The Return of the Legendary All-Master

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Jeong-hoon restored all NPCs to their original state, starting with Oh Jin-Soo.

"Uh… where is this?"

"Why am I here?"

Just like Oh Jin-Soo, they were all confused at first, but soon realized their situation and returned to the Earth Korea building.

Like Oh Jin-Soo, they too had work to do.

<Hooh, so you're dividing up the roles so they can focus entirely on repelling the enemies.>

"That's right."

Jeong-hoon planned to actively utilize them as NPCs.

They would use their abilities as NPCs to serve as guides for the players.

And the players, in turn, would repel the invasion and be led to seize the other dimensions.

<The code modification is finally paying off.>

By modifying the code using the Creator's Tool, humanity had undergone explosive growth, and the majority had surpassed level 500 with ease.

Some had even broken through level 1,000, and among them were a few who had reached the mid-to-late 1,000s.

With power like that, they could more than hold off an invasion.

And that wasn't all.

"Fenrir, Michael."

Next, Jeong-hoon summoned his familiars.

When Fenrir and Michael reappeared after a long time, their expressions were full of resentment.

"……"

"……"

Perhaps their grudge had built up more than expected—they didn't even greet Jeong-hoon when they saw him.

"Get back inside."

Jeong-hoon tried to send them back in.

"Master!"

"We greet our master!"

Only then did they hastily bow their heads in greeting.

Jeong-hoon finally nodded and offered an apology.

"Sorry I couldn't take care of you all this time."

"N-No, not at all."

"It's perfectly fine!"

Still tense, they answered loudly.

Jeong-hoon shared some good news with the two of them.

"I don't plan on locking you up anymore."

At the mention of not being locked up, Michael and Fenrir tilted their heads in confusion.

"Not locking us up?"

"What exactly do you mean by that…?"

"Simply put, I'll let you act freely now."

After becoming the master of the dimension, Jeong-hoon was able to claim all available titles—and among them was 'Master Tamer.'

Thanks to this title, he could now maintain his summons' autonomy at 100%.

In other words, even if a summon crossed into another dimension alone, their summoning would remain stable.

And that's not all.

Considering how much they had grown and stored up power while Jeong-hoon had been advancing, Fenrir and Michael could probably repel invasions on their own.

Now it was time to make full use of the two.

"Then… are you saying we don't have to go back anymore?"

Michael's eyes lit up as he asked again to confirm.

"That's right."

"Khrrk!"

Only then did Michael's eyes well up with tears.

How agonizing it had been to spend so much time locked in a confined space.

There were countless times when he could do nothing but sit still and watch, feeling helpless and shedding tears in sorrow.

It was the same for Fenrir.

As a divine beast who once stood proudly alongside Serion, the first leader of the City of Warriors, the fact that he had been locked up so powerlessly had shattered his confidence.

But now, they no longer had to remain confined.

With a face full of emotion, Fenrir bowed deeply before his master.

"Alright, then release the power you've been storing."

At Jeong-hoon's command, Michael and Fenrir simultaneously activated their Release.

[Fenrir uses 'Release.']

[Michael uses 'Release.']

The amount of power they had stored exploded in an effect far beyond anything they had shown before.

[Fenrir's level increases.]

[All of Fenrir's stats increase.]

[Some of Fenrir's abilities are restored.]

Fenrir's level and stats began to skyrocket.

[Michael's level increases.]

[All of Michael's stats increase.]

It was the same for Michael.

<They totally hit the jackpot.>

Tenebris gave a short exclamation of admiration.

And rightfully so—because Fenrir and Michael's levels had shot past 3,000 and were approaching 4,000.

* * *

[Incarnate Quest: Repel the Invasion]

– Restriction: Incarnate

– Reward: ???

– Description: Repel the invasion. (Contribution 0%)

This was the first quest given to Yoo Chan after forming a contract with a Transcendent.

"Come on, at least tell me something if you want me to repel anything…"

However, there were no instructions onhowto repel the invasion, so he was stuck standing still, unable to make a move.

Invasion? In a peaceful Earth? What was that even supposed to mean?

<Wait. Be ready to move at a moment's notice.>

No matter how many times he asked, the answer remained the same.

Just be prepared to depart at any moment.

Because of that, Yoo Chan was incredibly frustrated.

'If you're going to do this, at least give me some information.'

He had no information whatsoever.

<If you act without orders, that's a breach of contract. You know the penalty, don't you?>

If Yoo Chan so much as moved from his spot right now, he would be penalized—so for him, it was pure agony.

Then it happened.

<30 minutes remain until the invasion begins.>

Letters appeared in the sky.

"What the hell… Shit…"

"This is fucking insane. Seriously."

Having endured everything from the Realization to penalties and even the Renewals, humanity groaned in despair.

They had expected it, but it still marked the moment that their fleeting peace came to an end.

[Goodbye, everyone]

– Damn it, they're gonna wipe out the network first again. I, Go Geumje Ilgeom… lay to rest here.

└May the deceased rest in peace…

└I'm not dead yet! (Original poster)

└LOL looks like someone doesn't want to die.

└No, but seriously, what's with this invasion now…

└Hey, most of us leveled up a lot—we might actually have a shot this time, no?

The internet had already exploded with chaos.

"So that's what they meant by stopping the invasion."

Tension spread across Yoo Chan's face.

