Chapter 19: Chapter 19

[Translator - Night][Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 19: Broken World (1)

“Before I explain, even though everyone signed a confidentiality agreement, do you really think no one leaked this information?”

The hunters remained silent.

To be honest, if wealthy elites, desperate for information, offered money, someone likely would have leaked it.

After all, much of the information in the hands of conglomerates was acquired this way.

“There are many rumors about D-rank dungeons and the Lord of Abyss. Especially the one about the Lord of Abyss destroying mechanical civilizations. But that’s only because of the confidentiality magic tied to the agreements. If someone breaks the agreement, their memories are distorted, and they end up spreading completely different information. Many D-rank hunters who failed to keep the secret have had their memories altered in this way.”

I was surprised by this unexpected revelation.

So, the “information” Kang Shia shared with me, supposedly from the conglomerates, was actually distorted.

“A D-rank hunter who enters this space will regain their true memories. However, once they leave, their memories will be distorted again. Don’t create unnecessary trouble. Even after hearing this, someone will inevitably break the rule, but…”

The Lord of Abyss who destroys mechanical civilizations.

The rumors about D-rank dungeons.

All of it was false information, meant to be forgotten.

Then she began her explanation.

“The place D-rank hunters are sent is called the Broken World. The Broken World refers to worlds destroyed after being consumed by the Domain of Chaos. Chaos is a force that aims to return the universe to nothingness. Their primary goal is to annihilate the worlds of all existing intelligent life. Earth is included in that.”

As she reached toward the ceiling, a blue planet appeared, zooming in.

It was unmistakably Earth.

A red line stretched toward it, connecting to five black planets.

“This planet you see is Earth. In the 1981 solar system, it’s the only place where intelligent life exists. Do you see the planets connected to Earth by those red lines?”

When the D-rank hunters nodded, she continued.

“These planets were once home to life forms from the Order or Neutral Domains. However, due to the rise of Chaos, the planets were destroyed, and their habitats obliterated. From these Broken Worlds come the monsters that invade our domains.”

Her explanation could be summarized as follows:

The five planets acted as a protective wall for Earth.

If those walls hadn’t been breached, the current dungeon and monster crises wouldn’t have occurred.

But since they were breached, monsters have been invading endlessly.

“The dungeons you’ve encountered so far have all been low-level. That’s because we’ve cleared the higher-level dungeons for you. But that ends now. As Apostles of Order, we can only act as helpers and protect this world for two years. More than half of that time has already passed.”

“Can’t you stay beyond two years?”

“Our allowed time is two years. If we remain longer, Chaos will bring an even greater catastrophe.”

The more the Guardians of Order intervened, the more opportunities the invaders of Chaos had to interfere.

That was the balance of the world.

Caught in the middle, the creatures of Earth bore the brunt of it.

Hence, the elves and dwarves were set to withdraw after two years.

They explained that if Order and Chaos clashed directly, the resulting aftermath alone could destroy Earth.

“Once we withdraw, the monster crises on Earth will only reach a maximum of B or C rank. With the advanced technological civilization here, it should be possible to fend off Chaos’s invasion. However, there is one condition: at least one of the Broken Worlds must be restored.”

She pointed her finger toward the five planets.

“Each planet is ruled by a Lord of Chaos who destroyed their world. By next year, at least one of them must be defeated.”

“What happens if we fail?”

“If you fail… all five Lords of Chaos will invade Earth, and monsters from the five worlds will flood through dimensional gates. No matter how advanced Earth’s military might be, it won’t be able to stop an invasion from five worlds. But if even one Lord is defeated, their descent conditions won’t be met, and only monsters will invade.”

Wait.

So does that mean Earth will be destroyed in a year?

That’s why they’re enforcing secrecy, isn’t it?

If the fact that the world might end in a year got out, it would cause mass chaos.

So that’s why they’re using confidentiality magic…

“Can we, as mere D-ranks, really defeat a Lord of Chaos? Someone who destroyed an entire world?”

“I’m not saying you must defeat them immediately. The Broken Worlds aren’t completely destroyed yet. Thanks to Zeus’s intervention, time was frozen and reversed to a point before their destruction.”

