“Now it’s the last one.”

I rose from my seat. The game board appeared, and I saw the two pieces standing just before and two spaces before the final point.

“If your dice roll a one here, do you get married? Is there someone you have your eye on while living here?”

“I haven’t found anyone new, and I don’t fancy having my emotions manipulated by dice. My only real candidates are Song Taewon and Han Yujin.”

What on earth? I frowned at the dog’s barking, but Director Song spoke calmly.

“I’ll do it.”

“No, you won’t!”

“Better to have one person suffer than many.”

…If Director Song had been born a century ago, he’d have endured arranged marriages at least four times. In any case, I had to prevent anyone strict from being sacrificed. I dashed to the kitchen, fetched a large live crab, and placed it in Seong Hyunjae’s arms. In these parts, seafood predominates, so even a noble kitchen had its own aquarium.

“Here, greet it. The greatest live crab for the renowned chef Seong Hyunjae. I shall prepare you in a perfect dish and dwell with you forever—this is surely matrimony! A match made in heaven! Let us name you ‘Gedori’ [‘Crab-Stone’].”

They say you can tell a crab’s sex from its belly shape. Is it female? I wasn’t sure. What did it matter? I’d prepare not just a bouquet but even a wedding dress. Seong Hyunjae, crab in hand, picked up the dice.

“To think my first marriage would be to a crab.”

“I married an octopus, so what? But is this truly a first marriage? I feel like I’ve married ten times—and annulled about a hundred.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Well, someone like you must have had trouble finding someone to put up with you.”

Perhaps the Crescent Sect prevented his prior marriages. Judging by Mari’s situation, marriage here likely led to binding contracts. Seong Hyunjae tossed the dice.

[3!]

Alas, the crab wedding with Seong Hyunjae was cancelled. I had intended to lavish a generous wedding gift too. Yerim, Moon Hyunah, Mari, and Riette all sighed in disappointment.

“The game may be over, but…”

I, too, rolled the final dice.

[2!]

Mini-Seong Hyunjae advanced one space and paused. With a three and a two, he fell one space behind me, equalizing our remaining moves. Then both pieces glowed and returned to the starting line. The two pieces vanished in a flash of light, and the game board and dice disappeared as well.

The game was finished.

[Please send your teammates home before settlement!]

A message appeared. Mari hastily gathered up the bouquet.

“Can I take this with me?”

“Sir, Pongpong!”

Yerim hugged a potted plant. Surely these minor keepsakes were allowed.

“Yuhyun, just in case, bring the truck here.”

Yuhyun drove the parked truck up onto the terrace. But of course, we couldn’t drive it into my room.

“Hyung, what about this?”

My brother held up a kick scooter. It might not help much, but it was sturdy.

“Oh, kick scooters should be okay. Is there a size limit? Noah, grab anything else useful! Riette, you too. Yerim, put down the magazines! Hyunah, you too!”

They had no genuine “items” here, but if we were packing, it made sense to take food or high-quality blankets, not magazines. Oh, and jewelry—there must be some precious metals. I had ample funds, but still.

“Be careful, Yujin.”

“You have to return quickly, too.”

Our teammates and Seong Hyunjae’s team vanished. I glanced back at Seong Hyunjae standing on the balcony overlooking the garden. Surely I had won: I would become mayor, while he’d been deposed and was now wanted. The dining hall remained, but here, the mayor was akin to a president. Of course a presidential role was more prestigious than running a restaurant.

Even so, I could not feel entirely secure.

[Beginning settlement of game contents.]

A message window popped up. Seong Hyunjae held a faint smile.

[Seong Hyunjae – Restaurant]

[Han Yujin – Delivery]

Compared to Seong Hyunjae, my start sounded pitiful. It read as if I’d worked in his restaurant delivering food. Change it to “transport business,” please.

[New TV star chef at gourmet restaurants]

[Rapid delivery association – astonishing power]

Until that point, our team had actually been trailing. But then I became Gunder, then a politician, even a fisherman.

[Velond City Mayor – Declaration of War]

[Miranglune Councilman One – Envoy to Miranglune]

How did I become mayor of the neighboring city? He never explained the details until the end.

[Wanted notice issued]

[Banquet model – Politician – Miranglune Mayor]

Seong Hyunjae’s record stopped at “Wanted,” while I had become mayor. Perfect.

[□□□□□□□□]

“…Huh?”

Seong Hyunjae’s message window began shaking suddenly, then poured out text.

[□□□□□ □□□ First Awakening □□□□ □□Team □론□□□전 □□Integration □□□□□□ New□□□□□ Tower’s □□]

“What is that!”

Through the erased letters, I caught a familiar term: First Awakening. This was surely before the appearance of any Awakened…

Grrr!

The ground trembled. The sky, the air—this world itself quaked. Darkness enveloped us and then receded. Before I could fully grasp the situation—

Thunk!

