Entering the boss room of an S+++ gate alone was, by all accounts, a reckless move. Even for me, facing a dungeon boss alone was essentially a death sentence.

Yet, here I was, standing in the boss room by myself, all because I had agreed without hesitation. I trusted Gong’s abilities, and I figured I could dodge around and stay alive for thirty minutes.

---

[The dungeon’s master has been slain.]  
[A transcendent being ????? has entered.]

*It’s true—coming alone is the right choice.*

After all, this wasn’t an ordinary raid; it was more of an investigation. I’d never seen a phenomenon like this before, even in my previous life.

So, going in alone made sense, despite the risks. As Gong said, I’d likely encounter something so terrifying I might wet myself. But I could survive.

"See you soon, Sia, Alice, Master."  
"Tch. Be careful, you fool."  
"I believe in you, Yu-jin! Good luck!"  
"...If you come back with a single scratch, I’ll make sure you never function as a man again."  
"Haha, yes, ma’am."

I was a bit nervous, so I took advantage of my wives’ support to psych myself up. With their encouragement, I confidently stepped onto the teleportation sigil, ready to face this so-called transcendent.

---

*Ssshh... Flash.*

*...Huh?*

But to my surprise, the boss room was unexpectedly calm.

It was completely empty, with not a single monster in sight. Some parts of the walls were broken, likely signs of a previous battle, but there wasn’t a speck of dust left from it.

And near the exit portal…

*...Staring right at me.*

*...A person? Wait, where did the furniture come from?*

There was someone sitting near the return portal, sipping tea at an absurdly elegant table. Judging by the circumstances, this was likely the transcendent "?????"—but bringing a table to the boss room just to have tea? Really?

I cautiously approached, katana in hand.

*Not an attacker type...*

*Swish.*

*...She’s drawn her sword!!!*

But then, the atmosphere shifted drastically as she unsheathed a greatsword, transforming the once peaceful scene into a charged battlefield.

Our eyes met for the first time.

*Whoosh.*

*Wow, she’s gorgeous.*

Silver hair cascading down, noble blue eyes—a dignified beauty that reminded me of my Master. There was an elegance to her.

*Of course, my wives are a thousand times prettier!*

In any case, she didn’t hold my interest for long. Alice was ten times more graceful, Sia a hundred times more noble, and though Master may not be endowed in a certain department, she was far prettier overall.

*Subtly.*

*She has this peculiar aura, though. She seems more like a seasoned old man than a young woman.*

The more I observed, the stranger things seemed.

Her movements while drinking tea were almost too precise. She rested her greatsword casually on her shoulder without hesitation, as if she weren’t worried about cutting her hair.

Something about her didn’t seem like a woman at all. In fact, she felt more like an old man—a grizzled one at that.

It was enough to raise my guard.

*She’s not human!*

*Clang!*

"Humanoid monster!! You may be beautiful, but I won’t go easy on you!!"

I drew my sword and declared my intentions.

This creature pretending to be a woman—she might fool others, but not me. I was ready to provoke her into attacking so I could avoid her and run for thirty minutes.

*Ding!*  
[Skill ‘Perfect Hypnosis’ waves a tiny white flag furiously!]

*Time to provoke and dodge for the whole thirty minutes.*

In reality, I was already planning my escape. That woman had killed the dungeon’s master single-handedly. They really expected me to fight her alone?

Standing still would only invite an attack, and with our power difference, I was likely at a disadvantage. So, I planned to take the initiative, provoke her, simplify her moves with hypnosis, dodge her attacks, and keep evading.

If I survived the thirty minutes, I’d regroup with Master.

*Snicker.*

"...?"

Then, I heard a soft chuckle.

Startled, I looked up to see her smiling. It was a knowing, almost amused smile, the kind you wear when watching a child’s performance.

And then…

*"Treue schätze ich, doch du bist anmaßend. Erkenne den Standesunterschied."*

*Ding!*  
[Skill activation failed!]

"...!!!?"

My hypnosis was repelled instantly, not just resisted but outright denied. The world around me seemed to darken in an instant.

*[Failure backlash: Inflicted with ‘Loss of Will,’ ‘Fear,’ and ‘Lethargy.’]*

*Ding!*  
[Skill ‘Perfect Hypnosis’ urgently fetches a bandage!]  
[Failure backlash nullified.]

*...I thought I was done for.*

Fortunately, my unique skill, *Perfect Hypnosis,* was the ultimate mental ability, and I managed to keep my composure.

The woman’s eyes flashed with intrigue.

*Muttering.*

*"■■■ ■■ Schutzbarriere ■ Seele ■■ von bemerkenswerter Kunstfertigkeit."*  
"...Huh?"

She murmured something I couldn’t understand. Wait, was she… speaking human language?

A moment ago, her voice had been like the boss monster’s growling from the A-rank gate, but it was starting to sound more like actual words.

Cautiously, I spoke up.

*Grinning.*

"Are you, by any chance, human? Are you… human?"

For the first time, I greeted her in broken English, subtly lowering my katana and easing my tense expression.

*Maybe this will get the message across, even if she doesn’t understand the language…*

"Ahem. Can you hear me now?"  
"Wow! You speak Korean too?"

My guess was spot on. She was speaking directly to me in clean Korean, not the eerie mental voice monsters use. This was proof she wasn’t a monster.

I relaxed a little.

