CH 250

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?”

“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?”

“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.