Of course, not all of the Front Line Alliance clans were willing to return to Earth, especially those who knew the capabilities of higher existences. These people did not like the fact that they would have to put their lives on the line to return Earth to normal.
"I don"t think this way of living is bad."
This…… clan from the Front Line Alliance which he did not know the name of, but the master of this clan shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
"I don"t feel the need to risk my life. Oh, I"m not treating you like a fool, nor do I think that this is hopeless. However…… a lot of things have already changed. Returning everything back to how it once was sounds, well, inefficient to me."
"Efficiency, you say."
"Isn"t everyone doing well in other worlds? But from your words, Earth will become more dangerous than these other worlds, no? If so, staying here will be the happier and safer alternative. Isn"t it natural that we would think like this?"
Yes. He did expect someone to mention that, but…….
Yu IlHan asked the guy in an emotionless voice.
"Do you really think they"re all doing well? And that I need to leave them alone?"
"……."
After hearing Yu IlHan"s question, he was silent for a little, before turning his head away from him and replying to him in a small voice.
"Look, I"m not as strong as you…… so I can"t even imagine resisting against the angels. If I had absolute power like you, I would have been able to act just and cool like you. But I"m not, am I? Insult me however you wish…… but the vast majority of humans, including me, have something called limits in their courage and talent."
"……."
Yu IlHan decided to give up on persuading him. Perhaps they were similar to their clan leader, or perhaps they wanted to stay by his side, the clan members wished to remain in that world as well, so he had to leave without any gains.
His companions only chatted while looking at the scenery from the Guardian fortress since he didn"t put any of his emotions on the surface, but Orochi, who could share his complex feelings to a little extent, spoke to Yu IlHan, which was very unlike him.
[You haven"t forgotten that you are a very special case, right? His reactions could be said to be reasonable. In fact, those that follow you without any hesitation are the strange ones.]
"Of course, I"m also aware that I"m very lucky."
Although he didn"t want to consider his millennium alone on Earth as luck, he could not deny the fact that he reached his current level of ability through a very special process. Perhaps that was precisely why something nagged his mind.
However, Orochi didn"t seem to like his reply and heaved a sigh.
[I will not say anything if you want to say that is luck, but you have no confidence in your own ability. I think that you can have more a.s.surance in yourself.]
"I get what you"re trying to say. ……I didn"t know there would come a day I would say these words to you, but thanks."
[Everyone keeps changing for as long as they are alive. Although I cannot say that I am "alive" right now…… I also feel the slightest bit of thanks when I feel my transformed self.]
"Do you really have to say "the slightest bit"?"
[If you know that I"m not in a position to be completely thankful to you, you should be aware that my expression of appreciation is a miracle in and of itself? Haha.]
"Pff."
Yu IlHan subconsciously laughed while conversing with Orochi. Once, he had fought against him with his life on the line, but it was funny that they were having a heartfelt conversation right now.
Everyone changes, whether slowly or rapidly, through encounters with other beings, and Yu IlHan was no exception. He was simply unable to feel it when he was a loner.
If he han known this before, then perhaps he would have treated his thousand years he spent on Earth with Liera a little differently - that was the only disappointing fact.
Putting that aside.
"Orochi, don"t you need a body?"
[For now, I feel the most joy rampaging around as your weapon on the battlefield, so I do not see the need just yet. Hm, I see. I shall request it at a later date.]
"Later, okay. I"ll remember it."
He thought that he would get an interesting result if he used Echjar"s body, but to do that, he had to raise Orochi"s league a little. As Orochi grew as Yu IlHan did, it seemed like there was indeed a method to do that, it was impossible for now. Possessing a 4th cla.s.s dragon right now didn"t mean anything after all.
[So it wasn"t kindness towards me but your desire to make something strange again.]
"Please take it as killing two birds with one stone."
At that point, the Warp skill activated and transported the companions to Earth again. Immediately, the magic formation started pressuring Yu IlHan and his companions. If he brought someone else back, he would have to slow the speed of the Guardian fortress to protect them, but unfortunately, he had none.
"Then should we go to the next world right away?"
"Son, don"t you need to open that barrier soon?"
"Wait a moment."
Yu IlHan checked the state of the Hourgla.s.s. As he had been to several worlds that were not Earth, the cool-down time of the Hourgla.s.s of Eternity was decreasing without being affected much by Earth, and from the looks of it, another four days were required for him to re-use it.
"Good, I think I can go to around 30 more worlds in that time."
[Whew, darling likes to work so much. Don"t you want to enjoy a date with me once in a while?]
"Don"t even dream of it. Yu IlHan can even endure Liera"s seduction."
[But I"m not that scatterbrain ex-angel. Darling, play with me, please?]
"Hmph."
Yu IlHan pushed away Helièna"s face after she lightly ignored Erta"s remarks and tried to hit on him. Then, he checked whether the Will of the Guardian was still in place, as well as the millions of artifacts scattered over Earth, before activating Warp to his next destination.
That world had met its doom.
