The First Great Erosion
The First Great Erosion.
Until the so-called Gate Break incident erupted, the entire world had been in a festive mood.
It was the gateway to advancing into the Diamond rank.
The promotion match for the 60th floor would only activate once the synchronization between the Tower and the world exceeded 20 percent.
“I wonder what we’ll find if we climb even higher?”
“Maybe there’s an herb of immortality that grants eternal youth.”
“Mana-powered engines. They’re eco-friendly and insanely cost-effective.”
“I can’t wait to see what new materials get discovered.”
The Tower of Babel had begun influencing not only humanity’s technology but their very way of life.
Cars and home appliances powered by mana engines had already become commonplace long ago.
Even medical conditions once considered incurable by modern science were now being resolved through healing spells or mana-infused surgeries.
Average life expectancy had risen across the board.
As synchronization increased, so did the concentration of mana in the atmosphere, gradually restoring lands that had been ravaged by destruction.
But the moment synchronization reached 20 percent, something no one—except for a single individual—had anticipated occurred.
Abnormal phenomena detected across the world!
Gates have exceeded their critical thresholds and are summoning monsters exclusive to the Tower of Babel onto Earth?
『Anomalies breaking out all over the globe!』
『Gates past their limit—are they dragging monsters from the Tower of Babel to Earth?』
『Casualties reported in Ottawa, Quebec, Canada, after sudden monster outbreak……』
Gates were appearing without regard for national borders.
Those that had crossed their critical point began vomiting out the monsters they had contained within their dimensional pockets.
The first to uncover this truth was a Korean player.
Yu Jinho.
A player who had recently been quietly building a name for himself by shattering every low-floor record in the Tower of Babel.
Jinho and his team rapidly cleared the Gates, then revealed their common structure and dangers to the entire world without asking for anything in return.
“We must prioritize clearing Gates that have opened near residential areas.”
“If you can’t clear them, at least evacuate the civilians. And station police and military forces nearby!”
Surprisingly, governments around the world didn’t dismiss Jinho’s warnings outright.
The term “Break” mentioned alongside the Gate explanations had given most people a clear idea of what would happen once a Gate passed its critical point.
In his previous life, it had taken roughly five hours from the first Gate appearances until the initial successful raid.
Jinho had shortened that window by three full hours.
At first glance, it might not seem like much.
But thanks to his decisive action, people across the world had secured far more golden time than they had in his previous timeline.
However—
“Isn’t that just something the Koreans made up?”
“They evacuated everyone, but it could still turn out to be nothing.”
Not every government believed him.
Some countries moved sluggishly, citing administrative burdens, budget constraints, and various other excuses.
“We cannot recognize the Bruang people as representatives.”
“The Gate Radar belongs to every ethnic group!”
In multi-ethnic nations, conflicts even broke out over the use of the Gate Radar.
The situation was far worse in the Third World.
Though bound within single national borders, countless ethnic groups with centuries of enmity pointed guns at one another.
Instead of uniting after hearing Jinho’s warning, they turned on each other in bloody clashes over ownership of the Gate Radar.
The Third World descends into chaos. Golden time for Gate Breaks lost!
News spreads that Gates causing Breaks are transforming their regions into otherworldly domains……
Ten percent of Earth’s surface.
That was how much land had been transformed into otherworldly domains during the First Great Erosion.
Countries that had acted swiftly in their initial response suffered relatively minor territorial losses.
On the other hand, nations that had doubted Jinho’s words or failed to actively close Gates due to internal conflicts sustained devastating damage.
The aftermath of the First Great Erosion did not end with the Gate Break incidents.
『Giant monstrous birds sighted in the Arctic?』
『A massive serpent’s shadow flickers across the Himalayas……』
『A giant with a thousand eyes appears in the Grand Canyon—identified as Argos!』
The Himalayas, Uluru, the Arctic, the Grand Canyon, and other world-famous landmarks suddenly became home to mythical monsters.
At the same time, each of those regions saw a 100-kilometer radius transformed into an otherworldly domain without any Gate Break occurring.
