The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 496



Only Krnovel

Episode 496

#496. Don’t exist here.

Thomas felt uneasy as he left Kang Mu-hyeok behind. He felt as if he was turning away from the sight of him hanging on the edge of the cliff. He wanted to force him to escape.

But after Thomas realized what Kang Mu-hyeok was trying to do, he couldn’t bring himself to tell him to run away.

That was because, in his opinion, there was no other way.

‘I followed the captain’s words, but is it really possible to have a conversation with that thing?’

To Thomas, it felt like it was filled with the pure malice of a child.

It was no different from a child breaking a toy while playing and harassing an ant.

It meant that interests are what determine actions.

‘Maybe that’s why I’m responding to the captain’s conversation.’

The reason why he was interested in Kang Mu-hyeok was because he spoke a language that Abyss could understand.

Because the idea that there are humans in this world who speak a language that only unknown beings can speak is enough to arouse curiosity.

‘No matter what, I failed to repel it with force. In the end, I have no choice but to rely on its mercy… Why am I so helpless?’

It seemed like he couldn’t escape the days of being a disposable wizard who would cast a spell and then go to bed sick.

Thomas was so angry. He was ashamed of his past as a S-rank hunter. He felt ashamed of the way he had acted as if he was invincible.

I was vomiting blood and my body was writhing, but my heart was hurting even more.

“Thomas Hunter, I will convey the Commander’s orders.”

Mr. Joe came and helped up Thomas, who was staggering.

She put Thomas’ arm around her shoulder. When she realized that it wasn’t enough strength because of the height difference, she grabbed his waist and pulled him up, making him lean against her.

Thomas was dragged away by Mr. Joe in a somewhat comical position.

He said, coughing in embarrassment.

“I know. Do you just have to wake up that elf?”

“Yes. And one more thing.”

“Do you have any other orders? Surely you’re not telling me to run away?”

Thomas opened his eyes fearfully, as if he would never follow.

Mr. Joe nervously shook Thomas’s trousers.

“Our leader is Kang Mu-hyeok. He’s not the type of person to just give up.”

“but…….”

Somehow, these words were more reassuring than telling me to run away from my place of death.

‘If the captain doesn’t give up, I won’t give up either.’

Thomas made up his mind.

“What are your orders, Captain?”

Mr. Joe hesitated and then said.

“Honestly, I also don’t know what this means…. I told you that if you tell me, I’ll know. So I’ll tell you anyway.”

“… … .”

“That thing that’s torn in the air over there. You’re just saying that it’s a gate? Hey, now that you mention it, I don’t get it. What on earth does that mean?”

Thomas looked where Mr. Joe had pointed. He saw a passage leading to the abyss. His eyes wavered.

Mr. Joe noticed the smell and asked again.

“You know what? What is it?”

“Did the captain really give that order? Did he say anything else?”

“Oh? There was something I was told to do in case Thomas Hunter couldn’t carry out the order.”

“What is that?”

“They want me to wake up Lady Ayla?”

It was the starting point. Thomas, who first thought of the order, looked back at Ayla.

A woman lying with her eyes closed, as if she had fainted.

Although it was from a distance, it was a face I had seen in LA, when I was digging the ground to slash at carnivorous hornets.

‘Was that the person who was talking to Kang Mu-hyeok? I didn’t know he was an elf at the time.’

Thomas guessed what Kang Moo-hyuk’s order meant.

‘The captain thinks the same as me. He thinks that closing it will solve this situation.’

To close the gate, you had to kill the boss inside, capture the guardian, and destroy the gate core.

But right now, I didn’t have the energy to grab the abyss that could be my boss. So, it was clear that I had to use another method.

‘You’re talking about when the gate exploded.’

Gate Explosion was another way for the gate to open, but unlike Out Breaking, it caused the mana inside the gate to vomit out, rather than the monsters.

Thomas checked his condition.

‘Even then, I borrowed the power of the Golden Eye and closed it. I used my body as a communicator.’

I managed to close it, but now my body was covered in bruises.

‘There’s no way the captain wouldn’t know about my condition. But he gave this order because there was no other way.’

The question was whether he could withstand that force with his body and close the passage to the abyss.

‘The captain gave that answer.’

Ayla Frigga.

Similar to humans, but a different species.

I figured that if I woke up this elf, there would be some way to do something.

He asked to confirm.

“Did you tell me what that elf can do?”

“no.”

“You said nothing?”

“yes.”

Thomas found it odd.

Kang Moo-hyuk’s orders sometimes weren’t good on their own. But that doesn’t mean he was at a loss as to what to do.

If you guess the context, you can understand the context, and at least if you chew on the order carefully, there are hints. Even if you don’t know, most of the time you will understand it if you keep doing it.

‘But now it’s so ambiguous.’

Mr. Joe added belatedly.

“Oh? Now that I think about it, the leader told me to save that person. He said he had an important key or something.”

As soon as Thomas heard that, he immediately headed towards Ayla. Mr. Joe followed him without thinking.

‘I don’t know why the leader told me to save the elf. I don’t think the leader knows either. But considering my current situation, I can roughly guess what I should say to the elf when I wake him up.’

Finally, Thomas stood before Ayla.

Raven asked Thomas frantically if she could wake him up, but he didn’t answer. Alex pushed Raven back and laid Ayla flat on the floor.

