The Protagonists Are Murdered By Me Chapter 49: 246-250, a 13 tzameti fanfic

The catastrophe with the official name Monster 2, but nicknamed the 'New Human' by humanity, quickly traversed the South American continent. In the process, the number of hunters who lost their lives to it exceeded thousands, while civilian casualty was simply beyond the scope of anyone's imagination.

Orlando, Florida, USA.

This largest theme park on earth was always crowded with people 365 days a year, but now, except for one creature, no one else existed. That one creature was, of course, Monster 2.

It stared blankly without even knowing its own purpose. However, Monster 2, who was just about to head somewhere, raised its head when it heard a sound from somewhere.

-Next news! Another League's Guildmaster, Yoo Seodam, announced that he would go to hunt 'Monster 2'. People's expectations are growing, knowing that he will work together with the Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon.

-Is the subjugation of Monster 2 really possible?

-It's possible, if I must say. Afterall, Murim Lord is an SSS rank superhuman…

Monster 2 tilted its head at what was displayed on the screen attached to a tall building. It was because the face of that man in the news felt familiar to it.

And a few seconds later, a memory rushed towards its head. It was a memory which reminded it of its reason for being born.

"Yoo… Seodam…."

His goal was over there on the screen. Monster 2 pointed at it with its finger, and the screen went off after letting out a small spark. However, Monster 2 knew it wasn't the real Yoo Seodam.

'I have to find the real one…'

Taang-!!

Ting-!!

"…"

Monster 2 turned its head. By now, it had already become used to the sound of the explosion it heard just now: it was the sound made by the lower race called 'humans' to express their hostility toward itself.

"What the freaking… The bullet was blocked by a sign that was blown by the wind!!!"

The person who fired the special sniper rifle was a 9-year F-rank hunter; A veteran who had survived countless live and death battles. Therefore, any wind, or whatever which could become a hindrance to him was something he had already calculated. However, just now, a sign was blown by the wind and deflected the bullet 'coincidentally.' Thanks to that, without being able to injure the creature, his location was discovered.

'Damn, I have to run…!' When he failed to snipe Monster 2, the hunter jumped from a high-rise building with a wire attached to his body, leaving behind all of his other items. However, the wind started to blow wildly at that moment.

'Ugh… What is this…'

It was literally a natural phenomenon. An ordinary natural phenomenon in which not even a shred of energy was detected.

'But why now…!!' Due to the natural phenomenon, the hunter failed to shoot the monster before, and now, his body was rocked back and forth by the wind. And eventually the wire attached to his body snapped, making him fall to the ground.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Crack-!!

Although he was a 9-year-old veteran Hunter, he did not have any superpower. And so, by falling, he lost his life.

Without batting an eyelash, Monster 2 turned his head back indifferently. There was another screen floating in the direction where it was looking.

-This evening, Hunter Yoo Seodam will hold a press conference in Beijing, China…

'Beijing, China.' For Monster 2, that information was more than enough. It doesn't matter where on Earth it was, or what country it was. If it could know where it was; It could go there right away.

Monster 2 disappeared from the spot.

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There was still no way to know where the creature called Monster 2 was moving towards. However, there was a calculation based on the route it traveled across South America that it would have reached Africa within a day at the earliest.

'Noonim, tomorrow, we will go to Africa.' After saying that to Noonim, I held a press conference in Beijing. To be honest, I didn't really want to do it, but the Chinese government politely asked if I could give their citizens peace of mind, so I had no choice but to do it.

"It's funny to think there's still people thinking about politics even in the midst of this trying time."

"Haha… It's not like that."

Actually, what I said was right. China was not trying to reassure its citizens. If they simply wanted to do that, there would be no way that there would be politicians in suits sitting next to me. Perhaps the purpose they followed by helding this press conference was to promote extensively, saying 'We can control Hunter Yoo Seodam.'

Originally, I didn't want to do all this, but since I didn't have a choice, I'm just going to leave after telling these people about my belief.

I am not protecting China, I am protecting the world. The boundary between the two was almost invisible, but Yekaterina thought it would be pretty good if I spoke those words at an official place.

The meaning of the statement would be, it's not like I'm not going to protect China. But at the same time, it's not like I'm only protecting China.

In other words, once I said those words, I would be able to counter the political ploy cooked by the Chinese politicians.

"Take it easy. All the necessary preparations for the hunt have been completed, all that remains is to wait." Noonim said to me as she smiled.

"Right…" Not only that, evacuation orders in the western part of the African continent had also been issued. Truly, the only thing left for me was to wait.

Click-!!! Click-!!!

As I proudly walked to the press conference room, reporters of various nationalities bombard me with their cameras. It felt like a thunderbolt was hitting the ground right in front of me.

I tried my best to ignore all the flash and walked out at a leisurely pace to shake hands with those who had come in advance before approaching the podium and grab the microphone.

"Wait…" Noonim grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. Her expression was cold as usual. But this time, if i must say, it was colder than ever.

"Is there-" Before I could even finish uttering my question, an ominous feeling swept over me. What happened next was purely instinctive on my part. I yelled, "EVERYONE RUN AWAY!" and hurriedly took the gear out of my inventory. However, I don't know what I was taking out.

Ngggging-!!

My ears rung as my body flies and destroys several walls. My back was impacted by the shock, my vision was flashing and I couldn't hear anything but the ringing.

It was only when I slammed to the ground did I realize that I had been beaten by something.

"Kuhhuukk…!" A handful of blood comes out with the cough. Meanwhile, tosca sparks erupted in the area around my abdomen.

[Battery Level: 0%]

With just a single impact, the barrier of the first-class ether suit was completely broken.

"This is crazy…" However, as I raised my head and scanned my surroundings, I realized that it wasn't only the suit's barrier which was destroyed because of that one attack. The press conference room, which was filled with numerous people just a moment ago, was completely gone. All those who were living just a moment ago had become either corpses or were severely wounded and were strewn all over the place. The hunters who survived the shock were also by no means unstached. They were all stumbling to wherever they felt safe with one or two limbs gone. And in the sky above, Monster 2 and Seol Jungyeon noonim were facing each other.

I rose to my feet and quickly checked my physical condition. Fortunately, even when all the suit's barriers were exhausted, I suffered no major injuries thanks to my SS rank body.

"Noonim…"

"Are you okay?" Noonim asked without looking at me. Her pinkish sword had already been drawn, aiming at the monster. I promptly drew my sword and faced the monster. At that moment, I could finally see what I didn't see earlier.

『I%m T9e B35t 3v3r!』

#cliché #SadEnding #None

'What the…'

Although I couldn't understand the sentence properly, to some extent, the text was readable. However, what caught my eyes the most was three hashtags attached under the title.

'Cliché, sad ending… and… What the hell is none?'

While I was wondering, Monster 2 slowly lowered his head and met my eyes. "Yoo Seodam."

