Harnak

A strange third party’s voice.

As if mocking the three people who instantly raised their weapons and entered a defensive stance, someone slowly walked out from behind the golden statue.

A middle-aged man wearing a splendid crown adorned with various jewels and pitch-black clothes.

Despite his handsome face with strong features, his eyes that somehow seemed detached created an indescribable atmosphere.

‘This guy must be the culprit.’

The turbid energy swirling around the middle-aged man was identical to the energy witnessed outside the cave.

“I wondered how you got in, but to think you’d break through the wall instead of using the door. I’m dumbfounded.”

A strange light entered Yuseong’s eyes.

Though he couldn’t tell whether the being before him was human or undead, unlike the undead that mindlessly charged at humans, this one wasn’t showing hostility yet, so dialogue seemed possible.

“I apologize for breaking the door. Our situation…”

“Name.”

“Pardon?”

“If we’re to have a conversation, state who you are first.”

“…My name is Han Yuseong.”

“Is that all?”

User, one of less than ten heroes, 33rd Lord of Dragonia.

Though several titles came to mind, he wasn’t sure the other party would understand even if he said them.

Watching Yuseong hesitate, the middle-aged man shook his head and said.

“Though you seem lacking in status for conversation, it can’t be helped. I am Harnak.”

“Is that all?”

Seeing Yuseong look at him with a strange expression, Harnak gave a self-deprecating smile.

“Even a name is a luxury for me. The royal family name and glorious titles. They’re too grand for a fallen king to use. So, what brings you here?”

‘Does he not know what’s happening outside?’

Seeing Harnak’s utterly composed demeanor, Yuseong wore a dubious expression as he spoke.

Starting with the basic fact that this was a planet called Earth, he systematically explained how monsters appeared leading to war, and suddenly undead emerged putting humanity in grave crisis, among other events that had occurred on Earth.

Though the content was extensive and complex, having had similar conversations with lizardmen before, Yuseong conveyed just the essential points as briefly and concisely as possible.

“…So we came here after concluding something was drawing the undead. Does anything come to mind?”

Yuseong thought perhaps Harnak might not be connected to the undead situation.

Though he emitted ominous signals and was surrounded by powerful undead unlike any seen before, constantly emanating an inauspicious aura that made him extremely suspicious, he seemed too calm to be the culprit.

But as with the lizardmen, appearances could be deceiving.

“If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve found the right answer.”

“Are you admitting you summoned the undead?”

“To be precise, I didn’t summon them. My loyal subjects came of their own accord upon learning their king was here.”

“…So either way, the undead are coming because of you, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Yuseong briefly stared in disbelief at Harnak who calmly answered without changing expression, then asked with a hint of hope.

“Then could you stop the undead from coming?”

“Why should I do that?”

That wasn’t simple arrogance.

It was a question containing genuine confusion about why he should do such a thing.

“What do you mean why? People in our world are being harmed by the undead, so shouldn’t you stop them?”

“That’s why I’m asking why I should stop them. According to your explanation, this world seems to already be caught in the dimensional war, so what meaning is there in stopping undead from coming to a world destined for destruction?”

Yuseong’s eye twitched.

While he could understand the term dimensional war from what he’d heard when first entering the community, talk of destined destruction was news to him.

“What do you mean destined for destruction? Is that some kind of metaphor?”

“No. I mean it literally. From the moment a world is caught in the dimensional war, its destruction is already determined.”

“How can you be so certain? We might be able to stop the invasion, right?”

“Do you truly believe that?”

For the first time, emotion appeared on Harnak’s expressionless face.

It was mockery.

“I don’t know how developed this Earth is, how prosperous it is, or how strong it is, but such things are meaningless before the dimensional war. There are no winners in dimensional wars. Only losers exist.”

Everything has its opposite.

If there is sky, there is ground; if there is yin, there is yang; if there is action, there is reaction.

Naturally, if there are losers, there should also be winners.

Harnak denied this obvious principle.

“I don’t know who started the war, when, or how. One thing certain is that some being deliberately started it, not by accident or coincidence. At first there were probably winners and losers. The war likely ended too. But the war was restarted by some being.”

One cannot wage war eternally.

No matter how overwhelming the victories, no matter how many victories are achieved, eventually a moment comes when the damage can’t be endured and defeat is inevitable.

The problem started here.

“The number of dimensions is infinite, the dimensions caught in war are infinite, and the losers drifting through dimensional gaps are infinite. It doesn’t matter how powerful one is. Take down one and two appear, take down two and four appear, take down four and eight appear… Once a dimension’s position is identified after being caught in the dimensional war, infinite losers from infinite dimensions pour in randomly. And when it exceeds what that dimension can handle…”

Harnak raised his fist then opened it with a ‘pop’ sound.

It was a metaphor even a three-year-old could understand.

