Promise

Always carry your protective amulet with you.

When heavy footstep sounds ring out, hold your breath and stay still.

When flames blaze up, gather beside the barrier cutting grass around it.

* ‘Cut’ = archaic form of ‘to cut’

Like an ancient song, the nomads of the wasteland had always lived this way.

It was a difficult life, but if they were careful of calamities and remained cautious, they could ultimately survive. But now everything had changed.

Boom! Ruuumble!

“Take cover! It’s a meteor!”

It was unprecedented. The constellations became chaotic, and debris from shattered stars frequently fell from the high sky, smashing the earth. Houses collapsed from finger-sized meteors, and villages were destroyed by fist-sized ones.

A disaster unrelated to calamities.

Even barriers provided little help against it. People scattered in all directions. Save us. Save us. Only strained pleas leaked from their mouths.

Grrrr…

When the chaos broke the barriers, Night Calamities that appeared from somewhere would dig through the cratered ground and collapsed tents to drag out the people hiding there. At the sounds of flesh and bone being crunched and chewed, people covered their ears and shut their eyes.

Only the softly glowing protective amulets swayed back and forth.

They flickered like the last candle flames about to go out.

* * *

“The grand barrier has been breached again. Meteors are pouring down! Distress signal from the nomads in 6th continent, Region 37!”

The mage in the command center screamed like a shriek.

“Distress signal also came from the caravan in 6th continent, Region 21!”

“6th continent, Regions 5, 17, and 32 are the same!”

“Priest of an Outer God appeared in 9th continent, Region 12! The dispatched mage unit was annihilated…!”

Like a competition, voices grew higher and more strained.

Oh Si-jin, who had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed, cut through the rising screams with a sharp interruption.

“How much remains of today’s quota?”

At that moment, the mages who had been screaming in panic all fell silent at once. What did this person just ask? Not ‘What’s the damage situation?’ not ‘What support forces are available?’ but… ‘quota’?

When no one could answer, Oh Si-jin asked again in a dry tone.

“I asked how much of the quota remains.”

“B-but… Wizard of Refinement…!”

“I understand. Answer me. The remaining quota.”

The mage who had tried to object couldn’t finish his words and gritted his teeth.

“300,000 lights, 5 hides of mana leather, 300kg of mana metal, 200kg of mana lumber, 500kg of stone…”

After listening to the continuing report, Oh Si-jin tapped the armrest and stood up, his small coat fluttering.

“There will be no official rescue operations for 6th continent.”

“What?!”

Oh Si-jin’s bright yellow eyes shot a glare at the shocked mage.

“All mages dispatched to 6th continent will now engage in resource gathering. They must collect 30 percent of the remaining total quota, and during operations, they are authorized to provide only protective amulet repairs to any refugees encountered.”

“Wizard of Refinement…!”

“Enough!”

Oh Si-jin didn’t listen to the mages’ protests to the end. Instead, he pulled something like gaming pieces from his chest and threw them with a flourish. The thrown pieces spun round and round in midair, growing larger until they created mana stones that towered over human height, then blazed with light to project a hologram in the air.

The hologram was a map of stars. A map of the stars managed by the command center led by Oh Si-jin. Continents 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 floated there, with a massive relic glowing in 7th continent at the center.

It was the relic where the command center was located.

“The quota isn’t just for the attack force. Forty percent of it is being used here at this relic. This relic maintains grand barriers over five continents and holds space steady so the continents don’t rapidly move closer or farther apart. I… simply made a choice.”

Despite Oh Si-jin’s explanation, the mages wore dissatisfied expressions. Who doesn’t know that? Are you trying to say that meeting quotas is ultimately the way to save everyone? But the current situation wasn’t like that. There was still room to maintain relief efforts. They were simply dissatisfied with Oh Si-jin’s judgment to give up so soon.

Looking down at such mages, Oh Si-jin said,

“It’s not your fault.”

