The Defeated Candidate and Whispers of Omnipotence
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Rookie: Baek Jaesung 50
(Grgh! What the hell is this power…! H-Hey! Wait a sec!)
The distance between me and Kalon shrank to damn near zero. Seeing that bald, shiny head of his up close made my mood plummet.
"Got any last words?"
(Hey! Let's make a deal! With your power, you might be able to beat the other candidates! So, how about a deal!?)
"Other candidates?"
(Yeah! There are several candidates like me in other worlds. In the near future, the one who builds the strongest castle in the center will gain omnipotent power! Join forces with me and seize omnipotence! You could do it!)
Power? Omnipotence? What the fuck was this nonsense all of a sudden?
Wait—other worlds? No way this guy was…
"Hey. You wouldn't happen to be a Unix Cube user too, would you?"
(Unix Cube? What's that?)
Bluffing? Or the truth? No face to read, so hard to tell.
"The strongest castle? You mean dungeons are those castles?"
(Seems that's what you call them in your world.)
"What!? So every dungeon has one of you… 'candidates' inside?"
(Most castles form naturally. Candidates like me are rare. With you, we could definitely claim omnipotent power! Join me!)
"You faceless piece of shit, spouting bullshit!"
I slammed a shard of light into his gut. The geometric-patterned robe he wore tore open like paper. Fatal wound, no doubt.
(Kgh…! Foolish native…! Turning down a chance at omnipotence… A mistake you'll never recover from…!)
"Like I'd believe a bastard like you?"
As his body crumbled and collapsed, the tension finally drained from me.
This had been my first fight that intense. Right on cue as it ended, the effect of Ruyi Bead: Re (再) wore off. The brilliant five-colored light enveloping my body flickered out like a candle snuffed by the wind.
With it went the overwhelming sense of omnipotence and freedom that had filled me. The destructive authority dwelling in my flesh vanished without a trace.
Temporarily evolved skill has reverted to normal.
A bittersweet notification popped up before my eyes. Humans hate losing things—even stuff that was never theirs to begin with. That immense power vanishing without a trace? Fucking regrettable.
Think positive. That power would return anytime I used the Ruyi Bead again. Sure, it'd need a long recharge, but still.
'Shit, that just makes me miss it more.'
Anyway, the fight ended in my victory. Kalon turned to dust like the pitch-black space he'd created. All that remained were his robe and cloak. I pocketed them carefully.
'This cloak blocked my attacks. The robe's no ordinary gear either. It's torn, but…'
Items from a named boss like that? No way they were trash. Sucks his helmet shattered. I scooped up the fragments from the floor.
Hard to guess the original shape from the wreckage, but maybe it'd fetch a price. You never know an item's value till it's appraised. Pathetic, scavenging like this.
"Oppa!"
Jisu came running first. A winged eyeball bat perched on her shoulder.
Might sound weird, but it looked happy. Its single eyelid fluttering wildly, wings flapping—like a cheering crowd. Or a slave freed by its master. My imagination?
"How'd you do that!? I thought you were a goner, oppa!"
"As if. I'm Baek Jaesung. No scrub monster's killing me."
"I know! I believed in you! Best oppa ever! Mwah!"
Jisu snuck a kiss on my cheek. I accepted it happily. No quest failure alert, so safe. More praise than sexy anyway.
Everyone else crowded in. Surprisingly, Jang Hana next. She glanced at me shyly, then bowed deeply.
"Thank you for saving me!"
Her bashful tone made her sincerity hit harder. The kind of shyness that made me want to unwrap and devour her right there. I scratched my head.
"What're you talking about between 'us'? Just did what needed doing."
We'd already shared a bed. No reason to hold back. I eyed her, licking my lips. Her trembling eyes were adorable. Hamster before a snake—faint fear and all. Yet she didn't look away. Her vibe toward me had shifted.
'Probably 'cause she owes me her life now.'
Truth was, she'd owed me before. Without us, her party would've died in that zombie room.
But this time, the debt was blatant. Scheming how to cash it in already lifted my mood. Her boyfriend Kim Sunuk surviving? Even better for me.
