The Protagonists Are Murdered By Me Chapter 47: 236-240, a 13 tzameti fanfic

Chapter 236

For a long time, Elaim kept feeling the wind hitting her body. On her way to what she presumed to be on the road to hell, she thought,

'What will my parents do if I die? Will they be sad? Even though I wanted to learn magic, in the end I couldn't even take a peek at a magic book. Does falling to death hurt? I hope it's not. That strawberry cake that I hid, I wish I could have eaten it…'

By the way, was falling supposed to be this long?

For some reason, the wind had abated when she was deep in her thoughts. And there's no pain whatsoever from hitting the ground. She mustered her courage to open her eyes and lifted her head.

"Huh?"

What she saw surprised her; a gigantic castle, a really really gigantic castle, entered her eyes. Its towers shone brilliantly in five colors and numerous spires scattering a subtle magical field in various colors.

It's definitely the first time she'd seen such a place in her entire life, but for some reason, the place didn't feel extremely unfamiliar. It's due to the fact that she'd read countless times about this place; the very place where Archmage Aracelli Rinekal sealed everything about her.

"Rinekal… Rigatuma…?"

"Yeah." Yoo Seodam put Elaim down from his arms and nodded his head at her question. As he had expected, flying boat number 12 passed right above Rinekal Rigatuma. The reason was simple. These days, the Rinekal Rigatuma has become a must-see tourist attraction, unlike in the past where the place was regarded as a mysterious and mythical place.

During the battle with the second batch of android, when Yoo Seodam confirmed that Rinekal Rigatuma was right below him, he grabbed Elaim without hesitation and jumped off the ship. And, as he expected, Aracelli's barrier did not reject him.

"We really… entered Rinekal Rigatuma, the legacy of the Archmage……."

"Isn't that what I told you what we are going to do?"

Elaim saw Yoo Seodam with a different gaze from before. She to some extent knew that he was a great and mysterious person, but…

"…are you really acquainted with Archmage Aracelli?"

"She wasn't an acquaintance, she is an acquaintance."

"Pardon? But I heard that the Archmage disappeared 100 years ago…"

"She'd been with me ever since that day."

"Ah…"

Crackle-!! Crackle-!!

Elaim, who was taken aback by Yoo Seodam's words, looked up at the sky at the sudden sound of the explosion. She could see in the sky that androids were firing missiles and lasers in order to break through the blue curtain that stretched endlessly.

"Their number seems to have increased…?"

"Yeah."

The army of androids now numbered in almost 50. However, with their current ability, they will never be able to break through the barrier erected by a 9th Circle Archmage.

However, since they were coming from the future where they had developed a weapon system to hunt wizards, nothing would be impossible. Even now, the number of androids keeps increasing. Perhaps, as time passes, the barrier will also be broken.

Even though he knew that, Yoo Seodam couldn't do anything as of now. He just has to wait and trust Aracelli. Once she finished her job, all of the androids flying in the sky would return to the future.

Once that happens, only the development of Elaim awaits. She would grow stronger and will be the beacon of humanity later down the line.

[Month 9 Day 1 Year 709]

When science starts to decimate the magic civilization of Vivienda Empire, the survivors hide and send a certain signal to call their hero, Archmage Aracelli Rinekal who had disappeared 200 years ago.

Although Aracelli did not receive the signal, the signal that the wizards fired with hope contained the power to transcend time and space.

And currently,

Aracelli put her mana into the signal, amplifying its power more and more. The reason was simply to fully activate the Nine Circles in her heart.

Empress Sahar looked at Aracelli with worry.

"Your nine circles will be restored within a week even without you doing this. What will you do if the circle breaks?"

"The 'time tunnel' they created is connected to Month 3 day 27 of year 609." Aracelli replied. "If it was just a normal time travel, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry. Whether it's months or decades, if you travel through different times and return to your original time, for everyone except yourself, it would only amount to less than 5 minutes. But they are different."

However, the technique the android used wasn't time travel but time tunnel. Literally, two times were connected and flow at the same speed.

"If one day passes in 609, one day also passes in 709. If I waste my time waiting for my circle to return naturally, more and more androids would go to the past."

That's why Aracelli was pushing herself. She had to move quicker or her professor would be in danger. As she slowly defrost her nine circles, Aracelli's blue-sky eyes become even bluer.

"A single magic will be enough."

A battle between high-level wizards does not require a lot of magic to conclude. As the power of their every spell was out of this world, a battle between high-level magicians would end with just three to ten spells.

Does science have a weapon as powerful as herself?

Every wizard was already a weapon themself. It's just that they hadn't been able to shine until now because of the overwhelming number of androids. However, if it was a 9 circle magic, which had the power that went beyond even the limits of science, barely touching godhood even…

Empress Sahar swallowed her dry saliva and stepped back slightly.

Ads by Pubfuture

Woooong-!!!!

A huge storm of mana spread from Aracelli's body. Although Sahar was not a wizard, she was well aware just how great the power of a 9th circle magician is. However, as it was her very first time experiencing the power directly, she came to a realization.

'If she becomes a little more stronger, I'm sure she can claim the title of a goddess.'

Flash-!!

Aracelli opened her eyes. At the same time, a huge golden cog manifested around her and began to spin. In front of that spectacle, Empress Sahar could immediately recognize its identity.

It was destiny or fate itself that bound Aracelli. Every human being has a certain destiny. For example, 'I will stumble down in 39 seconds' or 'I will sneeze in 3 seconds' etc. All events that happen to that person and every action of that person were determined by fate.

However, unlike other people, Aracelli could rule over her own destiny and fate. Perhaps, she could even see something few tens of seconds or as long as a minute to the future. Moreover, she seemed to have reached a point where she could change her fate, or at least a part of it if she ever wanted to.

In simpler terms, Aracelli has reached a level that makes even 'reality manipulation' possible with magic.

'How…'

Sahar was stunned. However, it wasn't due to the fact her true power was better than she thought. Rather, it was because of what Aracelli had decided to do.

If she was as powerful as her, would she be able to do something like her?

Leaving all of her power, wealth, and achievements behind, just so that she can be with someone?

Empress Sahar doubted that she could do so. Because if she did that, she was afraid that she would become a nuisance to the person she likes. Or even died without being able to do anything for him.

'It seems like I also need to be more decisive.'

When Empress Sahar saw Aracelli opening her eyes, the space had already been turned upside down. Sahar almost inadvertently tripped her foot because of it, but she was able to remain calm.

"Just when…?"

Without warning, they had already been transported to the Valley of Sleeping Heart in a blink of an eye.

Aracelli said to Sahar.

"Can you buy me some time while I prepare my spell?"

"That should be no problem. I will do my best."

"Please…"

Having said that, Aracelli soared high to the clouds and put her palms together. As golden cogs spun violently behind her, she began to slowly correct her fate.

In the ground, Empress Sahar could vividly feel Aracelli's power moving beyond the sky and reaching the universe. Her magic power was ginormous and terrifying to the point even anyone could feel it even if they didn't have a detection ability or even mana.

Wheeing! Wheeing! Wheeing!

Moments later, alarms blared through the entirety of the valley where the heart slept. It signaled that a crisis had come to the heart of Stellar Horizon, the headquarters of science.

