Chapter 218 - Stirrings Of Danger

# After the Terror Attack on Stardust

After carrying out the terror attack on Stardust, I took a good rest at home and then kept busy handling various matters.

The main difference from before is that...

"Hup!"

"Wow, you dodged that?"

I'm now training with our Ego-squad members.

"But why are you suddenly doing ability tests too? Until now you've just been coaching us."

In the forest in front of the house.

After throwing several lightning attacks at me from the air, Choi Se-hee came down and asked. I shrugged my shoulders and answered.

"Just in case. You never know."

...More precisely, I got a bad feeling after watching that news about detention yesterday.

Anyway, I'd been thinking I should strengthen my abilities too. Society will become more chaotic in the future, so I need to prepare in advance.

With that in mind, I tested my evasion abilities. Choi Se-hee would throw lightning, and I would dodge it using teleportation.

And the result was...

"...You're dodging insanely well?"

"You think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was seriously trying at the end, but how did you not get hit even once?"

She stuck out her tongue, seemingly tired from using her ability.

When we both landed on the ground, Lee Ha-yul, who had been waiting, handed us towels and water.

"Good work, Se-hee and Da-in."

"Thanks, Ha-yul."

After thanking her, I took a sip of water.

After quenching my thirst, I looked ahead and saw Choi Se-hee wiping her sweat. Despite the chilly weather, she was sweating like it was summer. She probably wore light clothes knowing this would happen.

"Haah... I'm dying..."

"I'll heal both of you. Please wait."

"Yeah, thanks..."

A light flashed from Ha-yul's hands.

A warm, comfortable energy flowed through our bodies.

"Whew. Now I can live. Thanks."

Choi Se-hee said with a grin.

I also stretched, feeling lighter than before. Ha-yul really is the best. It's a bit unbalanced to receive fatigue recovery from a healer of Ha-yul's caliber... but as long as she's satisfied, I guess it's fine.

After finishing our test, we walked back to the house, chatting.

"Seriously though, your teleportation is amazing! Like you have a sixth sense or something. I don't think you need any more training?"

"That's right, Da-in. I was watching and it was really incredible."

"You think so?"

I briefly recalled what happened earlier.

Floating in the air, dodging all of Choi Se-hee's lightning bolts.

Roughly speaking, while teleportation consumes a lot of energy, I seem to have good control over it. Makes sense since I've been using it for a while.

Of course, there was the minor issue of feeling dizzy after the sparring session with Choi Se-hee... but Ha-yul's healing helped with that.

"...Still, I should practice teleportation occasionally to maintain the ability. If I don't use it for a long time, I lose the feel for it."

I just need to build up enough stacks to move a certain distance and train.

"True, that's right. That's why I always use my ability periodically."

Choi Se-hee nodded seriously.

...No, I think you just enjoy blasting everything with lightning.

Anyway, teleportation is fine... but what about combat power?

I thought about my other ability, psychokinesis.

Psychokinesis is best used for manipulating guns or weapons. It's a bit weak on its own.

So that leaves Behemoth for physical combat.

I placed my hand on my chest and awakened Behemoth.

Kyuing--?

The creature seemed to wake up with that strange sound.

I pulled out the black tentacle-like thing that had been attached to my inner clothes like a bulletproof vest.

I clenched my fist toward the air, and it floated up and wrapped around my fist.

Looking like I was wearing a thick black giant's arm, I threw a punch at a nearby tree.

BANG-!

With a loud noise, the tree next to me fell.

...Sorry about that. But many of its friends have already fallen from our training, so it should be fine.

While I was thinking this, Choi Se-hee looked at the large black Behemoth-gauntlet attached to my arm with interest.

"What's this? Are you finally going to use that black... whatever it is?"

"I've been using it all along, but now I'm going to find more ways to utilize it in combat."

Kyuing~

I deactivated the black tentacle and placed it back on my chest like a thin bulletproof vest.

Behemoth, the crystallization of Han Group's knowledge that I retrieved from their underground laboratory.

Usually it doesn't get much use beyond being a bulletproof vest, this unfortunate bio-weapon, but now I need to learn how to control it like my own body.

Because...

"......"