'NTL's a delicacy.'
I'd fuck Jang Hana even after leaving the dungeon. Boyfriend or not, none of my business.
Kim Sunuk was prime spice for it. Not like the spineless losers I'd crushed before.
He'd crumbled in fear, faced danger from his weakness.
But he had the will to rise. Annoying during exploration, but he pulled his weight in the end.
'Reminds me of Count Coolong's sons from way back.'
Model humans, killed for my gain. Kim Sunuk was the opposite.
"Look! Green crystal over there!"
Rina pointed to a corner. A faintly glowing crystal embedded in the wall. I strode over.
"This the dungeon core?"
If Kalon was the boss, high chance. Smash it, and our long ordeal ends.
"Light's dim. Weakened?"
Sujin peered at it. Yeah, glow barely brighter than glow-in-the-dark. Not sure if always like that or my rampage did it.
Doesn't matter—this could be it. If so, all our bullshit suffering? Blame this pebble.
I chopped it with my hand without hesitation. The green crystal shattered easily.
Woooong!
As it broke, a weird sensation rippled through me. Vaguely like shifting worldlines—or a chick's eye booger.
Familiar to me, alien to others. Rina and Sujin screamed in unison—they synced well.
"Kyaaak!"
"Weird feeling! What's happening!?"
Our vision warped sharply. Used to it, I crossed my arms, watching the smeared world reform. Then flashbulbs assaulted us.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
"Scoop! They're back alive!"
"Baek Jaesung-ssi! Future Daily's Heo Geum-woo! Party leader, how do you feel?"
"Taepyeong Daily's Oh Han-seong! What was that final power?"
"News Factory here! Current thoughts?"
"From Ballak Clan. No affiliation, right? Join us and…"
Reporters and gawkers swarmed us out of nowhere.
"Fancier welcome than I expected. First interview ever."
Full clear of a city-center dungeon? Hot stuff, but this was overkill.
Quest completed. Reward: Language Capsule awarded.
● No More Groping!
↳No sexual acts, including intercourse, until exiting 'Level House'.
※Failure to clear compulsory quest incurs penalty.
● Language Capsule (B-grade)
↳Capsule that grants desired language acquisition.
※Cannot acquire already known languages.
*-*-*
We cleared Level House completely, but trouble hit unexpectedly. Our dungeon run broadcast live worldwide? Shocking.
Luckily, no footage of me forcing Jang Hana. That eyeball bat was the camera, cozy with us.
'Fuck. Without the compulsory quest, my dungeon fuckfest would've gone global.'
My life would've ended. Sigh of relief, mixed with rage at networks airing others' privacy. Then incentives—tens of billions—cooled me off. Money therapy works.
Kalon's cloak and robe? Association bought them outright for appraisal. 10 billion cash, taxes paid.
Hunter Association mobbed me with questions. Even Master Kim Minyoung there.
"Um… Why'd you kill that monster with a sword? With the KHC I taught you… you could've finished it."
Fame wasn't bad. One gripe: Han Seungjin's party gained more from this.
Reporters said YouTube crashed as I beat Kalon—no live views. They focused articles on Han's group. Different hotness levels, I guess.
My party? Members got more spotlight than me. Looks-based society sucks.
Back from dungeon, kids summoned home. Sujin, Yeonji, Rina to parents. Jueun and orphan Jisu guarded me.
Once sorted, new worries. Kalon's dying words echoed.
—There are several candidates like me in other worlds. In the near future, the one who builds the strongest castle in the center will gain omnipotent power! Join forces with me and seize omnipotence! You could do it!
—Unix Cube? What's that?
Per Kalon, 'candidates' own dungeons; strongest soon gets omnipotence. Truth or lie? Dying man wouldn't fabricate calmly.
Other worlds linked to Unix Cube? He denied. So unrelated?
Sudden thought: Like 'settings' in worlds I've explored, is this world's 'setting' candidates and omnipotence?
If so, like countless worlds via Cube, is this a creation?
Too far-fetched?
Head spinning. Need a break.
'Clear my mind first.'