Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 74

?…?

Cheok-Liang kept silent, but Ji-Cheok continued talking using his spirit voice.

‘[He_who_denies_death] is a God, right? And he was an obnoxious God trying to meddle in our world. Cheok-Liang, I’ve done a lot of different things trying to feed and take care of Mu-Cheok. Do you know what I’ve learned from those jobs?’

?I do not know, Master.?

‘That there always will be obnoxious people in the world.’

?Ah...?

‘I’m telling you, there is no end for these obnoxious people. They keep coming out of nowhere like cockroaches. Even if we get rid of all the obnoxious people today, tomorrow a whole new group of them will appear. And Gods are no different. Do you remember what Ji-Han said? The level-limited dungeons will continue to appear. When all my teammates level up and can’t enter these dungeons, what would happen then? The dungeons will keep on forming, and there will be many Dungeon Breaks. The monsters will appear endlessly, and the habitable land for humans will gradually decrease. The reason why I am worrying so much is that I can see the inevitable future. The world is going to be ruined in the end.’

?That is a great insight, Master.?

‘For example, even if the future of mankind is in danger because of climate change, you can’t actually feel that climate change is affecting our everyday life, right? It’s the same with the Gods. If I hadn’t met [He_who_denies_death], I might not have felt what I’m feeling right now. But, in the end, I experienced it, and I feel so terrible about it. It’s like I’m looking into the abyss, and I feel the abyss looking right back at me. Do you get what I’m saying? It’s like in the Call of Cthulhu—it feels like I’m slowly, but permanently, losing my sanity. That’s why I realized I had to get very, very serious. I have to become stronger, and I have to do it fast. That is the only way for me to protect myself and ultimately protect the world. Will you help me, Cheok-Liang?’

Ji-Cheok thought that what he was saying probably sounded a little self-delusional to Cheok-Liang. He might even believe that Ji-Cheok had the Awakened Syndrome and was at that stage where all he wanted to do was change the world. Yet, all Ji-Cheok wanted was for Cheok-Liang to believe how genuine he was, and to help Ji-Cheok reach for a better future for himself, the world, and everyone else.

Ji-Cheok realized that it was indeed time for him to make up his mind about what to do next.

?You have unlocked the forbidden secret. Additional information is now available.?

‘Good, I’m glad you agreed wi—what?! No, wait! Now is the time for you to just emotionally agree with me! What is this…’

Ji-Cheok was confused, but he couldn’t stop cultivating. He just looked at Cheok-Liang, who was standing right in front of him. Bright light poured out of Cheok-Liang’s eyes, and he let out a strange sound.

Ooooooaaoh~

After a while, Cheok-Liang blinked and returned to normal.

?Oh, Master! Congratulations! You’ve touched the secret all by yourself!?

‘Cheok-Liang, right now I’m more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles. What is going on?’

?Ahem, I guess I was too excited. My apologies, Master.?

‘No need to apologize. Just tell me what’s going on.’

?Some of the information access restrictions have been lifted. As a result, I could now get a little more extensive information.?

‘Oh really? So? What is the new additional information about?’

Cheok-Liang took a deep breath, then informed Ji-Cheok of what he had just learned.

?The human world will be destroyed.?

Cheok-Liang was being assertive. It wasn’t like Ji-Cheok’s guessing or his sense of crisis, but Cheok-Liang said it as if he knew about the future and told the truth that didn’t seem to change.

But it was Cheok-Liang’s wording that caught Ji-Cheok’s attention.

‘But when you said the ‘human world’ will be destroyed, you mean…’

?You are very intelligent, Master. That is correct. It does not mean extinction or destruction of ‘mankind’. All of this is a great blessing for mankind, in fact.?

‘Blessing? BLESSING?! I guess you could say that Cthulhu’s ‘blessing’ is really a blessing if you are looking from a squid’s point of view instead of a human’s point of view, huh?!’?

Ji-Cheok slowly exhaled. In a moment of excitement, he had almost ruined his own cultivation by interrupting his meditation. He was having so many thoughts that even his [Dual Spell Cast] couldn’t handle them. Fortunately, he managed to catch his breath and slowly end his cultivation.

“Explain it to me.”

?The planet Earth is like a fragile child. About 4.6 billion years have passed, but it is not yet an adult. The Earth is so fragile that even one divine existence can break it into pieces.?

Ji-Cheok suddenly felt dizzy.

“Is that true? That…Even if only one of the Gods descends, the Earth will turn into dust?”

?Yes, Master.?

“Then how is it a blessing?”

?The things that are happening in the world right now, like the dungeons, are to make this planet stronger. The planet is trying to become a place where life can be sustained even if all the Gods of the [Three Thousand Realms] descend upon it.?

“Ha…Hahaha…”

Ji-Cheok finally understood.

?Master, the Earth is not just for humans. Destruction of the world is merely a difference of point of view.?

The Earth was like a potted plant to the Gods. When growing plants in pots, the soil needed to be changed, nutrients needed to be provided, and pesticides needed to be applied in order to raise healthy and strong plants. Humans were like root flies that were in the way of a plant growing. Root flies always survived in spite of the efforts to eradicate them. Neither the gardener nor the plant cared about the feelings of the root flies. They would rather just rid themselves of a pest.

In the eyes of the Gods, humans were just like root flies, or maybe fun toys.

“So you are saying that humanity is not going to disappear completely?”

