Chapter 298
Chapter 298
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 298
Chapter Title: S5. Stellarria's Cataclysm ~The Dawning Light, Once More~ -1
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"Reaching this point was the victory condition."
"...Victory condition?"
Ssshh.
A hologram emerged from the empty expanse of the white void. It depicted the Great Monster, constantly shifting through different forms. Among them were phases Gordius hadn't even witnessed.
"It possesses infinite forms based on information. It adapts by changing its appearance according to the era and environment... but most converge on the same endpoint."
The hologram of the Great Monster transformed. Into the swirling information bomb Gordius had seen just moments ago.
"The form that inflicts the greatest damage on the world—self-destructing by gathering all its power... What a persistent foe to the bitter end. Isn't it?"
"......"
"The initial form, unpredictable in its changes, could only be hoped to overcome through sheer force. But this final one, with its fixed conclusion, could be prepared for."
The clock tattoo on his wrist was precisely that preparation.
So then.
"...Is it really... over?"
"Yes. It's over. I'll handle the Great Monster's final desperate pattern, and the world will reclaim its peace. Rebuilding the shattered civilization will undoubtedly be grueling... but at least we can envision hope."
"I... see..."
He'd done it.
Gordius had succeeded in saving the world from the unprecedented threat of the Great Monster.
Yet for some reason, the shadow in his heart overshadowed the joy of victory. The young man from another world, gazing down at the white floor with shadowed eyes, cautiously asked the mad wizard.
"...Will I... have to go back?"
"Yes. This isn't your world, after all. I'll grant you until the end of the day, but you must wake from this dream and return to reality."
"What about the survivors of New Stellarria?"
"Naturally—they'll live on."
Right. That was it.
The reason Gordius couldn't fully revel in this monumental victory.
The story might end, but life doesn't.
The Western world lay contaminated by radiation from nuclear war, South Korea's social order had collapsed, and what loomed before the survivors was yet another brutal survival struggle.
They'd bask in the thrill of victory for a few days after defeating the Great Monster, but eventually, the people of New Stellarria would realize it: a thorny path lay ahead, one that would take ages to traverse.
Gordius had been granted three months from them.
And thinking about it... even after slaying the Great Monster, he seemed to have some change left over. Providing after-service was the way of an honest merchant, wasn't it?
He stared straight at the mad wizard and said,
"Can't I stay longer?"
It was a question, but really a declaration. He wouldn't feel satisfied unless he stayed and laid the foundations for their future.
The mad wizard chuckled.
"What an intriguing thing to say. Worried about the survivors?"
"...Yes."
"A brief detour, then. That wrist tattoo seals the Great Monster's desperate pattern. And that power is right here in our grasp."
Woooong—.
A black sphere materialized and floated lightly. A mana aggregate of unimaginable output that might have sown destruction across the world. Just looking at it made his skin tingle.
The mad wizard spun it nimbly on his index finger.
"I planned to seal this away as is."
"......"
"But instead of sealing this power—we could use it to rewind time. Back to a beautiful past."
"Pardon?"
Gordius's eyes widened.
Was he saying they could defy time right now? This man?
If so... if that were possible... he could resolve the story from the very beginning. Starting from the era of thriving modern civilization, he could crush the Great Monster before it even rampaged.
He could erase Woo Chaerin's death...!!
As hope filled his eyes, the mad wizard drew a firm line.
"Not quite that convenient, Gordius. Sure, starting from when modern civilization was intact would make robot production easier. But the price of time reversal is the clock tattoo's disappearance."
"...Meaning?"
"Your deus ex machina to block the Great Monster's desperate pattern won't exist in the second round."
The mad wizard smiled slyly and proposed,
"It's Hard Difficulty. You'll have to overcome the final phase on your own, without anyone's help. What do you say... care to take the challenge?"
No need to think about the answer.
"—I'll do it."
With a chance to turn everything back, who could resist challenging it!
