A sketch of a monster doodled on paper.
It took quite a while to recognize its true nature.
It was such a haphazard drawing that even I, a master of monsters, couldn't identify it at first glance.

"What kind of messy scribbles are these… Wait, most of them look similar?"

I almost overlooked it, but something felt off—the continuity of the drawings.

This looked like something drawn impulsively by a crazed person.
Normally, it would be all random and chaotic, but here were similar-looking monsters appearing in succession?
No matter how I looked at it, it was suspicious.

So, I focused on observing it more closely.
Taking advantage of the moment while Sibyl and the President were chatting.

"Hah, I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before…"

*Thump. Squelch.*

"...Why is Sibyl suddenly acting like this?!"

Even though Sibyl interrupted me in the middle,

"I have wives... Hold on, these monsters are the ones!"

Thanks to her interruption, I realized it.

The true identity of the monsters sketched there.
The ones that severed both my master’s and my own arm.
The ones that destroyed Alice's homeland, Britain.
The monsters that turned Cheonhwa, Korea’s strongest clan, to ashes overnight.

They were the monsters that emerged from what I call an EX-Rank Gate—an unprecedented catastrophe.

"So this is why Sibyl went mad... Wait. Could I sell this info to the President?"

A sudden flash of insight struck my mind.

A prophet like her. A regressor like me.
And lastly, the most powerful person on Earth—the President of the United States.
A trio powerful enough to change the world, no?

Then, what should I do now?

"Would you believe it if I said an EX-Rank Gate might appear?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"You've heard the reports about the Saintess, right? Well, these monsters are just like her…."

First, a spoiler about fifteen years into the future.

You know that the Saintess is immune to attacks, right?
These monsters are similar… no, they’re even worse, filled with murderous intent, and they fall from the sky in swarms.
Tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands.

How strong are they, you ask?
The United States dropped thirteen nuclear bombs, and they still didn’t die.
Even Ninomiya Aika, humanity’s strongest at the time, lost an arm.

"So, what do you think will happen to this world?"
"It would turn to ashes."
"Correct. It’s bound to be annihilated if we don’t prepare."
"But why are you saying this now… could it be?"

The President, who had been listening indifferently, suddenly furrowed his brows.
His gaze shifted toward Sibyl.

A sigh escaped him.

"Did you read her mind?"
"I happened to discover it during the treatment."
"Then, everything you just said..."
"It’s all about the future she foresaw."

I slipped in a half-truth in that moment.

I hadn’t actually read her mind...
But I knew exactly what had driven her mad.
After all, I’m someone who’s already lived through it in full 4D.

My memories were thousands of times more precise than her prophecy.

"If you don’t believe me, I can tell you the dates of other Gates she foresaw. All A-rank and above."
"Wait, that’s…."
"In Korean time: April 30th, 9 a.m., an A-rank Gate in Fukuoka, Japan. May 3rd, 3 a.m., an A-rank Gate in a cornfield in Mexico…."

Another spoiler.
The dates of significant Gates that I couldn’t reveal before for fear of suspicion.
All the major certification exam questions for Awakeners, revealed fifteen years early.

A slight smile appeared on my face.

"I was planning to tell them after hitting S-rank, but this is so much easier."

My original plan was to subtly warn about high-fatality Gates, even if it meant risking suspicion by revealing things ahead of time.
I couldn’t just sit back and let people die.

But now, I could do it all at once, dishing out every single spoiler, even for minor Gates.
I could just say Sibyl saw them.

"Normally, no one would believe such talk…."

*Glance.*

"Sibyl, is it true that an A-rank Gate will appear in Fukuoka on April 29th at 8 p.m.?"
"You’ve already deciphered my prophecy book? Even down to the exact time… Kuheuk!!!"

"…Good heavens. Is this truly real?"

The President couldn’t help but believe.
Sibyl had just confirmed it.
The side effect of spoilers about the future—another heavy bout of coughing blood.

In that moment, I…

*Grin.*

"With an A-rank Gate, civilian deaths are 98% certain… but no one will die as long as Sibyl handles everything from B-rank down."

——I had just saved tens of thousands of lives.

People who would have been swept up and killed in large-scale Gates.
In my first life, I had no choice but to stand by and watch.
Sorry, I was only aware of Korean Gates, thanks to the game.

But in my second life?
At the very least, civilians wouldn’t get caught up in it.
Each country would have enough time to prepare.

Realizing this, the President’s expression changed drastically.

"Damn it. An EX-Rank Gate… when will it happen…."
"…."
'Hah. I thought he’d be thrilled, but I guess that’s a natural reaction.'

I had expected him to be pleased, but perhaps that reaction was only to be expected.

If my words were true?
Then the talk about the EX-Rank Gate was also true.
He’d learned about a future where humanity would face extinction, so saving a few hundred thousand lives didn’t seem so significant.
It was natural for him to be shocked.

"When will it occur? The EX-Rank Gate."

His eyes turned to me, filled with a desperate question.

Without a hint of hesitation, I shook my head.

*Shake shake.*

"I don’t know. She probably couldn’t foresee the date clearly and lost her mind as a result."

...This guy is in his late seventies.

If I told him it would happen fifteen years later?
He might think, "Well, that’ll happen after I’m gone, so the next President will handle it, right?"
Not that he’d actually do that, but there’d be a difference in the sense of urgency.
Between someone preparing for a disaster years away and someone preparing for one that might come in months.

