Their world was both narrow and vast. The space allotted for the pariahs excluded by the Source was at most the size of a small nation. That space was further divided into five zones.
There were five Sources in existence, and accordingly five zones, each governed by its Source. But since the first Source stood against solitary Chaos incarnate, the first zone remained uninhabited and served rely as storage.
The zone assigned to the Newcor was the last, the fifth. Aside from communal areas like lounges and control rooms in each zone, the rest of the space belonged to the pariahs. Each received roughly the size of a spacious house. By the standards of the Transcendents who once shook entire planets like mice in their grip, it was paltry, but each owner’s power could expand the space without limit.
The Newcor had recently decorated their ho to resemble Han Yujin’s. A mansion with a broad garden. They erected a Christmas tree in the garden and made it snow white. In the living room they placed a sofa, a table, and installed a huge TV. There were a bedroom, a kitchen, a study, and a bathroom—all ordinary, except for the innermost room.
In that innermost room stood countless small towers. On the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling. Each one was a pseudo-dungeon space that the Newcor had expanded.
Among them, the tower blooming with yellow flowers and blue clouds was where the Newcor spent the longest these days.
“First, I have to take care of that one’s share,”
the Young Chaos clicked its tongue disapprovingly. A massive screen floated before him. On the translucent display—odd against the waterfall cascading down jagged cliffs and the lush forest—a broadcast played. Channel Chatterbox.
“But more Honey followers are joining,”
the Newcor said, shaking their elongated ears.
“Usually that’s good. One of the biggest obstacles to saving the world is infighting! No matter how hard we try, there are always those who put their own gain first!”
There had even been a ti when a world they thought surely saved was devoured by the Source. In that world, the strongest mage fell into the trap set by envious factions and lost his life. His followers attacked the trap-makers, and during the long war, unmanaged labyrinths erupted one after another, destroying the world.
“It’s like sprinkling ashes on a al already served! Even if we can’t tell them all the details, there’s a clear monster enemy! Yet they bicker among themselves at every turn. Or they shove everything onto a few strong ones... just like back in my holand.”
The Newcor blinked slowly. If soone dear had been by his side, if there had been soone he cherished... would he not have accepted the Crescent Moon’s offer? Would he have fought to the end?
Though the tale was already over, he thought, ‘What if...?’
“Everyone has greed. Of all desires, the one we usually prioritize most is what benefits ourselves. Sure, sothing precious might arise in life, but before that, I must exist.”
“But if you pursue selfish greed and the world falls, you die too.”
“There are idiots who stuff even seed grains ant for farming into their bellies. Self-preservation isn’t wrong—it’s necessary and natural. What good are all the joys of the world if I’m not here to see them? You too, Rabbit.”
Chaos’s red eyes fixed on the Newcor. The Newcor’s ears twitched. Though Young Chaos likely knew little of his past, it felt as if he were saying, “Had you put yourself first, your world might still stand.”
“Nothing in the world matters more than yourself. After all, this entire world consists of what I see, hear, feel, and think.”
“...They say to cherish yourself, but...”
“This isn’t comfort or anything—it’s simple fact. Whether you pamper yourself or roll in dung, the truth remains.”
High or low in the world.
[For more hunter victories, Hunter Han Yujin forfeits his own win! Shall we watch again?]
At that mont, the screen showed Han Yujin riding a motorcycle away from the plaza. Young Chaos’s brow furrowed.
“Anyway, that First one! His habits are all wrong. I bet he’s been like that since he was young.”
“Born that way?”
“Bah.”
“But there are good people from birth. Those who strive for others, hailed as noble—even risking their lives.”
The Newcor spoke, carefully gauging Chaos’s expression. He too had sacrificed much for many, bringing prosperity to countless lives.
“There cos a mont when you truly resolve to do sothing—not forced, not helpless—but a mont when you don’t even think of it as sacrifice. You simply do what must be done. Before helping others, you fulfill your own desire.”
“...Maybe Honey felt that too.”
The Newcor certainly did not. He’d only followed orders.
“This ti, the Second did take care of him, so he got his share. But the First...”
Even switching channels, chatter about the party at Chatterbox buzzed everywhere.
“Sotis it’s not just neglecting self-preservation...”
Young Chaos fell silent. The Newcor tilted his head.
“Is ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) that jester any good? I don’t know much about that kind—he seems to be digging too deep into the First’s world.”
“He’s fine. I’ve imposed strict limits!”
The Newcor explained confidently.
“In Honey world, he’s known as ‘Chatterbox,’ not Transcendent Gi Os Sanus. Chatterbox entered as a being separate from the Transcendents, so Gi Os Sanus’s influence is none! He has completely different ID papers—different photo, na, birthdate, residence. He can’t enter Honey world as a Transcendent using those credentials!”
No matter how famous Chatterbox beca, he had no ties to the labyrinthine wizard among the Transcendents. Young Chaos eyed the confident Newcor with so suspicion.
“It’s a relief he’s safe, but...”
“Chaos, perhaps you could learn sothing from this—”
“Still can’t chat, huh?”
“It’s hard to interfere beyond re observation. We need a Honey-world contractor like Chatterbox. We must negotiate, create a new identity unrelated to the Transcendents.”
The Newcor rattled off things that still needed doing. Young Chaos pretended not to hear.
clang.
“Blacksmith!”
