“Huff, huff, huff...”

    Lemerno was running through a dark alley, her body was drenched from head to toe with sweat.

    “...What is this?”

    She had to abandon her exhausted horse and was stumbling forward when she realized that the sound of the trailing dress that had been relentlessly following her had vanished. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

    “What the hell is going on...”

    As her fully exhausted mind started to clear, shame slowly began to wash over her.

    “...I was tricked.”

    Once her head cooled down, it became clear that she had been played all along.

    “It’s space magic, isn’t it...?”

    Only a being with the magical prowess of a Demon King or someone close to it could pull off such a flawless trick.

    “I never thought Dmir Khan would betray me... ugh...”

    It was now evident that she had been manipulated by Dmir Khan’s magic.

    “Did he join hands with Serena...?”

    It was a trick she could have easily seen through if she had been a bit more composed, but her naturally fearful nature had hindered her.

    Could Serena have anticipated this? But her fearful nature was a complex known only to herself.

    “If I return now... will they spare me...”

    She sat on the ground, lost in thought, then realized the futility of it all. Shakily, she got to her feet.

    For some reason, the space magic had been undone for a few minutes now.

    She felt she could escape this hellish place now.

    - Thud, thud, thud, thud...!!!

    “...Hmm?”

    As she hurriedly walked, hoping to return to the Demon King’s Army, something caught her eye.

    “”...!!!””

    Her face, previously blank with confusion, suddenly froze.

    “U-ugh...”

    Pale figures were sprinting towards her with all their might.

    “Aaaahhhhhh!!!”

    She realized they were terrifying men with fierce, bulging eyes, wearing nothing but their underwear. Lemerno screamed and started running forward.

    “Please, save meeeeee!!!”

    Her desperate screams echoed through the alley once again.

     Isn’t that a demon over there?

     Leave it, it’s not important right now.

     We need to find the secret shop quickly.

     Lol, time to spend money.

    Meanwhile, the users, ignoring Lemerno, continued sprinting with all their might.

    Their destination was only one place.

     Found it.

     Wow, it’s still here, lol.

     These guys... remembered, huh?

    It was the secret shop run by the ‘shopkeeper’, a staple in the Dark Tale Fantasy series.

    Some members of the Panty Squad had come to the shop to procure raid supplies, which was hidden as an Easter egg in Dark Tale Fantasy 2.

    “Hohoho...”

     Rosinante, the old guy, lol.

     Present in every season, lol.

     What is his true identity, though?

    The Panty Squad burst into the secret shop, and there was the shopkeeper, chuckling and drinking.

     Wow, it’s usually random when you can enter here.

     This also works, lol.

     Once you got in, you were set until you died, lol.

    The users, feeling nostalgic, started browsing the items like kids returning to their old-school supply store.

     But with this many people, shouldn’t we rob the shop? It was always a dream of mine.

    One user scratched his head and suggested, causing everyone to freak out and frantically stop him.

     A dream, my ass.

     Do you want to have a horrible time?

     Never startle this guy!!

     Even ‘that guy’ failed to conquer Ruby and the shopkeeper, you crazy.

     Touch him, and we’re dead.

     It’s a long-standing tradition not to touch the shopkeeper.

     How can you beat someone who uses instant death cheats, lol.

    The one unspoken rule among even the most fearless users was ‘Do not touch the shopkeeper’.

    “Hohoho...”

     Look at his eyes change, damn, lol.

     Is the AI upgraded?

     You can’t avoid that...

     Let’s get out~ Let’s get out~ Let’s get out~

    When the shopkeeper sent a cold glare towards the one who suggested breaking the rule, the other users, reliving their childhood trauma, stepped back.

    - Tap, tap...

    Then, the shopkeeper tapped a sign on the counter with his finger.

    [100% Sale (Today Only)]

    The users stared blankly at the sign for a moment.

    Soon, the long-buried dream of robbing the shop began to resurface in their hearts.

    - Rush...

    Shortly after, with their crazed eyes, the users began sweeping up scrolls and potions from the store.

    “That dimension... remains the same...”

    The shopkeeper, the disguised Stellar, watched the scene with familiarity, then took out a new bottle of liquor and looked up at the sky through the window.

    “However...”

    Her expression suddenly darkened.

    “...It’s becoming faint even to me.”

    Stellar muttered with a bitter smile.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    “What... the hell?”

    A while later, in the middle of the academy siege.

    “What... is this?”

    Aishi, who had inadvertently become the target of the raid instead of the event boss, or rather, the ‘Eye’ residing inside her, was muttering in a bewildered voice, looking down.

     Heave

     Ho

     Heave

     Ho

    The terrifying demons, no, beings even more dreadful than demons, were now gleefully tearing apart their own corpses.

    I can’t... I can’t understand this at all...

    The Eye, completely overwhelmed by the sight, watched in disbelief.

    What was happening now defied all the knowledge it held.

    How can living beings not fear death?

    For mortal beings, who eventually return to nothingness, the ‘fear of death’ is absolute.

    Any being with life would naturally fear and avoid death due to instincts embedded in their genes.

    That’s a universal truth, no matter which dimension.

    How...?

    But here were beings defying that truth head-on.

     Farming~

     At this rate, we’ll defeat it within the time limit.

     Yeah, its HP is dropping faster than expected.

