Seong Jihan pressed the retry button.

Then,

[You win the final demotion match.]

[NO.4212 Humanity remains in the Bronze League.]

From the moment they won against the Orcs, the game reset to that point.

‘It’s a pity, starting from after the Behemoth incident, I could have started with an extra 5 leftover points.’

The mission began with their demotion already averted.

“This, this guy… a mere hunting dog… ugh!”

Seong Jihan promptly gagged Barren trying to speak and looked at the chat window.

-Hmm… I feel like we’ve removed countless dungeon portals. Wasn’t that it?

-Probably isn’t. haha

-The distortion of the world from before… it definitely wasn’t the same phenomenon as the world being consumed by the void.

-You’re right. It’s definitely not due to the overflow of dungeon portals.

Alien spectators, having watched the end of the world alongside them, were quick to draw a line confirming it wasn’t the consumption by the void.

Seong Jihan recalled the phenomenon from a moment ago.

‘The distortion of the world… it was definitely different from when we lost the demotion match and our bodies were consumed by darkness.’

In his past life, when they could only watch helplessly as they lost the demotion match, every player except Seong Jihan disappeared as their bodies were engulfed in darkness.

Seong Jihan could only resist at the time using the Myriad Ghost Sealing Gods, failing to counteract it.

However, the distortion of the world that happened after winning the demotion match, 24 hours later, was completely different from that consumption.

‘That power eventually broke even the eternity.’

The stat Eternity, which supplied Seong Jihan with an immense amount of life force.

With it, he was almost immune to any damage from standard attacks.

But the cracks that formed on his body after the countdown ended, couldn’t be healed by Eternity’s life force infusion and instead, it shattered the eternity within him.

And his shattered body was sucked into somewhere unknown.

An uncontrollable, overwhelming force.

Seong Jihan felt a peculiar sense of déjà vu while experiencing it firsthand.

This seems familiar, like I’ve gone through it before.

“Jihan…!”

“I believed in you!”

“Ah, one moment.”

“Ugh…”

Seong Jihan bound all the American First guild members who approached him with gleaming faces in ties of force.

-Isn’t it a bit harsh? This was supposed to be their moment of emotion, and he just binds them with force.

-Is the mission clear that important right now? lol

-But to be happy about surviving now, only for the world to face extinction the next day… It’s kinda sad.

-Ah, but…what really caused the extinction? Even if it’s not the mission, shouldn’t we know the reason?

-Ugh… if it’s not demotion or dungeons causing it, could this future unfold for us too?

-Is it really that?

-Ugh, Seong Jihan barely survived it, what about ordinary people like me? Instant death?

-If you last a second, consider yourself talented lol

With Seong Jihan retrying the mission, the atmosphere among the viewers, compared to when they first watched the game, had become graver.

And for good reason, since the cause of humanity’s extinction was neither league demotion nor dungeon portals.

If the reason wasn’t identified here, the same fate of extinction could unfold in their current world too.

Meanwhile,

‘…Ah, could it be?’

With all those around him bound, lost in thought, Seong Jihan soon came up with a hypothesis.

The sensation of the world distorting and his body shattering.

The feeling as his fragmented body was carried into the twisted world was…

‘Taiji Swordsmanship?’

When possessed by Dongbang Sak, the Taiwanese player who first unfolded the Taiji Swordsmanship.

As he launched the Taiji, the whole world was sucked into it.

When Seong Jihan resisted, the Taiji spun in reverse, expelling darkness.

An overpowering force that completely shattered the map within the game.

Seong Jihan thought that the initial distortion of the world from the first game was similar to when the Taiji initially moved in its regular direction.

But,

‘…Still, I can’t conclusively say it’s Taiji Swordsmanship. Are there not other powers that can warp the world like that?’

Seong Jihan inwardly hoped this wasn’t a phenomenon shown by the Taiji Swordsmanship.

