yu IlHan lost his motivation to even reply. How could such a futile and foolish resolve exist?

However, as Yu IlHan knew very well that he had to respect others to receive respect, he tried his best to not to tackle him. As a result, he ended up just going back to dismantling.

"How could you ask and just ignore me…… Well, fine. We'll see each other soon."

Do WooJun licked his lips as if disappointed, but he lead his group and left that place.

It seemed that his sense of rivalry was boiling up after he saw Yu IlHan defeating the bear alone, but honestly, boiling something like that next to him just made Yu IlHan hot and annoyed.

In the first place, Yu IlHan didn't like the word 'rivalry'. Just how could one compete with another person shoulder to shoulder!? No, before that, how could Yu IlHan stand shoulder to shoulder with another person when there was no person to do that with in the first place?

Is a rival really necessary for improvement? That was called 'lack of tenacity'. Wasn't it enough to just quietly put effort alone if you wanted to improve yourself!?

Whether it was studying alone at home, or practicing Vale Tudo with a sandbag like Yu IlHan, it was all possible, but why would you drag another person in and embarrass yourself!?

If one couldn't improve oneself just because there was no one to compete with, then would you be able call it your 'own ability' even when it's an ability you improved just because of the existence of a rival? What meaning is there to an ability that only improves and is measured when compared!?

What is the purpose of an ability that only has meaning when it surpasses another person!?

How dare he compare with others when he didn't even win against his own physical body? If he wanted to surpass something, wouldn't he have to think about surpassing his own self first!?

How could he neglect something so much when even Yu IlHan could not say that he did it even with 1000 years of effort? And what? He will become the strongest? He will stand on a higher place than anyone? It was all laughable!

Like that, Yu IlHan spouted out the rage of a loner in an unfair and twisted way. Only inside his mind though.

[……Yu IlHan? Aren't you a bit too excited?]

"No, I'm extremly calm."

Erta's call returned Yu IlHan back to reality. He pouted his lips as he retorted at Erta and finished dismantling the body.

Disappointingly, the brown bear didn't have a magic stone, but the quality of its leather was great. If it was processed well, then he would be able to make an armor that could withstand machine guns easily.

"Excuse me… Sir Sungdaein Bolt……?"

"I'm not selling."

He was now used to preventing the approach of the 'strong friends'. However, as if he had heard the matter between Yu IlHan and second lieutenant Han YeoRang, and other military platoons, the government, and the major slowly and carefully approached Yu IlHan.

"I heard you were looking for strong monsters to hunt, no? If so, then we can give you the information."

"Just the information?"

"Yes."

Just where did his figure saying 'bite on a knife and charge' disappear to… the major offered him a proposal with a truly amiable voice.

"We want to get over this predicament with the least amount of damage possible. Of course it would be a lie to say that we don't want the body, but I'm saying that the lives of the people are more important. So if you want, I would like to share the positions of the appearances of the monsters……"

"……."

"Although the government is spouting bullshit about wanting to gather ability users to make a group or something, I'm honestly skeptical about it. They aren't even hiding their intentions to control other people. Personally, I understand that you don't want to get mixed with the government and the military. And so, I'm proposing this to you…….How is it?"

It was a reasonable proposal. The country was drawing a large and unrealistic picture, but this major was speaking to him with the realistic thought of having to get over this predicament as the basis.

Yu IlHan hesitated, but honestly, it wasn't something he should hesitate about. Anyway, there would be soldiers where monsters are rampaging around, so if that was true, wouldn't it be better to earn information from them and go directly rather than wasting time searching the internet?

"Tell me."

"Fuu. Thank you for helping."

The major, Yun DaeHan sighed in relief from the bottom of his heart and bowed his head to Yu IlHan.

He had eyes.

A person that attacked and killed a 2nd classs monster in just 3 strikes despite the fact that it hadn't been many days since the Great Cataclysm. Currently, Yu IlHan was a person who he couldn't touch with personal arms. Would he really just stop at there? No way. He didn't know, but he guessed that Yu IlHan would probably grow up to be an ability user that represents Korea.

Yun DaeHan had learnt a lot of things while he was in another world. He saw the scene where individual power surpassed that of a country's and saw a scene where a single monster destroyed a country.

These told him the fact that existing logic could not lead the military, country, and society after the Great Cataclysm. It was also because of this that he proposed such an offer to Yu IlHan despite having to go against orders which told him to be forceful.

Trying to control a dangerous power may result in mutual destruction. Just why is there a need to clutch at them in their palms and control them? If the opponent was someone who could be talked to, then you should look for a way to profit mutually. Like now.

While he may have been a bit violent towards his subordinate, he was a wise soldier. Due to his actions, Yu IlHan didn't have to antagonize the military, and there was room for conversation.

Yun DaeHan did more than enough by setting up a positive relationship with Yu IlHan, who would grow into an exceptional ability user in the future.

Despite the fact that Yu IlHan had read all of his inner thoughts.

"For the current military, stopping them is the best we can do. Before more people go through suffering…… Please."

"Ok."

Yu IlHan skillfully wrapped the bear bones in the bear leather and hugged it. Then he lightly ignored the gazes of the soldiers mixed with admiration, envy, fear, and etc., and left that place. The fact that he didn't need to use the flash app made him feel complicated.

[That human will live for a long time.]

"I don't want to see him frequently. That person values me too highly."

[Just what can be done towards that self-depreciation…… Anyway, let's go to the next place! Run faster!]

Thanks to the military's cooperation, Yu IlHan was able to exterminate three more hordes of monsters that day. Amongst them, there weren't any that were stronger than the Direwolf, much less the brown bear, and thanks to that, he only levelled up once, becoming level 24.

Instead, he made a lot of profit. He had sold all the monster byproducts to military personnel in cash, except the magic stone, as he was sufficient with just the byproducts from the wolf horde and the bear.

As a result, a slightly shocking amount of money was now in his hands. In words, it was a sum close to 1 billion won ( 8.7 million USD).

"I will have enough left over after making a workshop! Shall we go sign a contract right away!?"

[It's not wise to use such an enormous amount cash just after you've earned it. What are you planning to do if you get traced?]

"Ah……"

[…..So I will use magic to erase the contractor's memories for you as a special service just this time. If I use this, it will be done in one go.]

"Good!"

As expected, an angel's magic was the world's best.

Although he was scolded by his mother who said 'where did you go when it's so dangerous' when he went back home at night, everything else went smoothly. Yu IlHan went to sleep while thinking that everything will turn out well starting tomorrow.

And when the sun rose the next day.

The same text could be seen on all of humanity's eyes after they woke up.

[The severed connetion with the other world will be restored! From now, you'll be able to take quests and receive suitable rewards in the other world you were summoned to!]

Like that, Yu IlHan became a loner again.

Author's notes

There are returnees who think like that (Do WooJun)

And there are people who think tlike that (Yun DaeHan)

And there is a dropout who think like that – was what I was trying to show you in this chapter.

For your refrence, you can't accept Yu IlHan's soliloquy so seriously! It's an extremly personal thought which contains IlHan's resentment of not being able to find a rival as other people didn't recognize him! TT

The start of a new chapter! Humanity (excluding Yu IlHan) has received a fast-growth quest. The thing that God does is like a game developer trying to make game full of bugs normal by continuous patches! Don't tell me there are other problems from this….? T, Tree of… @#%!!

Anyway, what will happen to the dropout Yu IlHan!? Will he just eat popcorn at home!?

Translator's notes

LOL, loner life begins again…

Was ToS really full of bugs at the start? Maybe it's just the Korean version… (I don't play it)

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 15: I Make Them (2)

I Make Them (2)

"Well then, please give me an excuse that I can accept."

With Erta in his palms, Yu IlHan tried his best to surpress his rage as he spoke. Erta seemed to be pricked by something as she didn't receive Yu IlHan's gaze straight on, and retorted in a small gaze whilst turning her head away.

[It's because it was the solution that uses the least amount of energy……Probably……]

"Energy?"

[Connecting to other words was something that had already been done before, and it's not hard to revive the severed connection. What's left is touching up on the small details and setting for the quest-and-reward system. Now, if the Earthlings receive quests that are suitable for themselves and pile up their experience and records, then they'll be able to grow their anti-monster capabilities faster.]

"And so, you're saying that it's the most reasonable method?"

[That's so.]

Erta, who had regained a bit of confidence after seeing Yu IlHan's positive attitude, retorted as such while looking at him.

Yu IlHan waited for this opportunity before asking with the saddest expression that he could muster.

"Then what about me?"

[……]

Erta was at a lost for words.

"IF everyone else is going to and fro from those other worlds, then me? What about me?"

[You were a loner anyways, so there probably won't be a lot that changes though?

"Even so! You know? Even so!"

He had never felt such a violent rage in all of his thousand years.

He was angry at the overall situation, but most of all, he was angry at Erta's words, that couldn't be said to be that wrong.

"How should I answer when my mom asks me why I didn't go to another world!?"

[Answer that you have nothing to learn about anything that can help with your life in such a place!]

"Am I some middle schooler who doesn't want to go to school!?"

[Although I think it's very pitiful, it's useless to talk to me about it as this wasn't my decision.]

Erta, who had reached her limit, eventually had to present a suitable argument like a coward as she pretended not to know anything.

Yu IlHan, who had lost the energy to retort, was mindless for a moment. With a sigh, he sat up on the bed.

"Yeah, well, I can't do anything even if I complain to you. So in the end, I can't go to another world."

[If you become a higher existence, then who knows.]

"And how many years would that take?"

[It should be less than the time that you've lived up until now.]

"Well, that's so comforting, hey!"

When he woke up and went to the kitchen, his mother and father were conversing with each other with serious faces-. On the lit TV, people were talking about the notice that had been sent to all of humanity, but it was accompanied by another shocking story as well.

"A state of emergency?"

While he was shocked and mumbling at the news that he was seeing for the first time, his mother noticed him and spoke.

(T/N: his parents may refer to themselves as 'mother' and 'father')

"You also know about it, don't you son? Right now, the outside is dangerous. Whether it's school or work, everything has stopped. Meanwhile, the military is conducting a large scale monster extermination. I heard they won't allow the monsters to appear on the roads where people live, at least."

It seemed that the government had also realized that they couldn't have people go through their daily lives anymore. Perhaps, the other world quest notice might have sped up their decisions.

In truth, this was something that had occured in every other country that possessed a proper government.

Everybody had realized that they needed to maintain the survival of the people first before being able to strive for a normal everyday life in the changed world, and so, under the majority of the countries' decisions, it had been decided that they would stop the flow of history for a bit.

Meanwhile, in that time, people would receive strength from other worlds. Not a power that would disappear like bubbles, like it had four days ago, but a power that would remain with them even in the future.

At that moment, Yu IlHan felt hope. Those upper echelons were only putting up temporary measures, like paying a card debt back with another card, but the humans on Earth were seriously considering the change they had to meet while they were moving.

Humanity will be able to adapt to the levelled-up Earth. As they always did. Excluding me. As they always did. – He thought.

"Mom, dad. Have a safe trip."

"But this father hasn't even gotten a 2nd class in all the 10 years that I was over there."

"Just because the military is clearing up the monsters doesn't mean that they won't appear on the streets."

"But the other world isn't safe anymore as well."

While time was stopped on Earth, there wasn't a case where a human would die or get injured while in another world. However, from now on, it would be different. As the price for being able to acquire a strength that wouldn't disappear, humanity now had to accept the danger that came with it. Even so.

"Even so, it should be less dangerous than staying here on Earth."

"……That's true."

"Father, do everything you can do to not feel regret afterwards. You shouldn't but your life on the line, but on this changed Earth, you can only live by accepting danger."

Doing everything that was possible, doing everything that was impossible until it was possible – this was one of the beliefs that supported Yu IlHan's foundation.

Perhaps his words, which contained his honest intentions, had moved his mother and father as they smiled bitterly while standing up.

"Yes, then I'll go. You too, son. Don't give up just because you can't use mana and put your efforts into it."

After saying that, his father was the one to disappear first. He had gone to another world in an instant.

However, his mother didn't do the same. Instead, she looked at Yu IlHan with a worried face.

"Son, mother's thinking is a bit different to your father's. Although effort is important, you can't overexert yourself."

"What overexertion?"

"Isn't it you who's going around and hunting monsters with a mask?"

"……"

He was found out!? At this unexpected situation, Yu IlHan froze just like that. He was aware that his figure, which had been fighting against monsters, would be broadcasted publically, and he had also meticulously prepared for that, but even then……!

"Did you perhaps think that mother wouldn't even recognize my own son? Even if you wear a mask and different clothes, I can notice you instantly. How could I not know my son?"

The power of blood was truly amazing – Yu IlHan muttered in his heart when he heard his mother's words, which caused him to raise both of his hands and feet in defeat.

To think that the concealment which could fool the world, and even God, was unable to completely fool his mother…

"Mother doesn't know how you became so strong. I'm proud, but also worried. But son, you know how scary those monsters are, right? Nobody knows what may happen in what place. So always keep your guard up and move with room to spare."

"I understand."

His mother's nitpicking only sounded affectionate when he heard it after such a long time. His mother finally seemed relieved after Yu IlHan nodded repeatedly. Then, she added on after putting a serious face back on again.

"But, the ones you have to be the most careful about are humans. From now on, there will be a lot of people who will be stronger and more evil than the monsters."

"Okay."

"If you know, then it's okay. My proud son. Mother will go to Ya-umin again, okay?"

"Okay. Don't do anything dangerous."

"Alright."

Perhaps due to the conversation with his mother, Yu IlHan, who had calmed down quite a bit slapped his cheeks and muttered to himself as if he was making a resolve.

"I should do my own work."

[I'll be going back to heaven for a bit. I should bring back the reward for the Executor quest as well.]

"Buy me an ice cream on the way back."

As he had been too immersed in the excitement that had come from the profit that the Direwolf and the Brown Bear had given him, he had forgotten about the existence of the quest. Well, they said that they would give him something, so he had no reason to refuse. He happily sent Erta off without forgetting to tell her to buy ice cream, which he had a sudden craving for.

After he did that, he was really alone.

"Somehow, I'm reminded of my dropout days…"

As he complained in a small voice, he left his home. His destination was the nearby storage facility that he had bought with his money at a speed that was like grilling beans with lightning.

How foolish was it to acquire a storage building at night to use the next day!? However, he didn't need anything. With cash, everything was solved. The Republic of Korea was a good place to live for those who had a lot of money. Although, he didn't know that until now, since he hadn't had any money before!

Yu IlHan arrived at the storage, which would be his workshop from now on. He had only prepared the basic equipment like a fireplace and an anvil due to the urgency. There were many lacking aspects, but as he didn't even need to do any proper work in the foreseeable future, it was alright.

Well, that was because the only materials he currently had were bones and leather. In other words, things that he didn't need to temper. He was itching to hammer some metal, but the situation didn't allow him to.

Of course, that didn't mean that he couldn't do anything at all. Raw leather would rot if left like that, and it was the same for the bones that was dotted with impurities and full of oil! The reason he came to the workshop was to process them before it became too late.

Yu IlHan fully mobilized all the knowledge that he had piled up over a thousand years, and began to process the leather and bones in the best way that he knew. After the things that could pollute the precious materials, such as blood and flesh, were removed perfectly, the leather would go through an additional tanning process. He had already sold all the materials aside from the ones that he needed, so he could avoid working all day.

Even while processing all that leather, Yu IlHan didn't sweat a single drop. It was only possible because, in the first place, he had a different base strength when compared to others, and it had further increased when he had levelled up to 24.

All the work was finished. He would be able to create something with the bones right now, but the leather was the problem. Just the tanning process itself would take several more days, and when he thought about the hardening process, which would come after, he might have to forget about wearing an armor that could cover his entire body.

"At this rate, when the armor is finished, wouldn't it have no meaning, since my level would be too high at that point?"

If it was like that, he would kill stronger monsters to earn its leather, and when he created an armor with that, then his level would…… there was nothing more of a wast of time than this.

[You can process them with magic.]

"Oh, you're back? Even if you say that, I can't use mag……"

Yu IlHan's words trailed off midway after he confirmed Erta's appearance. It wasn't because she hadn't bought him ice cream.

It was because the Erta before him had a similar stature to Yu IlHan.

He first doubted whether or not it was really Erta, but after he had confirmed that it was really her, who, he didn't want to admit, had a truly beautiful face, he fell into thought, realizing the cause soon after.

"Giantification magic!"

[Instead, my previous appearance was caused by shrinking magic. Just what did you think I was?]

Erta sighed as she held out her hand.

[Hold this hand. I'll transfer the rewards to you now.]

Yu IlHan, who was slightly overwhelmed due to the holiness that he somehow felt coming from her, which wasn't present while she was palm-sized, obediently held out his hand and grabbed hers.

The moment after, he felt an extremely cold, but a bit soft, and horrifyingly delicate, touch as a few strings of words popped up in his view.

[Heavenly Quest 001. Executor mission completed!]

[All stats have increased by 1.]

[You are the one who has most successfully completed the quest amongst quest applicants. A special reward has been added.]

[You have acquired Eternal Flame.]

"Eternal Flame?"

While he urgently let go of her hand, thinking that he would start to feel strange if he continued to hold it, Yu IlHan looked towards Erta's face with an expression that seemed to say, 'I don't remember receiving something like that though?' Then, Erta gave a small smile as she raised her other hand.

[Look.]

"Oh."

In the fireplace that he had prepared, a bright red flame was burning despite the fact that he hadn't put down any fuel.

[An inextinguishable and living flame that can continuously grow. It's a precious flame from heaven. If it wasn't for the fact that you're in the initial stages of the Great Cataclysm, it would be absolutely impossible to receive this reward with a quest of that level, so please realize the value of this flame.]

"Wow."

Just with Erta's explanation, he had more than realized the flame's value. The Eternal Flame burning inside the fireplace was acting cute while it changed its appearance, as if it knew who its master was. The word 'living' wasn't at all exaggerated when used to describe it.

"It's a truly fitting reward for me……."

[I knew you would say that. Rita insisted strongly.]

"Rita did……"

Yu IlHan was no longer listening to Erta's words. To think that it was an inextinguishable and living flame. Various thoughts came to mind. This would help a lot when he had to process large amounts of metal in the future!

[And……Rejoice. For you, who can't go to another world, heaven has prepared a second quest.]

And so, he had to take a lot of time to listen to and understand Erta's following words.

[From now, you have to install dungeons on Earth.]

Author's notes

Mom: Why are you so stubborn about not going to another world! Even next door Johnny is going obediently!

The quest rewards won't be experience, but status, item, skills, and such.

If you are curious about MC's feelings, then click this. (T/N: subtitle says "I've never felt such a violent rage until now!")

Answer, there was a special quest for the MC!

Just because he's creating dungeons, the novel won't turn into a dungeon-management novel, so don't worry…

Translator's notes

I keep thinking that the mother is no one ordinary. She can see through his ability, and even see through his concealment.

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 16: I Make Them (3)

I Make Them (3)

"……I make what?"

[Dungeons.]

He asked just in case he heard wrong, but he didn't hear wrong. Yu IlHan asked Erta with worried eyes.

"Are you okay? ……I can cook if it's porridge, shall I?"

[I'm extremely normal! On heaven's orders! I'm giving you! A quest to help with the creation of dungeons!]

Yu IlHan sofly sighed. Then he asked while sharply raising his eyes.

"This quest, it's not for me but for you guys, isn't it?"

[……I, it's for Earth too, so it's for you as well?]

"Acting cute now won't deceive me."

Didn't he hear the full story from her yesterday already? That the traps, in other words, dungeons, that God scattered before was unsuccessful in luring monsters.

"How can I do what even God can't?"

[We're thinking that the reason why the dungeons aren't successfully functional is because the majority of the monsters were swept by God's power when Lord God stopped the time on Earth. So, the monsters, which have gained immunity to God's power, won't approach the dungeons where God's power is dwelling strongly.]

"You are keep going to saying that it's because the time stopped, aren't you!?"

[Yes!]

She was so shameless that he was about to fall for her!

[In contrast, you have polished all sorts of techniques in the 1000 years of stopped time despite being an Earthling. In conclusion, your blacksmithing skills have reached a level of marvel that even us, as higher existences, have a hard time believing. Your only fault is that you cannot use mana, but the mana crafting skill will solve that. ……The only existence on Earth who can create dungeons in our place is you.]

At the praise baptism that poured all over him to the point that he became itchy, Yu IlHan narrowed his eyes more. His instincts as a loner which reacted extremely sensitively to intentions that were trying to use him, was warning him.

That this woman will dump him with a huge piece of work!

"Now you're just directly dumping me work, eh?"

[It's in everyone's interests. We do our mission, and you receive a quest befitting of your ability and even earn a suitable reward!]

"You can talk well. Even though you're a scammer."

However, did the fact that Yu IlHan wanted to do it because of all that make Yu IlHan a pervert?

Was it a perverted mind which can be coated with the words 'challenging mind', and 'confidence'?

Wait, doesn't this make him a pervert anyway?

Yu IlHan asked her lightly.

"What happens if I don't do it?"

[Heaven will create another set of dungeons. Of course, as God's power will dwell in it, it has a higher chance of failing, and as a result, humanity will have to survive in a slightly more wild evironment.]

"If I make it, will the monsters really fall for it?"

[At least, with a much higher chance than the one made by heaven, yes. They will.]

"……This is the most important question, though."

He looked at his body, which didn't look anything special, and the workshop, which only had basic equipment.

And turned back to see the angel who was unprecedentedly glowing her eyes.

"I can make dungeons?"

[Of course. If you have the blueprint and the necessary materials. And those, we have.]

Yu IlHan smiled.

"Good, I'll do it."

[Let's begin right away.]

Erta poured out huge piles of metal from nowhere inside the workshop.

She took out chunks of refined metal, 'Harkanium', which emitted a wondrous black light; chunks of another metal, 'Fecinom', from which one could feel a red and rough energy; following that, a bottle containing the liquid, 'El Hazra', which emitted faint blue light; and finally, equipments such as a hammer, chisel, anvil and the like, which looked plain but not unpleasant.

[These three metals are materials in higher system worlds. If the current Earth levels up 2 more times, then these will also appear on Earth in extremely small amounts.]

"So this liquid is metal as well? Then I can just think that it's similar to mercury, right?"

[…….It seems you didn't listen to me at all.]

Continuing on, she poured out countless numbers of magic stones that would become the ingredients for mana crafting, but they were incomparably bigger and emitted incomparably more brilliant light than the Direwolf's one.

Weren't these perhaps the magic stones from the 'higher existences' that Erta likes so much? Yu IlHan asked with a careful voice.

"The will of the craftsman is important though in mana crafting, is it not? I don't have any experience in making dungeons, and I don't even know how to make them. Are you fine with me handling all these precious-looking magic stones?"

[In the applying process, angels will help you. Did you perhaps think that you will do everything from start to finish?]

"Yes."

Loners always worked alone from start to finish as they hated communicating with other people and hated working together! Yu IlHan was also planning to do everything alone so he was a little bit surprised when Erta implied working together.

[Other than the used materials, they are all for rent, so you have to give them back. For the reward, we will prepare something else.]

"For the reward, can't you give me that 4 dimensional pocket you were using?"

[Inventory is magic.]

"Fuck……"

This was the moment he was the most frustrated after the time he heard that beds were science. (T/N: ACE, a company that makes beds, said that beds weren't furniture but science in their commercial, and this saying became famous in Korea.)

However, his switch flipped automatically while he was clearing away the existing anvil (it was extremely light) and fixed the anvil that Erta brought (It was extremely heavy). A master may not dwell on his tools, but Yu IlHan did.

Whether it was the hammer, or the anvil, and even the tongs, were all in a different dimension to the one he had used until now. He resolved that he would definitely procure tools that wouldn't lose out to these in the future.

[The basic processing is already done, so what we're asking of you should be the form creation and the inlaying. We're not thoughtless to the point that we'll make you make a dungeon from start to finish.]

"With the materials here, just how can I make a dungeon in this workshop? You're not telling me to make pottery but a dungeon, right??"

Yu IlHan spat out the question he had the moment he saw the materials. This was reasonable, as inlaying meant etching the surface and filling it with another material.

Amongst them, as an intricate and beautiful technique which ran at the peak of metalworking, metal inlaying was just basically a very very difficult and annoying work.

Creating a dungeon with a technique that's used in accessories – just how? Did they make some magic which can make goblins pop out if he drew a goblin with inlaying?

[A dungeon is a huge space. There's no way that we'll directly make them, is there? Specifically, the thing you have to make is a magic tool that would attract the monsters and change the surrounding environment to make a dungeon. This is called the Trap of Destruction.]

"Tell me that from the beginning! Then is that inlaying perhaps……"

[It can be called a type of a magic array.]

Erta held out a paper which was made from unordinary materials. After he had a look at it, he paled in fright. After he heard that it was a magic array, he thought that the form creation wouldn't be very difficult, but that was his misunderstanding.

With one cube at the center, countless metal rings were enwrapping it, and not only on the cube itself, there were indecipherable letters everywhere on each and every one of those rings.

If someone saw the finished magic tool created according to this blueprint, then that person would shout 'This artifact looks like it may appear on the last volume of a fantasy novel!'.

This was definitely an object with a higher difficulty in creation than any of the things he had created before. Rather than blacksmithing, it seemed like his worksmanship would play a bigger role too…… He sighed before he even started.

Yu IlHan clenched his teeth and muttered.

"The quest reward……It should be good, right……?"