The collapse of the walls between the Tower of Babel and this dimension had only just begun.
* * *
After returning to the Association, I was able to grasp the flow of the world.
“Thanks to you, Sir, I can walk around with my shoulders back these days.”
The man laughed heartily.
Han Suchang, leader of the Special Task Force, filled me in on everything that had happened while I was busy clearing Gates.
“Are you saying you’re gaining influence because you recruited me……?”
“Of course. The number of players supporting the Special Task Force has skyrocketed.”
“That’s good to hear.”
I replied out of politeness.
Thanks to Han Suchang’s chatter, I was quickly able to understand the differences between my previous life and this one.
Ten percent of the planet had been converted into otherworldly domains.
That was meaningful data.
In my previous timeline, nearly 27 percent of the land had transformed within just a few days of the First Great Erosion.
By moving three hours earlier, this was the result.
It had been four months since my regression.
I hadn’t changed everything perfectly, but I had succeeded in altering the world’s trajectory.
“Sir, if you’re tired, perhaps you should rest a little?”
“I’m fine, but why the sudden……?”
“Your eyes are bloodshot. It looks like you could use some sleep.”
Had I really become that emotional?
Ever since learning Cold Blood in the tutorial, I had rarely been swayed by my feelings.
This time was different.
The certainty that the future could be changed.
The thought that I could prevent the age of destruction with my own two hands made my chest swell with emotion.
But.
There was still a long way to go.
First, I needed to become the strongest player on Earth, didn’t I?
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
While I was lost in thought, a deep, resonant voice reached me.
It was Association President Kim Wooseong.
“Thank you for making time despite your busy schedule.”
“Hahaha, for a Special Task Force member like our Jinho, I’d make time even if I had none.”
The president let out a hearty laugh.
“These days, thanks to you, I can walk around with my chest puffed out too.”
He was saying the exact same thing as Team Leader Han Suchang.
They hadn’t coordinated this in advance, had they?
“I have a favor to ask. I seem to be saying that to you quite often lately, President.”
“Hahaha! Say whatever you need. I’ll do everything in my power.”
“Ah, it’s nothing major. I was wondering if you could share the Gate locations with our team.”
The president stroked his chin with a thoughtful “Hmm—”.
“How old are you this year?”
“Twenty-four.”
“You’re clearly still young, yet I don’t know where you get such foresight.”
A faint smile crossed the president’s lips.
From the way he spoke, it seemed he had already grasped the true value of the Gate Radar.
I pretended not to understand and looked away.
“I’m not sure what you mean by that, President……”
“From now on, clearing Gates is going to become highly competitive.”
Unlike the Tower of Babel, Gates had no limit on the number of attempts.
Though lives were at stake, the clear rewards were just as lucrative as Tower missions, and they provided excellent experience points as well.
No.
Some Gates would probably drop items even better than what the Tower offered—like the ones I had already cleared.
“Power, fame, and money. Clearing Gates will be an opportunity to seize it all.”
As expected.
I had heard he was quite capable in my previous life, but I hadn’t realized he could already predict events that far ahead.
“You already suspected as much, didn’t you?”
“You don’t make it easy.”
I dropped the clumsy act.
“Thanks to you, our country was able to avoid disaster. Granting a request like this is no trouble at all.”
“So you were just trying to look good?”
“Hahaha. This way, I can at least reduce the debt I owe you a little.”
Oh ho.
“A debt, huh.”
“Indeed. Since it’ll take a long time to repay it, feel free to ask for as much as you want.”
It was his way of saying he wouldn’t treat my achievements as those of a mere Special Task Force member.
The president was bowing his head while simultaneously trying to pull me closer to the Association’s side.
“Then I won’t hold back.”
I grinned.
I’d be milking that debt from the Association for a long, long time.
* * *
After securing the promise to share Gate Radar data.
My team members returned to their daily routines.
“Never thought I’d feel this glad to see such a shabby place.”
“Shabby?”
