A signatory nation in possession of a Dimensional Portal shall by no means transfer the rights to other Dimensional Portals, dimensional magic, or such dimensional stabilizing devices to anyone, directly or indirectly.

    『Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Dimensional Portals – Article 1』

    * * *

    Yeomyeong found the bed in his dormitory uncomfortable.

    No matter how long he lay on the soft bed and closed his eyes, sleep wouldn’t come, and only idle thoughts filled his mind.

    Was it because the bed didn’t suit his body? No, that wasn’t it.

    The mattress was top-quality mattress and the dormitory staff washed the bedding weekly. Nothing was lacking.

    However, paradoxically, it was the comfort that made Yeomyeong uncomfortable.

    The more his body felt at ease, the more his mind yearned for the old, shabby dormitory from his time as a janitor. He missed the damp floors, the cheap vinyl flooring, the wallpaper aged with time, and even the mold patches on the ceiling.

    Though it was obviously nothing more than a cheap place when compared to the academy dormitory, Yeomyeong—or rather, Dung Beetle—remembered it fondly.

    Even the worn-out blanket he used to lay on the floor.

    The mischievous pranks his janitor brothers pulled.

    The mountain of books stacked in the Foreman’s room.

    The documentaries on the TV they found in the garbage dump…

    All those days, now irretrievable sorrowful memories, flickered in his mind.

    After tossing and turning in bed like that for a while, the thought that the foreman had been a follower of the Black God Mordak suddenly came to mind.

    Like most followers of the Five Gods, he too had been quite fond of the Saintess.

    Strictly speaking, it was the former Saintess, but he would have probably been fond of the current Saintess as well.

    No, he certainly would.

    Who could possibly dislike her? That honest, kind-hearted, airhead Saintess.

    Even an ordinary person, one who wasn’t a follower of the five gods, couldn’t help but like her.

    As Yeomyeong’s thoughts reached that point, he sat up straight, still in bed.

    As if to prove that everyone else was asleep, only the sound of Baonic’s snores echoed in the room cloaked in darkness.

    Should he try to fall asleep again?

    After hesitating for a moment, Yeomyeong decided to simply lean against the wall and continue thinking about the Saintess.

    To be precise, he was recollecting the Foresight she had shown.

    Although he hadn’t shown it outwardly, the Foresight she revealed was enough to shock him to the core.

    Blood and fire, corpses and ashes.

    Not only had they killed all the assemblymen, but they had also burned all of Yeouido to the ground.

    An exhilarating yet… disappointing sight.

    Though the Foresight was brief, Yeomyeong was certain of what he saw.

    If things had gone according to plan and they managed to wipe out the key government figures, there would have been no reason to burn Yeouido.

    It would have made more sense to burn the Gyeongmudae, the residence of the president, or the government buildings, or especially those who secretly ran the janitor guild… but Yeouido? Р???????ê????

    What in the world could have happened in the future for Seti and him to kill countless civilians and engage in an all-out war with Korea?

    And more importantly, why was his future self…

    …

    The Saintess might have not noticed it, but it was impossible for Yeomyeong to miss it. After all, that was him.

    The future version of him was no better than his current self.

    At most, his hair had gotten longer, or he had grown a bit.

    But his internal mana, his muscles, and even his aura hadn’t improved at all.

    And what stood out the most was the traces of the Comet Sword left on the corpses of the dead assemblymen.

    The depth of martial arts that could be felt from those traces was, in fact, inferior to his current self.

    It was almost like he had regressed.

    All he wanted to do right now was rush to the Saintess and ask her to show him the future again, but Foresight was not all-powerful.

    In fact, he wasn’t even sure he would see a similar future again, and more importantly, he couldn’t disregard the Saintess’ stamina.

    She was barely able to walk on her own when she left the rest area after showing him the Foresight.

    And though she claimed it was nothing serious, it was clear at a glance. She would at least need a few days to recover her mana and strength.

    “.”

    He ran his hand through his hair to brush away the complicated thoughts and stood up.

    He wanted to vent his frustration by swinging his sword, but time did not permit it.

    Instead, Yeomyeong picked up the water bottle from the bedside table, intending to drink some water.

    And just as he was about to pour the water into the cup, the stream of water flowing from the bottle froze in mid-air.

    Not magic or an illusion, but literally.