Just 30 seconds after the alarm sounded, the sky parted and dozens of missiles started pouring down at both Empress Sahar and Aracelli. If it hits them or the ground, they will be erased without a trace.

Even after knowing that fact, Empress Sahar only laughed.

"I don't know why you believed in me and left your back to me but…"

She will return as much as the trust she received.

"Hu…." As she exhaled a hot breath, steam formed in the air. Aracelli was a wizard who had reached the pinnacle of spatial magic. No human should be able to compete with her.

Meanwhile Empress Sahar was someone who had an unparalleled understanding of time. Unlike their science, which travels between time by artificially drilling holes in time to make paths, she travels by using the flow of time itself. Although it is slower than science's way, and she couldn't go as far as theirs… To deal with the flow means that it was possible to even reverse the flow and manipulate it.

The difference in understanding quickly became apparent.

When Empress Sahar clenched her fists and moved it counterclockwise, the missiles which were flying into her started to run in the opposite direction!

Boom-!!

The missiles soon returned to the missile launcher and exploded. Beautiful fireworks embroidered the night sky. However, Empress Sahar smirked, as if she wouldn't let the constellation shine brighter than herself.

-An unobservable level of magic wave was detected.

-Finding the cause and eliminating it.

-The enemy has unrecorded technical skills.

But missiles were not the only weapon the androids had. More than 100 android troops were descending from the sky. At the same time, they raised their right arms and fired small missiles at empress Sahar from all sides, without leaving even a single gap.

Sahar quickly raised his arms high into the sky, but it was impossible to turn back all time just like what she did earlier. It was due to the fact there's a limited amount of something she could reverse in time. And as they sent a lot at once, her power couldn't cover all of them.

"…"

But she also had a way to deal with it.

'If it's impossible to turn back time, I just need to freeze time.'

The name of the technique was Time Lock On. After freezing all the missiles, she time-regressed them one by one. It was her way to deal with the limitation the time reversal has.

The sight was one of a kind. Missiles that were launched, missiles that stopped in mid-air, and missiles that returned to the direction they were coming from. The androids fired lasers and missiles while dodging the missiles returning at them, but none of them hit Empress Sahar.

– Identifying the enemy's attack trajectory.

Since they had computers, Sahar was also expecting her attacks to be read. However, she just smirked at their attempt.

"You are trying to identify it? I don't think you'll be able to.."

Click-!!

When Sahar snapped her finger, another 12 androids suddenly appeared in the air, fired a laser at their ally, and then disappeared again.

The twelve lasers accurately hit the enemy android, and when the 12 were destroyed, the other android fell into confusion.

Ads by Pubfuture

'Time loading.'

Until now, only time stop and reverse were used, but this time Sahar used a technique that brings the past event to the present. As it was a technology that brings history itself to the present, the burden was considerable for Sahar, but what if it happened only a few seconds ago?

She could do it all day long.

However… There was something empress Sahar could not have imagined.

-Enemy can summon past attacks.

-Prepare for counterattack by loading all attack data so far.

Androids were to record every move they made in a database.

"This…"

All of her technique was countered. Therefore, she had no choice but to take out a sword and wield it while using time acceleration and cognitive acceleration on her own body. But even with those boosts, it was still impossible to deal with all of them alone.

-Additional reinforcement arrives.

-B type android team-1009 12 units, confirm participation in battle.

Android reinforcements continued to come, and 'Stellar Horizon' also appeared in the sky.

Empress Sahar wiped her bleeding nose and devoted herself to defending against any attack. Even when an attack landed on herself. She tried as much as she could to not let any attack land on Aracelli.

A missile stopped in front of Aracelli's nose and fell to the ground. A laser breeze past Aracelli's hair, and waves of her rays shook the air around her, but nothing could harm her.

Thanks to this, Aracelli was able to concentrate solely on her magic without thinking about anything else, and by the time Empress Sahar finally reached her limits…

Flash-!!

Energy exploded from Aracelli's body as her blue eyes took over the world.

Whiiing-!! Whiiing-!!! Whiiing-!!!

Hundreds of androids explode into flames. Even though Aracelli had yet to unleash her spell, the waves of magic leaking from the spell alone had enough destructive power.

-Danger, danger, danger

-Preparing for enemy attacks.

It seemed that an urgent order was coming from Stellar Horizon, which sensed the danger from the existence named Aracelli. However, it was already too late.

'Ah…' Kneeling on the ground while grabbing her pulsating head, Sahar looked at the sky. There, something akin to pure white sun was falling down. It was ginormous, bright, and hot. Science obviously couldn't conjure something like that.

It was clear that it was real magic.

-Energy waveform analysis… Unable to defend. All facilities will be shut down and enter emergency evacuation mode-

The Stellar Horizon quickly ascended to the other side of the sky, but the generator fixed on the ground would never be able to avoid it.

With a deafening roar, a dazzling flash of light covered the area. The time it took for Stella Horizon's heart to die was really fleeting. As the heart was destroyed, they will no longer be able to time travel.

'Haha, this is it, this is it.'

Not even having the strength to float his body anymore, Aracellli, who fell to the ground, smirked. However, at that moment, a part of Stellar Horizon was once again showing its gigantic form in the sky. On top of it, hundreds of androids which had not been seen before, were covering the night sky.

They deployed that much android for one purpose: Fighting Aracelli Rinekal.

But it was already too late because Araceli had accomplished her mission.

'Now I can die in peace.' In the first place, she was prepared to die here. However, when she thought of someone who would be sad after she disappeared, her heart ached.

'Even if I'm not there… I'm sure Professor will still be able to live on…'

Though, she would like it if she could just see his face one last time.

'Huh?'

However, suddenly, an unknown feeling washed over her body.

She mustered all of her remaining power to open her eyes. Once her blue eyes were opened, she could see some kind of creature that she couldn't explain other than that it was magnificent.

It had demon-like wings on its back, golden horns which challenged the sky, beautiful white stripes all over its body, golden eyes, a lizard body, and a dragon's head.

It wasn't as huge as Stella Horizon, but its presence even made the sun pale in comparison.

Dragon.

Aracelli didn't doubt that the figure she saw was a dragon; The legendary being who was said to suddenly appears in a world in crisis, saves them, and then disappears again

It circled around the sky before making eye contact with Aracelli.

-I came here because the rescue signal was very intense… But it's over already?

'Huh?'

The vivid voice that resonated in her head was really nice and beautiful. She couldn't tell if it was a boy's or a girl's.

-The world line is changing. I don't know what you guys did, but someone who can travel through time has successfully changed the past.

The dragon's expression could not be distinguished, but somehow it seemed to be smiling.

-Congratulation. You have succeeded in protecting your world. In return for giving me a good spectacle, I'll give you a present.

Aracelli stared blankly at the blue cube-like object that had fallen into her arms. When she lifted her head again, several other figures appeared beyond the sky.

At the appearance of the unicorns, human-like creatures, angels, and a figure which looks like a snake, the dragon hurriedly spoke.

-Oh my… My friends are waiting for me, so I need to go. Then, I wish you good luck.

At its last words, Aracelli closed her eyes. And the world slowly changed in the meantime.

Woong-!! Woong-!! Woong-!!

Even amidst the loud noise of the world itself opening up, Aracelli was able to have a sweet dream after a long while. Though, it was just an extremely ordinary dream of traveling the world with someone she cherished a lot.