He began folding up the expanded mana stone, carefully collecting it while continuing to speak.

“It’s only the fault of the commander—me.”

The mages held their breath. It was an extremely precarious statement for a 6th Circle wizard to make. Mages are beings who imitate gods, and therefore they don’t acknowledge their limitations. They don’t acknowledge their faults. Yet Oh Si-jin called it his ‘fault.’

“Th-that’s not…”

The magical powers began stirring already. They began to doubt Oh Si-jin. But Oh Si-jin himself was calm. Rather, he wore a deep sneer at the corner of his mouth.

“Shut up. You dead gods. Losers like you can’t judge me.”

“Ah…”

The mages gasped. They saw the magical powers that had been stirring fall silent and subside at Oh Si-jin’s momentum.

Toward the surprised mages, Oh Si-jin made his position clear.

“But you can blame and curse me. Perhaps there’s a mage among you better than me. I agree. Curse me all you want. And when your turn comes, rescue the young children and the wounded. Do it all you want. But there’s something you must remember.”

The mages were now completely frozen. Into the silence, Oh Si-jin’s voice continued.

“Even if the most incompetent mage among you takes my place… supplies must never be cut off. Even if the enemy’s offensive becomes five times, ten times stronger than now. Even if not just me but all the excellent mages here die. Supplies must not be delayed by even a second. Support the attack force without fail and keep the 7th continent relic operational. That’s the strategic standard and the covenant we made.”

No one could say anything.

Oh Si-jin left the thoughtful mages behind, grabbed his handbag, and turned around.

“Then proceed as planned. I’ll handle the priest on 9th continent.”

Step by step.

Oh Si-jin walked down the corridor and stood before the blue-glowing portal. A portal leading to the relic on 9th continent. Before it, Oh Si-jin removed his necklace and held it to his handbag.

Oh Si-jin’s magical exoskeleton <Absolute> jerked upright and enveloped Oh Si-jin’s body. His entire form blazed blue.

‘Between 7th Step and 8th Circle, I’d say?’

Oh Si-jin clearly grasped his own level. He was definitely stronger than 7th Circle mages Walrot or Yeon Gae-bu-so, but he couldn’t match the Magic Emperor of the past.

Then, the ego that recognized Oh Si-jin as a perfect administrator spoke to him.

-Welcome, administrator. Will you use the portal?

“Yes.”

-We wish you good fortune.

Oh Si-jin stepped through the portal with steady steps.

‘Administrator. If only I could follow even half the abilities of those damn bastards…’

Then he wouldn’t have had to give orders to abandon sacrifices… But Oh Si-jin had to quickly dismiss his bitter thoughts.

It was because of the alien sensation he felt immediately upon crossing to 9th continent. All the information delivered through the Akashic Records was telling him. Oh Si-jin walked out of the relic, looked up at the sky once, swept the ground with his hand, and sneered.

“Hah… priest my ass? What came down here is an apostle.”

His eyes turned forward. Just as he had detected the enemy, the enemy had detected him too.

[[[Finally found you. A creature wearing a corpse.]]]

Grass and sky swaying limply. Beneath them, victims standing like dolls with expressionless faces. The dead opened their mouths in unison and spoke.

Upon seeing it, Oh Si-jin immediately opened the communication network.

“9th continent. Apostle appearance. Requesting support.”

-An apostle? Understood.

Without even hearing when or how much support would come, Oh Si-jin calmly threw mana stones in all directions.

“Not a creature…”

The mana stones floating in all directions analyzed the surrounding information. He grasped the apostle’s characteristics in real time and said,

“But a wizard. You spit-like bastard.”

The black, limply writhing world collided with blazing blue light.

* * *

“Dad! Dad! Wake up!”

A small child on 9th continent cried out desperately.

“Grrrluck! Uwwweeeek… grrrluck!”

“Dad… I’m scared. Why are you like this…!”

