Chapter 168

November 28, 2018. The Gran Seoul Dungeon still hasn't opened.

'I have… no idea why.'

I only knew the result. I searched the area several times, but my investigation came up empty.

'This'll make things a pain.'

I had changed the future a lot. That was a definite fact. But it was best if the 'big currents' stayed the same. Only then could I take what there was to take and avoid what there was to avoid.

The delay of the Gran Seoul Dungeon's opening would definitely decrease the overall skill level of the Korean server's Players.

"To think Oppa's sense would be wrong. How fascinating."

Sunhwa licked her ice cream with a look of utter bliss. It amazed me that she could enjoy her ice cream so much even though the weather had become quite a bit cooler.

"But does the Gran Seoul Dungeon have to open?"

There was an implied question in her words: Weren't we already busy enough as is? She meant that we were already strapped for time just clearing the Gyeonghoeru Field.

"According to what I've confirmed, we can only reach level 40 with an item from the Gran Seoul Dungeon."

"Really?"

"Yeah. No matter how much EXP we accumulate, we need something from the Gran Seoul Dungeon to get to level 40."

She didn't ask me how I knew this. Sunhwa would believe me no questions asked if I said a cat was a dog.

"Then don't we have to open the Gran Seoul Dungeon somehow?"

"Yeah."

But I didn't know the condition for its opening. What kind of condition was fulfilled in the past to open the Gran Seoul Dungeon? Why wasn't the next scenario proceeding?

Another day passed. I cleared the Gyeonghoeru with the others a few more times and went to the Gran Seoul again. The area was bustling with countless company workers in suits. The time was 6:15 pm.

'Must be the time for people to get off work.'

There were a ton of people. People with all sorts of different faces and expressions waited at the crosswalk for the signal to cross. When the signal turned green, the crowd streamed out like the ebbing tide. There were really a lot of people.

As I watched, I suddenly realized a certain fact.

'Because I returned to the past…'

A lot of people who were supposed to have died, survived. It was because I changed the past. I prevented several dungeon breaks and recently brought an end to the attack of the Fire Giants. Each of those events were supposed to have caused at least a few thousand more casualties.

'Is it because… too many people survived?'

I thought back to the Tutorial Field. I clearly remembered the notices I heard when I cleared it.

[The number of survivors is 5087.]

[The difficulty has been set to 'Low'.]

The Cataclysm ten years ago from the past I remembered also had 5087 survivors. And the Cataclysm I cleared after I went back in time also had the exact same number of survivors, 5087. What if this thing we called the 'System' already had set 'values'?

'The Fire Giants were originally supposed to have killed 30,000 people.'

But I orchestrated their deaths, bringing down the casualties from 30,000 to 6,000. 30,000 were supposed to have died, but only 6,000 did.

There was another clue—the U-Plex Dungeon. There had been a slight issue at the beginning there as well.

[No humans with 'lifeforce' can be detected within the 'U-Plex'.]

[The activation condition of the 'U-Plex Dungeon' has not been satisfied.]

It could be that the progression of the System's 'scenarios' was contingent on human lives.

'Right now, that's the only conclusion I can make.'

Because I prevented too many deaths, the number of lives the System wanted hadn't been reached.

'But the System… moves according to the predetermined setting.'

I couldn't be 100% sure, but the System most likely wanted to open the Gran Seoul Dungeon. That was the natural flow of events. But the condition to open it hadn't been satisfied. Then what method did that leave?

'It will try to kill people another way.'

And just then, I heard a voice.

"Our scenarios keep overlapping."

Dashingly tall, broad shoulders, an affable, good-natured looking face. It was the man I knew as the Great Explorer, Jackson.

Jackson continued with a beaming smile. "I can't help but think our meeting is not a coincidence. Don't you think so?"

"What brings you here, Jackson?"

"I sensed the signs of a dungeon opening here." He tilted his head. "But huh, how strange. I think it should have opened already, but it hasn't."

"..."

He was indeed a great explorer. He didn't even know the future, yet he was able to discern such things. He was at the apex of the explorer class.

"Hyukjin. Do you have any insights, by any chance?"

"I do."

I told him what I had inferred.

"If what you're saying is correct, there's a set value for scenario progression, and the scenario will only proceed if that number is reached?"

"That is what I currently suspect to be the case."

Jackson fell into a moment of thought. "A set value, you say." He nodded in understanding. "We could indeed approach the issue like that."

He spoke quickly, like something had occurred to him. "I told you before, but Korea has taken a strangely low amount of damage. Compared to the other servers, the losses are conspicuously low."

He was right. I made it that way.

"That should mean that the Korean Players are overwhelmingly stronger than the Players of the other servers, but… that's also not the case. Though of course, the average quality of Players is on the high side."

"It is your belief that the losses are too low regardless?"

"Yes. Far too low." Jackson continued. "As one might expect, I'm part of a guild."

"I know."

He was in the most famous guild in England, Imperialism. I heard they were frequently at odds with Taeguk Shield in Boracay lately.

"We have an outstanding Precognitive Dreamer in our guild as well."

