Everyone Else Is A Returnee

'Thinking'

"Speaking"

[Higher existence's speaking/Akashic records interface/Monsters]

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The month was April. The university newbie left the room as soon as the lecture ended before everyone else at 2:45. He did not want anyone to recognize him as not an outsider, though no one knew him as such hence he would not have been stopped anyway; he still resolutely walked onto the hill road outside of the plaza.

There, he felt the unexpected change for the first time.

'No one's around…'

There was a huge number of people in lectures that ended at 2:45 Sure, not all of them were like Yu Il Han, an outsider returning home, yet the complete absence of people in the plaza as well as in the hill road was strange.

'I don't think anything is happening today. Was there a school event I didn't know of?

Even so, there was no need to feel strange. Yu IlHan exited all invited chat groups ever since he attended his university! It was not as if he left out of pressure, it was solely out of his choice!

Sensing sorrow out of vain, Yu IlHan walked down the hill valiantly despite the lack of people. He wanted to hitch a ride on a shuttle bus, but there were no vehicles to be seen.

Was there a military exercise in the university? Perhaps a school-wide game of hide-and-seek? All kinds of thoughts came into his mind but he dismissed them readily. For twenty-odd years he had never held hands with a girl, and the lack of other presences right now was nothing in comparison.

However, those musings dissipated as soon as he exited the school entrance.

'What?'

There was no one.

'What the hell?!'

No one was around!

'What's going on!'

In a panic, Yu IlHan repeated the same phrase inanely as he ran around. There was no one. To conjure up a crazy idea like a mass picnic was impossible. The situations were too alarming to escape reality.

No one. No human to be seen!

He looked through the windows of the fast-food joint he often visited. The meal on a table was emitting warm vapour, the chair was pulled slightly back as if someone was sitting on it moments before. Furthermore, spoons and chopsticks were erratically thrown aside, giving them a sense of their users abruptly disappearing out of thin air.

This oddity applied to all shops. Incidentally, how about parked cars? Moving cars that were in traffic had violently collided in such a way that they lost their drivers, with some on the verge of explosions due to leaking, ablaze gasoline.

'Dammit'

His mind may have been in disarray, but Yu IlHan identified the hazard and escaped to a vehicle-less street. The reverberation of explosions like the ones in films soon tickled his ears.

Wind carrying the hot air blew, and Yu IlHan fled like he was drifting on the wind. Then he shed pointless tears.

His mind was pieced back together at a bus station.

'Ima go home'

Maybe after he washed and ate his mother's meals, maybe after he slept, things would be different.

Foolish ideas again sprouted the moment the crises were over. His fantasies were broken quickly this time though. The bus was simply not arriving.

'What the fuck is going on!?'

Yu IlHan prided himself over his mental fortitude. From elementary to high school, he overcame everything by his own effort. As a result, he was attending a quite reputable university, and he was confident to do well on his own for a foreseeable future.

The Chinese character for 'person' is to symbolize two people relying on each other; he never needed such weak stuff. Yu IlHan always believed that he was like an upright number '1'-someone could accomplish anything unassisted

But, this was too much to handle.

'Have I alone moved to a different world?'

His situation was too out-worldly that he said something so stupid. Nothing was changing. The bus was not coming, his knees were swelling in pain due to reckless running. Growing sadder every minute, he noticed his tears falling onto the bare earth like bird droppings.

'Pathetic, crying over trivial matters as a university student. No, f.u.c.k it. If I don't cry now, over what would I ever weep? Isolation during his primary school days has made me dismal before, now the entire district is avoiding me.'

Knowing that crying wouldn't change anything, Yu IlHan came back to his senses swiftly. It was feverishly hot and tiring. Getting home was his priority.

'Guess I'll walk'

Despite the knowledge that no one was there to hear him speak, he started to shout while walking in the hope of someone to reveal themself. Yu IlHan embarked on an hour-and-a-half journey shrouded in an added layer of disappointment to the obvious result.

Of course, his mother wasn't present. He tried to check the time, yet all clocks, including those in mobile phones and computers, were stopped. His dad wasn't coming either, Yu IlHan concluded following a couple of hours of waiting as he stared at the everlastingly blue sky.

The TV only showed static screens, the radio the same and the internet was not working. It was like humanity itself had vanished. Except himself, who was trapped in a stagnant time.

At least, water and gas pipes worked. He showered and cooked a package of instant noodles.

Slurp… 'Delicious'

The taste deepened his sadness and more tears flowed down. He was drowsy now that he was full. 'I don't care for the mass disappearance, and whether or not the night was arriving, I need sleep. Mabey, something will be different when I wake up.' He laid on his bed in these complacent thoughts. At that moment…

A beautiful woman wearing white feather wings appeared.

[Oh, so it is here!] Her first words were rude.

"Wh..who are you?"

Yu IlHan had to cover himself with blankets for he practised nudity as a sleeping habit. The woman stared at his folly grotesquely and then shifted her expressions.

[Hm. You can call me how you see me as...]

"A home invader?" He interrupted.

[I am God's messenger, an angel.]