[I promise. I will prepare something that you will be surprised about. According to the level of achievement in the quest, you will be given the most suitable reward.]

Erta, who knew the difficulty of this work, confirmed with her most serious voice.

Then it was okay. Didn't he know that the reward of this quest from heaven was unordinary just by looking at the Eternal Flame? In this way, they were trustable.

Yu IlHan recognized that the work he thought to be difficult surpassed his imagination in a direction that he didn't think about, and accepted it.

He wore a cloth that could absorb sweat well on his forehead, and he picked up the metal tong which looked plain but its hardness could be well-felt from it. Then, he picked up a chunk of the black colored metal, Harkanium, and pushed it inside the fireplace and muttered as if he resolved himself.

"Let's begin."

This was the first joint work of the Eternal Flame and Yu IlHan.

Erta had alook at the steel spear that Yu Ilhan made before so she knew how amazing his techniques were. However, she had never seen him working on the metallurgy process directly with her own eyes.

However, his figure, focusing on the flame and the metal after his switch was completely flipped, made her a bit surprised.

"……The flame is still a bit weak. Does it get stronger if you feed it magic stones?"

[Yes.]

"Hm……Good. this is sufficient."

He should have only worked with the ores that existed on Earth before the Great Cataclysm. Also, even materials like titanium were difficult to be worked on inside a small work shop, so there should have been a clear limit to the number of ores he had actually worked on. As proof, his master piece, the steel spear, was in the end, just 'steel'.

However.

However, just how was he showing movements like a master smith who had handled harkanium for about 100 years?

"Fuu……Hap!"

When harkanium was sufficiently heated up by the Eternal Flame, whose temperature increased exponentially after absorbing a magic stone, he started welding with a serious face.

He knew of the metal's hardness at the melting point, so he hammered down with all his strength from the beginning. The moment the hammer and the harkanium produced a violent clash, he felt it.

'I can probably do this.'

His original strength would have been insufficient, but it seemed like this hammer had the ability to increase its user's strength temporarily. Yu IlHan, who got used to the feeling after striking a few more times, hammered the harkanium with sufficient strength.

Clang, clang, clang, claaaang.

Harkanium tried its best to resist the change, but in this small workshop, there was everything prepared to handle that. The flame of eternity, anvil, hammer, and lastly, an exceptinal smith.

In the end, it slowly, but surely collapsed.

The metal was changing. Yu IlHan, who perfectly memorized the blueprint after seeing it once, changed the position of the tong, as he heated the metal and struck with the hammer continuously.

A contradicting movement – intricate but strong, unrestrained but controlled – that was impossible for a even for a machine. From some time, harkanium was being played around as Yu IlHan willed.

Just who would believe when told that this was harkanium? Did the Eternal Flame make this? The hammer?, The anvil?

No, tools cannot make miracles. It was the human. That human was calling for a miracle that did not happen in the past, and wouldn't happen again in the future, right now.

Erta looked at that scene breathlessly.

'Did I perhaps make a mistake? Shouldn't this human have become a blacksmith instead of a lancer? Then… he might have made something that could challenge against God… Yes, something that can challenge God.'

Just why do all the angels become blasphemous after coming into contact with Yu IlHan. Right now, Erta acknowledged that Yu IlHan had the potential to suprass God. And in technique and not fighting power.

The form creation was finished after not a long period of time. After having finished shaping the the central cube, and the countless metal rings connected with a thin metallic line, Yu IlHan picked up the small chisel, also prepared by Erta. Now it was time to do the inlaying.

Despite thinking that he was sufficiently resolved, when he was about to go into the process, he sighed subconsciously.

"Fuck. I don't know if I fail."

[If you fail, then you can just melt it down and make it again from scratch. Of course, it will take an extremely long period of time.]

While completely ignoring Erta's words, he put the knife against the 'Trap of Destruction' which now had its form.

This was the moment where an overwhelming 'record' which could not be expressed in experience, was engraved in the world.

Author's notes

The tanning, the processing of the leather and bones, processing the metals, metallurgy, and the like is from the author's research. There may be unavoidable flaws or errors. I will fix what I can, but please overlook some of those that I may not be able to fix.

Dungeon management won't happen whether it's soon or later! No, I clearly told you that I won't do it righ!? This novel is about Yu IlHan, who became OP in various fields, adapt to the changed world! It's not dungeon management!

Erta pulls the date where Yu IlHan can use mana, just by existing! And her quest is a win-win! It definitely helps Yu IlHan!! The angels aren't just scammers!

Translator's notes.

….Thank you for reading……

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 17: I Make Them (4)

I Make Them (4)

Engraving on the artifact, which had its form created with harkanium, and filling it with the liquid metal El Hazra, during the inlaying process it was a more difficult and tiring process than he had thought. It was because one mistake would lead to an overall failure.

However, Yu IlHan perfectly tuned the strength of his arms, which were trained from his many years of practice, and proceeded with the work. As is, he didn't even consider failure and was giving life to the artifact without a moment of rest.

Yu IlHan's figure as he worked with intricate hand movements that were neither overflowing nor insufficient, was truly reverable – purer than anything and beautiful.

Rita probably had monopolized this side of Yu IlHan for 1000 years. She alone must have kept watching the figure of this lower existence concentrating in one type of work and in the end, surpass his limits.

[Aah. I think I can understand it a little bit.]

Erta understood just a tiny bit, about why Rita, who was treated nobly even amongst higher existences, fell for a lower existence, who had nothing special about him. Just a tiny bit!

At that moment Yu IlHan put down his tools. The tiny metallic sound returned Erta back to reality as two sentences came up on Yu IlHan's retina

[You have awakened Blacksmithing Lv Max.]

[You have earned the title – 'Creator of Myths'. All effectiveness of productive activities increase by 20%.]

The sentence, which appeared like a declaration that there was no further realm to pursue, like dismantling, and the title which would be a huge help to Yu IlHan in the future.

Just with these, Yu IlHan thought that picking up the hammer was worthwhile. He had succeeded.

While carefully placing the Trap of Destruction, he spoke to Erta.

"I'm done."

[……What!? You mean already?]

"What do you mean already?……Let's see, five hours have passed though?"

Yu IlHan would also lose the flow of time while working, so he could only tell her after looking at the clock.

After she realized that he wasn't wrong, Erta reddened her face. This was because that meant that she had watched him working while forgetting the flow of time for 5 hours.

[Even if it's 5 hours, it's way too fast. Did you really complete it according to the blueprint?]

"Don't be like a mother-in-law and check it yourself."

She confirmed. It was perfect. It was to the point that she was dumbfounded.

Just who would believe that this was made by a human? She could only be dumbfounded.

However, like Rita, Erta also couldn't praise other people obediently. (T/N: Tsundere alert.)

[Khm, I guess this counts as a pass. However, there's still the mana crafting process with the fecinom and the magic stone.]

"I was waiting for that."

[Th, that's true. The angels were going to help with that, weren't they.]

Yu IlHan also looked forward to how the artifact, which possessed a high level of magic that he couldn't understand despite having made it himself, would be completed.

When he looked at Erta with shiny eyes, she kept coughing awkwardly in order to forget the figure of Yu IlHan working, and continued speaking.

[Please wait for a moment. I will call my colleagues right away.]

"How about Rita?"

[She won't be coming.]

After Erta cold-heartedly cut apart Yu IlHan's question, which was full of hope, she did a truly unbelievable action. She had caused a shiny yellow ring to appear above her head!

"That's the fluorescent light that only existed when I was young!"

[It's an angel's ring!]

After retorting against the tackle that she was expecting, what Erta did was none other than communication. She had sent messages to her colleague angels who were on standby in heaven.

The angel's ring was a symbol of an absolute bond that surpassed the constraints of time and space, as well as that of the world. It was an exclusive ability to angels that could transfer one's own emotions, intentions, and will to one's colleagues who have the same angel's ring.

Soon, four to five people who emitted brilliant light like Erta appeared inside Yu IlHan's workshop. There were both men and women, but their common points were that they were all handsome men and beautiful women.

[Erta, is it true?]

[Check with your own eyes, Fashta. The evidence is here.]

[To think that a human made a Trap of Destruction, I can't believe it.]

[However, this doesn't smell like it's from heaven. This is indeed an object created purely with a human's power on Earth.]

Erta clapped and called the angels, who were starting to express bits of disbelief, exclamation, fear, and such feelings.

[There's not much time! We need to get to work immediately!]

[That is true.]

[Yes, that is true.]

[Will the mana crafting go smoothly? I'm curious.]

The angels started gathering while chatting as they all placed their hands on Yu IlHan's shoulders, head, and back respectively.

At that moment, an enormous pressure fell on to his mentality.

[Begin, human.]

[We will lead the direction of the will. You only have to will that you want to finish the Trap of Destruction.]

[Yu IlHan, this is the same as when you first did mana crafting. If you concentrate with the magic stones and fecinom in one hand, and the Trap of Destruction in the other, we will do the rest.]

Was this what higher existences are? Despite the fact that only their hands came in contact, their souls, high wills, and the noble mana weighed Yu IlHan, who was only a lowly human, down.

Despite the fact that they had no hostility towards Yu IlHan, just by confronting them, he automatically received damage. A 4-dimensional wall which couldn't be surpassed existed between them and Yu IlHan.

If he was an ordinary human, he would have lost conscious immediately. He could only endure with the will that didn't corrode even after living for a thousand years.

It wasn't only his fighting power and techniques that he polished over those 1000 years. The will to never give up on his life and the belief to continue forward. The steel-like heart that held him up for countless years allowed him able to stand in that place and retain consciousness.

"Fuu……"

He slowly took deep breaths in order to calm himself and stand firmly.

He held the magic stones and fecinom in his right hand and the Trap of Destruction in his left hand. The angels were chatting as they wanted while looking at that scene. He ignored all of them and quietly closed his eyes.

Then he imagined. The scene where all these fused into one.

He wished. The birth of a dungeon which could imprison all the animals that have evolved after acquiring strength and reason.

[……Focus.]

[Don't show me a scene where you get swept by a human's will. The name of the angel cries.]

[Ha, really, just how did such an interesting human appear? I don't think it's a problem with the 1000 years……]

[I said focus, Ahata.]

The angels also emitted mana and will at the same time. If their power was directly applied, then they will achieve the same results from when it was made in heaven, so all their power and will were displayed through Yu IlHan.

Amongst them, some thought 'Wouldn't the Trap of Destruction perhaps be finished even without us?' for a while when they looked at Yu IlHan's strong will, but after acknowledging that that was throwing away all their pride as higher-existences, they immediately erased that thought from their head.

Yu IlHan's will and the will of the angels interconnected with one another, starting to change the Trap of Destruction. The overwhelming mana activated the magic engraved in the Trap of Destruction, and the power of fecinom transferred inside it. The workshop was filled with bright light.

[More.]

[Just a little bit more.]

[O, human……]

The mana crafting finished not long after. The fecinom and the magic stones in his right hand had disappeared as if washed away, and replacing that, the Trap of Destruction started to emit a faint red light that possessed an unordinary aura.

It was the birth of a truly perfect artifact.

['Meticulous' 'Earthly' Trap of Destruction was completed.]

[Mana Crafting has become Level 7. The quality of the finished artifact increases.]

Yu IlHan also opened his eyes carefully after those lines appeared on his vision.

As he thought that the weight in his palms disappeared, he saw that the completed Trap of Destruction was floating on his palm. Several tens of metallic rings enveloping the cube inside as they spun was a truly wondrous sight.

[Even though I was prepared for about 10 failures.]

[To think that we would succeed immediately……]

The angels appeared dumbfounded. Although Yu IlHan also felt proud, as he felt his effort was acknowledged, the limits of his mentality was approaching, so he carefully distanced himself from the angels.

"First, get away from me. Your consciousnesses are too much of a burden to me."

[That's true. We even forgot that you were a lower existence.]

[Yes. Well done, human. ……No, I think it's rude to treat you as those other humans.]

[His name is Yu IlHan.]

[Yu IlHan, thank you. I half-disbelieved it, but its a truly exceptional skill. If possible, I even want to watch you while you're working on the metallurgy process.]

[We don't even know whether it will work properly.]

At that moment, one of the angels tackled.

[We need to experiment with it.]

[That's very reasonable.]

[Yu IlHan, we shall go together. Perhaps, it will help your mana crafting if you look at the process of the birth of a dungeon.]

When the work was done, the angels started chatting loudly again, but this time, they talked differently. Factions were split into those who felt uncomfortable that he had such a firm will and ability despite being a lowly human, and those who wanted to acknowledge his ability and desired to raise him.

Of course, as they were good existences (as opposed to evil) at the core, there was no one who harbored ill intent towards him.

[My thoughts are the same. Yu IlHan, don't you want to have a look at the scene where the Trap of Destruction activates?]

"No need to talk twice about it. Let's go."

He always welcomed new information and stimulation. There was no reason why Yu IlHan should reject that proposal.

While Yu IlHan was wiping off the sweat on his face with a towel, the angels started confirming that the Trap of Destruction was for real. However, one of the angels, who was exclaming about its aesthetic beauty, suddenly shouted.

[Whoa, this has an alpha option and a beta option!]

[What?]

[Meticulous, Earthly……It's true.]

Yu IlHan perked up his ears while wiping off his sweat. Erta, who noticed that, explained with a sigh.

[We call the additional attribue which gets attached to the product of blacksmithing and mana crafting, 'option'. It appears randomly according to luck, materials, and the ability of the smith. Normally, there are two, alpha and beta, but both appearing in the first creation is unprecendeted. Are you satisfied?]

"You know everything, don't you?"

[Yes, I know everything.]

After confirming the Trap of Destruction, Yu IlHan went out with the angels. As he couldn't fly, two angels grabbed his arms while flying, but honestly, although it looked very uncool, Yu IlHan was joyful just with just the fact that he was flying in the sky.

The streets were still silent. There were the sounds of monsters howling from somewhere, sounds of soldiers desperately shooting guns, and sounds of flying helicopters. He truly felt that the apocalypse had arrived.

[Hey, this human isn't an angel. There is a need to cast invisibility magic on him.]

[There isn't. Unless he attacks first, there is no way he would get found by humans.]

[What? No way……]

Yes way.

[They really can't recognize him?]

[As expected, the sole dropout……!] (T/N: Yu IlHan can mean 'sole'/'unique'; the 'sole' used in this line is literally 'Yu IlHan')

The angels looked at Yu IlHan, who was realizing a miracle with his human body, in shock, and Yu IlHan was annoyed. He resolved that he wouldn't mix with these angels, who looked at him like a monkey in a zoo, after he finished this quest or whatever it was called.

The place they had arrived was at the top of a hill.

In front of Yu IlHan, who looked forward to how the artifact would activate, Erta, who was holding the Trap of Destruction, took a short, deep breath before throwing it.

"Hey!"

[Watch, Yu IlHan.]

While the Trap of Destruction was falling, the metallic ring which were spinning on the outside suddenly expanded in size.

The ring which had a diameter of just 20cm increased to 1m, 3m, 8m, and without restraint before it became thin to the point that it couldn't be seen as it scattered into the air.

No, was it really 'scattered'? While Yu IlHan was in doubt, at that moment, the second and third ring began expanding and scattering in order. While looking at that scene, the angels nodded their heads in satisfaction.

[So until now it's going smoothly.]

"……"

That meant that the phenomenon that happened just now was not a failure. Perhaps, were the metallic rings created with that intention in the first palce?

While Yu IlHan was concentrating his consciousness…

The Earth trembled.

Monsters started gathering towards the hill.

Author's notes

MC's not a pushover… TT

This is in the end, a 'quest'. Meaning that MC had the choice to reject. MC does what he wants, he's not doing it just because he's told to

Erta did not threaten him. In the first place, Yu IlHan asked a question first and Erta only answered the truth

God is definitely not omnipotent nor omniscient. This is one of the most important reasons why this novel can make sense.

God and angels don't scam humans. The difficulty of the quest is directly proportional to the rerward, and if even this is doubtful… then one cannot trust in anything. TT

The reason why the reward was not given prior to the quest was because Erta could not judge whether MC will succeed the quest, and if he does, how succesfully, and what would MC need at the end of the quest;; I should add this bit.

MC did not ask about the reward as he already received a satisfying reward (Eternal Flame) for his previous quest. You can take it that he's 'trusting' them

Eternal Flame is a too OP reward. It seems like my descriptions were insufficient. As to how good, it will be revealed as the story goes on so look forward to it!

The prefix option and the postfix option will be changed to alpha and beta. I took this from mabinogi, and as expected, it's no good. Teehee!

Translator's notes

Some of the angels speak in ancient form, (English equivalent would be thou/thy and the like) but I know none of those things, to hell with that.

As seen up there, 'Yu IlHan' can mean 'solitary' or 'unique' (just anything that has to do with being alone)(I guess his name was one of the reasons why he was left out). While his father, 'Yu YongHan' can mean 'useful'. This will come up later

tiny spoiler: […A useful skill.] "Dad skill?"

Ehem, nobody's thinking of Totsuka Saika from Oregairu when they read 'Trap of Destruction' right?

Time to read chapter 65 of EER on Munpia!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 18: I Make Them (5)

I Make Them (5)

[It looks like a truly huge-scale dungeon will be born.]

[I don't want to admit it, but this human has a talent as a Trap maker.]

It was truly a grand scene. Inside a range that was obviously larger than a single district, countless monsters were running towards the hill. Amongst them, there were some which were just confronting human military until just now.

Yu IlHan asked dumbfoundedly after looking at that scene.

"Just……What's the principle?"

[The power that the Trap of Destruction is emitting is a magic that deceives all five senses of the monsters. The monsters arrive here looking for what they want, whatever it may be, and as a result, get trapped inside the dungeon.]

Erta spoke confidently, but it was a truly frightening magic. If one thought that it may be used against humans, then it wasn't something to laugh about at all.

Is it possible for it to be used against humans – Yu IlHan was about to ask, but refrained from doing so in the end.

It was because he felt like he would be frightened if he heard the answer.

[It seems like it's starting in other places as well.]

Next to Yu IlHan, who was dumbfounded after seeing the frightening ability of the Trap of Destruction and the stampede of monsters, another angel mumttered. Other places? When Yu IlHan creased his eyeborws, Erta made a small smile as she spoke.

[In your trap, there was also a magic that ccould change the aura of other Traps of Destruction scattered on Earth. We can't just throw away the traps made in heaven just like that. Anyway, it seems like those have also started to lure monsters.]

"So that was it, I did know that the amount of harkanium was too little to be placed on Earth, but it was for that reason."

[It's a precious metal. Recycling is the first step to being environmentally friendly.].

The other angels were looking at Yu IlHan's and Erta's conversation with strange eyes. When were you so close? – at the question their eyes seemed to be asking, the two became awkward and turned their heads.

The monsters, which had acquired power for revenge after enduring one thousand years in a world where time was frozen, were truly futilely crawling into destruction with their own feet.

Until the day the dungeon is opened by a human, they would be trapped inside that prison.

Despite the fact that this was a result that Yu IlHan wanted, their figures of rushing into the Trap of Destruction seemed as if he was looking at the humans not being able to escape destiny no matter how they struggled, so it didn't feel that good.

'No.'

Yu IlHan stopped his thoughts there, shaking his head. Just what could he do by sympathizing with the monsters. If he didn't do that, then humans would just become their sacrifices.

It had only been a few days since the Great Cataclysm happened, during that time, didn't Yu IlHan experience enough and realize it already? Monsters were always hostile to humans, and they wanted to evolve into something even more horrific.

So, it wasn't that Yu IlHan sympathized with the monsters.

He shuddered as he confirmed that those 'Heavenly existences' have enough ability to do that to him even if they weren't hostile. Even those frightening monsters had, in the end, become playthings for God and the angels.

Yu IlHan thoughtof his one thousand years of life. He thought of the overwhelming power that was used to send all of humanity to other worlds, with just the reason that they needed to prepare for the Great Cataclysm, and the fact that he had to spend one thousand years, even when he hadn't done anything wrong, on Earth alone as he was left out.

He remembered that all of his pains and sufferings were summed up in just one word – 'mistake'.

At that moment, something welled up inside his heart. The emotions he had hid with comical actions and positive thinking in order to maintain his human mentality during those countless years came up to the surface and shook him violently for a moment.

I want to become strong.

I want to become so strong that no one can tell me what to do anymore.

It was not to meet someone, or to trample on someone, or to survive right now.

He wanted to become strong only for his freedom.

For the first time, he thought that.

[The dungeon's being made, Yu IlHan.]

Yu IlHan came to himself after hearing Erta's words and lifted his head up.

Halfway up the hill, where the Trap of Destruction had been placed, after countless monsters that couldn't be counted just by one or two thousand, gathered, the mana from the Trap and the mana from the monsters seemed to clash, and a strange mana current appeared to cover them.

[It's done. We've done it.]

[Everything according to God's will.]

[The other Traps are also smoothly attracting monsters and becoming dungeons. It's a perfect success.]

The angels all expressed their delight. Some smiled lightly towards Yu IlHan but some ignored him. It was good that they were so individualistic.

[Looking at the size of Earth, we need to make about 27 more. We will give you the reward after confirming the activation of the last Trap of Destruction.]

"Then I'll make them right away."

[You don't really have to. We'll only make the second Trap of Destruction after 2 days at least.]

Yu IlHan tilted his head.

"Weren't you in a hurry?"

[We are, but we don't have the magic power.]

That was true, they did indeed pour out enormous amounts of mana in the mana crafting process.

Yu IlHan also didn't need them to be quick. Just that.

"It's not like you're the only angels up there…….Yeah, like Rita."

Yes. Can't they just rotate the members!? He just wanted to finish the quest as soon as possible and it wasn't like he wanted to see Rita, not at all!

In truth, he really wanted to see her, but Yu IlHan's trained pokerface didn't show any ripple on the outside.

[Not all angels are so free. These angels are have work related to the dungeons on Earth, and other angels have work to do in other worlds. So, we have no choice but to wait until our mana recovers to proceed.]

"Your work environments are tough too, eh."

[Rita especially has a lot of work as she accommodated a lot for you and is suffering. For a while, she won't be able to be dispatched on Earth.]

Of course, his pokerface didn't work on Erta. Erta's mischievous smile, as if she knew everything, made him want to punch her.

After Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders, he turned his gaze away from her and looked at the scene where the Trap of Destruction used on Earth changed into its dungeon form before speaking with a sigh.

"Let's go back. I'll do the form creation process first."

[You really know nothing other than work……]

That night, after the mass moving of the monsters which occurred in Seoul, the capital of Korea, the world became noisy. The scene of huge numbers of monsters gathering at a hill and disappearing into a fissure in space was captured by a camera and was broadcasted through the news.

What remained was the appearance of a dungeon that all the humans on Earth that have been to other worlds, were familiar with. With the first occurrence of a dungeon as the center, they could observe that dungeons were appearing in all of Korea, Japan over the sea, and parts of China over the borders.

After looking at that, some rejoiced that this was a proof that Earth was starting to stabilize, and some complained why the stabilization occurred in an Asian country, which had nothing much to it.

Various humans, who hadn't received quests from other worlds, or those who came back after finishing one or two, were spewing bullshit through the internet.

[Experts are warning that the animals may become monsters even if they haven't become monsters yet. Meanwhile, under government supervision, work is progressing in regards to picking livestock which have no possibility to become monsters using database from other worlds as basis, and as it was found out to be possible to bring suitable livestock back to Earth as quest reward from other worlds, we're expecting that there won't be any serious impacts in future……]

Yu IlHan turned off the TV. His mother and father hadn't come back yet. It wasn't that he was not worried about the two of them, but he consoled himself thinking that they would cope well in any situation as they didn't have militant tendencies, and above all, possessed a plethora of experience in 'society'.

He then stood up and headed to the workshop.

"Shall I make about five by tomorrow!?"

[No, Yu IlHan. Well, although this can't be called a reward, but as a bonus for achieving something above my imagination, there is something I want to do for you. If you receive that, then there won't be any time to make the traps.]

"You're going to give me some of that harkanium!?"

[Keep your dreams for when you're asleep.]

Erta's bonus was none other than the processing of the leather that was currently in the middle of tanning inside his workshop. When all the leather from the bear, Direwolf, and other wolves were perfectly dried and sterilized with a wave of her hand, Yu IlHan couldn't close his mouth. Moreover, it seemed like it became harder and more durable.

"Perfect. No, I think the quality became better."

[How is it? Now you have something to work on, right?]

It was as Erta said. There was no time to cling on to the Traps of Destruction which couldn't even be activated. Because there were so many materials waiting for him to work on them!

He immediately went into making a leather armor.

First, he made an inner wear with the thin Direwolf leather, enhancing it with a few magic stones. To Yu IlHan, who had even created a Trap of Destruction, despite the fact that angels were the one leading him, this level of mana crafting had become something he could do with his eyes closed.

Especially, Erta was considerably surprised after Yu IlHan added a 'ventilation' option using magic stones.

[When did you become so proficient?]

"Didn't I say labor is finding the trick to it?"

He also made boots and gloves using the Direwolf's leather. He added a ventilation option to these as well, but the thing he thought of as more important was an attacking option. He made sharp teeth protrude out from the end of the boots and the nails of the gloves when he wanted by consuming the wolves' teeth in order to transform them into an artifact.