    “…”

    It was a strange phenomenon, but Yeomyeong turned his head without the slightest hint of surprise.

    Because he noticed the familiar sound of footsteps coming from beyond the darkness.

    And soon, something or rather someone familiar slowly emerged from within that darkness.

    A flicker of shadow stretched out like the hem of a dress, with darkness rippling above it.

    In a voice laced with a sigh, Yeomyeong called out her name.

    “…Mignium.”

    * * *

    『My Chosen One, we finally meet in reality for the first time.』

    The moment Yeomyeong heard Mignium’s words, a chill ran down his spine.

    It was because her voice was all too familiar.

    And the problem was, it wasn’t Mignium’s original voice… it was identical to Seti’s.

    “That voice… what have you done?”

    Yeomyeong glared at the darkness with eyes full of anger and fear.

    All the worries that had been cluttering his mind until then vanished in an instant, with the worst possible assumptions pounding in his chest.

    “…Answer me, Mignium.”

    Mignium chuckled silently.

    『I can give you as many answers as you desire. But, I wonder if the First would want me to.』

    “…The First?”

    『The First who entrusted her fate to you.』

    Following that cryptic remark, Mignium took another step forward.

    The darkness squirmed, and the moonlight shining through the window fled in terror.

    And as she got closer to Yeomyeong, her face, hidden beneath the dark shadow, was partially revealed.

    “…”

    Yeomyeong was at a loss for words. He even forgot to breathe as his trembling eyes stared directly at Mignium’s face.

    『Your reaction exceeds my expectations. I’m quite satisfied. Who could have know that selecting the sheep before the tree or hawk would be the right choice?』

    Mignium let out a delicate laugh in Seti’s voice, with Seti’s face.

    And before he realized it, Yeomyeong reached out and gently touched Mignium’s face.

    The warmth of her soft cheek traveled up his fingertips—a sensation he could never feel in a dream, the tangible touch of reality.

    “How is this possible…?”

    『You can ask the First about that later. I am a merciful master, so I respect the first of my servants.』

    Only then did Yeomyeong realize that ‘the First’ she kept referring to was Seti.

    “The First who entrusted her fate…?”

    As he repeated those words, flashes of memories surfaced in his mind: the orb of light he had seen in Manchuria and the Saintess’ words about being able to glimpse into Seti’s future as of lately.

    Were all of these things mere coincidences? Or was there something more to it?

    Yeomyeong swallowed hard. An indescribable emotion swelled within his chest, and his throat felt parched.

    Noticing his reaction, Mignium smirked.

    『Have you finally realized it? The First Fate for y—』

    As she was speaking, the darkness filling the room wavered a little.

    『…Oh dear, it seems like I’ve once again wasted our limited time by talking about this. This always happens every time I meet with you.』

    “…”

    Mignium took a step back, retreating into the shadows once more.

    Only the fluttering hem of her shadow dress and the appearance resembling Seti remained, proving her presence wasn’t just a dream.

    『Time isn’t on my side, so, my Chosen One, let me offer you some advice…』

    For some reason, she stopped mid-sentence.

    She closed her mouth without any explanation, perking up as if listening intently to someone else.

    A brief moment of strange silence elapsed.

    Then, Mignium broke it with a delighted tone.

    『…Oh my, how commendable.』

    “Mignium, what on earth have you been on about since earlier?”

    『It means there’s been a change of plans. My Chosen One, instead of advice, I shall give you a gift.』

    Looking somewhat pleased, Mignium waved her hand with a smile.

    With that gesture, Yeomyeong’s bag resting under his desk, opened, and something hidden deep inside floated into the air.

    A small box secured with multiple layers of seals.

    As Yeomyeong observed the scene in silence, the box opened, revealing its contents. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    A bottle filled with a radiant liquid.

    A rare potion that had a low probability to turn an ordinary person into a mana user. It was the very reason the Korean government had made a deal with a Necromancer and offered him the corpses of their citizens.

    It was a spoil Yeomyeong had obtained after launching a surprise attack on the Necromancer and government officials at the Incheon port. He had held onto it, intending to exchange it for a more useful elixir in the future…

    But why now?

    Just as Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes, Mignium pulled the potion toward herself and asked.

    『My Chosen One, what do you think is the most essential thing for enjoyment?』

    As soon as an invisible force twisted the bottle cap open, a refreshing scent wafted through the air.