The mad wizard burst into laughter and clapped. Gordius's consciousness floated up, and the white void rapidly receded.
"Excellent. You'll know exactly what to do right away. Good luck, Gordius. May you find happiness at the story's end!"
A sensation of being sucked downward. And when he opened his eyes...
......
"Wizard! Wizard?! Something's wrong with the Great Monster's status!"
It was right after the clock tattoo had glowed, inside Meteor's cockpit. Fsssh. The tattoo crumbled into powder and vanished. Gordius quickly replayed the dreamlike conversation from moments ago.
Crack. Craaack!
He'd know what to do right away—and sure enough, he did.
The mana swirling in the Great Monster's chest had purified into a portal, spiraling leisurely.
Beyond it lay the past South Korea. The city before the monster appeared—a forest of brilliantly lit skyscrapers!
"Kim Yunseo. That's a portal to the past."
"What?!"
"I'm going back to change all this future. No one will die, and I'll smash the Great Monster the moment it appears. Will you come with me?"
"Of course! But... you're not crazy, right? You're speaking normally in perfect condition? Not hallucinating from the Great Monster?!"
Guess it looked that way.
If his comrade suddenly started babbling nonsense amid a desperate situation, even Gordius would suspect.
But the flow of mana proved the truth.
"Cockpit open."
Hiiiss—!
Meteor Unit 2's chest plate opened, exposing the interior. Highland winds rushed into the cockpit. Gordius looked at Kim Yunseo.
"Stay here or come along—I'm changing the future either way. I'll make sure you don't regret moving... We met because of it, didn't we? You'll be happy."
"N-No, I'll come too! But you're really not just recklessly charging in to die... right...?"
"Remember? We equipped countermeasures against the Great Monster's hypnotic waves, and the dashboard shows mental attack status. Systems are nominal. I'm going first!"
Thud.
Gordius leaped into the portal without hesitation.
"D-Damn it... Argh!"
Kim Yunseo hesitated, then squeezed her eyes shut and jumped into the air.
Fwaaah—!!
The portal to the past swallowed the two pilots, shrinking until it vanished as if it had never been.
...... Where was this? It was too dark to see. He couldn't tell if he was standing or sitting. Gordius calmly reflected on the past. Why was he in darkness?
"......"
No damage to his memories. He could recall. He'd received the mad professor's offer. Yes, the professor had dangled the enticing bait of past regression. Gordius inhaled the heavy sewer stench. Just like the start of the first round. Was time the same? If so, two weeks until the Great Monster appeared. He walked unhesitatingly along the trickling water channel. No need to wait for dark adaptation. He already knew the path; darkness didn't matter. He found the ladder. Clang. Claaang. He climbed. Each shoe sole striking the rungs echoed through the tunnel. At the top, a manhole cover. This was surely a roadway. Clunk. He nudged the cover for reconnaissance. No traffic sounds. Gordius quickly climbed out, crossing the empty street to the sidewalk. There lay the city that never sleeps. A moonlit night shrouded in quiet darkness, yet the city slumbered not. Skyscrapers towered so high you couldn't tell where to look, proclaiming their life with colorful LEDs. Flickering windows evoked a maestro's performance. Even low-rises matched the splendor, flaunting charm with vibrant signs and sleek architecture—like stars descended to earth. Roads unblocked and undamaged, cars flowed freely. Undoubtedly before the Great Monster's emergence. The billboard date confirmed it: the exact moment he'd first set foot in this world.
"Hoo."
His heart raced wildly. Memories flickered—a silhouette from the past. Woo Chaerin's figure, researching mana engines alongside him in Stellarria. Vividly recalled. Now, it was time to reclaim her. He clenched his fist. This chance was no dream.
"Right. This isn't a dream anymore. I'll use all society's infrastructure to build Stellarria. And at the end—" I'll build you a sturdy giant robot towering so high everyone must look up. And thus— save the world.
