Chapter 351: I drove out the Rulers

The planet’s source depended on the history and the civilization of the people living on it.

It was an unverified fact, but I was told that a planet whose source has been completely extracted would take a path towards decline.

I find it sufficient to compare the source to innate talent in martial arts. For the source to be present on a planet, it was more or less like a genius who was born with greater power than others..

When I asked Kirikiri about it, she said it was okay to think like that. When I checked the amount of source extracted from the dungeon we had visited today, I had already started thinking about this.

Too much of the source was already taken. Hochi said the total amount of source removed from the 89th-floor planet added up to about 100 billion points.

However, from the dungeons on Earth that we had checked, four times that number had already been taken.

“It was already a sick planet. But it has seriously deteriorated over the past few years.”

The monsters’ invasion destroyed the environment. Wild beasts, which were targeted by dungeons, went extinct, and the surrounding area was left contaminated by the destruction of power plants. The situation was even more grave because not only did nature suffer, but humans suffered significant damage as well.

The monsters caused severe economic damage, and the problem regarding the reduction of the population was still unresolved.

The aftereffects cut off international travel, leading to the supply of fuel and food decreasing. Of course, humans cannot tolerate the lack of something. As usual, the population took this as a threat to their survival, and started campaigns to get their hands on resources.

They cut down trees from all over the country to make up for the lack of fuel, and all plants and animals were hunted down, regardless of their species, to solve food shortages.

The situation significantly improved after the Awakened’s numbers increased, which slowed the monsters’ offense. But humans were still unable to recover from all the damage from the cataclysm.

“How much longer can they hold out?”

“From my personal estimation, about 500 years?” Kirikiri mused.

Five hundred years was too short even if it may seem like a long time for humans. It meant that there would only be a few generations left until the end of the Earth.

The destruction of the earth was a reasonably familiar problem for humans. Before introducing the Tutorial, many scholars assumed that the planet would fall in about 500 years.

How many novels and movies were there in the Apocalypse World View set on Earth 100 or 200 years later?

It could be destroyed in about 500 years. The prospect would come and go from people’s minds.

There were worsening environmental and resource problems, the growing threat of nuclear war, and unexpected monsters.

If they couldn’t help it, they may give up. Anyway, 500 years from now was not their problem. But I was different.

“Ah, I still have to think about the destruction of the earth.”

I didn’t like doing these kinds of things. But I was the only one who could think about this problem right now.

“What are your recommendations?”

“The Great Leaf. It could provide a place for humans to stay. Of course, you’ll need to pay the price.”

It was an option for now.

Let’s just keep in mind that there is a means of last-minute evacuation.

* * *

After the story of Earth, the topic shifted back to the Tutorial. After a long explanation, Kirikiri rose from her chair.

I thought she was going back, but Kirikiri just stood up and stared at me.

“You want something else from me?”

“Yes!” Kirikiri answered, stamping her feet.

Only then did I understand. “You want a cake?”

“Yes!”

I left Yong-yong in bed and went down to the living room on the first floor with Kirikiri. Only Hochi was in the living room.

“Where is Kim Min-hyuk?”

“He’s gone.”

That’s how Hochi greeted Kirikiri. Kirikiri rushed towards the snack bar of the living room’s table, uninterested in anything else.

Seregia had finished many snacks, but there was still something left, perhaps thanks to Kim Min-hyuk’s continuous food supply.

I sat on the sofa and tried to turn on the TV by using the remote control. But the TV didn’t turn on.

“Kim Min-hyuk pulled out the cord earlier, should I put it back in?”

“No, thanks.”

There was nothing to see even if we plugged in the cord that had been pulled out.

Now I’ll just have to worry about the Tutorial again. Today was almost over, and Yong-yong was asleep. I wanted to move again from tomorrow onwards.

“Hm, it womp bwe eashy.” said Kirikiri, munching on a chocolate pie.

“What?”

