Chapter 405

Yoon Seah's face flushed with indignation.

Even though her uncle Seong Jihan rationalized that it'd be hard to hide as he'd already drawn the Administrator's attention.

"In the end, you're saying you won't go because 'you don't have a good feeling' about it!"

"Well, yes."

"You expect me to accept that? I can't run away alone. If we're going, we go together!"

Yoon Seah insisted strongly that she wouldn't go if it meant leaving her uncle behind, finding it absolutely incomprehensible.

However.

"...No. It's a reasonable explanation. The fact that the me from this world has come this far likely owes much to that 'sense' of his."

The Taiji's Lost Soul nodded in agreement with Seong Jihan's words.

"What do you mean...?"

Attempting to speak informally to the Lost Soul as she would with Seong Jihan, Yoon Seah reluctantly adjusted her tone at the end.

The Lost Soul, seeing this, smiled faintly as he replied.

"I've faced countless moments where decisions had to be made. Choices where failure meant death. Those deaths didn't only involve me but included you too... Yoon Seah."

"Even me...?"

"Yes. But this world's Seong Jihan had an uncanny ability to always make the right choices. As a result, he became a variable great enough to attract the Martial God's attention, and you, Yoon Seah, survived to become a powerful player as well..."

[So, it means we shouldn't ignore Seong Jihan's 'sense.']

"Exactly, and."

Swish.

The Lost Soul looked at Seong Jihan.

"I wouldn't act out of some noble purpose of saving humanity. It's true that he simply has a bad feeling about it."

"You know me well."

"What are you saying? After everything Uncle has done for humanity..."

"He has basic goodwill, but he's not someone who would sacrifice himself or his family to save humanity. Isn't that right?"

"You understand me well, almost to an uncomfortable degree."

Seong Jihan nodded.

If he had the means, he would naturally help, but when it was beyond his capacity, caring for himself and his own came first.

'If I were Dongbang Sak or Ashoka, I wouldn't have become the Martial God's pawn to save humanity.'

Thinking of Dongbang Sak and Ashoka, who became pawns for the Martial God, Seong Jihan concluded he wouldn't have made the same choice.

Yoon Seah tried several more times to persuade Seong Jihan to escape together if he was going to escape at all.

"Escaping together isn't an option. I'm certain about that."

He remained resolute.

"...Sigh, that 'sense' of yours. Fine. I'll persuade Uncle later. What about Dad?"

Seeing that Seong Jihan wouldn't budge, Yoon Seah brought up her father.

"Thinking of it, why haven't you mentioned Dad at all?"

"Yoon Sejin? He cannot come."

"Why not?"

At that, the Lost Soul's eyes flared with intense malice.

"In every life I've lived, you died before me. Each time, I contacted Yoon Sejin to come to your funeral... yet he ignored most of my attempts."

"Oh, that's because... he had Shizuru."

"I even went to Shizuru's house in person. Standing at her doorstep, I was turned away 221 times. On the lucky occasions I met Yoon Sejin, I was kicked and beaten nearly to death 142 times..."

"W-wha... that many times?"

"The ones I hated the most weren't Dongbang Sak, who killed me, but him and Shizuru."

The Lost Soul, who lived through a world where Shizuru continually existed, harbored deep hatred for her and Yoon Sejin.

Even though he had regained his sanity after being deprogrammed, there was an unforgivable level of resentment.

[...Even if I don't harbor as severe feelings towards him, realistically, having him escape is difficult. Crossing the void gate means transforming species, and if one isn't already somewhat progressed like Seah, it isn't easy.]

Seong Jiah added that evacuating him realistically was impossible.

"No. I can't leave even Dad behind... This isn't right..."

"Not leaving behind, think of it as a journey. Go to another world and defeat the Demon King then return."

"What journey to another world! Either we all go together, or we all die together!"

Struggling to accept abandoning both her uncle and dad, Yoon Seah looked deeply troubled.

She sat with her arms crossed and closed her eyes.

Once in this state, she'd never change her mind.

The three exchanged glances.

'Persuasion seems difficult.'

'We'll have to take her by force. I'll strike her pressure points.'

'...If you're going to do it, make sure it lasts. We need to proceed with species conversion too.'

While sharing opinions outside Yoon Seah's hearing range, Seong Jihan questioned the topic further.

"...Speaking of species conversion, do we have to change from humans to entirely different species?"

[Yes. Humans can't pass through the void gate.]

"Why?"

[Humans and a few other species are on a void watchlist and are blocked. I don't know why.]

A watchlisted species?

Humanity, a newly advanced low-grade species, why the watchlist?

"When did this start? The watchlisted species."

[Since humanity first entered BattleNet.]

"Is it common?"

[No, it's very rare. Especially for the lowest-grade species.]

Had the void been watching humanity since the BattleNet entry?

Seong Jihan pondered this, recalling a conversation with the Administrator's hand.

It almost seemed convinced that he was the red Administrator.

He thought it was nonsense at the time, but it began to make sense when considering his unusual ability to understand the Administrator codes.

"Sister, is there anything special about our bloodline?"

[Why?]

"I have this ability to read characters. Plus, you have the divine eye."

[As far as I know, no. Our parents were ordinary.]

"Hmm. Really..."

Could his ability to read codes be unrelated to his lineage?

As Seong Jihan pondered this.

