---

The islands along the west coast were cleaned up entirely. Code 3. Thanks to that, it became much easier to tidy things up. Watching the huge black flames engulf the final facility of those guys—Area E—the Wolf fell into deep contemplation.

“……”

Recently, it felt like emotions were bubbling up uncontrollably. There were understandable reasons in the blind spots and the Academy. It was something anyone would feel outraged about, a cause of venting frustration.

But this time, it was different.

‘This time, it was different.’

It wasn’t something I’d seen directly; it was just traces that stirred up my feelings. It was proof that my boiling point had significantly lowered without me realizing it. Just like the protagonists in novels who got angry at injustices. As if I wished for it to turn out this way. As if I had somehow led myself to become this way. And that was certainly…

‘The System.’

As if reacting to that thought, a message popped up.

[Destruction Probability 95.06 → 93.39%]

[You’ve gained 1.67% of good karma]

[Karma (業) 5.51%]

Karma. Somehow, it had exceeded 5%. I still didn’t know the true nature of the system, but I had definitely sensed ‘their’ presence when I was lost in Agail’s illusion and when I evolved.

It was clear that the system wasn’t something that could be pinpointed to one individual.

‘And Karma…’

It definitely originated from ‘them.’ I was sure that the questions regarding this would eventually be resolved. Taking a deep breath, I recalled what I still had to do.

‘There are still people left.’

I had to get them back to the mainland.

***

With a chilling aura, Euna opened her eyes. As a disciple of Chang-seon, the energy she inherited was far too vivid.

“A monster…!”

One minute to change. At dawn, Euna, holding her spear, felt the energy gradually fade away. —She had no intention of letting it slip by. As she closed the distance, she faced the silhouette of a wolf, which stood tall as if it had awaited her.

‘Class B?’

Or possibly higher. The faint magic power felt like that level, but there was some strange dread about it. Her instincts told her that fighting might not be the best option.

‘What on earth is that?’

If it were a black wolf, then there’d be a Worg, but she’d never seen or even heard of a wolf monster like that. Euna, glancing around, noticed.

‘There are no people.’

The spot where it stood was a park. There was no one to get caught up in the chaos. Thinking it was best to subdue it as quickly as possible, she readied her spear. Just as pure, brilliant magic gathered in her spear, her eyes widened.

“……!”

All because of the presence of a Fairy Dragon. Although she had grown since that time, she couldn’t have been mistaken.

“Eun-gong…!”

Soon Euna’s expression hardened. The wolf with Eun-gong. If that was the case, this wolf was almost certainly…!

***

‘Still calling it Eun-gong.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. This had never been such a frivolous character. But coming to find Euna was indeed the right choice.

‘I don’t know where those guys are.’

I hadn’t gained enough power yet. I needed to be careful to not reveal my identity. I didn’t know all the rogues, so I needed to find a place free of them. And if it was the Forest of Euna, where Lee Baek-seom had just tidied up…

‘And Euna, if she was like the one I saw in the novel, the one who never lost her integrity, then no matter how the future has changed, she couldn’t possibly have assisted the rogues.’ I nodded slightly. Although I had aimed my spear, no fight had begun.

‘Thanks to the Fairy, things turned out well.’

It would have been futile and unnecessary to fight with Euna.

“Alpha!”

Yet, Euna’s eyes were filled with suspicion. Even so, she glanced at the Fairy, still believing I was forcing it. There had been an earlier conversation about how a hunter’s hatred for monsters was vividly displayed. I sighed inwardly but kept my façade cool.

“The islands along the west coast. Go there.”

“……!”

“There are those who are left. Save them.”

I said what I had to say. Just as I was about to turn back, a beam of light shot past and blocked my way.

[Perception (E) Lv.9 has reached its maximum proficiency. Perception (E) Lv.9 → Perception (E) Lv.10]

[Perception (E) Lv.10 has reached its maximum level. Perception (E) Lv.10 → Exceptional Perception (D) Lv.1]

It was like a shining spear, but dodging it wasn’t difficult. It was merely a throw to block my path. When I turned to look at her, she asked.

“What exactly do you want? Depending on your answer…”

The spear I had thrown had somehow returned to her hand.

‘I thought it would be resolved easily.’

It seemed it wouldn’t go so smoothly. She was already summoning her powerful magic, as though ready to fight.

“Answer me! What is your identity…!”

-That was a question I wanted to ask. I was curious why I had reincarnated as a Slime. I had no answer to the question of my identity. But if it was about what I desired…

‘Did I say to change it.’

[If you are unhappy with the ending, please change it yourself]

If I could guide the world to the right conclusion, I might be able to return. In any case, no matter how the circumstances had changed, my tasks from start to end hadn’t altered.

“To prevent the end.”

