Choi Kangjoong rolled around in his room.
Ever since Lutal arrived, he could handle everything without even having to step outside.
Whenever a package arrived, Lutal would bring it in and tear open the packaging. With its Scythe Claws, there was no need to go through the trouble of carrying a knife around.
Despite its small size, it was strong enough to easily lift items onto high shelves. If there was a lot to organize, Kangjoong would even equip it with small boosters.
Then, it would zip around, moving things on its own.
Using the bathroom was meaningless to Choi Kangjoong.
His digestion rate was nearly 100%, so it had been a long time since he last used a toilet.
As an Apocalid, his body converted even waste into nutrients.
His life consisted of lying in bed, monitoring the Central Unit, and occasionally scrolling through his phone.
He wasn’t stuck here because he had no choice; he was here by choice, and that made him happy.
Vrrr.
[Choi Yunseo: You’re coming today, right?]
“Today? What day was it again?”
Choi Kangjoong searched his memory. Going back through the past few days, he remembered quickly.
“Right. I agreed to meet Han Junghwa this weekend.”
He checked the clock. It was 3:10 PM. The appointment was at five o’clock.
“I can stay in bed a little longer.”
Using a Gate, it would take less than one minute to reach Gangnam.
Kangjoong lounged around until 4:55, then got dressed and headed to the Dawn Guild in Gangnam.
Pop.
Choi Yunseo and Han Junghwa were waiting in front of the Dawn Guild headquarters.
“Brother! Why are you so late?”
“It’s 4:59.”
“You can come here instantly with a Gate, so why are you arriving exactly on time? It’s common courtesy to be early.”
“Marsala.”
At the threat of not being taken to Marsala, Choi Yunseo flicked him off with her eyes.
“Let’s go, quickly. I’m hungry.”
Han Junghwa led Choi Kangjoong and Choi Yunseo to a nearby Korean beef restaurant.
It was a place they had planned to go the last time they met in Gangnam, but they hadn’t been able to because they ended up going to Marsala instead.
Despite three relatively famous people walking in, the staff didn’t show much of a reaction.
They were used to seeing famous Hunters since all of the Big Three Guilds were gathered in Gangnam, and the restaurant itself had trained its employees well.
Han Junghwa ordered only the most expensive cuts.
The staff brought out special cuts of meat that Kangjoong had never even heard of and grilled them on the charcoal burner.
Han Junghwa deftly flicked her wrist to open a bottle of soju. Her skill suggested a long history of drinking, which made Choi Kangjoong’s eyes widen.
“I thought you said you didn’t drink soju much?”
“I usually stick to beer.”
“Well, try a glass.”
Han Junghwa filled his glass like a manager urging a new recruit to drink. Kangjoong downed the soju for the first time in a while.
“Not bad, right? It’s delicious.”
“It’s alright.”
To Choi Kangjoong, who possessed an Outer Mind, the taste of food was secondary. What mattered more was whether it was nutrient-dense and efficient.
In that regard, soju was a decent food—a clear liquid that actually contained quite a bit of nourishment.
The toxicity produced while breaking down alcohol was only an issue for a human digestive system.
Choi Kangjoong drank a glass of soju with every piece of meat.
By the time they had exhausted the restaurant’s supply of special cuts, twenty bottles of soju were stacked beside their table.
Even for Hunters who were resistant to alcohol, drinking this much was unusual.
Furthermore, while Choi Yunseo was clearly tipsy, both Choi Kangjoong and Han Junghwa were perfectly sober.
Kangjoong shared stories about his fight with the Dragon Lord. Choi Yunseo and Han Junghwa listened intently, not wanting to miss a single word.
Even the staff hovered nearby, trying to catch a snippet of the conversation. Customers at other tables even moved closer to the trio to eavesdrop.
For their second round, they went to a nearby pancake shop.
It was unexpected for Kangjoong, who thought Choi Yunseo and Han Junghwa would only eat at expensive bars.
As they continued to drink like fish, the topic of the map obtained from Ladespina’s Lair came up.
“So Ladespina had occupied a massive area and was trying to eliminate the Dimension System?”
“That seems to be the case.”
“Why did she want to get rid of it?”
“She claimed the Dimension System was raising us like livestock.”
