Chapter 1 - Prologue (1)

Prologue (1)

“It’s finally here.”

The man with the sword murmured with a wet voice.

“The Tower of Choice, the last 100 floors.”

The five gathered here responded to each. Tens of thousands of emotions that cannot be expressed in words pass through everyone’s faces and eyes. Passion, regret, sorrow, and joy were there.

“Nate put all the skulls in now! Then… Assistant, please. “

When the man speaks, everyone’s eyes were caught on me—most of my colleagues have been together for decades.

Apart from knowing each other for a long time, they all had something in common.

Since the first time they all met, none of them changed in physical appearance. They didn’t age a single day.

I moved as if to live up to their expectations.

A large door closed in the front.

It said that the ordeal prepared on the 100th floor of choice was only that gold door. If it only has one, it is. I glanced.

Lady Angelica Heard.

I met her eyes and smiled slightly.

Thousands or tens of thousands of times? She smiled countless times, but I feel relieved every time I see it.

Angelica, too, didn’t age. Her appearance was that of a woman in her 20s. During the years, no worn or faded parts were found on her body. Both eyes are full of bright light. Redness that slightly stained both cheeks.

“It’s finally this moment.”

She came to me. Lips open.

Even on the day we first met, she walked and laughed like that.

Regardless if in the past or now, she was still pure, noble, and beautiful.

“Thank you, Seongjin. Our guide. Thanks to you, I was able to come here.”

Angelica put both hands on my shoulder and kissed my wrinkled forehead lightly.

I respond in a slightly trembling voice.

“No, mankind would have been destroyed without your [Future Foresight].”

Her advice was always correct.

Hunters are given a ‘seal’ to the body at the moment of awakening.

Each seal has a ‘unique skill,’ and no hunter has received more than one seal so far, so of course, all hunters have only one unique skill.

Angelica announced her skill to humankind early and proved her ability several times.

‘Foretelling the collapse of the most important SSS-rated dungeon.’

Without her, humanity would have collapsed to the point where it was considered extravagant.

It was Angelica’s achievement that persuaded the high-ranking hunters and leaders of each country. The prophecy stating that conquering the 100 floors of the Tower of Choice could end the tutorial was also her prophecy.

I spoke.

“Start.”

A voice that changed like a whistle with age was still annoying.

As I approached, my face reflected off the door surface and reflected.

There was an older man in his 80’s.

Woo Woong!

I didn’t have to mobilize my weak mana, which is less than a handful—as always, just focusing my mind has shown my unique skills to work.

Along with Angelica’s [Future Foresight], this is the only EX rank skill among the hunters’ skills known to date.

[The Successor’s Eye (Rank: EX, Passive)]

Immersive observations revealed blue particles revolving around the lock. It seemed to be a dot, and it was connected like a line. Repeatedly flows with a specified pattern.

I put it in my head. Even if I did not try hard to memorize, I fully understood and remembered just by looking.

“I knew it.”

Hibiki, called the title of Tsushima, came.

I frowned upon by briefly explaining how to destroy her.

“Still, it’s fucking complicated.”

She grumbled and raised mana.

I looked at it with bitter regret. I can see the powerful storms that are incomparable to my weak mana from Hibiki’s mana core.

The mana that Hunter can recognize is the only mana inherent in me, and it is common sense that mana in other people or objects cannot feel it, but I was different.

Any kind of mana looks clear.

Even if I find out all the principles, I have to entrust the practice to a ‘Hunter’ like Hibiki.

“······.”

I didn’t know how happy I was decades ago when I checked my skills immediately after awakening.

The skill effect described by the system message was a hit.

[The Successor’s Eye]

-You can visualize the mana.

-Never forget what you perceive through vision.

-The system message of the target can be read while in contact with the effects of objects and skills.

Each one has never been known.

Besides, passive skill without even mana consumption it means that the number of uses and maintenance periods are close to infinity.

I didn’t know what to do with my heart, but the moment of joy was also temporary.

When I checked my unique skill and then checked my potential mana in order, I had to be frustrated.

Active Mana: 9/9

-Potential Mana: 1

“······.”

Interpreting the message… At the moment of awakening, the mana given to me was 9 (active mana), meaning that even after practicing and trying for a lifetime, the limit of mana could be increased by 1 (potential mana).

In other words, the limit that can be reached in a lifetime … 9 plus 1, only ’10. ‘

It was the lowest mana amount of all the awakened. Academia is using my case as the minimum awakening level.

What’s more, 10 means the amount of mana that can’t be achieved even if you acquire some F-class skill card.

I’ve been living my life as a non-combat agent with the skills optimized to play with mana like a toy.

A half-half hunter who has no power to defend himself.

“It’s almost done!”

While looking back over the years, Hibiki was pouring a tremendous amount of mana into the lock according to the pattern he had given.

A little more time passes.

Kii-ing!

“It was open!”

I shake off my imagination and move into the door with the party.

We saw a little altar before us.

“That’s it!”

Randy’s voice trembled with the title of ‘Sword King.’

Angelica continued to complete his unfinished words.

“It’s the egg of the dimensional bird 次 元 鳥.”

A giant egg was placed on the altar.

“Broken that to prevent the hatching of the dimensional.”

In response to Randy’s words, I responded with my aging voice.

“All dungeons that have been open so far are closed.”

Earth was terrible luck. Too many hunters died after the collapse of the SSS-grade dungeon a year ago.

So, before entering the tower, we agreed.

“With this condition, the Earth cannot withstand. I don’t have the strength to endure it.”

The number of hunters to prevent and manage the dungeon collapse has been dramatically reduced.

Therefore, humanity decided to close all the gates and restore civilization.

The tutorial will end on reaching the 100th floor, but instead of going straight to the main quest, return the Earth to its old form.

To the past, where there were no hunters, gates, dungeons, or quests.

“then…”

Everyone’s eyes reached the lady.

Angelica nodded and opened a subspace.

The sky shook, and a dagger without a decoration popped out of it.

“This dagger is the only way to break eggs.”

An item that can be obtained only through selected quests.

With the sword, Angelica approached the altar with a calming step.

Everyone stared without swallowing.

How many sacrifices did it take to get here?

I usually act as a rough and exciting person, but in fact, my heart is weaker than anyone else.

Hibiki muttered several names, muttering how many people think of those who have died.

“Everyone, it was tough work.”

With that said, Angelica is taking another step.

Nate struggled with a smile, but his fingers with a cane made of bones trembled little by little.

He said.

“Now, back to the original Earth.”

“Okay.”

Back.

To the Earth of my childhood, I remember before all the laws collapsed and turned over.

Because it was in a real state, the movement of mana around it was seen through [The Successor’s Eye].

I can see in my eyes that the ordinary dagger he is holding is not really at all.

Extremely condensed blue mana is slowly waving along with the sword. And the red mana around it…

“No…?”

I froze.

I couldn’t understand what was going on in front of me.

Nate is puzzled and looks at me.

“What is it?”

I cannot answer firmly.

The head turned quickly.

The mana I see is almost blue, but there are some rare exceptions.

For example, if a hunter casts his ‘unique skill’. And if the skill classified as active, it is a skill that uses mana.

The mana looks red.

However···.

I spit out a trembling voice.

“Angelica’s unique skill is [Future Foresight], a passive skill that does not use mana, right?”

And only one unique skill a person has.

Therefore, Angelica’s sight emitting red mana, which appears only in the unique skill of the existing property, has never been seen before and should not have been in the future.

It should have been.

“No way…”

Angelica looked at me and smiled.

It was a kind of smile I had never seen before.