Chapter 106

Ilyusha

I couldn’t understand what was going on since he skipped all the context in between and went straight to the conclusion.

“That alien is an illegal immigrant? Before that…. How did you know that he was the one out of a list of over 50 people?”

Adam grinned and replied.

“On that list, I found the one whose species is named ‘Mercadius.'”

Mercadius!

When I explained the man’s ability in Seo Gyu-Cheol’s memory to Adam, I also told him assumptions about his unique skill.

So, the proper noun in the skill name was actually the name of the species!

“And how did you learn of that?”

“It’s a trade secret. Let me just tell you that I even mobilized resources from my home dimension.”

There was no way he opened the information of every alien species on my list one by one. That’s like gambling with the points.

No, there must’ve been another way. No matter how much I thought about it, it wasn’t an option for someone whose purpose was to accumulate points.

“Anyway,”

Adam continued.

“Do you remember the dog-shelled observer? The situation is favorable to us. The target’s location seems to be in its jurisdiction. If we wait, we should be able to hear about the arrest.”

The poodle came after me, assuming that I was an alien.

It seemed quite hungry for achievements.

“Will it succeed?”

“If the Union can’t do it, then no one can. I hate to admit it, but they’re the biggest armed organization of this era.”

He continued with a relaxed smile.

“We can only wish them luck and relax.”

“…”

Without any knowledge about the Union, I had nothing to add.

I thanked him.

“I received a lot of help from you on

That included the information on the holy wound on my finger.

He was a greater help than expected, considering he even initiated the arrest of the curse’s source by leaking words to the observer.

“I assume that the price of this information would be experience points, right? How much would be enough?”

I didn’t intend to take it without paying for the information.

Adam scratched his chin and said lightly without much thought.

“A hundred thousand would be enough.”

100,000 again?

He also asked for 100,000 last time in the achievement quest that drove out the Botarch.

It wasn’t a paid subscription or something…

“Would that be enough?”

“Think of it as a benefit for regulars. I look forward to regular transactions.”

Adam laughed with a mysterious smile.

*

While waiting for good news from the Union, domestic and foreign media became rowdy.

Seo Moon-Ga-In’s disappearance quickly reached the headlines, and discussions about selecting the Destruction Blade’s new Head began immediately. The ones who were second in command that had been aiming for an opportunity to usurp her throne quickly showed their true colors and began to move.

A fierce battle for the position unfolded, and the media continuously broadcasted the entire process.

In the meantime, a small number of hunters, who were not interested in the power struggle despite being skilled, began to withdraw from the Destruction Blade one after another.

“Guild Master, more than half of hunters from the list have already decided and have signed the contract to join the Celestial Dragon.”

I nodded satisfactorily after receiving the report from Secretary Kim.

What I gave him was a list of only those who were worthy of being scouted based on my memories from the future.

“You did a great job. We won’t look good if we take out too many of them at once… So, keep being diligent but don’t rush the recruitment process. We’re not short of the workforce right now anyways.”

Thanks to the [Aurora of Stability], there were no longer any ‘very unstable’ dungeons in Korean territory, and we got some room to breathe before Clearing.

There was space for workforce management.

“Yes, understood.”

That was the end for the Destructional Blade, which became an absolute mess, but the situation of Matap, which had their leader missing as well, was worse.

Contrary to my expectations, the surviving SS-Class hunters didn’t fight for the position of Guild Master.

Shortly after losing contact with Arthur, it was said that they first checked the status of Shepherd 2 Dungeon.

‘Then, they must have confirmed the disappearance of the sacred beast.’

It was a real emergency for them.

The agent that placed Matap in their current status was the enormous wealth brought in by the magic cards.

In return for providing rewards that all the hunters would be satisfied with, they continued their reputation as the guild with an exclusive status in their country.

However, when the treasure disappeared, Matap had been torn apart, piece by piece.

From what I heard, the SS-Rank hunters got their fair share and left, and they proceeded with the preparation of a guild creation or something.

When they were asked what Arthur Clifford was doing in Korea before he went missing and why he was seen at the Destructional Blade Guild at the last minute, they only repeatedly said that they didn’t know.

They claimed that they had nothing to do with themselves since they already left the guild.

‘Yes, they can never say that he planned to hold hands with the Destruction Blade to strike me.’

