“It’s really huge.”
Choi Kangjoong went over to where Kuongi was and took a look for himself.
A living creature one kilometer long and a hundred meters wide was awe-inspiring to witness.
Even the psionic technique, the Great Mana Storm, had grown stronger.
If he unleashed it with all his might, it could expand massively, just like a real mana storm.
It was truly a space created just for Apocalid.
“I ate well. Rat meat isn’t bad, actually.”
If you ate it for real, it would be deadly and tasteless, but since he swallowed it through the digestion pouch, it was bearable.
“By the way, did the Senjo Count not show up at all?”
While he was devouring the Ma Woo Sea, he hadn’t seen even a trace of the Senjo Count.
“I had so many questions I wanted to ask. Well, it’s not like the Demon of Chaos is exclusive to the Senjo Count.”
There were plenty of Demons of Chaos in the Chaos Legion.
“Might as well have a hundred of them show up all at once.”
He wanted to move to the next sea, where more Demons of Chaos gathered, but it was quite far.
He would have to go after he caught Charigna.
His phone rang.
It was a call from Choi Yunseo.
“Yeah?”
–I heard you solved Dad’s company problem. How’d you do it?
“I called Iselin.”
–How do you even have Iselin’s number?
“Why, can’t I?”
–You’ve been holed up in your room forever, but you know the Princess’s number. Did you get it online?
“I met her in person.”
–When did you even go out to meet her?
Choi Yunseo sounded genuinely curious.
“Is that what you called for?”
–No. Mom asked me to help you pick out some clothes.
“Clothes?”
–You don’t have any decent clothes, do you?
“What do you mean, none? I have at least one.”
–How about you open your wardrobe and say that again while looking inside?
Choi Kangjoong opened his closet.
A six-year-old hoodie, seven-year-old track pants, a stretched-out T-shirt, and a shirt with frayed sleeves.
“Nothing, huh.”
–I’ll pick out all the basic stuff for you, so just come out.
“When?”
–This Saturday. You’re free, right?
“Of course.”
–Of course you are. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be Choi Kangjoong.
“Yeah. Nothing planned.”
–Junghwa will come too.
“Why her?”
–She said she wants to see you at least once.
Choi Kangjoong was also curious how Han Junghwa would react to him, not as Outer Mind, but as just Choi Kangjoong.
–Come to the New World Department Store after lunch on Saturday.
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Choi Kangjoong looked through his closet once more.
“I really don’t have anything to wear out right now.”
Senjo Count’s flagship.
Senjo Count received a report that the attempt to obtain Gate Stones had failed.
“Failure, huh. What went wrong?”
“The race that devoured the Kraken Sea and the Hydra Sea intervened.”
“Beings without intellect, interfering with my plans. What rotten luck.”
Senjo Count looked out the window.
A vast, empty sea with no dimensions in sight spread before him.
Only the Dimension Ships he’d brought were around.
He had prepared for three months, and for the past three months, he’d been carrying out the operation.
He’d gathered Dimension Ships that had left port one by one, in a nearly unknown location, then set out without even telling them the destination.
Even without the Gate Stones, the end of this plan wouldn’t change.
Only, it was delayed a little.
His destination was the 6th Dimension Fortress.
He was secretly winding his way there, intending to destroy it.
Using Disorder to provoke the Dawn Guild and try to get the Gate Stones was part of this operation as well.
It wasn’t just bad luck.
The fact that Derrael’s fleet had suffered massive losses in the Kraken Sea was actually an opportunity.
“Count, we’ve identified the dimension where the 6th Dimension Fortress is located.”
Senjo Count went out to the deck and raised his telescope to his eyes.
He could see the dimension where the 6th Dimension Fortress was as a tiny dot.
“We’ve finally made it. Change course and increase speed. Hit them all at once.”
Senjo Count’s fleet turned their bows downward.
Saturday.
