There Is No World For ■■

My apprentice, I am afraid.What is it that frightens you, Master? That person has saved us.Think about it. If someone could save the world due to love, wouldn’t there also be someone who would burn the world due to hatred?『An excerpt from the British Museum Collection - Stele for a Young Dragon』

* * *Baonic jolted awake.

The first thing that greeted him was darkness and a repugnant smell.…Where am I? Why am I in a place like this?He clutched his throbbing head as he tried to recall the chain of events that led to this.Just before he lost consciousness, he had been tailing Cheon Yeomyeong and Seti, trying to capture the moment they acquired a Hidden Piece.And then, they caught him and he tried making up some excuses.“You’re finally awake.”The sudden voice made Baonic jump right off the floor.“…C-Cheon Yeomyeong?”Cheon Yeomyeong was right beside him, holding a small flashlight.His appearance was just as Baonic had seen before fainting: dressed neatly in his uniform, well-groomed hair, and an inscrutable expression.He looked like the protagonist of a youth drama. However, the problem was the air he was exuding.With his golden eyes half-open and lips shut, Yeomyeong looked… indescribably ominous.Baonic swallowed hard and asked.“Um, Yeomyeong? Where exactly is this place…?”“…Think carefully. You’ve seen this place before.”“…”“You don’t remember? It’s the cave next to the shelter, the one that was dug up.”The very cave the terrorists had used to make their way to the shelter and where zombies had poured in.Only then did Baonic realize why the surroundings seemed so familiar.“W-Why did you bring me to a place like this? I mean, is this some sort of… p-prank?”Yeomyeong didn’t respond. He remained silent and stared at Baonic’s face for a moment before tilting his head and speaking.“Baonic, I’ve been ruminating about the excuse you gave.”…Excuse?Ah, that.Before he lost consciousness, Baonic claimed that he was taking photos for money when Cheon Yeomyeong asked why he was tailing them.“Upon pondering over it, I noticed something strange.”“…”“The Lerac Household I saw in the documentary was quite wealthy. Their farm alone is probably larger than the Korean Peninsula… So it seemed odd that someone from that household would be short on money.”Baonic lowered his head, trying to hide his perplexed expression.“I doubt it has anything to do with your tuition, and there shouldn’t be additional expenses at the academy either. So, why are you lacking money?”“…That’s…”During the brief pause, Baonic thought of numerous lies and excuses, but he was unable to utter any of them.To cover up a lie that was unraveled, a bigger lie was needed.Since he didn’t know how much the other party had figured out, any more lies would be like walking into a bigger trap.In the end, Baonic was unable to open his mouth.As he racked his brain in silence, Cheon Yeomyeong’s eyes grew even colder.“You remember what I told you the last time, right?”“…”“ I’ll forgive you if you tell me the truth.”Yeomyeong slowly placed his hand on Baonic’s shoulder, applying a pressure that was neither light nor heavy.However, being Superhuman, Baonic could sense the subtle mana and the intent mixed within it.As Baonic’s mouth went dry, Yeomyeong warned him.“This is your last chance.”Baonic, who had been staring at Yeomyeong in confusion, swallowed hard and said,“I-It’s against the r-rules to harm another student…”“…I know.”Yeomyeong smiled faintly. No, it wasn’t quite a smile—it was more of a forced expression with the corners of his mouth raised.“W-why are you doing this to me? I really just wanted to take some photos…”Baonic repeated his words in an attempt to buy time. However, the smile from Yeomyeong’s face vanished almost immediately.“That’s not an answer to the question.”“…”Damn it. Baonic couldn’t help but avert his gaze.In that brief moment, he was able to get a read of the emotion rising from Yeomyeong’s golden eyes.It was the same intense Killing Aura Hong Seti had displayed when he spied on her at the garbage dump.Damn it, how much does he know? Everything? Or is it just a suspicion?Baonic chose his next words carefully. Carefully, and very carefully.Even if you were bitten by a tiger, as long as you managed to stay conscious, you could somehow survive—However, Yeomyeong didn’t give him more time to think.“Wait… Gag…!”Yeomyeong’s cold hand wrapped around his throat.“G-Gah…”The immense force, comparable to a hydraulic press, tightened around his neck. Slowly and surely.Pain surged through his cervical spine, and his lungs screamed for oxygen.No, I’m going to die. Damn it, spare me.As the oxygen flowing to his brain was cut off, his head became fuzzy. Only one thing remained: the instinct to survive.“…! …! …!!”Twisting his body, Baonic flailed his arms in desperation, trying to hit Yeomyeong’s face.However, instead of easing, the pressure around his neck only intensified, causing his consciousness to fade even faster.As he neared the boundary between life and death, a sudden thought came to Baonic.What happens if I die here? Will I return to reality? Or will I just go straight—Was this really the end?Only then did the fear of death become real. Terror and pain marked Baonic’s face once more.He didn’t want to die. Regardless if this world was a novel or reality, he just wanted to live.He still had food he hadn’t tasted, pleasures he hadn’t enjoyed, and power he hadn’t experienced.Baonic fought desperately and literally gathered all his remaining strength in his arms. He looked at Cheon Yeomyeong with pleading eyes and…Raised his arms above his head.It was a clear sign of surrender. And the next moment, the pressure from his neck disappeared almost instantly.“Cough…!”Air mixed with the repugnant stench filled his lungs as his throat opened up once more. Gasping for air, Baonic fell backward.“Gack, gack… S…shit…”After barely managing to catch his breath, he looked up.The only thing visible to him were Yeomyeong’s eerily glowing eyes illuminated by the flashlight.Yeomyeong remained mum and took no action until Baonic managed to catch his breath.And just as Baonic’s breathing began to stabilize…Thud.Yeomyeong tossed something towards Baonic, then shone a flashlight on it and spoke.It was a tattered notebook.“Now then, shall we have an honest conversation?”Baonic was very familiar with the notebook. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize it. After all, it wasn’t just any item; it was the same notebook he used to organize the original story about this world.“Hah…”So, he knew everything. It was ridiculous to think that he was trying so hard to come up with excuses just moments ago.“…What do you want to know?”With a hollow smile, he asked Yeomyeong. His voice, though resigned, carried a faint glimmer of hope.The fact that Yeomyeong hadn’t killed him even after seeing that notebook meant there was something he was curious about.“I’ll tell you everything I know.”“…”“So please… just spare my life. Please, I’m begging you…”Baonic awaited the question with the resolve to divulge everything he knew. He had neither the strength nor the will left for any further negotiating.And the moment he heard Yeomyeong’s question, he realized the inevitable had arrived.“Are you… a reincarnator or a transmigrator?”