“This is what happens. That’s why there are only losers. Now do you understand my words? Whether sooner or later, this world’s destruction is already determined. So I don’t understand why I should stop my subjects from coming.”

“So you’re saying you won’t stop them?”

“That’s right. When my subjects drifting through dimensional gaps can find brief rest in this world, why should I stop them?”

“…”

“Is that all you wanted to know? If you have nothing more to say, I’d appreciate you leaving now.”

“…You said undead are coming because you’re here, so if we eliminate you, will they stop coming?”

The sudden informal speech and blatant question.

Harnak’s eyes narrowed.

“Did you not understand despite my explanation?”

“No, I understood.”

“Then why?”

“Are you stupid? Give up because we’ll be destroyed eventually? How is that different from saying why live when humans will die anyway?”

Golden and silver currents began spreading through the hall centered on Yuseong.

The energy mist that even surprised Lucifer, interfering with not just visual but also energy-based detection.

Wrapping his entire body in the golden-silver mist, Yuseong gathered all his energy using Infinite Origin Force and unleashed Shooting Star.

A truly ray-like speed.

Yuseong, and Kasim and Olga watching from behind, thought Harnak would allow the attack.

But reality was different.

Thud!

With a powerful shockwave, Yuseong’s body stopped.

Harnak had blocked the punch thrown with Tyrant’s monstrous strength, Infinite Origin Force’s power, and three energies with one hand without taking a single step back.

“Impressive. What tremendous power. This level could even take down dragons.”

Recognizing Shooting Star was blocked, Yuseong immediately pulled back his fist and launched a follow-up attack.

Thunder Thrust which could launch rapid consecutive strikes though each had less power.

In an instant dozens of fist shadows covered Harnak’s entire body.

But none could pierce Harnak’s defense.

“Though you have quite useful skills, you’re still a frog in a well. To me who has conquered five dimensions…”

As Thorny Vine blooming from Yuseong’s fingertips began climbing up his arm toward his face, Harnak’s expression hardened terribly.

Though it was just vines that couldn’t even scratch skin, he sensed intense danger from those vines unlike anything felt more than a few times in his life.

Boom!

With an ear-splitting explosion, Yuseong was sent flying through the temple wall for hundreds of meters before crashing into a corner of the city.

Still unsatisfied, Harnak stretched his hand toward where Yuseong had flown.

Energy erupting from Harnak’s body made not just the temple, but the entire city begin to shake.

What saved Yuseong in this critical moment were the other two users.

Dog-Beating Staff Technique. Dog-Striking Heaven (撥狗朝天).

Though Harnak hadn’t budged at Yuseong’s attacks, the strike imbued with the Dog-Beating Staff Technique’s principles too easily knocked his arm upward.

Boom!

Brilliant sunlight suddenly shone in the lightless underground.

Thanks to the massive beam fired from Harnak’s hand blasting through the temple ceiling and huge amounts of soil and rock to create a hole leading to the surface.

“What the hell?”

An exclamation of shock escaped Kasim’s mouth.

Even stronger energy was gathering in Harnak’s other hand, and unfortunately it was again pointing toward where Yuseong had flown.

Realizing there wasn’t time to use the Dog-Beating Staff Technique again, Kasim used blink to instantly teleport in front of Harnak’s palm.

Crackle!

Countless magical letters and patterns appeared above Kasim’s body and began blocking the beam.

It was a defensive spell he constantly maintained.

The magical letters and patterns only blocked the beam for about a second, but that was enough.

“Eternal Ice Fortress.”

Crackle!

A massive ice wall suddenly appeared.

Amazingly, the beam that had pierced dozens of meters of earth couldn’t penetrate the ice wall and dissipated.

“First that human earlier, and now this… how many surprises today…”

“I’ll check on Mr. Yuseong’s condition! Please hold on for a moment!”

Harnak blankly stared at the woman running away with her back turned to him.

He briefly fell into confusion, unable to understand what the woman had said.

‘Hold on for a moment? What does that mean? Is there another person?’

Yuseong who was sent flying after taking his full power attack.

And the man who turned to ashes from his attack.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no one else.

Thinking he had been deceived, Harnak launched himself toward where Yuseong had flown with an enraged expression.

Or rather, tried to launch himself.

“It hurts my feelings when you ignore me.”

A staff blocking his path.

Harnak’s eyes fell on a skull looking at him while burning with red demon fire.

“…A lich?”

“Elder lich to be precise. Usually I deeply regret becoming this since I can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t perform as a man, but at times like this it seems like a good purchase.”

“Interesting. Truly interesting. I’ve experienced various dimensions but dimensions this interesting are rare.”

New toys suddenly appearing during long boredom.

Hoping these toys wouldn’t break easily, Harnak emanated an ominous aura from his entire body.