While walking through the forest with Choi Se-hee and Ha-yul, I suddenly looked up at the sky.

...Considering the mid-to-late stage when the world goes to hell, with named villains appearing and the Moonlight Church gate incident... I need to be able to take care of myself.

After arriving at the mansion.

Ha-yul left to see her sibling, and Choi Se-hee and I walked to one side of the mansion together.

"Phew, I need to shower right away. You too, right?"

"Of course."

"Then let's drink some banana milk over there afterward. Deal?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay. Come down in about ten minutes."

After parting with Choi Se-hee.

I felt the cool breeze and thought about the future.

...The reason I suddenly decided to power up my abilities.

When you think about it, it's because today is finally that day.

The event that completely overturns the original story's atmosphere.

The signal flare for the Moonlight Church gate incident will be fired today.

I thought about this as I walked.

If my predictions are correct, it will be in a few hours.

***

The dark night sky.

A massive blue portal opening in the sky.

And gates opening all across the sky, packed tightly together.

Countless monsters pouring out endlessly.

Cities burning amidst people's screams.

And at the center, an old man laughing maniacally.

The era of humans is over.

Now a new god will save us-!

Monsters attacking the whole world through dimensional rifts torn from another world...

"...."

After finishing training with Choi Se-hee.

After showering, sitting on a nearby bench drinking beverages and chatting, then returning to the living room.

I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV.

Today.

Somewhere in the world, a portal will suddenly open.

And a few monsters will come out of it.

Some might dismiss it as just another villain's supernatural ability, but some of the stronger ability users will sense it.

They'll feel that the energy is too alien to be just an ordinary ability. Some might predict that it could be the prelude to a bigger event.

Of course, such thoughts could be dismissed as mere delusions, but...

'At least, Kathedal would be different.'

Right.

I had warned Kathedal before.

That the dimensional boundaries were collapsing, allowing monsters from other dimensions to cross over.

Anyway, it will be decided today.

I was thinking this while watching TV.

After waiting for a few minutes.

Finally, breaking news appeared.

[This is real-time global news! Currently, something strange is floating in the airspace over France. Let's take a look!]

"....."

And then the screen showed it.

I finally got to see the gate directly.

[.........]

It was certainly a bizarre sight.

A circle about twice the height of a person, floating in the sky.

However, strangely, rather than floating in the sky, it looked as if the sky itself was "broken."

And through that portal, the universe was visible.

Or more precisely, something like the universe. It was a pitch-black scene with small stars visible inside, just looking at it felt strange.

And blue energy circling around the portal.

As I watched the scene, the anchor's voice continued.

[Yes. And according to local media, two monsters emerged from this location, but fortunately heroes subdued them before any casualties occurred.]

Then came photos of the dead monsters.

Those lizard-like creatures made of blue, purple, and black colors.

Clearly not Earth's lifeforms. With these images on screen, the anchor continued.

[The local association has classified this as the work of a villain and is searching for the villain who used this ability. Meanwhile, netizens have responded with comments like 'fascinating' and 'scary'...]

After watching the news end.

I turned off the TV.

"Sigh...."

So it's flowing according to the original story after all.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

This is obviously the work of the Moonlight Church. They must be researching how to create dimensional holes. Today must be their first success.

Of course, the gates would eventually open even without them. The good news is that we still have dozens of months left. That's enough time to prepare in advance.

"...I need to speed up the development of the PMC people."

No matter how much I try to prevent it, some gates will inevitably break through. When that happens, Stardust won't be able to protect all of South Korea. It was the same in the original story.

So I need to develop the PMC people to help deal with the monsters. ...I should figure out how to connect them with Stardust through Lee Seol-ah soon.

As I was seriously contemplating the future.

I suddenly thought of Stardust, and felt anxious again.

...Right, the Moonlight Church opening gates is fine. I already have some plans for that, so we can follow the plan.

However, there's something much more important.

"... "

I was still concerned about Stardust's tearful expression during the last terror attack.

...Lee Seol-ah said she would meet her soon, so I guess I just have to wait.

"Tsk..."

This is bothering me.

No, intuitively this feels more worrying than the Moonlight Church...