Even if Dongbang Sak is strong among the Martial God’s disciples, how could he possess the power to sever humanity?

And if he’s this powerful, how will we face the Martial God’s disciples later?

Seong Jihan decided to halt his thoughts on the world’s distortion for now and pondered the future steps.

‘…It’s daunting.’

It was actually easier when there was a clear goal like in the first game.

Now that it’s clarified that dungeon portals aren’t the cause of extinction, it’s unclear what to do or where to start.

Then,

[Would you like to receive a mission hint?]

[It requires 100,000,000 GP.]

A message that wasn’t there in the previous game popped up before Seong Jihan.

With the second retry, does a hint come into play?

-BattleNet really doesn’t hold back, asking for 100 million GP for a hint lol

-BattleNet’s really being a mafioso here.

-The price is just ridiculous;; if this becomes the reason to forfeit the mission, it can’t be helped.

As viewers booed BattleNet’s extortion, Seong Jihan didn’t hesitate and spent the 100 million GP.

Then,

[HINT – The extinction started from the location of the first Abyss.]

A one-liner hint sprung up in the message box.

* * *

-Wow, a 100 million GP hint is just one sentence? That’s harsh lol

-The first Abyss? Isn’t that in North Korea?

-How’s he supposed to get from America to Korea in 24 hours;;

-Can’t Seong Jihan just use his light step?

-Ah, right? lol

From the one-liner hint about the first Abyss, viewers easily guessed the location.

The first Abyss that devastated North Korea.

The hint was directing Seong Jihan towards that location.

‘With maximum use of light step, crossing the Pacific seems possible…’

But since he has warp, there’s no need to cross the ocean.

Seong Jihan released Barren from his bindings.

“This, this guy… even binding guild members. Planning to kill me, or wait, did that Behemoth from earlier somehow take control of your body?”

“Hey, warp me over to Korea.”

“…What? How am I supposed to do that across such a distance?”

“You don’t have a way?”

“There is none!”

Barren firmly stated it was impossible.

Hearing his response, Seong Jihan chuckled.

Having lived through this era once, he knew there surely was a way.

‘Might as well use that method then.’

Seong Jihan liberated the motionless American First guild members around him.

Then made a bombshell announcement.

“I accept Jin Yuhua’s proposition. Now, would the Chinese spy please step forward.”

“…Huh. What are you saying?! Do you think there’s someone among the American First players who’s in cahoots with China!?”

At those words, Barren bristled.

“I’m not going if not now.”

Seong Jihan glanced at the guild members, focusing particularly on one person.

A Caucasian man with blond hair and blue eyes, American First’s ranker, Jack.

He was visibly trembling.

“If we barely escaped demotion now, who knows what crisis might come next. Rather than living insulted as a hunting dog by the guild leader, I choose to seek asylum in China.”

“Ji, Jihan… what are you saying! About China. Please, reconsider!”

“Th, that’s right, Jihan! How could there be a Chinese spy among us! We are American First!”

“Ugh… calling a hunting dog, a hunting dog…”

“Shut it, Barren!”

Sophia’s scream caused Barren to flinch.

Surrounding guild members glared at their guild leader, trying to approach Seong Jihan and persuade him otherwise.

However,

“I want to go right away. So, to Chinese officials watching the broadcast, please hand the scroll to the spy. Otherwise, I’ll remain in America.”

Seong Jihan waved his hand, appealing his intention to cross over just like someone pleading on BattleTube.

-Wow lol He’s asking the Chinese spy to come forward, planning to cross to North Korea from there?

-But come on, a spy in American First? It’s America’s top guild.

-Just throwing it out there?

Viewers on Seong Jihan’s channel debated whether American First really had a Chinese spy, but then,

“…Last time you said you wouldn’t go?”

A blond-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man sighed and approached.

The chat exploded.

-…Jack?

-Is that Jack?

-WTF?! Jack was the spy for China?

-What, what what what! No! I’m not a spy! I’m American!