[Direwolf Leather Gloves]

[Rank – Rare]

[Defense – 600]

[Attack Power – 700]

[Direwolf Leather Boots]

[Rank – Rare]

[Defense – 550]

[Attack Power – 750]

After that, he made a leather armor with the entire hide of the brown bear. He put special materials into boiling oil, and proceeded to boil the leather several times in order the increas the already sturdy defense. By the time that he had created a piece of armor that fit him, a day had already gone by.

However, to Yu IlHan, who had acquired superhuman strength, this kind of overnight labor was at a laugable level. He showed extreme concentration as he kept in mind that he was making an amor to protect his body, and in the end, when the sun rose, he had created a boiled leather armor that he could boast as his most exceptional work after his steel spear.

[Hard Bear Leather Armor]

[Rank – Unique]

[Defense – 2,100]

[Durability – 850/850]

[A boiled leather armor made by a peak level master using the hide of the 2nd class monster, Brown Big Bear. It's the strongest of its level, and it will be able to endure the teeth of a high class monster once.]

Of course, Yu IlHan didn't stop there. He started putting the sharp teeth and the sharpened bones of the Direwolf and the Brown Big Bear in one place. Then, he used all his magic stones to mana craft.

He was aiming for one thing. Like the leather gloves and the leather boots, he wanted bones to protrude out from various places of the leather armor when he wanted.

His final objective was a hedge hog. A super strong one that ccould send a tiger to its grave with one spike!

[Mana crafting has become level 8.]

['Secretive' 'Sharp' Hard Bear Critical Leather Armor was completed.]

Erta, who saw the entire process of armor creation from start to finish was dumbfounded after looking at the result. Just how could he do something strange so consistently!?

[Yu IlHan, why do you like blades popping out from nowhere so much?]

"It's because it's a man's romance!"

There was not a shred of embarrassment in Yu IlHan's answer. He spoke so confidently and coolly that Erta momentarily thought 'Hey, didn't this guy just say something cool?'

[Secretive Sharp Hard Bear Critical Leather Armor]

[Rank – Unique]

[Defense – 2,200]

[Attack Power – 750]

[Durability – 900/900]

[A super weapon made by going through a special process on top of the boiled leather armor produced by a peak level master using the hide of the 2nd class monster, Brown Big Bear.]

The completed armor was truly perfect. Not only did the armor do its job faithfully as a piece of armor, it also had attacking capabilities optimized for Yu IlHan, who could fight with all of his body. On top of that, there was both an alpha and a beta option to enhance it. If someone saw it, they might think that it was obvious for an option to be attached as a result of mana crafting. Even though reality was far from that!

After making a few bone knives to use when dismantling by sharpening the remaining bones, he lastly made a mask using the Direwolf's skull to replace the Ir*nm*n mask, becoming refreshed as if he had just finished a number of piled up chorse.

[Bear Bone Knife]

[Rank – Rare]

[Attack Power – 500]

[Durability – 450/450]

[Direwolf Skull Mask]

[Rank – Rare]

[Defense – 600]

[Durability – 660/660]

[A mask made from a wolf's skull that once posessed a large amount of mana. It has an unexpectedly high amount of defensive power.]

Now, he was planning to hold out with these until he acquired even stronger monster bones or new metals. He would probably be able to hold out. It was instead a problem that it would hold out for a longer time than he thought.

After Yu IlHan put on the leather inner wear, armor, boots, and gloves, he slotted the bone knife into the leather belt. When looking at the reflection of his figure after equipping the bone mask that he made to fit his head, he thought that he might look quite cool.

As expected, I look good when I hide my face! Shit!

"How is it?"

[Amazing. I don't know what you did to that mask but your presence is becoming even weaker!]

"I didn't do anything to the mask!"

To Erta, who definitely said that even when she knew the truth, Yu IlHan tried to make her pay when he realized that outside was getting noisy.

The sound of something breaking, the sounds of hundreds and thousands of bullets, screams and shouts…… It was to the point that it made one wonder if this was from playing all of the action movies in the world at the same time.

"……What's this noise?"

[It's probably the military fighting against a monster. It's not like all monsters would be lured by the dungeon.]

Immediately after the two spoke, a siren came with a good timing. The notice that he only heard when it rained a lot and the river flooded, tickled his ears.

[Ladies and Gentleman of JongNo district! Please evacuate to other worlds if you're still inside the buildings! There's danger of being attacked by a large 2nd class monster! I repeat!]

"……"

[……]

The alarm that a large 2nd class monster had appeared repeated itself continuously after that.

While Erta was facepalming at the fact that there was a 2nd class monster that hadn't been trapped by the dungeon, Yu IlHan muttered while sighing.

"Please let it be weaker than the Brown Big Bear……"

[Are you afraid of the fight? If it's the you I've seen so far, then against 2nd class monsters……]

"No."

Yu IlHan's shoulders drooped.

"If it's stronger than that bear, then I need to strip its hide and make a new armor."

[……]

Here was a master who was afraid of shovelling more than fighting. (T/N: 'shovelling' in Korean can mean different things: 1. literally digging the ground 2. hard labor 3. grinding)

Author's notes

There's extra content because there's a lot of item stats

Be firm Yu IlHan, be strong Yu IlHan!

The reward will be calculated at the end. In other words, when all the Trap of Destruction are made

Translator's notes

Stats do count as 'content', author…

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 19: You Want to Hunt With Me!? (1)

You Want to Hunt With Me!? (1)

As he was already wearing armor, there was nothing else he needed to prepare. Just that he did some maintenance on his steel spear while he was borrowing the anvil and the hammer. Although he didn't show it, he was worried that the spear may have been damaged during the fight with the Brown Big Bear yesterday.

Erta also didn't say anything about it. Wouldn't it turn into a huge incident if his spear broke in the middle of combat? Warriors should always take good care of their weapons. Although Yu IlHan didn't really know about that, as he wasn't a warrior, he didn't want to go through the trouble of making another spear.

Because he had the Eternal Flame and max level blacksmithing, he was able to finish repairing the weapon in just a few minutes. The result that popped up was this:

[Fatally Sharp Steel Spear]

[Rank – Unique]

[Attack Power – 1,100]

[Durabiliity – 715/715]

[Option – 20% increase of critical hit chance]

[A miracle made by human with solely the use of technique and effort and without the help of mana. Thanks to being maintained by top class tools, its stats improved.]

"……"

What? The attack power increased by 300 just by reparing it!? Moreover, it was only blacksmithing, but there were both alpha and beta options. As he was the one to strike the steel, Yu IlHan knew more than anyone how amazing this feat was.

Although he knew that this wasn't the time for this, Yu IlHan looked at the anvil and hammer alternatively before quietly making a request to Erta.

"Gimme this."

[No.]

Thanks to spending a few days time with Yu IlHan, Erta's retorts towards Yu IlHan became quite considerable. At her clear cut words, Yu IlHan gave up getting new tools and had to leave the workshop with Erta, who became palm-sized and nestled on top of his head.

"What did you become human sized for?"

[I was doing other work as a human. Now, I'm back to being your support again.]

"You differentiate so meticulously, eh……"

After lightly waving his hand towards the Eternal Flame, which flickered as if seeing him off, he went outside, where the noise become louder by a level. He could even hear a building collapsing with a boom!

There was no need for him to put any effort into searching it. He just needed to run towards where the dust cloud could be seen. As he neared, the sounds of guns, helicopters, explosions, and collapses resounded louder as if they were trying to make him deaf.

[KuuuOOhhhoohhhh!]

At that place was a huge lepoard. A leopard bigger than the brown bear that he had defeated the day before!

The moment Yu IlHan arrived at the scene, it was swinging its front paw to strike a helicopter from the top of a high-rise building down. It was as if watching a monster movie, but this was reality.

And even at this time, the soldiers, who were confronting this crisis were desperately fighting.

"RPG, even the RPG isn't working!"

"F*ck, those with advanced jobs go and stab with a knife or something!"

"This is a highly populated area, we know! However, this needs a missile, or else at this rate, the Blue House will be penetrated, the Blue House!" (T/N: Blue House is the Korean equivalent of the White House)

Yu IlHan didn't have that much trust in the strong friends until now, but he couldn't not be surprised after seeing that even field-grade officers were at the front lines. Although, it may just be that the situation was more serious than he thought it was.

"It's coming, it's coming this way!"

"Escape! Scatter!"

It wasn't only the soldiers who were there. A few armed ability users, and some people who had advanced to their 1st jobs were attacking the leopard with their weapons.

Even though they could pile up experience and record in other worlds, they had clearly given that up and were remaining on Earth, fighting against a monster which had a strength above that of 2nd class. Yu IlHan couldn't just laugh at them for being foolish.

Yes, they were in the right. No matter how strong they could become in other worlds, if Earth, if the country they lived in, turned into ruins, then wouldn't it all be meaningless?

They knew that, so they put their lives on the line. Despite the fact that they didn't have the confidence to defeat that monster. Despite the fact that they could die in a single attack of its paw.

He somehow felt pathetic for sharpening his spear in order to defeat the monster for sure.

Although his self-guilt disappeared as he knew that he might be in danger if the steel spear broke in the fight due to not maintaining it, in its place, feelings of wanting to help them as soon as possible welled up inside his heart.

Although I don't have any thoughts on putting my life on the line for others, if others can live if I just work a little harder, then I'll gladly put in that effort. – This was Yu IlHan's motto.

"Heh!"

With a strange shout, Yu IlHan started running. He ran on the collapsing concrete with each step, pushing the gear inside his heart up by one.

The leather armor covering his body didn't hinder him. Instead, it was as if it was pushing him forward by helping the wind.

The surrounding objects, the commanders who were urgently calling somewhere, the soldiers who were flicked away by the leopard, they were all passed by.

Nobody noticed him.

He had no intention to have anyone notice him.

'I want to use mana quickly.'

After he had surpassed the limits of humans with training in the one thousand years of his life, he was never disappointed in his own body while moving. However, now that he was taking several seconds to approach that monster even at his full speed, he felt unsatisfied.

If I had learned mana, I could enhance my physical abilities. If I had magic, then I would be able to call wind to fly in the sky. – He thought.

The leopard started dashing. After swiping two armored vehicles and swatting a bomb onto the ground to make it explode, it smashed against a high-rise building again. Some ability users attacked it and were in turn also attacked.

It was fortunate that the ability users attacking with long-ranged magic were alright. However, the people who were trying to wound it in close combat were all tattered. There might even be those who had died.

[It's clearly stronger than the Brown Big Bear. Such a pity, Yu IlHan.]

"……"

Erta lightly mentioned the joke Yu IlHan had said a few minutes ago, but right now, Yu IlHan, who never forgot to make jokes, ignored her and kept running while squeezing out all the strength of his muscles to produce a speed that surpassed the limits of stats.

The moment he neared the leopard, he kicked off the ground and jumped high while confirming its position. He kicked off the wall of a nearby building to jump high, and kicked off the wall of the opposite building to jump even higher. After repeating that several times, he was several tens of meters in the air. Even so, nobody noticed him.

He was never so thankfulthat his presence was weak until now. Yu IlHan muttered while holding the spear with both of his hands.

He changed his trajectory by kicking off the wall of a high-rise building nearing him. This was the last. While quickly moving through the air, the figure of the leopard became larger and larger.

Was it unsatisfied even after destroying so many buildings? It was holding up a military vehicle with soldiers inside, with its front paw.

The soldiers had resolved themselves for death as they threw grenades into its wide open mouth, but even that didn't give it a fatal wound. Well, even Yu IlHan had the confidence to not get wounded by grenades, so it would be strange if the leopard got injured from that.

While falling towards his target in midair, Yu IlHan pulled back the spear with all his strength.

The leopard's huge face was getting nearer and nearer, opening its mouth to swallow the vehicle whole. At that moment, the figure of Yu IlHan was rellected in its two yellow eyes.

Yu IlHan struck the spear into left eye with all his strength.

[Critical Hit!]

[KraAHHaRRAAAaa!]

It was a scream that made world tremble. Its eye bursted with a rupturing soun, the fluids covering Yu IlHan's entire body.

With that, his presence appeared in the world. This was a moment when the atmosphere of the warzone changed.

"Sungdaein Bolt……!"

"He's changed but it's him for sure. It's Sungdaein Bolt!"

"He didn't go to another world."

"Fuck, we're saved now……!"

The leopard which was clinging onto a building wall couldn't withstand the pain and slid down. The fact that it didn't let go of the military vehicle even while it was sliding was truly frightening.

Yu IlHan was holding onto the spear that had been embedded into its eye, only swiftly pulling it out and jumping down when it had let go of the military vehicle.

As a result, the half-pulled out steel spear slid down its face, following Yu IlHan and inflicting a large wound which covered its face from the eye to the chin.

[KuhooOooooo!]

It moved its feet while twisting its body, but Yu IlHan was already out of its range. Moreover, while it couldn't come to its senses due to losing one eye, bullets and magic hit its body from all directions. Although small, there must have had been some damage.

Meanwhile, Yu IlHan landed, creating a footprint on the bumper of the military vehicle which was falling to the ground helplessly. Immediately, he lightly swung the spear to slice off the vehicle's roof and hugged the two soldiers who were obediently waiting for death with one arm before jumping off the vehicle.

Despite the fact that he was still several tens of meters in the air, his actions had no hesitation.

"What level are you!?"

"I'm 3!"

"I'm 2!"

"If you don't want to die then hold me tight!"

After the soldiers hugged him, which made him uncomfortable, he landed on the ground with a booming noise.

Although the already cracked concrete floor split apart completely due to the crash, he only felt his legs go numb.

After landing, he freed the soldiers. They were looking at Yu IlHan as if gazing towards a hero, but Yu IlHan had only saved them because he didn't want to see people dying in front of his eyes. There was no reason he wouldn't save them if he could do so.

"Run."

However, it wasn't like he could explain that to the soldiers in detail. Yu IlHan, who became awkward, left behind one word before kicking off the ground again. The leopard that had fell onto the ground had its eyes glued on Yu IlHan.

One eye was pouring out blood, while the other eye was looking at him with the desire to kill.

Well, it had taken the most damage from him, so it was obvious that he would become its target. That monster was not as stupid as the brown bear to forget the situation due to pain, so it seemed like it wouldn't let Yu IlHan go back into concealment.

However, that didn't matter. It was an opponent that he could defeat head on.

He increased his running speed while smirking a little.

"So cool……!"

"The leopard's aggro is all on Sungdaein Bolt! We need to attack now!"

"Everyone use magic! Aim for that blasted eye!"

The majority of the people here had probably met for the first time today, and were rolling around in the same battlefield. Despite that, they were matching their breathing with only the desire to kill the leopard in their heads. The desires stacked on top of each other to transform into a sharp blade.

Of course, this was only possible as Yu IlHan appeared to allow them time to breath, but the effect was larger than Yu IlHan had thought.

[KkrrrrrRRRrrr!]

The leopard's growling sounds towards the humans became more frequent as attacks continued to hit it. It flinched and was unable to move its body as it wanted. It was because all the people were aiming their attacks at its blasted eye, following someone's words.

And at that moment, the final strike came. When a blueish white colored compressed lightning struck its eyes, a devastating amount of blood bursted out from its wound again!

"It's the Empreess!"

"Even the Empress is here! We're really saved now!"

[KuAaaaAaaa! KyaKuraKaaaaaa!]

Even while it was growling in weird pronounciations after getting struck by lightning, it still didn't turn its gaze away from Yu IlHan and kicked off the ground.

Was it planning to crash head on at full speed? This was what he wanted. Yu IlHan also pulled the spear he was holding, back a little in a slanted position and increased his speed.

"Uooooooooooooh!"

While he was running, there was something that automatically began to boil in his heart. He didn't hold that in and spat it out as he pulled the spear back even more. There was just 100 meters between him and the leopard. That became 50 meters in a blink of an eye, and under breath's time, it turned to zero.

The leopard swung its paw as it threw its body. At the attack, from which he could feel that its desire to trample him flat no matter the cost, Yu IlHan also reacted in a similar manner.

Before its front paw attacked him, he had held up the spear and smashed it onto the ground, flying up from the rebound!

However, immediately after that, he smashed into the leopard's face.

"No!"

"What do we do if Sungdaein bolt dies! ……But isn't it a bit strange?"

"……What was it that covered his body?"

The shock was large. He felt as if his inner organs were all displaced for a moment. His entire body ached and went numb.

However, the expected death by being crushed by the leopard didn't happen.

[KhkkkkkraaaaaAaaaa!]

Because there was a countless number of bone blades inbetween Yu IlHan and the leopard, that had received the shock in his stead, the leopard ended up being stabbed in the face.

While trying his best to hold back his nauseousness, Yu IlHan spoke out with a nasal voice.

"……See. It did its job as soon as I made it."

[I will say just three words. You look hideous.]

He used the leopard's smash against it and damaged it, but currently, his figure was like a frog flattened by a car – even 1000 years of love would vaporize if seen. It was very fortunate that Rita wasn't here.

Yu IlHan thought while putting the bone blades back into his armor.

One must not try to look cool or otherwise, they will end up appearing like a fool.

Author's notes

The romanized leopard roar following the bear

The hedgehog attacking with all its body

Translator's notes

Yeah, that's right leopard roars were in alphabets in the raw. (hence you see capital letters in the middle of them). Am I going to be able to stock some chapters now?

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 20: You Want to Hunt With Me!? (2)

You Want to Hunt With Me!? (2)

The leopard, which was put in a situation where it was no different from having washed its face with a large-scale hedgehog, ran around wildly while howling in pain.

The effects of the bladed armor was better than Yu IlHan had imagined. He had inflicted more pain and damage than when he had blast open its eyes, so that was all that needed to be said.

"Aoo……! It's so, fucking, swaying, so much……!"

[Yu IlHan, I'm getting sick……!]

"Don't puke on top of my head!"

This time, Yu IlHan pulled out the blades from his gloves and boots and fixed himself on its face as if striking a nail into a cliff in order to not fall off from its body, when it was swaying its head so much.

Then, he nimbly avoided its front paw which was flung at him, and moved around. In that process, it was continuously damaged by the blades.

[But that armor, seems quite……! Useful!]

"Fuu……Kuk!"

[KrrrrraaaAAAAaaa!]

The leopard seemed to have realized that it wouldn't be able to shake Yu IlHan off as it crashed towards another building. It tried to shake him off by smashing into the building! It may be a foolish action, but for an animal, which its front paws were not so free as a human, it was the best method.

Yu IlHan crawled up its face while kicking its face while he was at it(A small amount of damage was inflicted everytime he did that).

"I… should have… learnt… some… mountain climbing……!"

[You're doing pretty well, now too.]

Was it because he had learnt the trick to everything due to the infinite labor? Even while making a big fuss, Yu IlHan could arrive on top of its head by moving his body just before he crashed with the building at a climbing speed that even Kn*ckl*s would cry after seeing him.

However, the moment after he fixed himself on top of its head by stabbing the boot-blades, he could feel an overwhelming physical shock. He subconcsiously moaned and his body leaned forward, so he desperately put strength into his legs and grounded himself on top of its head.

"Kuhuk!"

[KkkkKhkRRRrrr!]

The leopard growled even more violently. It had realized that it couldn't shake off Yu IlHan. It tried to shake him off somehow by continuously smashing its head against the building, but Yu IlHan, who had firmly nailed his boots in its body, comfortably positioned himself and held on while striking its head.

"uu……Huaaap!'

[Everything's good but do something about that weird shouting!]

[Critical Hit!]

[Critical Hit!]

[Critical Hit has become Lv2!]

The spear did its worth of having been reborn by the hammer and the anvil while bullying the leopard. Although the level of the leopard was unknown, Yu IlHan's spearmanship, which was honed to a superhuman level, kept inflicting valid hits, and if a critical burst out, then the effect multiplied and gave a horrifying pain to the leopard.

Whether it was the skull mask or the armor or the leather inner wear, it was soaked in leopard blood, but Yu IlHan didn't stop. No matter how the leopard smashed into a building, collapsing it, or going crazy, he didn't sway and he struck the same place with an accuracy greater than that of a machine's, frignteningly reptitively.

His arm muscles, which were trained to be as hard as steel, and the untrembling spear even with a shocking amount of physical shock, pierced its hide and pulled out blood!

[KuuurrraaAAaaa!]

At one moment, the leopard stopped trying to smash its head against buildings and it swayed as it couldn't extend its front leg. It had become dizzy due to the blood loss from Yu IlHan's continuous attacks.

This was the opportunity that the humans were looking for so much.

"It's slowing down!"

"Corner it more, more!"

The moment the target was acquired, all the people in that area started an all out attack. The soldiers threw away their rifles, which were basically meaningless, and shot with heavy machine guns and cannons and tattered its hide, and the close combat attackers approached it from the other side of the artillery fire and slashed its leg and beat it.

The leopard was 2nd class, and it had a higher level at that as well, so to be honest, human attacks from around 1st class didn't have much of a meaning. However, when it stacked ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand times, it eventually produced a result of the hide being pierced and the muscles being injured.

Human wave tactics weren't scary for nothing.

At this moment, in front of the human's will which agglomerted on survival, the monster kneeled.

At that moment, Erta spoke in a serious voice.

[Yu IlHan, finish it off quickly.]

"What is it, I think it'll be over soon?"

[……This leopard, it might earn a 3rd class at any moment.]

Before her words even finished, the spear he was swinging bounced off. Was it just that? From its wound, where its hide and bones were ripped off, gross strands of muscles bursted out by cluttering in one place.

The scene was as if they had their own will while moving.

With the scene which made Yu IlHan pale in fright, as he had never confronted a monster which wasn't out of an 'animalistic' form at least until now, albeit huge and absurdly hard, in front of her, Erta spouted out some words vaguely as if chewing her anger.

[It's mutating! It will evolve into a higher class monster for real!]

"Fuck!"

The strands of muscles which came out from the wound assaulted Yu IlHan. He hacked its body while moving with a pale face, but the strands of muscles annoyingly agilely chased him, looking like a leopard's 'that'.

He could slash them apart if he swung the spear with both his arms with all his strength, but 'they' came out endlessly from the wound and assaulted Yu IlHan. On top of the leopard's head, he stood firmly while swinging the spear and shouted courageously.

"Fuck you, you nonsensical monster! If you want to to shoot a tentacle video, then bring an elf archer or a princess knight to do it with, not me!"

[How can you be so leisurely! Do you even know that I can't help you even if you die here!?]

"It's because I might cry if I don't spit out some jokes!"

While spouting out words as if he didn't want to lose, he swung his spear.

Erta told him to finish it quickly just before. That meant that this thing haddn't earned its 3rd class perfectly yet!

"Shit!"

While swearing when he was slashing apart the strands of tentacles……muscles, a flash of lightning blanched his vision.

The effect of the lightning was considerable. A portion of the strands of muscles were destroyed after burning to a crisp, and the rest also received damage and were constricted. Yu IlHan didn't let go of that opportunity to snap them off completely.

At that moment, there was something else other than lightning that came to his ears. They were the loud helicopter noises and a woman's voice which didn't get buried by such a sound.

"I can't kill it with my attack! There's too much of a difference in level!"

Although he expected it the moment the lightning flashed, it was the Empress' voice.

Anyway, what's she trying to achieve by saying that to me – Yu IlHan thought while dashing on top of the leopard's head to stab the spear on the wound where the muscle strands were coming out from.

"I have a short-term buff magic!"

A buff? It sounded quite attractive. When he gestured that he was listening without stopping his attacks, the Empress' voice came again.

"If I use it once, I'll deplete my mana. Can you definitely kill it!?"

"Just give it to me first!"

Yu IlHan shouted towards the empress who was shouting at him while standing on the helicopter by grabbing onto the door. She should have just given it to him, why is she talking so much! Isn't the stronget person here Yu IlHan!?

However, the Empress's next actions made Yu IlHan accept it.

"Then I'll believe you and leave it to you!"

With those words, the Empress, who jumped off the helicopter, had landed by grabbing onto his leg!

"The buff is all good, but it needs physical contact!"

"Did you mean that you will leave your life with me when you said 'leave it to you'!?"

Well, it was very reasonable for her to ask if he was sure to kill it! However, without even a moment for Yu IlHan to say that 'don't leave something so heavy with me', with a electrifying feeling, power boiled inside his body. The Empress's buff had worked right away!

[Thunder Spirit dwells in you. For 30 seconds, attack power, movement speed, and critical rate increases by 50%. With a fixed chance, lightning power dwells when attacking.]

[From the moment the buff ends, all abilities will decrease by more than half for 3 minutes.]

[This woman is considerably good for a human. Just how good is she with her control of mana to have both an attack and a buff despite being in 1st cla……]

There was no time to listen to Erta. It was because the moment he heard that the time limit was 30 seconds, Yu IlHan positioned himself with the bladed boots and started beating up the leopard's head.

"Uoooooooooooh!"

"If we don't kill it, then they said they'll use a missle!"

"Uaaaaaaah!"

And a mental buff from the Empress who aimed for that moment! He struck with his spear at a speed which made one wonder if this really was a speed of a living human.

[KKKkkkkkaaaaaAAAAaaaa!]

The leopard's muscle strands shot up before cracking apart and bursting out in blood. Its pain filled scream became higher, but even if it had a heartwrenching behind story, Yu IlHan didn't even want to know. He only had the thought that he had to finish it before a missle flew at it and finished him off along with the leopard itself!

[Critical Hit!]

[Lightning Additional Hit!]

And while doing that, at one moment, when his spear flew towards its already deeply dug out head, it abnormally pierced through violently, and both a critical hit and a lightning attribute attack bursted out at the same time and a golden light colored their vision.

