Yi Yeonjun was sitting at a table in the lobby. It was certainly the same Yi Yeonjun I saw through Spartan’s eyes.
At first, my thoughts stopped. If Yi Yeonjun was nearby or up to something suspicious, Spartan would have told me about it.
But as surprised as I was, I made sure to not stare at him for more than 3 seconds. Yi Yeonjun should know my face. It would be bad if he saw me here.
—Spartan, where are you.
I transmitted my thoughts to Spartan as I quickly climbed up the stairs.
—....
Soon, Spartan’s thoughts returned. Right, he had been sleeping. I was a bit dumbfounded, but I quickly understood. Spartan’s stamina was fairly low, after all.
—Did you sleep well? You know, Yi Yeonjun is right here.
—...!
Spartan’s consciousness spiked up. He then gave an excuse, ‘I planned to chase him after a quick nap. I only slept six hours.’
—Don’t worry about it. From now, just tell me if you’re going to sleep. Seeing Yi Yeonjun here startled me. Anyways, continue following him once you’re refreshed.
I ordered Spartan, who began to wash his face at a nearby lake. He would probably eat something before heading over.
“What are you doing over there?” Yoo Yeonha asked while leaning against the guardrail.
“Nothing.”
I glanced at Yi Yeonjun one last time. He was sipping on alcohol, seemingly exchanging Mental Transmissions with Bell.
“Do you want to grab a drink? We don’t have much time.” Yoo Yeonha asked again.
“No, it’s nothing, really.” I shrugged and continued moving.
After arriving in room 302, Yoo Yeonha and I met two people who were waiting for us, Jin Sechan and Jin Seyeon.
“It’s been a while, Hajin-ssi.”
Jin Seyeon greeted me with her unique gentle smile.
“Nice to meet you. We’ve seen each other before. I hope you remember me.”
Next, Jin Sechan respectfully reached out with his hand. He was Yoo Yeonha’s secretary.
“Ah, yes, how can I forget. I’m still using the Desert Eagle you gave me.”
I shook his hand, then took off my robe. Jin Seyeon took it and smoothly hung it on the hanger. Yoo Yeonha then sat at the head of the table and began the meeting.
“...Kuhum.”
With a cough, she put on a serious expression.
“I’m sure you all know why we’re gathered here.”
Yoo Yeonha projected a holographic video with her smartwatch. The video took place deep underground in first-person view. Faint lights hung from the ceiling, which were the only sources of light lighting the dark surroundings.
“The footage is taken by our agent. He infiltrated Pandemonium five years ago, disguising himself as a Djinn.”
Koong— Koong— Koong—
Large rumbling rang out. The agent marched towards the source of the sound. Yoo Yeonha sped up this part of the footage to 16x speed until the agent arrived at the end of what seemed like a mine shaft.
“Here.”
And at the end of the mine shaft was the item Yoo Yeonha wanted to get.
“This is the transcendental energy I dubbed, ‘Dimensional Entropy.’”
Dozens of Djinns were surrounding a spherical ore emitting a dark-green glow.
—What are we going to do with this? The demons in the north are demanding it.
—...I’d hand it over to Terror before handing it to those bastards.
Yoo Yeonha then stopped the footage.
“As you can see, demons and Djinns aren’t getting along, or at least these demons in the north. Not only do demons look more grotesque, but they also seem to be serving a different devil. Furthermore, demons don’t have money. DP is distributed by demon merchants, who are different entities than normal demons.”
A few months before Orden was defeated, ‘demons’ and ‘demon merchants’ appeared in the world. Although they both came from the Demon Realm, they were treated in completely different manners.
—I don’t know about that either. If we give this to Terror, who knows what he’ll do with it. Wouldn’t it be better to go with Wicked, who’s more moderate...?
—No.
The Djinn who seemed to be the leader shook his head.
Yoo Yeonha paused the footage again and explained, “By the way, that Djinn is Vicious. The original Vicious died and a new Djinn took his place. He is currently the lowest ranked member of the Nine Evils, but because he united several Djinn Circles, he has a powerful influence over this lawless zone. Now, keep watching.”
Vicious spoke as soon as the footage resumed.
—This ore has enough power to destroy the balance of Djinn society. If it falls into the hands of demons, we will have no choice but to submit to them. But if it falls into Terror or Wicked’s hands, we don’t know what they’ll do with it. Now unfortunately, we can’t have it ourselves since we don’t have the strength to protect it or the means to utilize it.
At that moment, several system windows popped up in front of me.
===
[Information has been added due to witnessing a special setting change.]