"That's me." It was as expected. Like with the Gray Human, I was also able to talk to him. "I didn't know why you do all the things you do here… What's your purpose? Did you come to Earth for me?"

"Yes."

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"Why?"

Then the monster blinked. "That, I don't know."

"…is that so?" Though, whatever its purpose was, it doesn't matter.

Click-!!

After loading the Winchester–which was now close to the finished form–I aimed it at him with one hand.

"If you don't know, you must die."

Taang!

Bullets equipped with various energy analyzers quickly fly to the monster. However, at that moment, the power facility underneath the floor exploded, creating a magnetic field. Thus, the trajectory of my bullet was bent.

[Protagonist ???'s skill, 'Protagonist Cliche' has been activated.]

[Cliche No.1: The protagonist could never be hit by bullets fired by the enemy.]

Monster 2 caught the straying bullet between its fingers and threw it back at me. I hurriedly activated Dharma Footwork technique and escaped the trajectory.

[Cliche No. 2: However, the protagonist's bullets will always hit their enemy..]

The bullet bent because of the wind and hit my leg.

"Keuk!" It was only a light blow, but the impact caused me to roll over the floor. Shortly thereafter, Monster No. 2 turned his palm toward me to create a whirlpool, but when he saw Noonim blitzing towards it, it immediately turned its hand away.

Kaang-!!

A shock wave swept the area as the sword and the hand collided. Then, Noonim clenched the hilt of her sword with her two hands and then slowly let her body hang down like a cherry blossom floating on the shore of a lake.

Cheonma Heavenly Art (天魔神公)

Cheonma Sword Of Destruction (天魔震魂滅劍)

Snow Plum Blossom (雪梅花)

Waves of pink spread from the tip of the sword. At the end of the wave, plum blossoms began to scatter. If there was a difference between cherry blossoms and plum blossoms, plum blossoms are shorter than cherry blossoms, but they fill the world densely.

The skin of Monster 2 began to peel at the feast of plum blossoms that rained like a heavy snowfall in midwinter. Without even realizing that its own body was being wounded, it gradually crushed into powder just like that.

Before long, the feast of plum blossoms completely covered Monster 2 to the extent that it could not be seen at all. I thought that was also what noonim intended. But suddenly, my mouth opened and a word came out without my permission.

"Noonim, did you kill it?"

[Cliche No.3: If the protagonist was badly wounded and the enemy says, 'Did you kill it?' afterwards, the protagonist will appear once again without a single wound.]

Noonim's plum blossoms were scattered in an instant, and Monster 2 appeared from it.

"Hey, flowerpot! Is it still not ready?"

-No, It's complete~

At the same time as the answer fell, I gathered mana in both hands and brought my hands to the floor. The legendary sealing magic 'Seven Barriers', which was said to have sealed even the balrogs at one time, was activated. A stone, which looked like a moon, floated into the air and then, pillars of fires shot up.

Shhh!

"…..!!!"

The monster's appearance disappeared in an instant.

"Damn, where!?"

The moment I said that, I fell to the floor as I felt pain in my back. Then, a message appeared in my mind.

[4. If the protagonist ever suddenly disappears mid-fight, if the opponent says 'Damn, where is he?', the protagonist will always appear from behind the enemy.]

'Ugh, you should've told me sooner!' The attack landed on my back was not fatal, so I hurriedly rolled down the floor to widen the gap. Amongst all the protagonists so far, there were several who had similar skills as Monster 2. However, none of them had a power as blatant as Monster 2's power.

"That being said…." Monster 2's power was simply broken; it had the most broken cheat skills I've ever seen. However, I have come across countless clichés while traveling to hunt protagonists, and I have broken countless cliches so far. On top of it, I also have my own skill: [Protagonist Hunter].

Therefore, I wouldn't just sit still and fall for all the cliches Monster 2 was armed with.

Earth, North Pacific.

In the vicinity of the collapsed Hell Gate Research Center, some of the remains of the buildings which could not sink were swept away by the waves and floated in the open sea. In the meantime, eight aircraft carriers, which mostly were filled with US troops camouflaged as UN peacekeeping forces, rushed forward.

The aircraft carriers with added etheric technology had a history of defeating SSS ranked great monster Kraken. Therefore, to honor that, all of these aircraft carriers were called 'Kraken-class Aircraft Carriers (LPDs)'.

'But, in reality, it's the hunters who boarded the ship who beat it…' Taylor Nine looked at the open sea with bored eyes as those thoughts running on her head. For her, whether there were eight Kraken-class aircraft carriers or not, it didn't really matter.

"Tsk, I can't even enjoy the sea view because of the boats." The things that obstructed Taylor's view weren't just the aircraft carriers. Behind the parade of aircraft carriers, several destroyer-class ships followed closely. Even under the sea, submarines followed and fighter jets were flying in the sky.

-Hunter Taylor. We have arrived at our destination.

"Okay…."

-Can you come to the captain's office?

"I was already on my way." Taylor lied, answering through the remote radio placed in her ears. In all carriers combined, thousands of B and A rank hunters and more than 200 S-rank hunters gathered. However, only a handful of SS rank hunters had gathered here. Of the less than 100 SS rank hunters on the planet, including those affiliated with Murim, only 9 people had gathered here.

Under normal circumstances, this big of an army would rarely be seen moving together. It was only possible because the worst case scenario had happened: The collapse of the Hell Gate Research Center.

As Taylor scrambled down the hallway to get to the captain's office, she opened her mouth wide when she saw a huge, red object that had begun to appear in front of the convoy.

"…." That object was the entrance to Hell Gate. The place she had heard a lot but saw it for the first time in her entire life.

'He survived after entering that place through that?' To be honest, Taylor was quite scared at the moment. Fear was something which normal people would feel when they were standing in front of Hell Gate. So, Taylor thought, 'What was Yoo Seodam thinking when he entered such a place?'

"And now, he wants to enter that place again…" However, there was still a lot of time to go before she would follow him inside. Right now, she was here only to search the area, clear out any monsters that escaped from the Hell Gate, and recover the wreckage of the Hell Gate Lab. And, the ultimate goal was to install a temporary shelter.

The Hell Gate Research Center had a 'special gate obstruction device' installed, but thankfully, even when it had disappeared, all the professors shared the same diagnosis, 'Hell Gate's expansion rate had decelerated.'

So for now, if she just does what she was supposed to do, nothing special will happen.

But…

"What the hell is that?"

Taylor approached the window, literally put her nose one inch away from it, and stared at Hell Gate. There, just like the corona radiating from the sun, something like an aurora was leaking out from the Hell Gate's entrance.

It wasn't only Taylor who discovered it, proven by the fact that the alarm rang loudly throughout the cabin.

-Anomaly occurring! Anomaly occurring!

Instructions to be prepared for battle had been issued, and the hunters and soldiers quickly ran to somewhere. However, unlike them, Taylor stayed there and looked at Hell Gate for a long time.

