There Is No World For ■■

"No contracting state possessing dimensional gates shall directly or indirectly transfer the rights to other dimensional gates, dimensional magic, or similar stabilization devices to any entity or individual."

—Article 1 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Dimensional Gates

Yeomyeong found the dormitory bed uncomfortable.

Lying on the plush mattress with his eyes closed, he couldn’t fall asleep. Instead, intrusive thoughts crowded his mind.

Was it because the bed didn’t suit his body? No, that wasn’t the case.

The top-notch mattress and freshly laundered bedding—handled weekly by the dorm managers—left nothing to be desired.

Yet, paradoxically, it was this very comfort that made Yeomyeong uneasy.

The more at ease his body was, the more his mind longed for the decrepit lodging he had called home during his days as a cleaner.

The damp floor, the cheap vinyl flooring, the faded wallpaper riddled with stains of time, and the mold-speckled ceiling.

Compared to the Academy dormitory, it was practically a hovel. Yet Yeomyeong—or rather, Scarab—remembered it fondly.

The worn-out blanket he used to spread on the floor.

The playful pranks of the senior cleaners.

The mountains of books in the foreman’s office.

The documentaries on a salvaged TV from the junkyard...

All those irretrievable pieces of his past now shimmered like bittersweet mirages in his restless thoughts.

After tossing and turning for a long while, a particular memory surfaced.

He recalled that the foreman had been a follower of the Black Mordak.

Like most adherents of the Five Gods, the foreman had been deeply fond of the Saintess.

Strictly speaking, it was the former Saintess, but he would have liked the current one as well.

No—he certainly would have liked her.

After all, who could possibly dislike her? That clumsy, honest, kind-hearted Saintess.

Even someone who wasn’t a devotee of the Five Gods would be drawn to her.

—If they were normal.

At that thought, Yeomyeong sat up in bed.

The room was steeped in darkness, as if confirming that everyone else was asleep. The only sound was the rhythmic snoring of Baonic.

Should he try to sleep again?

After a brief deliberation, Yeomyeong decided against it and leaned his back against the wall.

His thoughts returned to the Saintess.

Specifically, to the vision she had shown him.

...A future one or two years away.

Though he hadn’t outwardly expressed it, the foresight had been shocking.

Blood and fire. Corpses and ashes.

Not only had he killed all the lawmakers, but Yeouido itself had been burned to the ground.

It was a sight both thrilling and... deeply disappointing.

Though he had seen the vision for only a brief moment, Yeomyeong was certain.

Seti’s plan had gone awry.

If everything had gone according to her plan, there would have been no reason to burn Yeouido.

The presidential residence at Gyeongmudae, the government complex, or even the secretive operators of the Cleaner’s Guild—those were the proper targets to incinerate.

What could have happened in the future that led Seti and himself to kill countless civilians and wage open war against Korea?

And above all, why was his future self...

The same.

The Saintess might not have noticed, but Yeomyeong could tell. After all, it was him.

His future self was no better than his present self.

At most, his hair was longer, and he seemed slightly taller.

His mana reserves, muscle tone, and aura hadn’t advanced.

What caught his attention most was the traces of Hyesung Swordsmanship on the corpses of the dead lawmakers.

The skill displayed in those marks was inferior, even compared to his current abilities.

It was as if he had regressed.

...What on earth happens in the future?

He wanted to rush to the Saintess and demand another look at the future, but foresight wasn’t omnipotent.

There was no guarantee she could see a similar future again, and more importantly, the Saintess’s stamina was an issue.

After leaving the lounge, she had struggled even to walk on her own.

Though she insisted it was nothing, it was clear she needed a few days to recover her mana and strength.

“...Sigh.”

Gripping his throbbing head, Yeomyeong stood up.

He wanted to practice his swordsmanship to clear his mind, but it was too late at night.

Instead, he reached for the water bottle on the small table beside his bed.

As he poured water into a cup, something peculiar happened.

The water, mid-pour, froze in place.

Not frozen as in turned to ice, but stopped moving entirely—as if time itself had paused.

“....”

Though it was an odd sight, Yeomyeong showed no surprise.

He had heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching from beyond the darkness.

From the shadows emerged something equally familiar.

Darkness billowed like the hem of a dress, and above it, an ominous flickering shape came into view.

With a sigh-laden voice, Yeomyeong spoke its name.

“...Mignium.”

"My chosen one, this is our first meeting in reality."

The instant Mignium spoke, Yeomyeong’s spine chilled.

Her voice was too familiar.

The problem wasn’t that it was Mignium’s original voice—it was that it was identical to Seti’s.

“That voice... what did you do?”

His eyes burned with a mix of anger and fear as he glared into the shadows.

All the questions that had plagued his mind evaporated, replaced by a single dreadful assumption.

“...Answer me, Mignium.”

Mignium smiled silently.

"If it’s answers you seek, I can provide them. But I doubt the first would want me to."

“...The first?”

"The first to devote their fate to you."

Without clarifying further, Mignium took a step forward.

Click.

Darkness rippled, and the moonlight shining through the window recoiled as if in fear.

As she approached, part of her face, concealed by deep shadows, came into view.

“....”

Yeomyeong forgot how to breathe, staring at Mignium’s face with trembling eyes.

"Your reaction exceeds my expectations. I’m quite satisfied. Choosing the lamb over the hawk and tree turned out to be the right answer."

Mignium laughed coyly, using Seti’s voice and face.