    『The answer is… power. Not ordinary power, but overwhelming power.』

    She spoke with absolute certainty, and Yeomyeong could not deny her words.

    After all, the sole reason he was able to change his fate thus far was thanks to the talent Mignium had bestowed upon him—and the power that talent granted him.

    『So now, to eliminate any and all the concerns and obstacles that may hinder our shared enjoyment, I shall grant you even more power.』

    Before Yeomyeong even had the chance to refuse, Mignium suddenly raised her hand and plunged it into her own chest without any warning.

    It was an abrupt, unpreventable action.

    Fortunately, no blood poured out from between Seti’s bulbous breasts—only darkness.

    A moment later, Mignium extracted three gemstones from her split chest.

    Yeomyeong frowned as he gazed at the jewels, which shone with the same intensity as the Awakening Potion.

    Though they varied in size, all three of them contained the same mana.

    And not just anyone’s, but Seti’s mana.

    “That can’t be…?”

    『It is exactly as you think. These are all the possibilities of the First—what Earthians call martial arts, divinity, and magic.』

    “…”

    The open Awakening Potion bottle and the gemstones representing Seti’s possibilities.

    Anticipating what would happen next, Yeomyeong moved with haste.

    Sure enough, Mignium was trying to put those possibilities into the potion.

    But just as the gemstones were about to enter the potion, Yeomyeong barely managed to grab Mignium’s hand and bring it to a halt.

    “What the hell are you doing?”

    『Can you not see it? I am bestowing you with possibilities.』

    “By stealing Seti’s possibilities? Don’t be ridiculous.”

    Yeomyeong growled, but a smile still lingered on her lips.

    『Are you truly not interested? Even if this is the easiest way to change the future you foresaw?』

    Mignium whispered enticingly, as if she knew what was weighing on his mind just moments ago.

    『Do not hesitate; seize everything. All that the First possesses is yours.』

    “…”

    『Her innate possibilities, the emotions bubbling within her chest, every breath she takes, and every strand of hair… all of it.』

    Yeomyeong did not respond.

    To succumb to such a trivial temptation was unthinkable; Seti was much too precious to him.

    Seizing the three gemstones from Mignium’s grasp, he returned them to Seti’s chest.

    First, he placed the largest gemstone, which was imbued with a stormy and turbulent mana, followed by a medium-sized gemstone enveloped in darkness that resembled Mignium.

    And just as he was about to return the smallest gemstone, Mignium kicked his leg.

    The force behind her kick was strong enough to sweep both of Yeomyeong’s legs off the ground.

    No further explanation was needed; it was a flawless execution of the Flying Kick technique.

    “…!?”

    And even before Yeomyeong could land on his bottom, Mignium—or rather, Seti—snatched the final gemstone from his hand and dropped it straight into the Awakening Potion.

    The sound of the gemstone plopping into the potion echoed vividly in Yeomyeong’s ears.

    As Yeomyeong landed on the ground, glaring at her, Mignium offered no response and simply shook the potion.

    She continued until the gemstone had completely dissolved and blended into the potion.

    “Hey! Hong Seti!”

    By the time Yeomyeong managed to get back on his feet and grab her wrist, not a trace of the gemstone remained.

    “You really….”

    He tried to say more, but Mignium didn’t permit it.

    With a mere gesture, the darkness around them grew stronger, ensnaring Yeomyeong’s body and silencing him.

    『I would love to watch this delightful scene a little longer… but sadly, our time is up.』

    With a voice tinged with regret, Mignium handed the potion to Yeomyeong.

    『Power is pleasure, so continue seeking even greater strength.』

    『My Chosen One.』

    * * *

    The water bottle floating in the air fell to the ground, shattering with a loud crash.

    “W-what the…?”

    Startled by the sudden noise, Baonic, who had been snoring soundly just moments before, shot upright.

    He blinked and glanced around at the half-darkened room, before his eyes finally landed on Yeomyeong standing in the shadows.

    The strange glow the potion gave off and Yeomyeong’s serious expression as he gazed at it.

    After observing the scene for a moment, Baonic buried his face back into the pillow.

    Whatever it was… it seemed better not to get involved.

    He erased the image of Yeomyeong, the potion, and the flickering shadows outside the window from his memory.

    Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.