'What the hell is that…?'

Something… felt ominous.

[13. If the protagonist is attacked by multiple enemies, the enemy will only attack one at a time.]

It's a very historic cliché. The majority of people who attack the protagonist for some reason will always rush one by one instead of going together, and the next one will just get hit just like the one who rushed ahead by the protagonist.

That's precisely the situation I found myself in right now.

[Body movement skill is momentarily suppressed by the skill 'Protagonist Cliché'!]

"Keeukk…!"

At the same time, Seol Jungyeon noonim cut one of Monster 2's arms, but she was promptly countered, which forced her to retreat. At the moment when the monster was showing a gap, if I had come forward and attacked it with a big magic shot, I could have landed a fatal blow, but unfortunately, I couldn't move yet because of the monster's skill where I couldn't attack him till the monster regained its stability.

[The skill 'Protagonist Hunter' partially resists the skill effect.]

Fortunately, the debuff lasts shorter than normal debuff, but it was almost meaningless due to the difference in ability between him and me. When I was about to move, a sudden storm hit my body and threw me to the ground.

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Thud! bang bang-!!

'Damn, that cliché.' As I was wiping the blood coming down from my lips, Noonim, who was visibly exhausted, raised her sword to the sky.

Although it was not strange for support to come late, with [9. While the protagonist is fighting the main villain, support never comes for the villain] cliche being triggered, so we could not even hope for it.

The level of influence it has on the world was just as dangerous as, or even more dangerous than, the protagonist who shifted the world's common sense into his own, which I fought in the past. (P/n for those who forgot who this protagonist he mentioned is, it's the Japanese protagonist from the long-ass world title)

If that protagonist was at a level where he can change the common sense and the laws of physics of the world, then Monster 2 is shaking the fate of this world itself. And in order to gain such great feasts, a lot of probability needs to be consumed.

In other words, Monster 2 was extremely dangerous. After all, the more it gets attacked, the faster the Earth will be on its way to destruction.

Now that I know that fact, another fact comes to my mind. That monster will never die. As long as Earth did not perish, and as long as there is even a slight probability left on Earth, it will live on until it has exhausted all the probabilities of this world.

What should I do?

How can I win?

'Why isn't the Protagonist Hunter skill not doing anything?' This skill has been ignoring the probability of numerous protagonists and destroying them. But for some reason, it didn't work right now.

'Is it because my level is too low?'

No, if it was for that reason, it simply makes no sense. I even successfully hunted down the Supreme Dharma, who was far stronger than that monster. It means that the Protagonist Hunter skill can still interfere with the cliché of the protagonist on that level.

I'm missing something here. If the system was still here, she would surely have given me some advice.

If it's Reina… What would she say to me in this situation? I wonder…

At that moment, my heart became surprisingly calmer than before. For some reason, I remembered the advice Reina had given me in the distant past. It wasn't a very meaningful word but a simple sentence.

'You can just do what you normally do.'

Why did I think of that moment right now? It felt too artificial, but I don't care. Because that gave me a pretty decisive hint.

"Noonim!"

"I am still fine…" Seol Jungyeon noonim answered. She was breathing heavily, but there wasn't even a single tremor in the hand which held the sword. It proved that she was still able to continue the fight.

"Can you trust me and use a great skill just once?"

"…" She looked at my eyes, obviously doubting my words. After all, it's not like she deliberately didn't use a big skill. It was just wasteful since the enemy would still avoid it in the end. If she performs such a skill again and again, it will only turn their winning chance slimmer than before once she expends all her stamina.

But her doubt didn't last long. She nodded her head with a firm expression and raised her sword upright. Then the monster moved and tried to point his palm at noonim, but I shouted first.

"No matter if it's an ally or an enemy, when they are preparing for a big skill, the protagonist never tries to distract them!"

At that moment, the attack which Monster 2 launched changed direction and blitzed towards me.

Boom-!!

The ground turned upside down as a shock wave swept the area after the attack clashed with the layers of defense I had erected.

Woooshhh-!!

However, at that moment, noonim finished her preparations. Contrary to magic, the preparations for the attack of the Murim Warriors were not very long, so it's enough to just distract the enemy for a short time.

Whhiing-!!

As noonim slowly shook her sword, the movement of the air changed. Even Monster 2, who was able to forcibly manipulate the weather conditions, just stood there. It seems like the flow of air which noonim shook had reached the stage where it couldn't be controlled.

Cheonma Heavenly Art (天魔神公)

Cheonma Sword Of Destruction (天魔震魂滅劍)

Soar (飛翔)

To me, it just looked as if the sword was drawn vertically down very slowly. But the next moment. I felt as if the world had turned black, and the sky was torn in half.

"!!!"

Amidst those illusions, only the trace of the sword that noonim waved showed off its presence!

But at that moment, time slowed down.

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[14. Just before the protagonist receives the final blow, time slows down as they recall the past.]

In that slowed world, I desperately rolled my eyes. Drops of sweat, scattered dust, and even broken clouds could be easily seen. Everything was motionless, almost stationary even. Only me, who can resist the cliché, and Noonim, whose sense was already beyond the human realms, were aware of this fleeting moment.

Of course, even though we were aware of it, we couldn't do anything. I could see the hand holding the sword tremble slightly as a bewildered expression was painted on noonim's face.

[15. Someone's advice always appears in the protagonist's recollection of the past, and that advice plays a decisive role in the protagonist's attempt to overcome the crisis.]

The protagonist's cliché skill, which was almost like a cheat, was activated again, and the monster started to move its body again. It stepped away from the trajectory of Noonim's attack to avoid being mortally wounded.

But it doesn't matter. In the first place, I was aiming for that exact moment.

"An enemy who recalls the past before the final blow is always defeated."

Again, this was a cliché. If the protagonist recalls the past, it will eventually become an opportunity for them to awaken and realize their latent abilities, but if the villain was the one who recalls the past, it was a sign that they will be defeated.

As soon as my words fell, Monster 2 stopped on its track. And then, Noonim's attack cut its body in exactly half.

When its body parts into two, a message comes to my mind.

[Warning! Probability exceeded the limit!]

'Use my lifeforce to offset it!'

[Impossible!]

'Damn it!!!'

I can't turn into a protagonist just yet. After all, I was never supposed to be the protagonist of Earth. Once I become the protagonist, I will be anchored to this world, and I will not be able to enter Hell Gate. On top of it, because of me, the world I loved will be destroyed.

'I can't.'

There is still a chance.

'Then, can we move to the nearest dimension?'

[Precise movement is impossible without the power of the system.]

'I bet that was the case. After all, you are nothing but a will that Reina left behind.'

The reason humans find it difficult to reach towards the unknown realms was because they have never experienced the unknown. However, while traveling to countless worlds, I made dozens of dimensional shifts, and in the process, I experienced a sense of melting into space several times and adapted to it.