Immediately after, a huge amount of blood, which couldn't be said to be a result of a normal attack, soaked both Yu IlHan and the Empress at the same time.

"Puha!"

"Apu!"

[You have earned 784,983 experience.]

[You have become level 28. Strength, agility, health, magic increases by 5 points each.]

[You have earned the record of Lv87 Giant Leopard.]

"Puhu……Uh, it's dead."

[You've done well, Yu IlHan.]

To Yu IlHan, who was looking at the green text which floated on his retina, and was dumbfounded, Erta spoke with a tired voice. Despite it being less than Yu IlHan, who was the one who fought the fight, she had become mentally fatigued as she didn't know that a 3rd class monster would appear already.

However, in the end, they could finish it off before it evolved to a 3rd class monster. He thought that it might be possible if he worked to death, and it was possible. If Yu IlHan wasn't here, then as the Empress said, they might have to use a strategic weapon, and if they did, loss of lives and damage of properties would have increased rapidly.

"Is it really dead?"

"……You didn't receive experience?"

At the Empress' honest question, Yu IlHan questioned back dumbfoundedly, but the Empress who was still clinging to his leg, became dejected after hearing his words and replied while looking down.

"Now that I think about it… We didn't make a party……"

That was a really sorry thing. However, it wasn't something that he should be sorry about as Yu IlHan only knew about the concept of parties as he was a loner.

Instead, he had thought that they would earn experience according to contribution when the leopard died, but it wasn't like that. It was meticulously a winner-takes-all system.

[The duration of the buff ends. All abilities decrease by more than half for 3 minutes.]

With the buff being over, powerlessness assaulted Yu IlHan. It was probably because he drew out all the strength from his body.

He wanted to rest by falling down just like that, but on top of the leopard's head, it was extremly dirty with all the sliced muscle strands and splashing blood so he held on with all his might. At that moment, to make matters worse, the leopard's corpse fell down onto the ground as it lost all its power and made him lose balance.

Thanks to Erta, who thought that it may be too bad for him to die by being squashed under a monster's corpse and helped him a little, he could hold out a little.

"W, we won."

"We won! We really killed it with our own strength!"

We did it……We diiiiiid iiiiiiiit!"

"Sungdaein Bolt! Sungdaein Bolt!"

"Last carry from Empress was so awesome! Empress!"

When the leopard fell, everyone, who was at that scene, cheered excitedly. Whether it was the military personnel or non-military people, everyone was thinking the same thing.

We survived! We won! We did it! Earth will be able to push forward!

However, while everyone was cheering, only Yu IlHan's expression paled rapidly. As it was covered by the mask, the Empress didn't see that, but Erta ignored that and saw through his state.

[What is it, Yu IlHan? There's no more enemy now. You have won completely.]

"But……"

He looked at his surroundings. It wasn't that he was looking at the destroyed buildings but he was looking at the wide back of the leopard.

At the hide which became tattered due to various magic and weapons.

"I can't make a new leather armor……!"

[Ao. I should really.]

And he said he didn't want to make a new one too! Currently, Erta truly wanted to smack Yu IlHan once.

Author's notes

The will of a master who's sad whether he has to make an armor or not.

Kn*ckl*s: A red hedgehog that comes out in Sonic Series. He's famous for being able to do mountain climbing fast!

Translator's notes

"Fuck you, you nonsensical monster! If you want to to shoot a tentacle video, then bring an elf archer or a princess knight to do it with, not me!"

-Omg, this line is a masterpiece…lol

While swearing when he was slashing apart the strands of tentacles……muscles, a flash of lightning blanched his vision.

-Princess knight is here! Oh wait…unfortunately(?) she's not a close combat fighter… (No, Chamber does not like tentacles.)

With those words, the Empress, who jumped off the helicopter, had landed by grabbing onto his leg!

-Yes! The princess knight is here for real! (No, I repeat, but Chamber-kun does not like tentacle videos)

This is from the next chapter's 'author's notes' but experience is given to the MVP if there was no party playing. meaning that the one who dealt them most damage takes the experience, not the one who deals the last strike. So kill steal is impossible ????

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 21: You Want to Hunt With Me!? (3)

You Want to Hunt With Me!? (3)

The first thing that happened after the battle was over was the rescue process. The people who couldn't escape to another world in time, the people who were injured during battle, people who were trapped under rubble…… As the battle was big, the scale of casualties was big as well.

Yu IlHan and the Empress also went into rescue as soon as they got off from the body of the leopard, but the figure of Yu IlHan lifting up rubble weighing several tons easily after he looked feeble for 3 minutes due to the penalty time, was truly overwhelming.

"2nd class is really different."

"His mask changed, didn't it? Isn't that monster's bone?"

"Theeereee! Watch out for the buiiiiillding!"

When the rescue was about over, the huge leopard corpse also shrunk by about a half. Even though it was dereased by a half, the humans were agonized with the huge corpse in front of them.

It was because although the distriubution of the spoils of war was also a problem, there was no one, with high enough ability, who could do something about that corpse.

"I'll try it."

"No."

At the moment when one of the soldiers pulled out his knife, Yu IlHan, who just finished rescuing a soldier by flipping a Retona, objected and stepped in. Although he was a loner without social skills, he wasn't an idiot who would make losses with his eyes wide open.

"I think the ratio of the corpse I should get is the highest, though……"

"Kuk."

Although it was good to fight the monster with one mind, with the spoils of war after the fight, in front of them, human greed will always appear. Moreover, as they had clear proof that they fought with their lives on the line, no one would want to forgo their rewards to another person.

The problem was that everyone here had put their lives on the line to fight.

Yu IlHan looked back at the Empress and asked.

"What's the fair ratio?"

As he couldn't judge, he had to request another person, but it was difficult to believe another person's judgement. So, he tried believing in her who left her life with him.

"60% to you, 20% to me, 20% to the rest."

Unlike at the fight, the Empress replied in a cold voice, and Yu IlHan, who heard those words, exclaimed.

The world has turned into one where it revolves around MVPs!

However, one had to say that her calculation was accurate as an entire district would have collapsed, much less the people in it, if not for Yu IlHan.

"Does anybody have any objections?"

"……"

"……"

Yu IlHan looked around and asked if they agreed to her words.

In fact, as they couldn't reject the two strongest people here, Yu IlHan and the Empress, coming out strong, they also couldn't tackle the Empress' words coming from experience when she was the one who fought more monsters than anyone in another world.

"60%, you say, hm."

Yu IlHan cool-headely judged. There would be a lot of parts on that body which was as big as the Brown Big Bear he fought, even after that leopard's body had decreased in size.

Even the leather, he wouldn't be able to make an armor, but that was the armor. He would be able to make partial armors or gloves, and boots and those kind of things; and as for the bones, there was no need to talk twice about it – it will become a splendid material.

And above all.

Yu IlHan nimbly jumped and landed on top of the leopard's head. Then, he shoved his hand, which was wearing a glove, into the wound he made with his concentrated attack to kill it. Then, he protruded the bone blade and efficiently dug up the flesh and muscles while looking for something. As a result.

"It's really here. I kinda expected for there to be one."

[As it's one who might have acquired a 3rd class so the quality of the magic stone must be considerable.]

The thing he took out was the magic stone which emitted a clear blue light. It was not rice grain-sized, nor was it soybean-sized, nor was it almond chocoball sized, and it was as big as a F*r*r* R*ch*r!

"It's a magic stone!"

"Whoa, a 2nd class monster's magic stone……!"

"Gulp."

Yu IlHan looked back at the Empress and asked. Her calculations were worth trusting.

No, in this situation, there was no one other than her to believe in.

"How is it?"

"That looks about 60%."

Immediately after the Empress nodded her head, he naturally in-my-pocketed the magic stone.

"I'll take this so you guys take the rest by yourselves."

"No, but it's a magic stone……"

One of the soldiers raised his voice when he shrank back down after receiving the glares from his surroundings. The gazes of the people who thought Yu IlHan's achievement was amazing, and especially the gazes from those who were rescued by him, were sharp.

However, as humans were always foolish and and had always repeated their mistakes, there were quite a few people who were possed by greed at the big sized magic stone.

"Don't we have to at least calculate the magic stone differently!?"

"I also put my life on the line, I damaged it a lot too!"

"Our party claims ownership of the magic stone! We can't accept a distribution like this!"

The battlefield where everyone's will had become one had instantly turned into a mess where greed clashed with each other. How could the situation change so fast! Even Erta, who judged the possibilities of Earthlings highly due to the battle just now, was dumbfounded at this situation.

[As always, lower existences are no good. I was foolish for thinking that everyone is like you.]

"Even if you praise me like that, I won't give you anything."

[It's fortunate that you know it's a praise.]

Yu IlHan smiled at Erta's words and took out the magic stone which went inside his pocket once.

"Good, then let's do that."

"Hmph, you should have done that from the beginning."

"It's fortunate that you took it out before the situation turned ugly."

Just who was 'ugly' in this situation? Yu IlHan had such questions but he didn't say it out loud. They might be thinking that there was a problem with Yu IlHan taking the magic stone as the reward because they have a magnificent dogma and view of life.

Changing people's way of thinking is not easy. Most thought that they were absolutely in the right so no matter how you bring the truth to them, rather than snapping their thoughts, they even treat it as a lie and attack you.

Of course, this didn't only apply to them. Yu IlHan may also claim what is wrong as right some time.

And so, solving a dispute with words is in fact, impossible.

His mother, who realized that a long time ago, always told Yu IlHan this:

Why fight with words when you have those splendid fists.

Yu IlHan threw the magic stone with all his strength. The magic stone, which flew past everyone, flew and sunk deep, very deep into the leopard's head where Yu IlHan took it out in the first place.

It was a throw that will make a mark in history.

"……"

"……"

The moment they looked at the unbelievable scene, the humans all became quiet while reminding themselves of Yu IlHan's ability which overwhelmed the leopard throughout the entire fight, despite loooking slightly hideous at some times.

"Take whatever you want and give 60% to me."

Yu IlHan declared in front of those people.

"If there is even a little bit less than 60%, I will beat you all up so keep that in mind."

Yu IlHan lightly swung his spear and pierced the ground. The undamaged concrete floor cracked apart with a loud sound. Some might say it's a threat, but in truth, it was an action he did to gather attention onto himself fearing that the passive concealment would activate again.

Silence flowed for a moment, but it didn't last long. It was because they all knew that they'll lose even if they fight all together against Yu IlHan.

Especially when he had become stronger, much less recover his strength, due to levelling up by monoploizing the leopard's experience!

"……Take the magic stone."

"Do as you want. Shit……"

"We……were too greedy."

The abiili users who courgeously went up against him all backed off, scared. However, Yu IlHan didn't laugh at them or anything. Instead, he confidently went on top of the leopard's head, stabbed his spear, and reclaimed the magic stone without much difficulty.

That action, instead caused the people to shrink back more. It was because they knew that his leisure was not an act, but real.

"If you dismantle my share, then I'll give you 40%…… Although I want to give you half, you took all the experience so to make up."

However, there was someone who who was living lively inside that frozen mood, and it was none other than the Empress.

Only she kept her pace regardless of what other people said. Like the time she hunted the monsters inside the campus.

"Which part?"

"Although I need the bones, I think it's better if you give me more of its hide."

After the conversation, which sounded like they were at the butchery, ended, Yu IlHan immediately started dismantling. As the Empress' share was 20% of the body, which counted as 40% after Yu IlHan took the magic stone, the Empress's share of 20% was half of the leopard's body!

After a calculation that was faster tha lightning, Yu IlHan started wielding his knife. It wasn't an exaggeration to call his skills of splendidly stripping its leather and taking out the bones, godly.

Especially his skills in stripping exactly a half!

Only 7 minutes and 30 seconds had passed for the huge leopard to be stripped of its leather by exactly a half. Yu IlHan's dismantling process was both unrestrained and precise so it was quite a spectacle, and the people could only look at it dumbfoundedly

The process was done.The high quality bones and leather which was piled up on one side was bigger than a person's height so it was truly a spectacle. The Empress quietly muttered while looking at that.

"I should call for a car."

Half of the huge leopard's corpse. Although she had only took the bones and leather without the poisnous flesh, the amount was absurdly high. Even considering that she had to give 40% of it to Yu IlHan, it was still gery large.

The Empress took out her phone and called somewhere. While looking at her doing that so naturally, he had already expected it but it seemed like she was from a considerably well-off familiy. Or that she had made quite a fortune by herself at such a young age.

Regardless of which, Yu IlHan wanted to distance himself from her as he could feel the aura of a social butterfly from her.

"Should I move your share as well?"

"I don't need it. I'll leave first."

The Empress, who seemed to have grown comradery while fighting together, as she showed good intent towards Yu IlHan, and Yu IlHan, who made an AT Field……A wall on his heart due to being uncomfortable with the Empress.

"Wait."

While he was producing an atompshere that he was about to leave naturally, the people panicked.

"Wh, what about our share!?"

"I don't steal from others so don't worry."

Yu IlHan retorted in cold voice. Of course, he knew very well why the people were trying to hold him here.

"We can't strip its hide by our stregth alone."

"Even if we do, it will get all tattered.'

"The boens too. How can we pull those out? Do you want us to cut the flesh apart?"

"I want to earn the reward and go to the other world quickly……"

When one complaint erupted, it spread around like wildfire. Erta muttered with a rotten expression when she saw the people who were becoming of one mind again after the fight.

[I feel skeptical about my work. Maybe I should go to the countryside and make a farm or something.]

"Please do that. While you're at it, please send Rita in your place too."

[……I'll try holding on for a while.]

Yu IlHan, who managed to shut Erta up, once again struck the ground with his spear lightly in front of the people.

"If you give me 50%, I'll dismantle it for you."

Although Yu IlHan was a loner, he was a loner with spirit.

To him, who did everything alone until now, there was no way he would be scared of 100 people or even 1000 people gathering up against him, when they won't be able to do anything.

"Why is it 40% for the Empress and 50% for us!?"

"That ratio is very strange from the beginning! It's just peeling work!'

"W, wait. If Sungdaein Bolt wasn't here, we won't even be able to get any spoils of war. Why are you so upset!?"

"Fuck, everyone's so brainless!"

"If you don't want it, then I won't. If anyone says no, then that's that."

While everyone was split into 2 factions – one that supported him, and one that rejected him – Yu IlHan turned around. In any case, he had enough materials. When he said to give him 50%, that was just to bully them.

Like the time with the Brown Big Bear, he tied the leopard's leather into a bag and put the bones inside.

During that time, a vote was happening between the people, but their opinions never narrowed down into one. Yu IlHan laughed at them and left the place without regret. He really didn't care about them.

However.

"I have another thing I want to request you with."

"……How?"

Although he didn't know when a vehicle had arrived and when everything was loaded, while commanding the vehicle with her share of monster byproducts, the Empress was following him.

Yu IlHan was slightly touched as this was the first time in his life that he was followed by another person. Then, at his question, the Empress truly accurately looked at his eyes between the mask and spoke.

"When I concentrated without taking my eyes off you, I could find you. It's truly an amazing concealment skill."

Leaving Yu IlHan, who was getting all fired up to tackle that he didn't want to learn the concealment, the Empress spoke.

"I want to party with you. I don't think there's another person who's worthy to be my partner."

"But I don't think like that though."

Yu IlHan's wall around his heart was truly sturdy. However, as if she had already expected such a reaction, the Empress retorted without paying it much heed.

"Like you, I'm also thinking of being active on Earth inthe future. I'm not that weak to go to another world and do easy quests. ……You're the same right? I think that there will be an opportunity for us to meet again in the future, definitely."

Yu IlHan also thought that. Of course, it wasn't that he didn't go to another world, but that he couldn't.

The Empress held out her name card. The name Kang MiRae and the contact address, and there was a name of a company that he had never seen before. He could see that she was trusting Yu IlHan considerably as she gave out her identity even though Yu IlHan didn't expose anything about himself.

"Please contact me."

Then she left. He wanted to give high points to the Empress…… Kang MiRae that she didn't bother him so much. Of course, there won't be a case where he contacts her in the future.

Yu IlHan, who truly became alone, in other words, got found by no one, shurgged his shoulders and muttered.

"Let's go home. I have a lot to make now."

[I knew you would say that.]

Erta sighed as if she gave up and pulled on Yu IlHan's hair. She meant for him to go home.

The Empress, and Yu IlHan all left the place. Without even realizing that Yu IlHan had left, the people were still in dispute, and the leopard's body, which looked considerably strange as just one half was completely intact, was also left there like that.

And at one moment.

The corpse of the leopard twitched a little, but nobody realized that.

Author's notes

A stereo typical foreshadow ina while.

AT Field : The wall of a heart that excludes other people. For more information, please refer to the animation, Evangelion.

It's not a last-hit-takes-all, but winner-takes-all. In other words, the MVP, who had the most influence in killing the monster will take all the experience. This will be mentioned again later.

Translator's notes

Nothing to say here.

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 22: You Want to Hunt With Me!? (4)

You Want to Hunt With Me!? (4)

[To think a 3rd class monster is about to appear already. Just what has Earth come to already?]

"Go ask God for that."

At that time Erta, who didn't say a lot at the scene, started chattering 15 hours after Yu IlHan came back home, had a shower, did maintenance on his equipment, had a sound sleep, and went to work in his workshop.

[No matter how much I think about it by myself, I can't come up with a conclusion.]

"Even if you ask me, you won't come up with a conclusion. I said go ask God for that."

Yu IlHan, who already made the 5th Trap of Destruction, retorted while checking that the inlaying process was done properly. Of course, they were all products that didn't have mana crafting done to them.

[How can you be so calm? This is about your world. Do you know how big of a problem it is for a 3rd class monster to appear, when the soldiers on the front line of defense haven't even gotten their 1st classes yet?]

That was truly a huge problem. Currently humanity was acquiring strength rapidly by doing suitable quest's in the other worlds thanks to God's help, but even so, the balance of strength is still tilted towards the monsters' side.

Just what else could be done for the humans for the balance to be righted? Erta couldn't make anything out of it.

"It's not that I'm calm. It's just that even if I get nervous, I can't do anything. So I'm just doing what I can while eating popcorn."

Yu IlHan asked while finishing the check and picking up a new piece of harkanium.

"How about other countries?"

[According to the reports from other angels, there are none. The monster which showed signs of evolving into 3rd class only appeared in Korea.]

"Then isn't it due to the Trap of Destruction, as expected?"

At Yu IlHan's words, Erta became silent. It was because she also was predicting that this happened due to the activated Trap of Destruction in Korea.

The Trap of Destruction directly strengthened the monsters? Of course, such a thing wasn't possible. However, it could have become the trigger for it.

It wouldn't have been strange for the Trap of Destruction, which locked up countless monsters in the dungeon, it would have become a serious threat to those which didn't get locked up, and stimulate the berserking of the monsters.

[In other worlds, monsters were locked up in dungeons before they had the chance to become aware of it. Due to that, in truth, the monsters' evolution should've happened inside the dungeons.]

"Hmm."

[Inside the dungeons, there maybe cases where a new, dangerous species appearing due to cross breeding, and although small in possibility, there may also be monsters which would earn a mutated record through fighting with other monsters and evolving……]

"Dungeons are fucking pandemoniums!"

Yu IlHan shouted in shock. It was true! Just because you lock them up in dungeons, it doesn't mean that the monsters are lying down, waiting for the humans to appear!

[However, if you lock them up, they will evolve not by eating humans but other monsters. Just that monsters don't fight each other unless there's a special case, so their growth deteriorates if you lock them up in dungeons.]

"So dungeons are necessary for humanity in many different ways……"

[If you know, then it's good. ……Well, it also means that you, who is making those things, is amazing too.]

"So, we've arrived at the conclusion that I need to make the Traps of Destruction faster, eh."

Erta had praised Yu IlHan, but he retorted blandly and put the harkanium inside the fireplace.

The Eternal Flame, which was now used to processing harkanium, intelligently raised its temperature suitable for processing harkanium while enveloping it, and Yu IlHan, who earned the wanted results in just few seconds, started hammering the harkanium as if he had forgotten all his worries.

Erta sighed while looking at Yu IlHan working when she shook her head when she was about to feel comfortable looking at his work. Yu IlHan working had the charm that would make one watch for one or two days absentmindedly.

[Do you feel well if you just keep making something like you're doing now?]

"No, well, it is enjoyable."

He had found the trick of making the Traps of Destruction after a few times, so counting just the form creation, it took a fifth of the time compared to the first time he made it. Yu IlHan retorted while bringing out the artifact's form without a single mistake.

"The reason I'm making something is to experience new things through that. Whatever it is, if it ends after just making it, then it's meaningless. Just this Trap of Destruction is like that too, isn't it?"

[……Is that so.]

Erta reminded herself that Yu IlHan was weak to new information and stimulation. It wasn't that she didn't understand why, but when she thought about the background behind why his personality changed to be so, she felt pity.

She was surprised at that fact, since she realized that just now, that she, a higher existence, had sympathized with Yu IlHan.

However, Erta, who didn't really hate that feeling, spoke to him purely intending to make him feel better.

[Become stronger, Yu IlHan. If you become stronger, then you will be able to see and experience new things. Endlessly.]

"Yeah. I'm also thinking of doing that."

Yu IlHan absentmindedly replied while continuing his work. Erta was dissatisfied with his absentminded reply, but she would've been shocked if she knew just how firm of a will was dwelling in his words.

When he made about 8 of those traps, the angels, who recovered all their mana, returned. When he mana crafted with the help of those angels, now, a 'vast' 'heavenly' Trap of Destruction was completed. Yu IlHan's mana crafting levelling up to level 11 was a bonus.

[Options were attached without fail. Just what level is his blacksmithing at?]

[Perhaps due to seeing how the Trap of Destruction was activated, his ability became better.]

[We will install this by ourselves. I will request you with the rest too.]

Thanks to getting used to mana crafting, completing the Trap of Destruction had also ended in an instant like frying beans with lightning.(E/N: this is my new favorite saying)

When the angels, who came like the wind, left like the wind with the Trap of Desturction, Yu IlHan, who watched their backs quietly muttered.

"I don't know which country it will be, but I hope a dangerous monter doesn't appear there."

Unlike when making the Trap of Desturction, there was no need for all the angels to go for installing them. Yu IlHan didn't go so Erta was also still on top of his head.

And she felt uncomfortable after she heard that.

[Just because a 3rd class monster appears due to the stimulation from the Trap of Desturction doesn't mean that it's your fault. Currently, you're doing an important and great task of stabilizing the current Earth. So……]

"I know. Thanks for minding about me."

[……]

Erta lost her words, and Yu IlHan stretched his body after putting down his hammer.

"I'm tired. I'll sleep for a bit."

[I need to stay with you anyway. For the activation of mana.]

"Yeah, whatever."

Yu IlHan had another shower after he came back home. However, he washed his hair and when he was about to wash his body with soap, he realized.

"……I feel like my body has become bigger?"

[You didn't realize that until just now?]

At Erta's words, he hurriedly looked at the mirror. When he became conscious of it, he could see it properly.

He had grown overall. He became taller, his shoulders became wider, and his arms and legs had grown longer by a tiny bit.

[You will grow more if you level up more and keep advancing classes so it will be bad if you get surprised now.]

"Don't you think my face became a little more handsome too?"

[Well, shouldn't it have changed using human standards?]

To a higher existence such as Erta, Yu IlHan's face wasn't a characteristic trait. The trait which moved her was not outside but inside.

Of course, she didn't intend to say that out loud, so she ignored Yu IlHan's nude fashion show. Even while thinking that he was over exaggerating things.

Yu IlHan had a nice sleep throughout the night.

The reason why he could keep his vitality is of course, something to do with finding something to do endlessly, but it also had to do with him being able to enjoy sleep.

His sleeping time, which wasn't too long, nor too short, gave him the strength to live a new day. Although, there were times where this 'new day' had become two or three days due to being immersed in training or work.

So, Yu IlHan was more proficient in sleeping than his spearmanship or his metalwork. If one had to pick the one who could sleep the most completely and efficiently, he might take 1st place in the universe. (T/N: may be multiverse)

And perhaps due to that, on Yu IlHan's retina, after he woke up in the morning after a good sleep, a line came up quietly.

[You have awakened Resting Lv Max. Efficiency of all acts of rest increases dramatically. If you have the skill evolution materials, you may evolve the skill to the next stage.]

"Wow, what an alarm!"

Yu IlHan shouted while kicking the blanket. He didn't know that such a skill existed!

When Erta, who was sleeping on top of his head, woke up and saw the situation, opened her mouth wide, dumbfounded.

[Resting skill? Just when did you learn a skill with a difficulty of acquiring rank of SSS!?]

"SSS rank? This thing is harder to learn than R*s*ng*n!?"(E/N: this author is crack up)

[Just how did you learn it? Even I didn't learn it yet! Moreover, I heard that levelling it up was more difficult than acquring it……]

Yu IlHan replied honestly.

"I researched how to sleep more comfortably at nights in those several centuries."

[There was a reason I couldn't acquire it……]

"Beds are science!" (T/N: a popular advert in Korea. "Beds aren't furniture. Beds are science", refer to 'I make them – 3' chapter)

[Shut up!]

This was the moment Yu IlHan counterattacked for the inventory magic!

"But what do you use this skill for?"

[For sleeping and resting well, of course.]

"If it's just that, there's no way you should be so shocked."