Chapter 237

[Day 28 Month 3 Year 609]

The androids finally succeeded in breaking through Rinekal Rigatuma's barrier, which was unbreachable up until the moment. Right now, the number of androids has reached 300. If a fight were to break out, both Elaim and I would be in danger.

But, suddenly.

[Detecting changes in the world line.]

One by one, the androids in the air began to disappear. On top of it, the clouds and barriers they had pierced and torn were restored to its original state instantly. All of their missiles had also disappeared without a trace.

"Huh?"

Elaim also felt something strange, so she opened her tightly shut eyes and looked up at the sky. Meanwhile, I relaxed my grip on the ether sword and said, "Elaim, It's all over."

The world gradually turned white. I'm used to it now because I've experienced it countless times before. Perhaps because the reason for my existence in this timeline had gone, I was being transferred to the original time zone, which is year 709.

"Now you are safe."

"Is that so?"

Elaim had a bewildered expression on her face as she saw me wrapped in white light. Then she asked slowly.

"Are you going to go now?"

"Yes. Because my job is over."

She tried to say more, but I interrupted her by saying my piece first while pointing behind her.

"Elaim. Look behind you."

Elaim followed my hand and looked at the panoramic view of Rinekal Rigatuma, which shone in many colors.

"It's the thing you've been waiting for so long."

The tower behind her was once a building of Vivienda Academy, and now it was the only place in the world which was said to be holding the legacy of Aracelli. In such a place where all wizards' dreams lay, can a curious girl who aspires to be a wizard withstand the zeal for learning? Of course not.

"Come on, wait a minute. I… Can someone like me really learn magic?"

"Of course you can learn. I said I come from the future, didn't I? In that future, you are the archmage of the era. Do you still not believe what I said?"

"No… I believe it…"

She hesitated and muttered a word, then looked at my eyes with me.

"But, you are really returning to the future, right?"

"Yeah, I think?"

"If so, okay then!" She smiled broadly and nodded her head. "I will study hard until then!"

Until then? Before I could even ask why she chose those words, the world turned blurry.

[Returning to the original time zone.]

[…. On day 31 Month 12 of year 699, the protagonist 'Scientist Partellian', who completely lost the probability, was defeated by the supporting role 'Archmage Elaim'.]

[History is turned upside down.]

[You have successfully hunted a level 400 (120) protagonist.]

[Your level has been raised by 15.]

[Your level has been raised by additional 3 levels after successfully hunting a protagonist who had absorbed most of the probability existing in their world.]

[Your level has been raised by additional 3 levels by hunting the protagonist who had an extremely slim chance of being hunted.]

[4000 days of lifeforce has been paid.]

Those messages floated in front of my eyes. By the looks of things, it seems like the future Partellian's power exceeds SSS rank using the power of science.

By the way, I just hunted a protagonist who was just slightly weaker than Supreme Dharma.

Should I delay the distribution of skills this time too?

The moment I wanted to tell the system those thoughts.

[…A minor error occurred during the traveling process!]

[Day 1 month 9 year 709 (Abandoned World)]

Bzzzztttt-!!

An error message popped up, and an ominous air rushed through my face.

Ads by Pubfuture

"Huh?"

An error occurred?

I've seen countless error messages so far, but most of them were messages related to the protagonist.

But what is this?

An error occurred during the traveling process?

What is this?

I climbed the hill close to me in order to come to my senses and had a quick look around the area. At that moment, I realized that something was strange. For some reason, there was no wind at all, except right after I arrived in this world.

Then, I become fully aware. The clouds in the sky, the blades of grass, the water in the river and the splashing water drops, every single one of them was unmoving.

"What the hell is this… Hey, system, what is happening?"

But there was no answer.

"System?"

There were times when the system was silent like this. However, she had never become silent in front of the question which we deemed as 'important'.

At that moment, I could feel other strange things.

'There are no living things here.'

Not even a little bug could be found on the ground. The space was filled with silence. That sensation really drove me to fear.

-Calm down…

"Ah… Thank you for being here…"

The calm voice of the flowerpot echoed in the silence, where even the wind did not blow. It's truly comforting to have something familiar in this strange and unfamiliar place.

-It feels strange over there…

"Over there?"

I had no idea of what I should do here. Therefore, for the first time, I had no choice but to trust the sharp sense of the flowerpot, who I always ignored.

I walked across the silent and still world. We crossed mountains, passed some cities, and crossed a lot of rivers.

Even common rabbits couldn't be seen in the mountains. The city where there could be a floating population of millions, was empty. On top of it, since the sun did not set, I did not know how much time had passed. And since the time display of the system was stopped, I had to count the time by myself.

Finally, we arrived at a certain huge valley. Though, since it was completely dry and deserted, it was too far-fetched to call it a valley; the word canyon is more appropriate.

However, unlike all places. There are living things here.

"Huh?"

On top of it, it was a place that seemed to have been hit by some kind of disaster. I could see some remnants of a building which had been broken to the extent that its shape was unrecognizable.

However, the original shape of the building did not matter to me because the thing which caught my attention was the weird structure situated in the middle of the valley.

"Hell Gate?"

It was a structure which looked very similar to Hell Gate. Although Aracelli had said that 'Hell Gate' appeared in the year 709, it was in the future occupied by science.

In other words, it was a history which had disappeared.

'Why the hell is Hell Gate still here?'

Even in a world where everything stopped, Hell Gate was still there. On top of it, in the pieces of Hell Gate in front of me, I could see something in the shape of a human moving busily.

Slowly, I approached them and checked their heads.

『후 떃껬 뿖1』

#궥켃0렖 #돷깙뵸 #뚫깋

『릉귗 뿋?긚흐깋』

#걁1뾠 #슗닦 #힇힇힇

(T/N this is… Nonsense… But as I couldn't think of anything, I'll just put it in there.)

On top of their head, a message which I was certain was a protagonist hashtag was floating.

I've seen things like this before. It was on top of the unidentified woman who came from Hell Gate. And the guys in front of me now had a similar appearance to that woman.

I drew my sword and slowly approached them. However, they only glanced at me without showing any kind of hostility. Rather, they bowed their heads to me before returning to their duties, such as tearing the ground or attaching something to it.

Something is strange. Last time, that woman said she was going to kill me, but why are they acting like this right now?

"…you guys, what are you?"

When I asked them those questions, they all turned their heads at me at the same time. Because of the immense pressure I felt from them, I involuntarily took a step back and took a battle stance as if the kindness they had just shown to me was nothing but an illusion.

'Can I win?' No, it was absolutely impossible. They were not enemies which could be beaten by force in the first place. They too had the power of probability behind them, and each one was similar to or more than the probability behind me.

The moment I bit my lips and was about to eject the ether blade, their movements suddenly stopped. Then, all at once, they bow their heads towards somewhere.

Step-!! Step-!! Step-!!

Ads by Pubfuture

The sound of shoes hitting the ground echoed clearly despite the fact that the air does not reverberate and no sound will be transmitted. The center of the Hell Gate-like structure cracked, and someone slowly walked out from it.

"Huh?"

I couldn't say anything when I saw the figure.

"Seriously… why did you come here? Were you that curious about the abandoned world?"