Although I cannot perform it by myself, if it's only moving to a dimension which is connected to Earth, such as a dungeon, crack and Hell Gate, I was certain I could do it.

"Keukk…!" I moved towards the monster whose body slowly recovered.

[17. When the enemy thought that the protagonist had suffered the final blow, it was nothing but an illusion, because the things inside their clothes blocked the attack…]

"You're not wearing anything."

Chijik!

The healing of the wound was canceled. Its power had become so weak that the cliché was canceled even with a single sentence from me. If not now, there will be no chance again.

I grabbed the monster's head with both hands.

[Do you want to move right now?]

I looked into the eyes of Seol Jungyeon, who was slowly approaching me.

"What are you trying to do?"

"This is the only way to kill this monster."

"What are you-"

"I'll take this guy to Hell Gate."

"What?" The bewildered expression of Noonim made it evident that my plan was nothing but reckless. But it can't be helped.

'It seems that the thought of crawling safely into the Hell Gate was me being greedy.'

I thought so and told Noonim. "I'll be back again soon, so please wait for me."

"Wai-wait!"

Noonim hurriedly approached me using her movement technique, but she couldn't catch me.

[Moving to another dimension…]

Vivienda Empire.

Aracelli, who was able to save her world from the imminent destruction, spent a leisure time with Empress Sahar. Both of them stayed in a hut they built in the forest with a good mountain view, good air, and good quality necessities like food and water. If they need firewood, they would cut firewood, and if they need food, they would simply either hunt or harvest the vegetables they had cultivated.

However, contrary to Aracelli, who is enjoying this kind of life, Empress Sahar was very dissatisfied.

"Just go out into the world and say your name right now! Everyone will look up to you," she said.

"That is burdensome."

"I don't understand why!!!"

The Vivienda Empire did not know that the Archmage they always looked up to had returned. No, they didn't even know that their world had already been destroyed once and everything had been reverted. But Aracelli did not even try to reveal the truth.

"How can you go through all that hard work and yet keep everything a secret? I don't understand."

"Well, this world doesn't need me anymore." Araceli smiled bitterly and continued. "Moreover, I also prefer to live a simple life like this."

Empress Sahar said nothing more. She has always lived a luxurious life, but she didn't want that life even in another dimension. Because in the first place, she had already given up on everything she had when she decided to move from her home dimension.

From that day on, the leisurely days continued. Aracelli recovered all of her circles, but she still couldn't pin-point where Yoo Seodam was. So, when Aracelli had free time, she sat down at the little handmade table she made and fiddled with blue cubes she received from the dragon.

"That is…?"

"Ah, this is the thing the 'dragon' gave to me right before the world line changed."

"Dr-dragon?" Dragons were something which were treated as mysterious beings in any dimension. It was due to the fact that only a handful of people have seen them. However, from time to time, anecdotes related to dragons were recorded. In particular, when the world is in crisis, they would always suddenly appear like a hero, save everyone, before disappearing once again.

In fact, Vivienda Academy was also visited by the dragon when they were on the brink of collapse. However, the situation had already been resolved by Aracelli and her group, and the dragon returned after tossing the gift at her.

'By the way, what is this gift?' No matter how much Aracelli rolled her head, she didn't know what was its use.

"Why don't you visit the Imperial Library? I heard that there are records related to dragons there."

"Ummm… Yeah, there's indeed records about dragons there. But I've never read it." In the first place, Aracelli was someone who had no interest in superstition, so she had never even touched books related to dragons.

"Then, should we sneak in and check it out? I'm really curious."

"That sounds fun."

Sometimes, it was necessary to deviate from these small daily routines, so it would be a good memory to sneak into the top secret archive of the Imperial Library–which was said to be the most heavily secured place in the Empire–and read books about those dragons.

The plan was implemented immediately, and frankly, it wasn't that difficult. Aracelli and Empress Sahar, who had snuck into the library, took a lamp hung on the wall with her hand and blew the dust piled up on top of the books.

To be honest, she could do anything with the flick of her finger, whether it's light or dust removal. But she just wants to create an analog-like feeling.

"There are surprisingly a lot of books about dragons."

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"Ah, It was because there's a record that this world was visited by dragons thousands of years ago. Well, there are quite a few people who claimed it was real, but there's little evidence left now."

In fact, there were quite a few statues of dragons erected throughout the Vivienda Empire. There's also a kingdom which was said to be a descendant of dragons a few hundreds years ago. Although in modern times, it was all unified under the banner of Magic Empire Vivienda.

"Here" Empress Sahar put some papers in front of Aracelli. "These are all documents related to the object."

"Really?" There were more dragon-related legends than Aracelli expected, and surprisingly, the answer to the 'cube' she had failed to understand was quickly found.

"The Dimensional Traveler's Guide…?" Even though it could only be used once, it was said that the object Aracelli currently possessed was once used by a person who wanted to chase their loved one who was far away beyond time and space.

But it's too early to be happy. Because it seems that the cube Aracelli has had already been used.

'Why is this happening to me…' Aracelli lamented.

Few minutes later, just as Empress Sahar rummaged through the book to see if there was a way to use the cube again, Aracelli suddenly dropped the cube and sprung to her feet.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Oh, no, that's… uh…" Aracelli stuttered as she looked all over the place. Empress Sahar closed the book, stood up, and put her hand on Aracelli's shoulder.

"Calm down, take it slow and look into my eyes. What's going on?"

"Ah…." At that time, Aracelli barely spoke, cold sweat ran all over her body.

"I can't feel it all of a sudden…"

"What do you mean you can't feel it?"

Empress Sahar felt as if Aracelli was going to say something ominous.

"Suddenly, the professor's energy disappeared… I can no longer feel it…"

"!!!" Sahar's premonition turned out to be correct. What Aracelli just said was quite a shock to her; it was to the point she was speechless and didn't know what to do.

The two of them stared blankly at each other's eyes, not saying anything for a long, long time.

Pacific Ocean, near Hell Gate.

Eight Kraken-class aircraft carriers each carried 100 jet fighters on them. There are also destroyer-class battleships surrounding it on all sides. So, it wasn't a stretch to say that one Kraken-class carrier would be able to envelop both the sky and the water.

Each aircraft carrier carried a special protection designed by Another League which enabled them to convert ether into a 'Magic Shield' and various other technologies such as magic radar. Not only that, thousands of hunters were also aboard on the aircraft carriers. With a force of this size, any monsters would be dead before they could even get close.

-Breaking news! The expansion of 'Hell Gate' had begun. Absorption of energy proceeds.

Suddenly, a huge tongue came out from inside the Hell Gate, pierced the clouds, and plunged into the sea, as if trying to take root on Earth. Thousands of eyes twitched from the tongue, and some deformed features, which looked like mouths, noses, hands and feet, gushed out.

In front of the grotesque scene, people vomited, and some people who had weak minds and bodies even passed out. Even though all the people gathered here were veterans, there were always people who just couldn't stand to look at it.

