Among countless dimensions.
A world with noble souls gathered, blooming with life.
As a result, the level of the world and its creatures is incredibly high.
A place where wondrous and mystical powers like magic and psychic abilities flow in daily life.
Kang Geon once set foot in this other world.
The planet, Elemenzia.
Since Kang Geon left, Elemenzia was swept up in a whirlwind of rapid change.
What was once a planet overflowing with life has turned into a grim land dominated by death and chaos, transformed into a barbaric world rife with disorder due to the collapse of all nations.
The cause of this tragedy began with ten heroes.
Not long after Kang Geon returned to Earth, a treacherous incident occurred among the many heroes, where ten of them, driven by ambition, betrayed humanity. They were collectively known as the ‘Fallen Heroes.’
The Fallen Heroes sought the souls of humans living in Elemenzia.
Their desire was to absorb noble souls to elevate their own and ultimately transcend into beings of supreme existence.
In other words, they wished to become gods.
And in pursuit of this goal, they formed alliances with highly intelligent monsters.
They not only recruited demon lords and demon kings but also legendary SS-Class monsters, hidden from the world.
Originally, SS-Class monsters had been subdued by the first hero and the great sage, then sealed away by seal magicians, living quietly in hiding from humans.
However.
The monsters living in hiding fell for the Fallen Heroes’ temptations and forged alliances, while the sealed monsters were liberated by a single Fallen Hero.
Before the SS-Class monsters revealed themselves to the world,
the Fallen Heroes assassinated all the seal magicians existing in the world, fearing the activation of a large-scale sealing magic. The seal magicians had devoted their lives to sealing magic, and all were exceptionally skilled.
No matter how powerful the SS-Class monsters were,
if given the chance against the first hero or the great sage, they could have been sealed even by just a hundred seal magicians.
Thus began the War Between Humans and Monsters.
The power of the Fallen Heroes was a calamity in itself,
but the human side was equally formidable.
The once-reclusive first hero and great sage.
An SS-Class monster that was friendly towards humans.
Ordinary heroes who were not Fallen Heroes.
Hidden strong beings whose names were not known to the world.
Those who bore the title of hero.
Top-tier adventurers.
Royal family members or nobles from each nation.
Knights, nobles, and magicians…
All those hailed as strong.
Every single one of those who had a fearsome reputation plunged into war.
Even the cowardly ones did not flee.
If they couldn’t stop the Fallen Heroes,
the world would inevitably perish and they would lose their lives.
It was a battle where retreating was not an option, even if they wished to.
And so.
This war did not last as long as expected.
The first hero and the great sage.
In the end, these two chose to die together with the enemy SS-Class monsters and some Fallen Heroes, bringing the war to a close. The remaining Fallen Heroes were executed by other heroes.
Thus, the war ended,
and humanity could raise the Flag of Victory.
Yet the cost of raising that flag was tremendous.
All nations were destroyed,
and the world transformed into a lawless land.
Many survived,
but most were ordinary people who hadn’t participated in the war or those who were relatively safe in the rear.
A significant portion of the war’s main players lost their lives.
The great sage and the first hero.
The heroes and sages.
The royals and nobles of each nation, the heroes, top-tier adventurers, commanders of knight orders, and nameless strong beings.
Most of those who could exert a strong influence over ordinary people were dead.
Only five heroes survived the war.
People sought to rely on the heroes, hoping that one of them would rebuild the nation.
However, contrary to their hopes,
the heroes had no intention of rebuilding the nation and had no thoughts of caring for those left behind.
Soon after, all five heroes vanished without a trace.
In this chaotic era, it was the Adventurer Guild that made efforts to maintain some order.
The Adventurer Guild was the only organization still intact, operating a mercenary guild as well, barely supporting the crumbling social framework.
Those who had once been nobles or knights
and those affiliated with various nations all joined the guild, contributing to the rebuilding of a new order.
Stepping over despair, they aimed to pioneer a new Elemenzia.
*
Elemenzia still hosts countless monsters.
SS-Class monsters.
Even some demon lords and demon kings were still alive.
Not all SS-Class monsters participated in the war.
Shii~ shiiiii~ what a lovely day it is today!