[Dimensional Entropy – clusters of condensed energy created when demons crossed over dimensions.]
[Co-author’s opinion – using it properly will be of help to you.]
===
‘Co-author’s opinion... He’s been talking more and more recently. Is it because the ending is approaching?’ I sighed and smiled. Regardless of the co-author’s intentions, I wanted it if it would be of help.
I had to prepare for the final arc thoroughly, no matter how slow I do it. That way, everyone could reach the proper ending.
—So instead, we will sell it to humans for money and artifacts. Oi, Licros!
When Vicious yelled the name ‘Licros’, the camera moved towards Vicious. That seemed to be the name of Yoo Yeonha’s agent.
—Go to Essence of the Strait. Tell them I, Vicious, will sell them a life-changing item.
With that, Yoo Yeonha stopped the video.
“That’s how this mission came about. You get the gist, right?”
Jin Seyeon and I both nodded.
Yoo Yeonha continued with her arms still crossed, “But that ore can’t be transferred through normal means. Because of its size, it is too noticeable and making contact with magic power causes it to explode. We determined we needed a special case and a special vehicle to move it.”
Yoo Yeonha paused, and Jin Sechan stepped up. He put out a case on the table.
“This is a tilionium case. Lightning magic has been applied to it already. With the information we received from Vicious, we built it to withstand the Dimensional Entropy’s energy.”
“Mm... so we’re going to put the ore in the case and transport it with the Dwarven Supercar?”
Yoo Yeonha shook her head at my question.
“The Dwarven Supercar operates using magic power. Even with the case protecting it, it still isn’t a hundred percent safe. We prepared another vehicle for this mission. We’ll go back to Korea on it.”
“...Is there a reason you came personally? It’s a bit dangerous to return to Korea from here over land.”
I was worried for Yoo Yeonha’s safety. She was only high-intermediate-rank grade-2. Although her growth speed was quick given her age, it was still nowhere near geniuses like Chae Nayun or Kim Suho.
Yoo Yeonha stiffened her expression resolutely.
“This is my job, so I will do it. Plus, only the five of us can know about this.”
‘Five of us... Ah, including the agent.’ I thought.
“According to international law, ‘mysterious items transcending common sense’ have to be turned over to the Association. But knowing the corruption within the Association, we can’t let other people find out.”
Jin Seyeon quickly replied to Yoo Yeonha, “I agree. Yeonha-ssi is far more trustworthy than the Association.”
“...Huh? You really think so?” I asked. The Hero Association loved Jin Seyeon more than any other Hero.
Jin Seyeon answered with a bitter smile, “I’m very disappointed with the Hero Association because of the recent incident. Park Hanho, the Girl of Authority... the Association seems to have lost their founding principles. That’s why I decided to follow Yeonha-ssi.”
“Ah....”
The Association kept the Girl of Authority’s kidnapping a secret. It wasn’t until Park Hanho’s betrayal that it was revealed to the world, causing a huge discussion. As the person who planned her abduction, it did sting my conscience a bit.
“Oh right, did Park Hanho’s daughter really come back to life?”
“Pardon? Ah, I don’t know that much...”
“No.” Yoo Yeonha answered my question. “That girl isn’t Park Hanho’s real daughter. It was a chameleon humanoid monster who had Park Yeonhee’s brain transplanted. It could be argued, I guess, since the humanoid monster really believed she was Park Yeonhee.”
“Ah... I see. Then, Yeonha-ssi, do you know what the Association will do about Senior Park Hanho...?” Jin Seyeon asked bitterly.
“Execution would be my guess.”
The atmosphere turned grim at Yoo Yeonha’s words. Cold wind seeped in from the window. Blood and magic power were mixed in the air.
Chak, chak!
Yoo Yeonha clapped to lighten up the mood and the air. She spoke with a smile, “...Let’s stop talking and rest. We’ll have to wake up early tomorrow.”
**
[Vicious’s Mine Shaft]
We went underground to Vicious’s mine shaft early in the morning. We weren’t here to sightsee, so we quickly moved. I carried a spatial pouch filled with 50 billion won and Jin Seyeon carried six high-rank artifacts, both of which would be traded for [Dimensional Entropy].
“...Hand over the items and money first.”
In a dark underground space, Vicious and his comrades stood before us. They showed no signs of compromise.
“50 billion won, cash. The artifacts will be given once we retrieve the item and leave the lawless zone.”
Yoo Yeonha took the spatial pouch from me and threw it over to Vicious. One of his comrades checked the content of the pouch.
