There Is No World For ■■

Yeomyeong Sat on the Bed, Eyes Closed.

Beyond the window, the sounds of footsteps, Josef’s shouting, and Balagu’s panicked screaming filled the air.

It was far from peaceful, and the mana surging through his body was anything but calm.

And yet, his mind sank into a silence deeper than ever before.

Heart Meditation, Sitting in Oblivion.

The enlightenment he had grasped in Puyang Binding made it possible.

At this moment, he was a pine tree standing firm in a storm, a rock before the raging sea.

How long had he been in meditation?

At some point, the World Tree Crystal inside him began to dissolve, spreading through his body.

The crystal was a pure concentration of mana.

Unlike the innards of mana-infused beasts or elixirs derived from rare fruits, the crystal instantly flooded Yeomyeong’s body.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had to struggle against the will of the World Tree to absorb its mana.

But Yeomyeong had already been acknowledged by the World Tree.

The pure mana settled into his body without resistance.

Fortunately, there was no rejection or interference—but not everything went smoothly.

Because Yeomyeong was not the World Tree.

His body, made of flesh and blood, was incapable of withstanding the overwhelming surge of mana.

The moment the excessive energy forced its way into him, the first thing to burst were his capillaries.

Then came the tearing of muscles, the rupturing of arteries, and the internal bleeding.

A wet, gurgling sound—blood seeped from his mouth and skin.

His nervous system spasmed, and an unbearable pain surged, nearly whitewashing his consciousness.

He should have stopped immediately—but instead of suppressing the mana, Yeomyeong let it flow.

To any other superhuman, the sight would have been madness.

He simply endured.

He endured, and endured, until he forgot the pain of his body ripping apart.

Until he forgot his own senses, until he forgot himself entirely.

And then—

The mana finally settled.

The flesh that had frozen in agony regained its vitality.

The shredded blood vessels reconnected.

At last, his entire body emitted a brilliant glow—then melted into a fading shimmer.

Yeomyeong exhaled sharply, releasing the last lingering traces of mana.

He opened his eyes.

Was it still night?

His gaze, still seated on the bed, was met with a room filled with darkness.

A brief sense of accomplishment—and a silence that lasted just a little longer.

Then, he realized something.

This darkness wasn’t the natural darkness of night.

“...Mignium?”

The moment he spoke, a black dress fluttered in the darkness.

****

『It’s been a while, my Chosen.』

“....”

She wasn’t using Seti’s body this time?

This time, Mignium’s presence was even more intertwined with the darkness, appearing almost like a fading shadow.

And yet, Yeomyeong could see her clearly.

Because in her hand—

She was holding the severed head of the Player.

“...Why are you here?”

『Have you forgotten who I am? Chosen one, unlike the pathetic gods of this world who only wish and beg, I am different.』

“....”

『I have come to grant you a reward befitting your offering.』

Offering?

Yeomyeong frowned, and in response, Mignium laughed, raising the Player’s severed head as if to show it off.

『A master of fate who wielded three divine powers. A most excellent offering.』

“...Divine powers?”

Mignium smiled silently, then spoke.

『Eyes that see the world in absolute objectivity.』

『A body that grows stronger with every kill.』

『A space that holds anything without condition.』

『If these are not divine powers, then what are?』

The Status Window.

The Experience System.

The Inventory.

She didn’t need to explain.

Yeomyeong already understood what she meant—even though he had never thought of it that way before.

How?

As the thought crept into his mind, Mignium stepped closer with an amused expression.

She extended the Player’s severed head toward him, whispering.

『My Chosen, I had planned to ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) help guide your decision...』

“...?”

『But you have already chosen the best option. How delightful. I shall not waste time, and instead, I will grant you your reward.』

Mignium’s fingers brushed against his cheek.

Her shadowy hands held no heat, no texture—nothing.

Yeomyeong stared up at her in silence, and suddenly—

A memory resurfaced.

The Vision Artifact’s illusion.

Just before the illusion ended, when the Cleaner version of himself had tossed him a bag.

‘...That bag... was it the Inventory?’

But then—how had the Cleaner known?

As his questions deepened, Mignium’s form began to fade.

『To think this fleeting moment was already at its limit... Reality is so dull.』

“....”

She sounded disappointed, but there was no real frustration in her voice.

Mignium casually tossed the Player’s head into the darkness before whispering into Yeomyeong’s ear.

『My Chosen, since there is still time, allow me to give you a special piece of advice.』

『Never compromise. The gods of this land are watching you.』

****

Mignium’s Departures Were Always as Sudden as Her Arrivals.

What were these gods she spoke of?

How exactly did the Inventory work?

Before Yeomyeong could ask a single question, she was already gone.

“....”

He took a slow, steady breath and turned toward the window.

Outside, the moonlight, torches, and electric lights blended into the familiar darkness of night.

This was real.

Not a dream.

Yeomyeong rose from the bed and walked to the window.

The city was quiet—but it was not peaceful.

Under the pale moonlight, the charred remnants of fires stood in stark contrast against the cityscape.

Barricades clogged the alleyways.

This was merely a brief intermission—the calm before the storm.

Yeomyeong shifted his gaze toward the tent encampment outside the inn.

There didn’t seem to be any major conflicts.

The tents remained largely intact.

There were piles of dead Rat Beastmen where the outer perimeter should have been, but...

This is better than expected.

Yeomyeong let out a small sigh of relief and stepped into the hallway.

As soon as he opened the door, someone standing outside jerked in surprise, raising a gun toward him.