A gigantic monster hums to itself while aimlessly crawling over the desolate land.
A monster with a dog’s face and a spider’s body.
Due to its extremely gentle personality, it was known as the ‘Peaceful Demon King,’ Hek Hek Sil Sil Sha I I Ik.
And it was the same entity that Kang Geon referred to as the Dog Spider.
What should I play with today? Shiiiii.
Hek Hek Sil Sil Sha I I Ik, or just Heksil, had not been in Elemenzia for long.
He came to this world when the War Between Humans and Monsters was raging.
Heksil occasionally interfered with the war, incapacitating both monsters and humans alike while escaping, shouting for everyone not to fight.
That’s how he earned the title of the Peaceful Demon King.
Shiii. But I’m so bored without any kin in this world. Maybe I shouldn’t have crossed that black portal. I want to go home.
By the way, Heksil also hailed from the Ancient Labyrinth.
Shii? What’s that over there…?
Heksil halted his steps.
A familiar female human figure appeared in the distance.
I see Alice here of all places! Shii!
Alice.
One of the five heroes who survived the war.
She was known in society as the ‘Devoted Warrior.’ Heksil had encountered her a few times during the war.
Alice walked with a defeated gait, mumbling to herself.
“Just as I thought… the transcendent being who always assigned me missions was indeed the great sage…”
The Devoted Warrior, Alice.
Since childhood, translucent letters had been visible before her eyes.
Alice had considered that ability a divine grace.
She thought it was a mission assigned to her by a transcendent being.
The letters constantly provided her with various tasks,
and every time she completed a task, she acquired new magic.
It was all thanks to that ability that she could become a hero.
And then one day.
Due to some events, she vaguely realized who the being that granted her abilities was.
It was not a certainty, just a guess, but she suspected that perhaps the great sage was the one who bestowed her powers.
The great sage was a human who could easily be likened to a god.
As a transcendent being like the first hero, it wasn’t impossible for him to grant such special abilities to others.
Alice was now about half-convinced that the being whoever granted her abilities after the War Between Humans and Monsters was indeed the great sage.
When the great sage died,
the ability to assign her missions disappeared along with him.
And finally, just today, she could completely confirm it.
Alice found the great sage’s secluded hut.
There, she saw the great sage’s desk.
On the desk lay a ledger managing several heroes, including Alice.
Upon seeing it,
Alice was convinced that the magic that granted her abilities was that of the great sage.
“My strength came from the great sage, and he’s the one who made me a hero…”
She did not feel discomfort about her life being manipulated.
Because she had never once been toyed with by that ability.
On the contrary, it had always been helpful.
“…I wonder why he hid his identity all this time. Anyway, it’s true that the gods protecting this world are the great sage and the first hero.”
Alice had also learned the fact mentioned earlier from another ledger.
Among the many religions that exist in Elemenzia.
All the gods they believed in were fictional beings, and the real protectors of Elemenzia were the great sage and the first hero.
“So there are no longer any divine beings looking after this world…?”
Most of the strong ones were already dead.
Though five heroes remained, all were in a weakened state.
If foreign invasion or monster rampages occurred, wouldn’t the world soon perish?
While all sorts of thoughts swirled in Alice’s mind,
Shii! Long time no see! Alice!
Heksil approached Alice rapidly, moving his eight legs swiftly.
Instinctively, Alice took a combat stance.
However, upon seeing Heksil’s form, she sighed and relaxed her guard.
She knew that despite its imposing size, Heksil was a harmless monster.
“It’s been a while, Peaceful Demon King.”
It hasn’t even been that long! But you look so down, you seem like you’re about to touch the ground. What’s wrong?
“Just feeling a bit low lately.”
Feeling low? Should I wrap you up in my threads and cheer you up?
“If your threads touch me, my power gets sealed away. I’d be all out of energy.”
Heat conquers heat!
“…No thanks. I appreciate the sentiment, but I’ll pass.”
That’s too bad. Shii.
Heksil slowly retracted the threads he had been exuding.
Then he looked at Alice’s hand and asked,
Shii? What’s that letter? A love letter? Who are you confessing to?