Foosh-!! Foosh-!!

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Shortly after, fighter jets far in the sky fired missiles in succession, and the tentacles exploded, scattering into the sea.

-The enemy monster's defense is weaker than expected!

Originally, the reasons for not being able to use weapons such as missiles in a fight against monsters was because such devices could not be brought inside the dungeon where they didn't work properly, and using them in urban cities in case of a dungeon break would destroy the buildings around it.

However, as the years passed and a new substance called 'mana' was discovered, the situation changed a lot. It was now possible to use modern weapons which could break the enemy's energy shield.

'Something is strange, isn't it?' Taylor Nine conjured five spheres of light and floated into the air and looked at the monster coming out of the Hell Gate. At this moment, Hell Gate was still rapidly absorbing Earth's energy, and the monsters inside were constantly coming out. But, it looked as if the monsters were forcibly squeezed out rather than naturally coming out. It was as if the Hell Gate itself was trying to throw away all the monsters inside.

And the truth is, Taylor's conjecture was right. However, unbeknown to Taylor, Hell Gate was trying to 'squeeze' out every monster inside to Earth, rather than just a few of them. Once that happened, it was doubtful whether these eight aircraft carriers would be able to block it.

"Hunter Taylor."

While she was piercing the foreheads of the monsters approaching from the sea with her sphere of light, someone called her. It was General Robert, the commander in charge who had three stars on his shoulder.

"What happened?"

As General Robert was famous worldwide as someone who, despite his lack of superpower, had never once retreated from the battlefield, Taylor respected him a lot.

"I have heard news from inland. They told me to tell you right away. In Shanghai, China, Another League's Guild Master Yoo Seodam and Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon had a bloody battle with the so-called 'Monster 2', and finally succeeded in killing it."

"Oh… As expected." It was good news to convey, but for some reason General Robert's expression was not happy at all.

"…and what?"

The quick-witted Taylor asked first, and Robert said.

"…Guild Master Yoo Seodam seems to have entered the Hell Gate alone."

"Yes? Wait… We are guarding this place, how can he?"

"I don't know about that. But since it was the testimony of the Murim Lord, it should have been true."

Taylor massaged her forehead arms. They had decided to enter the Hell Gate together, yet he still entered alone.

'Why?' Despite her confusion, General Robert continued his speech.

"Now, reinforcements are coming, they are bringing the Murim Warriors of the New Murim as well as Another League's Hell Gate Expedition Team. it's reassuring, but…" General Robert looked at Hell Gate with a bitter expression. "Would it be possible to rescue Hunter Yoo Seodam?"

They looked around the Hell Gate. Both of them wondered what the hell the Hell Gate was doing by pouring out monsters over and over again. However, at that moment, the answer came to them. The sea of over 200m turned into an environment similar to the inside of Hell Gate which they only see through videos. The monsters, which had just left the Hell Gate entrance began to stagger and walk over it. Some monsters were so huge that the bombardment didn't work at all, and some just walked and killed themselves.

Kurreung…!!

Not only that, a red cloud began to form over the Hell Gate.

-Gas!

-Wear a gas mask!

Taylor silently pressed the belt attached to his wrist. Then, the etheric suit, which had been converted into a baseball jumper that she wore, instantly transformed into a black suit covering her entire body. It was the newly developed suit which was able to adapt to even the environment of Hell Gate.

'What the hell is the situation…?' Taylor didn't know for sure, but if it's true that Yoo Seodam really went to Hell Gate.

'The exit is only this entrance anyway.'

Then…

There was nothing she could do other than wipe the exit clean so that Yoo Seodam could come back comfortably.

'You bastard, I'll kill you when I see you later.'

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The Hell Gate area around the entrance constantly expanded as the material from the inside poured out. The seawater around it had completely solidified, so hunters could not land there either. However, within the grotesque area, no machine worked properly, and it was very difficult for some hunters to even keep their sanity within the area.

It wasn't just a matter of supernatural strength, it was a matter of mental power. After all, who could easily set foot in that horrific place where limbs protruded from what was thought as a wall; mouths that suddenly appeared from the ground, cutting off their ankles before running away; and eyes twitching in the sky?

"We have to deal with it as soon as possible."

Fortunately, the Hell Gate's expansion was temporarily prevented thanks to Lacanthal, a magic engineer from another world who came to join the army on a high-speed boat together with Another League's raid team. He installed a special device that looked like a power transmission tower on eight aircraft carriers which created a dimension screen upon activation, blocking the extension of the Hell Gate area.

"Of course, this is only a temporary measure. We must destroy all of those 'plants' to stop the expansion at once." These so-called 'plants' weren't living things, but they can't be considered dead as well. Those bizarre substances which moved with their own will were slowly coloring the Pacific Ocean with Hell Gate's substance, and destroying them could wipe out some of the realm. In other words, currently, the fight was on a stalemate. The Hell Gate can no longer expand further, but it was also impossible for the human army to enter either.

"Isn't there any other way?"

"Well…" In response to the question of Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon, Lacanthal could only glance around. Large guilds had their own meeting rooms spread through the 8 ships, but Another League didn't have it. It was simply because there was no room available. However, thanks to the active support from the UN, the operation control room of one aircraft carrier was transformed into a temporary meeting room for them.

However, even though it was 'Another League's Meeting room' there were quite a lot of big names in attendance. Such as the three-stars commander in chief, General Robert, several SS-ranked hunters. masters of famous guilds, and 20-year old veteran hunters who were famous for their solo activities.

"There's a way… And it is rather simple. Form a team consisting of only a few elite hunters and go inside. If we cut the plant on the inside first, the plant on the outside will also disappear, effectively destroying the Hell Gate area."

Of course, it didn't mean that whoever didn't get chosen to enter the Hell Gate would not have the same risk as the one who entered.

"However, it's also important to station some hunters on the outside to prevent the personnel who entered inside from being isolated."

Therefore, the number of people participating in this operation would be a lot. In the plan, the guild members of Another League were the only ones who were supposed to enter the Hell Gate. But now things have changed a lot. If they did not reduce the area of the Hell Gate manifesting on Earth by dispatching other hunters and the defensive line was breached, the Hell Gate area would immediately stretch out and the area might even reach inland. Which means, all available troops in this place had to participate in the operation.

"Hunters and soldiers with at least 10 years of experience in monster warfare should camp in the area." A certain number of troops could not endure the sheer pressure emitted by the Hell Gate and its grotesque nature due to their lack of mental power, and most of the machines did not even work, so they needed an etheric dispenser and the experienced veteran hunters.

On top of it,

"Hunters with a rank of B or lower with no experience are practically useless."

"Pardon?"

"That…."

At Lacanthal's words, most of the people in the meeting room were bewildered. In fact, everyone should have fully agreed with what he said. After all, no matter how advanced the ether dispenser is, what can an F rank hunter do with it?