People who had suddenly changed, a dad who had suddenly changed.

Though the child had been suffering from severe headaches and nausea for a while, she kept swallowing the rising bile and supported her dad. Her dad growled like a beast and drooled white vomit from his mouth.

‘I need to get away!’

The blue explosions coloring the distant sky were getting closer. Each time, the headaches worsened and her dad’s condition became stranger. The child desperately dragged her dad along. Unable to overcome his weight, she walked and collapsed, walked and collapsed, but didn’t give up.

“Grrrluck… Ji-jin… leave me and run quickly… r-run… uwwweeeek!”

Fortunately, her dad hadn’t completely lost his mind. Though staggering, he somehow managed to extend his feet following the child’s guidance. Occasionally, he repeated telling her to abandon him and go.

“Don’t say such ridiculous things!”

The child clawed at her dad and kept moving forward. But at some point,

[[[Don’t you understand yet? There’s no need to be angry. Life was originally just an illusion of you creatures. The Akashic Records, was it? You’re merely information recorded there. I’m simply modifying your information a bit differently. In a way that pleases the only one who exists in this world. Our master. It’s like making wine from grapes. For worthless grape seeds to become delicious wine is a glorious thing. Nothing to be angry about.]]]

A strange voice began flowing from her dad’s mouth.

“D-dad, why are you like this?”

Her dad grabbed the trembling child’s throat.

[[[There’s no need to fear. You’re simply becoming one with our master. Creature wearing a corpse, give up now.]]]

“Gasp… guh-guh…”

With her throat being choked by dad, the child’s feet left the ground. Fear spread across the child’s face.

Crash!

Then, someone dropped down hard in front of the child. They tumbled roughly to the ground. Half surrounded by blue light and half wrapped in metal armor—a boy. Through the cracked helmet, forsythia-colored eyes sparkled.

“…Wine? I see… Is that it? After eroding the world, you offer it as a meal to the Outer God? The beings of this world contain the magical power from the corpses of old gods, so you eat that to increase your power and enhance your interference with the world?”

The one who had been muttering to himself saw the child being strangled to death.

“Tch…”

<Dispel>

With Oh Si-jin’s single line of incantation, light returned to her dad’s eyes. Erosion was ultimately about changing the structure of mana. In a way, it was similar to curse magic. Oh Si-jin had long ago figured out that before it became severe, it could be healed with <Dispel>.

“Ah… what did I… do…”

Thud.

“Dad! Dad!”

Her dad collapsed unconscious. The child threw herself over him. Oh Si-jin looked at them with wavering eyes, then forced himself to look away and said,

“Go.”

“Wh-where?”

“There.”

Where Oh Si-jin pointed stood a blue-glowing relic. The 9th continent relic site he had activated to block the apostle’s erosion. Once there, they would be safe for a while.

‘Until I’m defeated, that is. …I do hope support comes soon.’

But the child alternately looked at dad and herself, then gazed vacantly at the distant relic site on the horizon.

“Me? But dad… can’t even stand up?”

Even hearing that desperate voice, Oh Si-jin didn’t turn around. He simply probed the writhing sky before him and the apostle’s true nature hidden behind it, speaking quickly.

“I’ll teach you a secret. Now, repeat after me.”

Oh Si-jin paused briefly before speaking.

“I will.”

The child repeated his words as if entranced.

“I, I will.”

“From now on, carry dad on my back and go to the safe zone.”

“F-from now on, carry dad on my back and go to the safe zone.”

“I promise.”

“I promise!”

Oh Si-jin smiled slightly.

“Well done. Now keep your promise.”

Whoooosh—

Oh Si-jin’s body blazed blue again as he stretched straight toward the front. Leaving the child behind without looking back.

‘You’ll have to manage somehow on your own.’

There were too many reasons why he couldn’t help, why he couldn’t expect help.

Make a promise and keep it.

That was the only method, the only magic, for surviving on the Star Continents.