On the day Arthur Clifford visited Seo Moon-Ga-In, they both went missing.

It was clear circumstantial evidence.

The media already took the bait and poured out speculations about what could have happened between the two.

The Destruction Blade, which was in chaos due to the collapse of Matap and internal conflict, remained silent as if they had promised to do so.

Due to that, rumors and speculations became even more prevalent.

Naturally, some aimed their arrows of suspicion at me.

– Isn’t this too obvious? 2 leaders among the four major guilds suddenly died and went missing this year… If you think about who would benefit the most in this situation, can’t you see the answer?

↳ Of course, it’s the Celestial Dragon.

↳ True. Seo Jin-Wook seems suspicious to my eyes as well.

There was also a lot of rebuttal to such public opinion.

– LMAO, thank you for that delusional talk from those guys up there. Don’t you know how Kim Kyung-Rok died? He died fighting Dideric van Dyke. How about Seo Moon-Ga-In? On the day she met an SSS-Rank hunter, they disappeared together. Is Seo Jin-Wook a god? Was he controlling Dideric van Dyke and Arthur Clifford from behind? Brainwashed them? Is he some omnipotent force that controls all the hunters in the world?

↳ There are kids now that talk shit whenever Seo Jin-Wook is mentioned LOOOL. All sort of bullshit happens now that he’s famous.

↳ How can they find him suspicious and bash him? Is there a hunter who can come close to his achievements? Some guilds Clear dungeons, and some hunters stopped breaks, but where in the world can you find a hunter that reversed the instability of every dungeon in Korea?

↳ They also said that their progress would slow down. Hunter on T.V. read everything from the [Analysis] information.

↳ Other countries must be foaming around their mouths LMFAO.

– Yo, wait a minute. There is no evidence that Seo Jin-Wook did the aurora of stability thin…

↳ It’s a silent agreement, LOL. Who else than Seo Jin-Wook could do that?

– Well, Celestial Dragon is on a whole new level apart from other guilds. They’re discovering dungeons like they’re just stumbling upon it these days too… They’re not in the level to mind Grand Croix or Destruction Blade anymore. Why would they harm them first when they can’t keep up even when left alone?

Despite the overwhelming public opinion, those who were skeptical of me did not disappear. It reached a point where the legal department was gathering opinions to respond seriously to it.

I told the legal department’s team leader not to waste their workforce on trivial matters.

It was because I knew that some of their voices would vanish completely soon.

A few days later, the time finally came.

*

Since morning, all the headlines had been showcasing only a single matter.

– We are announcing the revolutionary achievements of the Joint Venture (J/V) between the Celestial Dragon Guild and Danton Corporation, which have overturned common knowledge!

– They have successfully mass-produced weapon-type artifacts!

The mass-produced artifact was developed and made by the Senator’s researchers based on the blueprints I provided.

When the initial model was released to the press, media all over the world began to explode with the news.

Every channel that I switched to was showing a data screen provided by J/V.

It was a scene where a C-Class hunter injected Mana into the mass-produced artifact.

‘…This is just perfect! It’s no different from the items found in dungeons! No, it’s rather easier to use. It’s just the right size for the Earthlings’ figure!’

The interview scene where a hunter wielded a sword with the sword energy activated while shouting was broadcasted globally.

It was a solution for the lack of supply for the high demand of weapon-type artifacts has been created. It was a historical moment.

The following news reported that the innovative invention was ready for mass production and that the contract with the first customer had been completed.

– First-time production slots are supplied to all U.N. forces in TIFER-2!

They were the U.N. military’s powerful troops that were under trusteeship over some of the former North Korean territories.

For most of them who were skilled C-Rank or lower, mass-produced artifacts were the perfect supplies.

Because they had no choice but to rely entirely on mining products in dungeons, the troops had to guard the Fortress City’s outskirts only with F-Rank or E-Rank items.

If items that reliably maximized a C-Rank’s performance were supplied in bulk, there would be a great synergy effect.

When I visited the Fortress City not too long ago, my tea time with the United Nations commander under the Korean government’s introduction was not simply for personal management but to discuss the supply of artifacts.

Ring ring!

The moment when wide P.R. started to unfold in the media, I got a call in good timing.

On the line was the Senator.

“What do you think? I think this is enough publicity.”

