The Unaccounted Variable
Avici Hell.
Tartarus.
The roots of the World Tree.
A place where every concept ever labeled as 'hell' had fused into one.
The underground of the Tower.
It was a lightless domain untouched by celestial radiance. Anyone who lingered too long would have their mind devoured, eventually merging with the darkness. Yet the Old Gods had survived by carving out a makeshift dimension anchored to Ymir's Spine.
In the deepest strata—corresponding to the tailbone if one imagined a human skeleton—lay the Old Gods' dwelling.
"The Arta dimension has entered its first Great Erosion."
"A minor dimension. Its inhabitants are halfwits who can't even sense mana."
"A quarter of its territory was claimed during the Break event."
"Heh. An easy victory."
Some schemed to erode new dimensions.
"Shouldn't we begin checking the World Tree Alliance?"
"Perhaps we should allocate more rewards to the Croc dimension."
"High Orcs won't suffice. At the mortal level, no force can stand alone against the World Tree Alliance."
"What about the demons of Pandemonium?"
"You think Baal would allow it?"
"The Seventy-Two Demon Gods—especially Baal—won't concern themselves with this. Now, if it were those fossils from Angelus, that would be different."
Others sharpened their wits to reshape the balance of power among the dimensions that had reached the Tower's upper floors.
The Fir Bolg, pushed aside by the Tuatha Dé Danann.
The Titans, who had declined after failing to defeat the Olympians.
The giant clans, who bowed their heads after being massacred by the Aesir.
Those defeated by the current generation of gods had joined forces, honing their blades to reclaim their former glory.
There was no brilliant light here.
Only those who burned with fervor in the dark.
And among them, one figure stood out for all the wrong reasons.
"Haa..."
The being once called the God of Magic.
Lurien let out a short sigh, careful not to be overheard. The violet hair hidden beneath her black robe swayed gently.
This is strange.
Several data points flickered across the crystal orb in Lurien's hand.
Earth.
A dimension that had recently undergone its first Great Erosion.
Over 99.99% of its inhabitants couldn't sense mana, making it a clear lower-tier world—one likely to be absorbed by the Tower and destroyed.
During the large-scale Break event, the numbers stayed within the expected margin of error.
Once a dimension reached the 20% synchronization threshold for the first Great Erosion, countless Gates would open across its surface. Lower-tier worlds typically lost 10 to 30 percent of their territory at that stage.
Earth's erosion rate was exactly 10%.
Right on schedule. It suggested the dimension had a very high chance of being absorbed by the time the third Great Erosion arrived.
That was how it should have been.
Lurien's flawless brow furrowed with suspicion.
RP 2,000+: 1%
RP 1,500+: 3%
RP 1,000+: 28%
RP 1,000 and below: 68%
These were the latest figures for Earth's players, who were currently climbing through the 60th floor range.
To meet the conditions for the third Great Erosion, the percentage of players with RP below 1,000 needed to exceed 70%. The current numbers weren't yet significant since the overall erosion rate remained low, but considering the pathetic display Earth had put on during the Diamond promotion matches, this was absurdly high.
The problem is him, after all.
The moment Lurien bit her lip, a languid voice slipped in.
"Why the long face? Why are you the only one looking so gloomy?"
Flame-red hair rose like flickering embers. His eyes glowed amber, and the perfectly sculpted muscles on his bare upper body boasted proportions that would captivate any onlooker.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me while I'm working, Hyperion."
"Whoops. You just looked so miserable I couldn't help myself."
"I'll accept your concern in spirit only."
"Are you actually going to remember that?"
"No."
"That's cold. You'll hurt my feelings."
"Yours?"
Lurien turned her head slightly. The moment Hyperion met her violet eyes—eyes that seemed capable of swallowing any light—he took a cautious step back.
"Even I don't enjoy getting rejected all the time."
"I don't sense a shred of sincerity in that statement."
"Come on. I'm pretty popular, you know."
