“Honey, you’ve heard the explanation, right?”

I tried to sit up and remove the adornments, but gave up. They were snakes after all—I didn’t want to get bitten. It wouldn’t hurt to keep the King of Devouring placated.

“I’ve heard it loud and clear.”

A sarcastic tone slipped out despite myself. The Mermaid Queen looked down at me. Nearly human-sized, yet still much larger than I. Her torso was wrapped in loose cloth, but her biceps alone looked like she was built for combat. If she could spar evenly with the King of Devouring, she must be a combat specialist too.

“I wish we could all just hold hands and ask you to leave our world. Why on earth should I—and we—take part in such a bet?”

I had resolved to accept the proposal, but shrugging and nodding seemed utterly unreasonable.

“You heard that as well. Did you perhaps forget when that reptile was explaining?”

“Unless its intelligence is at fish level, how could I?”

The King of Devouring bared his fangs and spoke lowly. A fish... huh, even the local fish must be dumb.

“Perhaps it went into hibernation mid-explanation, being a creature that can’t regulate its own temperature.”

The gazes of both Transcendents clashed coldly. Both cold-blooded, and both likely as dense as fish heads. It was like beasts spitting at each other in bed.

“One is a fish and the other a reptile—yet all I hear is nonsense. Neither of you even has vocal cords, right?”

I’d tried to remain calm, but it was too much.

“Mammals sure yap a lot.”

The serpent spoke without a care, as if amused. Yes, such a trivial pet would simply boast of its talents if insulted. If a scrawny chick chirped “You rotten son of a—” and a human truly flew into a rage, it would be pitiful.

“We have no reason to wager parts of our world.”

I faced the Mermaid Queen directly and stated flatly.

“We’ve protected it perfectly and will continue to do so.”

“Didn’t we offer you a separate reward, Honey?”

“Is this world mine to give away?”

I’d have preferred if she’d said “I’ll bet my life,” at least that would feel straightforward. Countless innocents might lose their home without knowing why. I didn’t know how they’d remove fragments, but the impact would be real.

“If losing fragments causes no harm, then I suppose I’d be fine.”

“Fragments are assigned randomly by country.”

The Mermaid Queen spoke in a dispassionately calm voice.

“The assigned countries will lose the system’s protection. They’ll be overrun until your world meets its end.”

“...Until its end?”

“Whether by natural causes or by the Source, every world reaches a finale. Since it’s hard to carve out pieces forcibly, the agreement is to withdraw protection.”

So they wouldn’t take them immediately, but withdrawing protection still meant we’d lose them eventually.

“How dare you—!”

“Honey. The people of your world have received our help.”

The Mermaid Queen continued gently.

“If not for the system’s aid—”

Her hands, scales glinting here and there, spread wide. A pallid light, cast in rectangles, suddenly swelled—

“Ugh!”

It washed over me. I blinked reflexively. Collapsed buildings filled my vision.

[This is how your world must ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) have been.]

The Mermaid Queen’s voice echoed distantly. I scanned my surroundings in panic. Ruins, but a familiar street. English signs among the wreckage, glimpses of a park. Manhattan, New York. Sunlight spun across the sky, beating the earth dry. No sign of life.

Boom—!

The ground shook. Debris rattled, trembling as if hopping. I used stealth and retreated.

Rumble!!

Half-collapsed towers were swept away. A colossal, fur-coated foot crashed, trampling everything. A body so tall its head was out of sight. Its tail swung; wreckage and cars soared like in a typhoon, then rained down. I braced my arms over my head for impact—

Clang!

A metallic crack as debris shattered. A chain, long over my head, recoiled to its owner.

“...You got caught up too?”

Seong Hyunjae looked up silently at the passing giant monster.

Kirruk!

Keeik!

Around the moving mountain of a beast, smaller monsters swarmed. Even the small ones were two or three times human size. The scene wasn’t unfamiliar, yet in a quiet daytime city without resistance, the beasts strode oddly peacefully—eerily alien.

No frantic helicopter whirring, no sirens, no Hunters preparing to fight. A world without time to halt monsters ravaging the city.

[Without a dungeon as a waiting room, they must have poured straight out.]

The scene blinked to darkness: a river. That—

“The Han River.”

Seong Hyunjae stepped forward. The roads and riverside that should have glowed with lights were pitch black. Bridges once glittering at night lay in ruins.

Thud—

I jerked around. A wolf-like monster batted a car like a toy, crushing its tire with its teeth. One vaulted onto an overturned truck and glared at us.

– Grrr.

No doubt it saw me using stealth on Hyunjae and dared not strike the human. Tires screeched as they shredded. A low growl slithered into the night air, then—

Whip! The wolves’ heads snapped in unison. Sensing something, they bounded off the road. I hesitated, then trailed them. Beyond the road lay an apartment complex. Faint lights glowed.

People. A mixed group of Hunters spilled from the convenience store at the complex entrance.

– Kyaaang!

A monster lunged at them. A man, presumably a Hunter, raised an iron rod to block it—but the rod snapped instantly. A normal iron bar? Were they unarmed?