“Hmm? What letter?”
The paper you’re holding in your hand!
“Huh? Wait, I don’t have anything in my hand…”
When Alice shifted her gaze downward,
she saw a letter in her hand.
“Oh? What’s this? Why is this in my hand?”
Shii? Are you getting forgetful?
“No, I truly don’t remember having this paper. I was definitely empty-handed until just a moment ago.”
That’s serious. Shii.
Heksil looked at Alice sympathetically.
Then he sensed a peculiar aura and scent emanating from the letter, making his nostrils flare.
Shii? Wait a minute, sniff sniff!
“Why are you coming closer all of a sudden? That’s a bit much.”
Shiiii! I can feel the aura of my homeland from that letter!!!
“Your homeland’s aura?”
It’s from the Ancient Labyrinth!
“Where’s that…?”
Ignoring Heksil’s unintelligible mutterings, Alice focused on the letter and cautiously checked its contents.
====================
Somebody help me!
Labyrinth Explorer ‘Kang Geon’ is requesting assistance!
If you wish to become Kang Geon’s assistant and provide help, please swallow this letter right now!
Note: If you do not consume this letter within 3 hours after opening it, it will vanish and the support request from Kang Geon will be canceled!
====================
“…Kang Geon? Isn’t that the real name of Gauntlet?”
The nostalgic name was written in the contents of the letter.
The man known as Gauntlet.
His real name is Kang Geon, and he was someone who flowed from another world.
Alice had once tried to recruit Kang Geon as a companion.
But every offer had ended in failure.
Kang Geon preferred to travel alone, repeatedly refusing her offer.
Thinking back to Kang Geon, Alice pondered.
What if Kang Geon hadn’t returned to his original world? What might Elemenzia be like now?
Perhaps the war would have ended without casualties?
Kang Geon possessed immense power, enough to handle even S-Class monsters in a single blow.
Moreover, the great sage had said directly that he was a being that the first hero and the great sage themselves couldn’t defeat even if they both teamed up.
“I clearly remember he was weaker than me the first time we met.”
At some point, Kang Geon had grown to an unbelievable extent.
To a level that even a hero like her could hardly approach.
If Kang Geon had been there during the War Between Humans and Monsters,
he could have single-handedly annihilated all the Fallen Heroes and SS-Class monsters.
“It’s a shame. If Gauntlet had returned just a little later, the fate of our world could have changed.”
Alice dismissed that thought soon after, knowing it was meaningless speculation.
“…But why is Gauntlet’s real name written in this letter?”
Shii? Gauntlet?
“He’s a friend of mine.”
Then the letter must be from that friend!
“That can’t be. Gauntlet returned to his world.”
Well, he might have sent it from that world!
“Does that even make sense… wait a minute.”
In an instant, a forgotten fact flashed in Alice’s mind.
“Come to think of it, I heard that the dimension magician was going to cross over and request support from Gauntlet…”
For some unknown reason, she hadn’t returned.
Swallowing her words, Alice slowly lifted the letter.
At first, she supposed it was a joke letter sent by someone using Gauntlet’s name.
The letter was delivered to her hand using some kind of magic.
But when she recalled the dimension magician,
it occurred to her that this might indeed be a genuine letter sent by Gauntlet.
If the dimension magician had crossed dimensions to meet Gauntlet, it would be possible to send letters across dimensions as well.
“For now, it doesn’t seem to be poisoned… eating it shouldn’t cause any trouble, so let’s give it a try.”
After deliberating, Alice crumpled the letter and stuffed it into her mouth.
Shii?! Why are you eating that? Is there a culture in this world where you eat letters? Or do you just like eating paper?
Ignoring Heksil’s panicked expression,
nom nom nom.
She chewed the letter.
gulp!
In that instant.
Bang-!
Before Alice’s eyes, square windows and letters started to appear.
The letters were in a slightly different form than those she had seen throughout her life.
And upon the letters, a familiar man’s face became visible on the screen.
Alice stared blankly at the screen and then slowly blinked, whispering.
“Gauntlet?”
Then, as if recognizing that voice, letters floated up.
In this situation, Alice could hardly comprehend what was happening.
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