"d.a.m.n, this looks worse than Guundia."
[Darling, the people of Earth……?]
"Yu IlHan landed on one of the civilizations that had burnt to the ground and activated the Record skill. After reading through the records slowly, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
"There is not a single person belonging to Earth in this world anymore. And they were quite a strong clan too……."
"Belonging to Earth? You mean that there were…… other people?"
"Yeah."
Yu IlHan acknowledged Kim YeSeul"s sharp remarks and activated the Warp skill once again. He couldn"t help it since he didn"t know, but it wasn"t like he could just ignore the surviving people suffering due to monsters, so he planned to do everything he could do for them.
When he moved with Warp, there was a war between a patch of humans and a field of monsters.
"Arggggggh!"
"Run…… everyone!"
[Kuoaaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
[Disgusting humans, bad tasting and weak things.]
[End them all! End them all!]
The majority of the humans could not understand monsters" speech, but Yu IlHan felt disgusted whenever he heard monsters speaking. They were the same wherever he went!
Perhaps there was no development from them because they had no creativity - thought Yu IlHan as he shot out all the artifacts. The group of artifacts that swept the monsters looked akin to an army of Valkyries on orders of a G.o.d.
"There"s no need to hide anything here. Wipe them all out!"
[Darling, want some help?]
"I"ll appreciate it if you do. Let"s finish this quickly."
As soon as Yu IlHan gave the permission, Helièna unfurled her wings and flew upwards. Erta and Kim YeSeul also used their abilities to wipe out the monsters in the surroundings. The ones that were fighting against the monsters in the battlefield were shocked after they saw them
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
"The monsters……"
"Are disappearing."
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Cri…….]
"Who are they!?"
"Ah, aaaah."
"……G.o.d."
The monsters in the vicinity were ma.s.sacred, and Yu IlHan didn"t stop there and made the Guardian fortress wipe out the monsters in other regions as well. Seeing that, someone whispered lightly in fear.
"He is G.o.d."
"Yes, that must be it."
"G.o.d himself has come to a world that the angels abandoned."
Yu IlHan didn"t even know that the people were treating him as a G.o.d, and focused on killing the monsters. He had no plans on wiping all the monsters in this world, but he at least planned to dispose of monsters that were near to human settlements.
Like that, around 3 hours pa.s.sed when the cleaning was almost finished. Yu IlHan ignored the people who were absent-mindedly staring at the fortress and was about to Warp away. However, Helièna grabbed his hand lightly at that moment.
[Darling, it seems like they have something to say.]
"What?"
When Yu IlHan looked down, he did definitely hear the people shouting something. He really wished to ignore them but…… he shrugged his shoulders and lowered the Guardian fortress. The closer he became, the clearer he could hear them.
"Please don"t leave us!"
"Please stay by our side!"
"Oh, Lord G.o.d, please!"
"……What?"
G.o.d? Him? Yu IlHan became absent-minded for a moment since he could not understand when Helièna finally burst out laughing. He stared at Helièna and spoke.
"I"m a human though."
"We do not mind how you think you are. To us, you are G.o.d."
"Please save us!"
"More than this?"
"Oh G.o.d, please!"
They were complete thieves alright. Of course, he knew their urgency, and their hopes to grab onto a piece of straw if necessary, but Yu IlHan wasn"t in the leisure to play Sim City in another world.
"I"m sorry, but you need to protect this world on your own. I came here looking for something else but it was no longer here, I"m planning to leave now."
"Then please take us!"
Yu IlHan replied coldly.
"I"m in a world that"s incomparably harsher than this place. Even if you follow me, what awaits you is even harsher suffering so endure in this place."
"But isn"t G.o.d in that place?"
"Please save us!"
"G.o.d, please!"
The people eventually got on their knees and put their heads on the ground, which made Yu IlHan dumbfounded. He somehow felt like he felt something similar not too long ago…….
[It"s going well, isn"t it, darling?]
Helièna only smiled suspiciously. Yu IlHan was agonized for a moment, but he couldn"t find a way to stop the people who were courting death so he could only reply like this.
After that, Yu IlHan had travelled many other worlds as well, but a portion of them had already met its doom, or were heading towards one. The majority of the survivors wished to go under Yu IlHan, and he brought them back to Earth, even while not understanding why.
Kang MiRae and company experienced the same thing, and the ones that were brought to Earth by them bowed their heads towards Yu IlHan and the others even while moving slowly due to the effects of the magic formation.
"Weeeeeeeeeee shhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll llllllllllllooooooooooooooooyaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllll-"
"……Well."
Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders while looking at the people who acted like clowns.
"It"s their lives. I guess it"s up to them to decide."
Four days later, Yu IlHan finally became able to reactivate the Hourgla.s.s of Eternity. The number of worlds he had been to in the meantime was 42, four of which had met its doom.
At this point, the number of people from other worlds numbered over one hundred thousand.
Author"s notes
Start of book 12!Translator"s notes
Translator: Chamber
Proofreader: Koukouseidesu