"..."

"The precision of his Precognitive Dream is on the extremely high side, too. However, he has been plagued by headaches these days."

"Headaches?"

These words really weren't the kind of basic vocabulary a foreigner should have such a natural command over.

"He seems to be having a lot of precognitive dreams about Korea because I'm here. But I am told that only the precognitive dreams related to Korea keep changing. As you know, seeing the future is an act that causes great physical strain."

He told me about 'precognitive notes', the same notes Kiyeol had relayed to me from the Precognitive Dreamer Ham Sohyun. The Precognitive Dreamer in Imperialism could make them as well.

"Whenever he sees a certain man, the precognitive note always burns up."

The precognitive note he barely managed to write down burned up, and he had to write a new one. Jackson lowered his voice.

"The name of that man…" His voice got even quieter, and with a completely serious expression, he said, "Five bucks if you're curious."

"..."

I briefly contemplated hitting him, but I swiftly drew out five bucks from my pocket.

"FIve bucks. There."

If he said nonsense now, he would be really asking for it. I channeled that threat in my fist.

"That man… has no name."

"No name?"

"He is a man with no name. Well, as you know, that's just how precognitive dreams are. They're all vague and ambiguous, you know?"

No name.

Nameless.

It was a little iffy, but I did suspect it had something to do with me. Because my contracted Guardian was the 'Nameless Observer'.

"In any case, I must find that 'nameless man'."

"How come?"

"Because he will interfere with the king's path."

After saying that, Jackson raised his hand in farewell. "Look at how the time has flown. Regrettably, I think our meeting will have to end here."

"..."

Jackson strode away with mock cheerfulness.

'He will interfere with the king's path?'

What could that mean? If that person interfered with the king's path, did Jackson mean to kill him? It was faint, but I sensed killing intent from Jackson. If my Eye of Perception wasn't broken, it was definitely killing intent. To think I felt killing intent from the Great Explorer heralded as a paragon… He was a little different from the Great Explorer I imagined.

Just then, a notice interrupted my thoughts.

[The flash scenario 'Survive for 24 Hours' has begun.]

A new flash scenario that hadn't happened in the past was triggered.

[This scenario will be automatically cleared when someone 'survives for 24 hours', or 38,122 humans die.]

Like with the Tutorial Field, a sudden flash scenario descended.

The Gran Seoul region became hell on earth.

* * *

The world around us turned red. The foul reek of sewage began to creep in, so disgusting it was hard to breathe. Fog rolled in around us.

'The Primordial Fog.'

A fog that confused your sense of direction.

Whirrrrrrrr–!

An emergency siren went off. To be exact, the siren didn't come from here, but 'outside'.

'This area has been cut off.'

The field itself was enclosed. It was the same as when the Guardian Tower was summoned. There were two different fields, outside and inside. Life was going on as usual in the outside field, but here, a 24-hour survival scenario was in progress.

Jongno.

A foul sewage smell.

Thick fog.

The situation was similar to the Tutorial. I had experienced it back then, but this time, the fog was even thicker. I could hardly see past my nose.

'I can't see.'

I lost my sense of direction. I was in front of the Gran Seoul, but I could no longer tell that the building was there.

'If it goes like the Tutorial, monsters will appear.'

At first, Goblins showed up. But that was literally the tutorial, the easiest mode. Now that it was the beginner period, there was a very high chance monsters stronger than Goblins would spawn.

And I was right.

Awoooooo–!

A howl rose eerily around me. It was the cry of a Lycanthrope.

Goblins were the first to appear in the Tutorial, and in this 'Survive for 24 Hours' scenario, level 25 Lycanthropes were the first.

'The System's determined to kill 30,000 people.'

I was too exposed right now.

'My sense of direction is very muddled right now, but…'

Thankfully, I had a special power others lacked called Observer's Eye and Eye of Perception.

'This way.'

The Gran Seoul and D-Tower were nearby. I walked towards the D-Tower. That was a beginner area and should be set as a safe zone. In a situation where I knew zilch, that was the safest place.

As I made my way, several Lycanthropes attacked me, but it wasn't all that dangerous. I was already level 38. I had over ten levels on them in level alone. They were no longer the Lycanthropes I once feared.

Slice–!

Isabel slashed a Lycanthrope's throat.

[Lycanthrope has been killed.]

[EXP cannot be acquired.]

[Items cannot be acquired.]

I moved while focusing on Eye of Perception. I had scouted this area out several times in preparation for the Gran Seoul Dungeon's opening, so thankfully, I didn't have much trouble finding my way. After quite a while, I finally made it to the D-Tower.

The Primordial Fog was a little sparser around the D-Tower. I could at least see two to three meters ahead of me. I heard another notice.

[In consideration of the 'Low' difficulty, a TIP will be given.]

[The 'Gwanghwamun D-Tower' is set as the 'Tutorial Building'.]

[The 'Tutorial Building' is a 'Safe Zone'.]

[If you move to the 'Gwanghwamun D-Tower', your survival chances will increase.]

As soon as I heard those notices, I realized something new.

'This notice just now…!'

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