Ch.247247. Backflow of Chaotic Energy

The biome beyond the Ore Mountain Range was a Level 3 biome.

It wasn’t filled with intense chaotic energy, so I felt a bit overdressed with all my preparations.

Still, I hadn’t expected to find a Level 5 biome right away. Since I was already here, I decided to clean up a bit and started commuting either westward or pushing northward.

It wasn’t difficult.

In truth, even without using my new Rift Crack ability, I could feel myself getting noticeably stronger by tens of percent just by increasing my mana with my SSS+ ability.

With just the ability to utilize the purified Ice Spirit Liquor, I didn’t really need to learn any other combat skills here.

However, while using Rift Crack in actual combat, I found a new way to operate it.

Rather than simply opening a rift and fighting with overlapping leap slashes, I could trap targets in the rift and make them emerge in the same spot they entered.

After experimenting, I found that most monsters couldn’t escape the rift and ended up skewered by my sword, which could strike from any direction.

I suppose this was a rather violent hunting method.

Of course, it was also an inefficient hunting method that consumed a tremendous amount of mana, but for someone like me with mana to spare, it was a perfectly acceptable approach.

After about 3-4 days of hunting and defeating a boss, I returned.

That’s when Kim Soo-jung mentioned she needed to go out.

Only then did I realize.

“It’s chaotic energy, isn’t it?”

“Seems like there are many dungeons overflowing everywhere. Monsters are getting stronger, and people caught in the chaotic energy are receiving debuffs.”

The events happening outside.

It seemed extremely chaotic.

“What’s this sudden overflow about?”

“I don’t know. But seeing chaotic energy appearing there too, don’t you think it’s connected to this place?”

“You think so?”

It did seem likely, but I pretended not to know.

In truth, even if there was a connection, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

For this matter, I sought out the most reliable guide.

“Lulu.”

“Yes, Master.”

“They say dungeons are overflowing on Earth. Is this related to the Rift Dimension?”

“Hmm… it could be related if it is, and it might not be if it isn’t.”

“What does that mean?”

Lulu made an incomprehensible statement before explaining further.

“Chaotic energy doesn’t exist only in the Rift Dimension. Strictly speaking, chaotic energy is flowing into the Rift Dimension ‘too,’ consuming it. Chaotic energy can exist in any dimension and is a formless energy that can be found anywhere unless you find and eliminate its source.”

“Isn’t eliminating it my job right now?”

The ultimate goal in the Rift Dimension is to remove the chaotic energy.

That’s why the main quest keeps giving me massive rewards.

In the end, my role could be seen as driving out the chaotic energy from the Rift Dimension.

“That’s right. Your role is to remove the roots of chaotic energy that have taken hold in this highest-level dimension, the Rift Dimension. Originally, chaotic energy drifts around without form, but now it has rooted itself in the Rift Dimension, so if you remove it, you can eliminate it forever.”

“Really? Why would it do that? If I were chaotic energy, I’d just keep drifting around forever to avoid being caught.”

“Chaotic energy also wants to root itself in a safe place. Drifting formlessly through dimensions in an incomplete state consumes a tremendous amount of energy. It needs to devour more dimensions and absorb energy to maintain that state. But by rooting in the highest-level Rift Dimension, it can absorb enough energy without needing to consume other dimensions.”

“Then chaotic energy shouldn’t be appearing on Earth, right?”

“It hasn’t completely rooted itself yet, and it’s also supplementing its strength to consume the Rift Dimension from elsewhere. Once it fully takes root, it will extend its tendrils to absorb all dimensions, using this place as its pillar.”

“…”

“In the end, chaotic energy has the nature of endless consumption.”

“What a greedy bastard.”

“Your predecessor’s dimension also started being affected by chaotic energy around the time they were tackling Level 4-5 biomes. I suppose it’s inevitable since coming and going from the Rift Dimension creates more gaps compared to other dimensions.”

“Hmm. So what should I do?”

“If you remove the roots in the Rift Dimension, chaotic energy will no longer be able to function. Otherwise, you’d have to purify all the chaotic energy appearing on Earth.”

After hearing this, it seemed like a simple problem.

“So I just need to clear the main quest here?”

“Huh? Yes! That’s right.”

“Earth’s problems should rightfully be left to Earth’s people.”

In reality, even if chaotic energy is flowing into Earth because of something I did here, there’s not much I can do about it.

Unless I happen to see an overflowing dungeon on my way and resolve it in passing, I only have one body—how could I possibly block all the dungeon overflows spreading across the world?

In the current situation, all I can do is hope they handle it well on their own.

Besides, Earth’s hunters aren’t pushovers.

They too are risking their lives, diligently clearing dungeons, leveling up, and building their abilities to handle most crises on their own.

“Let’s trust them.”

“…You’re not just saying that because you’re lazy, right?”

“What are you talking about? Lazy? There’s nothing more delicious than chaotic energy dungeons.”

More importantly, the real question was what could be gained from these changes and crises.

“Call Kim Sol over.”

Earth being in crisis means people feel anxious.

How must people feel living with the unpredictable bomb of dungeon overflow?

Moreover, dungeons exist everywhere.

They exist in the middle of major cities and in mountains.

While hunters do clear dungeons in dangerous locations to prepare for overflows, it’s impossible to clear all dungeons, so some inevitably remain.

In a world where no place is perfectly safe, safety becomes money.

“Hm? You called?”

Kim Sol entered with a smile, dark circles extending down to her cheeks.

“…You look scary. You should rest a bit.”

“I’ll rest once I finish this. I won’t have much to do for a while after that.”

“Is it going well?”

“Not… really. SSS+ construction is truly a new world. But it requires too many new materials. Why did you give me such a treasure? Please break through to high-level biomes quickly.”

“…Y-yeah…”

“Anyway, why did you call me?”

She looked busy, but there were things that needed to be done.

“I was thinking of building about 30 separate villas around the Ore Mountain Range, like vacation homes…”

“…What is it this time?”

“VVIP exclusive villas. I heard things are getting noisy outside. You know, like selling apocalypse bunkers where people can safely take shelter.”

“…You’re talking about the dungeon overflows, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re truly a genius.”

“I’m no genius.”

“Should I make them with mountain views and a hot spring nearby?”

“Yes. A walking path would be nice, and a community portal connected to the current mining village would be good too. Like a silver town where everything can be taken care of.”

“I get the idea. But I can’t do it now. It’ll take me another month to finish this. I can set things up so we can build immediately once you bring the materials.”

“A month? Alright.”

What’s great about Kim Sol is that her designer sensibilities match my taste perfectly—maybe because we played the same game?

It’s easy to tell her what I want. Usually when explaining what I want and how I want it, I worry about what the other person might think of me, but Kim Sol pinpoints exactly what I want and even takes it a step further.

To be honest, as I was explaining, I wondered if it was even possible—it was so abstract, just a villa in my imagination.

But when Kim Sol said it could be done, I felt confident it would happen.

A month?

That didn’t matter.

I wasn’t planning to bring people here right away anyway.

Now is the time to sell fear.

I went to Earth with Kim Soo-jung.

My phone was already flooded with messages from Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop, and YouTube comments were going crazy.

“I’ll clean up the overflows in Korea before coming back. All the hunters are at the mine, and if I leave this unattended, I might catch the blame.”

“Okay. But don’t you need to tell the hunters there?”

“Just tell them to work hard.”

Korea’s damage was minimal, almost negligible.

They had been consistently removing dungeons in urban areas, and fortunately, the chaotic energy overflows mostly occurred in uninhabited areas of the Taebaek Mountains.

I immediately contacted Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop, received the location, and flew there.