“It’s going to be hard to care about the Tutorial. You have to care about Earth, too.”

There was nothing to care about.

Now, it was my territory.

I drove out the Rulers and their men.

“The earth is no longer under the protection of the Hundred Gods Temple. That means you have to replace their role by yourself. It’s not going to be easy.”

* * *

At the Korean Awakened Association.

Park Min hit his face on the desk in his office. He couldn’t find an answer.

When Lee Ho-jae returned to Seoul, he had never thought that things would go this way. However, Lee Ho-jae’s move was shocking.

He destroyed Seoul Station, showed his powers, and disappeared with Kim Min-hyuk.

Of course, people knew he was staying at a mansion near Seoul, but it was not made known to the press.

He immediately killed Pyongyang’s G-class that night.

It was such a vain ending compared to Park Min’s grand plan to keep the G-class in Pyongyang and increase profits.

Before he could get out of the shock, Ho-jae began to deal with the other G-classes one by one.

Before lunch, information came in that they had killed the Antarctic’s G-class.

Thomas Feltchuk.

There was a G-class located in Antarctica, and he was someone who served under the G-class. He was also the first to introduce the G-class, which had moved to Pyongyang. He thought that the strength Thomas had wouldn’t be inferior to Lee Jun-seok.

Instead, he thought that Thomas would give him a good blow. The death of Antarctica’s G-class meant that he was dead.

It was hard to believe.

Kim Min-hyuk informed us that he had dealt with another G class in Russia while wondering if this was a true story.

There was a rumor that all G-classes had been killed before evening.

In countries near the G-class area, there were loads of rumors swirling around, saying that the G-class location was ruined and that monsters wandering around the neighborhood had been killed instantly.

The photos in Park Min’s hands were proving that such information was not just a rumor.

It was a picture sent by the American Association. Several photos showed Antarctica’s condition.

It looked like there had been a powerful explosion from the miserable sight of the ice lands. Next was a picture of it slowly returning to its original state.

These pictures were real, not fabricated.

“He’s like a real god.”

The plan must be revised completely. Somehow, he had to stick to Lee Ho-jae now. He will make a new order.

It was not impossible for Ho-jae to actively cooperate with the president of the Association.

But…

“He said that? Kim Min-hyuk, head of the guild?”

“Yes.”

What happened this morning was a problem.

Lee Ho-jae moved Lee Sung-eun and the others to their homes.

When Park Min heard that, he thought Lee Ho-jae must have known Lee Sung-eun’s home address.

Kim Min-hyuk was next to Lee Ho-jae.

It was possible.

However, Oh Sang-jin, who returned late, said, “Guild leader Kim Min-hyuk seemed to have no idea about that.”

That was the problem.

If Lee Ho-jae can read the other person’s thoughts or find out information, it’s no use running away later.

He could find out that Park Min had used Pyongyang’s G class and even tell what he had planned while contacting the other G-class.

Reading other people’s thoughts was a god’s power, but he had blown up Antarctica. There was nothing more strange than seeing the pictures of it being restored.

Most of all, reading other people’s thoughts was something he had experienced several times while meeting with the Tutorial Manager.

If Lee Ho-jae’s ability was similar to that, there really seemed to be no way to survive.

He had to make an appointment to visit Lee Ho-jae right away.

What was he supposed to say when he got there?

Even if he prepared a well-organized lie, how could he deceive someone who could read his mind?

How else could he persuade a man crazy enough to burn Seoul Station?

‘Do you need help?’

An unfamiliar voice rang in Park Min’s head, who was tearing his hair out.

The voice was so hushed, he didn’t even notice it at first.

‘Do you need help?’

“…What in the world?”

“Yes?”

“Nothing, go out.”

Park Min hurriedly sent team leader Oh Sang-jin out of the office.

Only

He asked back to the being questioning him in a quivering voice, “…Who are you?”

The voice answered slowly, ‘Your hope.’

Note from Imagine:

How foreboding…