The Broken Worlds weren’t entirely finished.

Zeus intervened at the brink of collapse, rewinding and freezing time.

It was like pausing a movie before the ending to replay an earlier part.

“You’ll each be sent to one of the five planets with battlefields suited for D-rank hunters. While there are countless variables, as D-rank awakeners, you should adapt well. By gradually growing stronger, you’ll eventually be able to challenge the Lords of Chaos. Due to interference from the Proxies of Order, they can’t exert their full power.”

“But can’t we just clear the D-rank dungeons on Earth that your helpers have been clearing?”

“You could. But now, death in a dungeon means actual death. In the Broken Worlds, even if you die, you can return alive. The experience points and rewards you gain there can’t even be compared to those from dungeons. That’s why we strongly recommend this option.”

The hunter who asked the question quickly agreed upon hearing the mention of actual death.

Everyone looked tense, realizing that the days of returning from dungeon deaths were over.

“In the Broken Worlds, you’ll become temporary Apostles of the Gods and receive three chances to revive. While the divine blessings may vary depending on the world’s difficulty, the revival chances are the same for everyone.”

So, it wasn’t unlimited.

Three chances…

“For D-rank awakeners, there are five planetary battlefields suitable for entry. We’ve classified their difficulty levels internally. From left to right, they are: Eshtar, Kalvine, Dubron, Al’ Aasma, and Kevrian.”

I recalled the strategy guide I read yesterday.

It specifically recommended Kevrian.

In the guide he claimed to have perfectly conquered this place.

They insisted—absolutely insisted—on choosing it.

“The order I mentioned corresponds to difficulty. Eshtar is the easiest, while Kevrian is the hardest. Honestly, I recommend all awakeners to choose Eshtar’s battlefield. Kevrian… while its rewards are immense, it’s not a battlefield suited for newly ascended D-rankers.”

But… why does it feel like I’m heading for the hardest one?

I mean, I can trust it, right?

So far, the strategy guide has been mostly accurate.

And now, he claimed he’d share his real expertise, starting with this stage.

I can trust it, right?

Jiho, right?

You’re me, aren’t you?

Yeah.

And higher difficulty means better rewards.

In dungeons, no one clears easy mode because the rewards are low.

Gamers always aim to clear the hardest levels. Isn’t that right?

“The final boss of Kevrian’s D-rank battlefield is Death Knight King Ampellion. He’s the worst kind of enemy, capable of manipulating his rank to toy with his opponents. His ‘Final Frenzy’ skill has claimed an uncountable number of awakeners’ lives. I tell all awakeners this: any battlefield is fine, but do not choose Kevrian. Avoid any battlefield with Ampellion.”

“Then why did you choose this battlefield?”

The elf, Alena, looked at the planet Kevrian with a gloomy expression.

"Because, on Kevrian, this battlefield is the easiest option... Ampellion, the Death Knight King, is the weakest of the Four Horsemen of Destruction under the Chaos Lord's command. It’s better not to choose this place."

Ah!

Why does she keep scaring us like this?

She’s making me second-guess myself.

"I hope everyone heeds my advice. You are now ranked D. There’s absolutely no need to dive into a difficult challenge from the start. That wouldn’t help Earth’s fate in any way. After all, saving just one planet is enough. While Kevrian is my home, you must not choose it."

Ah... so it's Kevrian, huh?

Why is this elf so adamant about not picking Kevrian?

Wouldn’t clearing Kevrian save her home planet?

Yet, she’s outright forbidding it.

Hmm...

No. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

I’ll trust myself.

And trust the strategy guide.

"I strongly recommend avoiding Kevrian. As long as Death Knight King Ampellion is there, this is no place to challenge."

The female elf Alena once again sternly warned us and told us to pick a planet.

Everyone pointed to Eshtar.

For D-rank hunters, especially at the very bottom of D-rank, choosing the easiest difficulty was the most sensible thing to do.

And honestly, I wanted to join them.

If it weren’t for the strategy guide, everyone pooling together to save this world by choosing Eshtar would make the most sense...

But!

I’m going to Kevrian.

With a perfectly detailed strategy guide, I’ll claim the rewards.

