Yoon-seok decided to think that it was better. Hopefully, he would be able to take this opportunity to find out the identity of this other challenger and shake off this uneasy feeling. As he considered his options-
“Uargh, uaaargh!”
Yoon-seok turned his head at the sudden scream. A light flashed from the alien’s wrists. Looking at his expression, he seemed to be surprised, but…
What was concerning was Lee Su-yeon looked shocked too.
“What are you doing? What did you just do?”
Her iron stick aimed at the alien’s neck. However…
“…”
The alien continued to stare into space with blank eyes. Lee Su-yeon’s eyes grew fierce.
“Don’t you want to talk?”
She was ready to pierce his neck. She still wondered what kind of trick this was, but it would be safest to kill him if he didn’t comply. However, when Lee Su-yeon raised the mana in her body.
Flash-!
Light burst out from Lee Su-yeon’s wrist as well. Thinking it was the alien’s doing, Yoon-seok grabbed her wrist quickly.
“Special rules…?”
However, it seemed that instead, guide messages had started to appear in Lee Su-yeon’s eyes. Yoon-seok thought it was a little strange that Lee Su-yeon didn’t mention it, but he didn’t expect the notifications to arrive at different times.
“…Oppa, what is this?”
Lee Su-yeon came to her senses and asked. Judging by her reaction, it seemed that this was the first time she, a Returnee, was experiencing this. However…
“Ten duel rankers? Perhaps this is why…”
She looked annoyed.
“What do you mean? Does this make sense?”
“It’s still just speculation.”
“What? Just tell me.”
Lee Su-yeon carefully revealed her inner thoughts.
“At that time, when he said he would return in ten days, he told me to stay here. That’s a little suspicious.”
“That one called the Mechanic?”
“Yes. I heard he was from here, so maybe he knew? Maybe he deliberately spread rumors that he would upgrade equipment for free to gather challengers.”
It wasn’t an absurd leap. However, one question remained.
“Why the hell?”
If the Mechanic wanted to meet the conditions of such an event (?) by gathering ten duel rankers, what would be the reason? Lee Su-yeon slowly shook her head.
“Well. I don’t know about that either, that’s why I told you. It’s just speculation.”
She didn’t know anything yet. So, everything was just speculation.
“But if someone intended this, we’ll find out soon.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Yoon-seok and Lee Su-yeon made eye contact to confirm they were on the same page.
[The Granted Time for every person entering has been confirmed.]
[The awakened monsters start moving in search of time.]
[The Time Shop is activated every midnight.]
[TIP: In the Time Shop, you can sell or buy things that you can’t normally sell or buy in exchange for your Retention Time.]
Just in time, it finally started in earnest.
“Brother…”
“Let’s get out of here first.”
“Where are we going?”
“We need to find the Dimensional Stone or whatever it is.”
The main mission was to protect the Dimensional Stone for 180 days. But…
“What happens if it breaks?”
“…I don’t know.”
The System didn’t say anything about what would happen if they failed to protect the Dimensional Stone. Then what was it?
“Hmm…”
Looking at the alien tied to the chair, Lee Su-yeon smacked her lips.
“Okay. Let’s get out of here first.”
Although she put down the iron and followed him docilely, Yoon-seok could tell.
“Oh, Brother. I left my ring behind. Can I go back for a moment?”
“No.”
“Ah.”
Lee Su-yeon thought the current situation was closer to a Battle Royale than Defense.
* * *
Wee-ooooooooooooooow!
Sirens resonated throughout the underground city.
“Aaaaah! My arm…! My arm…!”
“P-please save me!”
The air was filled with screaming.
Whoo-ing, crack-crack.
Bang-bang-bang-!
A group, presumably the Imperial Army, was fighting hard on giant robots, but it wasn’t enough. Monsters were pouring through the hole in the ceiling.
“Damn it! Hang in there, you bastards!”
One soldier aboard a giant robot screamed. It seemed they judged that Lee Su-yeon was on their side.
“As you would know if you read the message, monsters broke into the city.”
“The monsters made that hole?”
No such content was written in any message.
“You’re saying weird things. Who else would it be if it weren’t those monsters?”
“…”
Yoon-seok sealed his lips. He couldn’t say it was him.
“Anyway, I don’t know where the weapons are, but stay alert and follow the code of conduct for an emergency!”
Even in this urgent situation, he kindly explained the situation to this recruit (?). Then he operated his robot into the battlefield.
Lee Su-yeon asked Yoon-seok for his opinion.
“Are we going?”
“Well…”
They could get time by killing monsters. Therefore, he wanted to check how much he would get and learn the approximate time value. However, there didn’t seem to be a need to do it now. The monsters were overflowing.
“Wouldn’t it be better to find the Dimensional Stone first?”
“…Do you know what the Dimensional Stone is?”
“No, I don’t. Do you?”
Lee Su-yeon sighed.
“…Follow me.”
As expected, Lee Su-yeon knew.
“Oppa, do you have any stealth skills?”
“Yeah.”
“Something annoying could happen, so use them.”
As he nodded, Lee Su-yeon activated her stealth. Fitting as an assassin, she was so good that even Yoon-seok almost lost track of her. Was she always this good?
“I will be releasing my mana little by little, so please follow me. Okay?”
Lee Su-yeon, who spoke as if he was a child who would cause trouble when she looked away, began to move. Yoon-seok also activated his stealth skill and followed the mana resonance that Lee Su-yeon intentionally shed. Of course, someone sensitive would be able to notice them…
“Aaaaargh! N-no! R-run away!”