Only 30 minutes remained until the invasion.

And 30 minutes was far too little time for anyone to properly prepare.

Just then, a new announcement came down.

'An announcement?'

Yoo Chan tilted his head and opened the notice.

===

[To all players on Earth:]

– This is Earth.

We had been reduced to puppets as NPCs, but somehow managed to return to being human.

Now that we've returned, we've built a system to help prepare for the invasion of Earth.

It's far from perfect, but we hope it can be of help to all of you.

– Earth

===

A system to help them prepare?

Next to the notice, there was a file attached to download the new system.

Yoo Chan hesitated briefly, then downloaded the system through the attached file.

'Radar?'

The system turned out to be a radar.

At the moment, nothing was displayed on it.

[The invasion begins.]

Just minutes after checking the radar—

The 30-minute countdown hit zero, and the invasion began.

Immediately, the once-empty radar lit up with countless red dots.

<Move out.>

Only then did the Transcendent finally issue the command to depart.

'Ah, so this is how it works.'

Yoo Chan quickly rushed toward the nearest red dot.

* * *

Earth Korea.

Many key figures had gathered in that building.

Among them were ministers rarely seen together, and the one leading the discussion was Lee Mu-Won, Director of the newly established Dungeon Management Bureau.

This bureau was created after the Realization began and was tasked with focusing on dungeon affairs and preventing penalties from being imposed.

Of course, after repeated penalties, the bureau's role had effectively diminished.

"Who built this system?"

Lee Mu-Won looked toward the person responsible for the system and asked.

"I… I led the effort, but…"

Oh Jin-Soo responded nervously.

He had initiated the system, but it was completed thanks to the collaboration of many others.

It was only possible to finish it in such a short time because of everyone's help.

"I see. Then you must have anticipated this invasion in advance?"

"Yes."

"Who was it?"

"That's confidential. I can't say."

Oh Jin-Soo owed that person a great debt.

He had been forgiven for the stalking he committed before losing consciousness, and the man had even restored his mind and returned him to being human.

He didn't want to cause any trouble that could come back to harm him.

"I understand."

Fortunately, Lee Mu-Won wasn't someone who lacked perception.

He didn't press further and simply nodded before getting to the point.

"Then could you please explain this system in detail?"

"Yes. This radar detects distortions in the mana surrounding Earth."

"Earth?"

"As you know, this is an invasion. In other words, it originates from outside Earth."

As soon as the invasion alert was issued, red portals had sprung up all around the world.

Above each portal, a countdown was displayed in red letters—some read 24 hours,

others read 6 hours, or 8 hours and 20 minutes, and so on.

Each one showed a different time limit.

One thing was clear: those portals had to be closed before their respective countdowns ended.

"Do you know what penalty will be imposed if we fail to close them in time?"

Humanity had been gravely shaken by penalties before.

They couldn't afford to repeat the same mistakes.

"I don't know."

But Oh Jin-Soo had no answer to give.

He had only built the system.

Beyond that, he knew nothing.

"Then wouldn't it be best to bring in the person who predicted the invasion?"

Cha Soo-Hyuk, the Minister of National Defense, finally spoke after silently listening for some time.

He was clearly irritated by the lack of progress in their conversation.

The reason for this gathering was to obtain information about the invasion and to come up with countermeasures.

It was also the reason why Earth corporations around the world had contacted Earth Korea, the one that built the system.

"P-please wait just a moment."

Oh Jin-Soo politely excused himself and stepped outside, taking out his smartphone.

'If anything comes up, please call this number.'

He called the number that Jeong-Hoon had given him. The phone connected before even three rings had passed.

\\<Hello.>

"Hello, this is Oh Jin-Soo."

\\<Ah, yes.>

"It's about… well…"

Oh Jin-Soo slowly began to explain.

Once he finished, Jeong-Hoon responded casually, as if it wasn't a big deal.

\\<Is there really anything to discuss? If we fail to stop this invasion, Earth will fall once again. Just ask them to contribute to stopping the invasion.>

"There's no more detailed information available?"

\\<No. I don't really know either.>

"Ah…"

The call ended without any meaningful gain.

When Oh Jin-Soo returned, Lee Mu-Won asked as if he had been waiting.

"Was there any progress?"

"No… It seems we'll have to figure out the details of the invasion while stopping it ourselves."

"I see…"

Lee Mu-Won let out a deep sigh.

He had come to Earth Korea with the ministers under the president's orders, but the thought of returning empty-handed already weighed heavily on him.

* * *

At that time—

Jeong-Hoon was traveling the world, restoring Earths, and had just returned home.

The New World headquarters were never meant to exist in the first place, so he skipped it.

When he returned to Seoul, countless people were already moving to stop the invasion.

"What's the current status?"

In response to Jeong-Hoon's question, Thanatos smirked.

"They're working hard."

"Really?"

At this early stage—

If it were Logos, he would surely have a complete grasp of Earth's situation by now.

Is he just waiting and watching? Testing the waters?

Bzzz—

Just then, he got a call from his mother.

'Did she succeed?'

He was a bit worried.

Unlike Jeong-Hoon, who had quickly finished the sixth trial, the others were still going through it, and he hadn't been able to reach them.

Given the difficulty level, he couldn't guarantee with certainty that they'd succeed.

Feeling slightly tense, Jeong-Hoon answered the call.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]