* * *[This world is not real.]

The dead Dung Beetle remembered those words.[It looks like the inside of a game I used to play, but that might not be it either. This place looks pretty similar to the comics, movies, novels, games– A franchise universe that dabbles in all forms of media, like an octopus.]The ‘Player’ who had killed his precious family while laughing maliciously had left those parting words, as if they were some sort of joke.[Actually, I didn’t think much about it, but I suddenly had this thought—Perhaps besides me, there are more people who have fallen into this world.]It didn’t matter if his words were true or false.The fact that the Player had said that was enough of a reason for him.Because each small memory might become a clue to track down the Player.However, hearing both Mignium and the Dwarf King speak about ‘fate’… a slightly different thought occurred to him.What if some of the things he said proved to be true?[You know, like the author who writes side story novels based on the fictional universe or even the commercial director.]What if that man really came from another world, and there were beings who also came from another world, just like the Player?At first, or rather, until just a moment ago, all this had been nothing more than a vague suspicion—a suspicion born out of the frustration of not being able to find the Player.However, the moment he read Baonic Lerac’s notebook, everything changed.The notebook contained stories about the past and the future.Stories of a mad necromancer and zombies attacking the entrance ceremony, and the ‘protagonist’ who managed to stop them.Stories of an academy caught in a terror attack and the ‘protagonist’ who worked with the Saintess to stop it.There were also stories about the future, stories related to Manchuria and the elven princess…Anyone else might have simply passed it off as Baonic’s delusions, but to Cheon Yeomyeong, it was different.He instinctively felt that the stories in this notebook were a sort of prophecy, or the ‘fate’ the Dwarf King had spoken of.At first, he couldn’t explain why he felt that way, but the more he read, the more he understood.I… am the one who changed the story in the notebook.Starting from the necromancer to the recent terror attack.He was the sole cause of the disparities between the story in the notebook and reality.Dung Beetle, or Cheon Yeomyeong.He had killed the necromancer who was supposed to attack the Academy during the entrance ceremony.He had shown kindness to the elven princess who was disappointed with Earthians.He had saved Manchuria from its foretold downfall.He had stopped the terror attack that should have killed countless first-year students.…And he didn’t have to look far for the answer to the question ‘How?’.- The one who can change fate.The Dwarf King’s words when he handed over the Royal Seal.Reminded of those words, Yeomyeong felt a shiver.In this world, certain fates exist, and beings from another world, like the Player, already know about those fates…The prologue, the academy route… The mad ramblings of the Player lingering in his memory and the notebook before his eyes all came together.Doubts turned into certainty, and shivers turned into realization.Though he found it hard to believe, Yeomyeong could no longer deny the evidence laid out before him, and for a while, he was at a loss for words.However, the shock didn’t last long. He had encountered too many things as of lately to be overly disturbed by something like this.After quickly organizing his thoughts, he returned to his usual self.Then the next question is…How to make use of this fact.Yeomyeong pondered about this while staring at the unconscious Baonic Lerac.Beings from another world like the Player…From the future plans written in the notebook, he realized that this guy was not someone who would benefit the world.Though he was not as strong as the Player, his fundamental mindset was no different from that of the Player.This guy, too, was a greedy and selfish person with no shred of guilt about using others.…Should I just kill him?The first thought that came to mind was murder.Committing murder within the academy involved considerable risk, but that didn’t mean it was impossible.To kill him or to spare him.The dilemma continued for a while. And since this was something he couldn’t even discuss with Seti, he contemplated deeply.On going through the notebook again, he discovered an unexpected note.

Cheon Yeomyeong ← Key figure! Must find out what he was working on in reality!

…Evidence that Baonic had mistaken Yeomyeong to be someone from another world, like the Player.

Yeomyeong rubbed his chin as he looked at the note.If only… he could use this misunderstanding.Remembering the words left by the Player, his eyes sparkled.[People like that wouldn’t have become a game character like me… So, how did they get here? Transmigration? Reincarnation?]

* * *“Are you… reincarnated or transmigrated?”

The moment he heard the question, Baonic’s gaze wavered slightly.Shock, certainty, and a glimmer of hope.The complex emotions vanished in an instant beneath his eyes, but Yeomyeong didn’t miss them.“I-I am… that… uh… transmigrated…”It was a somewhat ridiculous confession. Such words would be dismissed as the ramblings of a madman if heard by anyone else.However, Yeomyeong simply nodded calmly, as if he had expected it.And naturally, he followed up with a lie.“I am a reincarnator.”