Someone kicked me. I rolled on the ground and scrambled to my feet, only to feel a blade pressed against my throat.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

“You’re not from around here. If I’d met you once, I’d remember your face.”

Awakened—high grade ones. They appeared in human form, with pale eyes and hair.

‘…If my appearance isn’t ordinary, then we’re in the same world?’

I’d guessed from the culture that the balloon dolls’ true forms were human, yet seeing it confirmed unsettled me. I quickly put on a terrified expression.

“I—I don’t know.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I was asleep… and when I woke, I found myself here.”

I was even dressed in pajamas. The two Awakened faced one another.

“A kidnapping, then?”

“They seem like non-Awakened or low-grade Awakened. Probably. But why here?”

“Some madman must have snatched you up because he liked you, then abandoned you for fear of being caught. We happened to be on a surprise patrol.”

They sorted out my situation for me. If this were my hometown, I’d ask why they’d bother kidnapping someone like me, but here a pretty face was motive enough. I picked my way to my feet, eyes cautious.

“Excuse me, where exactly is this?”

“The East Expedition Base of Tower Three.”

…What are they talking about? I buried my face in my hands and grimaced.

“Ugh… my memory…”

Even if I suddenly lost memory, it was fine. Here, I was a harmless, delicate young man kidnapped by a lunatic and stricken with amnesia.

“A tower… an expedition base… What about you two?”

“If we stay like this, we won’t catch the culprit. Did someone use a mental-control skill?”

“Take him to the Administration Office. Post his picture and someone will recognize him. Come here, it’s okay.”

“Right, don’t worry. Do you have any sisters?”

I do have a younger brother, though. The Awakened kindly explained the place to me.

“So one day, ten towers appeared along with Awakened. Monsters dwell within; if they aren’t cleansed, they overflow and cause anomalies.”

“Yes. And if you can’t ascend the tower to its summit, destruction befalls your land. The environs of each tower already lie fallow—water has dried, plants have died, poison rises. Ascend one more floor, and you can halt or reduce the spreading cursed land.”

In this world, dungeons were towers. The towers expanded their domains, and the only way to stop them was to enter, slay monsters, and clear each floor. Thus, Awakened here were called climbers, not Hunters.

Around the ten towers were several expedition bases; this was one.

“This is the high-grade Awakened sector, so we thought a strange low-grade had perpetrated terror. Many tower cultists plant bombs.”

Every town is the same, I thought. People desperate to hasten the world’s end still befuddled me. If you consider destruction inevitable, then die alone.

“It’d be great if everyone worked together to clear the towers.”

“It’s not so simple. It’s only thanks to His Majesty that the climbing system is now organized.”

“His Majesty?”

“The Emperor who unified the White City and swallowed the Curse. Had the cities remained separate, cooperation would’ve been impossible. Now each of the ten tower regions corresponds to one of ten cities.”

“Even with an Emperor, there’s no nation, but we still address him ‘Your Majesty.’”

There was an Emperor who unified all cities, but beneath him lay no united kingdom—if a land became a nation, it would fracture under the curse. Thus, the Emperor bore all division alone. Hence, the cities unified and cooperate to ascend the towers.

Only one person came to mind who could do that work.

“…Where can I meet His Majesty?”

“What?”

“I… recall something. I believe I worked by His Majesty’s side.”

A business partner, perhaps. He even attended my wedding.

“A retainer, maybe? That seems plausible. As it happens—”

“Oh, over there!”

One Awakened shouted. People gathered before a large building—the Administration Office. Amid them stood a familiar figure in uniform: Seong Hyunjae. As expected, it was him. His golden eyes fixed on me with a slight curve. The high-grade Awakened made way for him. One of my escorts stepped forward and asked:

“Your Majesty, this youth claims he was kidnapped here. Do you recognize him?”

“Of course. He’s my cleaner.”

…Why a cleaner again? I wanted to cry out, “The Emperor renounces rank in a democracy!” but held back and smiled.

“Oh! You live, my friend! I never thought I’d meet you here~.”

I was genuinely delighted.

“You must’ve endured much. Are you cold? Come inside.”

Seong Hyunjae kindly draped his uniform coat over me. Admiring glances sparkled around. It’s all an act—my coy modesty. He led me indoors and turned to the bystanders.

“What happened here?”

As soon as we were alone, I asked directly.

“This is the world where I once dwelled.”

“Certainly—after all, you became Emperor.”

“And yet, it perished.”

He spoke slowly.

“Despite my utmost efforts to protect it.”

[Level 25 Conquest of Tower Five – Annihilation of Northern Cultist Horde – Third Revision of Climber’s Guide – Completed Map of Floors 1–20 – Destruction of Sky Garden]

A message window reappeared, listing Seong Hyunjae’s achievements without redaction.

