Chapter 109

[To the me of another dimension who is reading this.

If you can read this, it must mean my experiment was at least somewhat successful.

Though we may not be in the same timeline or the same dimension, we are undoubtedly of the same kind. Aren’t we?

Past Life Lucid Dream.

I tried connecting us using a power that exists in your world.

With Supreme Dragon Language Magic.]

I let out a breath after reading that far.

My heart was pounding. This was, without a doubt, Ian.

I had searched and searched for Ian’s Traces, but this was the first time I had seen a trace that contained his personal feelings.

Yeo Ju-kyung kept her distance so as not to disturb me.

I continued reading.

[Enough with the boring story.

Let’s get to the point.

I am currently dying.

Several things have piled up. Ah, I should first tell you what you’re probably most curious about.

You must have seen it too. Me going to Saint Ajadun.

I’m saying this because if you’re like me, you probably stopped the Past Life Lucid Dream at the scene where I was given a terminal diagnosis.

That’s right. As you might have expected, I failed to escape my terminal fate.

No, calling it a failure would be a misstatement. Let’s call it a partial failure.

Originally, I would have been able to master Supreme Magic before my lifespan ran out.

I would have.]

[But that damn law of causality was the problem.

Before I could master Supreme Magic, they began to attack our dimension.

This was far, far faster than we had anticipated.

The situation was not favorable.

A situation arose where I had to learn magic even at the cost of shortening my lifespan even faster.

Well, let’s skip over the trivial details, like how I eventually mastered Supreme Magic in the meantime, or how I sealed four of the Seven Demon Kings.]

[At this point, you’re probably thinking something like this.

‘Since he ultimately escaped his terminal fate, I can just learn Supreme Magic through a Past Life Lucid Dream.’]

He was spot on.

I had been planning to enter a Past Life Lucid Dream as soon as I escaped this Dungeon.

But somehow, the tone of the writing seemed to be telling me not to.

[I hope you don’t make such a mistake.

If you and I are the same, our thought processes must be the same. You must have used every means possible to prevent the destruction of your dimension.]

[You just didn’t know that those actions were hastening the apocalypse.

No, honestly, it was fine up to that point.

Even if I went back to that time now, my choice wouldn’t change. I would spread as much as I could to all the people of the continent.]

[However, the one thing I regret is learning Supreme Magic itself. That is the one thing I still regret to this day. Saint Ajadun feels the same.]

[If there is a being in your dimension who can see the law of causality, that being is probably quite flustered right now.

‘Huh? What’s going on? This shouldn’t be happening at this timing.’]

Han Seung-hoon came to mind.

If I replaced the unfamiliar term ‘law of causality’ with ‘seeing the future,’ it would be a perfect match.

Although I had yet to see Han Seung-hoon flustered.

It was true that things were progressing faster than expected.

[I’ll tell you the reason.

The stronger you become, the deeper your influence penetrates the dimension, the more your dimension’s defenses are crumbling.

I’d like to write down the exact principle here, but the total energy that can be transmitted to another dimension is limited.]

[In any case, there’s only one conclusion.

I do not recommend learning Supreme Magic through a dream.

That action will only further accelerate the already hastened apocalypse.

My goodness.

How can something so absurd be true?

I think the same thing.

As such, it was something that neither Azadun nor I had anticipated.

And so.

Well.

In the end, our dimension met with failure.]

[To be precise, we are on the verge of failure.

We are still continuing our difficult fight, and they are pushing in endlessly.

Well, by the time you discover this writing, we might have been completely destroyed.]

[I’ll tell you a way.

Cross over to this dimension. My other self.

Absorb all of my legacy here, and become stronger.

I’ve left a gift for you.

I don’t know if you’ll be able to find it, but a key that can traverse dimensions is hidden somewhere in that world.]

I already have it.

The key that can traverse dimensions is in my possession. I had been agonizing over it every single day.

When should I cross over? No, will I even cross over? Should I try using a Past Life Lucid Dream instead?