“50,000 won bills, 100,000 of them. It’s 50 billion won, alright.”
“...Great, you know that us Djinns hate checks.”
Yoo Yeonha smirked at Vicious’s words.
“The spatial pouch will be a gift. It’s a pinnacle-grade spatial pouch, so it’ll easily go for 3 billion won on the market.”
The Djinn holding the spatial pouch flinched. He then glanced down at the spatial pouch in shock.
Vicious stared at Yoo Yeonha fixedly before taking a deep breath and nodding.
“Good. We’ll open the way. Follow me.”
Vicious turned around first, and we followed after him.
Tak, tak. The path became narrower the more we walked. The soot in the air stuck to our skin. Even qi reinforcement was useless here.
“Haa....”
Yoo Yeonha’s breathing became rough. Jin Sechan looked at her with worry.
After about 5 minutes of walking...
“....!”
All of a sudden, a fierce gust of magic power blew over. The magic power put heavy pressure on our bodies.
I held myself back from vomiting and walked over.
“It’s here.” Vicious spoke.
We looked forward in a daze. Chwaaa.... A mysterious, spherical ore was pulsing with dark green magic power.
===
[Dimensional Entropy] [Durability 10/10]
—A transcendental stone condensed with the power of multiple dimensions.
—Will release magic power until its durability runs out.
===
“Take it. If you can, that is.”
This time, I stepped up. With Aether, I grabbed the Dimensional Entropy. The ore was only the size of a baseball, but it weighed over a ton. Aether burned from the ore’s searing magic power.
“...Whew.”
I carried the Dimensional Entropy over and put it inside the tilonium case. The case hugged the ore gently and sealed it inside.
The dark green color lighting the mine shaft immediately subsided, and the queasy feeling in my stomach disappeared.
“Oh? As expected of Essence of the Strait. That’s an interesting piece of equipment. Is it light?”
“It’s enchanted with weight reducing magic.”
I picked up the case. Yoo Yeonha turned around without a word. She seemed to be in a hurry to leave.
Then again, most girls wouldn’t want to be in mine shafts.
Jin Sechan quickly followed her, and Jin Seyeon handed over the six artifacts she had with her.
“Here you go.”
“Ohoho. Oi, Lilac! Appraise them.”
“Go ahead, Hajin-ssi. I’ll finish the trade.”
I took Jin Seyeon to her word and left the mine shaft. There were two identical cars waiting outside the mine shaft. They were made with adamantium, the strongest known metal in the modern world. The windows were jet-black. It was easy to see that the two sedans had the sturdiness of war tanks.
Tok, tok—
Knocks rang out from the car parked in the front.
I opened the passenger seat with the tilonium case in hand.
“Hm?”
The back seat was for Yoo Yeonha, but a man I didn’t know was sitting in the driver’s seat.
Seeing that I was standing in a daze, Yoo Yeonha explained.
“...You saw him in the video, right? This is that agent, Licros. I got a separate driver so you can focus on guarding the item.”
Licros looked at me and nodded.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, yes, nice to meet you.”
I greeted him back and sat down next to him.
Yoo Yeonha spoke, “We’ll leave once Jin Seyeon-ssi comes back.”
Jin Sechan and Jin Seyeon would ride the other car, which was prepared just in case anything happened.
Soon, Jin Seyeon came out of the mine shaft and got on the driver’s seat of the other car. As Jin Sechan was already sitting in the back seat, Jin Seyeon started the engine and took off.
“Let’s go.”
Licros nodded his head and stepped on the accelerator.
Vroooom—
The sound of a gas engine was rather nostalgic, as I often teleported from place to place.
But at that moment, Yoo Yeonha began to act strangely in the back seat. She moaned, hit her chest, and bit her nails.
“Are you okay?”
When I asked, she was massaging her temple with both hands.
“Yeah... I’m fine. It’s just that I hate confined spaces.”
“Oh... you have claustricphobia?”
“...It’s claustrophobia, not claustricphobia. And yeah, I’m a bit embarrassed to say it, but it’s pretty severe.”
“...I see.”
As the person who created Yoo Yeonha’s background setting, I obviously knew about it. It wasn’t just claustrophobia. Germaphobia, paranoia, coulrophobia... Yoo Yeonha was fated to live with countless mental illnesses.
These mental illnesses would only continue to worsen, as she would be under constant threat of assassination given her position.
“Just sleep. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“...Heh, okay.”
Yoo Yeonha laughed and nodded her head.
The sedan left the heart of the lawless zone and reached the outskirts. I looked outside the window with my senses heightened. I couldn’t sense any threat.