Erta obediently spilled the beans when she heard what Yu IlHan pointed out sharply. Yu IlHan was well-versed in this, perhaps due to reading so many books and now had the ability to read the meaning behind actions. and in the first place, she also didn't have any intention on hiding it.

[Well, it did become the time for me to explain to you about skill evolution.]

"Oh, as expected."

Awakening, in other words, it was just that the Akashic Records haven't realized, but the Resting Skill was already on Yu IlHan from the beginning. and a max level one at that.

However, Yu IlHan had no memory of getting any effects from this skill. Moreover, he had only awakened it now even though he had slept everyday. In other words, it means that the usability of this Resting skill is very small.

Also, if the ability's effects ended with just that, there was no way Erta would have become so fussed about it when she always talks about being a higher existence.

[Skill evolutions are an extension of skill acquiring, and it's a type of achievement, and it has a similar definition to advancing classes.]

The answer lay in the 'skill evolution' that appeared when the said skill is trained to the limits.

[It could be said to be a guidance from the Akashic Records to offer a new path of a higher order with the special records that the existence has piled up until now.]

"I'm alright so say it easily as you always did."

[The skill becomes so OP that it makes a plastic surgery ad of 'Before After' laughable.]

"Good, much better."

The skills that had the conditions fulfilled for evolution that Yu IlHan had were Close Combat, Spearmanship, Concealment, and lastly, Resting.

Dismantling and Blacksmithing were both Max as well, but these two didn't have a next stage. In other words, it meant that Yu IlHan's techniques had already reached the peak.

[Let's forget concealment since you can't even use it as an active skill, and let's exclude close combat and spearmanship as well since the requirements for evolving them are too difficult for your current level. This is also the reason I didn't mention anything about skill evolution until now.]

"So Resting's a bit different, eh?"

Yu IlHan's point was correct. The skill evolution materials for Resting skill that Erta knew was different to the evolution materials of other skills.

[Why don't you check? You already know how to use status windows, right? It's sufficient for you to think up that you want to know the materials for skill evolution for the Resting skill.]

When he obediently did as Erta said. All the requirements for evolving the Resting skill had appeared in front of his eyes.

[The hearts of monsters of sleeping 2nd class monsters 0/500]

[Troll's blood 0/500 litres]

[Good sleep 0/100 hours]

[3rd class monster's magic stone 0/1]

There was a quest that didn't seem possible even if all the 7.4 billion people of Earth were mobilized.

Author's notes

The arc hasn't ended yet! This arc is slightly long

Yu IlHan has the niche for rhyming. (T/N: Lost in translation, in fact I couldn't find them in the raws, blame my eyes)

What's the main meal for those monsters if they don't eat other monsters? It will be mentioned in the future, but the answer is mana!

Rasengan's acquiring difficulty is A rank.(E/N: pretty keen on seeing that acutally)

Erta's role is to help Yu IlHan awaken and use mana. But this isn't something he can learn just because he's taught! Just by Erta, a higher existence, being next to him, his mana is stimulated and activated so that the 'speed of adapting to mana' which originally should have taken him several years, is speeding up rapidly. Erta sticking to him is just because of that on the surface! I tried to explain using the chapters but it seemed like my explanations were lacking TT.

The motif for the resting skill was taken from the trolls from mabinogi. It was the first time I saw a monster plopping down on the ground to rest in a game. (T/N: I don't play mabinogi)

Translator's notes

You know, for the skill evolution, I remember being so shocked when I first read it, but now that I read it, it doesn't seem difficult. As in the latest chapter MC @#$%*%$#@#$%%$#

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 23: You Want to Hunt With Me!? (5)

You Want to Hunt With Me!? (5)

"You said it was different!"

Yu IlHan shouted, enraged at the unfair reality. However, Erta also shouted with a justified face.

[It is different! Why don't you take a look at the skill evolution condition for spearmanship!]

He did as she said.

[Instakill a 3rd class monster with a piercing strike 0/500]

[Instakill a 3rd class monster with a slashing strike 0/500]

[Magic stones of 3rd class monsters 0/200]

[Magic stone of 4th class monster 0/1]

"Oh my Xel'naga."

As Erta said, it was definitely different. And it was the difference between Mount Baekdu and Mount Everest! (T/N: Mount Baekdu is about 2.2km high)

"That doesn't mean that it's easy to climb mount Baekdu!"

[I thought it will be easy for you.]

Erta had evaluated him correctly, but perhaps due to his force he emited when he was making the Traps of Destruction was too big, she was now inclining towards overevaluating him.

"No matter how high my status is and how high my martial art levels are, in the end, I'm just level 28, and I can't use mana."

[Oh yeah, you were like that, weren't you. 3rd class might be a little difficult for you.]

The wall of mana was absolute. According to whether one could use mana or not, the power one could produce differed like heaven and earth.

The reason how Yu IlHan can produce an attack power that can overwhelm other people is due to the peak level martial art that was trained to the peak and went over the piled up status on his body. If he was lacking in any of the two, he would have been overtaken by another person.

In reverse, if Yu IlHan acquired the ability to use mana in this situation, then the definition of 'levels' and 'classes' that the Akashic Records, which ruled the worlds, may be shaken by him, much less the life forms.

That day will arrive soon. It must arrive.

Erta realized that she was inwardly looking forward to that moment and she stopped thinking. Even during that, Yu IlHan was tidying up his bed, washing his face, and changing his clothes while complaining.

"Just where do you want me to go kill trolls? Do they even appear on Earth?"

[Monsters don't only refer to the existences evolved from the original animals on Earth. If mana activates, the monsters that didn't exist on Earth will start apearing. It's the same as ores that weren't on Earth appearing. Like a lobster cannot live on other environments than 1st class waters, there are many life-forms which cannot live unless the concentration of mana reaches a certain point, in this universe.]

"Did you major in the faculty of explanation or something?"

Yu IlHan cleared things up while complaining at Erta's perfect explanation. Even if he goes out in pajamas, no one would realize him due to the passive concealment, but he didn't want to admit that as he even put on the Direwolf Skull Mask.

"Let's see."

The reason he turned on the TV just before he went out was because of the thought that the TV may broadcast him the results of the Trap of Destruction that should have activated yesterday. Erta told him to not mind about it, but how ocould he? A master had to take responsibility for the item he makes.

However, on TV, a scene out of his expectations was being broadcasted.

"……Isn't that the scene where I fought two days ago?"

[You mean the square you left the Giant Leopard's corpse.]

The view of the video was shaking as it was taken from a helicopter, but the scene the camera was showing was without a doubt, the place a lot of people, including Yu IlHan had fought the gigantic leopard.

Some high-rise buildings had collapsed miserably, and in some places, even the rubble matched so this wasn't a recording.

However.

"To think they divided that up in such a short period of time. That's interesting."

He couldn't find any traces of the huge leopard's body, even after he rubbed his eyes. the mountains of leopard meat that Yu IlHan had left on the scene was also gone. With only traces of the battle, the corpse, and the large number of humans had cleanly disappeared.

[……It may be a bit different to what you're thinking.]

At that moment, Erta spoke with a slightly stiff voice. When Yu IlHan was about to ask back while tilting his head, he could hear a voice from the screen.

[The place which had the 2nd class monster's corpse, is, as you see, clean. It had disappeared along with the people who were fighting over the spoils of war after the battle.]

"……What?"

It didn't take long for Yu IlHan to realize that something was wrong.

[Some are saying that a dungeon had opened and swallowed them. The authorities are mentioning the possibility that a dungeon's entrance may have opened in the middle of the city, and are cautioning not to approach this area and……]

The broadcaster's words continued, but Yu IlHan couldn't focus on that. His eyes trembled.

"There's no way it's a dungeon."

[So you know well.]

Erta nodded her head. Her expression was frozen codly like an ice field.

[The dungeons in Korea have already gone through their 1st activation. If new monsters appear due to the activation of mana, then there maybe a possibility of new dungeons appearing at that time, but it definitely isn't now.]

"That means."

Immediately after Yu IlHan muttered. The camera screen which was showing the ruined city, instantly colored black with a loud crash sound. Immediately after that, the screen changed to the news desk and showed the dumbfounded news caster.

The news caster tried to hide the ripples, and said 'It seems there is an accident at the scene' and was proceeding to cover it up, but Yu IlHan had already seen through the situation.

"There was another monster."

[……So you saw it.]

"Of course I did. Its strategy seems familiar."

Yu IlHan had acquired almost all martial arts and methods to move his body in 1000 years. However, this was limited to human techniques, there was no way he would be able to realize the technique that monsters used.

However, Yu IlHan had seen through it. What did this mean? The answer was already there.

Concealment, it was a master of concealment.

"It was definitely a leopard. And it was a pitch black one too. ……Erta, you."

[I didn't know either. The giant leopard was definitely dead, and you even procured its magic stone. 99.99% of monster hunting end at that point.]

"What about the 0.01%?"

[If it was pregnant with a child.]

"I knew it."

Yu IlHan facepalmed. He felt like he would collapse just from that so he had to endure while clenching his teeth.

The black-furred leopard that appeared for an instant on the screen, was the child of the Giant Leopard that died 2 days ago.

[If you dismantled it properly, then this wouldn't have happened. In the end, this is a disaster that was called forth by human greed.]

"I had to take a step back at that time."

[Although it's true that the black leopard was born as a result of you not dismantling it, but that doesn't make you responsible for that disaster.]

To Yu IlHan, who was muttering bitterly, Erta retorted with a bitter smile.

[You can't make a mistake about that. Please look back at the reason why you had no choice but to leave that corpse there.]

"I have no regrets about my actions then. However, I can't take the deaths of countless people lightly. Among them, there were some who I rescued, and some who showed me good will, and some who intended to take it fairly."

Yu IlHan's despair was bigger than she thought. Erta still hadn't understood him fully. Erta despaired for a bit when she realized that obvious fact just now.

She thought that she wanted to console Yu IlHan. After that, she thought about why this situation occurred. Just why did a higher existence such as her couldn't see through the existence of that monster.

[If you want to talk about mistakes, then it's with me. I should have thought more deeply about the reason why the Giant Leopard had gone in a frenzy.]

"So it was to hide its offspring?"

[It's definitely to hide its child in its womb that it had gone in a frenzy when it was near death. Originally, it might have fooled humans, but it shouldn't have fooled me but……]

Yu IlHan thought up of the black leopard's figure which appeared on the TV screen a moment ago.

"Concealment. This is the reason why you couldn't find it."

[Yes. It's an amazing condition. Even I don't act while thinking that a frenzied monster had a child and that child's special ability is concealment.]

Moreover, Yu IlHan, who had max level dismantling and could dismantle even a huge animal's body in a short time, didn't completely dismantle it.

Thanks to the humans' skirmish, the dismantling of the huge monster was postponed, and as a result, the black leopard was born safely and had……

Thinking like that, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the birth of the black leopard was a miracle.

"I wish that it wasn't, though."

Yu IlHan asked while looking at the panicked and sweaty expression of the news caster inside the screen.

"Is it a 3rd class?"

[Considering it's abnormal concealment ability, it probably is.]

At Erta's report, Yu IlHan heaved a sigh and turned the TV off. It was just a moment ago when he concluded that he couldn't win against a 3rd class monster, and now… he felt frustrated.

However, he couldn't leave it like that as if he did, there was no knowing how many accidents it would cause. Moreover, although he might be taken over by the people who were doing quests in other worlds, Yu IlHan was still the strongest on Earth. If he pulled out saying he couldn't kill it, then just who would be able to confront it?

Finally, although there was no one looking for him to be responsible for this, Yu IlHan himself couldn't stay still as he felt disturbed. To Yu IlHan, who always thought that he should clean up what he's done, that leopard was a mess that he had to clean up with his own hands.

He thought up of the figures of the soldiers who were looking at him with admiration, and the figures of the people who cheered after they survived the ordeal.

He subconsciouly clenched his fists.

"I should prepare."

[Are you confident?]

"It maybe a bit difficult to deal with it alone, but if I make the necessary preparations, it isn't an opponent I should fear so much, is it?"

Unlike the Yu IlHan, who always thought up his path of survival first, he looked very spirited. Erta slightly wondered at that fact, but the reason for Yu IlHan's confidence was extremely simple.

It was because the ability of the leopard, which is expected to be 3rd class, was concealment.

If it was a case where its stats were all put into strength or defense, then he wouldn't know, but if its special ability was concealment, then there was no reason to fear! Since Yu Ilhan, who had mastered concealment without even training for it!

Immediately after Yu IlHan showed his confidence, he asked Erta with a careful voice.

"……It's not awesomely strong in strength and defense even after all that, right?"

[Your predictions are correct to a point so don't worry. It's impossible for an existence to show exceptional ability in all areas. That's especially the case with monsters. In that leopard's case, to gain its high concealment ability, its other stats would have decreased.]

"So it's like that, eh……"

Yu IlHan thought and left the house. Just by his feelings, he wanted to kill it after levelling up massive amounts, but he couldn't let it free in the middle of the city. if it was a dungeon instead, then he might have left it alone, but as it was a living, and a 3rd class monster specialising in concealment at that, he couldn't do that.

Kill that monster after making equipments optimized for killing it in as little time as possible and kill it. This was the best method. If that didn't work, then he would just run.

Also, there was another method to decrease casualties while killing it.

"A man shouldn't speak two things with his mouth though……"

But there was no helping it. There were a lot of things in this world more important than a man's pride.

Yu IlHan licked his lips even while unhesitatingly heading towards a public phone booth he had marked beforehand. Then he checked the ID card that he received two days ago, and entered the Empress', Kang Mirae's, phone number, clumsily with his fingers.

This was the beginning of the strategy to save the front line with the dropout and the Empress.

Author's notes

Oh my Xel'naga : In the starcraft world, protosses treat their creators, Xel'naga, as their God. and this line became famous from that. Oh my God! – it's the same nunace as that. Of course, Yu IlHan isn't a protoss!

The most awkward thing in the scenario progress is the fact that Erta didn't notice the existence of the black leopard. A mere 3rd class had deceived a higher existence with concealment!? I will be thankful if you just think that it's a result from the mother leopard's frenzy. You should know from the flow of my story, but in this story, human effort or parental love can easily surpass the limits

There were many readers who predicted that the child of the leopard would appear. However, it's not a pet! It clearly knows the enemy of its mother! (T/N: Don't blame my translation for those who thought it was a zombie)

It doesn't mean that he will get in to a permanent party just because of the shared plan with the Empress. Whether you want a party with her, or not, please watch!

Translator's notes

People are taking a liking to Erta now, eh? Me too. I'm just like you. Rita ftw, Erta ftw, Empress go away. Will there be new girls? Should I spoil?

Also, it seems like when MC dismantled 'half' of the giant leopard for the empress, it seemed like he had cut the 'front' half, and not the 'left' or 'right' half.

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 24: You Want to Hunt with Me!? (6)

You Want to Hunt with Me!? (6)

[……You called me quite early, haven't you?]

Kang MiRae's voice over the phone sounded very surprised. Although unintentional, Yu IlHan, who felt like he was a cheap man, retorted bitterly.

"You saw the TV, right?"

[……Yes, you mean the one about the dungeon that appeared in the middle of the city?]

"That's not a dungeon. It's a monster. And it's a strong monster which has a concealment ability."

[……So it was like that.]

There was no need for an additional explanation for Kang MiRae. Just with that, she had seen through the situation and fell into thought.

He felt like he could hear her thoughts. Yu IlHan waited for her answer while wanting to end the call quickly and go back to his workshop, and he could hear an answer soon.

[I see what happened. It seems very dangerous.]

"I'm planning to kill it. Of course, I don't have any intentions in forcing you to do it."

Although he actually wanted to take her there even if he had to drag her by the arm, there was no way he could force a person to help with killing a monster which was estimated to be in its 3rd class. If she rejected, Yu IlHan was planning to go alone.

However, Kang MiRae unexpectedly replied confidently.

[I don't have any plans on backing out. I also had a fault for not thinking about the fact that monsters would remain at that place. However, I need some preparation. Just in case, I will contact the government and the military.]

"I also have to prepare things, so I will call you again in a while."

[I understand.]

Just how amazing was she that she said she would call the government and the military like asking a next door lady? – Although he wanted to ask that, there was no way he would get an answer. He just felt satisfied that the rope that he got a hold of was stronger than he expected.

After Yu IlHan ended the call, he headed to his workshop. The Eternal Flame was still burning in his fireplace, and the metals including harkanium were also keeping their place. Well, in fact, Yu IlHan didn't even need to worry since the entire workshop was protected by the angels' protection magic.

In fact, the things he were worried about was the byproducts of the Giant Leopard. The bones and leather amounted to of the entire leopard. As he did the basic processing on them after he came back fron the hunt with the help of Erta, he could go into work straight away.

"Good, shall I start?"

[What are you planning to make? There are not enough to make a defensive equipment, and even if you make a weapon, it will be impossible to surpass your steel spear.]

Although he couldn't use the leather as a whole as there were holes in various places, it didn't hinder at all what Yu IlHan was about to make right now. Whether Erta looked curious or not, he didn't pay any mind and went into work.

First, he selected the thickest of the bones and intentinally shaved it roughly. He also carved out some bits on the surface to make spikes from place to place to look like a spinal bone.

[……I asked you what you were making.]

Erta, who got mad easily as her pride was high, kept speaking on top of Yu IlHan's head. She honestly looked cute so Yu IlHan smiled and replied to her.

"A pillar."

[A pillar?]

As the answer was too unexpected, Erta blinked her eyes. Well, the carved bone did indeed look like a pillar. it easily reached over 2m, and had a thickness comparable to a person's entire body. It was a size that made one estimate just how big of a monster the Giant Leopard was.

However, what was the reason that he had to make a pillar? Her head was full of question marks. This happened several times after she came down for his support.

"I didn't say anything since I already knew you would react in such way. Wait a little more. You will know soon."

If a person made one object, then naturally, it would take less time for that person to make the same object. This was because the person would find the trick and remember the experience after trial and error.

And the master of labor, Yu IlHan, had peak-level techniques to reduce the time taken by half when making another item of the same object.

[This makes no sense.]

"It's just finding the trick to it. The trick."

[You will keep saying that it's the trick, aren't you !?]

"Yes!"

As expected, Yu IlHan held grudges.

[Be honest, you can already use mana, right?]

"Then why would I do such a bothersome work like this? I would have gone to beat that leopard up already."

One pillar, two pillars, four pillars……In a blink of an eye, the number of pillars increased and in the end, 6 huge bones were made into spiked pillars. The characteristic trait was that it had a hole at the head.

[Hmm, I think I kinda get it.]

"Right?"

[You're planning to make a giant-only necklace by connecting them all up, right?]

"Go back to pre-school."

The pillar ended with six. The things that Yu IlHan made next was very obvious in Erta's eyes.

[This is a spear.]

"It's not."

And Yu IlHan denied her as always. He selected and sharpened some bones which were a bit thinner than the pillars but not shorter, and in Erta's eyes, it was definitely a spear.

However, when work progressed, Erta also changed her expression. It was after she saw Yu IlHan make a hook at the end of the blade.

[……So it isn't a spear but an harpoon, isn't it?]

"Yes."

In spearmanship, there was method of using spear called javelin throwing. In the first place, there were cases where javelins were differntiated to spears.

The thing Yu IlHan was making right now, was a harpoon, which was a type of a javelin to throw at the prey, pierce it and drag it. Piercing power was obvious and it was important that it wouldn't be pulled back out once it had pierced something.

Like the pillars, he had made 6 harpoons. Of course, he didn't forget to make a hole at the end of the body.

This took him a mere 30 minutes. It was an impossible working speed, but Erta, who had watched him making Traps of Destruction until now, it wasn't that amazing.

[You're planning to make a rope now, aren't you?]

"Correct."

There was a harpoon and there was a pillar. What was left was just the rope that connects the two! Yu IlHan turned his gazes towards the leather of the Giant Leopard.

It wouldn't do with just an ordinary rope. He had to make a rope that wouldn't snap even with a 3rd class monster at the opponent.

[How cruel of you to kill the offspring with the mother's bones and leather……]

"I can attract aggro, it's all good."

He used the knife to cut the leather equally to make strings, and he twisted a few of them together to make strong ropes.

Although there were a lot of leather, as he was proficient in labor, it was possible for him to make 6 amazingly strong and amazingly long ropes in just 30 minutes. As there were 6 of several tens of meters of ropes, just piling them up would have considerable weight.

"Now."

[There's still something else!?]

At this point, Erta was already shocked at Yu IlHan's ability, but Yu IlHan didn't stop. The magic stone of the Giant Leopard he earned after achieving the MVP in front of everyone! He grabbed it and stood in front of the harpoon.

Erta was dumbfounded. She didn't understand why Yu IlHan put every material he had into making a single weapon.

[Don't you feel wasteful?]

"How could I?"

However, Yu IlHan had a different way of thinking from Erta from the beginning.

"The only thing I value is my life alone."

He immediately went into mana crafting.

The thing he wanted was an enhancement as a whole. Sturdy pillars which won't get pulled out easily, strong ropes that won't snap, sharp harpoon which won't let go of its prey after biting it!

The mana crafting skill, which, thanks to producing Traps of Destruction with the angels, rose exponentially in proficiency and have become level 11, supported him. 6 pillars and 6 harpoons, and the 6 ropes that connected them all emitted light simultaenously.

[Violent Cruel Leopard Hunter's Harpoon was completed.]

[Mana Crafting has become level 12.]

What was more, his mana crafting activation time was even reduced. Not even 20 seconds after he started, the magic stone Yu IlHan held in his hand disappeared and the harpoons, pillars, and the ropes became one set of attack artifact. At that time, Erta grumbled.

[Please bear in mind that mana crafting isn't a skill which always succeeds, okay?]

"Oh, an alpha and beta option again."

[And please remember that options don't always attach!]

Ignoring Erta who was grumbling for some reason, Yu IlHan confirmed the stats of the completed harpoon.

[Violent Cruel Leopard Hunter's Harpoon]

[Rank – Unique]

[Attack Power – 1,050]

[Options – Critical hit rate and damage increases by 20%, binding force increases by 20%]

[Durability – 960/960]

[A hunter's harpoon made from Giant Leopard's bones and leather. Due to an exceptinal maker, it was completed with an absurd strength and performance.]

"Akashic Record, this guy knows some stuff."

[And it's a higher ranking option too……]

Of course, options had ranks as well. Although it was difficult to differentiate just by the name, if one looked at the performance of the completed artifact, then it would be obvious.

Considering hte fact that options usually increased an area by 5% or 10%, 'violent' and 'cruel' were definitely higher ranking options.

"It came out twice as better as I expected. This should be sufficient."

[And the fact that you always underevaluate yourself didn't change, eh.]

"The trick to winning is to plan something that would work in a worst case scenario."

He nonchalantly retorted and skillfully tied the harpoon to his back. Then, he left the work shop and headed to a public phone booth again. It was because it was necessary to set a time to start attacking it with the Empress.

[Are you ready? I'm heading towards the scene slowly at the moment.]

As if she had seen through that the call was from him, the Empress, Kang MiRae, immediately asked that. Yu IlHan rapidly replied.

"Don't enter. It has a concealment ability so you may get ambushed."

Although it should be 2 days ago when it should have been born, judging from the live TV from a few hours ago, it didn't leave that place and was staying there.

And that reason could be known too. It was waiting for them at that scene. To receive the price in blood from the people who killed its mother!

Although it would be the same with anyone who entered its area, Kang MiRae, who killed the Giant Leopard with Yu IlHan had to be especially careful. Especially since she didn't have a physical attack related job.

[We're prepared for that though…… Are you planning something else for that?]

"Yes."

He smiled after confirming the object on his back.

His workshop was 20 minutes away from the battle scene, even by normal people's standards. He would probably arrive much earlier than Kang MiRae.

"It won't be able to use its concealment. So wait until then."

[……I will believe and leave it to you.]

Although he didn't understand how she would believe in him even though they had only fought together once or twice, Yu IlHan felt good as he felt that she had acknowledged him. He had no memory of acquainting himself properly with anyone before he was left out from humanity, much less the thousand years of his dropout.

It was truly a good thing to be connected to another person, no matter what the method. Although he was tearfully sad that he had realized that just now, he endured since this wasn't the time to cry.

"Believe as much as you want."

He retorted lightly and ended the call. His footsteps coming out of the phone booth had became a level lighter. The already fast running speed had become even faster. The armor worn on his body, and even the heavy pillars and harpoons that he had on his back weren't able to slow down his steps.

Now was the time to hunt for real.

Author's notes

End of book one. Next chapter, Yu IlHan's remarkable activities will start.

Translator's notes

This author splits his books every 25 chapters. (prologue was chapter 0)

Starting next book is paid chapters, yay!

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 25: Call me Ishmael (1)

Call me Ishmael (1)

Yu IlHan stopped his steps while he was running.

Although the sky was still blue as ever when he looked up, the unsafe aura mixed in the air was stimulating Yu IlHan. The killing intent, which was released indiscriminately without a target, told Yu IlHan that this place was not peaceful.

Although he was definitely in the middle of Seoul, his eyesight spotted almost nothing. This was because all the things in the surroundings had collapsed as if there had been a war. While thinking that everyone had rampaged, whether it was the humans or the monsters, Yu IlHan scanned the surroundings as if it didn't have anything to do with him.

[……There it is.]

Lucky. The black leopard was nearby. Although it was impossible to confirm its size as it kept moving, as the monster was moving leisurely as if it asuumed that its concealment was umatched under the heavens, it was easy to find its location, much less its movement path.