Well, that wouldn’t happen in this place that had gone beyond the chaos and turned into hell.
Baaaang-!
Chemical powder covered the city in a fog, and the ear-piercing sirens turned into an evacuation order.
“Here it is.”
Yoon-seok followed Lee Su-yeon to the tower located in the center. In this vast underground city, this was the only passageway to the surface. The door, made of an alloy of an unknown material, was firmly locked, but there was no major problem opening it.
Boom-!
Because a robot’s arm flew in and smashed a part of the wall.
Tap.
Yoon-seok followed Lee Su-yeon through the open wall. Unlike the outside, where there was no security, many people in military uniforms were standing inside. All of them were likely former challengers, but none seemed to be rankers, so their stealth held.
‘…Who is that kid?’
Yoon-seok noticed a boy standing at the center of the hundreds of soldiers. Aside from the fact that a mechanical device reminiscent of a spider’s legs was attached to his back… it seemed as if their eyes met.
—Brother, do you see that little boy? He’s the Mechanic.
Just then, a Sonic Casting arrived from Lee Su-yeon.
—The 12th place? But why can’t I feel any mana?
—…Is it something like an item effect?
Perhaps. That kid saw through their stealth, so he had considerable abilities.
—Anyway, do you see the jewel he’s holding? That’s the Dimensional Stone.
In other words, he finally found what he wanted. Yoon-seok wanted to Appraise the Dimensional Stone, but would that boy give it over if he asked to borrow it for a while?
As he was thinking about it, the kid called out to Yoon-seok.
“Hello. Mr. Predator.”
Yoon-seok immediately released his stealth. It was meaningless anyway.
“Do you know me?”
“Memorizing the leaderboards is my hobby. And there are very few challengers whose rankings go up in every duel.”
Given his glittering eyes, the Mechanic looked like a child meeting the star he admired. However, Yoon-seok felt somewhat reluctant.
“My name is Henigus. Especially for you, Mr. Predator, you can call me Heni.”
It felt like he was pretending to be friendly.
“Henigus.”
“You seem reluctant, Mr. Predator.”
“Can you hand over what you’re holding for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Henigus threw the jewel as if it was nothing.
‘What? Isn’t it fake?’
Yoon-seok, who didn’t expect him to hand it over so easily, used Appraisal right away.
*Dimensional Stone: Space-Time World (Rank EX) – Remaining time 3,261:17:21.
There was no explanation other than the item’s name and the dwindling time, but it didn’t appear fake.
“Oh, will you handle it carefully? If it breaks, we all die.”
“…?”
“It’s hard to understand because you’re from Earth, but we’re in that jewel right now.”
He says that after throwing it?
“…So what is the time written here?”
“You’re already guessing what’s happening.”
“Does it disappear when the time is up…?”
“Yes, that’s right. Everything has a lifespan.”
Yoon-seok once again used Appraisal to calculate the remaining time. About 3,261 hours, so about 135 days until this Space and Time World was destroyed.
‘Does this number mean nothing?’
Yoon-seok felt it was a little absurd. This mission was to protect this Dimensional Stone for 180 days. But what if it disappeared in 135? What kind of Defense was this?
“Don’t worry, though. The Time Shop allows you to breathe time into the Dimensional Stone.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Yes. Even though it’s a ratio of 100:1.”
“You mean you have to give 100 hours to get an hour?”
“As you know, the value of time is not equal. Still, there are 9.4 million people. I think it’ll work out somehow.”
Only then did Yoon-seok feel relaxed. Currently, 9.4 million people are in the Space and Time World. Even if 1/90 of them devote just one hour, it would be possible to maintain the Dimensional Stone for the remaining 45 days.
“Well, 500 years is a long way to go, but… it will be fine since the Time and Space Monsters also give time.”
Yoon-seok frowned.
“Wait, 500 years?”
“Yes. It takes that much time to hold out until the tower opens again.”
Henigus easily confessed. Yoon-seok’s voice became cold.
“That’s why you gathered the challengers here?”
“Yes. To get time, special rules should be applied first.”
Henigus grinned as if to ask if there was something wrong. And seeing that innocent expression, Lee Su-yeon let out a sigh.
-Oppa…
-What?
—He said that the time ratio is 100:1. Assuming there are 48 hours per person, I calculated how many hours it would take to complete 500 years…
Forty-eight hours was the time everyone received in common. Therefore, all who enter the Space and Time World must hunt monsters and extend their lifespan by 180 days. So Lee Su-yeon calculated how much time would be needed after subtracting the time income from the monsters.
—So how much does it need…?
—…About 9.4 million people.
—9.4 million?
—Yes. Unless you kill them all in an hour and take away all their time, there will not be enough.
—That bastard, he’s going to kill everyone here.
9.4 million people? The figure even felt astronomical to Yoon-seok, who was drowning in blood.
…But he would kill them all?
“I don’t mean to kill everyone. I can’t do it alone.”
Lee Su-yeon’s thought seemed to be right.
“So, Mr. Predator, Ms. Grape Jam. I will repay you, so can you help me?”
This was a Battle Royale, not a Defense.
“There are Space and Time Monsters, so if we can finish it today, it will be 4 million people. Tomorrow we have to kill about 7 million people. Time is precious, right?”
As expected, the world is wide, and there are many crazy people…
“What a funny bastard.”
Even if Yoon-seok killed them, they kept appearing.
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