I replied agreeably.

“It’s more than enough.”

The fact the C-Rank hunters or below composed the majority of the population didn’t only apply to the army of skilled soldiers of the United Nations.

We already knew that orders would pour in from all over the world once the items’ effects were proven in practice.

“I sent another blueprint just now.”

“I saw. I called in after checking it out.”

What I sent that day wasn’t the next design of the initial model but the third-generation model, which was beyond it.

The development of a follow-up model had already begun, so it was natural.

“The Chief Technology Officer nearly collapsed from seeing that. I guess you threw him something pretty heavy this time?”

I laughed when I heard that they seriously asked if I wasn’t actually an alien when I provided the data.

According to that new blueprint, it seemed like it would be completed a bit faster than in my previous life.

That was because it boldly omitted trials and errors.

“If we mass-produce up to the third generation, our combat efficiency will be incomparably improved.”

While we talked about our plans, the Senator’s eyes on the hologram became focused on one side.

“Hmm?”

I think he got a call from another line.

At the same time…

Beep beep! Beep!

A message from Secretary Kim also arrived.

It had a title marked urgent.

When I clicked it, a video came up.

“… Are you watching this now?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, there’s no known gate in that area. What the hell is going on? Did the undiscovered gate go off, or is it an immediate break?”

My face stiffened for a reason different from the Senator’s worries.

Inside the hologram, there was breaking news that an unexplained explosion occurred in eastern Russia, and a giant crater was formed that was several kilometers in diameter.

After checking the coordinates, I couldn’t help but gulp.

It was the area where the observer, who was disguised as a toy poodle, resided.

*

Russian Federation, Republic of Sakha.

Hums resonated from a small cabin far from the residential area.

“Hmmm~ Hmmmm…”

The toy poodle sat on a fluffy cushion, humming in tune with a melody famous in a different dimension.

A black-haired young man who was knitting in front of the stove turned his head.

“Have you got something good going on, Ilyusha?”

Sergei, the young man, asked the small dog that had raised him since he was a baby.

Ilyusha was the name that he wanted to call it, but it had a different real name.

He could not pronounce it properly even if it told him. Hence, it simply allowed Sergei to call it whatever he wanted to.

“Is it obvious?”

The young man nodded with a pure smile.

“Yes, I’m happy because Ilyusha looks happy.”

“How can you speak so sweetly? You make me feel raising you was worth it.”

Ilyusha was an alien who found a crying baby left alone in that old cabin far from the village.

His maternal grandmother, who died of chronic disease while raising him instead of his runaway parents, was already becoming cold right next to the child.

Instead of watching which between malnutrition or hypothermia would stop the baby’s breathing first, it decided to raise the young member of the native species. The idea that it would be too quiet to stay alone for a long time on that outskirt dimension without any connection factored in its decision.

Since then, the alien had provided adequate nutrition for the human child. It even later Awakened him.

That was because it knew that his lifespan was much shorter in natural conditions compared to the alien’s.

“The reason I feel good is that–”

The toy poodle hummed and spoke.

“There’s a big case. I think I’ll get some hefty reward. If that happens, I’ll wave goodbye to this outskirt dimension.”

As soon as he heard that, he stopped fiddling with the needles.

At the same time, Sergei looked as if the sky was collapsing.

“Ilyusha… Are you going back home?”

“I have to. I can’t just keep rotting here, can I? I’m only 300 years old, and I can’t always be a slave to points and waste my youth.”

“··· Then what am I going to do?”

Hearing the words, the toy poodle laughed absurdly.

“You worry too much! Of course, I’m taking you to my home dimension!”

“Ah… Really?!”

“Yeah, do I look like a piece of trash without blood or tears? Sergei, you’re my family. Do you think I’m going to disappear, leaving my family behind just because the dispatch period is over?”

“Family…”

A bright and warm smile spread over Sergei’s face.

In the mind of the alien, abandoning a pet wasn’t an option in the first place.

“Huhuhuhuh.”

Humming, the observer pondered.

To bring a native of a dimension that hadn’t completed the tutorial yet to her hometown, she had to pay the price accordingly.

But when the time came for her to go back, she wouldn’t have to pay much attention to it.

She imagined she would be rich with points by then.

Ring!