Although the figure was wearing glasses, had a different hair style than me, and was wearing a brown suit I had never worn in my life, there's no doubt. The figure was me!

It's not just someone who looks like me. I could tell that he was me. Even though he was a completely different person from me… from the tone of his voice, his expression, and even his actions, he was different. Yet he was me.

'I… why, how…?'

He slowly approached me while waving his hand. Then all the 'Protagonists' in the area started to do their jobs again as if nothing was wrong with our situation.

"Hm? Why are you so bewildered? OH! That's right! This is our first time meeting each other, right? How do you greet someone you meet for the first time again? Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you? No no no… There should have been a better greeting…"

Then the figure said with a snake-like smile.

"Ah, it's time for me to introduce myself, right? Nice to meet you. My name is Yoo Seodam. You've heard the name a lot, right?"

"…!!!!"

"Woah. It seems like I chose my greeting correctly. I'm proud of myself."

"Who the hell are you…"

"Didn't I say that my name is Yoo Seodam?"

Above his head, something flashed before disappearing. I looked at it. There is only one thing which is supposed to be in that place; the protagonist hashtag. However, his protagonist's hashtags were odd. The more I tried to look at it, the more it tried to run away.

"By the way, you have ruined my plan splendidly. If we had successfully absorbed this place as planned, we could have created a 'completed world'… Why are you so obsessed with this kind of story, really? I don't understand."

"What?"

"No no no… Well, it doesn't matter anymore. A gigantic existence in the completed world had even left its footprints here. They had unknowingly helped our cause. So I can continue with my plan."

"Just, just what are you talking about?"

Then, the other Yoo Seodam said to me,

"By the way, I want to ask you. Why are you here instead of returning to your world? Why don't you just do what you normally do? Oh, right! You can't return to Earth because your 'system' is gone, aren't you? I apologize for her disappearance."

He bowed his head playfully.

"Your client will be a little busy from now on since I asked her to do a lot of things. So you won't be able to receive 'requests' anymore. It's not your philosophy to put emotions into the relationship you have, right?"

Yes. That was undoubtedly my philosophy. But, why does this guy know that?

"What happened to the sys- no, her?"

"Hm? Did you feel attached again? Well, she's fine. She's just busy." The other Yoo Seodam said. "If you are truly thinking of looking for 'Reina Ju', It would be better for you to not look for your system anymore. That will be the best for both of you."

"What?"

"What's the matter? Why are you so surprised? Weren't you also vaguely aware of it?"

At that moment, all the memories I shared with the system rushed towards my mind.

Do I really not know at all?

Had I not been aware of it at all?

A long time ago, when I just returned from the world of constellations, I could catch a glimpse of the client's face. At that time, she was wrapped in lights. So it was impossible for me to look at her. However, I remembered that I could get a certain familiar feeling from her.

Ever since then, I have been living with my doubt. After all, it just didn't make sense.

Why did she give me this chance?

Why did she give me this power?

Why did she want me to be happy?

There was only one answer, wasn't there?

"Really… the system is…?"

Realizing that, I fell to the ground. But it was already too late.

"Hmm, originally, it would have been a big deal if you said something like this. Well, thanks to the plan going off, things were resolved quickly, so it doesn't matter now. For that reason, this time, I'll have to send you home. Originally, there was no such service, but since you are a very important existence to me, I'll do it for you."

[You have successfully hunted the protagonist of this world.]

[Returning to your original world.]

But unlike usual, it was not the System's voice who said those things but a voice of an emotionless man–me.

As soon the dimensional shift occurred, the other Yoo Seodam smiled. It was a smile I had never seen before, so I was enveloped in a terrible sense of unfamiliarity.

"You've worked hard for me until now. Unfortunately, this is the time to call it quits. Didn't I tell you? I want a world where anyone can be the protagonist and anyone can draw their own story. That's why I designated you as the protagonist of 'All Stories'. So, stick to your role until the very end. For all of us."

Right after those words ended, I found myself back on Earth.

"Huh…."

I sat down on the floor and grabbed my head. It was really hard for me to accept what had just happened.

"System?" Just in case, I tried to call her. Someone with a kind voice who always gave me strength, became my helper, and always listened to my concerns when I was mentally struggling.

"Reina?"

However, no answer ever came back.

Chapter 238

Month 9 Day 2 Year 709.

When Aracelli rose from her slumber, the world had turned upside down. She woke up in Vivienda, where science and machines didn't exist at all. Everything was united under magic, and the truth of all things in heaven and earth could be explained from a magical point of view.

"Are you awake?" With her back leaned on the wall, with white wallpaper and sunlight illuminating her face, Empress Sahar asked the struggling Aracelli, while looking up from the book she was reading.

"Ah…" Aracelli slowly removed the blanket and moved her feet to the floor. At that moment, neatly designed slippers wrapped around her feet.

"This place is a hospital. The system is running with magic, not science, so you don't have to worry about it."

"…everything has returned to normal."

She put strength on her feet and forced herself to walk towards the window. Looking at the world beyond the window, Stellar Horizon, which covered half of the sky, was no longer there. On top of it, the existence of aircraft, as well as the drones which made both the clouds and the earth scream, couldn't be seen.

The city of machines, which didn't have any other color besides gray, disappeared, replaced by magnificent magic towers that shine in five colors. On the street, children who aspired to be wizards ran with laughter plastered on their faces while holding on to a broomstick on their hand. Meanwhile, on the roof of the building, wizards enjoying their sweet relaxing time on top of their carpet could be seen.

"That is so. It is recorded that 10 years ago, on the 31th day of month 12 in year 699, the leader of the Science Revolutionary Army, Partellian, was killed by the Archmage Elaim, who is said to be the successor of Aracelli Rinekal."

"What happened to that wizard named Elaim?"

"That… I don't know." Empress Sahar closed the book in her hands.

"After that day, she completely disappeared. Just like the hero of the past, Aracelli Rinekal. She may be dead, or she may be wandering somewhere. Who knows…"

"Ah…" Somehow, it felt weird to hear people say that the Archmage Elaim was her successor.

"She left after solving many of the problems the magical society had to solve. In order to root out the reason behind the science revolution that started from the magical knowledge gap between the rich and the poor, she shared all her knowledge about magic with society so that anyone could learn her magic. Compared to the knowledge of the Archmage Aracelli and Elaim, the familial magic owned by all the long-standing families was nothing. So a huge social change occurred."

Shortly after Elaim spread her knowledge to the public, those who held high positions simply because they came from good families were stripped. And the Vivienda Magic Association were willing to hire anyone talented regardless of their background since Arcmage Elaim herself was someone from a commoner background. Thus, the concept of nobility itself completely disappeared.

Now, anyone can learn and use magic, and anyone can make their dreams come true by putting enough effort.

"I wanted to meet the person who is called my successor…"

"We can't help it.. But, who knows? Maybe someday, we'll get a chance to meet her."

"I hope so."

Having said that, Aracelli suddenly remembered Yoo Seodam.

"…What happened to Professor? Did he return safely to this timeline?"

Empress Sahar's hand stopped turning the page of the history book at that moment. She sighed, closed her history book, and stared blankly out her window.

"He didn't return to this timeline. His presence suddenly disappeared immediately after the world line changed."