To avert destruction and annihilation. That was all I was focused on. Looking at the Fairy, it seemed he was waiting as he wagged his tail.

I and he returned again to the Fantasy World.

***

“I’m glad things turned out well.”

At Gu Jin-ha’s voice, Euna nodded. Numerous ships floated on the sea ahead. Just as the Wolf had expected, she lent a hand in rescuing the people of the west coast.

“Incredible. How did you manage to save so many people?”

“Another reason I can’t afford to let them go. It’s best we check all the islands, not just the west coast.”

Just then, as a monster’s form revealed itself, Euna threw her spear and pierced it as expected. People exhaled in relief as they watched the large shark sink beneath the surface. Euna glanced slyly at Gu Jin-ha.

“I’m surprised you came here.”

“…It just happened to coincide.”

Gu Jin-ha forced a smile. Duguk Island. If he had thought a bit more carefully, he would have realized that the situation was connected to larger events like the Academy raid and the death of Mun-no. It was a relief they could rescue them now, at least. Watching people disembark one by one, Gu Jin-ha asked Euna.

“Did Alpha say that?”

“Yes. To prevent the end.”

When asked what he wanted, that enigmatic wolf had responded with that. End—there were vague thoughts that crossed my mind.

‘……’

At first glance, humanity seemed to have regained stability. People appeared to lead stable lives, and all they had to do was be cautious. Peace seemed to have arrived, and it looked like all they had to do was block the dungeons.

‘What nonsense.’

Even in this moment, destruction loomed! Europe had perished, and disease and plague continued… The purple black tiger remained unmoved in Baekdu Mountain, but if it were to act, who knew if we could stop it? Moreover, due to the maritime calamity, humanity had to give up islands and seas.

‘It’s the end.’

It was undeniable that destruction was approaching humanity. When an unstoppable disaster ebbed in, it would surely come one day.

‘To think that the end Alpha spoke of was the destruction of humanity…’

I felt it was a convenient thought. After all, Alpha was a monster. Over the past 50 years, humanity had to learn. That humans and monsters could not coexist, no matter what.

‘But.’

If by chance, if the end Alpha wished for was indeed the destruction of humanity. And if stopping that end meant stopping the destruction of humanity…

“…….”

For a moment, the thought crossed my mind that perhaps Alpha might coexist with humanity.

***

“White Deer.”

“By now, you’ve completely grown accustomed to my visits.”

As soon as I moved to the Fantasy World, White Deer rose as if waiting for me. Shaking off its sluggish body closely resembled a cat. When I stared at those bright eyes, White Deer questioned.

“What’s up? More than that.”

“There’s something.”

With White Deer’s words as if they knew what I was about to say, I nodded. As we walked slowly, the Fairy fluttered down and settled above my head.

“Kkyu!”

“You’ve really grown a lot. Both you and that little dragon.”

“…Indeed.”

I believed there was still a long way to go, but I couldn’t deny how much the Fairy had grown. The little creature that had now surpassed 500 grams was nearly four times its initial size. Above all, the magic power that had exceeded 100 was astounding.

‘A summon is not just any summon.’

Being able to handle magic while keeping one’s rationality makes one a spirit beast. White Deer had said that a summon was an advancement of that. Indeed, it was magic worthy of the name. How much would it grow as time passed, though, when it was still this small?

“Kkyu~!”

Of course, that thought didn’t arise while looking at it. Before I knew it, we had arrived at the dungeon.

“Here we are.”

Namsan in Seoul—what kind of dungeon would it be? Standing before the dungeon’s boundary, my thoughts deepened. Not because of the dungeon before me.

‘Neverland.’

A name that suddenly popped into my head. I didn’t remember it well, but I think I vaguely heard it on the way to see Euna, while watching TV. The time for Neverland to open was approaching, and each clan was deciding whether or not to participate, or something along those lines.

‘It’s now ’69.’

I didn’t know how the strategy for Neverland had been during this time. But one thing was certain: it had failed. The successful strategy for Neverland happened much later. Besides, in this chaotic time, following the events of Mun-no’s death and Academy raid, it hardly seemed likely we could clear it.

‘I need to go.’

Not to lead the strategy to success, but because of Neverland’s uniqueness.

‘Reset.’

Neverland is a dungeon that, after a certain period, closes and resets everything, including monsters, for when it opens next. Without this condition, no matter how tough the dungeon was, there wouldn’t have been a way to not clear it for over a decade.

‘And that condition is.’

It was the best opportunity for me. If it’s a high-level dungeon that resets regularly—though unpredictably—it’d be the perfect source of experience points.

‘But for now.’

I chose to focus on the dungeon ahead of me rather than Neverland, which wasn’t open yet. I steadied my heart and stepped toward the dungeon’s borders.

 

---