?Perhaps. These changes are being triggered neither to destroy humanity, nor to help it evolve, but rather for the planet itself. Just as a snake sheds its skin, one life ends and a new life begins.?

The so-called ‘destruction of humanity’ was just what humans themselves liked to imagine, thinking themselves important. People would say that God was punishing them for being sinful. But in reality, neither the Gods, nor Earth itself had any interest in humans.

?Although the environment will change dramatically, destroying human civilization and the entire social system as we know them, a number of humans will still adapt and survive. However, if that happens, I will no longer be able to claim that humans are the owner of this Earth.?

“Is that when the tutorial is going to end?”

?This information cannot be viewed.?

‘I guess the restriction is not fully lifted. What I know for sure is that if we allow the dungeons to grow, the destruction of mankind is inevitable.’

“Cheok-Liang, is there any way to annihilate a dungeon without actually clearing it?”

There were two types of dungeons: single-shot dungeons that did not reappear after clearing, and regenerative dungeons that kept reappearing even after they were cleared. However, whether it was a regenerative dungeon or a single-shot one, the Dungeon Break would always happen if they were not cleared. And even worse, when it came to single-shot dungeons that disappeared once cleared, opinions were divided as to whether or not they could be regarded as truly cleared. There was always a possibility that even single-shot dungeons would regenerate one or two hundred years later. No one could predict what would happen in the future.

Of course, it was from these dungeons that the current civilization thrived. A dungeon was like a treasure trove of infinite energy and resources, such as metals with mana powers or a mysterious jewel that continuously radiated electricity. They contained materials that had never been found on Earth. The Awakened were the shields that protected mankind from monsters, but they were also the miners who excavated resources from these dungeons.

So far, mankind had managed to survive like this. When capitalism combined the military, politicians, and even entertainment companies like GodTube, it became an invincible fortress. However, problems had nevertheless arisen, as new and unexpected monsters appeared from the level-limit dungeons and Dungeon Expansions kept occurring throughout the world.

‘So I will ask again and again. Even if you tell me that the information cannot be viewed, in the one-in-a-million chance that you do know, I will keep asking. What is the way, Cheok-Liang?’

?You can purchase it from the Likes Shop.?

‘Huh? Likes Shop to the rescue?’

“Wow…”

Without even realizing it, Ji-Cheok let out an admiration ‘wow.’

“I guess the Likes Shop really does have everything.”

Ji-Cheok was at a loss for words.

* * *

“Thank you so much. This will benefit all of us.”

“I hope so too.”

A stubborn-looking middle-aged foreigner who appeared to be in his fifties held out his hand. On the other side, it was a handsome biracial man who looked to be in his early thirties. Behind the foreigner stood his assistants, and there were also assistants behind the handsome man. As the two representatives shook each other’s hands, a photographer took a picture of them, and the foreigners then rushed out of the conference hall. As they left, the handsome man smiled and told the others to leave the room.

“I’m glad that the business partnership ended smoothly. You can all go now.”

“Thank you for your effort, President.”

“Then, I will go report this to the Chairman.”

When the directors and managing directors left the room, there were only him and his secretaries left. His bright smiley face was suddenly contorted as if he was possessed by an evil spirit.

“What did you just say?” the handsome man asked.

It was Jung Su-Gi. He was one of the leaders of the Jungha Group who held ambitions for the next throne. Naturally, he also despised his cousin Jung Ji-Han.

“You are telling me that nobody died in there?”

His clothes froze instantly. The ground under his feet also turned white, and a terrible cold spread around him. The inside of the conference room slowly turned into a walk-in freezer. Most of the secretaries hesitated and stepped back.

“Yes, sir.”

Only one responded quietly, standing still. He seemed unaffected by the freezing cold. It was Kim Yeong-In, also known as Su-Gi’s right-hand man.

“Ha… My cousin sure has luck on his side. So, how did it go with the other thing that I told you about?”

“I couldn’t get him because I didn’t even have access, sir.”

“The security was that strict?”

“Yes, sir. It was completely blocked.”

“My cousin probably wouldn’t be that thorough…”

“The youngest master is no longer the fool of the past. It has been a while since he changed.”

“You are saying my youngest cousin is all grown up? Is that it?”

“Yes, sir. He is like a different person now.”

Su-Gi smiled again. In an instant, a pillar of ice quickly rose behind Su-Gi and turned into a chair. It was a marvelous scene, but everyone except Kim Yeong-In stepped back further in fear.

Su-Gi sat on his ice throne with a thud.

“Hey, Yeong-In. What should I do now?”

His voice was very popular in commercials, but his direct subordinates could confirm that it was the worst sound in the world. Because they didn’t want to even imagine what would happen if they didn’t come up with an alternative plan quickly.

“It seems that we should separate the youngest master’s pawns from each other one by one,” Yeong-In said.

“Is that possible?”

“I think we can do it for Um Ji-Cheok.”

“Why do you say that? Are you saying that other teammates are impossible to separate, but it’s possible for Um Ji-Cheok?”

“Yes, Sir. I heard that Mr. Um Ji-Cheok enjoys doing things alone because his mana recovery is abnormally fast.”

“Ah ha. That is?dangerous.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Su-Gi’s smile became as bright as the July sun.

“It’s really dangerous to go into a dungeon alone… I’d feel really, really bad if my cousin lost a friend there.”

Su-Gi said it as if he were genuinely sorry for his cousin, but his bright smile was saying something else entirely.

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