I felt bad for him, but...
He had to bear the burden for the sake of humanity.

"This is maddening… if such monsters are coming and even nukes won’t work, what should we do…."

*Slide.*

"Luckily, we have a sample—the Saintess."
"……?"

And I was willing to join him in this struggle.

My eyes sparkled.

"The fact that they share characteristics with the Saintess means… if we can figure out how to attack her, we can attack them as well."
"……!!!!!"
"Korea, the strongest Awakener nation, and the United States, the strongest nation in the world—if the two collaborate, we might find a way."

Who am I?

I’m the one who calls the head of Cheonhwa, Korea’s strongest clan, "Father."
Additionally, I’m the one who calls the head of the strongest Awakener organization in Korea "Grandma."
Meaning, I’m someone who can convince all the key figures in Korea.

Of course, I’m not involved in politics, so I won’t be securing any government funding… but hey, with a living "show me the money" cheat code like that, who cares?

And the President, who understood my intention?

*Smile.*

"Researching unidentified monsters appearing in the U.S… that’s going to require a lot of funding, isn’t it?"
"Research is always like that. Even if it seems insignificant…."
"It’s for humanity, after all."

The President extended his hand.
He seemed convinced that we shared the same goal.

Without hesitation, I took his hand.

*Clasp.*

"Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise… or rather, I’m counting on you, Sir Yoojin."

Thus, an ultra-confidential alliance was formed between the U.S. and South Korea.

* * *

After concluding the conversation, Yoojin hurried off.
Already thirty minutes had passed; his team would be waiting for him.

"Ah, could you give me your contact information? I’ll jot down all the Gate details I didn’t mention and send them to you."
"Text messages could be monitored. We’ll send someone to you in Korea to collect them as classified documents."
"Alright then. I’ll jot them down in my spare time, so send someone over."

*Dash.*

As he left, Yoojin still seemed worried about the Gates.

Only then did the President lean back on the sofa, his face showing a hint of admiration.

"Haha. Sibyl, do you know what he just did?"
"That’s Korean, Mr. President. I only speak English."
"He told us the dates of all A-rank and above Gates that you foresaw."
"……What?"

Sibyl’s expression was one of utter bewilderment.
A curse slipped out.

"Wait, that hot guy saw my memories and shared everything? Even the S-rank Gates?"
"Yes. Without asking for anything in return."
"Is he an idiot? Do you have any idea how valuable that information is?"

A harsh reaction, especially for someone who had been subtly flirting with him moments before.
But Sibyl couldn’t help it.

After

 all, her position in the U.S. was almost on par with that of a cabinet minister.
Her value came entirely from her power of foresight.
Even with the uncertainties, it was worth that much.

But Yoojin?
He’d shared classified information she couldn’t even convey clearly.
Without even considering the value of that information.

It was only natural for her to curse.

"How could he be so stupid? Doesn’t he realize how valuable…."
"He probably knew. He’s a smart young man."
"Mr. President? If he knew, then all the more—"
"He merely weighed his options. The astronomical profit he’d gain from hoarding that knowledge… against the lives he’d save by sharing it."

The President didn’t criticize him.
In his heart, Yoojin had already become a saint.

A murmured admiration slipped out.

"He probably didn’t even consider it. To him, lives were beyond comparison to money."

"...Now I feel like trash for even thinking about money."
"Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re only human."
"That’s true."

With that, Sibyl accepted it.
Her gaze turned toward the return portal.

Though it wasn’t official, she was an S-rank.
The countless lives that would have perished in those Gates.
She thought of the man who saved them all and left without looking back.

*Ding.*
[Due to the consequences of revealing heavenly secrets, you have received the status effect ‘Divine Punishment.’]

"How did he walk away unscathed after revealing information years in advance… well, I suppose that’s only fitting. An angel like him wouldn’t deserve punishment. Tch."

She fell silent with a tinge of regret.

With him, my foresight could have been unstoppable.
Even revealing my prophecies, he wouldn’t have faced punishment.
If there is a god, they must surely cherish someone as angelic as him.

Ah, I should’ve taken a longer look at that handsome face while I had the chance…

"Sibyl, how about a business trip to Korea?"
"…Excuse me?"

A sudden question broke her reverie.
President Morrison’s voice was calm.

"Predicting B-rank Gates should still be possible from Korea, no? The deciphering for A-rank and above… you could take a break from that for a while."
"Well, yes, but why all of a sudden?"
"You might not know, but there's something called the Saintess there. Stay in Korea and help with the research. For about three months."

His suggestion was simple:
Since you have nothing else to do, go help with the research.

Sibyl’s eyes lit up—first with surprise, then with joy.

'I may be a classified asset, but… if the President commands it, I’ll follow without question.'

*Slurp. Squelch.*

'Besides, there’s a "special gift" waiting there, and I won’t miss this chance.'

Thoughts that would’ve sent chills down Yoojin’s spine, had he known.

But the President lacked any mind-reading abilities.
He simply smiled at Sibyl, who was nodding.
Softly, he spoke.

"I didn’t have the heart to tell him, but…."

[She foresaw a Gate four months in the future and suddenly lost her mind. What did you see, my dear?]

'With the time remaining, we have only two or three months at best. If his words are true, the Gate must be stopped in Seoul. Even if it means Korea falls.'

——A thought that would surely make Yoojin turn pale if he knew.