She stared at Yu IlHan and spoke each word stressfully to disclose her identity.

Since she emerged without any signs, Yu IlHan had already figured out her paranormal nature, so he accepted who she was with little surprise. Too many strange things had happened already to be astonished again.

But he was being unreasonably indifferent to reality. Her next words proved so.

[Since I am running out of time, I will be straightforward. You have been left behind.]

"….Left behind…?"

Yu IlHan's complexion showed confusion. Being left behind had always been intricately linked to his life. He was left behind by everyone in the elementary school excursion, the middle school camping trip, the high school field trip, and even the university MT…

[God has recognized the arrival of the Great Cataclysm on Earth, which has led to all humans being sent to numerous different worlds in case of this happening. Somehow, only you have been excluded.

No way, being left behind on a scale of entire humanity! Consciousness dwindled. Holding onto his fading mind, Yu IlHan questioned the angel.

"What is the Great Cataclysm?"

[Earth's experience gauge has been filled, so it is levelling up to the next stage].

He was full of desire to tackle her like when he was forced to replace his Dad in a Sunday league team, but he managed to subside it. Then he asked.

"What happens when it levels up?"

[Energy of a higher level than that of Earth's is revealed. It is called mana. Also, the akashic records initiate contact with Earth, hence humans are permitted to read a part of the records. This is termed status.]

" A Good concise explanation."

[I'm good, aren't I?]

The angel and her huge beasts gloated at his praises. Yu IlHan promptly continued his questions.

"Why is there a need to send humanity to different worlds? In fantasy novels, it happens all of sudden for no apparent reason…"

[Mana being divulged to Earth signifies the obligation to face mana-evolved animals, so-called monsters.]

He expected something like this as soon as 'mana' was mentioned.

[Because animals adapt to mana better than humans, humanity will suffer a disaster and will be driven to extinction without intervention. There are dozens of doomed worlds already, therefore God has decided to move Earth's humanity to safe environments where they could adapt to mana.]

'Do you mean that my humanity has been transported to mana-adjusted human worlds?'

[Of course. Humans of other worlds will train them for a supply of a certain amount of 'status'. Though there will be humans without the capacity to do so, God cannot save them all.]

Indeed, it was obvious. Yu IlHan thought he had heard enough, but he still had some doubts.

"Couldn't we kill monsters with guns and stuff?"

[Not even one of your planets Nuclear weapons could slay them)

"So there really is a necessity to strengthen humanity."

[Naturally. God is great and merciful.]

The angel again gloated about in an arrogant expression and with her huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s pointing outwards. Seizing the opportunity, Yu IlHan made the most despairing face possible and asked.

"What about me?"

[…] The angel had no words to say.

"What about me?"

As Yu IlHan pursued her answer, she turned her head a little and answered in a slightly lower voice.

[There was a mistake]

"Correct it please."

[As all tickets have been booked out, you cannot go to other worlds.]

"Not even standing rooms?"

[No]

"What kind of shitty God is this?!!"

Finally, Yu IlHan exploded. The angel, pitying the man, muttered as if to pacify him.

[There is a rejector bonus!]

{I don't need it! Send me too!]

[The instant humanity was forced out, Earth's time has stopped. Until they return, you are not affected by the effects of time. In other words, you don't age. Though this includes all Earth's humans too…]

"Send me too!"

[Moreover, God, who has sympathized with your lone rejection, has gifted you with status bonuses when the Great Cataclysm occurs. Amazing ain't it?]

Details about status bonuses appeased Yu IlHan's tantrum somewhat. Yu IlHan lifted his head, faced the angel and enquired.

"What about mana? I need to learn how to use it as well."

[Till the upheaval occurs, it is not possible.]

"Ah, send me too! Send me too!"

[Can't do it, man sorry] She said while shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head.

His tantrum resumed, then Yu IlHan firmly shook his head side to side. It was not going to happen. For God's sake, he was God! How could not just simply pluck Yu IlHan out of here, and put him somewhere else?!

[God has adjusted humanity's adaption period to be 10 years. Be cheerful and wait until then. I will supply your meals.]

"…I'm going to get hungry even though time doesn't pass?"

[Your cells function, but they don't age.]

"That is a bit contradictory..."

[Since you cannot train to adapt to mana, should you not train your physicality in the very least? Think optimistically: other humans adapt to mana at the expense of their physical enhancements resetting as soon as they return ]

Yu IlHan sighed and leered into her eyes. Was that really an encouragement? These useless assholes were responsible for his mess in the first place, now they were pretending to be charitable through some grand, superficial language. 'If this 'status bonus' was not worth it, I am going to lose my fucking mind', Yu IlHan thought.

'Hee ho hey, that is not fucking okay…'

Ten years. At last, he could face reality. 'Ten years? I can live with that, surely.' While his innate optimism persuaded himself, Yu IlHan spat out his last question.

"Why was I excluded. Why me?"

[Your name was not discoverable by God, who was recording the list of humanity to be sent. He was astounded by your concealment.]

"….."

And so, Yu IlHan's Earth life alone had begun.