[They wouldn’t have had finished gear like now. They must have crafted weapons directly from monster corpses.]

“What?”

I lunged forward, but Hyunjae caught my arm.

“It wasn’t real. Just a mass of mana.”

Rumble—! All around, crumbling apartment blocks collapsed in unison. The vision vanished. We were back where we started; Hyunjae released my arm. My mouth was parched.

No dungeons, no reward items. A top-tier Hunter could slay starting monsters barehanded, but most lesser Awakened would never survive this. And the monsters only grow stronger. How long could any army or nation hold out?

“Without system aid, in three years your world’s population would drop below one hundred million.”

One hundred million. They’d have killed at least that many. Even if multiple top-tier Hunters awakened to defend, they’d have to fight in cities, not dungeons. Cities would be ruins in an instant. It’d be impossible to slay every monster pouring out; people couldn’t even sleep safely.

“Those who survived might adapt and outlast the Source. They might flourish again. But most of your people survive only under the system’s protection.”

“......”

“Thus, we need no consent to wager a few fragments.”

“I wonder if the system’s creators feel the same.”

I ground my teeth. Yes, the system saved many lives, I admit. But still—

“You offered no choice.”

“Would giving one now change anything?”

“It’d all say ‘continue protection,’ of course.”

Better to choose that than doom together. Knowing they’d win, they’d pick that—thus making me even more disgusted.

‘System architects, see this mess you’ve wrought.’

After all, they didn’t create it themselves. Early designers wanted it to remain just an aid; current admins wield it however they please. I can do nothing but watch.

No wonder revolutions arise against the powerful. I almost wanted a torch in my hand.

“Don’t you have any complaints? You treat people like worthless things.”

I grumbled to Hyunjae. He glanced at me.

“Must I answer?”

“...Hearing it would only make me angrier.”

He’d treated me the same—Seong Hyunjae, who could ascend beyond Transcendent whenever he chose, who likely would have long ago.

“The Filial Addicts and lending neutrals demand five fragments. With each side’s victory taking one, if you lose, you might give up to three.”

“What a great deal.”

“Random selection means you might lose only a tiny nation.”

“Or the U.S. or Russia.”

Which nation was largest? Russia, I think.

“If you ultimately win, you will reclaim the lost nations.”

“Long live independence.”

Sneering had no effect—he didn’t even lift an eyebrow.

“Main team members are the Awakened you choose.”

“I didn’t realize it was first-come; they’re already taken.”

“Your physical abilities are weaker than the Chain’s, so we’ll account for that. But team choice isn’t negotiable.”

“Can we change team members?”

“The main team is fixed; you can add extras. I can grant that with admin privileges.”

A contract appeared in front of us, detailing terms: if more than half of Team Han Yujin wins, all involved Transcendents may not harm her world and must defend it.

“How many Transcendents are involved?”

“Awake Parricides, some Filial Addicts, and some neutrals.”

“And the people of my world?”

“We can’t protect each life individually. But we will intervene if damage threatens to be catastrophic.”

No personal protection—meaning they wouldn’t stop the New Moon from kidnapping Hyunjae. They’d only defend the world itself.

I signed the contract like a dog on a leash. Refusal was impossible.

“You may announce this to your world, though we advise against it.”

“There’d be chaos. And more interference.”

Transcendents had already meddled enough; we barely patched things with the Thread and King of Mercy’s power.

“Sub-team members will be those you’ve already assembled.”

“...What?”

“They’re the Awakened you trust.”

A screen displayed Hunters at an Alpine ski lodge. Some were eating, some chatting. On an empty table lay Peace, sprawled, looking a little put out to be left alone.

“Twenty-three. You could add a few more.”

Over twenty more? What do they plan? Most were S-rank with some A—easy to explain. They knew about regression and glimpsed Transcendents and the system.

“Chain side is decided too.”

Another screen: a building guarded by top-tier Hunters. That—

‘The seer’s gathering place.’

No wonder they all flocked there. I glanced at Hyunjae. So one of his five must be Chohwaun. Good luck to him—no luck escaping from Hyunjae.

“The sub-team will be led by the remaining main team member.”

“...Wait, what?!”

What a thunderbolt! He’s sub-team captain? Chohwaun?!

“Replace! I demand a replacement!”

“Not possible right now, Honey.”

“But—!”

Still, even compared to Chohwaun... no, actually... uh...

‘I’m doomed!’

Chohwaun was at least a guild leader barely holding a country. Impulsive but oddly popular, with many foreign exchanges.

“Chohwaun is already with the sub-team, so please message the remaining main member and summon them.”

“...Chohwaun?”

“There was a suitable beast.”

“He has an owner. Return him if he runs off.”

“You should’ve secured the collar better.”

Good luck, Chohwaun. With trembling fingers, I messaged him. He accepted immediately. Was that really okay? I used the system to transport him to the Alps. Light flashed on the screen.

[I have arrived!]

Chohwaun appeared in his uniform, cape fluttering. Well... yes. Hyunjae peered at my screen.

“You’ve developed unusual tastes.”

Don’t look. Go away.