Everyone Else is a Returnee

After Yu IlHan defeated the lightning demon even while confused, the group started to discuss for real.

[I still can’t communicate. How is it possible that I can’t call Heaven despite being on Earth?] (Liera)

[That’s not unusual, Liera. You first calm down.] (Spiera)

[Yu IlHan, are you alright? Yu IlHan.] (Erta)

In the first place, they should have been suspicious when he had generated a gate connecting to ‘another world’. Didn’t he himself, as well as the angels, know very well that there was no world connected to him? They should have noticed the moment the gate was opened.

It was just that, from the moment they judged it as an another world with just the fact that the quantity of mana inside was absurd, the situation was too late.

[So this place, is on Earth, somewhere unknown.] (Liera)

[That is why he couldn’t escape this place, despite the fact he activated the ability on the title – we’re still on Earth.] (Erta)

[Although it’s unbelievable….. I have no choice but to believe. The Akashic Record is absolute.] (Spiera)

Yu IlHan looked around him with a different gaze than before.

He had already collected the lightning demon’s corpse into his inventory. What he was seeing right now, was the bloodied lands, the giant hole he had dug, and the skies that were even redder than the lands, and finally, the Baobab trees that formed a bridge between the land and the sky.

“This…”

His voice was very clear, but even he himself did not know what emotions were contained in it.

“… is Earth…….?”

[Yes. The sole world that is linked to you so deeply that it can’t be separated from you now.] (Erta)

[Just where on Earth is this place? Just counting the distance IlHan flew in this world, he should have lapped Earth 100 times over.] (Liera)

[Dungeon.] (Erta)

Erta gave an answer.

[It’s possible, if this is a dungeon on Earth.] (Erta)

[It is definitely not a dungeon created through a Trap of Destruction. That means that this is a dungeon made from someone’s own mana?] (Liera)

[Correct. Then that explains why we can’t communicate with Heaven.] (Erta)

[If so, then it looks like this guy is one hell of a dude……] (Spiera)

Yu IlHan looked around him again. Although he had experience adventuring and destroying a lot of dungeons, never did he imagine that this place was one of them as well.

“Such a huge space? Someone made a space a lot bigger than Earth into a dungeon?”

[In fact, it’s possible precisely because it’s not a real world. Dungeons change real-time according to the influence of mana! It is possible that you have already lapped this dungeon thrice, or even more. However, you just didn’t realize since it constantly changed.] (Erta)

[Unbelievable…….] (Liera)

[However, if this really is a dungeon……] (Spiera)

It looked like only Spiera understood Erta’s intention. Her eyes shined as she spoke.

[There should be a way out.] (Spiera)

“There’s an exit?”

[The exit… probably does not exist, since dungeons are generally created because one didn’t want to come in contact with others. Whether it was because one wanted to hide, or had to hide.] (Spiera)

“Then……”

Yu IlHan also found the answer at that point. His hand grabbing on the Eight-tailed dragon spear tightened.

“I have to beat up the guy that made this dungeon.”

[But you need to be careful. Someone that can create a dungeon of this size, and generate monsters that frightening must not be ordinary. Although, I do not want to believe that it is one of those absurd monsters that achieved higher existences on their own…..] (Liera)

[Let’s stop the digging for now. From the fact that the mana concentration is getting higher as we go down, the master should be underneath it.] (Erta)

[The only problem is the possibility that he may come to eradicate Yu IlHan first huh…….] (Spiera)

“Eeei, so complicated.”

Yu IlHan looked at the ground; as if to gaze at the monster underneath the ground, and one that he couldn’t even glimpse its presense of.

“You said it’s not a higher existence, right? Then I might have a go.”

[Although I want to believe that…… what if it is?] (Liera)

“I’ll probably be able to run away, probably.”

Yu IlHan declared that he could run away from a higher existence despite being a 3rd class. This was true, so the angels couldn’t retort.

If that happened, the biggest problem was to grow by killing monsters even while fleeing, but what was scarier? Yu IlHan may actually succeed in doing it.

“Fuu, I need to get it together.”

Yu IlHan tapped his cheeks strongly as if to shake away the despair, and tensed his body while gripping, and loosening his hands, alternatively.

There was no need to feel down at all. Although it did worry him that he could not meet his parents, Yumir, his other subordinates, as well as his friends like Kang MiRae and Na YuNa, he had everything else here, didn’t he?

Tools to make equipment, enough food for decades, a lake’s worth of water to wash his body, the Eternal Flame, and all other techniques he had at his disposal. Yu IlHan had been preparing for moments like these from the time he was left alone on Earth!

But somehow, that kind of thinking made him feel more tired.

“Damn, never did I imagine that I would be a dropout on a dungeon on Earth.”

[But it’s good that you can still be with me, right?] (Liera)

“……That’s true.”

Yu IlHan ended up laughing after seeing Liera poking out of his chest armor. She was right. He made a mistake since he got too used to saying he was alone.

He was neither alone in the millennium on Earth, nor was he now. Not to mention alone, he had three people to rely on, including Liera. Although physically, they were just burdens, they were his precious and beloved partners despite that.

Thinking like that, power surged in his body. He felt like he would be able to do anything now.

“Good, let’s do our best until the day we go back.”

[If it’s you, you will be able to succeed soon. If you acquire 4th class, when you can kill these demons right now, you wouldn’t have anything to be worried about either.] (Erta)

[4th class huh. It’s scary since if it’s Yu IlHan, he may be able to do it within 50 years.] (Spiera)

“What do you mean 50 years.”

Yu IlHan snorted and denied that statement.

“Let’s go with five.”

[5 years……?] (Liera)

[Yu IlHan, how long has it been since Earth was linked to the Akashic Record? About 2 years? And now you’re saying you’ll do what in 5 years?] (Erta)

Erta was about to continue, but then thought. That Yu IlHan had achieved 3rd class in just one year, when others would take 100 years if lucky.

Although they forgot this common knowledge since the development of Earth was too fast, Yu IlHan was the thumbs up in growing speed even amongst the people of Earth.

[What is Yu IlHan’s level again?] (Erta)

[180, After level 170, the amount of experience required to level up became absurd. It’s not like these absurd demons are everywhere either.] (Liera)

Liera was speaking as if Yu IlHan’s growth rate had dropped a little, but Yu IlHan’s current state, of level 180, when he was just 162 half a year ago, was definitely not normal. Including herself, these angels were forgetting about common sense since they were with him for so long!

[Oh Lord God, please help Yu IlHan stay as good as he is now…….] (Erta)

[Why are you praying for such an obvious thing? IlHan is the best in the world! No, perhaps the best in all worlds…..!] (Liera)

[And please also help this idiot to not commit any disrespect towards you…….] (Erta)

[Hooh.] (Liera)

Although a peaceful mood lingered around between the angels after they came to this world, well, dungeon, and now they finally broke it, starting the 6th mini war. Yu IlHan ignored the angels’ banter and went down the hole to get his equipment.

He would have to bid farewell to digging holes for a while now. The difficulty of digging was so high, so much that his mindless digging made his Excavation skill rise to 80, which made him think ‘I’ll be able to master it if I flip this place upside down, huh’, so it was quite unfortunate for him.

However, digging could be done any time. Right now, he needed to become stronger, for himself, for the others on Earth, and for the angels.

“Okay, let’s kick it up a notch.”

[You still had room to speed up……!?] (Erta)

“I’ll need to go back before Mir acquires his 4th class.”

[It’s hard to comment since Mir is just as monstrous…..] (Liera)

Yu IlHan unfolded Ruin Calling and flew into the air. He checked his own state including his mana reserve, and started soaring across the skies with a light shout.

There was still a lot of time before this dungeon collapsed.

***

While Yu IlHan was proceeding to be reborn as an even more absurd monster, Yumir worried about his dad, who signalled ‘I cannot return due to business’, and looked at the communicator with blank eyes.

“It’s worrying without dad.”

“Is he not able to come?”

“Yeah.”

Yumir powerlessly nodded at the question Kang MiRae asked, and made a worried expression.

“Will dad be alright? That place looked very dangerous…….”

“He’ll be fine anywhere. Let’s not worry about him.”

“You shouldn’t worry about him, but worry about the world he went to~.”

Kang MiRae and Yumir subconsciously nodded at Na YuNa’s statement. Well, who was he to worry about. They had their hands full themselves.

“So we need to solve this by ourselves huh.”

Their gaze turned away from the communicator to the gate in front of their eyes. The vortex that stormed as if to explode at any moment – it was a gate connecting to an Abandoned World.

“Although I was prepared, but it looks like connections to Abandoned Worlds are quite frequent these days.”

“But it’s nothing new now~.”

“But this is a special one, isn’t it? From the scouts, they saw at least five 4th classes. And of course, there should be a lot more in reality. It’s still fortunate that we weren’t noticed, but from the state of the gate now……”

Not all Abandoned Worlds were full of 4th class beings. It was just that the worlds Yu IlHan have been to, and the world Kang MiRae, Yumir and co. have been to, were the special cases.

The majority of the worlds connected to Earth had at most 4 or 5 4th class beings, and as such, they were mostly taken care of with the help of the people of Earth and the people of other worlds…… as they wished to acquire Yu IlHan’s support since this Abandoned World had stronger enemies.

Na YuNa looked behind her. The Front Line Alliance clans were all here, and behind them were some people from other worlds who they had private connections with. However, she still couldn’t hide her worry.

“Did we really gather every fighting force here? I can’t see the wolves~.”

“If you mean Flemir and Ericia, they’re helping out over at Dareu. It looks like they’re having a hard time as well……”

“Should we put up a notice? Although, it’s a little unsettling since we don’t have a lot of 4th class magic stones…..”

“They know of our connection to Vanguard, so they might request something in exchange for helping.”

Although it might end easily if they borrowed power from people of other worlds, by making an official notice on the mercenary guild, the problem was after that. They couldn’t make any harm go in Yu IlHan’s way, but to not do it, the battle was very worrying….. Just as when Kang MiRae was grabbing her head in thought.

“Let’s just go over ourselves and kill them all!”

Said Yumir in a bright voice.

“The people here will be able to block them if we just kill the 4th classes!”

“Although that sounds optimistic, is it really possible?”

Kang MiRae was doubtful, but Yumir was as bright as ever. He, unlike Yu IlHan, who never cared about what other people thought, had a deep sense of consideration for others, and magnanimity.

“It’s alright.”

He couldn’t help but worry about his dad, but he couldn’t let the worried people here be. Yumir’s communication ability was almost invincible against anyone except those stronger than him!

“It will be possible because my concealment levelled a lot since last time!”

“levelled a lot? By how much……?”

“97!”

Right before master.

“Blood can’t be fooled, alright~……”

“That makes me feel strange so don’t mention it.”

Definitely, Yumir looked very charming, taking after Yu IlHan, and was more adorable and a precious existence to her. However, he only looked like Yu IlHan but not his child! As if hypnotizing herself, she raised her staff.

“Okay, then, Mir. Let’s go. I’ll be able to do it if I’m with you.”

“Such a passionate shounen-manga line…….”

Na YuNa followed them even while finding the scene a little absurd. Kang HaJin, who was watching from the side, asked with widened eyes.

“Are you really going to go? To such a dangerous place? With just the 3 of you?”

“No, oppa. We’ll go with the 4 of us.”

“……Four?”

“Yes, oppa.”

Kang MiRae, smiled cutely, which was very unlike her usual self. The moment Kang HaJin tried to take a step back, she grabbed onto his wrist. Then, off to the gate they went. Kang HaJin struggled like fish that had just been caught from water, but he couldn’t win with Na YuNa helping Kang MiRae out as well.

“You would never send your cute little sisters alone to such a dangerous place, right!?”

“How are any of you cute!?”

“HaJino-oppa, you block for us with your body the moment it seems like we’re found out, got it~?”

“That’s just a meat shield!”

Like that, Kang MiRae entered the gate that looked like it was going to explode at any moment, without any hesitation.

While the spectators widened their eyes in surprise, the gate finally opened and monsters started pouring out, but until the very end of the battle, there was not even a single 4th class monster.

The battles with Abandoned Worlds after that, were taken care of in the same manner.

Author’s notes

Start of book 8, and right from the beginning, MC becomes a dropout, yet again.

The son grows watching the back of the father.

Translator’s notes

every 25 chapters is one book. (Prologue counts as one)