Thomas looked at Ayla carefully.

‘He’s dead. On the outside, he looks dead. But he’s strangely alive. He still has mana inside his body.’

Ayla’s heart had stopped, but Thomas, who was sensitive to mana due to his trait, felt that she was still alive.

‘People treat mana as some other-worldly power, but in reality, it is the source of life force. It resides in everything that exists, not just things that breathe. Therefore, to contain mana means to exist and be alive.’

If you’re not dead, you can be saved.

Soon, Thomas discovered something strange about the mana inside Ayla’s body.

‘It’s not moving.’

Mana had to circulate constantly. This was not common sense in the Gate Theory. It was something Thomas knew because he could see and feel mana.

Soon he realized how to wake Ayla.

“I will now awaken this elf.”

* * *

Fortunately, Hyun Jeong-geon appeared to be unharmed. He did not move due to the shock, but his chest was bulging, so it seemed he was breathing.

The abyss muttered.

“Is that Handanos’ toy? He’s done some crazy things. There must be a lot of people who hate him.”

Kang Moo-hyuk knew the word ‘Handanos’.

‘The being that the ruler of the golden eyes spoke of… … .’

Another unknown entity was called a foreign news agency.

‘What on earth are these?’

When such doubts arose, I couldn’t help but ask a question.

“You guys, what on earth are these aliens? Why did they show up in our world?”

“You insignificant being who received the Baptism of Mana, do you think that only your world is connected to us? Countless worlds are being tested. My existence in this world is nothing more than a coincidence based on probability. Some say it is luck, while others find it annoying. Just because the path has opened, not everyone wants to come here.”

“Does that mean the monsters that threaten our world are just someone’s test?”

“Monster? You mean the seed of darkness. That would be more of a phenomenon than a test.”

“Phenomena? Who creates these phenomena?”

Kang Moo-hyuk asked urgently, forgetting that his opponent was a being that surpassed human cognition.

The abyss looked at him with interest, then started to say something but closed its mouth. His gaze was fixed on the abyss’ passage.

He looked carefully into the passageway and then looked at Kang Mu-hyeok again.

“You insignificant being who has received the Baptism of Mana, you have already heard much. Consider the secrets I have shared with you so far as an eternal honor.”

“You still haven’t answered! Why on earth is this world under attack?!”

“No, that’s enough answers.”

“Are you avoiding the answer? Are you afraid of being known?”

“It’s just a taboo. It’s for your own good too.”

“For me? That’s ridiculous.”

“If you delve deeper and deeper into the secrets of this place, your puny minds will not be able to endure it. Your little heads will burst.”

“I want to know even if my head explodes? I have to know.”

“Curiosity is always closer to disaster than exploration. All the answers are already in this great test. You just haven’t found them yet. If you want to find the answers, solve them within yourself.”

“What a strange noise… … .”

“I’ll give you one last hint. That thing. It’s Handanos’ toy that shouldn’t be here like you. That’s the hint.”

Kang Moo-hyeok looked at the leader standing next to Hyun Jeong-geon.

‘Is that a hint?’

Abyss smiled cheerfully as she looked at Kang Mu-hyeok’s serious expression.

“My long-awaited play has been enjoyable from the start. It must have been really lucky to have come all the way here from a place with nothing. It was fun talking to you. Now, go back to nothing.”

The darkness that was overflowing over the shoulders of the abyss approached Kang Mu-hyeok.

Kang Mu-hyeok did not avoid the darkness creeping in as if teasing him. Instead, it made fun of the abyss.

“Huh? You give me a hint, but you don’t give me time to figure it out.”

“Fate is cruel when it gives hope and takes it away. And that moment is the most enjoyable to watch. You insignificant and lowly things show the most colorful will when you destroy them. How much will this satisfy me? I hope I don’t perish before I get tired of it.”

Only then could Kang Mu-hyeok see the similarities and differences between the ruler of the Golden Eye and this abyss.

‘They are both dangerous beings in this world. They also have no hostility. But this one has a will.’

The intention was to intervene in this world in some way.

The ruler of the Golden Eye also helped to eliminate the carnivorous wasps, but basically took a stand and watched, while the Abyss was actively trying to destroy this world.

Kang Mu-hyeok lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh as if he had put everything down.

“Let me ask you one last question.”

“Yes, endings are important in conversation. Speak.”

“What should I call you? Are you the ruler of something, like the ruler of the golden eyes? Or do you have a name like ‘Handanos’ or ‘Adumla’?”

“It’s so funny how something so insignificant knows even the Adumbla of death. You’ve made me happy, so answer me. I am the ‘one who exists everywhere.’ I don’t deserve to hear your true name, so I’ll skip it.”

Kang Moo-hyuk shrugged his shoulders.

Laughter, not tears, came out.

“Exist everywhere? Sorry, but don’t exist here. Go back to the dark space you came from.”

“I refuse to go back to that deep and high place. It’s really time to end it now. Do you have any last words? This world will eventually disappear, but please leave them in my memory.”

Kang Mu-hyeok raised his head, but someone else answered.

“This is not your place. You should go back when I tell you nicely.”

Thomas stood next to Kang Mu-hyuk.

“Chief, I’ll take charge from now on. I don’t know if it’ll work.”

Kang Moo-hyuk looked at Thomas and started to say something, but then stopped.

Thomas’ eyes were shining golden.