“The outer wall has been destroyed!”
“The number of infiltrating enemies is increasing rapidly!”
“All defense towers lost!”
“Hell Cannon batteries 1 through 32 are under fire!”
“Inner wall 3 has been destroyed!”
Count Herita couldn’t keep his head straight amidst the flood of reports.
He hadn’t heard a single piece of good news.
No matter how much he hoped, there was absolutely nothing.
In such a situation, there was only one thing to do.
Escape.
When a Demon of Ruin withdrew from battle, they would lose a significant amount of Demonic Energy, but it wasn’t worth more than his life.
Count Herita ran toward the Gate located in the center of the Doomwheel.
It was an emergency supply route and escape hatch connected to another dimension.
Other demons had the same idea, clogging the hallway to the point of a standstill.
“Out of the way! I said move!”
Count Herita swung his mace.
Demons weaker than him either pressed themselves against the walls or had their heads smashed open to clear a path.
As he advanced, the Gate soon came into view.
It was usually just a shimmering mass, but right now, it seemed to radiate a brilliant light.
“If I just get through that, I can live!”
Count Herita jumped and crossed through the Gate.
The surrounding scenery changed instantly.
Being a different space, even the air felt different.
“Why is it so dark? This is supposed to be a dimension without night.”
The dimension on the other side of the Gate was always in daylight because it faced a Mana sun.
With very little water, the entire dimension was a desert.
But now, it was dark and even humid.
Demons poured through the Gate.
They also felt the strangeness.
“This was supposed to be a desert.”
“It feels like a cave now.”
“No. It’s hot, humid, and the floor is soft. Rather than a cave, it’s probably the inside of a Monster.”
A Demon who knew how to use Magic conjured a flame.
One demon’s guess was accurate.
The floor, walls, and ceiling were all organic matter.
Furthermore, it was filled with creatures.
Six-legged monsters with Abyssal Claws on their upper limbs.
It was the Apocalyde.
Their emotionless black eyes glistened under the firelight.
“Wh-Where are we!”
Count Herita screamed.
They were actually inside the mouth of a Titan.
Choi Kangjoong had used a Stealth Scout to confirm the dimension connected to the Doomwheel’s Gate and then Summoned a Titan to swallow the Gate.
As for the dimension itself, he used Consumption to send it to the place where the Apocalyde Dimension converged.
In other words, these demons had walked into the monster’s mouth of their own accord.
“Aaaaaagh!”
The Apocalyde swarmed the demons.
“Fight! I said fight!”
Count Herita and the demons resisted, swinging weapons and firing Magic.
However, they were no match for the Apocalyde attacking from the front, back, left, right, and even from above.
One by one, they were pierced by Abyssal Claws or half-melted by Acid Fluid before falling into the Soil Pit.
The leadership of the Doomwheel was annihilated inside the Super Titan’s stomach, and the Demons of Ruin fell into even greater chaos.
With no head to command them, they scattered in all directions, busy trying to flee.
“It’ll be over soon.”
Since the Doomwheel had weakened and the Apocalyde had grown stronger, there was nothing for Choi Kangjoong to worry about.
He didn’t see any enemies that Lutal would need to stand up for.
He used the Mana Cannon to give the stronger demons a “massage” or crushed them with a Battle Titan.
An hour later, the battle ended.
The Doomwheel, which had been teeming with Demons of Ruin and Magic Beasts, was now a silent ruin.
[Dimensional Devouring begins.]
“With this, everything on this side is cleared out.”
If the direction of the Mana sun was considered North, the eastern side of the Enterprise Union was now clean.
The Elf Pirates, the Dark Elf Pirates, the Orcs of the Hydra Sea, the Gratis of the Ma Woo Sea, and even the Demons of Ruin of the Doomwheel.
The Akirif Duchy still existed, but it was far away and not an immediate threat.
Unless they connected a Gate near the Enterprise Union and built a fortress like the Doomwheel.
“Once the Apocalyde multiply more, I’ll be able to eat Duke Akirif and catch the Archduke too.”
The two Demon Archdukes suspected of giving the Gate Stone and the Demonic Energy of Consumption to the Dark Elf Pirate Queen Charigna.
The pursuit of clues regarding the Gate incident had reached the powerful demons of the Demon Realm.
“Surely the Demon King didn’t do it himself.”
It was a matter of finding out step by step.
Whether the culprit was an Archduke or the Demon King, revenge was possible as long as he had the Apocalyde.
“Today is a good day, so should I just hang out for a bit?”
Choi Kangjoong threw himself onto the Bed.
He rolled himself into the blankets, leaving only his head out, and picked up his phone.
