Chapter 403
Piercing through the planet’s interior wasn’t particularly difficult for Se-Hoon. All he needed to do was to slip his body into the boundary between dreams and reality and descend underground like that.
However, while he could effortlessly pass through the earth, his speed was a problem.
Whoosh!
With his body in the boundary, Se-Hoon’s movements were faster than most S-rank heroes, but Terra was located somewhere between the edges of the outer and inner core of Earth. That meant he had to dig through over five thousand kilometers, which, at his current speed, could take over an hour.
That’s way too long.
There was no telling what preparations the Demon Force had made. He had to neutralize Terra as quickly as possible and return to the surface. Feeling the need for more speed, Se-Hoon activated Metamorphosing Dreams immediately.
Swish-
His abilities underwent countless trials and errors within the depths of his dreams, refining themselves until they could work together to bring about the fastest possible movement. Then, that configuration was brought forth into reality.
Thump-thump-thump!
His heart pounded so intensely it felt like it might explode, sending a surge of blood crashing through his bloodstream. Thankfully, a layer of his water mana, Silver River, protected his internals.
Because of that, his body began pushing past its limits, accelerating him even more through the ground.
And then—as his body underwent the unprecedented phenomenon—Se-Hoon felt the world he perceived slightly change.
My consciousness... is accelerating.
His descent into the depths was happening at an incredible speed, yet strangely, his perception of time slowed down. Not long later, it felt as if he had come to a complete stop altogether.
From the world beyond mere fractions of a second—a domain that could only be reached by completely immersing oneself in the gaps in reality—Se-Hoon looked downward.
Woong-
He could see a vast gap connecting him to Terra, thousands of kilometers below. If it were Jason, he could simply extend a fist through the gap and reach Terra. But for Se-Hoon, it wasn’t as easy, as his physical body lacked the capability.
So, upon recognizing the imbalance between his consciousness and body, Se-Hoon swiftly devised a solution.
Swish-
Using the Silver River flowing through his veins, he synchronized his mind and body. A single misstep here could lead to his existence being erased forever, but he pressed forward without hesitation.
I’ve been through worse countless times.
After all, the foundation of Soul Honing was the ability to perceive one’s own body, even subconsciously. With unwavering certainty that he could restore himself no matter what, he fully synchronized his sped up mind and body before plunging into the gap.
“...”
By the time he regained consciousness, he had reached the planet’s core. The scenery had shifted so drastically it felt like he had teleported to an entirely new location.
Yet, despite successfully descending in an instant and reaching the area where Terra was located, he wasn’t focused on that. Rather than confirm his surroundings, his attention was directed to the sensation still lingering in his body.
What... was that just now?
It was a strange sensation. Like seeing something while simultaneously being seen. Like touching something while also being touched.
His brows furrowed, unable to decipher the unknown feeling.
Swoosh-
Suddenly, a white wave surged toward him from below, startling him out of his thoughts.
Finally looking around, Se-Hoon examined the crimson world, forged from molten metals. The white waves were flowing somewhere, almost like a river.
Observing it, Se-Hoon quickly recognized what those white waves were.
This is the planet’s energy.
The very life force of the Earth, the white waves, felt completely different from mana in the atmosphere.
The energy was so dense it appeared almost liquid, and from within, a powerful intent could be sensed.
It’s almost as if... the planet itself is alive.
Perhaps Terra had been designed to transform the planet into a living entity—a self-protecting organism of sorts—by the Seeker.
With that thought, Se-Hoon followed the direction in which the planet’s energy was flowing with his gaze.
Swoosh!
A massive surge of the energy converged and shot upward toward the surface.
From a distance, it looked like a tower of white light piercing the heavens, naturally reminding him of the Towers of Heroes.
So, that’s where Terra is.
Pinpointing his destination, Se-Hoon once again synchronized his mind and body and slipped into the gap.
“Ugh...!”
However, unlike before, his entry wasn’t as smooth. He emerged slightly off course, and a sharp dizziness jabbed at his brain.
I should avoid doing that without preparation.
Right now, his body was still partially within the boundary, so he only suffered dizziness. But if he had made the mistake fully in reality, he could have been torn apart completely.
It was a horrifying thought for most, but Se-Hoon dismissed it as a mere minor inconvenience and scanned his surroundings.
Even if I’m slightly off... Terra should still be around here—hm?
Amidst the white, energy-filled expanse, he spotted a dark silhouette in the distance.
Squinting, Se-Hoon saw it was a shadow in the shape of a human. He first suspected it might be a demon, but then he sensed no demonic aura pulsating from it—or any presence at all, for the matter.
Which means... that’s Terra?
Its form was much simpler than he had expected, making him raise an eyebrow.
Yet he didn’t let his guard down, since an entity being able to maintain an intact form deep between the outer and inner core of the Earth was already far from normal.
The Demon Force might’ve rigged up some traps on it. I should approach it carefully.
Continuing to analyze the shadow, Se-Hoon lifted the Beads of Omniscience and released the seal he had placed.
“I told you, it won’t be that eas—huh?”
The Seeker’s brimming initial arrogance turned into confusion. She had assumed Se-Hoon needed help entering the planet, yet here he was, inside the core after less than five minutes.
“W-wait, did you teleport here? No, that shouldn’t be possib—but if you moved that fast, then Terra should have—”
Se-Hoon cut in before the Seeker could finish. “Shut up and answer me. Is that Terra?”