"…"

When Aracelli closed her eyes and focused, she realized that Empress Sahar's words were true. Anytime, anywhere, if Yoo Seodam was in the same dimension as her, she would always be able to feel his presence, even if the time period was different.

However, for some reason, Yoo Seodam's existence was currently so far away.

"I think he has returned to his home world."

"If he really returned safely and is still alive… that alone gives me peace of mind."

"That's right…"

But for some reason, Aracelli didn't feel relieved at all. On the contrary, she felt that something ominous was brewing. After all, even at this moment, his presence was still getting farther and farther away.

'Just why….'

Aracelli bit her lips as the unknown sense of uneasiness that she had never felt before washed over her.

Ads by Pubfuture

In a huge artificial island in the Pacific Ocean, stood the 'Hell Gate World Research Center'. It was said that tens of billions of dollars were invested every year in that very place, whose only function was to observe and study Hell Gate. However, no government nor organization had ever voiced their objection, even though they had to pay that outrageous sum every year. It was due to the fact that every single one of them were perfectly aware that their life could really be over when Hell Gate starts running rampant.

An unknown territory that humans cannot conquer.

Is Hell Gate really a dungeon? Or is it a Gate? Or is it another unobserved natural phenomenon?

Since human beings still had no clues about 'dimensional science' yet, scientists predicted that it would take at least 100 years for them to complete their research on it.

So people of Earth waited patiently for the day scientists could conquer all the anomalies that occur in the Hell Gate dimension and finally reveal the identity of the Hell Gate itself.

However, Hell Gate did not wait for them.

-Breaking news from Busan! The Busan Tower had collapsed! S Rank Hunter Kim Kwang-wook and 17 other superhumans died!

-139 civilians went missing due to an anomaly that occurred in the state of Texas. According to the American Anomaly Research Institute, the phenomenon is related to 'Hell Gate'…

-New Murim League has yet again resolved another anomaly phenomenon. However, as the frequency of the occurrence increases day by day, concerns are increasing among the civilians.

-The International Supernatural Phenomenon Association has announced their official position, 'We will find out about the anomaly as soon as possible'.

Unexpected phenomena began to occur all over the world. This anomaly– completely different from normal dungeons, gates, and cracks–was characterized by the disappearance of the damaged area.

When everyone across the globe was grasped by the fear of thosr strange anomaly, the situation spiralled even more when otherworlders with power of SS rank or higher begun to terrorize people all over the places.

– It turns out that the otherworlders that terrorised Earth came from 'Hell Gate'.

-According to the words of Dr. Lacanthal, an otherworlder belonging to the Another League Guild, the otherworlders from Hell Gate is a higher species of humans, and so far, there are no found weaknesses.

-If you find a 'Gray Human', please report it immediately.

Gray Human.

It was a name bestowed by the humans for the pseudo-humans which come from Hell Gate. Each of those individuals had at least SS rank level stats, so there's only been a few cases of successfully killing it so far.

However, since their numbers were still low, there was no major damage thanks to the systematic movement of the Hunters… but people were aware that if this phenomenon continues, there will be no safe place on Earth. Therefore, concerns were spreading.

In the headquarters of the New Murim League, Seol Jungyeon was having a meeting with the head of the "Federal Anomaly Safety Committee" of the United States who came to visit her.

"…so, in other words, you want me to just stay in America without going anywhere else, right?"

"That's right. For the time being, I hope you will do your best to keep America safe as much as possible. Of course, we will compensate you plenty."

The Federal Anomaly Safety Committee was a separate organization from the International Supernatural Phenomenon Association. Their sole purpose was the safety of the United States. No matter what happened in other places on Earth, the safety of the United States was their only concern.

Before the Hell Gate phenomenon occurred, their movement was rare. It was due to the fact that there was no danger which threatened the well-being of the United States. Therefore, they were pretty obscured from the light. But when the organization was first established 20 years ago, the United States was criticized severely by the rest of the world.

"I'm speechless."

When Seol Jungyeon swept her platinum hair behind her shoulder, the chairman of the Federal Anomaly Safety Committee swallowed his saliva and looked down to the floor. She was more seductive than anyone else in the world. However, the chairman didn't have the guts to even try to seduce her, as at the same time, she was also the most frightening entity in the whole world.

The only superhuman with the strength of SSS rank in the whole world. If only he could tie her to only working for America, the damage America will suffer will decrease exponentially.

"Do you know who I am moving for?"

"Yes. I know that you have a close relationship with Another League Guild."

"And you still say those words to me knowing that?"

The chairman nodded her head.

"We are aware that they have reorganized your martial arts and provided your group a place to live. But we promise to give you even more than that. Once this situation ends, we will create a city for your group. On a real, gigantic piece of land, not in sub-dimension like this. We will also provide you some financial aid. If you have any desire in the political world, you could also do that…."

"You are wrong."

"Pardon?" The chairman tilted his head.

Then, the woman across from him stared straight into his eyes, making him quickly stare at the ground. Because her gaze was completely different from her gaze from before.

"The reason I have a close relationship with Another League is not because they have given me so much."

"Then, then…"

When the chairman asked the reason, Seol Jungyeon kept her silence. After all, it's not like she could tell people her reason.

"From now on, I will continue to work not only in the United States but also around the world, and that fact will never end, so please go back."

Ads by Pubfuture

"I understand."

When the chairman left the room, Seol Jungyeon leaned back on the chair and let out a long deep sigh. The chairman she just talked with was already the seventeenth person who came to her. They all asked her to use her powers for themselves.

Amongst them was China and various other conglomerates from all over the world. They all promised her the same; a huge sum of money plus more rewards. That fact made her realize just how grave the situation was.

People were afraid. It was because of the Hell Gate. To be precise, the destruction caused by Hell Gate.

"I just don't know how the world is going to be…"

However, after a moment of worry, when the light passing through the window went out and the light on her monitor came on, she turned her gaze to it. From the anomalies occurring around the world to the appearance of the Gray Human, everything was being briefed on her monitor in real time.

Standing up from her seat, Seol Jungyeon grabbed her sword. Once she made her mind over something, she will not break that oath until the very end.

'I'm not entirely working for the world, though.'

But only to protect the ones she loves.

Russia, Vladivostok.

Alexandre Blestash, the head of the Blestash family who specialized in light-type power, invited Taylor Blestash for a talk. Taylor, who normally wouldn't have returned to Russia, decided to accept his invitation because in the handwritten message her father wrote, there was a passage which said, 'I have something I want to say to you, so please come back.'

Although the relationship between them was by no means good, in the end, Taylor was a human who could easily be moved by family ties.

"What is it?" Taylor asked curtly.

"Taylor, I know you are well aware of the recent phenomena. And since you belong to the Another League, you might even have more intelligence than us."

"Well, that's right." Taylor responded half-heartedly as she twisted her straight hair that mimicked the hairstyle of the female lead in the movie 'Leon 3'.

The reason why she responded like that was because the place where she was invited to was not Bleshtash mansion, but a restaurant in the downtown area. If she had been told to come home, she might have returned by plane.

Aleksandr Blestash spoke slowly in a low-pitched voice.

"You know, this time it's different. The world is too dangerous for you to be active any longer. Return to the family now. It's okay if you don't show up and just play and eat. I just want you to be quiet and be protected by the knights of our family at home."

"Ah really…." Taylor snorted at her father's words. But Alexandre just continued his speech.