“If it wanted to raise us as livestock, wouldn’t it be better not to give us this much power?”
Han Junghwa manifested an Aura Blade on her chopstick.
The chopstick, unable to withstand the power of the intense mana concentration, melted instantly. Startled, Han Junghwa quickly wrapped it in a napkin to hide it.
“Maybe it’s fattening us up to eat us later… I heard demons do that, too,” Choi Yunseo said, her words slurring.
“You should get some sleep.”
“I’m not drunk—!”
“What’s one plus one?”
“Two!”
“What’s 123 multiplied by 456?”
“Uh…”
“You’re drunk.”
“You can’t do that either, Sister!”
“So, what do you think?” Han Junghwa asked, pushing Choi Yunseo back.
Choi Yunseo just giggled to herself while looking at her phone.
“I don’t know,” Kangjoong replied. “There are so many restrictions, and it’s a power that has such a massive impact on the world, so I wonder why the demons leave it alone. What about you?”
“I think of it like a teacher.”
“A teacher?”
“It’s like showing children who know nothing that there is a path. What seemed like a restriction at first might actually be a lesson.”
“Is that so?”
“You said the Elves of Marsala were like that, too. At first, they lived according to the classes assigned by the Dimension System, but later they developed on their own and built a Spirit Civilization.”
Choi Kangjoong thought he should ask Iselin about it. He felt like he might be able to get opinions from other High Elves at the Spirit Tree Party as well.
“More than that, you seem anxious.”
“Me?”
“Is it because that Prince’s side is so massive while our Enterprise Union is too small?”
Kangjoong realized his anxiety thanks to Han Junghwa’s observation.
The reason he had sent reconnaissance teams to the Giant Eyant Colony, the Island Whale, and the Demon Realm was because of a psychological motive lurking in the depths of his consciousness.
“From what I can see, you’re trying to protect the Enterprise Union. Right?”
“I wanted to clear everything away because I didn’t want anyone else to end up like me.”
“You and Yunseo are the same—you really are siblings. Before you contemplate the Dimension System, I think you should decide. Will you be a breeder, a protector, or an observer?”
Choi Yunseo put down her phone and raised her glass.
“Why are you talking about such heavy things? Cheers!”
“Right. Cheers.”
After finishing her drink, Choi Yunseo leaned back against the sofa and began to ramble. Only words like S-Class, youngest, and “damn brother” were intelligible.
“Congratulations on becoming S-Class.”
“Half of it is thanks to you. Even if he was an enemy, that Demon of Ruin fought well.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“There are plenty of people besides me who’ve been helped by you.”
“Where?”
Han Junghwa tapped her phone and slid it toward Choi Kangjoong. It was an interview with a man who had shut himself in his room, frustrated by the harshness of life, only to find the strength to come back out after seeing Choi Kangjoong.
“I’m telling you, you’re an icon of overcoming adversity right now.”
“Everyone’s like that when they undergo Awakening.”
“Do you think being an Awakened makes you completely free from mental health issues? They’re actually affected more than others.”
It was common for Hunters to retire after witnessing the death of a comrade. That was why the ratio of active Hunters dropped sharply as they got older.
“How do you overcome difficult things?”
“Me?”
Han Junghwa cracked open another bottle of soju. Choi Kangjoong finally understood why she talked about alcohol so often.
‘This is just alcoholism.’
The drinking session lasted all night.
Han Junghwa, an S-Class Warrior, had peak physical endurance, and Choi Kangjoong didn’t tire even after staying awake for days.
In the morning, Choi Yunseo woke up and had a “hangover drink” before they all shared a meal of soup and rice for lunch and parted ways.
Choi Kangjoong stopped at a supermarket to buy some butter before heading home to give it to Lutal.
Lutal ate the butter after slicing it into bite-sized pieces, not even bothering to remove the wrapper completely.
A high-calorie block of fat was an efficient food source that an Apocalid couldn’t help but enjoy.
Watching this, Choi Kangjoong fell into thought. What did he really want? What did he want to do with the Enterprise Union? Remembering his past self, the answer came easily.
‘Being safe is good. But being forcibly oppressed wouldn’t be good. Unless it’s something people chose for themselves. Moderation in everything is best.’
Crunch, crunch.