However, there's one reason why they expressed their doubts like this. It was because of the involvement of Yoo Seodam, who had no superpower at all, at the last Hell Gate expedition 8 years ago.

"If you said that F-rank hunters will be useless, we might agree with you…"

"What I said was simply a fact. It is because hunters below B rank wouldn't offer much help even when armed with various things."

"Ha! Didn't Hunter Yoo seodam enter the Hell Gate even when he's only F rank?"

"That's something I never thought made sense, myself." Lacanthal sighed. "If it were me, I would never take an F rank hunter into the Hell Gate, lest I want to get everyone killed. At that time, the leader of the expedition was an SS rank hunter, and I heard that there were also many elite troops in the team he made. If he simply took Master Yoo Seodam just for him to be a porter, it would make more sense if he took a hunter with a physical strengthening superpower rather than him."

Even so, the fact that the leader of the expedition dared to take an F rank hunter means that Yoo Seodam wasn't chosen for his fighting prowess.

But then, it only makes another question buds on Lacanthal's mind.

Why did Yoo Seodam agree to enter the Hell Gate?

Also, how did he come back outside without going crazy?

But whatever the reason, it doesn't matter right now. What they need to do as of now had no relation with that reason, after all. And if they want to know the truth, they need to pave the way for Yoo Seodam to return safely first.

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[Transfer complete.]

When I lose control of my mind, I sometimes dream of things. The contents of the dream are mostly nothing important, but sometimes, I re-experience the events I had experienced in the past. Such as the time when I first became a hunter, my very first monster hunt or when I formed a party with other children, whom the word 'colleagues' was more appropriate to use rather than friends.

Amongst those 'colleagues', Reina Ju disappeared into the very first great crack which appeared on Earth, and right now, I was dreaming about the times when I chased after her and entered Hell Gate.

Back in those days in Hell Gate eight years ago, there were brave colleagues, trustworthy leaders, and reliable comrades whom I could always trust my back with. However, most of them died, and all the remaining survivors went crazy.

'Haha, Seodam. This is my wife. Didn't I say that I wanted to introduce her to you every day? She's a looker, isn't she? Baby, are you shy? Come here.'

However, the truth is, the one he introduced wasn't his wife, but a monster. No matter how many times I told him, he didn't believe me. He asked me why I called her a monster and ended up shooting me. So, I had no choice but to kill him.

'How long has it been since the last time I ate beef steak? As expected, the T-bone fits my palate the best.'

'Did you know what white truffle is? It is said to be one of the world's top 3 delicacies! Not everyone gets the chance to eat this thing. Seodam, would you like to take a bite too?'

It's not food, it's the body of the colleague I just killed. I begged them not to eat it, but they didn't listen. So, I had no choice but to kill them too.

Some of my colleagues were killed by monsters, but most were killed by my hand. It's not out of the ordinary, It's just that when someone enters Hell Gate, everyone naturally becomes like that.

And… I was destined to be like that too.

'Interesting… What are you?'

Until I heard 'that voice'.

I didn't understand it at first. I only thought I had become crazy just like my colleagues. Otherwise, there would be no reason why I heard auditory hallucinations. But there was one crucial difference between my mentally ill colleagues and myself. They were unaware that they were crazy, while I was aware that I was hearing hallucinations.

'Calm down. It took me a really long time to understand your language. I'm really glad I managed to learn the language you speak. haha.'

'Who the hell are you?'

'Me? Well. If I had to call myself… I think I am the will of this world, which you're calling 'Hell Gate'? To be exact, I am 'Hell Gate' itself.'

'The will of the Hell Gate?'

'Yeah! That's right. Interesting, right? I was surprised too. Because I didn't even know I had a will until I encountered a conscious being like you. But now I know. And now, I even have a dream!'

I conversed with 'it' as if I was possessed. It said that he was originally an unfinished world wandering in the 'blank story', and he struggled to shape the world to complete himself and ended up in such a terrible state.

Hell Gate, a world in which there is no distinction between non-living and living things, even between others and oneself.

'Now I can definitely realize my dreams. I will make a perfect world! It will not be a world where the story flows according to the will of the protagonist, but a world which is completely independent from the story.'

'I don't understand what you mean.'

Then, the will started to explain it to me. Each world exists for only one 'protagonist', and if the protagonist perishes from existence, the world loses its existence. Without exception, all worlds follow that principle. It even said that perhaps even his own world, this Hell Gate, would have ended up in that same state too.

'So I stretched out my will to every world and established a concept of 'completeness'. After all, the moment such a concept is established, the world quickly begins to run toward destruction. And I am building my own world little by little by absorbing the power of those destroyed worlds.'

'What will happen if you do that?'

'Isn't it obvious?''

'It' began to take shape little by little. It definitely appeared in front of me in a form that looked exactly like me, and said with a smile that was similar to mine.

'A world where everyone can be the protagonist will be created.'

'…!'

'Don't you think the world is unreasonable? That it's….unfair? Look at you. Unlike your friends, you don't have any superpowers, connections, parents, and even your foster parents are dead. You were born poor, and will end up living like that until you meet your end.'

'That…'

'It's because someone like you is just a background character that exists for the sake of the 'protagonist'. Those guys are taking away all the fate and probability you could have had. But, what if you're living in a world where 'everyone is the protagonist'. You don't have to go through such absurdity anymore. A world where you don't have to live the way fate has decided. How is it? I can save you right here and now. And you can help me.'

'Me? How…?'

'That's…"

That moment, I woke up from my dream.

"Huh!" My chest and my back were wet. Cold sweat was also dripping from my forehead.

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Since when have I been sleeping? No, what was I doing up until now?

'Ah… I forced a dimensional shift to the Hell Gate in order to defeat Monster 2…'

[The dimensional shift to Hell Gate has been completed.]

Yes. In the end, I succeeded in moving to the Hell Gate and defeating the monster.

"Haha…" I burst into laughter, as my heart felt relieved. But at that very moment, I sprung to my feet, I was startled by the sound of a loud horn.

"You crazy bastard! Why are you laying down in the middle of a crosswalk?"

"Huh?"

"Get out of there quickly!"

When the middle-aged truck driver roared with visible anger towards me, I unknowingly walked towards the side of the road. With the corner of my eyes, I could see people looking at me as I passed by.

Did I do something strange?

Wait, they were talking about my clothes.

"What? What kind of armor is that?"

"Is it cosplay?"

Something is strange. In modern times, thanks to the design of the ether suit which was full of individuality, my plain armor didn't get much attention.

'No… This place should be inside the Hell Gate, should it?' The system also had already told me that I had successfully moved to Hell Gate.

But…

A tall gray building, flashing neon signs, crossroads as well as crosswalks, people in casual clothing of modern design and cars spewing fumes. No matter how I look at it, this place was undoubtedly 'Earth'.

Pat-!!