From sowhere a bell chid, and the Newcor grinned as they opened a door in midair. Beyond the open portal lay the smithy. Yoo Myeong-woo stepped naturally into the Newcor’s space.
“Greetings, Elder.”
Bowing first to Chaos, Yoo then bowed to the Newcor. The Newcor bead and clapped.
“Tea? Snacks? Tentacles? I picked them out specially! The Third World’s Mossrock recently devised a decent tentacle-crafting formula. It’s not too creepy! Maybe we could scent it with Huni’s preferred aroma or color? Or make it plant-like! Statistically, Huni worlders don’t reject plant stems— they eat plenty of vines, sweet potatoes, grapes!”
“Separating mana into a rapid-fire magazine is tricky. Mana of the sa type tends to clump.”
Yoo Myeong-woo half-listened and drew out a pistol.
“Tea will do.”
“Oh, automatic fire is always tough. Unless you craft special bullet items, pure mana rounds mix unpredictably. Huni world pistols are S-rank, but mana-separation loading probably wasn’t applied. Start by creating a larger weapon that can keep a distant space separated! Want to bring you samples of the Senior Tree’s tentacles?”
“No, thank you. I’m practicing sprouting mana crystals from plant-type monster cores, but it’s not easy.”
“Still, it’s ideal for mastering spatial fundantals. Follow every strand of the crystal’s mana circuit precisely. And Huni—about the bombs you set off, did any belong to the blacksmith?”
Yoo shook his head.
“The ones used this ti were ordinary bombs sourced from Japan.”
“That’s good! We must be careful. If modern weapons from dungeons beco too effective, there’ll be backlash in Huni world. Arms dealers there are powerful. So make sure they’re only formidable against monsters.”
“Don’t worry. No one’s concocting tanks or fighters yet—and without an upper-rank hunter’s mana, large firearms are still inferior to modern weapons.”
Moreover, small arms from dungeons cost far more than non-dungeon weapons. So while awakened individuals of FF rank might keep one for dungeon break contingencies, they’ll generally stick to ordinary guns.
After the Newcor and Yoo chatted a while, Young Chaos suddenly spoke.
“Sothing’s been fluttering since earlier.”
“Oh, that...”
The Newcor frowned in annoyance.
“A ga by Chatterbox just ended. It’s calling out, even though nothing happened.”
A portal to the Golden Forge reappeared. Yoo couldn’t remain here without the Newcor’s aid.
“I’ll be back soon!”
Seeing Yoo off and preparing refreshnts for Young Chaos, the Newcor left the space. Once outside his ho, he drifted toward the communal area. tallic golden fountains and floating bud-like chairs waited among deer and trees. The deer reached out and stroked its half-regrown antlers.
“I was too embarrassed to leave my room. I can’t hide my antlers, and only the stumps remain. It’s cruel.”
Its antlers were its source of power and pride; hiding them ant losing its unique abilities. Yet the deer often bet its antlers once or twice a millennium for a thrill in an otherwise monotonous existence.
“Seniors, why did you call out? Nothing happened.”
The Newcor fluttered his petal-like sleeves and nestled into a bud-chair.
“On the contrary, everything’s proceeding according to plan...”
“Indeed.”
The tree smiled with satisfaction. Its slender, twig-like fingers twitched.
“I never expected Chatterbox to play such a ga. Thanks to that, more S-rank awakened in Honey world are growing fond of Huni. And Chatterbox will surely try to harm Huni and Huni’s precious people at the end. Perfect!”
“That’s when we’ll reveal the thod. Then Huni will accept it without resistance.”
The deer, stroking its antlers, chid in. The tree looked up at the Newcor floating with the chair.
“We called you to see if anyone applied the keyword during the ga.”
“You didn’t notice?”
“No need to watch every detail. Didn’t you see?”
“Of course I did! It was fun!”
The tree and deer exchanged similar expressions.
“You’re still so young, our baby.”
At the tree’s words, the Newcor bristled.
“I’m serious—look!”
“We’ve seen hundreds, thousands of similar events. We even issued oracles to make awakened compete that way.”
“But...”
Elsewhere. The Newcor glanced at the two Transcendents. To them, this ga was just another routine event. But to the Newcor, there were people he knew—people he cared for. He felt empathy, cheered anxiously, and celebrated their victories.
“It’s still early days. Anyway, Newcor, didn’t the number increase by one or two?”
“...No. The ga hid appearances, so applying keywords was difficult.”
“Really? Next ti he ets Huni, remind him to push. We need at least fifty. The more, the better.”
The Newcor’s eyes rolled.
“My work won’t finish on ti, I’m afraid.”
“That’ll be fine if Chatterbox does well. And make sure the blacksmith is well supplied. You’ve already connected the forge, right?”
The Newcor nodded. But Yoo Myeong-woo would never abandon his people, his world—unlike these beings here.
“It might finish sooner than we think.”
“In that case, I’ll sleep for a century, so my antlers can grow back perfectly!”
“You’re stuck in beast form because you’re obsessed with them.”
“How else would I survive boredom? It’s just repetitive work.”
The tree and deer vanished. Left alone, the Newcor muttered and peered over the golden fountain. His reflection blurred and disappeared among falling petals.
‘What we do is right.’
They were saving the world. That truth remained unchanged.
Countless ripples rose on the water’s surface and faded away.
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