He swiped at the screen a few times before letting out a sigh.
“There’s nothing to do.”
Normally, “hanging out” for Choi Kangjoong meant playing games or baiting people on Dimensionnet.
But everything had become boring now.
Dimension War was something he was doing in reality, and mobile games like Hunter Archive didn’t interest him anymore.
“Should I try playing Hunter Archive myself?”
Hunter Archive was a collection RPG that used real Hunters as characters.
Choi Yunseo and Han Junghwa were in it, as were famous foreign Hunters.
“I wonder if I’m in it.”
Choi Kangjoong turned on Hunter Archive.
After a long patch, the main screen appeared.
He checked the Hunter list, but the names Choi Kangjoong or Outer Mind were nowhere to be found.
“Right. They said I’d have to sign a licensing agreement with the company for that to happen.”
He had heard that from Choi Yunseo.
He vaguely remembered seeing a text message from the creators of Hunter Archive as well.
“I’ll do it later.”
Choi Kangjoong turned off his phone screen.
The thought of actually going into Hunter Archive in reality felt overwhelming.
Having to recruit Hunters, support them, and talk to them… he felt it was better to just stay in his corner of the room.
“Let’s go see my Parents. You should see your Family on a good day.”
Choi Kangjoong got up, dressed, and left the house.
Wanting to walk normally, he used the front door instead of Stealth Blink.
“Captain!”
Joo Eun-jong shouted.
Ever since Choi Kangjoong’s identity had been revealed, he had been waiting in front of the house for ages to meet him.
Since he couldn’t meet him looking like a mess, he had brought a camper van to handle showers and sleep.
After weeks of this forced march without going home, he had finally run into Choi Kangjoong.
“Who are you?”
Choi Kangjoong pretended not to know him at first.
“It’s me! Your reliable younger brother, Joo Eun-jong!”
“You’ve never been reliable.”
“Your trustworthy younger brother then!”
“I’ve never trusted you.”
“Agh. That’s not what’s important. Anyway, I really wanted to see you in person!”
Joo Eun-jong bowed deeply at the waist.
“I didn’t particularly want to see you.”
“Where are you headed? Are you going to work out?”
Joo Eun-jong desperately tried to change the subject.
“I’m going to buy a gift for my Parents and head to their place.”
“I’m an expert in that kind of thing. I’ll take you on a full VIP course at the department store!”
Joo Eun-jong pointed to his car.
Director Son Myung-gyu opened the back door.
‘Should I go with him?’
Choi Kangjoong became curious about what Joo Eun-jong would pick.
They say people who have spent money know how to spend it; he figured Joo Eun-jong would have better taste than someone like himself who stayed in a room all day.
‘If it seems bad, I’ll just escape with Stealth Blink.’
Choi Kangjoong got into the back seat.
Director Son Myung-gyu sat in the passenger seat, Joo Eun-jong sat next to Choi Kangjoong, and the car started.
“What do your Parents like?”
“They like anything I give them, so I don’t really know their preferences.”
“Then I’m definitely the expert. My father is the most particular person in South Korea. I spent so much time agonizing over what to buy him for gifts when I was young.”
Choi Kangjoong felt like he knew the personality of Joo Eun-jong’s father, Joo Gun-hak.
An authoritative father who didn’t reveal his inner thoughts.
Since he was also an S-rank Hunter, Joo Eun-jong must have lived under constant pressure.
Upon arriving at the department store, Choi Kangjoong followed Joo Eun-jong and took a VIP-only elevator for the first time in his life.
Arriving on the top floor, they entered a VIP room built with a fortune, where a department store curator was waiting.
Director Son Myung-gyu had contacted them in advance, so the interior was lined with relevant products.
“This here is a health supplement called Healing Stick. A famous trot singer is the advertising model, and it’s excellent for improving health as it contains ground Mana Stones.”
The curator explained the product.
Besides that, there were bags and clothes popular among middle-aged people.
Because of the curator’s calm voice, Choi Kangjoong felt like anything he bought would be fine.
“In my opinion, two sets of Healing Sticks and a coat would be good. The coat has temperature-control Magic applied, so it’s cool even in summer and great for avoiding UV rays. The fabric is reinforced with Mana Stones, so it’s very durable as well.”
Choi Kangjoong nodded.
A coat that was cool even in summer.
He hadn’t even thought of that.
“Do you like them?”
“They’re fine. But I don’t think I need the Healing Sticks. I can use Life Essence.”
“Captain, your Parents will feel their child’s heart while eating those.”
Choi Kangjoong found himself convinced.
“Since it was my recommendation, I’ll pay for it.”
“It’s a gift for my Parents, so I should be the one to pay.”