"Can you please get out of the way?" Someone tapped my shoulder and passed by. I looked over the man's head without realizing it, and I had no choice but to open my eyes wide.

『Park Seon Joo』

#Office_worker #Taken #Why_is_the_manager_already_angry_this_early?

My eyes darted wildy as I was surprised because I suddenly met a protagonist out of nowhere…

However,

He's not the only protagonist in this place. Something which I never experienced before was happening in front of me right now.

『Kim David』

#Unemployed #KoreanAmerican #Handsome #I_want_to_appear_on_a_foreign_TV_program

『Kim Seok Kwon』

#Soccer_player #Father_of_two_daughters #I_love_you_Seyoung

『Seo Haneul』

#College_student #Self_made #Taken #Who_wants_to_have_a_drink_today?

A 'protagonist hashtag' was floating above the heads of everyone passing by. However, when I looked closely at each of them, they were all far too ordinary to be a protagonist. Some were ordinary office workers, some were ordinary college students, and some were just ordinary people.

A world where everyone was the protagonist even though they were ordinary.

'Don't tell me…' I pedaled back as realization dawned upon me, However, just after a few steps, I was forced to turn back as my back hit something. What I saw there was surprising. No, it was an understatement. It simply made my mind go blank.

Because,

『Protagonist Are Murdered By Me』

#Modern_time #Hunter #World_hopping

[You are the 'protagonist' of this world.]

I finally turned into a protagonist.

E/N: Ahhh!! I love it when the plot circles back to the main theme of the novel. Can't believe there are only 8 chapters left till this novel ends.

This is a friendly reminder to all the protagonist readers~ Bombard our beloved translator with donations~~ And subscribe to our to have an early access to read the end~

I always entertained the idea of becoming a protagonist. It was because the only way I could think of to destroy Hell Gate was through this method.

'I really did become the protagonist of Hell Gate…' As it is now, if I do anything that consumes probability, I will quicken the end of the world, and the epilogue will arrive.

But…

Can I really do that?

When I looked around, thousands of ordinary people were walking on the streets. The sight was no different from the scene I saw on Earth. No, to be honest, it was exactly the same as Earth.

'No no no, how can my conviction shake this late in the game?'

It can't be. And it also wouldn't be the case. After all, the sight of the chaotic Hell Gate, which I saw 8 years ago, was still vivid in my mind.

"…"

I immediately grabbed someone who was passing by and asked.

"Excuse me, but what year is it now?"

"What? You are not even wearing a mask."

"Yes?"

"It is 2020. And since a pandemic is circling all over the world right now, please wear a mask."

"Ah yes…"

If it's 2020, it was the year when the first gate appeared and the Great War broke out on Earth. And judging by the fact that the temperature is quite low, the current time should be around November to December.

'If it were the Earth I belong to, it wouldn't be strange if gates suddenly appeared non-stop.'

But it didn't happen here. So, is this a world without gates?

I walked along the street. It was because I believed that in order to fully understand the situation, I had to hear and see more. And the more I walked, the more people looked at me. Some talked about why I didn't wear a mask while some discussed my clothes, which in their standard, was weird.

'A pandemic, huh?'

I can't remember anything like that happening around this year on my original Earth. After all, after the technological advances caused by the discovery of the materials from the gates, and with the use of ether technology, the only pandemic still present on my Earth was nothing but influenza.

"What is the probability that I will catch the disease?"

[Since you possess Protagonist Correction, the chance is none.]

"Huh? So what about them? Aren't they protagonists too?"

*gibberish* *gibberish]

"What is this guy saying now?"

"Those guys were indeed protagonists. However, they haven't received their Protagonist Correction."

"…!" I quickly turned my body as my own voice was heard from my back. As soon as I turned back, I could see a man sitting on the overpass while biting on an apple waving his hand to me.

"Long time no see, Yoo Seodam." He smiled at me as he straightened the suit he wore.

"Don't smile like that with my face."

"Oh sorry. I can't help it. After all, it is now impossible to move the world and make a new face and voice. Look, the world is almost complete, isn't it?"

"Then, can we just let this world complete and get destroyed without us fighting each other?"

Then Hell Gate's will shook his head.

"No. We can't do that. Actually, you're only looking at the finished part right now. What you see now is just a small part of the goal I want to achieve." Saying that, he ripped off the reinforcing bars of the overpass. Then a terrible mass of flesh wriggled through the opened section for a couple of seconds before disappearing once again.

"You know what? In order for game companies to reduce the overall capacity of the game they develop, all parts which are not visible to users are left blank. Users will feel that they are playing a finished world, but in reality, there is nothing inside of things that they're looking at. That is precisely the state of my world right now."

He pointed his finger at the sky.

"Do you know how rain clouds are formed? It is formed when warm air from the earth rises, expands and then cools in the sky."

"…"

"But my world hasn't been able to replicate even such a trivial setting yet. I had to do everything manually."

"What's wrong with doing it manually?"

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"Well, I will die soon. So I have to automate it."

"What?"

As if it was nothing special, he shrugged. "Hasn't your memory come back yet? My lifespan is on the verge of ending. However, I will only die the moment the world is completed."

"Then you…"

"That's right. It's all thanks to the contract I signed with you."

At that moment, a memory flooded my mind.

'I used to have a perfect plan to realize my dream. It was to apply the concept of completion to many worlds. After all, with a world being destroyed, my world will be completed thanks to the energy from those destroyed worlds.'

'By the way, why do you need my help?'

'It' smiled.

'My plan was a failure from the start. There were a lot more worlds than I expected which stopped their story before completion.'

Cancellation, indefinite hiatus, protagonist replacement, and such…

For some reason, the worlds in which probability was no longer consumed began to increase. He said that he even intervened on several occasions.

'But the more I intervened, the shorter my lifespan became. It was only then I realized that I couldn't handle everything by myself.'

There seemed to be no way for him to realize his dream. However, in those dark days, "I met you. And then, I thought of a way."

If the world couldn't complete the story by itself, why not create a 'protagonist of all worlds' and let that one person complete all the stories?

The moment I remembered it all, goosebumps rose all over my body.

"Wa-wait a moment… I… Don't tell me…"

"That's right. Do you remember?"

The other Yoo Seodam smiled as he chewed the apple.

"I know what your plan is. You must have been planning to commit suicide after becoming the protagonist of this world, aren't you?"

"…" My mind was blank. I wasn't only a protagonist of Hell Gate, but the protagonist of all other worlds. Which means, if I consumed all my probability, I will destroy all worlds except the Hell Gate.

"Hahaha! Don't take it too seriously. There is still a grace period of 20 to 30 years. And during that time, you will live your happiest time of all."

'The Will' snapped his fingers. Then, the Pacific Ocean in my real world was reflected on the screen that floated like a hologram in the air. More than ten aircraft carriers and numerous battleships could be seen on the surface of the sea. Countless flying monsters, fighter jets and hunters were fighting in the sky, and within the realm of Hell Gate spread out over the sea, many hunters were fighting a bloody battle.