It was a problem I had contemplated countless times.

[It’s the same principle as taking the organs of a terminally ill person who’s going to die anyway and putting them into a healthy person’s body.

Of course, it’s not free.

You know the terms of the deal without me having to say them, right?

Finish the job I couldn’t.

Well, if you don’t want to, I can’t force you.

I hope you make a good choice.

My other self.]

I exhaled.

My chest felt tight. I must have been so focused I even forgot to breathe.

Various thoughts swirled in my head.

How much of this letter-like text should I believe? What is the situation like in that world, which was so vaguely described?

What if I die the moment I cross over?

No.

I should look at this more fundamentally.

It was true that the world’s destruction was being hastened because of what I had done.

But my thoughts on that remained the same.

This world is not so lenient that I can protect it by myself.

Just as it’s better to get a beating over with sooner, my judgment that fostering people’s ability to sustain themselves is the best course of action remains unchanged.

However, despite that, the reasons to cross over to that world have piled up.

Ian is not the type to lie about something like this.

Vwoom—

The key was shimmering.

The moment of choice was rapidly approaching.

Day 23 of wandering the Dungeon.

In that time, I achieved one of my goals.

It happened in the process of constantly stomping and crushing the Lizards that kept popping out.

KABOOM!

-Your Level has risen!

-You have gained 5 additional Stats.

-Please distribute your remaining Stats!

KABOOM!

-Level 400 reached!

-All Stats will increase by 100!

-An additional 50 bonus Stats have been granted.

-The Skill you possess, Advanced Dragon Language Magic (S), will evolve into Advanced Dragon Language Magic (SS).

-Advanced Dragon Language Magic has grown to its limit.

A constant stream of messages.

At first, I thought I was seeing things.

All Stats up by 100, and 50 bonus stats?

This is insane.

I knew from experience that every single point in Status became more precious as one’s Level increased.

But what?

It raised them by how much?

I was so flustered—no, so happy—that my hands were trembling.

I must have been so out of it that I missed the Lizard approaching right in front of me.

“Snap out of it!”

Startled, Yeo Ju-kyung rushed over and beheaded the approaching Lizard.

In that instant, its blood splattered onto my body. I wasn’t wearing Ares’ Shield.

But I was completely fine.

Chiiiik—

The blood of the S-Rank Lizard sizzled and melted away on my hand, but far from feeling pain, it didn’t even itch.

Seeing that, Yeo Ju-kyung looked at me once more.

This time, with a dazed expression, so much so that she missed the Queen Lizard, a Boss Monster, that she had given me.

[Odin’s Blessing]

KABOOM!

The Queen Lizard was struck by the lightning and sent flying.

The aftershock took care of the other mobs as well.

This time, I saved Yeo Ju-kyung.

“I think you’re the one who needs to snap out of it.”

Even as I said that, Yeo Ju-kyung just stared blankly at me.

For a moment, Yeo Ju-kyung’s Mana stirred.

It wasn’t killing intent.

She was just sizing me up against herself.

Soon, Yeo Ju-kyung gave a hollow smile.

“Looks like I lost the bet.”

I thought the same.

Although my Level was lower, if we were to fight for our lives right now, I was confident I would win.

But for some reason, Yeo Ju-kyung’s expression looked bright.

“Fine. If you make a mess, I’ll clean it up, and if you spread it around, I’ll spread it with you. I won’t say a word against it. Is that good enough for you?”

It sounded sarcastic at a glance, but it wasn’t.

In that moment, Yeo Ju-kyung was genuinely acknowledging me.

Was it because I had become stronger than her?

Or was there something I said during our conversations in this Dungeon that moved her heart?

I don’t know the exact reason.

But that’s not what’s important.

I bowed my head with sincerity.

“Thank you, Association President.”

Day 30 since entering the Dungeon.

We succeeded in thoroughly searching every space of the Dungeon, which was interconnected like an ant farm.