Choi Kangjoong headed to the meeting place.
He had a license but no car, so he used the subway.
Wearing shabby clothes, no one thought he was a Hunter.
But he still felt people glancing at him now and then.
Especially a group of high school girls who were practically staring outright.
‘What’s with them? Is it because I’m not wearing a mask?’
Choi Kangjoong put on his mask.
The high school girls seemed disappointed.
When he reached his destination, he got off the subway.
As expected for the most expensive land in Korea, it was packed with people.
Choi Kangjoong hunched his shoulders as he walked.
[Choi Yunseo: Where are you?]
[Choi Kangjoong: Just arrived at the station.]
[Choi Yunseo: There’s a luxury hall on the first floor.]
[Choi Yunseo: Go in there and wait.]
[Choi Kangjoong: Luxury hall?]
[Choi Yunseo: You said you make a lot of money. If I’m picking your clothes, can’t you at least buy me one thing?]
[Choi Kangjoong: á…©]
[Choi Kangjoong: I don’t have money to buy you anything.]
[Choi Yunseo: Then I’m not coming.]
[Choi Kangjoong: Don’t come then.]
[Choi Yunseo: á…©]
Choi Kangjoong entered the department store and searched for the shop that looked the most expensive.
‘What if they look down on me because I look poor?’
He hesitated at the entrance to a shop where the price tags were in the tens of millions.
Scenes from a drama flashed through his mind.
A dismissive employee and himself, unable to say anything.
‘No, who am I? I’m Outer Mind. If they piss me off, I can just throw them into the digestion pouch. Or have Kuongi eat the whole department store.’
Thinking that way, he felt a surge of courage.
Choi Kangjoong went inside.
Contrary to his expectations, the luxury hall staff greeted him politely.
“Welcome. What are you looking for today?”
“My little sister’s bag.”
“Is your sister a university student?”
“No, she’s a Hunter.”
“Oh my, that’s amazing. Then how about this one? It’s reasonably priced and has defensive magic enchanted on it, so it can even be used as a shield in an emergency.”
The staff recommended a bag in the 6 million won range.
Since he was already here, Choi Kangjoong wanted to buy her something even more expensive.
“Give me the most expensive one you have.”
“Then, how about this?”
The staff pointed to a 15 million won bag.
“It’s a classic piece that suits anyone, and of course, it’s also enchanted with defensive magic.”
It was a bag even Choi Kangjoong recognized.
He asked for that one and paid, then as the bag was being wrapped, Choi Yunseo messaged him.
[Choi Yunseo: Where are you?]
[Choi Kangjoong: At the Channel bag store.]
[Choi Yunseo: Channel?]
[Choi Kangjoong: Yeah.]
[Choi Yunseo: There isn’t any store called Channel here.]
[Choi Yunseo: Wait, don’t tell me, you mean Chanel?]
[Choi Yunseo: Ahkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
[Choi Yunseo: kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
[Choi Yunseo: Are you dumb?]
[Choi Kangjoong: á…©]
[Choi Yunseo: kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
Choi Kangjoong walked out carrying the shopping bag.
When Choi Yunseo saw him coming out, she burst out laughing.
“Puhahahahahaha!”
“What? Why? Anyone could get it wrong.”
“Channel, seriously? Channel? Oh, man.”
“I’ll return it, you know.”
“No, no. Channel could happen. Puhaha.”
Choi Yunseo thanked him and accepted the shopping bag.
“Unni, this is my brother.”
“Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Hello.”
Han Junghwa, dressed in casual clothes and wearing makeup, looked beautiful.
No wonder she was a famous Hunter, often mentioned alongside Choi Yunseo.
Of course, to Choi Kangjoong, Choi Yunseo standing next to her looked no different from a live chicken.
“I heard you’re a Hunter.”
“Yes, I awakened recently.”
“What class are you?”
“A bit of everything.”
“Someone else answered like that before.”
“Who?”