"Mr. Kim Jiho. You’re choosing Kevrian?"

"Yes."

"We all know how extraordinary a Soul Mediator is. But Kevrian? Why not try another planet instead of Eshtar? Perhaps Kalvine or Dubron? You could still get amazing rewards and opportunities to grow stronger."

"I’m choosing Kevrian."

Sigh...

Elf Alena let out a deep sigh.

"Kevrian is... a battlefield already lost. Turning it around is next to impossible. Do you still want to go?"

"Yes."

"Once you choose a planet, you cannot leave it until you either clear the broken world or die three times. While dying three times won’t kill your physical body back on Earth, the damage will be immense. Your level will decrease with each death, and the experience required to level up again will increase tenfold. Even so, do you still want to choose Kevrian?"

"Yes. I will choose it."

Man, the strategy guide got me a Special Class.

It also gave me two status windows.

If I clear this impossible difficulty, unimaginable rewards must await!

"Is he insane?"

"But a Special Class? What’s that about?"

"What’s with the chick on his head? Is he crazy? But it’s so cute."

"Come to think of it, I’ve heard some weird rumors lately..."

The D-rank hunters whispered as they looked at me.

"Kevrian...?"

"Who would’ve thought someone would choose that place."

"He must have some kind of plan if the gods are watching him, right?"

"It’s our home planet, but it’s impossible. Why even make Kevrian selectable? They could’ve just opened Eshtar."

"Are we the ones who open the paths? The gods do it. They must have their reasons..."

The elves and dwarves murmured, unable to hide their unease.

Elf Alena kept trying to stop me.

She was unbelievably persistent.

For ten minutes, she kept trying to persuade me.

"Please reconsider."

"I’m going."

"Hunter Kim Jiho, this isn’t a joke."

"I know."

"Please, think about it again."

"I’m going, I said."

When I kept insisting, she even yelled at me.

"Ugh! Seriously! You’ll die. You’ll die if you go! You’ll have to fight orcs there. Orcs don’t just kill their prisoners; they break their limbs, roll them around, torment them endlessly before finally killing them. Even though the Soul Mediator can resurrect you, the psychological trauma will be overwhelming. It’ll scar you for life. Please don’t go. The gods favor and watch over you; you shouldn’t choose this place."

Orcs?

Fighting orcs is a given, isn’t it?

We’re battling in the realm of chaos.

"I’m still going."

"Oh... you shouldn’t. Please..."

"Just send me already. Everyone’s waiting. I’ve made up my mind."

"Haah... Fine. Everyone, I did my best to stop him, didn’t I?"

Elf Alena looked at the other elves and dwarves.

They all nodded in agreement.

She clenched her teeth and glared at me.

"Alright. I’ll send you to Kevrian... Ugh..."

As I walked toward the pathway to Kevrian under her guidance, I overheard the dwarves behind me.

"How long do you think he’ll last?"

"The time ratio is ten to one. He has to survive there for ten days before returning. He’ll probably be back tomorrow, won’t he?"

"You think he can survive ten days on Kevrian?"

"Oh. Right. One day, maybe. I’ll bet a 100 million on 2.4 hours."

"I’ll bet a 100 million he’s back in an hour."

"Even with a Special Class, I’ll go for five hours and a 100 million."

These little brats...

For some reason, it fired me up.

I’ll conquer this place completely.

The strategy guide said it’s entirely mapped out.

It explicitly said to go to Kevrian.

I’ll find out the details when I get there, but I’ll go and dominate.

Later, you’ll call me the savior who restored your home planet.

Be ready to worship me, you shorties.

With that, I left confidently.

[You have died.]

[Your level has decreased by 1.]

[Your level has decreased by 1.]

[Status points have been deducted. Mana has decreased by 1.]

[Status points have been deducted. Your Mana grade has dropped to C-.]

[You are resurrected and returned to your original world.]

And immediately came back.

"Wow. He died already?"

"That’s a new record..."

"How do you die that quickly? He must’ve died as soon as he got there."

"Kevrian really is insane."

"All our bets are off. What a remarkable awakened one."

...What the hell?!

Damn it!

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]