“This wasn’t the only world.”

He had journeyed through many worlds, never able to remain.

“The Crescent Sect couldn’t forcibly remove me. Even within a dungeon, there were limits to their power. In other words—”

“If the world escaped ruin, they couldn’t extract you, Seong Hyunjae.”

Of course, there existed gentler means: if an Awakened consented to leave, or if the world fell so that its barrier dissipated.

“…I doubt you returned to the Crescent Sect of your own will.”

“No matter the conditions, I always prioritize myself.”

“So then—”

“Destruction of the world where I resided.”

But how? Space trembled again; the scenery shifted. We stood in an unfamiliar study. Seong Hyunjae, as though accustomed, offered me tea.

“I’ve discovered that past information repeatedly influenced events. That’s why I used balloon dolls.”

Japanese dungeons, Chinese dungeons, Chatterbox parties too—it must have been awkward even for a scoundrel. As a newcomer, he endured much. To reduce data, he turned people into balloon dolls.

“If I were my present self, such measures would suffice.”

The corner of Seong Hyunjae’s mouth lifted slightly. So faint I couldn’t tell if it was a smile or a sneer.

“I, too, am a mass of past data. I filled gaps by gathering information from Moon Hyunah and Song Taewon. I located the position I should occupy, then placed myself there.”

“So that’s why I suddenly appeared as Velond City’s mayor.”

No matter how lucky with dice, it was odd—because the post had originally been Seong Hyunjae’s. In other words, I returned to his rightful spot.

“And now I review my life here, to confirm.”

This time, he truly smiled.

“The information must be useful to you, Han Yujin.”

Had he intended to choose this world from the start? The surroundings shifted once more. Ruins: collapsed buildings beneath a stormy sky.

“The Crescent Sect always tended the worlds where I was planted.”

From fragmented memories, Seong Hyunjae spoke:

“I handled them almost single-handedly. Your world, Han Yujin, had you as merely an assistant.”

Indeed, I, the newcomer, knew little of Chain or Seong Hyunjae. He said my world would surely escape destruction. Only after the Crescent Sect’s exhaustion, the emergence of the regression phenomenon, did other scoundrels show interest.

“If I had appeared capable of halting the root of the curse—”

What would they have done?

“…Ah.”

Snow began to fall. Seong Hyunjae seized me as if to snatch me up, then ran across the ruins—his stride almost flight—while wind-driven flakes brushed my cheek. In the distance came the crack of shattering and crumbling.

BOOM!

A great roar echoed. Someone was fighting—struggling.

“It’s a one-sided battle.”

Seong Hyunjae’s voice was low.

“Even the strongest Awakened…”

The snowfall intensified, then halted abruptly.

“…cannot withstand the seed of a Transcendent.”

Seong Hyunjae’s foot descended upon the snow. In the white field stood she: black-skinned with snowy-white hair, heterochromatic eyes of white and black fixed on us. Only a few bloodstains marred the snow—no bodies.

“She plants them in advance and brings them to bloom.”

Freed from Seong Hyunjae’s arm, the Transcendent stepped forward. Though her slippers chilled my toes, I could not avert my gaze from one about to be born.

“A high-grade Awakened who nearly attained the Transcendent’s place in another world. He gathered them and sent them to me, erased their memories, and made them belong here.”

“…so that this world would be consumed, birthing a new Transcendent.”

Two birds with one stone—impressive efficiency. Raise Seong Hyunjae, raise a new Transcendent. My teeth ground. I drew my gun.

Bang!

Fired with all my mana, the bullet dissolved mid-air, never touching her white hair. No matter how many shots I fired, the result was the same. My mana drained without leaving so much as a scratch.

“This isn’t even your world! Then why—!”

I charged desperately, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. Blood filled my mouth. She yawned softly.

“Those who never belonged here from the start… why two of you? Yet you must not be touched.”

Snow fell again. The sky warped. A laugh escaped her.

“In any case, our world was doomed to perish.”

Even if one stopped the root, the seed of Transcendence already sown would linger. I thought of my brother, who perished struggling to protect me. Of Moon Hyunah, who advanced by her own power before regression. Of Song Taewon, who shielded everyone to the very end. Of Moon Hyunah too, who found her path beyond Korea. And so many others.

Yet the ending remained the same.

“As long as I exist, Han Yujin…”

…What an infuriating thing to hear. I turned and faced Seong Hyunjae. A man condemned to meet the same conclusion no matter what he did. I felt a fraught resignation from him—bitter as gall.

“Even pity is futile.”

“We’re the same, you and I. Ultimately, we’re just pieces on the same board.”

The sky shattered. The world was devoured by the new Transcendent. Moonlight streamed through the cracks of the breaking world.

This world fell.

“Then we must overturn the board.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep