Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: Free Exit to the 98th Earth
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Countless civilizations had been shattered by the cosmic catastrophe known as the Apocalypse Project, reducing the population of the 34th Earth to a mere 500 million.
A talent pool where street food vendors unleashed sword auras and convenience store clerks cast high-level spells.
Technological prowess rivaling the three major civilizations.
And above all, the existence of top-grade gods more radiant than any natural resource.
‘Accepting immigrants was inevitable.’
The 34th Earth had institutionally welcomed immigrants with open arms. Unlike the stringent conditions today, back then, anyone without major flaws could enter.
But immigration isn't easy anywhere.
Cosmic civilization immigration was on an entirely different level of difficulty compared to lower civilizations that could immigrate by plane, ship, car, or even on foot.
You needed at least interstellar or dimensional travel capabilities just to attempt it.
And even if such people existed, who would come to the 34th Earth? Unlike its current fame across the universe, back then, it was just a remote planet.
In the end, the 34th Earth went out and recruited immigrants directly.
It started when elders just beginning their space mercenary careers rescued people from collapsing or endangered civilizations—those who now make up over 90% of the 34th Earth's population.
And the 98th Earth was one such ‘rescued’ civilization.
[The next stop is the 98th Earth. Passengers disembarking here, please use the door on the right.]
[Once again: We will arrive at the 98th Earth in 58 minutes and 51 seconds.]
“Phew.”
I patted Cheda's belly to end auto-hunt mode and organized my inventory. The moment I leave the Astral Realm, my Revenge connection cuts off, so I need to transfer essential items to Ardenia.
“Log in.”
I switch to Ardenia and pull out the items.
“Random Teleport Scrolls, 100... Hide Scrolls, 30, Protect Scrolls, 30, Safety Scrolls, 30... Legendary Songpyeon...”
I line them up in the workshop connected to my office. Beyond that, countless potions and elixirs, high-calorie foods, and dozens of top-tier healers on standby.
And above all.
The item sets are ready.
“Let’s see... This is the full stealth set. This is physical defense. This is magic defense. This is comprehensive... This is elemental...”
I've prepared thoroughly for a solo mission. Since this is a rescue op, I have to be extra careful.
It's not just about me surviving—I have to keep the rescue target alive too.
“Log out.”
Back to the galactic railroad.
[Once again: We will arrive at the 98th Earth in 40 minutes and 51 seconds.]
At the announcement, a little horned kid nearby asks the woman with similar horns.
“Mom, is there a station on the 98th Earth? I don’t think I’ve heard of one.”
“Yes, there isn’t such a station. Probably some passengers opting for free exit.”
At the gentle woman’s words, the kid tilts his head.
“...Free exit?”
“Yes, free exit. It means disembarking freely, just as it sounds.”
“What does that mean? Getting off a galactic railroad traveling at millions of times the speed of light without station facilities?”
“That’s right, dear.”
“...Does that even make sense?”
The woman laughs at the boy’s incredulous look.
“Hehe, it does. If you have the free exit device developed by the Candler Clan.”
I stand up, having overheard the conversation between the two who look like Dragon God Clan members—commonly known as Eastern Dragons.
As I head to the exit, Quick Sunset approaches quickly and asks.
“No way... You’re really getting off without the free exit device?”
“Yes.”
I lightly stretch. Quick Sunset groans.
“But... why? Of course, you’re a Transcendent with the ability, but is there any need to skip the free exit device?”
I answer calmly.
“157 weeks.”
“Pardon?”
“No, about 156 weeks.”
“What do you...”
[Warp beginning. 3. 2. 1...]
Leaving the flustered Quick Sunset behind, I envelop my body in protective aura. A power that warps and ignores most physical laws of the universe!
But the moment the world flips upside down.
Boom!
“Urk...!”
Even with protective aura covering my entire body, reinforcing down to the cellular level—not to mention having perfected the Extreme Resilience Body that could survive a black hole—the impact is monstrous. Being ejected from the Astral Realm without a receiving magic circle means that much.
But instead of groaning in pain, I grit my teeth and whisper.
“Log in.”
I instantly enter Ardenia.
“Great Heal!”
“Great Heal!”
“Great Heal!”
A shower of healing pours down as if they’d been waiting.
After achieving the Extreme Resilience Body, healing spells have drastically reduced effects, but dozens of top healers pouring them out helps somewhat.
And it doesn’t end there.
[You are Platinum Rank!]
The Throne of the Honorary God heals my wounded body. Feeling my condition improve, I eat the meal laid out before me.
Pumpkin boiled whole with ginseng and all sorts of herbs, wild boar hind leg marinated in honey and slow-roasted for hours, white stew simmered with jujubes and ginseng, seolleongtang packed with beef, porridge made with various seafood, and more.