Amidst all the chaos, familiar faces could be seen: My guild members–my most precious people.

"They are working so hard for you. To pave the way for you to return."

"…"

"Would you like to look at the scenario that will unfold for you from now on?"

Without waiting for my answer, some letters lined up in the air.

「Thanks to the efforts of Another League guild members, the Hell Gate area is finally cleaned up. However, since there were still many monsters lurking inside the Hell Gate, it was unclear whether hunter Yoo Seodam would return or not.」

I didn't want to read it. However, my eyes couldn't help but to continue scanning the letters in the air.

「… (omitted) Somehow, the Hell Gate began to crumble and everyone around the world cheered at the spectacle.」

'Master Yoo Seodam has done it!'

People praised him as a hero and went out into the streets, singing his name late into the night.

However, no one in Another League rejoiced.

'Please, come back…….'

After all, they didn't want a dead hero. They just wanted him to come back and live as an ordinary person.」

As I read it, I bit my lip.

"How is it? Did you like it? It was all thanks to the karma you have built up so far. And I think it's the reward you deserve. You deserve to be happy. Me too, I deserve it too."

"… (omitted) But… Just before the Hell Gate completely collapsed, something came out from it's entrance. And the people who were waiting on the spot knelt on the floor and cheered.

"It's Master Yoo Seodam!!!"

He had returned.」

That is what I will experience in the future as long as I follow the path set by the will of Hell Gate. In other words, something I would get in exchange for being the protagonist of the world.

"Aren't there a lot of beauties around you? Should I add '#harem' to the tag of your story? But, if I do that, your lifespan will be a little bit shorter."

"No need…"

"Well, understandable. Harem tag isn't popular these days." He said as he scrolled down the screen. (P/n I'm starting to like this guy)

"You will become the king of Earth. You will have a power that no one dares to oppose. Your bad blood with Lost Day will also end. Perhaps Yoo Haram will beg you with tears in his eyes. 'Actually, it was for your sake…' Wow, what a tearful ending!"

"…"

"As of now, you are weaker than the White Witch, Aracelli, Seol Jungyeon, Taylor and even Ha Sun-young! But once you get out of this place, you will acquire the world's strongest power. You will probably even surpass the Supreme Dharma, who was a URS rank."

"…"

"AH RIGHT! I will also throw in some more! I will connect Earth to all the worlds you've been to! To Vivienda where Aracelli currently resides, to the world of Malea, who is still working hard at climbing the tower, to the world of your four players who were struggling among the constellations, and the world of Marilen who was struggling in the world of fairies. You will be able to reunite with all the people you have a connection with."

A very, very happy ending awaits for me.

"You just have to turn around and walk out to get it all." He bit the apple again and smiled. For some reason, the size of the apple didn't decrease at all. "As the protagonist of all worlds, shouldn't you be able to enjoy the happiness that befits your status?"

"What about Reina?"

"Huh?"

"What will happen to Reina?"

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"Oh yeah. Reina…" At my question he scratched his head and made a troubled face.

"Can't be with you. I need her to 'edit' your 'story'. Isn't it romantic though? Reina, who loved Yoo Seodam, was the one who created 'a happily ever after for Yoo Seodam' in the story."

At his answer, I could feel rage bubbling up in my heart. This madman, is he serious?

He smiled so much that I thought he had feelings. However, it seems like I was wrong. He had no emotions, he was only laughing to imitate a human being.

"Are you saying that people can be truly happy just by watching the person you love live happily from afar?"

"Uh… isn't that the case? In dramas, don't the protagonist often say, 'It's enough for me to just watch her smile. It's enough for me as long as she is happy'?"

"I'm going crazy."

It seems like since he learned all the principles of the world through 'story', he just took it all as the correct ones.

"Give me back Reina."

"Sorry, that can't be done. This is also her will."

"Reina's will…? It can't be."

But, a voice rang in my ears soon after, denying my denial.

-Seodam…

"Re-reina? Where are you now?"

-That… I can't tell you…

"No no… it's all okay, It's okay, so let's go back to Earth, okay? Let's stop doing this and go back."

But she was silent at my pleading. She only answered after several seconds passed.

-I'm sorry…

Startled by her words, I asked once again. My voice was not as loud as before, on top of it, it was quivering.

"Why…?"

-With me, you cannot be happy. The moment the contract is canceled… you will die immediately.

"It doesn't matter if I die or not! Just come here!!"

-It can't be done, that's the problem! Even though I love you, I can't just do so. Because the moment you die, Earth will no longer receive your 'protagonist correction'.

-Does it make sense that those who fight in the Pacific will win without your protagonist's correction? Haven't you experienced it too? Hell Gate beings were something humans will never be able to overcome!

"…"

I looked at Hell Gate's will after hearing Reina's words.

"That's right. Hell Gate's army is a lot stronger than you think. Ah, wait! Don't get me wrong. It's out of my reach in the first place, I can't interfere with everything in Hell Gate. The reason they came out was because you broke into this place, you know?"

What he just said was something I was aware of. Hell Gate spits out 'mass' equal to the power of the ones who invade it. Therefore, the reason why so many monsters were invading Earth right now was because of the strong probability I carried within me.

But…

"I just heard something good."

"Hm?"

What I was talking about was the fact that the will cannot interfere with anything in Hell Gate. Just knowing that was enough.

"Reina, you are right. The reason I hunt protagonists across the world is for my own benefit."

-…That's right.

Hell Gate's will smiled brightly at me, and Reina sighed, seemingly relieved by my words.

"But now everything has changed. I can no longer live well alone."

-Sorry?

I pulled out the pistol I had hidden in a socket on my waist and pointed it at my temple.

"Isn't it the job of the protagonist hunter to hunt the protagonist? It doesn't matter whether it is someone I love, a hero or whoever."

– Seodam, that's…

"Move me to the void of the world. A world of nothing, a world of where there's no story."

-Wait! Please, please don't!

"Otherwise…" I put my index finger on the trigger. "I'm going to pull the trigger."

"You're crazy! Reina! Don't do anything and stay still! This guy is completely crazy!!!"

"3."

-…

"Yoo Seodam! Do you want your world to perish? If you die, they will be defeated by the forces of Hell Gate!"

Will it perish now, or will it perish in 20 or 30 years time? If I can't stop it at all, it's better to end it right here right now.

This will be my last selfish thought.

"2."

"And if you survive, even if the Earth wins! You will be thrown into the boundary of the story, tormented by nothingness forever! Do you really want that?"

Clack-!!

The floor twisted and something rose up from the ground. It seems like it was there to stop me. Hell Gate's will was forcing its 'probability' to move me. But, now I know. That guy isn't that strong.

"YOO SEODAM!!!!"

"!!"

I applied force to my index finger to pull the trigger.

[Starting dimensional movement.]

I could feel the presence of my body completely fading away.