All except for one place.

A massive door came into view.

The dark, extraterrestrial language, or the patterns.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a room that seemed to scream, ‘Hey, I’m the boss,’ about whatever was inside.

“What about Son In-hyeok?”

Our initial purpose for coming here was to find Son In-hyeok.

But for over three weeks while we scoured the Dungeon floor, we couldn’t find anything that even resembled a person.

It was strange.

Where on earth could he be?

Was he never here in the first place?

“Can’t be helped. He’s nowhere to be seen.”

I added another word to Yeo Ju-kyung, who was naturally preparing for battle.

“If Entesto is in the boss fight, we’re leaving the Dungeon immediately.”

“Without fighting?”

“Are you perhaps curious about what kind of being a Demon King is?”

“Not at all.”

Yeo Ju-kyung wore a surprised expression.

It seemed she hadn’t expected me, who had been acting like a reckless bulldozer, to take a step back.

“I can tell for sure that he’s not someone the two of us can take on.”

“We can win.”

It was in Ian’s Traces.

The points to be wary of when facing Entesto, his weaknesses, his strengths, his attack patterns, and so on.

Assuming there are no other interventions, the two of us right now are more than enough to defeat him.

“Look at you. So we are fighting.”

She drew her sword once again.

Looking at it now, it’s an Item that seems just as good as Durandal.

“But we won’t fight.”

“Why.”

“There will be too many variables.”

Just learning some Supreme Magic hastened the apocalypse; I have no idea what would happen if we took down a whole Demon King.

Rather than that.

I was certain that Entesto was not here.

I could tell by rereading the letter Ian left.

Entesto, 7th in rank; Adramelech, 6th in rank; Verdele, 5th in rank; and Kaldrak, 4th in rank.

These were the Demon Kings that Ian had sealed.

If that Seal had been broken, there’s no way he wouldn’t have been caught by my Mana Sense.

Finishing my thoughts, I placed my hand on the door.

Creeak—

The massive door opened with an eerie sound.

Instead of a damp, dark cave, a grand throne that looked like it was for sitting came into view.

The important thing was that the someone who should have been sitting there was nowhere to be seen.

A Boss Monster, for example.

The boss room was completely empty, making our intense nervousness feel pointless.

No, there was one thing.

I strode forward.

A single Crystal Orb was placed before the throne.

Yeo Ju-kyung tilted her head.

“What is this?”

“It’s called a Life Vessel.”

The fact that a Mage becomes a Lich and is guaranteed eternal life is only half true.

They must store their Soul inside a Life Vessel.

And if the Life Vessel breaks, they lose their life in that instant.

“Looks like even a seven-year-old could break it.”

“That’s right.”

That’s why Liches use all sorts of methods to protect their fragile Life Vessels.

Like creating a Dungeon, or hiding it in a secret place.

They don’t just leave it out in the open like this, as if asking to be broken.

Suddenly, I realized a certain fact.

“This is Son In-hyeok’s Life Vessel.”

“This is?”

“Probably.”

The fact that he was a Ranged Dealer, that he entered this place three years ago and is still alive, that he insisted on entering this specific Dungeon.

If I infer from the other suspicious points, that’s the only conclusion.

Son In-hyeok probably came all the way here of his own will to become a Lich.

I don’t know the exact reason, though.

But Son In-hyeok, having become a Lich, should be somewhere, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

I placed my hand on the Crystal Orb.

Right after, I was able to realize why Son In-hyeok wasn’t here.

The Crystal Orb was completely empty.

“This man failed to become a Lich.”

To be more precise, he must have failed in his contract with a demon.

There’s only one being capable of that.

The Demon King, Entesto, took Son In-hyeok’s Soul and didn’t keep his promise.

When I explained the situation, Yeo Ju-kyung’s face became troubled.

“What do we do now?”

“Can’t be helped. We have no choice but to take this with us.”

I don’t know how Managing Director Bae Hyeon-jo will react when he sees this.