It wasn't aware of Yu IlHan's position yet.

"Then."

While watching it, Yu IlHan pulled down one of the pillars from his back extremly naturally.

"Hup!"

Then he struck in on the ground. The pillar, which had become an artifact, softly pierced deep into the ground at once like a candle to a cake.

"First, the other side.

It should have noticed Yu IlHan by now, with this. He ran fast while preparing for its attack, and nailed pillar(b) in a place 100m away from pillar(a). It was a much faster speed compared to when he nailed pillar(a)

As he didn't confirm its exact size, he put the rest of the pillars and the harpoons on the ground first. Although he didn't want to believe that it was bigger than its mother, carelessness would cause death. He decided to move while considering every possibility.

"But."

Yu IlHan tilted his head after finishing it.

"In my calculation, it should have attacked at least once while I was nailing pillar(b) into the ground, but why is it still moving around this place?"

[Is it looking for an opening to attack?]

"An opening, eh."

Yu IlHan exposed that opening right now on purpose. His first objective was to attack and fix in place, the leopard which would assault him, as it would be confident in its concealment ability.

However, it didn't attack him. Even though there was no opening greater than this. Did it lack in hunting ability as a compensation for its concealment? But even so, it's a 3rd class monster, should it be fine for it to be so lacking?

[Isn't it that.]

At that moment, Erta spoke carefully.

[It can't find you?]

"……"

Yu IlHan was speechless. He thought 'no way'.

No matter how he had a passive concealment ability, he had walked around while nailing two huge and thick pillars into the ground. The fact that his enemy couldn't notice him even despite that was too strange.

[However, it's not like you directly attacked the black leopard, right?]

"Yes."

[Because of that, isn't it that your concealment didn't wear off?]

"But what about these pillars and the harpoons? And what about the installed ones right there?"

[It should be under concealment along with you, right?]

"……"

Although Yu IlHan tried to retort to Erta's sophistry, no words came out of his mouth. It was because he also thought it was like that even when he thought about it. Otherwise, this situation was inexplicable.

"To think that it couldn't notice even though I was setting traps right in front of its eyes…..!"

[You're a superstar born for assassination. Why don't you earn an assassin as your subclass on your next advancement?]

"Kuuuk……!"

How could it be so insulting, even though it was supposed to be a good thing!? He couldn't even accept Erta's praise.

Anyway, it was definite that this situation was extremly in his favor. Yu IlHan swallowed his rage and returned to pillar(a) slowly, and picked up the harpoon(a) connected to it, which was connected to the pillar with a leather rope.

His body remembered the length of the rope. It would sufficiently hold out this distance!

The black leopard also seemed to have felt something as it didn't leave this place. Well, it would fail as a monster if it couldn't even feel anything strange even after the ground was cracked and two huge bone pillars were pierced into the ground.

Yu IlHan calmly picked up harpoon(a) and aimed at it. At that moment, he felt strength filling his body. Not only the 10% additional damage due to concealment, the 10% additional damage from spearmanship was also added. He inwardly exclaimed delightfully that harpoons were under spears.

"……Fuu."

After taking a small, deep breath, he accurately aimed at its leg while putting strength into his hands. With an accuracy that will be able to destroy that part! The leopard still hadn't noticed Yu IlHan, and at one moment.

"Hup!"

With a strange shout, Yu IlHan threw the harpoon. Was the mana crafting that was done prior to the weapon's completion effective? Like a bullet leaving the barrel, the harpoon, which pierced through the air rapidly, pierced the left thigh of the leopard, when it was about to pass the collapsed building!

"[KuuuuAAAaaaa!]"

"Wow."

A scream that felt like the world was collapsing. Yu IlHan softly exclaimed and jumped backwards. It was because its concealment had worn off as it was bound to the pillar because it allowed an attack to hit, and its whole body had appeared.

Erta, who confirmed its size properly, softly muttered while clicking her tongue.

[It's about half the size of its mother…… However, it's definitely a 3rd class monster.]

"I know when I look at that."

Yu IlHan confirmed the half nailed harpoon and like her, he said while clicking his tongue.

Fortunately, the harpoon had held out and didn't get pulled out even despite its rampage, but it was not a small shock that the harpoon he had thrown with all his strength in addition to the effects of concealment and spearmanship, had only pierced by half.

[If it was a proper 3rd class monster, even that wouldn't have happened. You should think it's fortunate that it specialized in concealment.]

"I know. I know already."

[KiiiiIIiii……!]

it's enraged growl shook Yu IlHan's eardrums. Its eyes looking at Yu IlHan was abnormally red. This was dangerous – the moment he thought that, it assaulted towards Yu IlHan like a released arrow.

[KiiAaaooOOOoooo!]

However, during its powerful leap, the leather rope connected to the harpoon became taut and made it smash the ground. The rope was awesome as expected of a master's handicraft!

Yu IlHan, who had already expected this situation picked up harpoon(b) connected to pillar(b) and ran in. Then, he pierced the harpoon on its right shoulder with all his strength!

[Critical Hit!]

[KuAAAaaaaaa!]

Thanks to the unexpected critical hit, harpoon(b) pierced deeper into its body than harpoon(a). While piercing deep to the point that it was almost buried, it had scattered blood on Yu IlHan's face.

[KrrrRaaaAAAa!]

The black leopard, which was done in twice by the same tactic, became enraged and swung its front paw. It was the first strong and quick strike that he experienced with a monster as the opponent.

As it was a 3rd class monster, there was too much of a difference in basic stats and mana usability, no matter what. Yu IlHan had also expected that pulling out safely after striking from a close distance was impossible.

However, it was very possible to defend after predicting its actions.

"Kuk!"

It struck its front paw head on into Yu IlHan's arms, which he had crossed in front of him just before he was struck.

An enormous pressure descended upon him. It was a strong strike to the point that he lost his breath.

[KyyaaaAoOOoo!]

"Huuuuap!"

However, he didn't break any bones. It was because the bone blades which popped out the moment he was struck reduced the damage as first defence, and the leather armor which had all of his leather processing techniques applied to it, had reduced it again.

Although the bone blades on both of his arms became broken, when he thought that he had exchanged his arms for it, it was acceptable. Blades could be stored up later!

[It's so frustrating that it actually helps……!]

"Fuu, fuu."

Although Erta was speaking considerably leisurely as if he had already grapsed victory, Yu IlHan, who was doing the actual fighting, wasn't that leisurely. It was because he still couldn't escape its area of influence.

[KyuGAaooooOO!]

While suppresing the pain he felt from his two arms, immediately after he pulled out backwards, it made blade-like winds while violently slashing apart the air with its front paw.

Yu IlHan, who thought that it had simply cut apart the air, had to become pale and duck the next moment.

Since the wind had become a blade and was flying at him!

"What is that!?"

[It's a skill, what else could it be!?]

While dodging by stepping backwards hurriedly, Yu Ilhan picked up pillar(c) which he had left on the ground

During that, the black leopard fell down due to the rope which bound him before it could charge at Yu IlHan, then it tried to pull the harpoon out which bound him by rampaging but only bled. Then, in the end, after confirming that there was a leather rope connected to the harpoon, it raised its claws.

[Throw the harpoon before it tears off the rope!]

"I know!"

Yu IlHan inwardly felt that he was in a mess even while percing pillar(c) into the ground hurriedly. He had never imagined that it had a long-ranged slashing skill!

Honestly, he had thought that the monsters he had fough until now were just ordinary animals, just enhanced hugely, so he had only thought that it would work if he had a strong harpoon.

However, reality was different. And it will become more different in the future.

'So I have to fight with even stronger things than that in the future.'

First, he had to start by throwing away his common knowledge. Going further, it was important to prepare various strategies and weapons to fight against any monsters! This was the moment Yu IlHan had a realization bigger than anything.

"Hup!"

However, whether he earned a realization or not, it was important to kill the being in front of him right now. Yu IlHan, who dodged the second set of wind blades that came at him by rollin on the ground, stood up after picking up harpoon(c). Then, he shot it before it could attack again!

[KyaaaAAAaaaa!]

The harpoon pierced deep into its left paw. Even if it manges to cut the rope apart, unless it could pull out the harpoon completely, it wouldn't be able to use wind blade with that foot again! Erta spoke out in surprise.

[So you have talent in throwing spears as well, don't you?]

"Call me Ishmael."

Yu IlHan still hadn't given up on the Moby Dick joke. However, going by how Yu IlHan became more positive the worse the situation became, the situation was not that easy to solve.

Although it was good to bind it using harpoons, he had no methods of damaging it, when it was rampaging so much.

At that moment, the person who could solve this situation had arrived. Yu IlHan noticed that thanks to the noisy engine sounds…… engine?

"So you really did seal its concealment!"

The empress who had arrived on an armored vehicle that looked very sturdy even at a glance.

"Twin Lightning!"

[KuGYYyaaaaAAAACCkkka!]

With an absurd level of lightning magic, which was capable of stunning a 3rd class monster!

Author's notes

N/A

Translator's notes

Paid chapters starting this chapter.

Editor's notes

Sorry about the delay and uneditied chapters guys . I got food poisoning and was out of action for a day

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 26: Call me Ishmael (2)

Call me Ishmael (2)

The black leopard which got hit by a strong bolt of lightning collapsed on the ground with a boom. As the three ropes that bound him became taut, it damaged the body even further.

Immediately after that, the armored vehicle Kang MiRae was driving arrived near Yu IlHan and stopped. Kang MiRae, who peeked out her body a little through the window had a small bottle in her mouth, and inside, something luminescent could be seen. Now that he thought about it, she was also wearing a metal mask which covered her nose to her forehead and not the H*lk mask.

"Just how did you bind such a monster?"

"That's what I want to say."

To say the magic just now from Kang MiRae was 1st class magic, it was too strong. Of course, as they weren't in a situation for him to ask that, Yu IlHan retorted and just kicked off the ground. In his hands was pilllar(d).

"Here!"

Bang! Yu IlHan ended up becoming proficient in nailing pillars into the ground as only one chop down with the pillar, pillar(d) had dug deep into the ground.

After fixing it firmly with a punch, he aimed harpoon(d) which was connected to it towards the black leopard which was just lifting its body up.

[KuYuuuu! KuFuAAAaaaa!]

The leopard didn't seem to have gotten rid of the electric shock despite lifting its body. It had lost its mother before it was even born, and even more, it was bound by its own mother's bones and leather. This was a pitiful scene.

And so, Yu IlHan decided to finish it off quickly.

"Hup!"

[KuooWaaaAAAaaaa!]

Harpoon(d) unerroringly pierced its right paw. At the instantaneous throw and hit, Kang MiRae even panicked for a moment as she couldn't understand the situation.

"Whenever you think you can put a hit in, attack. That guy's so strong so we don't know when the pillars will be pulled out."

"It doesn't seem like it will be pulled out at all, though."

Ignroing Kang MiRae's words, Yu IlHan moved his body again. Although 4 harpoons had pierced its body from 4 directions, it was insufficient to bind it fully.

Most importantly, its mana hadn't depleted yet! As though it had decided to escape the binding's first, it grit its teeth while shooting blade winds onto the leather rope continuously.

[KuAOoooOOOOoooo!]

Yu IlHan checked its state while driving pillar(e) into the ground. If it could use its power through its gaze(E/N: if looks could kill basically), it would have killed Yu IlHan already. A truly overwhelming hostility and muderous intent was endlessly pouring towards him. Even though it had received a considerable hit from Kang MiRae's lightning just now, it didn't seem to mind her at all.

[Ku……KuoOOoooo……!]

"So you want us to die together."

It was a gaze he met a few times while hunting a few animals in order to master dismantling.

Although all existences put life as its foremost priority and do anything and everything in order to protect it, there was a time where its desire for survival would be surpassed by another desire.

Ironically, an existence would shine the most brightly at that moment. It was like a flame that burned even more intensely as it knew the emptiness that comes after it becomes extinguished.

Yu IlHan threw harpoon(e). Striking its left eye, blood gushed out like a fountain.

"It will attack. When can you counterattack?"

Without even checking the results, Yu IlHan asked while escaping that place. Kang MiRae also replied while turning on the armored vehicle's engine.

"If you want pocket change lightning then I can do it now, and I can use a really strong one in 2 minutes!"

"Okay. Please tell me before you use your ultimate attack."

Immediately after he spoke, blade winds flew towards him. He had pierced both of its paws to seal its blade winds, but it didn't seem to mind as it kept swinging its front paw.

Naturally, the paws couldn't endure the shock as blood erupted from them like waterfalls, but the truly formidable thing was that even that blood was mixed into the blades as it shined even more frighteninglly.

[It's also called Blood Buff, but……Simply speaking, it's berserk! It will be stronger so be careful!]

"I knew that was it!"

Immediately after Yu IlHan rolled on the ground, the concrete floor was soundlessly dug deep. It was a place where Yu IlHan was at just now. As if panicking at that scene, the armored vehicle Kang MiRae rode also became louder.

"I don't think I can approach it……!"

While rolling on the ground with pillar(f) in his embrace, Yu IlHan clicked his tongue. The blood blades became more serious and flew all over the place as time went. The leather ropes binding it gradually reached its limits and it was stretching with a worrying sound.

It didn't mind even though the harpoons pierced into its body was ripping its muscles and bones while shaking all over the place, and was going to free itself. It was a movement to take its enemy's life while being sure of its own death!

Kang MiRae, who was in the armored vehicle, kept shooting lightning but it couldn't stun him like it did last time. He had to hold out for 2 minutes!

"Fuu."

Yes. He never thought it would be so easy in the first place. Wasn't it a 3rd calss? How could it be called 3rd class when it became bound due to an preemptive strike and be riddled with holes just like that and even get hit by lightning and die? That was called a punching bag.

"Can't you use some stronger skills to stop it!?"

"How about this!?"

A short reply came. Along with that, a machine gun popped out of the armored vehicle's window and it started shooting towards the black leopard madly. Yu IlHan shouted one syllable while looking at that.

"Ah!"

[You're worried that its hide will be damaged, right?]

"You, from when did you know me so well……?"

If there was one amazing thing, it was the fact that machine gun bullets didn't help at all to the point that it would make Indians shocked. (T/N: I don't know why Indians came out here… maybe from a movie, maybe it's from Moby Dick…?E/N: the author is one strange guy)

There was no need to talk about whether it had a large calibre or whether it was made from special materials. In the first place, due to its violent movements, more than half had missed, and even when they hit, it couldn't even make a mark on its hide. It was overwhelmingly lacking in power and technique.

However, if it was Yu IlHan, it might have been different.'

"Lend me that machine gun!"

"You can even use guns!?"

Kang MiRae voiced out in surprise, which was rare for her. Obviously, the person who mastered all personal weapons over hundreds of years was Yu IlHan. He had the confidence to shoot guns better than anyone than any other humans on Earth that went to a business trip to another world!

Moreover, thanks to the monster running all around the place, he couldn't use his spearmanship or close combat without taking a big risk. It seems that the moment he pierces harpoon(f) into its body will be the moment all the rest of the harpoons will be pulled out harmonically so that was meaningless, if there was any possibility……!

"Just give it to me!"

"Fred, give it to him!"

Although he guessed from the fact that the leopard was still getting hit by lightning despite the machine gun spitting sparks everywhere, it seemed the one shooting the machine gun was not her as expected.

After another wave of its blood blades flew at him, when Yu IlHan nimbly approached the armored vehicle, a heavy belt of bullets came down first. While receiving that, he rolled once more to wrap the belt around his body, then he caught the machine gun which was thrown outside the open door.

"But the machine gun doesn't have much effect……"

Although the brown haired foreigner, Fred, spoke with confusion even while passing the machine gun to Yu IlHan, Yu IlHan ignored him and ran to another side. Blood blades flew and it sliced off the armored vehicle's door.

"Dodge!"

At the same time as Kang MiRae's warning came, the black leopard finally pulled out two of the pillars. This meant that it had exerted enough strength to pull out the pillars even though the leather rope hadn't snapped yet.

"Even so, I really made that harpoon and rope well. It even endured such an enormous strength, right?"

[This is not the time to be positive!]

As the balance which bound him crumbled, the other pillars also became worrying at once. There wasn't much time before it regained freedom!

Even while he was joking with his mouth, Yu IlHan's two hands moved busily to check the state of the gun, connect the bullet belt and load before rolling once again on the ground.

Now, the leopard was only few meters away from him. The rope pulling it from the other side also looked dangerous, and the piillar was already being pulled out little by little. There was no monster like this.

However, Yu IlHan was also locking onto it without being late. Yes. With the machine gun.

"Eat bullets, you alien monsters!"

[This monster's from Earth, though?]

As the machine gun spat fire, one line popped up on Yu IlHan's retina.

[You have awakened Shooting Lv Max.]

Immediately after that, bullets started hitting its left eye, where harpoon(e) had pierced and pulled out from.

[KihyAAAaaaacccccc!]

"Huuuuuup!"

Whether Erta thought that shout was strange or not, Yu IlHan endlessly shot bullets. Even though a human body was supporting the machine gun, he didn't shake at all.

Just how hard was it to shoot bullets into the exact place one wants while ignoring the rebound occuring from shooting the bullets?

However, such a difficult thing was possible for Yu IlHan.

The macine gun bullets, which shot into its eyes continuously called forth a miraculous difference as if it made one wonder it was still the same machine gun that Fred used.

[Kuaaauuuccc, KKKSUXNCCUCCjc!]

A blood waterfall flowed. The black leopard rolled around the ground while screaming sounds that didn't seem like it was from the human realm. Even so, Yu IlHan didn't stop. He nimbly rolled onthe ground to follow it and pulled the trigger after aiming its left eye again!

The machine gun bullets slowly, very slowly broke its bones as they hit in the same spot again and again. To the point that it made one wonder if it was possible to break its brain like this, if it wasn't a 3rd class!

"……Is there some buff on the gun that I don't know about?"

Kang MiRae quietly muttered in shock while looking at that scene. The figure of one little human blocking a huge leopard with a single machine gun seemed grand as if modern civilization was struggling with its last strength in front of the change in environment.

"Magic!"

Yu IlHan shouted.

"Can you do it now!?"

"7 more seconds!"

"Okay! Attack whenever possible!"

"Yes!"

Fortunately, he had enough bullets. Yu IlHan shot bullets into its eyes while calmly moving around to dodge its wildly shot blood blades, and when he thought that about 5 seconds had passed, he threw the machine gun and the bullet belt and jumped.

It was to where pillar(f) and harpoon(f) was.

[KKKyyyYYYYAAAAAAKDSKDKC!]

With a good timing, it pulled out all the pillars from the ground. With five pillars dangling and dragging on the ground, it jumped to the air!

And at that moment.

"Triple Lightning!"

The moment Kang MiRae shortly shouted, Yu IlHan's vision colored in gold. The absurdly strong streak of lightning streaked through the air and hit the black leopard!

Yu IlHan saw that it had lost all its strength and dropping down. However, Kang MiRae voiced out!

"Concealment!"

3rd class monsters were amazing. Even though it was beaten up and burt, to think it still had the mental strength to plan the fight.

Moreover, concealment? It seemed Yu IlHan's guess was wrong. It was trying to leave this place through whatever means possible. After realizing that it wasn't a match for them, it was trying to escape and look for a next chance!

Of course, whether it did or not, Yu IlHan didn't care.

[KaHHHAACCCKKK!]

The shortest, but the most fatal scream resounded out. It was a scream that burst out from Yu IlHan nailing pillar(f) without hesitation into its bloody left eye as it was falling down while activating concealment!

Yu IlHan muttered while clicking his tongue.

"I said it wouldn't work from the beginning."

Bang! The black leopard and Yu IlHan fell onto the ground simultaenousy. Yu IlHan agilely stuck onto its head to lessen the shock, but the black leopard received a double hit without any of that so it was in a near-groggy state.

However, Yu IlHan didn't even rest and moved. He started to tie it up with the rope tying piillar(f) and harpoon(f).

"He… saw through the concealment……"

Just how much surprise does he have to give her in one fight before being satisfied? While Kang MiRae, who leaned powerlessly onto the seat after shooting out lightning, muttered in shock, Yu IlHan tied the leopard's entire body with the rope and as a finisher, he pushed harpoon(f) into its butt, hard.

[You have learned Binding Skill.]

[You can just kill it without tying it up, though……?]

Erta asked in confusion, but Yu IlHan shook his head and distanced himself from the black leopard which couldn't move at all. Then, he slowly approached Kang MiRae who was dumbfoundedly looking at him.

"Wh, what is it?"

Kang MiRae, who felt a type of madness from his movements, asked in a slightly scared tone. If someone who knew the Empress, heard this, then that person would be shocked. In fact, Fred, who was next to him, was also very shocked.

However, Yu IlHan, who didn't know of the Empress' reputation, nor was he interested, declared firmly to her, who was about to run away.

"Aren't we gonna party? Should I eat the experience alone this time too?"

Yu IlHan was a kind adult who does not make the same mistake twice.

Author's notes

N/A

Translator's notes

Tired… Cya

Editor's notes

Enjoy~

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 27: Call Me Ishmael (3)

Call Me Ishmael (3)

Partying was truly simple. It was done with Kang MiRae grabbing the offered hand.

[A party has been made.]

[Party members : 2]

At that moment, truly wondrously, he felt that Kang MiRae was much closer to him than before. It wasn't just a psychological element. It felt as if his five senses had extended and embraced Kang MiRae inside it. Yes, if two existences were put inside one community, this kind of thing was possible.

"What? You're like a person who's partying for the first time……"

"I twitched only because it had been a while."

Yu IlHan, who calmly replied to Kang MiRae's a little too accurate question, thought that he should be more careful in the future and brought out his steel spear and held it. Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he picked up the spear since the battle began.

"Fuu……"

Yu IlHan's gaze on the black leopard which was pouring blood from all over its body, was very cold.

Just how much did he suffer while fighting against that even though he had prepared meticulously!? He didn't have any thoughts in keeping it alive even if it begged on its knees.

Although it would meet death in a few minutes even without him doing anything, he didn't know what it would do in those few minutes. He first took a short, deep breath, then threw the spear with all his remaining strength.

[You have earend 2.938,097 experience.]

[You have become level 36. Strength, Agility, Health, Magic increases by 10.]

[You have earned the record of Lv102 Shadow Leopard.]

After a few lines appeared on his retina, a deep shock assaulted him. The pressure from the change in his physical body by levelling up by 8 levels from level 28 to 36, was very big.

Yu IlHan clenched his teeth while enduring the pain from the squirming of his muscles and bones from the self-evolution. Kang MiRae also seemed to undergo the same thing as she wordlessly shivered inside the car.

"And here, I thought I monopolized it too this time, phew."

Yu IlHan thought that something had gone wrong as he had received an overwhelming experience compared to the Giant Leopard, but it seemed Kang MiRae had received the experience normally. Erta noticed his question and nonchalantly replied.

[There's a huge difference between 3rd class and 2nd class. Of course, 1st class and 2nd class are the same.]

"'That so."

The pain disappeared suddenly like it came. Yu IlHan lightly stretched his body on the spot to adapt to his new physical body, then looked at the black leopard which was slumped down on the ground without life.

More specifically, he looked at its hide.

"That's no good either."

[I wondered why you didn't say that earlier.]

It was a 3rd class monster. No matter how it specialized in concealment and had less durability than other 3rd class monster's hides, it was still leather from a 3rd class monster! If he could make an armor from that, it would surpass the leather armor he was wearing now by a large margin.

Of course, as it was a 3rd class monster, he had to use all means possible in order to kill it. The result was that tattered hide right there.

"Sorry I wasn't strong enough…..!"

[Don't apologize to the leather.]

Yu IlHan cried tears of pity as he dismantled it. Although he couldn't make an armor, there was lots of other things he could do with the leather.

Now that it came to this, he had no choice but to make partial armors. The moment he stuck the knife inside its head while resolving to make the best partial armor on Earth –

"……Huh?"

Yu IlHan voiced out his surprise.

"There's a magic stone?"

[The mother and the child both had magic stones? Such a good luck.]

A magic stone was the remains of the monster's strength. If the mana which should leak out at the moment of the monster's death coagulates, then that would be called a magic stone, and so, it was pure luck whether one would acquire a magic stone or not by killing monsters.

The statistics that humans in other worlds had produced was 17%. The probability decreases as the their class becomes lower, and as their class becomes higher, the probability of a magic stone being generated becomes higher by a little bit.

Anyway, Yu IlHan could be cconsidered as having awesome luck.

"Wait, then this."

Yu IlHan couldn't not think of the evolution conditions of his resting skill. Now that he had earned the 3rd class monster's magic core which was considered the hardest, couldn't he now just fulfill the other conditions!?

However, he put away his thoughts after remembering that this was the product of party playing. It wouldn't be too late to think about how to use this magic stone after fairly distributing the spoils of battle.

He was picky about his principles in such strange parts.

"I earned a little less than 1.5 million. How about you?"

At that moment, Kang MiRae got off the car and talked to him. Yu IlHan honestly replied.

"I earned a little less than 3 million."

"3 million……"

She smiled bitterly and repeated that number in her mind. Yu IlHan also noticed that the corner of her mouth had curved up.

"But the difference is less than I thought. I thought that my contribution was way too little."

"If it wasn't for you, miss Kang MiRae, I wouldn't even be able to kill it. I thought you were a critical help though……"

He had no thoughts of flattering her so his words were honest. However, Kang MiRae's voice was still low.