“We’re about to leave the lawless zone,” I said.
“Got it.” Yoo Yeonha seemed to be feeling better as she replied with a smile. “Oh right, the Association finished deciphering the runic language around the ‘Demon Realm Gate. They should start gathering Heroes officially in a few days.”
“Gathering Heroes?”
“200 people need to be present to enter the Demon Realm Gate. You’re going to participate too, right?”
“Why would I? I can just sneak in.”
“...Pft, I won’t help you if you get caught.”
I shrugged, and Yoo Yeonha leaned back. As she looked comfortable, I didn’t worry about her too much.
I faced front.
...From the front, something sharp was flying over.
“...?”
Before I could perceive it, it broke through the window. Bullet Time didn’t activate. Something simply pierced through the window, and the driver’s head exploded in the next moment.
“...Eh?”
A dazed voice rang out. I turned to the side. Licros’s head was missing, replaced by an arrow.
I turned around. Licros’s blood and brain fluid were covering Yoo Yeonha’s body.
“What....”
Yoo Yeonha muttered blankly, and in the next moment, another arrow flew over. I released Aether, forming a shield. The arrow hit the shield, veering slightly off course and piercing Yoo Yeonha’s shoulder rather than her head.
“Kyaak!”
Yoo Yeonha screamed, and I immediately shouted louder.
“DUCK!”
But Yoo Yeonha didn’t listen. She wasn’t in any state to do so. She was in a panic. This was probably the first time she witnessed such a gory death.
I couldn’t use ‘Time Reversal’ either because it was on cooldown.
I quickly strengthen the sedan with Aether and Stigma.
Chwaaak—
Aether enveloped the car. A mere arrow wouldn’t be able to break the sedan anymore, but I couldn’t do anything about the shattered window.
I shouted loudly, “Duck! Duck, Yoo Yeonha—!”
“Ah, aah, aah...”
But Yoo Yeonha was having trouble even breathing normally. She was clutching her arms and whimpering.
Another magic arrow flew over. As expected, it wasn’t enough to break through the car, which was strengthened with Aether and Stigma.
Using this time, I moved over to the back seat. Yoo Yeonha was clearly having a panic attack, shaking like a schizophrenic. I pushed her head down first.
“Calm down. Calm down.”
I caressed her head with Stigma’s magic power and said, “It’s me. Look at me!”
Hearing me, Yoo Yeonah slowly raised her head. She stared at me with eyes full of fear. Tears were flowing down her cheeks.
“Kuhuk!”
Yoo Yeonha suddenly coughed. A piece of Licros’s shattered skull came out of her mouth. Yoo Yeonha saw it too. She seemed to have swallowed it subconsciously. Immediately, her eyes rolled over, and her body swayed.
“Hey, snap out of it!”
“T-This...”
“Just keep your head down. We just have to keep out of the shooter’s firing line. The arrow can only come in through the broken window since it can’t do anything about the car.”
“....”
“Got it?”
Yoo Yeonha nodded her head.
“...Geez, talk about a surprise.”
I muttered to myself and sent a Mental Transmission to Jin Seyeon. Is this what people felt when they faced Black Lotus?
“Jin Seyeon-ssi, where are you!?”
She quickly responded.
—Hajin-ssi! We’re...
Tzzt—
However, her message was cut in the middle. They seemed to be under attack as well. Without a choice, I called Spartan over and took out the Desert Eagle.
There was nothing I could do inside the car.
But as I was about to leave the car...
“W-Wait!”
Yoo Yeonha grabbed my hand strongly.
“A-Are you going somewhere?”
“...You wait here. It’ll be safer.”
“No, no! I don’t want to!”
I shook off Yoo Yeonha’s hand and opened the door. Yoo Yeonha reached out and shouted desperately, “Don’t go! Don’t go—!”
But I left and was immediately greeted by an arrow. Bullet Time didn’t activate this time either. Instead, a system window popped up alerting me why.
[Warning! You are facing a sharpshooter possessing a similar level of Gift. Master Sharpshooter’s sub-Gift will be temporarily sealed.]
“Similar level my ass....”
I gritted my teeth and took out the Desert Eagle. If our Gifts were on a similar level, I just had to strengthen mine with Stigma.
“...Ah.”
It was then that I realized something important. To transform the Desert Eagle into its sniper rifle form, I needed ‘Aether’.
But Aether was currently fused with the car, protecting Yoo Yeonha.
As such, I could only use... my ‘bow’ and ‘arrow’.
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