"How do you know Korean?"  
"My son spent time here."  
"Oh, an exchange program?"  
"...Something like that."

*Clink. Tap-tap.*

"Anyway. Take a seat. I permit it."  
"Ah, yes."

She put away her greatsword and tapped the table, inviting me to sit.

...It was risky, but I decided to follow her lead. I quickly took a seat.

*Slide.*

"...?"  
*Is she moving my chair? Is she doing this?*

The chair slid out on its own, aligning perfectly for me to sit.

"Um, is this…?"  
"Relax, I have no ill intentions. Though you are fair to look at, I hold no interest in you."  
"...? Alright."

Her statement was baffling, as if she were viewing me as a woman.

But it reassured me. She seemed to bear no hostility.

*Hold on. Then why did Gong see himself die?*

"Excuse me, but… why am I the only one left unharmed here?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"For instance, if a small and fragile young man entered… you wouldn’t plan to kill him, would you?"  
"I never raise my sword against the old or young, and needless bloodshed does not interest me."

So Gong wasn’t going to die after all.

"Oh, I would merely render those without ‘■■■’ unconscious. Seeing me would drive them mad."

Her words offered a clear explanation. Apparently, if they lacked something, she’d simply knock them out.

It made perfect sense. If Gong fainted instead of dying, it’d explain why he couldn’t foresee anything beyond entering the room. He had to be conscious to observe a future.

*Wait. Just how much does she know about me?*

But I was the issue here.

The fact that I wasn’t knocked out meant I possessed something that allowed me to withstand her presence—likely whatever "???" referred to. She seemed to know something about it.

*Time to gather intel.*

"I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say you’d knock them out for not having?"

I asked cautiously, hoping this would lead to some answers about the secrets of my regression.

Her eyebrow twitched.

"■■■. You can’t hear it?"

*Ding!*  
[Skill ‘Perfect Hypnosis’ blocks external intrusion!]  
[It warns of severe repercussions if breached.]  
[Skill ‘Perfect Hypnosis’ activated.]

"It sounds like growling."  
"Hmm. ◆◆◆. ★★★? ▲▲▲."  
"I still can’t hear it."  
"How about if I write it? Can you see this?"  
"It looks like scribbles."  
"Tsk. They’ve sealed it off tight. You have much to improve."

It looked like she’d tried a hypnosis chant but failed.

But I learned two things.

First, I was under a hypnosis spell preventing me from comprehending "???."

Second...

"Pity."  
"..."

She held a peculiar fondness toward me.

It was strange. A transcendent, whom I’d met by chance, who spoke fluent Korean, and showed me such kindness?

This was almost too lucky.

*Like a miracle... Wait, the High Priestess did say something.*

*[The Saintess sends a message. You will soon experience a miracle within the gate.]*

*So this miracle wasn’t a one-time thing?*

For the first time, I felt a slight faith in the Goddess. If this wasn’t a miracle, then what

 was?

"Since I can’t understand, I’ll ask something else. Does your son have symptoms like mine? Do you know how to fix this?"

I hoped for a sliver of truth to break through the veil of hypnosis.

The woman shook her head.

"I can’t tell you. No, I could, but doing so would shatter your mind."  
"...Ah."

I understood what she meant. A few weeks ago, I’d experienced something similar.

When Sia and I kissed, it partially broke my "???" seal, but the pain had been excruciating.

Sure, my abilities improved, but I had nearly died from the backlash. And that was from unlocking just one-third of the seal.

Hearing the full truth would likely break the entire seal and kill me in the process.

This hypnosis seemed to protect me from that.

"I understand."  
"Mm? Aren’t you going to ask more?"  
"What’s the point if I can’t comprehend it?"

I decided to let it go.

Alright, trying to take a shortcut was my mistake. Better to stick to the plan and get stronger.

"So, I apologize for talking only about myself. May I ask your name?"

My question implied my curiosity about her identity, origin, and the nature of transcendent beings.

"Eren… no, you wouldn’t know me. We’re from different dimensions, you see."  
"...?"

Her answer was bizarre. Apparently, we were from different "dimensions."

What kind of answer is that? Could she explain it in simpler terms?

"I don’t understand what you mean."  
"I wish I could explain…"

*Drip. Stumble.*

"...Huh?"  
"Your body is reaching its limit."

For some reason, a nosebleed trickled down my face, like when I’d exhausted my abilities.

"Crossing dimensions takes a toll. Your frail human form isn’t equipped to withstand this."  
"W-Wait. Crossing dimensions?"  
"I will do only what I was asked to do, then leave."

In my confusion, the woman rose, greatsword in hand.

Then, right before my eyes, she sliced through space itself.

*Slice.*

"What are you—"  
"I’ve opened a path. I trust you can find your way out."  
"W-Wait...!!"

I tried to reach her, but…

"I must go now, Saintess, or rather… one who has fallen to a Saint."

*Fading.*

"Saintess?!"

Her figure blurred like a mirage before dissipating into mist, along with the table, chairs, and teacup—vanishing as if none of it had ever existed.

"Wait…"

*Glow.*

Stunned, I stood still as the air split open before me.

A radiant green glow emanated from the path her sword had carved.

And then, I found myself…

*...staring.*

"...?"

I came face-to-face with… something.

"..."

*Plop, plop.*

*...Is it coming this way?*

*Thud… Splash!*

*Did it just trip while running toward me?!*

And thus, I was met with a rather… clumsy presence.