NoveLight ™
"Are you kidding me? Why of all times is there a system error? Explain yourself!!"
"...."
I let out a deep sigh.
No matter how the system explained this situation, I honestly couldn’t see how it would make sense to me.
‘…But this does make sense.’
Looking at the sequence of messages, the cause of the error was clear.
It was partly my fault.
I had used incantation magic, which should have been impossible for the system to recognize as part of a "normal user."
Right now, the system recognized me as both "Jung Da-on" and "Destroyer of Worlds."
But in this situation, using knowledge that only the "Destroyer of Worlds" should have had… That’s when the error happened in the system’s process of ejecting a "human" from the dungeon.
Because, if I were truly a former Demon King, I wasn’t a "user" that the system was supposed to protect!
"Ah, ha, ha."
All I could do was laugh.
Of course, I didn’t find it amusing at all.
"Is this seriously happening? Hey, you idiot collective intelligence! What are you going to do about this?"
The fact that I was partly at fault for recklessly using incantation magic wasn’t the real issue. The real problem was that the system’s error was flagged as "time unknown" to resolve the issue!
"What am I supposed to do in this situation?!"
To make matters worse, as the 3-minute grace period ended, the shield that had been protecting me started to fade.
Of course it would. The error that occurred in the system’s logic meant that I wasn’t considered a user who needed protection anymore!
Outside the vanishing shield, the ant monsters were glaring at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
Thud! Thud!
The ants began to wildly charge at the shield, and it wasn’t long before the translucent barrier was entirely covered by their glossy black exoskeletons. The illusion that I was surrounded by darkness was almost complete.
I pressed my throbbing head and spoke.
"…Fine, let’s say this error happened because of my soul. In that case, just temporarily lift my stat restrictions."
"Ah, you goddamn idiot…"
I was about to curse more, but I stopped myself.
At this point, no amount of swearing at the system would change the situation.
I was currently isolated within the dungeon due to the system error, facing a swarm of angry ants, all while the shield that had been protecting me faded away.
What should I do now?
‘For now… if I hold on a little longer, the rescue team should be coming.’
Without a clock, it was hard to tell for sure, but at least two hours had passed since the first dungeon break.
Given the sudden nature of the dungeon break, the Hunter Management Bureau might have been slower to respond, but there was still enough time to dispatch a rescue team.
And since everyone but me had already left the dungeon, it wouldn’t take long for them to realize I was still here.
So, if I could hold on just a bit longer, there might be a chance to survive as "Jung Da-on."
The real problem was that I didn’t have the strength to last much longer.
Using incantation magic to defeat the queen ant had left me in a wrecked state. My mana circuits, the path for circulating mana through my body, were overloaded and failing.
In short, my only weapon—magic—was unusable!
And since incantation magic caused the error in the first place, I couldn’t use that either.
I was genuinely, completely defenseless!
"Am I seriously going to die at the hands of these damn ants? Me?"
Time passed quickly, even in my fury.
The ants, enraged by the loss of their queen, began striking their antennae wildly against the shield.
Thud!
Finally, the shield shattered.
...There was nothing more to be done.
I turned and ran without looking back.
Of course, I didn’t think I could escape from D-Rank monsters with my current level 12 stats, but...
Screech!
I threw myself into the mud and rain-soaked ground.
It was deliberate.
Ants have poor eyesight, so they rely on scent to track their prey. This was just a temporary measure.
‘Damn it.’
As a demon, honor and dignity are life.
To be crawling through the mud, hiding from ants… This is not how a Demon King should live!
Moreover, this was just a temporary solution. I couldn’t stay hidden in the mud forever.
The sheer number of ants meant that even if I concealed my scent, it was just a matter of time before they found me.
‘What do I do?’
Honestly, there was no clear answer.
At least not as Jung Da-on.
‘But if I became the Demon King again here...’
This was a dimensional rift where the system’s only role was protecting users. It was the invaders’ domain.
Here, even if I awakened as the "Destroyer of Worlds," the system couldn’t do anything about me. This was a monster’s territory.
And I would become the new boss monster in this dungeon.
I hadn’t met the conditions for Earth’s emergence, so the dungeon wouldn’t connect to Earth, but survival wouldn’t be a problem.
In fact, this was the simplest solution.
‘Ah, maybe I should just give up.’
Looking at my now blackened hand in the mud, I seriously considered it.
Honestly, with the system acting like this and being caught up in the dungeon break...
Even if I escaped this dungeon, it was clear I’d face more struggles ahead.
The system would continue to view me as a thorn in its side, and someone unknown was likely after my life.
I wasn’t a pilgrim walking a path of hardship. Why should I choose this miserable path?
I could just abandon ‘Jung Da-on.’
If I became the Demon King again, I wouldn’t have to hide from low-level D-Rank monsters and scurry around for survival.
I wouldn’t need to make a humiliating contract with the idiotic collective intelligence to protect humans.
"…"
Just one word is enough.
My body has changed, but my soul is still the same.
A demon’s soul, perfectly suited for this muddy battlefield.
But... even with this simple solution, I hesitated.
Once I make that choice, I can never return to being Jung Da-on.
‘The Destroyer of Worlds’ can never live as a human on Earth again.
My phone, in my school uniform pocket, was currently disconnected, but once it was reconnected, I’d probably find a flood of missed calls from my family.
And my family would spend their whole lives waiting for me to answer, never hearing from me again.
"…Hah."
I sighed deeply.
Yeah, there’s no need to even think about it.
The crown of disgrace, the Demon King with nothing left but his duties… and the dirty human who still has something to hold on to, no matter how annoying.
I channeled a small amount of mana into my still functional hand.
And then...
Thud!
I struck the leg of an ant that had been crawling toward me with all my strength, snapping its thin leg.
As its body wobbled from the force, I split the head from the body.
Screech!
I was drenched in the green bodily fluid of the ant.
The ants realized I was there, but with the mud caked on me and the fluid from the fallen comrade, they couldn’t pinpoint my location.
Seizing the moment, I sprinted with all my remaining strength.
"Ugh, this damn body!"
I rolled in the mud, running.
Alright, let’s do this.
Time to survive by any means necessary.
This was the real beginning of my struggle for survival.