"I'm aware. That's precisely why it lacks authenticity."
Among the exiled Old Gods, Hyperion was a notorious womanizer. A lecher who flirted with every goddess he met. When one considered how even Ares—the infamous playboy of Olympus—treated his own woman with warmth...
I have no desire to get entangled with the Sun God.
Despite Lurien's wishes, Hyperion kept chattering away.
"That one's about the Earth dimension, right?"
"Haaa. Yes."
"Sighing so openly is a bit embarrassing, don't you think?"
"Is it really?"
"Nah. I swear on my brilliant sun that I feel zero shame, so it's fine."
"It would have been better if you'd felt the embarrassment and simply kept quiet."
Hyperion ignored her grumbled complaint and peered at the crystal orb in her hands.
"Let's see. What's the problem?"
"Earth's average RP is higher than projected."
"Oh. It is."
"You don't seem particularly interested."
"They're still just mortals from a low-tier dimension. Even if they put up a decent fight early on, the outcome is already decided."
Ordinarily, that would be true.
Data didn't lie.
Yet Lurien couldn't shake an inexplicable sense of unease. She examined the figures again and again.
"Is it Yu Jinho that's bothering you?"
"So you were aware as well."
"Wow, that surprised expression actually hurts a little."
"My apologies."
"No, no. It's charming in its own way. Hah!"
"......"
How was she supposed to deal with a former Sun God who didn't know when to be serious?
While Lurien pondered this, Hyperion continued.
"Why not use the Klyphoth?"
"Most of their organization was recently annihilated."
"What? Those cockroach bastards?"
For the first time, genuine surprise colored Hyperion's voice.
The Klyphoth.
Scum that dwelled in imaginary dimensions. They didn't worship the demons of Pandemonium, nor did they revere the Outer Gods beyond the Sea of Understanding. They were fanatics who sought to create their own world by exploiting the concept of a mirrored universe.
Insects that had latched onto the Tower with the futile ambition of becoming gods themselves.
Nevertheless, the Old Gods tolerated the Klyphoth followers and employed them as mercenaries for dimensional erosion—offering them fragments of the absorbed dimensions after the third Great Erosion.
"Those vermin are certainly competent."
"I heard the player they selected as the Guide of Invasion was assassinated."
"What? Those guys aren't sloppy enough for that to happen."
"That's exactly why I'm so surprised."
Hyperion clenched and unclenched his hand, summoning and dismissing the holy relic Judgment of the Sun.
The Klyphoth were undeniably insane, but they made excellent partners during dimensional erosion. Their standards for selecting traitors were extremely strict, and their ability to lurk in a dimension's shadows, corrupting people and turning them into puppets, was extraordinary.
"Not all of them are dead, right?"
"A few low-ranking members remain. They won't provide much power, though."
"Well, it's surprising, but don't worry too much. They're still just mortals."
I knew he would say that.
Lurien shook her head.
"I cannot tolerate even the smallest variable."
"Yes, yes. The God of Magic hates situations that slip out of her control."
"Do you have a complaint?"
"No, nothing like that."
Hyperion took a step back and whistled.
"Is there a way to intervene?"
"...For now, I plan to stimulate the Constellations."
"But those oh-so-great Constellations poured on the sponsorship and made him even stronger."
By paying with their own spiritual power, they had intensified the trials. Overcoming ordeals difficult enough to challenge even the demons of Pandemonium or the angels of Angelus had allowed him to claim even greater rewards.
Yu Jinho had grown even stronger.
"During the Diamond promotion matches, he defeated the Holy Dragons."
"Holy Dragons? That's impossible."
"Yu Jinho possesses power beyond the standard scale. He is the greatest variable in our dimensional erosion plan."
"It's just one dimension. If we can't swallow it, then so be it."
"There's no guarantee a variable will only appear once."
The former Sun God clicked his tongue. The stubbornness was the same as ever.
Then a mischievous smile spread across his face.
"I can't just ignore it when the God of Magic is this troubled."