    “I don’t know what’s going on... but since they seem to be on our side, we should help...”

    “...Damn, that’s quite a strong attack.”

    “Wait, I’ll bring the dragons...”

    The Frey’s party, forcibly dragging their severely injured bodies, started to defend the users from behind.

     They’re barely managing to tank it...

     The newly created respawn queue is the problem.

     We can’t use the same method as before... What now?

    They began to reorganize the users who were only being pushed back, using their overwhelming power, equipment, and control skills to attract the aggro. However, the Panty Squad had already suffered catastrophic damage.

    “...So you’re not invincible either, huh.... Heh, heh.”

    Realizing this, Aishi started to smile bitterly.

    “If your numbers have decreased this much...”

    Suddenly, she started bleeding from her mouth and raised both hands high into the sky.

    “Then there’s no way you can withstand this!!!”

    In the next moment.

    - Rumble... Rumble...

    “”...!!!””

    A massive block of ice, created with all the power she had saved, began to form above the academy, casting a shadow upon the land below.

    “Since I decided to use the main body’s power... I’ll use it generously.”

     This is seriously overkill.

     Sis, am I really gonna die...?

     Was she saving power all along for this AoE?

     Guys, we’re screwed... We can’t block that...

     Run away.

    The users, overwhelmed by the sight, and the students hiding within the newly created barrier by Arianne, watched in horror.

    “I’m sick of this world!!!”

     Seriously, another AoE now?

     Ignoring dodge moves is just too much...

     It’s not the damage; the knockback is broken...

     If we lose the event, does the server shut down?

    As Aishi sneered and blocked the rankers trying to approach with her tentacles, screams erupted from all around.

    “Just die already!!!”

    - Rumble...

    The overwhelming despair began to descend, crushing the brief hope that was kindled within the people.

    “Eek...!”

    “””...!?”””

    Just when everyone had almost given up, a gritting voice echoed from behind the users.

     Who’s that...?

     Isn’t that the kid added right before the server shutdown?

     Glare?

     Now that you mention it, it really is her.

     Is this a cutscene?

    Glare, who had been blocking the tentacles from behind the users with all her might, burst out from among Frey’s party, glaring at the ice block and raising her right hand.

    “I-I can... shatter it...”

    - Crackle!!

    “...Ugh!”

    “Glare!!”

    Trying her best to snap her right hand, Glare spat blood and collapsed.

    “Ugh... m-my head hurts...”

    “...So it was you.”

    Watching Glare struggle, the Eye’s focus shifted, a scornful expression forming as it whispered.

    “A singularity disguised as coincidence. System destroyer. Wielder of deletion power.”

    “Aaah...”

    “...The embodiment of the management system.”

    “Stop it!!!”

    As Glare trembled and shrank under Aishi’s gaze, Frey, having cut through the tentacles blocking his path with all his might, ran towards her.

    “But to think you would take on such a frail human form. The sheer complacency is enough to make me sick.”

    “Glare, snap out of it!”

    “Just a mere part of the management system. Daring to defy the great me from beyond...”

    As Glare trembled in Frey’s arms, Aishi looked down at her disdainfully, then shifted her gaze to the crumbling academy.

    “My next destination... will be the dimension of the blue star.”

    Then, with a relaxed expression, she muttered.

    - Crack...!!!!

    “...What?”

    Until a very familiar sound of shattering filled the air.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    - Crackle!!!

    “...!?!?”

    Just seconds ago, Aishi’s face, filled with confidence, now displayed utter shock.

    - Rumble... Rumble...

    Right before her, the massive ice block, her pride, was being shattered and reduced to dust.

    - Swoosh...

    As the once massive ice block, as large as a mountain, was swept away with a single slash, everyone’s attention, including users, the empire’s citizens, and the Demon King’s army, turned to the sky.

    - Step, step...

    While everyone’s gaze was fixed on the sky, footsteps were heard from behind the users.

    “...Huh?”

    “...”

    The owner of those footsteps, who had briefly stopped where Glare had been held by Frey, now looked at Glare with a puzzled expression.

    Interact Pat

    - Swoosh, swoosh...

    As he quietly pressed the interaction key to pat Glare’s head, both Frey and Glare, bewildered, started to look confused.

    - Step, step, step...

    As he walked past Frey and Glare, users who had been looking up at the ice dust began to turn their attention to him.

    - Rush...

    Seeing the player suddenly appear behind them, the users, who had been staring blankly, noticed the nickname above his head and immediately parted to the sides without needing any signal.

    “...”

    The few remaining newcomers.

    Popular streamers known by almost anyone on the street.

    The veteran Panty Squad, reeking with the stench of their experience.

    And even the rankers who played atop the heads of these veterans.

    Every single one of them parted like the Red Sea to give way.

    “...You.”

    Seeing him step in front of the users, Aishi gritted her teeth and quickly raised her hands.

    - Swoosh...

    Raising his sword silently, the player began to type in the chat.

    [IfYouDon’tLikeItGoToTheDeveloper: Let’s start the raid]

    Rank 1.

    The first clearer

    The legend who suddenly disappeared.

    [IfYouDon’tLikeItGoToTheDeveloper: If you don’t understand, just memorize it.]

    The return of the First Hero, Kim Han-byeol.