"I can't deny that Another League is a great guild. Afterall, it's a guild which has become the most famous guild on Earth. However, I judged that our family will be safer at our mansion rather than anywhere else. Therefore, Taylor Blestash, please, can't you come back to your family?"

"…"

It's the first time Taylor had ever heard Alexandre make such a request. But Taylor's heart did not waver.

"Hm… If you're worried about me like that, why don't you just lead the whole family into the Another League?"

"That…"

"Of course, I know you can't."

The dialogue itself was not established in the first place. Both Alexander and Taylor knew that from the beginning.

However, both of them were not bothered by it in the slightest. They were satisfied with it.

"…Yes, if that is your will, then please remain there." Alexandre got up first, and said while he passed right beside Taylor. "I just want you to know that this father cares about your safety."

After saying that, the head of the Blestash family left the restaurant. Leaving Taylor alone fiddling with the steak in front of her with a fork.

"He left without even eating it." Taylor grunted and put down the fork. Because even if she knew she would die tomorrow, she would never eat alone in a restaurant.

After leaving the restaurant, Taylor fastened her coat and took in a few breaths. The weather wasn't particularly cold, but somehow, she felt incredibly lonely.

Wooooooonggg-!!

A squadron of fighter planes passed through the sky. It was not the first time today. It was proof that something strange had happened again somewhere. The current Earth was not as peaceful as before. Therefore, the street was deserted and no one came out from their house. Food from stores and shopping stores had long since been out, either bought in bulk, or stolen. There were more and more people on the internet saying they would teach anyone how to build a shelter, and the overall atmosphere of society was changing.

Nevertheless, Taylor remained in the Another League.

"Where the hell did that motherfucker disappear to? And why in the world did he still haven't returned……"

Because the most reliable person whom she cherished a lot was there.

Tiring!

As she was walking down the street, her phone rang. When she looked at it, it was a text message notification.

[Sender: Yoo Seodam]

After confirming the sender, Taylor's expression brightened. However, after checking the contents, her complexion gradually worsened.

"This bastard… What is he thinking?"

Chapter 239

After returning to Earth, I thought a lot.

'What should I do next?' The moment the system disappeared, I became alone once again. Just like the days when I was still nothing but an F rank hunter with no superpowers, who struggled to earn a living every day somehow.

Of course the 'me' back then and the 'me' right now are different. I am no longer powerless. My current power level was close to SS rank. On top of it, as the master of the world's best guild, Another League, I stood tall in the hunters' industry, and I had a lot of people who trusted and followed me.

However, all of them only existed for one goal.

'Reina Ju.'

That was the goal I created right after I woke up from the death door and gained a new life. To be more precise, the goal was to enter the Hell Gate and bring her back.

I've been running as hard as I could for that one goal until now. However, everything went wrong.

"…" There's absolutely no way around this situation. The road ahead of me was dark and foggy. I couldn't see anything. That said, I will not sit down in despair. After all, my life has always been filled with a series of gloomy darkness.

Like a wanderer wandering blindly through the dark and deep forests, like a shipwreck drifting on the vast open seas, like a climber who has to navigate through mountain ranges covered in pure white snow with no sense of direction. That's my life. However, in the end, I always managed to find the right path.

It wouldn't be much different this time.

"Reina Ju was inside the Hell Gate. That's for sure, right?"

-Eung~ Maybe~

"It will be simple. Everything will be okay once we go through Hell Gate."

However, will I be able to get through Hell Gate with my own strength? Of course not. I will be borrowing the power of my friends to overcome the trials inside the Hell Gate.

Postponing the plan any longer is impossible. Right now, Hell Gate is actively absorbing the energy of countless worlds, including Earth. On top of that, I can't increase strength any more.

'No, wait. There's one more way left.' It was to be a 'protagonist'.

However, if I become a protagonist, I would receive the fate that will lead my world to destruction. Wouldn't it be meaningless to save Reina if the world collapsed?

'The guy who looked like me told me to do what I usually do.'

What I usually do… That's hunting the protagonist.

But why did he force the protagonists to be killed? Obviously, there must be a reason. At that time, a sudden thought occurred to me and I lifted my head. Although the client had disappeared, there was still a notification floating in the air.

[You have successfully hunted the protagonist 'Partellian'.]

[Do you want to absorb his talents and skills?]

Yes. What I did was not simply killing a protagonist. After hunting them, it was also my job to absorb the probability and a fraction of their power.

My probability, which was mixed up after absorbing the probabilities of countless worlds and stories, were always on a tightrope. When the probability became excessive, they were forcibly consumed immediately, and when the probability became excessive again, they would have to be used again. The circle always continues.

'After all, it is impossible to completely erase the probability that begins to build up in the body. There is also a limit to consuming probability this way.'

At the time, I didn't think much of it. It was something I had to be a little more careful about…

Ads by Pubfuture

Just like I couldn't acquire a skill due to excessive probability after hunting protagonist Lee Dong-jun, who was at level 500, I was planning not to acquire a skill after hunting Partellian, who was at level 400.

However, if…

'If I become the protagonist of Hell Gate, what will happen?'

What if Hell Gate is also treated as a dimension? So, what if I could destroy it by becoming its protagonist?

Of course I can't be sure that it will work. Before questioning whether Hell Gate was a normal world or not, there were already a lot of 'protagonists' there.

"I guess I just have to find out from now on."

Now that I have decided what to do, it's time to move.

Immediately after turning on the smartphone and checking the contact information, I sent a text message to the guild members of Another League.

[Another League Guild Master Return Notice]

And, after thinking for a while, I sent another text message.

[Hell Gate attack schedule notice]

After the Anther League Guild became the number one guild in the world through their exploits, the presence of its executives became so famous to the point it outshone the fame of most top star celebrities.

For example, when Yekaterina buys a cheap 5,000 won T-shirt and wears it, it will become a hot fashion item and all the women will follow her fashion.

Just like other members, the netizens always had this one question in their head.

'Where and what did the guildmaster do?'

He often hid himself by saying that he was going to 'dispatch'. He also did not appear in public for quite a long time and only appeared when something grim happened on Earth.

Each time, netizens speculated by saying, 'Isn't Yoo Seodam actually dispatched to a different dimension?'

There were a lot of negative comments on that topic, and Another League kept silent as if they would not answer those useless questions.

In fact, when he killed Saek-ma, Yoo Seodam announced to the world that he was someone who had affairs related to dimension. He even returned from a completely closed crack, didn't he?

Yoo Seodam was also the one who revealed the power of magic and mugong, which did not exist on Earth. He also took in not only the returnees from other worlds, but also other races from other dimensions.

For that reason, there were a lot of people who believed that he was well-versed in dimensional-related study, and publicly, he has already become a being who could go to 'other dimensions'.

Not only them, even the people who occupied powerful positions in the world also believed so. Unlike netizens, those people always had those possibilities in mind through a fairly accurate source of information.

Therefore, it was only natural for them to move quickly as soon as Yoo Seodam announced his return and declared he was going to attack the Hell Gate.

How will he attack the unknown dimension called Hell Gate?

United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War about 30 years ago, the UNSC, which was greatly reorganized because of the arrival of superpowers, added war on monsters in its regulations along with preventing international acts such as wars between nations, aggression, and terrorism.