"Do you think so? In the case of a party, the absolute judgement criteria of contribution is the distribution of experience, so your words are probably correct…… wait, can you tell me your name since I don't want to keep calling you 'you'? Or should I call you Sungdaein Bolt?"

"It's Yu IlHan."

The answer came at light speed. He didn't like his nickname that much. Kang MiRae burst out laughing with a 'pfft' after looking at his response. He thought that it was fortunate that her mood had become better.

"That magic stone is yours, Mr. Yu IlHan. I told you last time, right? Magic stones have the value worth 60% of the total. The contribution is about 2:1, so assuming that you will do the dismantling for me, then I think it will be alright to split the body in half, are you alright with that?"

"Is it alright to give you so little?"

"I think you don't know but the most important thing on Earth right now is not warriors, nor magicians, but a master dismantler. I don't think there's anyone who dismantles better than you, Mr. Yu IlHan, on Earth right now. So, it's natural to receive that much compensation."

Yu IlHan, who became ticklish(E/N: that fuzzy feeling you get) at her praise, silently put away the magic stone and started dismantling. The black leopard he thought to be smaller than its tmother, didn't shrink after even after it died, so the quantity of the leather and bones he got from dismantling was way larger than what he got from its mother.

While realizing that monsters puffed up their bodies the more they were weak, Yu IlHan wielded the knife busily.

While he was doing that, Kang MiRae ordered Fred to recover the machine gun and the bullet belt and called somewhere with her phone. As Yu IlHan had thought so in the past, it seemed definite that she had a connection to somewhere whether it was the government or the military.

[I think it's good to have a good relation with her. Amongst humans, she's a rare one to have pride, ability, honesty and background.]

"Getting into a relation with another human is hard in itself, Erta……"

At the advice Erta gave him purely because she thought about Yu IlHan, he retorted with a dark voice.

Even while she couldn't reply back to him in astonishment, the dismantling process was going well. After peeling all of its hide, in the process of removing useless bits of flesh, he suddenly thought that he might be able to use its tendons and muscles so he also cut them out.

After he separated the parts he could use from the body of the black leopard – the leather, the bones, the tendons, and the muscles – the dimantling was finally over. When he looked back, as he had expected, the vehicle that moved the Giant Leopard's corpse from last time had arrived.

Kang MiRae's figure, meticulously ordering to move only her portion to the vehicle, looked like she was strict with herself as much as she was strict with others.

"Mr. Yu IlHan."

When she confirmed that she had moved all of her portion to the vehicle, Kang MiRae approached him.

"Thanks to you, we could exterminate the monster before the damage spread. I also sighed in relief now that I can go to sleep in peace."

"Me too, thanks for the help."

"However, please forget our talk form last time."

"Sorry?"

When Yu IlHan tilted his head as if he didn't understand, Kang MiRae spoke while smiling bitterly.

"Didn't I say for us to go in a party last time?"

"Oh."

Why does she want to cancel it so suddenly? Of course, he had no shock or whatever since he wasn't planning to party with her in the first place, but he became slightly unsettled thinking that he might have done something wrong to her.

However, his doubts were cleared quickly. Kang MiRae had explained her reasons."

"Mr. Yu IlHan is too strong. To say it differently, there's too much of a gap between our level of ability. It's not only impossible to to fight efficiently with monsters, at this rate, my pride won't hold out."

He didn't know how to reply when she said her pride wouldn't hold out. To be sad, he didn't sympathize, to be happy, he was sorry for her. So, he just listened quietly when Kang MiRae spoke a line that didn't suit her

"However, in the future, it will be different. You probably know already, but I'm no easy girl. I'll show you that I will catch up quickly. I will ask you to be my partner then, so please don't reject me at that time."

"I will think about it at that time."

Kang MiRae burst out in laughter when she saw that Yu IlHan wasn't likely to put away the AT field even he was about to die. Then, she offered her hand. Just like the time they formed a party.

"Thank you."

The moment Yu IlHan let go of her hand after lightly grabbint it, a line appeared on his retina.

[The party was disbanded.]

With the lightness of gaining freedom and the unknown feeling of loss due to losing a colleague, Yu IlHan licked his lips.

However, it wasn't like he could grab her now. He bid her farewell while looking at Fred starting the vehicle.

"Goodbye."

"Oh, before that."

Kang MiRae, who he thought would leave with the sunset as her background, asked Yu IlHan.

"Can you leave me your contact info for me to contact you ?"

"That's."

"I won't give anyone your name or number, Mr. Yu IlHan. I promise."

Can I trust her? Yu IlHan asked himself.

Astonishingly, as a positive conclusion was reached, he told her his pone number even while hesitating a little bit.

"Thank you. Definitely, we will meet again in the near future."

Kang MiRae, who received Yu IlHan's contact info, clenched her fists lightly. Then, she seemed to declare confidently towards Yu IlHan when she left with her men, influding Fred.

Yu IlHan, who was left at that place alone, suddenly realized one fact.

"Whoa! This is the first time a girl asked for my number!"

[You're too pitiful to be rejoicing over that!]

"I never rejoiced. I just received the rights to stand in front of other people confidently!"

[That's even more sad! Other people aren't even aware of you anyway!]

Yu IlHan felt strange now that he thought that Erta had come to know him too well.

"Are all angels as sharp as you?"

[You're just incredibly simple.]

Yu IlHan frugally took his worth of spoils while listening to Erta's grumbles and he left the scene.

No, actually, he looked around carefully before leaving. Because it would be his mess to clean up if there was a monster egg hidden inside the fucking flesh!

Author's notes

N/A

Translator's notes

Enjoy! And no, the Empress didn't join him! Yay!!!

Editor's notes

Enjoy~ and ye thank fuck

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 28: Call me Ishmael (4)

Call me Ishmael (4)

Yu IlHan returned to his workshop. It was after he confirmed that the TV changed the announcement of the dungeon in the middle of the city. As he had expected, the Empress really had some amazing connections.

However, he didn't need to know any of that now. The only important thing was: his skill!

[Sleeping 2nd class monster's hearts 0/500]

[Troll's blood 0/500 litres]

[Good sleep 12/100 hours]

[3rd class monster's magic stone 1/1]

Yu IlHan couldn't hide his smile while looking at the renewed resting skill evolution criteria.

"I knew people who do good things will get good things."

[I don't hate your positive mind that much.]

Was it Yu IlHan's imagination that he heard it as an indirect insult? After he shut Erta up by shaking his head, he looked at the remaning homework.

"So the biggest problem is the trolls. I haven't heard that there have been monsters from other worlds appearing on Earth yet……"

[If it was someone else, then he could have just received a suitable quest in another world to do it with.]

"Hmph, do you think I'm doing this since I don't want to go to another world?"

Erta, who made Yu IlHan mad with a joke, consoled him by calling wind to cool his face.

[The concentration of mana on Earth is getting higher rapidly so you don't need to worry. You will be able to meet trolls much faster than you think.]

"But you know? When you read fantasy novels, aren't troll's blood really popular and such? Aren't they like more expensive than their weight in gold as a representative material in potion making? Isn't the requirement for the resting skill to evolve because troll's blood has a characteristic to heal wounds?"

[Yes, of course.]

Erta replied positively in a delighted voice.

[If you have extreme poison resistance!](E/N: almost spat my tea out)

"Fuck that."

Why does that resistance go up by a level each time! weak poison resistance, poison resistance, extreme poison resistance – he couldn't imagine what resistance will appear next.

[Don't trust fantasy novels so much. Just what kind of insane human would drink monster's blood raw? It isn't that there aren't any potions in another world, but the ingredients to make potions have nothing to do with trolls.]

"Yeah, whatever."

However, that didn't change the fact that troll's blood was needed to evolve the resting skill. A skill that requires a monster's blood that a human cannot drink.

Just where did this skill come from, and where is it going? Yu IlHan fell into half-worry, and half-expectation.

[Sleeping 2nd class monster's hearts are quite difficult too, are you alright with that? You need to kill it in one go and not two or three goes.]

"I think I will be able to manage that if I enhance my weapons somehow……"

When Yu IlHan's gaze turned towards the Harkanium on one corner of the workshop, Erta pulled on his hair.

[I said no.]

"Please gimme a little."

[No.]

Although Yu IlHan got mad again, Erta couldn't take a step back in regards to that.

[The balance will be too tilted. It's a preferential treatment just to let you use the hammer and the anvil. So before the quest ends, just make some good weapons.]

"Tch."

Well, it was indeed thankful that he could make his weapons with the wondrous tools that went beyond this world. As he had already repaired his steel spear, he could really feel that fact.

However, even if he processed steel, it was difficult to make anything better than the steel spear he already had. Now that it came down to this, was he to challenge processing titanium? Yu IlHan shook his head after he thought to that point.

"I should have learnt more deeply about processing bones."

[Even so, considering your talent, metallic equipment will see more light.]

Yu IlHan also knew this well. This was also the reason he was thinking to whisk some harkanium away too.

"Ah, damn it all. Let's just make what I can make now."

[I wondered why you didn't say that.]

The damaged leather which could only be used to make partial armor, and the black leopard's bones which were more sturdy compared to that, and the muscles and the tendons he took just in case – these were all the materials he had.

He first repaired the mostly damaged harpoon set. As the pillars and the harpoons made from the Giant Leopard's bones were mostly intact, he only made the ropes more sturdy and tough by supplementing it with the black leopard's leather.

After organizing the six-in-one set to use it any time, he now turned his gaze to the muscles and the tendons.

"The muscles' elasticity is no joke, this is."

[You're not thinking of something strange again, right?]

Why not? He grinned as if imagining about something and exprimented with the black leopard's muscles.

However, no matter how elastic the muscles were, it was impossible to surpass the propulsion power made by modern gunpowder. As expected, even after becoming a monster, is it impossible to surpass the limits of modern gunpowder! – While Yu IlHan was sighing.

The tendons which had just toughness and no elasticity compared to the muscles were thrown away, ended up falling into the fireplace.

"No! I was planning to grill it and eat it after I learn extreme poison resistance!"

[It will rot before that!]

Anyway, I thought he was making weapons, but he had that kind of goal!? – Erta thought.

However, the tendons which fell into the fireplace showed an abnormal change. Yu IlHan, who noticed it fast, observed it with lights in his eyes.

"Look at this guy……?"

Was it because it had come in contact with the Eternal flame which cannot exist in this world? Or was it because the birth of the black leopard itself is abnormal? Although no one knew the reason, the thing happening now was neither magic nor miracle – it was reality.

As the Eternal Flame burned more and more while emitting light, the tendons were changing little by little while becoming heated red.

"You should have told me if there was such a processing method……!"

With shiny eyes, Yu IlHan fixed his gaze on the fireplace. However, Erta turned her face away with a hmph.

[I don't have any relations with production and creation. There's no way I will be able to know the change in characteristics of a monster's tendons after meeting the Eternal Flame, is there?]

"Grill it a bit harder. I need to see the critical point."

Yu IlHan was already not listening to Erta anymore. The Eternal Flame raised its temperature as if it had understood his words, and the black leopard's tendons heated up even more while enduring the heat which was at a level not seen on Earth.

"Stop."

Yu IlHan saw through the critical point with the instinct he refined for hundreds of years. At the same time he gave a signal, he carefully puled out the tendon with tongs.

After waiting until it completely cooled down, he used all sorts of tools in his workshop to hammer it, pull it apart, smash it down and even checked its heat resitance and cold resistance. After that, he could come to a conclusion.

"I will name this the Giant's Rubber Band."

The black leopard's tendons were orignally tough. It didn't get affected by fire, water or shock that much. However, when it came into contact with the extreme flames of the Eternal Flame, a truly amazing characteristic was added – and it was an elasticity that easily suprassed the black leoapard's muscles.

Although it was hard to pull due to the amazing hardness, the elasticity produced the moment it was pulled apart and let go, was truly amazing. Yu IlHan didn't call it the Giant's Rubber Band for nothing.

It was no different to an extreme power source which produced more strength than it was applied with.

[It is surely amazing, but what are you planning to make with this?]

"There's only one thing."

That was the pile bunker. Although the basic principle was the same as a gun's, it was a bothersome but a strong weapon for destroying the enemy by nailing the opponent using metal spikes instead of bullets, shooting it using the power of gunpowder at a super close distance.

Yu IlHan was thinking of making a pile bunker using the elasticity of the Giant's Rubber Band instead of gunpowder.

[It's you who's strange to think of something like that!]

"Eternal Flame, you remember that temperature just now? We will process all the tendons here!"

Ideas about the device that he could make using the Giant's Rubber Band burst out inside Yu IlHan's head. He could also calculate how he would process the bones to supplement that.

[I really need to acknowledge your energy.]

In the end, Erta also sighed and decided to watch his work.

The biggest and thickest bone was modifed to be the barrel which included the delicate inner parts, and the Giant's Rubber Band which was enhanced to the extreme due to the Eternal Flame wrapping here and there inside the barrel and being installed – such a process was so natural like flowing water to the point that it made Erta wonder if he was working after having learnt the design by heart.

"It should be good to wrap the handle with the leather, right?"

Yu IlHan created it to fit his use. Although, his standards were monstrous to the point that it could be called a problem.

"If I become stronger, then I can even tamper with the inner parts. I can add more rubber bands to make it stronger."

[The thought that you're doing something absurd doesn't seem to leave my head.]

The pile bunker's bullet was as important as the pile bunker's main body! He made this using the teeth rather than the bones of the black leopard. As its body size was huge, its teeth was also sufficiently long and thick, and as a bonus, it was sharper and harder than the bones.

After making a total of 7 bullets, Yu IlHan fell into worry.

"I need to enhance them with magic stones…"

[It's already sufficiently monstrous!]

"It will be a finisher if I nail the black leopard's magic stone here."

[Do whatever you want if you have the confidence to meet another 3rd class monster before trolls appear.]

Erta's persuasion was strong. In the end, Yu IlHan had to give up on mana crafting. While resolving to enhance it after acquiring a magic stone befitting of this pile bunker…

He made the barrel and the bullet. The only thing left was equipping.

Slotting the bullet inside the barrel was simple. The problem was the process of pulling the loading handle while pulling the bullet inside the barrel and at the same time, slotting the Giant's Rubber Band in the bullet.

Yu IlHan had made the device with a lot of detail, so it had 1st level, 2nd level, and 3rd level loading. However, as he tried, loading to just the first level was amazingly difficult.

"Uguguguguugkkkkkkk…… Mommy!"

[Your mother's in another world!](E/N: savage)

Yu IlHan gasped for breath after barely pulling the loading handle to the first level. It was only possible since it was structured for the bullet to be fixed by a safety dvice.

"How many seconds did I take?"

[About 2 seconds.]

"As expected, it will be hard to use it continuously in practice. Fuck, I called mommy in loading the 1st level so if I load it to the 3rd level, I might call all my ancestors."(E/N: some of the funniest lines in all of EER)

It took 10 seconds to load to the second level, and 2 minutes to load to the third. If he loaded it without stopping from the beginning, it would take much more than that.

Anyway, unlike his worries, he could load it before he called his great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother. After loading, as if it had waited, texts started appearing on Yu IlHan's retina.

[Lightspeed Pile Bunker was completed]

[Rank – Unique]

[Attack Power –

1st level : 1,200

2nd level : 1,800

3rd level : 2,900]

[Option – Loading speed decreases and attack speed increases by 20%]

[Durability – 1,240/1,240]

[A weapon made by a peak level master smith using the Shadow Leopard's bones, teeth and tendons. Although it's truly praiseworthy to have implemented such a power without the use of magic or gunpowder, the fact that it's hard to use and is a bother to move it around is clearly a disadvantage.]

On the pile bunker, which had an alpha option even without going through mana crafting, had a miraculous option attached. It was the reduction in time in loading and attacking! Yu IlHan was about to cry tears of emotion from the truly excellent option.

However, Erta, who had excellent ability in finding negative isdes to objeccts, interjected without fail.

[That really is a disadvantage. The length goes over 3m after combining the bullet.]

"Hmph, this is for the large scale monsters."

[Don't tell me you…?]

"I will now go into creating weapons to confront small sized mosnters!"

[Just rest, REST!]

Yu IlHan didn't even get tired and made weapons with the Giant's Rubber band. Continuously until the angels came to make the 3rd Trap of Destruction!

Author's notes

If you try to make the Giant's Rubber Band at a meat restaurant and grill beef tendons without eating it, you will receive a back smash from the owner. This work is fiction and the appearing tendons are processed tendons.

The pile bunker is one of the author's romance. This work is planning for the protagonist to make a vareity of useless-looking weapons! I receive weapon recommendations! (T/N: I will tell the author if you like…)(E/N: oooh really?)

Translator's notes

Pile bunker! Yay!

Editor's notes

Enjoy~, also note, one of the funniest chapters in EER to date

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 29: I Also Go to Dungeons

I Also Go to Dungeons

Time flew by quickly.

He wanted to try the pile bunker out quickly, but he still had lots of things to do. Not to mention making Traps of Destruction, there were many other things such as supplementary defensive equipment or supplementary weapons or other things for hunting monsters safely.

In the end, he stayed in his workshop for more than one month. (T/N: It's because he does this that others can catch up.)

[Meticulous Underground Trap of Destruction was completed.]

[Mana crafting has become level 24. You can make better artifacts with less mana.]

An unknown time has passed after he became used to making the Traps of Destruction.

Yu IlHan tilted his head in confusion at the mana crafting process which ended in a blink of an eye compared to when he first did it.

[It, it has both options again.]

[We need to change the trap layout. We might end up with an Overflow.]

Whether the angels panicked or not, Yu IlHan just silently handed the Trap of Destruction over while asking Erta.

"How many is this now?"

[17. The plan is… was to make 11 more, but thanks to your ability, it seems that the number will decrease.]

"Is it because of that Overflow thing that the angels mentioned?"

[You really are quick witted. Yes, that's right. It's becase of Overflow.]

Overflow. Leak due to going beyond capacity.

Dungeons? No, the flow of mana characteristic to the Traps of Destruction.

[The Traps of Destruction that you make are too exceptional. Not only is the scale large, it even increases the effect of the Traps of Destruction already scattered on Earth.]

"Do you mean that too much is as bad as too little?"

[if a single Trap of Destruction calls more monsters from a wider range, then eventually, there will be a remnant Trap of Destruction. Let's say that there is a Trap of Destruction which scatters mana to attract monsters even though there aren't any. What will happen?]

"……Do humans get caught up instead of the monsters or something?"

[Fortunately, no.]

Erta, who rejected Yu IlHan's horrifying imagination, spoke while smiling bitterly.

[Random records of the Akashic Record and the flow of mana in the Traps of Destruction mesh with each other to create new monsters.]

"I said make it easier to understand."

[An awesomely strong boss monster swallows the Trap of Destruction and appears.]

"Good, much more straightforward."

[……I keep having the impression that you're trying to tame me.]

"It's your imagination."

At least, he now knew how horrifying Overflows are.

His honest thoughts wanted to deny confronting 3rd class monsters for a while. He had such a hard time fighting the black leopard which blatantly showed him its weakness due to its speciality being concealment, and if there was one which wasn't like that…… just imagining it made him horrified.

[That is why, we will fix the coordinates of the Traps of Destructions to prevent Overflow. After calculating, it seems it will end after just making 8 more.]

[Haa, really. It's a problem since only unpredictable things happen on Earth. Erta, please manage that person well.]

Was it the frequent conflict between colleagues? The moment Yu IlHan thought that, Erta raised one of her hands. In her hands, light gathered to make a sword-like form.

However, her voice which came out after that was sharper and colder than that sword.

[You do your mission, Shiuta. Just your mission.]

[……Okay. I will.]

When that angel stepped back with a stiff face, Yu IlHan also realized that Erta was currently angry. The other angels seemed to have notice that as well as they chimed in in abusing Shiuta and consoling Erta. Those figures were quite funny. Yu IlHan laughed thinking that what angels did were not much different from what humans did.

After the chain of disturbance, the angels left holding the Traps of Destruction. Erta, who looked at that, only erased her sword of light after the angels' presences completely disappeared before shrinking her body.

Then, she spoke to Yu IlHan who was staying still.

[To think that we became like this when we have suppose to overcome our emotions……. You really are amazing, Yu IlHan.]

"Whoa? Why does the sparks spatter to me!?"

[Isn't that obvious. Just now, that angels was jealous of you.]

Hearing her words, he thought that it might be interpreted that way. However, Yu IlHan only made a small smile while picking up the hammer.

"That's an honor. Anyway, I don't plan on getting involved with them if I get my rewards properly."

[We're selecting the rewards at the moment. And amongst them.]

"Amongst them?"

[There are two things that I have to tell you beforehand.]

"What is it? What is it?"

Yu IlHan's two eyes started shining. Erta thought that he looked quite cute, but soon, she shook her head and drove that thought out of her head.

[The first is information.]

The moment he heard that, Yu IlHan's expression started becoming rotten.

"I don't receive anything other than items."

[If you listen, then you will change your mind though?]

Erta's confident words made him even more frustrated. However, her following words really did make him change his mind.

[It's the information on location of the dungeon where you can acquire a metal which newly appeared on Earth.]

"Tell me!"

[I knew you'd say that.]

How much suffering did he make the steel spear go through? He killed 3rd class monsters with an item used in the middle ages of Earth, so there was no need to describe how much suffering it had gone through.

Yes, now it was the time to make it rest!

[The second is a bag.]

While Yu IlHan was excited, Erta took out an item from her magic inverntory. It was a black leather cross bag which wasn't big at all.

"……You want me to carry this around? For fashion?"

[It's an item with spatial expansion magic on it. You can put about 1,000 of those pile bunkers over there.]

The cross bag was a truly small. It didn't feel like a melon would fit in no matter how much he stretched it, so Yu IlHan carefully asked back.

"I think it will rip while putting it in, though…….?"

[I will give you a replacement reward if it's ripped so please test.]

He tested.

It got in.

Since he was at it, he also tried putting in the leopard hunter's harpoon set.

It got in.

At this rate, even an Elephant would fit in.

"Ooooooooooooh!"

[You 're like a country bumpkin so stop it.]

"Erta, I love you!"

[I, I don't need such a cheap love!]

Of course, Yu IlHan wasn't listening to Erta's words anymore. Starting off with the Giant's Rubber String, the leather, and the weapons made from the bones, he seemed to put in shovels, pickaxes and all the equipment in the workshop one by one, and in the end, he only became calm before he put the entire workshop inside.

Erta looked at his figure with satisfiaction before she warned him as she thought of something.

[You can take an item inside the bag out with just a thought. However, please be ware in using it. No matter how it has a spatial expansion magic applied on it, there is a limit to its capacity, and there is no weight deduction magic on it.]

Now that he had heard that, he thought that it became heavier than when there was nothing insdie it. However, since his physical body was enhanced transcendentally, it didn't even itch for him to carry something around 1 ton.

The moment he thought that, lightning flashed inside Yu IlHan's head.

"Hey, I think I can use this as a weapon! I can just swing it around after stuffing tens of tons inside it!"

[It's probably only you in the entire world who can think like that.]

Now that he had acquired a bag which he can put his ores inside without worry, there was no need to hesitate. Yu IlHan left the worshop just like that.

Of course he didn't forget to take the Trap of Destruction he had already made. This was to proceed with mana crafting when the angels came to him after recovery even if he wasn't at the workshop.

As the dungeons hadn't completely been activated, the world was still like this. Human history had stopped since the Great Cataclysm.

Even in countries where Dungeons took their place properly, there was still the threat of monsters appearing, so the governments were advising to at least acquire 1st class in other worlds before coming back.

"The streets are surely empty."

[Are you reminded of your dropout days?]

"A little."

Yu IlHan spoke and made a small smile.

"However, it's different now. Since everything is changing right now."

It was different to the time he had to be nervous waiting for the time for humanity to come back. The stopped time was flowing, and people like the Empress who stayed behind on Earth to fight monsters, and the people who earned their strength in other worlds, were all putting in effort. As he knew that, he didn't feel solitary.

The place Erta told him was fortunately in Korea. Although it would normally be alright for it to be in a foreign country, state of emergency was passed down in many countries. He couldn't get on boats nor planes so he might have had to start from building.

[So you mean that you would have built a ship if it was in a foreign country……]

He ignored Erta's words and ran. While running without rest he kept accelerating. While thinking that he would buy a car if the world normalized again.

Although he could find patrolling police officers, soldiers, and a few ordinary ability users, it was quite meaningless as they couldn't notice Yu IlHan. He was sad that he wasn't sad due to becoming used to it.

[It might be a little sudden.]

While Yu IlHan approached the vicinity of a nameless hill, Erta suddenly started speaking.

[Do you know how monsters which weren't on Earth appear?]

"Didn't you say something like they will appear if the concentration of mana reaches a certain point?"

[That's the most basic requirement.]

Erta started off with that and asked Erta.

[What appears on a discarded bag of rice?]

"Rice weevils."

[In a dirty room with bits of chips scattered around without being cleaned?]

"Cockroaches."

[It's like that.]

"I did understand but you do really choose the worst examples."

She probably wanted to say that monsters are generated in an environment most suitable for them to live. Although rice weevils and cockroaches only crawl inside the environments suitable for them, well, the image wasn't that different.

Yu IlHan asked her while ignoring the mountain path and jumping up using rocks and trees.

"But why are you speaking about that so suddenly? There are no new monsters on Earth though."

[No, they did appear.]

"Huh? What did you say?"

[Huh?]