“No. You saved the Elemental Cruise Ship. If that had crashed into the 6th Dimension Fortress or the Dimensional Fortress, I wouldn’t be in my right mind right now.”
Joo Eun-jong spoke seriously.
Even if he could have survived through Magic, he would have been overwhelmed with guilt if many people had died.
Seeing his sincerity made Choi Kangjoong view Joo Eun-jong a bit differently.
He thought he was just a rich brat who liked attention, but his inner self wasn’t that far from ordinary.
“I’ll take it then.”
“I’ll do it again for you, so contact me anytime!”
Joo Eun-jong grinned.
Choi Kangjoong also received many gifts from the department store.
They said it was for the hero, but Joo Eun-jong explained it was for the purpose of attracting him as a VIP customer.
“The department store used by the Outer Mind. Imagine how huge the promotional effect of that one sentence would be.”
“Come to think of it, Choi Yunseo and Han Junghwa only go to one department store. Is it something similar?”
“You mean the one in Gangnam?”
“Right.”
“Probably. Besides, that place gives Dawn Guild members massive mileage. I heard a B-rank Hunter saved enough mileage in one year for the price of a car.”
“Doesn’t that mean they’re losing money?”
“They gain more by image-making it as the department store that Dawn Guild members frequent to attract other customers, so it’s probably a profit.”
Choi Kangjoong felt like his eyes had been opened wider after learning about a world he knew nothing about.
“We’ve arrived.”
The car soon reached the apartment complex where his parents lived.
“Have a great time with your family!”
Choi Kangjoong entered the apartment with a send-off from Joo Eun-jong.
He took the elevator up for the first time in a long while and pressed the Doorlock buttons.
Since he moved via Gates every day, doing it this way felt nostalgic.
When Choi Kangjoong opened the door and walked in, Yoo Haein and Choi Jooyoung welcomed him.
“You’re here, son? What’s all that?”
“Kangjoong, why did you buy all this stuff?”
Choi Kangjoong laid out the gifts and explained what they were.
Yoo Haein looked happy yet worried.
It was because of the price.
“How much did all this cost?”
“It wasn’t much.”
“It might not be much to you. Your mother will get indigestion eating things like this.”
“I think you’ll feel differently once you try it.”
Choi Kangjoong opened a Healing Stick box, tore open a packet, and handed it over.
Yoo Haein was skeptical, but when Choi Jooyoung told her to eat it quickly, she swallowed it in one gulp.
“I really feel like I’m getting energy?”
“It contains Mana tuned to a frequency similar to recovery Magic.”
Since it contained ground Mana Stones, the effect was small, but it was enough for an ordinary person.
“Let me try one too.”
Choi Jooyoung quickly tore one open and drank it.
Recovery Magic occurred inside, healing wounds in his stomach.
“I’ve been feeling bad lately because of drinking frequently, but it’s completely gone. This is really good.”
Choi Jooyoung was impressed.
When Choi Kangjoong explained the coat’s functions, Yoo Haein let out a series of exclamations.
“Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! This is what the rich wives in the dramas wear!”
Yoo Haein stood in front of the mirror wearing the coat.
She really liked the moderate temperature and the soft internal texture of the coat.
“Even your father couldn’t dream of buying this because it’s so expensive. How much money are you making? More than a tycoon?”
“If I had set my mind to selling Mana Stones, I could have established several corporate empires.”
If Choi Kangjoong, who had been devouring sea regions, had supplied all the Mana Stones to Earth, the price of Mana Stones would have plummeted.
However, since he didn’t feel the need for that much money, he only maintained a reasonable balance in his bank account.
“As expected of our son. You’re hungry, right? Let’s eat. Your mother made braised short ribs since you were coming. Yunseo will be here soon, too.”
“Is Yunseo coming?”
Choi Yunseo, who worked at the 6th Dimension Fortress, found it difficult to make time unless she was on vacation.
“She said things have eased up thanks to you smashing everything near the Doomwheel, so she can take an overnight pass anytime.”
“I should have taken my time destroying the Doomwheel.”
“The scale of your jokes is too big for me to keep up.”
Soon, Choi Yunseo walked in.
Seeing the gifts scattered in the living room, she let out a yelp.
“Brother, where’s mine?”
“I didn’t even know you were coming.”
“You should have bought one anyway!”
“Am I your wallet?”
“Weren’t you?”
The two bickered as they sat at the dining table.
They quickly finished the main dish of braised short ribs, then went to the living room to eat chicken and watch a movie.
The movie was about a Hunter protagonist stopping an Orc invasion, but Choi Yunseo was silenced by Yoo Haein after pointing out the flaws in the action every five minutes.