Warning: Cringe Ahead

It was probably safe to assume that the final mastermind backing the evil god of Planet All-One and its sponsors here was one and the same.

Then Belzer dropped another mind-blowing hypothesis on us.

"What if… the evil god's next destination was Earth? In that case, wouldn't Earth come to know of the evil god's existence—and even gain power like this?"

"It holds ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up. But if that's the case, why would Earth be granted such power in the first place? Beings like us Transcendents... and gods, at that."

Rune was agreeing with Belzer's hypothesis.

But what she was really talking about was causality—karma.

In this world, probably.

In other words, the thing binding everything that exists is most likely causality itself.

After all, even Sun Wukong, who loves to rampage as wildly as he does, finds himself stymied by it.

"No. If world annihilation is the goal, then they've practically already achieved it."

"...That much is true, isn't it." ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ Belzer nodded along, endorsing the point.

Rune doesn't know much about Earth's affairs, and rather than being a strategist or a thinker, she's a commander specialized in simply sweeping away whatever enemy stands before her.

In other words, her role is to charge at the front and cut off the enemy commander's head.

Because of that, she understands the importance of information, but she doesn't care to know it in that much detail.

Besides, her current opponent is an orc.

Ever since Belzer, our intelligence officer, was summoned, her approach has simply been to remember whatever he tells her.

"Even South Korea, whose public safety was world-class, is struggling to maintain order now. And it's the same in every other country."

America, which had allowed legal gun ownership in the first place, ended up declaring a state of emergency over the sheer volume of crime erupting within its borders.

The anxiety of never knowing when you might be summoned was what drove people to crime.

And riding that wave, those with things to hide scrambled to conceal themselves—and began committing crimes of their own.

South Korea was no exception.

"There was an incident even before I was summoned here, after all."

A man taken to the Abyss had crossed the line between life and death.

In that state of affairs, a woman whose boyfriend had been summoned to the Abyss—and who believed he must be dead—cheated on him.

Unable to endure it, the Returnee murdered his girlfriend.

Then, fleeing from the police, he went on to kill a full five officers.

Incidents like this were happening all over the world.

Of course, South Korea currently has the lowest crime rate on the planet.

The reason, naturally, is my existence.

And because of that, other countries have their eyes on me, while our own citizens worry I might be taken from them.

All the way up to the current administration, which is basking in public support by proudly broadcasting the fact that they have me.

"President Choi Seok-hoon's mind is truly exceptional. People like him must be what real politicians look like."

For me, there is nothing but benefit.

The only downside is the sense of burden.

And even that isn't all that heavy.

"Belzer, Pitasha—I want you two on information gathering and refining these hypotheses. You're both sharp and brilliant."

"At your service."

"Yes, Sir!"

Whoosh.

"Rune. Let's go."

"...Yes."

Rune was making some strange expression.

But she didn't look like she intended to explain, so we simply headed outside.

The next stage we would be clearing was Stage 61.

KUOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The gate began to open, and orcs started pouring out.

"Rune. In your own estimation, where does your current level stand?"

"Hmm. I can't recall the last time I was this weak..."

"And if I used Overclock on you?"

"Then perhaps around the time I first began making a name for myself."

"I see..."

Whiiiiiiiiine

The wind from the opening gate scattered my hair.

Rune rarely speaks of her own history.

She'll answer if asked, but I don't particularly want to torment her like that.

Back when she faced Pakuta, the Transcendent—

since she and I are connected, I could feel her emotions.

It had been agonizing for her.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could even feel a vicious killing intent.

Which is exactly why I never asked.

And the emotion I feel from her right now is...

"I'm going."

FWOOOOOOM

Rune began dropping down beneath the wall.

Joy, is it?

Rustle.

The head of the orc directly in front of her went flying.

It was a Tier-5 orc charging at the vanguard.

Before its body had even collapsed, ten heads of the Tier-4 orcs following beside it took flight as well.

I watched the heads fly in silence for a moment.

"That Transcendent you told me to meet last time... what exactly is he?"

"Sure... maybe I'm more of a coward than I look. I'm the guy who spent all his time worrying, what if an apocalypse breaks out, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what then."

Omnissiah.

And the other enemies besides.

Countless foes have their sights set on me.

In a situation like that, I have no intention of being satisfied with this much power.

"I'll have to meet him, then. That Transcendent."

***

In the blink of an eye, we had broken through to Stage 70.

Three traits.

Three Enhancement Tickets.

And one Question Ticket, plus three mountains of coins.

"Hey. I have a question."

This was a question Belzer and the others had racked their brains over together.

And the thing I was most curious about was...

"When all of this is over—when I've dealt with that evil god or whatever it is, or purified this entire land—will the power I hold remain as it is?"

"...I see. Hey, remember this question well. I'll be asking something related to it next time."

So it remains, for now.

"It remains, weakened"—that presumably means the souls of Pitasha, Rune, and Belzer, or some fundamental essence of theirs, will be stripped away, leaving only the shell behind.

Even with all causality concluded, there's no way this could be left as-is.

To put it precisely: once this is over, the Transcendents and gods will leave Earth, so their authorities cannot remain here.

Which means I'll need to acquire the causality that the Transcendents and gods currently hoard—the very thing that has humanity dying and struggling without them.

"Whew... enough. Let's set that question aside. Next up—is it a new Transcendent?"

With that thought, I entered the [Sponsor] tab.

Omnissiah, still silent. And the others who had already left to find different Returnees.

In this place grown quiet, one being was still sending messages.

"...Yes."

"Is it possible to have multiple sponsors?"

"What's your reason?"

A Transcendent, as expected.

The mere fact that Sun Wukong had introduced him told me he was no ordinary Transcendent.

But the presence I felt from him was on a far grander scale than even Sun Wukong's laughter.

A knight.

A being who serves his liege and stakes his very life on it.

He had been a knight.

No—to put it precisely...

The Sword of Radiance.

HAAAAAAAH

Above the messages, his divine form began to rise.

A handsome man, yet bearing such ordinary, well-muscled physique that one might doubt he had truly slain a god.

And then, he smiled.

"I..."

The cringe.

These are the kinds of lines you only ever saw in shounen manga.

But everything I had ever dreamed of began in shounen manga.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

"I want... to protect my family, and my comrades who are here with me!"

...

..

.

"I accept."

"Twilight Light?"

Since my hand was resting on the crystal orb, the messages were surfacing in real time.

"So that makes three inherent traits now..."

What lay in front of me were the orcs I'd captured by tier for training purposes.

"I see."

"Because with you it's a contract. You're my sponsor, Theostras-nim."

Apparently, Sun Wukong had lost to Theostras at some point.