Erta tilted her head and spoke.

[Not only not all mosnters are categorized as 'life form'…… For you to acquire a new metal you will need to kill the monsters living inside the dungeon you will be entering and extract their heart.]

"Huh? What did you say?"(T/N: Eh? Nandatte?(Haganai reference))

[You did hear it properly.]

Although he pretended to be deaf, it didn't work on Erta. Fuck, I should have realized when she only spoke he could 'acquire' a new metal without mentioning any mining!

The moment after Yu IlHan exclaimed, he ended up stopping his walking. He had arrived at the middle of the mountain, and had arrived in front of the dungeon that Erta told him.

The dungeon was positioned in the form of a blurry grey vortex in front of a cave, and the moment he found it, the text, [Limited access for under Lv50, appeared.

Of course, Yu IlHan's level was still 36.

"Hey."

[Who do you think is with you?]

"Embarrassing angel."

[I'm a higher existence who makes and manages Traps of Destruction!]

The moment Erta shouted in boasting, which was rare for her, the text saying limited access for under lv50 disappeared from his retina.

[I can take such measures since I know of all your abilities.]

"You are unexpectedly useful……."

[Please remember, I'm quite of use to you!]

Yu IlHan stepped inside the dungeon with the unexpectedly-useful angel Erta.

This was the moment where the dropout met a monster from another world for the first time in his life.

Author's notes

1 month has passed. It's the beginning of a mass level up of the ready warrior, Yu IlHan!

The rewards of the quest are being given one by one. There are still a lot left!

Angel killer Yu IlHan.

Unlike monsters which are born naturally in an invironment with mana, rice weevils lay their eggs in rice, and cockroaches cral inside dirty environments. They don't appear with a *poof!* in an empty space! …Although, in fact, the author thought that it was like that until a while ago……

Huh? What did you say? : A famous hearing-impaired patient. I will skip the details. (T/N: Haganai reference, apparently, Chamber hasn't watched it. Google 'Eh? Nandatte?' for more)

I will emphasize this since it's important. It's not harem! (T/N: I don't believe you, your previous two works were both harem.)(E/N: pls no harem)

Translator's notes

Ignore 6, author retracts it later, saying he won't say anything. Apparently, there is an 'ending' he is planning, but who knows… Also, I only found about the haganai reference through the comments…

Editor's notes

sobs in a corner* why is it harem T.T

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 30: I Also Go to Dungeons (2)

I Also Go to Dungeons (2)

Yu IlHan, who had experience in making Traps of Destruction, but had none in entering dungeons, could not hide his surprise after seeing that the scene in front of him had changed as soon as the tip of his fingers had touched the vortex.

"Just what is the principle?"

[You just made them until now.]

"Don't you know that Daedalus, who created the Crete labyrinth, got trapped inside it?"

[You sure are good with your words.]

Was this space really created from the Trap of Destruction? To think that such a small lump of metal twisted such a large amount of space, separated it and maintained it!

Although he had seen the scene where the Trap of Destruction was being activated, it was a different feeling to see and feel the scenery inside after coming in the dungeon himself. Moreover, even the feeling of the air was different to the outside!

The unknown that he loved the most, the unknown which burned his passion for adventure! He fell into a deeply moved state and looked around him.

While looking around, he found a huge grey colored lump of metal rolling around the corridor. For some reason, the excitement which boiled until now, cooled down instantly.

"Normally, novel MCs will shout 'This is the metal I was looking for!' like a fool and run to it then get messed up, but I already know the fact that it's a monster."

[You sound quite disappointed.]

"Yeah, I feel like when I was spoiled by mom on The Sixth Sense."

His unknown emptiness couldn't be described by anything. He didn't know whether to be angry or be sad!

While grumbling, Yu IlHan took out a weapon from the cross bag. There was a more suitable weapon to confront hard lumps of metal, rather than a spear which used slashing and thrusting as its main attack.

That was a weapon which had a huge axe blade on the head, and a heavy hammer on the other end. An ivory colored weapon made entirely out of the Shadow Leopard's bones, starting from the handle to the axe blade!

[Heavy Battle Crusher]

[Rank – Rare]

[Attack Power –

Hammer : 1,250

Axe : 1,270]

[Option – weight increases by 50% upon hitting]

[Durability – 1,350/1,350]

It was a masterpiece which had an alpha option even without going through mana crafting. The options attahed was a weight increase option which maximized effects in an environment where hammers or axes would be used!

Althoug the rank was rare, in fact, it was rare to go above rare in this world. Yu IlHan's ability, pulling out one rare or above after another was the abnormal one.

"However, I will be able to make better metallic weapons when I clear this dungeon and come out so I will have to throw this away."

Moreover, Yu IlHan had no ability to become friendly with others, so he couldn't 'pass them on' to lower levelled people like in other RPG games. Such a good weapon will be thrown away!

When one felt empty, everything else felt empty. With an empty feeling, Yu IlHan dashed with the axe held high, and shouted while striking down his axe on the lump of metal, feeling empty.

"Go croak!" (T/N: This will become a thing from now.)

[What do you mean, 'feel empty'? It's your full strength!]

The axe with an enormous amount of strength concentrated on it dug into the lump of metal with strong strength with another level stronger due to the 10% increase due to concealment. It recognized Yu IlHan the moment it was attacked, but since it was in the middle of being beaten up, it couldn't resist properly.

And just like that, it split into halves.

[Critical Hit!]

[You have earned 137,928 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv 51 Metal Heart.]

[Critical Hit has become Lv 4.]

[You have awakened Blunt Weapon mastery Lv Max. You can evolve this skill if you have the skill evolution materials.]

Yu IlHan stopped for a moment. He had never thought that it would end in one hit. Since it ended so easily, he thought that it may be an enemy which revived until it became powder, but it wasn't that. That was just the end.

However, the next moment, he pretend that he was expecting it to end with a single strike.

"The title is really 'One hit for you, one hit for me'!"

[I think it would be an instakill even without a critical but, yes, you did well.]

After checking that there were no enemies around, Yu Ilhan lightly recovered the axe and looked at its body. At first, he thought that a huge pumpkin was rolling around, but it was made from countless lumps of metal gathered together.

Amongst those countless metallic lumps, there was a lump which emitted a blackish light so that made him assume that it was the heart.

"You did say to pull out he heart…… But its body also seems to be quite hard, though?"

[The body is just a bit stronger than steel, but the Metal Heart's heart is a metal that's in a different dimension. Not only it is the hardest part, it is also the nucleus which contains all its mana. Although, that is also the reason why Metal Hearts don't have any magic stones.]

"This is…..?"

Yu IlHan struck its body again and made the heart appear. Surely, that thing emitting a wondrous black light looked like it was something good.

To Yu IlHan, who looked at it after pulling it out, Erta explained.

[Metal Hearts, when they notice the enemies, they send their unique mana from their metallic hearts into the part they want tostrengthen. Originally, it's a monster even people with 2nd jobs have a hard time to hunt. Normally, one would distract its attention from the front, and another one would ambush it from behind.]

"Thank you, Ertawagon."(E/N: ertawagon?)

He did think that he had hunted a 2nd class monster, which was above lv 50, too easily, but there was a reason. Metal Hearts were weak to ambush.

Well, although everything was weak to ambushes, Metal Hearts were especially so. They can only use their strength after noticing their enemies – how weak was that!?

However, life was something where you could be backstabbed at all times. Being arrogant after killing just one just might send him to hell. Even in novels, side characters were cleared up like that.

He had to run away without hesitation if about ten appeared at once, so he proceeded inside the dungeon while not loosening his tension.

And one day passed.

[You have become level 38. 2 Strength, 1 Agillity, 1 Health, 1 Magic increases.]

There was no twist nor counterattack. Metal Hearts were beings which had less population in the first place. He was so bored in adventuring the dungeon, to the extent that he would call out 'jackpot' when he found a Metal Heart after walking for 10 minutes.

As soon as he found them, Yu IlHan struck them down with his axe, and the Metal Heart which could not notice Yu IlHan in his concealment, always allowed him to succeed in his ambush and they got split into halves.

As Erta said, the Metal Hearts were disposed of in not two hits, nor three hits, but in one hit. When the fight ended like that, he would just senselessly break its body, take its heart out and put it inside his cross bag. And it was an infinite cycle of that.

Yu IlHan muttered in a tired voice.

"Were dungeons such an unemotional place?"

[You're just abnormal. Just how did you master blunt weapon mastery to the max as well?]

"You know that ten thousand different weapons all end up to be the same, once they're trained to the extreme, right?"

[Yeah, how about I hit you about ten thousand times?]

No matter how he thought about it, there was quite a distant to the dungeon adventuring that Yu IlHan had dreamd about. This was just labor.

Moreover, as the period he stayed in the dungeon got longer than he thought, he now had to take care of his meals with the jerkies he had brought.

So, the menu for his meal had turned into a choice between cheese jerky or beef-rip flavored jerky.

If he knew such things would happen, he would have brought BBQ flavered ones too!

"I want to see Rita."

[Why so sudden….. If you really want to meet Rita that badly, then don't you just have to become a higher existence quickly? Nobody interferes love between higher existences.]

Erta threw a slightly suspicious line, but the hungry Yu IlHan didn't look into it.(E/N: IlHan is frustrated ???? )

"Rita always cooked me rice." (Author's note #4)

[You want to see her with a reason like that!?]

"Ah, the jerky is delicous."

[In the end, aren't you eating the jerky deliciously!?]

The time Yu IlHan sensed the change while exploring the dungeon with the nitpicky Erta, was two days after that. It was a change incomparable to the mana crafting process with the angels who came to find him mid way.

"Erta, isn't that guy a bit bigger?"

[It is. Monsters also have their individuality like humans so it is obvious that they look different.]

"But even so, isn't it a little too bit for that?"

This was the conversation they had after encoutering an enormous cave in the dungeon.

Until now, Metal Hearts were exercise ball-sized, had become massive beanbag-sized!

[Even so, it's the same Metal Hea……No.]

Erta, who was nonchalantly replying, momentarily closed her lips and looked at the large sized Metal Heart in the middle of the cave. Yu IlHan waited for awhile before she flabbergastedly shouted.

[That's a Big Metal Heart!]

"Drag that bastard who named them with such little enthusiasm in front of me, right now."

[It's not the time to joke around. Although it's only a word difference, Big Metal Hearts are 20 levels above Metal Hearts. Just how did something so strong appear already?]

"That just makes it 71 though?"

Yu IlHan's level judgement senses had been paralyzed after he defeated the Giant Leopard and the Shadow Leopard. Although, with his ability, it was very reasonable that he was numbed.

Erta also nodded his head with a 'huh?' after thinking for a while.

[That's true. isn't it?]

"It will be fine if I just run if I think I can't handle it."

Although he spoke like that, Yu IlHan had no thoughts in running away. Although it was with help, he had finished off the Giant Leopard when he was level 24. His current level was 38, so just from his pure level of ability, it didn't lose out to the time he was buffed by the Empress.

Moreover, at that time, he had just one steel spear, but currently, he had an amazingly strong weapon!

"With a single strike from this, that will also just!"

The thing he took out from the cross bag was the pile bunker which had an imposing manner. The idiotic-level-sized weapon boasted of an imposing manner that no one else on Earth other than Yu IlHan would be able to use it.

Moreover, it was already loaded to the 3rd level. When Yu IlHan placed it on his shoulders, Erta sighed as though she gave up.

[How is it that the time that the things this human makes become useful always arrives at some point? So frustrating.]

"Fuu, Let's go!"

The pile bunker was a weapon which only focused on attack power and threw away all the other necessary requirements for a weapon. Portability, secretiveness, agility, anyway, the user of the weapon had to make up for the rest.

And so, this was the most suitable weapon for Yu IlHan.

Yu IlHan kicked off. The Big Metal Heart was enjoying its freedom whether Yu IlHan was jumping or dancing, rolling around within the cave.

While looking at it, he took 3 big steps and jumped into the air on his 4th step. The figure of him proceeding forward in the air while moving his feet looked like Michael Jordan's airwalk.

[You need to prepare in case it doesn't die in a single strike!]

"I know."

After retorting roughly to the point that it made her wonder if he really knew it or not, Yu IlHan picked up the pile bunker. He jumped so high that its enormous body was under his feet!

"Here I go."

Immediately after Yu IlHan whispered, the pile bunker's bone ammo cameint ocontact with its body.

The moment the sharpened bone dug through its metallic body and got buried inside it, the pile bunker, which was provoked, released the 3rd stage, 2nd stage, and the 1st stage lock at once and transferred the enormous strength that the Giant's Rubber Band had on to the bullet. As a result, with a sound like an exploding grenade, the pile bunker spat out the bullet.

Immediately after that, a bone bullet which was longer than 2m pierced through from its head to its roots!

Author's notes

The main character of The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis, was in fact ……[email protected]@$*(!

Ertawagon : A parody of Speedwagon, which appears in Jojo's bizzare adventues, and likes to give out explanations.(E/N:jojojojojojojojo)

ten thousand different weapons all end up to be the same, once they're trained to the extreme(萬流歸宗): It appears a lot in Wuxias. Everything is the same when approaching the limit, so if one becomes proficient in one weapon, he can use other weapons proficiently as well. Of course, Yu IlHan isn't like that, but he just got proficient in everything!

Always cooked me rice : A famous(T/N: Only in Korea) line throughout the pokemon series. (T/N: It's become a thing in Korea that Ash only views Brock as a cook… and not a friend…)

Translator's notes

No! The author's planned ending is NOT a harem… Just that I don't believe it since his previous two was both harem (One with 7 girls and one with 2)

When I said that he retracts those lines, I mean that he just says that he won't say anything about this being harem or not. NOT that it IS a harem.

Btw, his previous two works are called [Infinite Competitive Dungeon Society] and [Devil King, both of which aren't being translated yet.

THERE WILL BE SLIGHT SPOILERS IN THE NEXT LINES SO YOU'RE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Oh yeah, now that Rita appeared again, I remember. Rita is actually suppose to be Lita.

To spoil a bit, see that all the angels end with a 'ta'? Rita, Erta, Fashta, etc…

That's for 5th class angels. When Rita/Lita becomes 6th class, she becomes Liera. 6th class angels end in 'era'. The only other 6th class angel appearing in the story so far, was 'Spiera'.

Also, somebody mentioned Nephilim in the comments in the previous chapter… NO! THERE IS NO CROSSBREED BETWEEN HUMANS AND ANGELS… well, the angels aren't actually that different. Rita was once human, as Erta once also was… becoming 'angels' just means that they had become a higher existence. 'angels' are just a group amongst those higher existecnes, so they aren't 'real' angels in a sense.

Editors notes

so you might get some wacky as names

poor Ilhan, sorry to ruin your ships guys, unless of course Ilhan becomes an angel too

Everyone Else is a Returnee

Chapter 31: I Also Go to Dungeons (3)

I Also Go to Dungeons (3)

[You have earned 548,701 experience.]

[You have earned the record of Lv 74 Big Metal Heart.]

"That was easy."

Yu IlHan, who smashed the Big Metal Heart into smithereens in one strike landed on the ground lightly with the pile bunker while muttering. However, immediately after that, he was dumbfounded after looking at the state of the bone bullet which was completely nailed in the ground.

It was good that the bullet shot out powefully after receiving the elastic power of the Giant's Rubber Band in full strength, but not only was it deeply embedded on the ground to the point that only the head peeked out a little, there was even a large crack over its body. As he knew how hard the Shadow Leopard's bones were, it was even more shocking.

There was one thing he knew from this.

"The bullets are one-time use……!"

[I wouldn't be able to accept it if there weren't such prices.]

The situation was different from the time he hunted the Giant Leopard or the Shadow Leopard. At that time, there were people helping him, and especially, the help from the Empress, who could use strong magic helped out alot.

However, now what? No matter how his physical body and techinques were abnormal, he just ended a monster twice his level in just a single strike!

"How can I retrieve the bullet? No, now that it came to this, should I make a frag shot under the premise that it's unretrievable?"

[Just retrieve its heart.]

Erta urged Yu IlHan, who, Befitting of a blacksmith, was designing a new weapon. He retrieved the bigger and brighter heart of the Big Metal Heart, compared to the ordinary Metal Hearts, and briefly tested its strength.

It was amazingly durable.

"Hey, it's much stronger than Metal Heart. Isn't that insane?"

[The final evolution form of Metal Hearts, the King Metal Heart, is a metal that boasts of superior durability even in worlds one level more advanced than Earth. Although, as a 4th class monster, it won't appear in this dungeon.]

"You were surprised with just the Big Metal Heart appearing, though?"

[Khm! It's just a coincidence. I can accept that the monsters which were already on Earth had evolved abnormally, but these monsters are in the end, new monsters appearing on Earth! This Big Metal Heart is the mutation. From now on, we wouldn't be able to meet any more of these!]

However, Yu IlHan thought while loading the 2nd bone bullet on the pile bunker. If she says that, the opposite will definitely happen.

Aaaaaannnd, as expected, they ended up meeting the second Big Metal heart in a cave deeper inside the dungeon.

[Fuu…… Fucking Earth. Nothing is going the way it should be.]

"Tell me how much of the dungeon is left."

[Wait a bit.]

While wondering whether to take out the pile bunker or not, Yu IlHan urged Erta. Originally, it was forbidden to leak the information on dungeons, but in truth, Erta, who helped Yu IlHan until now, honestly told him the information. If she said it was the reward for the quest, then there was no reason why it wouldn't work.

[We're only half way there.]

"Ok, let's seal the pile bunker first."

Yu IlHan had the confidence to end something like a Big Metal Heart in one go if he used the pile bunker, but the little ammo left weighed on his mind. Even in novels, weren't there cases where the MC got beaten up by the last boss due to using up all mana, or ammo, or potions?

Although Erta strongly claim that that won't be the case, no matter how he thought about it, there would be a monster stronger than the Big Metal Heart at the end of this dungeon, so he couldn't waste the bone bullets now.

However, the ancestors of all times said this – 'Saving up is wasting'. The other obvious pattern in novels were that they get beaten up while trying to save up.

Should I use the weapon at this time? Should I drink a potion at this time? The characters in novels meet countless split paths and are urged to make a choice.

No matter what they chose, if they survive, they are the main characters, and if they die, they are side characters. Sometimes, the main character just dies, but then, the popularity of the novels just dies as well, so that was an exception.

However, Yu IlHan was neither a main character, nor a side character, but a dropout. So, the choice he made was neither the pile bunker, nor going just with his body.

It was the other weapons he brought.

"Violent Thousand Bomb Hammmmeeeeerrrr!" (T/N: Doraemon reference)

[Violent Thousand Bomb Hammer]

[Rank – Unique]

[Attack Power – 1,974]

[Ammo – 3/3]

[Option – Spreading force of the frag bomb increases by 30%]

[Durability 1,120/1,120]

Yu IlHan shouted while taking out a hammer which had a massive lump of metal one one side, unlike the heavy battle crusher from last time from the cross bag. Of course, he was still under concealment, so he didn't get noticed by the Big Metal Heart.

[Why did you make a nasal sound just now?]

Yu IlHan ignored Erta's question, and gripped on to the weapon with both of his hands.

This weapon was the masterpiece small scale weapon made from the Giant's Rubber Band.

On the head part of the hammer, a cartridge with the Giant Leopard's and Shadow Leopard's sharp bones inside was installed, and it would be loaded after installing the Giant's Rubber band and pulling it with all his strength.

After that, if an enemy was hit, the rubber band will shoot from the shock of the hit, and make the cartridge explode. Countless bone fragments will dig into the enemy's body. This was such an evil weapon!

As a weapon no different from one which fused close range weapon and a frag bomb, it naturally far surpassed modern frag bombs.

The point which was better than the pile bunker about this was that due to the rebound from the rubber band, the cartridge at the back of the hammer will be automatically loaded. What was even better was that Yu IlHan had about 50 of these cartridges!

[A person like you who fights joyfully should be rare too.]

"It will be impossible in just one strike. I need to attack before it splits its body and attacks me."

Before jumping at it, Yu IlHan simulated his movements inside his head. Although a simulation would become much more complex if the enemy can move, as he knew that he could hit where he wanted for the first strike, it was quite smooth.

"Heh."

With a strange shout, Yu IlHan kicked off the ground. Like the time he confronted the last Big Metal Heart, he jumped after the 3rd step.

Following that, he smashed down the hammer right in the middle of its body and with a popcorn popping sound, the cartridge exploded!

[KKKKkkkkrrrrrrkkkkrkkkrkkr!]

The weapon activated successfully. The thousands of durable sharp bone shrapnels dug through the hard metal, and a bone-shivering sound resounded while they broke everything in their path.

Immediately after it recognized the strong attack, the Big Metal Heart soundlessly expanded its body and assaulted Yu IlHan!

[KKkkrrRkkkkrrrkKKkkkrKkk!]

Before he even landed, he was about to get swallowed up by the wave of metallic fragments, but before it assaulted him, the lumps of metal seemed to twist around and in the end, they clashed into each other and collapsed just like that.

There was no need to mention the reason. The countless number of bone shrapnels which dug throughout is body had hindered it.

While lightly swinging the hammer to nail the bone fragments into the Big Metal Heart's body, Yu IlHan landed smoothly. Then, he watched its state while stancing himself to attack again.

However, in conclusion, that was for nothing.

"Wow."

Although the Big Metal Heart was moving while dividing the metal clumps that made its body as much as possible, the bone fragments which dug through deep inside its body gave an effect of binding it while hindering its movements, just by being there. It was like scattering salt onto a snail crawling on top of lettuces.

It was an effect which overturned Yu IlHan's imaginations of thinking 'it would be able to break it since it's just some frag bomb, right?'. However, He tried his best to look cool and shouted.

"Of course, this Yu IlHan had calculated everything from the start!"

[Don't lie.]

"You got better……"

[If one's partner is you, then anyone would become like me.]

Now, he had no reason to use the Thousand Bomb Hammer. Yu IlHan mercilessly struck down with his axe the Big Metal Heart which was crawling around while spreading its body, trying to assault him, and not long later, it collapsed by itself.

[You have earned 579,192 experience.]

[You have become level 40. 1 Strength, Agility, 2 Health, 1 Magic increases.]

He had become level 40. He levelled up twice in one day. Even considering that he had holed up in his workshop making weapons and Traps of Destruction, for one month, his level should be at the forefront of humanity.

Since there won't be many who would kill 2nd and 3rd class monsters for levelling up.

And as he knew that, he was worried for the other returnees.

"Are the other humans levelling up well?"

[At least, the Empress should be doing well. Don't worry.]

"That is that, but I'm worried about my parents."

[You do seem to worry about the Empress.]

Erta picked on something unexpected. Yu IlHan asked her while asking her.

"Why are you worried about the Empress? Did some other angels give her a quest or something?"

[No. It's not that.]

With that, Erta shut her mouth. Yu IlHan was supsicious of her behavior, but as he wasn't interested that much, he didn't dis any deeper and just retrieved the heart from the Big Metal Heart.

After that, Yu IlHan kept exploring the dungeon, but only Big Metal Hearts came out and unlike his imaginations, Great Metal Hearts, Huge Metal Hearts, Giga Metal Hearts and such evolved forms didn't appear. At least, Erta was right on that.

As he levelled up by a little while exploring the dungeon, and got used to the new weapons in combat, he inwardly expected a little to encounter a 3rd class monster at the center of the cave, but was disappointed as he only found Big Metal Hearts inside the innermost area. In contrast, Erta was relieved that a 3rd class monster didn't appear for real.

[We've cleaned it up so it should be fine to leave it alone for a while. Let's come here again if we need more metal later.]

"At that time, it will be good if I can encounter King Metal Hearts."

[……At least, we should come after you can use mana.]

The Big Metal Heart that was at the centermost region(It was almost lv 80 unlike the others, of course it was sent to hell with a single strike from the pile bunker) was cleared and after that, Erta used something like Angel's Authority or whatever to check the Trap of Destruction which made the core of the dungeon. During that time, Yu IlHan checked over the spoils of war and the equipments he had used in the battle.

[The age of the Trap of Destruction for this dungeon is quite old.]

"Is there a problem with that?"

[No. Anyway, it's a trap to seduce new monsters, and not the original mosnsters that was left out with you, so it won't be a problem even if it was created from God's power. It's just that I was surprised that the Trap of Destruction was quite older than I had thought.]

Erta muttered saying that she was just curious and it had no problems. Yu IlHan also lightly nodded and passed her words in his mind.

Of course he also thought that an enormous accident would erupt relating to this. This was definitely a foreshadow. And an amazingly blatant one at that.

[It's really nothing!]

"Ok, ok. I will put effort into levelling up so that it would be alright even if a dragon pops out of this dungeon."

[Auuuu, I really don't understand if you're trustworthy or pathetic!]

Two weeks had passed since he had entered the dungeon. He crawled out of the dungeon after having acquired a useless skill that he would be able to realize what flavor jerky it is even if it was opened 200m away.

The number of Traps of Destruction that he made additionally with the angels who looked for him was 8.

Yes.

Now, all the Traps of Destruction have been installed on Earth.

Author's notes

Violent Thousand Bomb Hammer! (A cat robot saying this while taking out a hammer from its 4 dimensional pocket) (T/N: Doraemon reference)

A sharp MC who does not fail to catch a foreshadow

Translator's notes

Kek… sponsored chapter eh? I want to TL more, but now is time for homework… why do uni profs gimme homework… I hate homework…

Editor's note

Thats why im quitting uni