Lutal looked at Choi Kangjoong.
For an Apocalid, there was no such thing as moderation.
They either ate everything or, if the enemy was too large, retreated to multiply before returning to eat everything.
‘Whether my becoming an Outer Mind was the will of the Dimension System or something else, there must be an intention behind it. The Dimension System probably has one, too.’
The path seemed to be clearing.
‘I need to grow stronger while the Enterprise Union grows stronger as well. If I’m the only one who gets strong, then in the worst-case scenario…’
Choi Kangjoong imagined a possibility.
What if he couldn’t control his hunger? The Enterprise Union would be nothing more than easy prey.
Lutal, who had defeated so many of the Enterprise Union’s enemies, would become their worst nightmare.
‘That won’t happen, but I have to prepare for the “what if.”‘
In that case, how could he increase the strength of the Union? As an expert on the Apocalid, it was difficult for Choi Kangjoong to come up with a ready answer. Instead, there was an Elf nearby who was well-versed in such matters.
Whoosh.
Choi Kangjoong opened a Gate and moved to Iselin’s office.
Usually, Iselin was alone there, but today, several Elves were sitting on the guest sofas.
Thump!
Regardless of status or age, the Elves knelt so hard the floor seemed ready to crack.
“We greet our benefactor!”
After Choi Kangjoong received their greetings, Iselin sent them out.
“What’s going on?”
“We were in the middle of a meeting regarding who to invite to the Spirit Tree Party. It’s a very important matter.”
Iselin was indirectly hinting that she wanted him to come, but of course, Choi Kangjoong didn’t pick up on it.
Although he was still conflicted, his heart was leaning toward going.
He could feel that Iselin cared deeply about it, even if he wasn’t interested in parties and was insensitive to political maneuvers.
“Is there a seat for me?”
“Of course. Even if you don’t come, we won’t fill your seat with someone else.”
A look of joy spread across Iselin’s face. Her ears twitched slightly. It was proof that she was happy.
“What brings you here?”
“Do I need a reason to visit?”
“Because you’ve never come here without having some business to discuss.”
Choi Kangjoong was momentarily speechless.
“Ahem. I heard something interesting from Ladespina.”
He explained the Dragon’s theories regarding the Dimension System and the Prince’s goals.
Iselin found it interesting but couldn’t quite accept it. Marsala had also received significant help from the Dimension System.
“A system that raises us like livestock… That’s a unique perspective.”
“What do you think?”
“We’d have to check what the system’s intention is to know for sure. It’s true that it helps us, but it also places restrictions on us.”
“Can we check?”
“We would have to look at places where the Dimension System doesn’t exist or has been destroyed.”
“I should look for such places then.”
Choi Kangjoong also asked how to increase the Union’s power. As expected, Iselin provided many answers, including education, development, and combat experience.
“Even just providing financial support would be a huge help. Within the bounds of maintaining harmony, of course.”
“Harmony?”
“Ah, to the extent that it doesn’t cause runaway inflation.”
“So, pour in just the right amount.”
If Choi Kangjoong set his mind to it, he could crash prices by dumping Mana Stones or gold into the Union.
While there were many advantages to doing so, the disadvantages were just as significant, so he had refrained.
“How about teaching them yourself?”
“I don’t think I have anything to teach.”
There was no way a Hunter could replicate the combat methods of a massive Hive Mind. All he could tell them was which part of which monster tasted good.
“You could teach command doctrine. Master Outer, you are the only one in 100 years to have fought and defeated multiple Dragons.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Choi Kangjoong had written several guides on how to deal with the Apocalid on the Dimension War community.
However, it was uncertain how much the stubborn commanders would apply those tactics to Elf combat command.
“Bringing worlds that use the Dimension System into the Union would be good, too—before they fall to that ‘Prince.'”
“I should look into that as well.”
“Our Elf diplomats are spread out, so I will inform you of everything.”
“Thanks.”
“First, you should establish a foundation. Whether it’s on Marsala, Earth, or M2721, you need a foundation to spend large amounts of money.”
“Alright. I guess I finally have a place to spend my money.”
Choi Kangjoong decided to follow Iselin’s advice without question. It was time to pull out the money he had been sitting on simply because he didn’t know where to use it.