Yeomyeong, without realizing it, reached out to touch her face.

The warmth of her soft cheek traveled up his fingertips—a sensation only possible in reality, not a dream.

“How...?”

"Ask the first. I am a merciful master and respect the will of my servant’s beginning."

It was only then that Yeomyeong realized "the first" referred to Seti.

"The first to devote their fate..."

The phrase echoed in his mind, triggering a cascade of memories—the orb of light in Manchuria, the Saintess’s recent claim that she could now see Seti’s future.

Were these mere coincidences? Or something more...?

Yeomyeong swallowed hard, his throat dry as unexplainable emotions welled in his chest.

Mignium smiled knowingly at his reaction.

"Have you realized it? The first fate..."

As she spoke, the surrounding darkness trembled.

"Ah, such a shame. As always, time runs short when I meet you."

Without another word, Mignium withdrew into the shadows.

Her dress-like silhouette and Seti’s familiar outline lingered, proof that this encounter wasn’t a dream.

"I lack the time for counsel, so instead, I shall bestow upon you a gift, my chosen one."

Mignium waved her hand with a mischievous smile.

Yeomyeong’s personal bag, which had been tucked under the desk, floated into the air.

From its depths emerged a small, heavily locked box.

The box opened, revealing a single vial that shimmered with an iridescent glow.

“...The Elixir of Awakening.”

A potion rumored to turn ordinary humans into mana users with a slim chance of success. It was the very reason the Korean government supplied necromancers with the corpses of its citizens.

Yeomyeong had acquired it during his raid on the necromancer and government officials in Incheon. He had planned to trade it later for something more valuable.

But why now?

Just as Yeomyeong’s gaze narrowed suspiciously, Mignium pulled the potion closer to herself.

"Tell me, chosen one, what is the most essential element for pleasure?"

The bottle cap popped open, releasing a sharp, invigorating scent.

"The answer... is power. Overwhelming power."

Mignium’s voice brimmed with conviction, and Yeomyeong couldn’t refute it.

After all, it was her gifts—her talents and power—that had enabled him to alter his fate.

"Thus, to eliminate all distractions and obstacles to our shared pleasure, I shall grant you more power."

Before Yeomyeong could voice his objection, Mignium stabbed her hand into her chest.

It was a swift, unpreventable motion.

Thankfully—or perhaps unfortunately—what spilled from between her breasts wasn’t blood but darkness.

From within her chest, Mignium pulled out three radiant gemstones.

Yeomyeong frowned as he stared at them, each glowing with an otherworldly light.

Though they varied in size, they all carried the same mana—Seti’s mana.

“Don’t tell me...”

"Indeed. These are the first’s possibilities: martial arts, divinity, and magic, as your world calls them."

“....”

As the potion lay open and the gems hovered above it, Yeomyeong anticipated what was about to happen and moved instinctively.

Sure enough, Mignium attempted to place the gems into the potion.

But just as the first gem was about to touch the liquid, Yeomyeong grabbed her wrist.

“...What the hell are you doing?”

"Isn’t it obvious? I’m granting you possibilities."

“By stealing Seti’s? Don’t give me that crap.”

Yeomyeong growled, but Mignium’s smile didn’t waver.

"Are you certain you don’t need this? It’s the easiest way to alter the future you saw."

Her voice dripped with temptation, as if she knew precisely what had been troubling him.

"Take it all without hesitation. Everything of the first belongs to you."

“....”

"Her innate talents, her seething emotions, every breath she takes, and even a single strand of her hair... all yours."

Yeomyeong didn’t respond.

He wasn’t foolish enough to fall for such a cheap trick. Seti meant too much to him.

Instead, he snatched the gems from Mignium’s hand and placed them back into Seti’s chest.

First, the largest gem, brimming with tempestuous mana.

Next, the medium-sized gem, shrouded in the same darkness as Mignium herself.

But as he reached for the smallest gem...

Mignium’s foot struck his leg.

Thud!

The kick was so forceful that Yeomyeong’s feet left the ground.

It was a flawless application of martial arts—no explanation needed.

“...!?”

Before Yeomyeong could react, Mignium—or was it Seti?—snatched the gem from his hand.

Without hesitation, she dropped it into the potion.

The sound of the gem splashing into the liquid echoed in Yeomyeong’s ears.

As he scrambled to his feet, Mignium ignored him and began shaking the potion.

She continued until the gem dissolved entirely.

“Hey! Hong Seti!”

When Yeomyeong finally grabbed her wrist, the gem had already disappeared.

“You really....”

Before he could finish, Mignium silenced him with a wave of her hand.

Darkness thickened around them, pinning Yeomyeong in place and muffling his voice.

"I’d love to stay and savor this moment longer, but unfortunately, time is up."

Her voice carried a note of genuine regret as she handed the potion to Yeomyeong.

"Power is pleasure. Continue to seek even greater power, my chosen one."

"My chosen one."

Crash!

The water bottle fell to the floor, shattering with a loud cry.

“What the hell?”

Baonic, who had been snoring moments ago, shot up in bed.

He squinted around the room, his half-closed eyes settling on Yeomyeong standing in the shadows.

In Yeomyeong’s hand was a glowing potion, and his face was unusually serious.

After staring for a moment, Baonic buried his face back into his pillow.

Whatever it was, it was better not to get involved.

Baonic erased the image of Yeomyeong, the potion, and the flickering shadows outside the window from his memory.

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.