“Phew...”
After about 30 minutes of treatment and eating, my body returns to full strength.
One might wonder what foolish thing this is, but it’s unavoidable.
‘The free exit device is too damn expensive.’
It’s a one-use item costing a whopping 1.57 billion won.
Enough to buy 156 shares of Nemesis stock, 150,000 class cards, a full set of +9 legendary gear, or over five years and seven months of weekly packages!
If I can tank it with my body... of course I will.
“Log out.”
Back to reality. Not the usual 34th Earth, but outer space.
Pitch-black void that would kill any normal human tossed in, but no problem for me.
“Come.”
I say aloud. No air in space, so the sound goes nowhere, but it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that I said it.
“Replie.”
Whoosh.
In the pitch-black darkness, a death dragon wrapped in even darker shadows reveals itself.
Mythic-grade pet, Phantom Dragon Replie.
‘Stuck suffering this long because I couldn’t catch this guy, huh.’
Naturally, it’s not as strong as a special boss.
Just as normal monsters differ from elites, and elites from bosses, even among Phantom Dragons, the gap between [pet] and [special boss] is heaven and earth.
‘Well, still.’
I land on the Phantom Dragon’s back. Replie spreads its massive wings.
‘Usable.’
Kuaaa!
Flight begins. Speed beyond imagination, faster than most spaceships. Partly due to Replie’s superior flight ability, partly the environment.
As the king of the departed, but its attribute isn’t death—it’s darkness.
The strongest attribute in so-called space combat.
‘...There it is.’
Standing on Replie’s back, I gaze at the rapidly enlarging planet.
A place I was neither born in nor ever set foot on, yet it followed me my whole life.
The 98th Earth, one of the Earths duplicated into 100 by the Magic God, Flame Dragon Cain, 500 years ago, with variables added for divergence.
‘Who’d have thought I’d come here...’
Just as the 34th Earth faced apocalypse via the Apocalypse Project, the 98th Earth faced its own doom—and unlike the 34th, it failed and perished.
Cosmic monster, Grotesque.
The archenemy of the [Union], also called a space plague—a spiritual parasite. Its leader is a black asteroid named King, a monster among monsters dozens of times the sun’s size.
‘A horrific beast on par with top gods.’
Grotesques have a hierarchy: [King-Queen-Lord-Slayer-Infecter], with power sharply divided by rank.
[Infecter]—commonly called the infected—are those swept by the King’s X-Belt, a stream of superheavy particles called Black Wind, lacking the mental direction or resistant DNA, transforming them.
Classed 1-4 by exposures, starting zombie-like weak, eventually reaching level 9 power.
On typical planets, this is all you face—most perish to Infecters alone.
[Slayer], aka battle demons, are Infecters at stage 4 who evolve under harsh conditions.
Combat weapons rivaling mid-to-high demons, levels 10-19 based on lifespan. What people mean by upper Grotesques.
[Lord], or Great Overlord, are the ruling class—Transcendent monsters.
Direct offspring of the Queen, rivaling holy dragons or low gods, levels 20-25.
‘In simple terms, zombie apocalypse.’
So clichéd it appears in every movie, game, novel. Was trendy once.
‘Lately overshadowed by monster outbreaks, barely touched...’
Lost in thought, Replie flies through space, approaching the 98th Earth. Having aimed from the galactic railroad exit, it’s easy.
The 98th Earth grows close enough to visually confirm surface conditions.
“Huh...?”
When told to go to the 98th Earth, I imagined: billions of infected drifting ruined cities, interspersed with hundreds of thousands of Slayers.
All commanded by a Transcendent. Even a Great Overlord.
Human civilization fully overtaken by Grotesques; I’d wade through endless corpse waves to rescue the researcher in the danger zone.
That’s what I thought...
“What the hell is this?”
I look at the 98th Earth.
[Krooooar----!]
A massive crawling building rears its head with a monstrous roar. The ground undulates like waves, grinding all leaping Infecters beneath.
A silhouette all too familiar to me.
Perfect Body (Myth).
Landworm.
Rumble---!
Water floods in. A tsunami engulfs everything.
From the blackened seawater, a giant rises.
[Kii! Keda! Uraata!]
Pummeling the air with fists shreds Infecters. Even Slayers surpassing completers can’t flaunt their power before the giant’s unprecedented might.
[Level 22]
Chaos of the Deep Sea. ShimGon
And that’s not all.
Phantom dragons soar the skies, an unidentified sea dragon from some game swims the oceans, thunderclouds flash with Thunderbirds darting about.
“No...”
I’m too stunned to even laugh.
“No way, why are the Grotesques getting wrecked?”