Chapter 135
Chapter 135
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Gathering
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘Reincarnator...’
And now I understood why Wang Cheon was so obsessed with martial arts.
I thought it was just a concept since Chinese folks love wuxia so much, but it was the ‘real’ deal.
The world really is unfair.
Reincarnators were hogging three S-ranks.
...There were others out there scamming like me.
“You might not believe it, but in our previous lives, we’ve already witnessed the end of the world.”
Oracle’s tale wasn’t hard to swallow for someone like me, hopping worlds with my login skill.
The zombie world was teetering on total collapse anyway.
“These dimensional rifts drag the world toward destruction. Sure, this Earth is holding up better than any world we knew... but we can’t deny the erosion rate creeping up.”
“Erosion rate?”
“Yeah. Dimensional rifts, corrupted beings from those rifts—all of it boosts the erosion rate. Higher rate means higher-grade rifts and tougher corrupted beings. But Earth’s rift erosion plays out differently from anywhere we’ve seen.”
“Differently how?”
“When it topped 10%, gates burst open. Never happened in any of our past worlds. But it slowed the erosion spike, at least somewhat.”
“Gates slow erosion? By curbing dimensional rift spawns?”
“Not curbing—just spreading them out. Rifts inside gates don’t touch Earth’s erosion rate. We figure it’s the world’s defense kicking in to avoid doom.”
“Like nature’s law, the planet’s will... that sort of thing?”
“Yeah... probably... Can’t say for sure. Just a hunch. And... if it hits 30%, extraterrestrial interference starts.”
“Extraterrestrial interference? How do you know the rate, or when that kicks off?”
“I can sense it.”
“You?”
“One of my awakening powers.”
“What kind of interference hits at 30%?”
“No clue.”
“No clue?”
“My power doesn’t go that deep.”
“Couldn’t it be a good thing, like gates?”
“Maybe. But no room for blind hope. Best bet’s clearing rifts to drop the rate.”
Extraterrestrial interference—aliens dropping in? Or real meddling from other worlds?
Either way, nothing to cheer about, just like Oracle said.
“Get the picture now? And that I’ve got more years on you than you think.”
Wang Cheon smirked smugly at me.
“Previous-life years don’t count. By that math, I’m the elder.”
“What... did you say?”
He jumped like I’d zapped him.
“No way—you’re a reincarnator too?!”
“Yep. So I’m the big bro. Show some respect.”
“What lifetime?!”
“Heard of the Heavenly Demon?”
“Insane?! You—you’re the Heavenly Demon!! That explains the power! Oracle, what gives?! You said he was clean! If he’s the Heavenly Demon, we’re screwed!”
“Sigh, Wang Cheon—he’s no reincarnator. Mr. Un-ho, quit messing with him.”
Oracle could spot them, apparently.
“This punk fed me a bald-faced lie!!”
“Hey! You got a past life—why can’t I? Just don’t remember mine. Probably ruled a millennium as the Heavenly Demon. Elder respect, got it? Be polite.”
“You... you...”
Wang Cheon’s face flushed purple, the old murim warrior getting ribbed hard.
“Easy now, both of you.”
Merlin stepped in to defuse our powder keg.
Only one of us cooling off, though.
“Anyway, you called me here to spill all this...”
“Right. Sounds dramatic, but we need your help stopping Earth’s end.”
“...”
Bottom line: lend a hand clearing rift zones.
Honestly, a hassle.
Bit of a waste coming out here.
Useless chatter just muddied my head.
World’d probably chug along fine without me.
“Ah! Why not spread martial arts and magic to other awakeners?”
Boost their overall power, rifts clear faster.
“...That’s... faction stuff... complicated. Wrong hands get magic, disaster...”
Merlin hemmed and hawed.
“Hmph. Martial arts aren’t for the masses.”
Wang Cheon, full of himself.
Plain selfish—they just won’t share their secrets.
Doom and gloom, but dodging the easy fix.
Release the arts, power up everyone.
Easy for me to say—it ain’t mine.
I got it, though.
No way I’d hand over my key skills for ‘humanity.’
Couldn’t push them.
Them bringing it up meant no panic yet.
“The government? They know you’re reincarnators?”
“Nah. Even if we told ’em, doubtful they’d buy it. We push cutting rift zones, but they’re half-hearted.”
Reincarnators, erosion rates, aliens... I was skeptical too.
Just figured their powers and mana vibes made it plausible.
Rift zones? Tough nuts.
Cold truth: old ones are cash cows.
Leave ’em for steady mana stones; clear ’em, kiss the mine goodbye.
No big wins hitting long-fallow spots now.
Most nations just man the walls.
Open gates factor in too.
Governments grind slow, consensus needed.
S-rank nudge won’t bulldoze vested interests.
‘They’re playing hero for the optics too...’
Our Korea’d move if I barked.
But that meant me diving in headfirst.
Worth pondering.
“That all you wanted to say?”
“Take it seriously. No solo hero act saves us.”
Wang Cheon droned solemnly.
Wanted to say, “Bet I could,” but held it.
Zombie world’s got no rifts.
Might be, but never spotted any.
Corrupted beings ain’t infinite.
By the time I’m stacked enough, this’d be nothing.
Zombie side nearly mopped up, Earth’s a joke.
Years, decades—who knows...
“If it’s so urgent, cough up your martial arts to the awakeners.”
“Ahem. Not for public eyes.”
His precious ‘not for public.’
“I’ll mull it. But spilling your secrets to me—cool?”
“Who else? Even if you blab maliciously, we deny. Just want you eyeing rifts more.”
‘No friends, huh... dissing me...’
No real pals, couldn’t snap.
My crew’s the lamest anyway...
I spout off outside, they deny—I’m the nutjob yelling ‘reincarnators! aliens!’
The Guardians’ gathering wrapped.
“What’s on your mind?”
En route to Jeju by plane, Alice prodded me staring out the window.
“Earth’s peace.”
“So cool! Guardians’ chats are top secret, right? Hero woes you can’t share? Hang tight, Mr. Un-ho. I’ll join soon, lighten that load a bit.”
Alice gazed at me, eyes full of awe.
Pretty adorable.
‘Extraterrestrial interference...’
Per Oracle, erosion blew past 20%, 30% closing in.
Can’t just hope for the best.
No telling what flips at that point.
Solo? No sweat.
Alice snuggled my arm, grinning cute.
“What? Something on my face?”
And Kim Jin-ah across, hands like blooming flowers.
Thinking of them, couldn’t just twiddle thumbs.
Time for my own prep.
Guess I’d check it out.
Guarding Earth myself? Nah. Delegate.
Power up Earth’s awakeners.
‘Magic and martial arts...’
Secrets to Merlin and Wang Cheon, maybe.
‘Martial arts—ask Seol-hwa?’
Not Heavenly Gate secrets, but scraps of junk arts could still help here.
Magic too.
Snagging some wouldn’t be tough.
Probably.
Skill point grind solid, zombie world comfy—pushed other worlds aside.
Thought zombies covered it.
‘If I dive in, a little prep first.’