Gordius robbed a bank. Using exquisite magic, he withdrew just enough living expenses, leaving a promissory note to repay double. He'd settle it for real after meeting Joseph. Then he shed his Golden Tower robe, bought a sharp longcoat, donned a watch, styled his hair. Preparations complete as dawn broke. First pickup: pilot Kim Yunseo. Close by. He didn't know her home, but luckily only one middle school nearby. A quick scan would find her. Whether she'd followed or not—who knew. If yes, she'd have future memories; if not, he'd convince a middle schooler to pilot. Tricky.
"No... giving up."
A 100-meter giant robot was too much for Gordius solo. Kim Yunseo's exceptional mana control talent was indispensable. Age didn't limit mana aptitude. A handsome foreigner in sharp attire strode into the school, drawing students' stares. He entered boldly, scanning first-year classrooms. And in Class 3-1, he found Kim Yunseo. She sat royally, using a prone male classmate as her chair.
"......"
"...Oh, you came? Even ten years back, you look the same, Wizard. Cryo capsule power?"
"What are you doing to the kids? You're over twenty."
"No, uh... he was bullying? And she's a first-year now, so it's fine...?"
She'd been savoring 'Veteran one-armed pilot in round one becomes intact middle school girl in round two?!' Hopping down, Kim Yunseo joined Gordius. She avoided eye contact, embarrassed even to herself.
"Let's go. Met Joseph?"
"Not yet. No idea where."
"I know. He blabs old stories when drunk—right now, checking bunkers built in Korea... probably at a girl group concert?"
"Let's snag him."
The pilot duo ditched school for the world's sake.
After hearing Gordius's pitch—a colossal monster incoming, so invest everything now to build a 100-meter robot in two weeks— Joseph nearly died laughing.
"Puhahaha—! Hic, heeek! Hahaha!"
"......"
"Assassination by laughter? Bold move. Future me regrets not investing? In a giant robot? Puhaha—!!"
Cold-blooded businessman Joseph Williams flipped off the brazen scammers, waving them out with his middle finger.
"Laughed my fill—now scram. Next time, something convincing..."
Crack. Gordius cracked his knuckles.
"You told me to force investment if needed, Joseph. I didn't want to get ungentlemanly. Just fulfilling the contract."
"...Wizard, you're smiling now."
"Golem Forging."
Rumble, groooar! Earth golems erupted, instantly sealing doors and windows.
"Wh-What?! Pre-set movie set?! No, wait...?!"
Joseph panicked at the sudden genre shift to fantasy. Then it hit him: the man before him, Gordius... wasn't here for investment. He was here to collect!
"I'll convince you with every fiber of your being."
"D-Don't come closer! Stay back—aaah!!"
He got thoroughly convinced.
Joseph's willing, devoted joining kickstarted the project. His bitcoin-fueled wealth, merged with the luxury underground bunker already built, conjured a robot production facility overnight.
"My blood money..."
"Tsk."
"Robbed me and I can't complain?!"
Most issues money solved. But manpower—especially leaders—was tough, no matter the funds. Especially for unprecedented giant robot construction. No experts existed save Gordius. Hence, recruiting here, bouquet in arm. Space Research Center main gate. Beyond: past Woo Chaerin. Heart pounding.
"Y-You're Gordius, right? This way! I'll tour the facility...!!"
"Please do, Director."
As a major investor who'd poured Joseph's cash into the lab, Gordius received the balding director's lavish escort inside. And in a corner lab... they met. Shabby clothes, thick glasses, exhaustion etched on her face, crooked lab coat, shoulders slumped like life was a bore. More mold in the corner than lotus bloom, yet to Gordius, she shone vividly, beautifully. He walked. Ignoring the director's 'Why there?' and researchers' murmurs. All senses locked on her. Over ten years spanning worlds, Gordius knelt on one knee before Woo Chaerin, proffering the bouquet. And said, "I love your papers. My research group Stellarria has an open head position. Would you take it?"
"...Huh?"
Woo Chaerin froze at the sudden recruitment blitz.