Apostle

I swiveled my view around. The controls for free observation were optimized for the tablet. Swiping with a finger moved the viewpoint, and spreading two fingers zoomed in on a specific spot.

Earth—Branch 7, Republic of Korea, Seoul. Just as the name suggested, the people walking around weren't ordinary. A man in armor emerged from a convenience store, a woman with a two-handed sword strapped to her back crossed the crosswalk. Even a middle-aged guy clutching a staff straight out of a fantasy novel hailed a taxi.

Yeah, scenes I'd read countless times in web novels had become reality. Even though it was a world I'd never seen before, its structure was too similar to what I knew. Towers, Constellations, Apostles, Hunters... A world that borrowed the genre formula wholesale.

Electronic billboards were plastered on building exteriors. Narrowing my observation focus on one brought a female anchor's voice through the tablet.

The screen switched. A middle-aged foreigner was now speaking into a microphone on the billboard.

A brief silence followed before the man closed his eyes, as if mourning the nameless fallen, and added,

149 nations extinct. That was over three-quarters gone.

The statement droned on endlessly before cutting back to the anchor. She continued in a calm tone.

The anchor's voice cut off momentarily. Pedestrians froze, all looking up at the billboard.

A passing woman dropped her smartphone. Even as the screen shattered, she didn't pick it up.

"......"

I pulled away from the news. A street where people might die in three days. How does it feel to check your fate on the news? I didn't want to imagine it.

I shifted my observation focus. The news mentioned the 100th floor. High atop that distant massive Tower, someone was fighting right now.

I cautiously pushed my focus inside the Tower.

What came into view was pure devastation. Hunters hailed as this nation's strongest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lay scattered everywhere. Yeah, Hunters—also called Awakeners. Among them, S-rank Hunters were beings who could rival a nation single-handedly. Asymmetric powerhouses, in a word.

In the center of the 100th floor, a statue was moving. A Golem, towering over 10 meters, its body surface etched with glowing runes pulsing at intervals. Both arms were drenched in bright red liquid.

Blood from the Hunters, probably.

Suddenly, a shout rang out. A man collapsed on the floor was screaming. Propped against a shattered shield, his upper body barely supported, both legs twisted unnaturally. No one would stand again.

My gaze followed his—to a lone figure standing there.

Blood dripped from the sword in her right hand. Her clothes were torn in places, left eye swollen shut with blood. Yet she stared up at the Golem.

"... Still alive."

My murmur triggered the Constellation System.

My eyes widened. No Constellation contract? She'd climbed to the 100th floor on pure personal strength, without a single sponsor. In web novel terms, a protagonist-grade setup.

And she was holding out alone. If she fell, every national in three days would die.

She didn't respond to the fallen man's cry. No time for it. The Golem's massive right arm rose toward the ceiling.

Boom—!!!

Jin So-yul barely dodged, but her injuries betrayed her. One knee buckled, slamming her to the floor. Still, she braced her left hand on the ground, propping herself up with her sword to rise.

Suddenly, scenes from countless web novels flashed in my mind. Protagonists who never gave up. Characters who rose again no matter how broken. Thorny paths awaited, but that's what made them human anthems. Leading to hard-won happy endings.

Yeah, I'd always thought that was truly cool.

Not anymore. Beyond the screen, flesh tore, blood flowed, bones snapped—for real.

As if sensing my intent, a message appeared on one side.

My hand froze. What could I do for her? Last human in a ruined world. All I had was the power to grant a random #Tag.

A gacha no one knew the outcome of. What if a useless one popped? Something worthless right now?

The Golem raised both arms. Its fists poised to smash down—right where Jin So-yul struggled to rise.

Her remaining eye glared at the Golem, face defiant. Death inches away, yet unyielding. Legs unresponsive, fists raining down relentlessly.

She'd die like that. One more hit and it was over. I'd just watch someone die on my screen.

...I'd grown sick of just reading. In the bunker, devouring web novels, I'd wished to intervene. To touch that world myself.

Countless novels taught me what happened in scenes like this. Life-or-death crisis. A savior from nowhere.

I was the only one for that role now.

The Golem's arms were raised overhead. Seconds from the smash.

But Jin So-yul stared blankly upward.

"... Observer of the 0th Dimension?"

In nine years, countless Constellations had proposed contracts to her. Naturally—she'd reached S-rank on her own power.

But always refusing had caught up now.

All Constellations mocked her. Scoffing at the one proposing to her as pathetic.

'Observer of the 0th Dimension.'

But this one was different. In her direst moment, the only hand extended. A title she'd never heard, despite Constellations usually revealing themselves.

So Jin So-yul had no choice but to trust. If she died, Korea ended anyway. In this final instant, grasping the hand of the lone Constellation reaching out—why not?

She opened her mouth.

"Anything's fine...! As long as I can overcome this—!!!"

Jin So-yul felt an invisible thread. Indescribable, but she sensed a line connecting across dimensions.

Other Constellations mocked her struggle. She ignored them. No time now.

Time froze. A message floated before her eyes.

Keywords flashed by too fast even for her superhuman senses.

Instinct told her: this was her last chance.

Please, anything. Something to turn this around.

The keywords slowed. Then slower. Nearly stopping.

And stopped.

"... It came up."