"...I also investigated this. Like the sister said, there was nothing special."

The Lost Soul, listening quietly, spoke up.

"However, after entering the Taiji Lost Soul, I gained a bit more understanding."

"Of what?"

"The special thing isn't our bloodline. It's the human species... itself."

Humanity as a species is special.

Seong Jihan recalled an event inside the Seal.

'Humanity's evolution had no preset limits, leading to the emergence of figures like Dongbang Sak.'

Dongbang Sak, who wielded transcendent martial arts with a frail human body.

His power was so formidable that the Martial God considered burning humanity and moving to another world.

Could Seong Jihan also be a case of transcending limits like Dongbang Sak?

While Seong Jihan was lost in thought.

"The operation will commence in two weeks. Come to my Abyss."

"You said a week earlier?"

"That was if you were coming. Since you're staying, more preparation time is needed."

"Ugh... Uncle, I'm really not going! How can I escape alone... it's humiliating as a top player!"

"Top player? Just among humanity. Staying here would only drag him down."

"Ugh..."

Yoon Seah couldn't refute the Lost Soul's words.

Even though she climbed to the top ranks among human players, she might become a burden rather than help against the adversaries Seong Jihan faced.

[Then, see you in two weeks.]

With those words.

The Lost Soul and Seong Jiah's form began to fade.

* * *

Three days later.

Seong Jihan was matching a general game in the Star League.

In the Defense map, while eliminating monsters alone with Heaven's Chaotic Flow, a level-up message appeared.

[Your level has increased by 1.]

Seeing the level-up message on the system window, he welcomed it.

'Three days of game matching, and finally a level up.'

With the Void Training Room unusable due to burning it with the Sacred Flame, he played games steadily aiming for level 500, and spent any spare time destroying dungeons.

In these three days, he pushed hard to level up but only gained 1 level.

"Barely leveled up once in three days..."

Slash!

In the Defense map, 'Dragon Hatchery,' Seong Jihan mowed down monsters approaching the eggs as he smacked his lips.

"I must've destroyed about 50 dungeons yesterday... recently, it's been slow. Any faster ways to level up?"

Opening the chat window to seek ideas from alien viewers, he asked.

-What level are you complaining about slow leveling?

-It's Star League, so probably between 450~500.

-If he leveled up once in three days at those levels, that's insane speed...

-It's not just fast, it's insane pace.

-Is he boasting about fast leveling? Mocking us?

-Ha, I've been stuck at level 455 for a year... dislike.

Alien viewers, misunderstanding his earnest query, started hitting the dislike button live.

"I've cleared most dislike achievements."

As Seong Jihan said this, the dislikes increased even more rapidly.

-Jealous aliens tsk tsk. Why should their leveling speed match Jihan's??

-For real, he's a talent noted by Administrators.

-No tips to offer for players of his level... Hard to say much without experience.

-Still wonder why Yoon Seah's streams stopped recently?

-True, she used to stream daily.

-Did she start dating?

Human viewers defended him, some asking why Yoon Seah hadn't been streaming.

"Hasn't Seah streamed yet? She's not dating. Seems like she's deep in thought lately."

Due to the escape plan, Yoon Seah stopped gaming and secluded herself in her room.

She needed some time for solo reflection.

'Even if she concludes otherwise, I'll immobilize her using Heaven's Chaotic Flow.'

Freeing his niece from the infinite regression of the Martial God was paramount.

Seong Jihan continued eliminating monsters, determined to carry out this unilateral decision.

At the end of the monster horde.

[Impressive that you made it this far, Guardian of the Blue Dragon!]

A massive Black Dragon roared with a mighty voice.

'Even defeating that won't level me up.'

Despite the Black Dragon's imposing appearance, to Seong Jihan, it was merely a monster worth less than 10% experience.

Better end this quickly and hit another dungeon.

As he thought this.

[Why waste your valor? Become my guardian. I'll reward you with a mountain of treasures, including gold and silver.]

The Black Dragon attempted to sway Seong Jihan.

"Forget money. Can you provide experience?"

[Experience... acquiring skills through combat? Become my ally, and fight those you once defended!]

A message popped up.

['Hidden Quest - Black Dragon's Persuasion' has been triggered.]

[Accepting this quest will make you hostile to your current team members.]

Having already defeated the minion monsters, the boss was the only one left.

The defense team included powerful players from the Star League and the Blue Dragon's Guardians.

Turning against them without substantial firepower was suicidal, but.

"Sounds good."

Seong Jihan betrayed the defense team for the experience.

[Wait... truly? Will you really join me?]

"Yes. Stay here. I'll handle the rest."

Swish!

Leaving the flustered Black Dragon behind.

Seong Jihan charged towards his former allies.

-Lol he betrayed immediately.

-Obsessed with experience;

-Used to be more chill about leveling... What's up?

Ignoring the viewers' confusion, Seong Jihan decimated both teams alone.

After annihilating both sides.

"Still no level up."

Disappointed no level-up message appeared, he smacked his lips in dissatisfaction.

At this rate, reaching 500 in two weeks seemed impossible.

'Guess I need to sweep through more dungeons.'

As he prepared to log out.

[The World Tree Yggdrasil asks if you need experience points urgently.]

[Yggdrasil offers to provide experience points.]

A message from Yggdrasil appeared before Seong Jihan's eyes.