Most of the cases were handled by the The International Supernatural Phenomenon Association and the International Association of Superhumans, but when an event large enough to shake the world's peace occurs, they will eventually move.

It was not a coincidence that UNSC grew interested in Another League's movements, or rather, it was only a natural choice-of-action.

The UNSC had approached Seol Jungyeon several times to receive the protection of the most powerful martial artist, no, human on the planet. And in the process, they discovered that Seol Jungyeon had shown considerable obsession towards Yoo Seodam.

No matter how many rumors about Yoo Seodam's dimensional shift circulated on the internet, even though it was said to be an almost definitive fact, an international group like the UNSC could not move only based on a mere rumor.

However, the Murim Lord told them, 'He knows more than all of us', and even Lacanthal, the leader of the otherworlders, who was now working as a Hell Gate researcher, said, 'I don't know much about it. I think it will be better if you guys ask Yoo Seodam about it.' In other words, the two most powerful people on the Earth had told them, 'Go and ask him. He should know better than us.'

Ads by Pubfuture

'At this point, there is surely something about him.'

It was a conclusion they drew when Lacanthal, who was unparalleled in terms of dimensional-related science, and Seol Jungyeon, who had reached a level higher than any other superhuman on Earth, both strongly recommended Yoo Soodam to them.

-So, you want us to just leave the job to one hunter?

United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York.

Originally, the meeting hall of the UN headquarters was a place where the original 6 chairperson could be found. However, this place was currently reserved for only one person, the UN Secretary-General.

-Huh, how did the UN become like this…?

-From the beginning, 15 years ago, when we invited hunters to the UN, it was definitely wrong!

-Che. What would the people of the world think of us? It's not funny.

Numerous negative voices were heard from the hologram floating in the air, but UN Secretary-General Allen still looked at them indifferently.

"He's been to Hell Gate, and even has a broader knowledge of dimensions than any other scientist on Earth. Can't we just trust him?"

-That's absurd! It would surely be fine if we just took his advice for use, but to leave all the decisions to him is not!

United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

In fact, their opinion of treating the UN as a puppet may be justified from a certain point of view.

'As it is a parliament that protects the international community, it is undeniable that the image is important.' But more important than that, was whether or not peace could be maintained in the end.

– Cancel it and kick him out. There must be another way!

"Another way…"

Allen shook his head. He didn't expect them to agree in the first place, but he didn't expect it to be this bad.

The guys in front of him were old men who believed it was because of their presence that the system of psychics was properly established, and thanks to this, they were able to win the war against monsters.

Therefore, no matter what he says, it would be of no use. There's only one way to convince those old men, who believe they were contributing more to world peace than the hunters, who were rolling on the battlefield, risking their own lives.

"…Then, please have a meeting with Yoo Seodam directly and have a conversation with him."

He should have never met them, but Allen had no choice but to have that person talk face-to-face with them.

– You want us to talk directly with him?

"Yes. I already invited that person to this event. He said he had a way to make sure of his success in attacking the Hell Gate."

-What?

-You're lying. You and that Hunter…

"You will find out the truth of my words soon."

In the hologram, the board looked at each other and reluctantly agreed.

'Please, I hope you persuade them.' Allen hoped so and called for Yoo Seodam, and the back door of the spacious conference hall opened and the man leisurely walked in.

The appearance of wearing an ether suit instead of a working suit was not very suitable for this place, but it represented his identity more than any other attire.

'Wow, the UN.'

Yoo Seodam, who was looking around the conference hall with curious eyes because he did not expect to ever come to the UN headquarters in his life, stood in front of the hologram of the board of directors.

Then, he said,

"It's me. Let's all cooperate."

"Khuk!"

-Wha-wha

At that brazen attitude, Allen coughed. It was such a funny moment which would surely enter Allen's top 3 moments of his life.

Chapter 240

A day before.

The executives of the Another League, including the 'actual' Guild Leader Yekaterina, and the representatives of different races, such as Lacanthal, Taylor Nine, and the Spirit King, gathered together without hiding their anxious expressions in the conference room of the headquarters.

The cause was because Yoo Seodam, who announced that he would attack Hell Gate, had called for a meeting. However, after summoning them, Yoo Seodam only sat in the chairperson's seat, leaned back, closed his eyes and didn't say anything, as if he was waiting for something.

When Yoo Seodam fell silent, the others were also silent.

Tick-!! Tick-!! Tick-!!

Time passed, and after about fifteen minutes of complete silence, Taylor, feeling impatient, smashed her hand onto the desk.

"Hey! If you called someone, you should say something!!"

"That's it!"

"…what, what?"

At the same time as Taylor shouted, Yoo Seodam's eyes opened, and Taylor flinched.

"Actually, I almost died from suffocation. I was waiting for you to break the atmosphere."

"What are you saying you b*st*rd?"

Yes. Yoo Seodam was the last to arrive at the conference hall, but for some reason everyone was holding their breath and waiting with tense expressions. Therefore, It was difficult to open his mouth hastily, because Yoo Seodam had never experienced such an atmosphere before.

"You b*st*rd with no sense of humor, seriously?"

"Seodam-nim… it is okay for you to say anything you have in your mind."

The atmosphere has calmed down a lot now. Yoo Seodam leaned back on the chair and gazed towards each of them sharply.

"Hey. I heard you even texted the reporters that you will be attacking Hell Gate?"

"Hehe, there are such rumors floating around? I am really looking forward to it."

"Yes…. It's a total mess outside. Thanks to Seodam-nim, the employees are having a hard time answering the phone calls."

When Yoo Seodam announced to the media that he would attack Hell Gate, the world, which was already chaotic, became even more so. In some media sources, it was pointed out that it was nothing but a noise marketing tactic, but at the same time, there were also people who wrote articles such as, 'Let's pray for Another League's success!'.

The world reported Yoo Seodam's words in various ways, and it was something the Another League didn't want very much.

"Isn't it okay if I did it quietly?"

"No. That's not allowed."

Yoo Seodam shook his head and said.

"I really intend to attack Hell Gate, but our strength alone is not enough."

"…were you really planning on doing it?"

"Of course. When was the last time you ever saw me lying?"

"Huh? You borrowed money from me to buy coke 12 years ago and haven't paid it back until today."

Ads by Pubfuture

"…" Yoo Seodam took two five hundred won bills from his pocket and rolled them over to Taylor. "Anyway, I am really going to go into Hell Gate and carry out the raid. To do that, we need the strength of the people of the guild."

When people wanted to join another League, instead of giving them better conditions than the other guild in order to make sure they joined the guild, Yoo Seodam put one clause in the contract, which would surely make them think twice to join.

'I will fight for the guild master just once in the future.'

After all, he never gave away his own things for free. On top of it, Another League was his first step towards Hell Gate.

However… The situation of those who were not bound with contract to Yoo Seodam was different from the people who did.

"If there is someone who does not want to participate in this fight, please tell me separately later. I do not intend to force you into joining the battle."

After saying this, Yoo Seodam gave them some time to think. No one spat out thoughtless words like, 'No, I'll follow you anyway!' because they know, if they said that, even someone who doesn't really want to go may be forced to go.

"Then, let's stop here for today. I got a call as soon as I told the plan to the press." He chuckled and showed them a text message from Allen, the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Back to the present.

"Haa…."

Yoo Seodam entered the UN headquarters and spat out some bombshell-like words. There is no way the UNSC's board of directors can stand still after hearing that. They all burst into rage.

– Hey, hunter! What did you say just now?

-This is why hunters who didn't have proper education are so…

– What are you doing? You are rude…

In front of their belittling words, Yoo Seodam simply pulled a drink from his pocket. It was strawberry juice in a bottle with the face of a penguin character Pengroro on the front which was greatly emphasized.

Pop-!!

As Yoo Seodam was drinking it all the way out loud, Allen thought that this was a good thing. After all, if Yoo Seodam, who is one of the best hunters around the world, had come all the way to this place and ended up caving in at their words, the pride of all those old folks who think hunters were nothing but their chess piece would soar even higher.

At this point, the thought of wanting to squash their arrogant mug came to Allen's mind, however, with great patience, he swallowed it in.

The board of directors was outraged and continue to point out Yoo Seodam's actions, and when the situation showed no signs of improving and signs that something was about to explode start to show,

-Let's stop.

A man, who had been quiet so far, opened his mouth. Moments later, everyone becomes silent. At that time, Yoo Seodam, who wanted to have a conversation, put down his drink and straightened his posture.

-Hunter Yoo Seodam. I was familiar with your antics through the stories I've heard, but I didn't expect you to be this rude.

"I think it's better to call me someone with thick guts."

-Whatever you want to be called is of no concern for us. But do you truly have enough power to back up your guts?

"If I don't have it, why do you think I am still acting like this? At least I am thoughtful enough to think about such a thing."

-Then… Can you try to convince us right now?

As soon as those words fell, Yoo Seodam took his smart tablet out with his arms. It was quite surprising that a machine almost the size of a grown man's torso jutted out from the inside of the thin ether suit, but no one questioned about that.

Ppa-!!

Then, a hologram floated in the air, and a 'map' of a certain terrain was roughly displayed on it. On the map, which looked like a slice of pizza, a reddish mass of energy was flashing.

"This is a map of the terrain inside Hell Gate. It was something based on some of the terrain I had explored in the past."

-Ridiculous! I know that almost all of the data at that time has been lost…!

"Yes. So I went straight into my own mind to make this.. That's not surprising, isn't it?"

Actually, the map Yoo Seodam drew was really the terrain he had explored in the past. He even put another piece together to create the perfect Hell Gate shape, but the rest was blank and unfinished. On top of it, there was a disconnected part in the unfinished part, and Yoo Seodam pointed at it and said.

"If an egg has a white and a yolk parts, and the Earth has an inner core and layers, there are also 'layers' in the Hell Gate. And the last expedition I participated in managed to break through the second layer and retreated when the third layer was right in front of us."

Ads by Pubfuture

When Yoo Seodam talked about Hell Gate in detail, no one cut his words off. Although all of them had a dissatisfied expression on their faces, they had no choice but to put that aside and listen.

"In the past, in order to pass that 'layer', we had to move forward with the sacrifices of countless hunters. It was due to the fact that in Hell Gate, what was on the north side yesterday might be the west side today, and it was difficult to just break through that space where the top and bottom are indistinguishable."

Until this part, all Yoo Seodam had said was all true.

But from now on, lies are going to be mixed. A lie which was covered in 'truth', which was only possible because of the image Yoo Seodam had built for himself so far.

"However, this time, we will not go through that complicated and dangerous road. Using my ability to penetrate dimensions, we will break through the crack easily and move forward."

-To break through a crack… Is that really possible?

Of course, it is impossible.

"Of course, it's possible."

Since his connection with Reina Ju had been cut off, he no longer had the ability to move between dimensions. Thanks to the dimensional shift he had experienced, he could feel the dimensional wavelength, but it was still impossible for him to do anything beyond that.

The reason Yoo Seodam chose to tell such lies was because it was close to impossible to explain the madness he's trying to do in the Hell Gate to them.

'Which one of them is going to understand the existence of protagonists and probability?'

Even within Another League, less than five people know about the existence of the protagonists, so it was not easy to reveal the fact to the world. However, Yoo Seodam did not explain his plans to those who knew about the protagonists. The same plan that he explained to the board of directors of UNSC, who were in front of him now, was also laid out in the conference room of Another League.

'…After all, the goal is to become the protagonist of Hell Gate. Only I can handle it.'

In the past, the Hell Gate Expeditionary Force could not penetrate the third wall, and Yoo Seodam still couldn't forget the memories of that time.

The first layer of Hell Gate was infested with monsters which attacked indiscriminately, and the moment the expedition reached the second floor, they encountered a 'trap'.

The monsters there had minimal intelligence. As if they had formed a society, other monsters bow down under a powerful leader and do not invade each other's territory. In addition, the very clever monsters dug traps and even hunted for prey, but the Hell Gate Expeditionary Force was caught there.

The oddly shaped monster that looks like a monkey when seen from the side, a gorilla from the back, a dinosaur from the bottom, and a toad when seen from above formed a neatly polished 'road' for humans to walk on. And, when they entered so deep that they could not escape. The monster rolled up its tongue and swallowed them.

'The first floor is just a taste of Hell Gate, not the real thing.'

The real Hell Gate unfolds from the second floor. And Yoo Seodam had no intention of taking his companions to the second floor.

-Penetrating the three layers and breaking the Hell Gate's core. Is that your plan?

"That's right. You are very understanding."

The board of directors was silent. Then, soon after, the old man from earlier broke the silence and asked a question.

-Then, are you planning to lead UN forces into the Hell Gate?

"No."

At first, they couldn't believe his words. However, they soon understand that Yoo Seodam was someone who knew how useless troops were inside Hell Gate. He wouldn't take them if he thinks that they were not good enough, no matter how strong they were.

"You must be the focal point for all hunters around the world. As you know, the moment the expedition enters the Hell Gate, the monsters that exist inside will be pouring towards Earth."

Since quite a few Hell Gate expeditions have been attempted so far, it was a fact they knew well.

"This time around, the scale will be different. Even at this moment, alien races called 'Grey Humans' are continuing to invade from inside the Hell Gate, and Hell Gate is absorbing the energy of the Earth. Isn't that right?"

In other words, the role of the United Nations will be 'cleaning up'. Which means, when Another League goes in to perform the main mission, they will stay outside and catch all the mobs. However, it was not a bad proposal from the UN's point of view.

After all, if Yoo Sseodam actually clears the Hell Gate, the UN can once again argue that they have contributed to world peace, and it will be very safe because they don't even have to go inside.

The board of directors gave a positive opinion because they thought they could overcome this situation without suffering significant damage to their troops, compared to the prize they would get in case the expedition was successful.

-I will also accept your idea, like the others. Let me trust you and leave it to you.

In that way, the sketch for entering the Hell Gate was drawn to some extent.

Now, there was only one thing left for Yoo Seodam to do.

[Are you sure you want to absorb the skills and talents of protagonists 'Partellian'?]

[Warning! It has a very strong probability!]

A message that Reina Ju might have left behind secretly–the notification window of skill absorption.

After she disappeared, she recorded a number of warning messages and left them behind in case Yoo Seodam misunderstood her. But he had no intention of listening to such a recorded message. He will only hear her once they meet in person.