At that moment, a collection of messages transmitted from a distant world resonated in her head.

A work order had been sent to Ilyusha by the Union headquarters, delivered on a multidimensional network.

“Good timing, too.”

Not long ago, after obtaining information about an illegal alien leaked by Adam of the Yuncan species, Ilyusha had to make a choice.

Would it arrest the criminal alone or cooperate with five other observers?

Mobilization of several people made it fast and safe, but there was the disadvantage of having to share points.

More information about the enemy was needed to reach a decision, and it requested the Union for guidance related to a race called ‘Mercadius.’

The reason why it acted more carefully, unlike when it pressured Seo Jin-Wook, was that the ability of the target described by the Yuncan seemed unusual.

After waiting for a few days, an answer finally came back.

“Hmm… That’s unexpected.”

The poodle tilted its head as it read the message.

“The species has never been secured by the Union?”

The information seemed to be limited because all the worlds that had been reported to have witnessed it were led to their doom.

However, as evidence of the Union taking the species very seriously, the guidelines given to all employees working for the Union headquarters were as follows:

– If the species’ location is identified, instead of capturing it right away, report it to the headquarters, monitor the target secretly, and identify and record its actions and abilities as much as possible.

Ilyusha, who wanted to arrest the illegal immigrant directly with its own hands as far as conditions permitted, felt discouraged.

However, after seeing the sentence that followed, its eyes widened.

– If the contents of the observation report are exemplary, the Union headquarters shall compensate the observer with a maximum of…

“What, just by submitting an observation report will reward me more than the arrest of an illegal alien?!”

It reached a conclusion immediately.

The plan had changed slightly compared to when it talked with the informer, the Yuncan, but the expected compensation had increased.

“Okay, let’s get started right away!”

There was nothing to be bothered about since the Union’s guidelines were confirmed.

It began the ‘monitoring’ that she kept aside to be sure.

It heard about the location of the target and its current appearance from Adam.

[Observer’s Eyes]

The golden Mana fluttered all over the poodle’s body, and a skill that only a select few could perform was invoked.

Its body was in eastern Russia, but its gaze quickly turned to a deserted island in the far Indian Ocean.

It’s an observational skill, like clairvoyance, that allowed it to look all over the planet it’s at.

‘There it is!’

Fortunately, the target had not moved from its suspected location.

There was the man in the middle of the tropical jungle of the island.

While sitting on a hot rock, his eyes were closed as his pale brown skin was exposed to the Southern sun.

‘He’s disguised as a human. How would he actually look like?’

Thousands of kilometers away from the target, Ilyusha began to observe him.

Not too long after, it had a strange feeling.

A strange atmosphere was hovering around the man.

He looked like he was taking a stroll, then decided to sit there for a while since he felt like doing so a few minutes ago.

On the other hand, it wouldn’t be odd to say that he sat there from the moment the planet was first born up to the present.

He felt more like an inorganic matter than a living thing.

There was another strange thing.

‘I can’t see anything!’

It was different from the memory of being declined while scanning Seo Jin-Wook with its observer skills.

The [Observer’s Eyes] that looked through the actuality of a substance had no reaction.

There was no sign that the opponent was resisting or defending.

It just saw a man belonging to humanity in its eyes.

‘So is that the actual thing? Is he a real human being?’

It contemplated if the Yuncan had lied, but the chances were slim.

He wouldn’t lie about something that would be blown with information acquired by making a deal with the system.

The moment it concentrates more on its mind because it couldn’t understand the reason behind his movements, the man’s lips curved.

“…”

He murmured calmly.

“… I’ve been noticing a lot of sharp feelings behind my head lately.”

The observer panicked.

‘No way.’

But the observations had just started that day!

“…”

A small change occurred in the island’s landscape in the Indian Ocean and the jungle that the observer was watching.

The man opened his eyes fixed at a point in the air.

At that moment, Ilyusha, who was observing from a distance, felt an indescribable feeling.

A profoundly sinister, desolate, and eerie sensation, the man’s eyes were as subtle as fog and as sharp as an awl.

It was impossible, but it felt as if their eyes were intertwined and their gazes were locked.

‘This is dangerous!’

The moment Ilyusha felt an instinctive threat and tried to withdraw the skill, the man laughed.

“I finally got you. It was you, wasn’t it?”