“Outer-nim. Have you met him?”
“Mm. No.”
“It’s better you don’t. He’s really scary. But…”
Han Junghwa looked Choi Kangjoong over carefully.
With her heightened intuition, she didn’t just see people with her eyes.
She judged others using every bit of information—atmosphere, physique, everything.
And yet, she kept overlapping the man before her with Outer Mind.
‘No way. Just a coincidence.’
Han Junghwa couldn’t believe Choi Kangjoong was Outer Mind.
If he were, his sister Choi Yunseo would know.
“Oppa, isn’t that mask uncomfortable? Take it off.”
“I was planning to anyway.”
Choi Kangjoong removed his mask.
Han Junghwa couldn’t stop exclaiming in admiration.
“Yunseo, why are you only introducing your brother to me now?”
“What about him?”
“He’s handsome!”
“Huh? He did change after losing weight, but it’s not that drastic. What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean? He could be an actor. His skin is so good too. I bet you hear that you’re handsome a lot?”
“This is the first time.”
Choi Kangjoong touched his face.
‘Did evolving the Chitin Gauntlet make my appearance better too?’
His guess was right.
He didn’t often meet people barefaced, so he hadn’t noticed or been told about his looks.
Choi Yunseo was still bewildered, but Choi Kangjoong was feeling good anyway.
‘So those stares earlier weren’t because there was something wrong with me.’
Choi Kangjoong gained more confidence.
“From now on, don’t wear a mask. Hiding a face like that should be a crime.”
“Unni, stop it. What’s so handsome about him?”
“He just is. You don’t notice because you’re siblings.”
Choi Kangjoong wandered around the department store with the two, buying clothes picked by Choi Yunseo.
Every time he tried on clothes, Han Junghwa praised him, saying he made anything look good because he had a great frame.
After dinner, Han Junghwa suggested they go for drinks, but Choi Kangjoong declined.
He felt like his energy would be drained completely if he stayed.
“Take care. I had fun.”
“All we did was shop.”
“Even so, it was a feast for the eyes. Let’s meet again.”
Choi Kangjoong escorted the two to the parking lot.
Han Junghwa, in the passenger seat, waved until he was out of sight.
Whether as Outer Mind or as Choi Kangjoong, she was a woman full of energy.
When he got home, he sorted out his new clothes.
The closet that was practically empty was now packed.
“Until Dielka finds Dark City, I should focus on getting Evolution Codes.”
Choi Kangjoong sat at his computer and searched for monsters.
“Which Evolution Code should I get? Should I hunt an Ogre and upgrade my base Combat Muscle? Or catch an Earthworm for tunneling abilities?”
Digging tunnels was useful for fighting monsters that lived underground like IANT, or when hiding.
“Why not get both?”
Choi Kangjoong searched for the location of the dimension where Ogres lived, then stood up.
Sirens blared in the 6th Dimension Fortress.
Guildmaster Kang Sungpyo looked up.
Four hundred and forty-one Dimension Ships were approaching.
“How the hell did they get all the way here?”
It was baffling.
After the chaos in the Ma Woo Sea, they’d expanded their reconnaissance range, yet the fleet had arrived unnoticed.
“Did they circle around through the Null Sea?”
The Null Sea was an area with only mana, devoid of dimensions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hell Cannons rained down on the dimension.
All the mana Ballistae, installed to keep Dimension Ships at bay, were destroyed in an instant.
Magic fired by Choi Yunseo soared up and exploded.
Several Dimension Ships were destroyed, but far more continued battering the 6th Dimension Fortress.
Cracks appeared in the shield protecting the 6th Dimension Fortress.
If it broke, everyone inside would be completely exposed to the barrage from the Dimension Ships.
Crash!
At last, the shield shattered.
Senjo Count’s fleet halted their bombardment and approached the dimensional boundary, deploying their troops.
They intended to attack from above and the sides at once.