“Ah, I misspoke. I meant cozy, Team Leader.”
Ping Lei looked startled.
Compared to the luxurious facilities of the Nine Dragons Syndicate, I could understand why he’d say that.
But understanding his feelings and letting him blurt out nonsense were two different things.
“Ping Lei. Sparring time.”
“Team Leader, you’ve been going in and out of Gates nonstop. Can’t you let me off just for today?”
He looked like he was about to cry.
I had worked him pretty hard during the Gate clears, so I decided to cut him some slack this once.
“Fine. Just this once.”
“Thank you, Team Leader!”
Ping Lei bowed deeply and practically fled to his room.
Was sparring with me really that awful?
—Reflect on your usual behavior. The answer lies within.
“I’m doing it for his own good.”
—Hehe.
Nyx let out a strange little laugh.
The way she reacted only made me feel worse.
The moment I stepped inside the building, I felt a powerful wave of mana ripple from around the corner.
“Mister Yu, I heard about your exploits.”
“Ellen, you were still here even after the First Great Erosion?”
“Yes. I was about to return to America as soon as I heard the news, but the abnormal weather made it impossible.”
The Ten Great Demonic Realms.
As the Old Gods planted their minions across this dimension, they had begun affecting the world’s climate as well.
Snow was falling in tropical regions.
Strong winds raged in places that had always been calm.
Most flights had been grounded.
Ships that normally crossed the oceans had slowed down or sought shelter in nearby ports.
I knew there hadn’t been any major accidents… but I hadn’t considered that flights would be completely suspended.
“So when are you heading back to America?”
“They just announced that flights are resuming. I wanted to say goodbye before I left.”
Ellen laughed brightly.
She had stayed behind as Karla’s mentor and to scout me, but realistically, there had been no reason for her to remain in Korea.
It was the perfect time for her to return.
“Oh, Karla?”
“Hello, Director.”
“We’re returning to America now. Get ready.”
Karla originally belonged to the Gold Moon Guild, so it was only natural.
She had come under the pretext of gaining experience with my team, so there was no reason for her to stay any longer.
Whatever the process, Ellen had already left her mark on me.
—How truly regrettable. She is a child I have watched for a long time.
Nyx expressed her disappointment.
There would be other opportunities later.
Since I had heard about Ellen in my previous life, I needed to keep an eye on what Karla did after returning to America……
“I want to stay behind.”
Excuse me?
I blinked repeatedly.
Ellen seemed just as shocked; her mouth hung open in a stunned “Uh—” as words failed her.
“Wait a second. Karla, can you tell me why?”
“Only Team Leader Jinho can train me to become stronger.”
Karla spoke in her usual blunt tone.
Wait, was she serious?
—I told you, didn’t I? That child is obsessed with strength.
Nyx whispered with a soft chuckle.
I knew she was obsessed with sparring, but I never expected her to disobey Ellen’s orders……
“Heh… hehehe.”
A vacant, soulless laugh.
It was a reaction Ellen only showed when she was deeply shaken.
When she got like this, the best thing to do was leave her alone because she wouldn’t register anything anyone said.
After laughing in that dazed voice for a while, Ellen suddenly looked at me.
“Mister Yu.”
“Y-yes?”
“Please take good care of Karla until I return to Korea.”
What? She actually accepted that?
Ellen might look easygoing, but she had a firm personality.
There was no way she would let this slide so easily.
Why wasn’t she asking any follow-up questions?
There had to be something between Karla and Ellen—something I hadn’t learned about in my previous life.
The reason Karla was obsessed with power, and her relationship with Ellen.
—We have secured another combat asset for Gate clearing.
Nyx was right.
What mattered right now wasn’t their relationship or Karla’s true goal.
Getting stronger even a little faster.
If I wanted to focus on clearing the Gates in Korea that contained “fortuitous encounters”…… I was going to be busy for a while.
[Jirisan – Pit of the Imemangryang]
One of the “fortuitous encounter” locations still clear in my memory.
My first target was Jirisan.