While the current Jack fervently denied being a spy in the chat,

“…Since the orders have come from above, I guess there’s no choice. Friend, could you bind these people again before you go?”

The Jack in front of him grinned slightly and gestured towards the other players.

“Alright.”

“Jihan… Ugh!”

Thunk!

Sophia, attempting to plead affectionately with Seong Jihan, got restrained.

Zip!

Jack pulled out a scroll from within and tore it apart.

Then, a blue portal opened in the air.

“Alright… go on in first. I’ll follow in.”

“Thanks.”

Swoosh.

Seong Jihan stepped into the portal, thinking,

‘Jack’s attempt to sway me back in the days of American First turned out to be helpful now.’

During his American First days, Jack, for some reason, had been a spy for China despite meeting Barren’s criteria of a purebred American and had secretly approached Seong Jihan with an offer from the Chinese government.

Though he had declined the offer at the time, remembering Jack was a spy surprised him, proving useful now.

-Who’s Jack that the Americans are freaking out about?

-Probably a promising member of American First, right? lol

-Woah, chills lol Did Seong Jihan know all this?

-Eh, he probably just threw it out there; he was surveying all the guild members.

-Right? Man, didn’t expect the least likely person to be it; thought if anyone, some other Asian in the American First guild would.

-It’s always the one you least suspect lol

-Wow, Jack’s now trending #1 on real-time searches lol

As the storm about spy Jack raged on,

Flash!

Seong Jihan had already stepped on the Chinese soil through the portal.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“Player Seong Jihan! Welcome to China!”

An East Asian man, greeting him with hearty applause and fluent English.

“Hearing your acceptance of Ms. Jin Yuhua’s offer so immediately… I should’ve spoken sooner! With Player Seong Jihan joining us, China will now ascend to ranked #1!”

He seemed genuinely delighted to welcome Seong Jihan.

“Here is…”

“This is Shanghai’s BattleNet center. I’ll do my utmost to assist with your settlement here.”

“Shanghai, is it? To get from here to Pyongyang, just across the east sea, right?”

“Py, Pyongyang… it seems you need to head northeast for that…”

“I see.”

Northeast, then.

Boom!

Upon hearing that, Seong Jihan shot out towards the building exit like a cannonball.

“Wh, where are you going…! Sto, stop him!”

“He’s already gone…”

The Chinese BattleNet center officials’ screams faded as Seong Jihan soared away.

“Northeast, then… Just need to cross the sea.”

-That’s correct…

-But if you go east from Shanghai, wouldn’t you end up in Japan?

-I live in Shanghai. If you see any road signs, I can point you to which way is north.

“Oh, thank you.”

With the help of Chinese viewers, Seong Jihan found his way north.

‘This way should work then.’

He dashed across the sea, moving at top speed with his light step.

The rapid flight of Seong Jihan.

-Wow, he’s seriously fast lol Literally flying across the sea;

-Didn’t Seong Jihan roam around the Japanese islands looking for Shizuru? lol. He’s much stronger than before, so this should be a breeze.

-Isn’t that land already visible?

-At this rate, isn’t he like a real-world Superman? Wow

After a while, he reached land across the West Sea, entirely enveloped in a purple mist.

The land had been lost to the breeding of dungeon portals to the point of becoming overrun.

‘Now, finding where the Abyss is here will be another task.’

Seong Jihan furrowed his brows, silently observing the purple mist.

Though faint, it carried a hint of the void.

‘Let’s follow where it’s thickest.’

Sensing the power of the void to find a direction, Seong Jihan pressed forward after reaching land.

“Is this the place…”

He arrived where the void’s mist was noticeably thicker.

There, he saw…

[…]

A giant figure, shrouded in purple.

A behemoth of a form, but its flesh, whether arms, legs, or torso, was studded with red eyes.

And then,

[You confront the owner of the Abyss ‘??’.]

A message popped up before Seong Jihan’s eyes.