A girl with soft, sky-blue eyes—lighter than Seti’s.

Seeing her, Yeomyeong spoke.

“Neti. You’re on watch?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m switching with my sister in ten minutes—wait, hold on.”

Her eyes widened.

“Did you already finish absorbing the crystal?”

Yeomyeong nodded.

Neti let out a low whistle.

“Elves would be jealous... What’s your secret? I haven’t even fully absorbed the elixir from the underground yet.”

“...I just did it.”

“Oh wow, worst answer ever. If you weren’t my brother-in-law, I’d shoot you for that.”

She chuckled and stepped closer—

Then suddenly, she froze and took a sharp step back.

“Ugh, what the hell?! What did you do? You reek!”

“Smell?”

Yeomyeong Finally Took a Look at Himself.

His clothes were covered in black stains, soaked with dried blood and filth, emitting a stench so foul it made him recoil.

“Damn... Looks like you really drank that elixir—ugh!”

“...Is it that bad?”

“My nose is rotting! Go shower before you see my sister! I’ll grab some clean clothes for you.”

Neti pinched her nose and shoved him toward the bathroom.

Yeomyeong didn’t resist, walking to the washroom, but he still threw out a few questions.

“How long was I in that room?”

“About two and a half days? If we’re counting precisely... let’s see—ever since Balagu got scolded by my sister, it’s been roughly sixty hours.”

“What about attacks?”

“The Rat Beastmen came by twice. The kids were watching the alley and set off flares, so there wasn’t much damage.”

Surprisingly, no major incidents.

Yeomyeong swallowed a mix of relief and concern as he stepped into the shower.

“Use all the soap if you have to! Just get yourself clean and come down to the first floor!”

As if taking that as a cue, he turned on the water.

But the blood and grime clinging to his skin didn’t wash away as easily as he expected.

It wasn’t just dried blood—it felt like something more.

He had never experienced anything quite like it, but after using up two entire bars of soap, he finally started to feel human again.

Once he was done, he grabbed the clothes Neti had left outside the bathroom and changed before heading down to the first floor.

The First Floor of the Inn.

Gathered around the table were everyone Neti had called together.

Balagu, rubbing his tired eyes.

Josef, cleaning his gun.

Pinel, leaning lazily against the wall.

And Seti.

“Yeomyeong, how do you feel?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you.”

She must have stood guard outside his door for the entire two days.

Fatigue was etched into her face.

Yeomyeong, feeling a pang of emotion, reached out to take her hand—

Smack!

Before he could, Neti slapped the back of his hand as she carried a plate of potatoes and spam.

“Save the touching for when you’re alone! Right now, eat first.”

“....”

At her sharp scolding, both Yeomyeong and Seti chuckled before settling into their seats.

And just as Yeomyeong popped a potato into his mouth—

The one-armed elf, Pinel, spoke.

“Count Nam and the Rat Beastmen army have taken control of most of the city’s key locations.”

“The Northern Train Station, the sewers, the Central Market...”

“The Western Count is missing. His mage division has defected to Count Nam. Nam himself is holed up in his court, but... it’s meaningless.”

“The Rat Beastmen are focusing on fortifying the Northern Train Station and playing occupation force. That’s the only reason this inn is still standing.”

A summary of the past two days.

As Yeomyeong listened, he cleared his plate in an instant, making up for the meals he’d missed.

Balagu, noticing this, got up and headed toward the kitchen.

Yeomyeong watched him disappear, then asked:

“The underground armory?”

“Taken. The Rat Beastmen are pulling weapons out of it.”

“...Even the tank?”

“The tank? No idea. I could only observe from a distance... But I doubt those rats could actually pilot it. They don’t have the intelligence for it.”

At least there’s no need to fight a tank.

Yeomyeong tapped his fingers against the table, deep in thought.

Then—

Just as Balagu returned with a plate stacked with spam, a knock echoed from the inn’s front door.

Knock, knock.

“...I told them not to come inside.”

Balagu put down the plate and approached the door, assuming it was one of the women or children from the tents outside.

But Yeomyeong and the other superhumans reacted differently.

All of them narrowed their eyes, sensing something.

Knock, knock, knock!

The knocking suddenly became more urgent.

Balagu opened the door—

And standing there, clutching a baby, was the same woman who had thrown the smoke grenade.

“Selina, what did I tell you about breaking the rules?”

Balagu started to lecture her, but Selina cut him off, frantic.

“I-I know, but this is urgent! Really urgent! Just look—look up!”

She pointed toward the sky.

Following her gesture, they all looked up—

And saw something that hadn’t been there moments ago.

A massive circular magic circle, glowing with blue fire, eclipsing the moonlight.

“...What the hell....”

Balagu, who had been forced into being a mage’s assistant at one point, could read the spell.

And what he saw made his throat go dry.

“Uh... guys? You might wanna step outside and look at the sky.”

One by one, everyone filed out of the inn—

And stared up in silence.

Balagu’s voice trembled as he gave his analysis.

“If my eyes aren’t deceiving me... That’s a large-scale resurrection spell.”

“A combination of corpse reanimation, mass control, and area-of-effect amplification... all woven together.”

Balagu himself looked like he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

But Yeomyeong was sure his assessment was correct.

That blue fire was unmistakable—

It belonged to Kahal Magdu.

“...How long until it activates?”

Before Balagu could answer—

A different sound cut through the night air.

Ghrrrr...

Beyond the inn’s entrance, where they had hastily buried the bodies—

The corpses began to rise.

Their twisted limbs convulsed unnaturally, as if something was pulling them back to life.