"Do you have another idea?"
"That guy... he has a rather interesting item."
"You don't mean..."
"We should use every tool available to us, shouldn't we?"
Hyperion's lips curved into a chilling smile.
He usually acted like a carefree layabout, but when plotting schemes or displaying cruelty, he was more vicious than any fallen constellation. At the former Sun God's whisper, Lurien showed a spark of interest.
* * *
The two-week European schedule.
Haa.
Really.
How many times had he thought how convenient it would be if he had Ping Lei's clone ability?
He politely declined Sun Wukong's offer.
Even if he created clones, they would disappear if they traveled too far. He couldn't allow a clone to lose its mind and babble nonsense during meetings with world leaders.
What's so difficult about being treated with utmost respect?
Being waited on hand and foot was only enjoyable for a day or two.
Quite a few governments had asked about MOUs regarding emergency situations.
"We're considering signing an agreement with the entire EU."
"Hehe. Then I'll need to submit legislation soon."
"I'd appreciate that."
If he signed individual agreements with only a few countries, others would find fault with it. Establishing an MOU with the European Union as a whole would prevent any issues.
Wouldn't that simply increase your workload as the scope of defense expands?
"It's better than letting the Old Gods trample everything."
Wouldn't Leyden's apostle produce results soon?
With a warp gate generator, he could travel the world without being restricted by time or location.
The price was high?
It would still be cheaper than letting monsters crush an entire nation.
"Finally back homeeee."
"After being treated like an honored guest across Europe, why are you acting like this?"
"Jiyoung. When your face is all plump and glowing like that, even your attempts to console me sound like bragging."
"I did train somewhat, you know?"
"According to your SNS, you were busy collecting stamps at German restaurants."
"Ah. Busted."
Analyst Thomas had remained in Germany.
"If we train these people a bit more, I believe we'll see significant improvement."
Thomas moved his lips as if he had more to say, then simply nodded.
Finally back in Korea.
"You still need to handle the paperwork."
Team Leader Han Suchang—no, Director Han Suchang now—mercilessly thrust a stack of documents at him.
"What is this?"
"The undead accommodation issue. Do you have any idea how many complaints the local fishermen have filed?"
"It's all for the good of the country."
"Those people have suffered losses in their livelihood because the undead settled on the island."
"Hmm. Understood."
"Also, since there is no existing law regarding the import of undead, if we apply special provisions under cargo regulations..."
Thomas! You knew this would happen!
You knew that the moment I returned home, the workload would explode!!
You are the one who entrusted him with the task.
Hic, hic, hic.
No wonder he looked like he wanted to say something at the end.
I raised a tiger cub.
Even after completing all the complicated administrative procedures, the work wasn't finished.
A massive cargo ship that had passed through the Suez Canal into the Indian Ocean, crossed the East China Sea, and reached the West Sea needed to be met.
"Master has come personally to greet this humble servant!"
"Indeed. Consider it an honor for your clan."
After relocating the Hell Giants to an uninhabited island, he bound them with control magic circles.
Even if he unsummoned Ark, the semi-permanent magic circle would help preserve and control them. Like the Bone Drake, he would store them and call them forth when needed later.
You invest considerable effort into mere corpses.
"They're quite useful combatants."
The Hell Giants' combat power surpassed the average Diamond rank. They were equivalent to players with RP in the 1,200 range—or perhaps slightly above.
There were fewer than fifty Diamond players in the country, and more than half of them had RP below one thousand. That alone should give a sense of how imposing the Hell Giants were.
The only drawback was that he could only summon a limited number through the Death Gate.
If the undead who wield impure power could remain permanently, you could command them more actively.
"True."
Does even the knowledge of the outer universe offer no answer?
"One moment."
He had already used Void Projection to grant Lexy another essence. If he dug deeper, something more might emerge.
As he stroked his chin, pondering Nyx's advice—
"Huh?"
A gasp of surprise escaped his lips.