“Ah, uh... Yeah, that’s Terra. But... wait, why does it look... normal?”
The Seeker’s voice wavered in shock. Knowing that the Demon Force must have stolen Terra, she expected something to be wrong with it.
Yet it seemed perfectly fine?
“They must have directly tampered with its control system.”
“That’s... that’s impossible! No, but... if it’s in that state...”
Unable to comprehend the situation, the Seeker stammered in confusion.
Se-Hoon, however, was unfazed. “Forget it, I’ll figure it out myself. Is it safe to get closer?”
“Uh... Probably?”
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue in realization of how useless waking up the Seeker had been, Se-Hoon stepped closer to inspect Terra.
It’s just a woman with long hair...
Thinking the figure was oddly familiar, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. And at that moment, Terra suddenly turned her head.
Despite his hidden position in the boundary, Se-Hoon could feel her gaze on him. He tensed, ready to respond—
“──?”
Terra moved her lips.
Is she... trying to say something?
Se-Hoon hesitated.
Meanwhile, Terra continued silently mouthing words, until she started scratching her head in frustration. Then, she abruptly clapped her hands as if she had understood something.
She covered her mouth with her left hand.
“Ahh. Can you hear me now? You should be able to...”
A voice resonated—not in his mind, but in his ears. Se-Hoon instinctively glanced at the Beads of Omniscience and quickly realized the sound was coming from in front of him.
“You... You’re the real one, right? Please, say something...”
Terra’s desperate voice—sounded just like the Seeker. Se-Hoon’s eyes widened as he looked down at the bead.
“...Did you make Terra as a clone of yourself?”
“Correct! Impressive, right?”
The Seeker, clearly pleased with Se-Hoon's reaction, puffed up with pride.
In contrast, Se-Hoon just stared in disbelief.
What kind of insanity is this...?
It wasn’t some simple waste sorting job—it was about controlling an entire planet. She had used something as unstable as a clone for that?
Reading his thoughts, the Seeker spoke up once more in confidence. “Oh, come on. Who do you take me for? Of course, I made sure nothing would go wrong even if I died...”
“Hey... Hey... I know you’re there.... Why aren’t you saying anything...? I’m seriously going crazy.... You’re here, but pretending you’re not.... That makes me look like the crazy one.... But I’m not the weird one—it’s the one who’s been stuck here for decades.... Why is it always me? Why is it always me? Why is it always me? Why is it always me—”
“...”
“...”
Hearing how Terra’s mumbles under her breath suddenly turned near hysterical, Se-Hoon silently glanced down at the Beads of Omniscience.
“It’s... just part of the clone’s personality...”
Crack-
“W-wait, it’s cracking! The beads are cracking—!”
Ignoring the Seeker’s panic, Se-Hoon turned his attention back to Terra, who clearly wasn’t in the best mental state.
Should I... talk to her first?
He considered launching a surprise attack. But then again, the original Seeker wasn’t even sane, so maybe Terra was actually the normal one? Hoping she still had some rationality left, Se-Hoon sent his voice through the boundary.
“Can you hear me?”
“?!”
Terra jolted as if struck by lightning.
But before she could start bombarding him with questions, Se-Hoon spoke first. “I’m not the original Seeker, but rather her successor. I inherited her power and knowledge, so you don’t have to be too on edge—”
“I-I’ll do anything!”
“...?”
Se-Hoon looked at her blankly, caught off guard by the sudden interjection.
Sending his confusion, Terra quickly desperately shouted, “You need something from me, right? Whatever it is, I’ll do it—just get me out of here!”
Her plea made Se-Hoon frown. It was good that she wasn’t hostile, but the fact she wanted to be freed so badly wasn’t a great sign, either.
She might go berserk if I refuse.... Why did she have to make her a damn clone?
Silently cursing the Seeker, Se-Hoon pondered over a response before deciding to deal with the immediate problem first.
“Fine. But first, restore the planetary control. Right now, the Demon Force is siphoning the planet’s power.”
“The Demon Force is? That’s impossible...!”
Terra’s reaction made Se-Hoon instantly suspicious.
“What do you mean, ‘impossible’?”
“Well... the last command I received was from the Seeker herself, you see. I’m not crazy enough to mistake it for something else... or maybe... I actually did go crazy...?”
Her voice trembled with uncertainty.
And at that moment, Se-Hoon figured it out.
Looks like Dawn interfered.
Considering the Regions had transplanted the Seeker’s remains onto themself, they could issue commands to Terra pretending to be the original.
Yet, even so, Se-Hoon found it hard to believe. After all, the leader of Dawn hadn’t mentioned anything to him.
I told them to report to me immediately if they received any cooperation request.... Did they figure out who I am already?
Until now, Se-Hoon had been pretending to be a fellow follower of the Seeker, carefully deceiving them. But perhaps they were starting to catch on.
Thinking that he’d have to confirm it later, he looked at Terra.
“You were probably tricked.”
“T-that can’t be...”
“The Seeker died a long time ago.”
“...What?”
Terra’s face paled.
“I know it might be hard to hear, but one of the factions under the Demon Force has been using her remains for—”
“AAAHH!!!”
The previously timid Terra let out a booming scream. Her whole body shook with excitement as she burst into manic laughter.
“I knew something felt off.... So she really is... dead...? Hehehe... Hahaha...!”
Rather than just relieved, she seemed genuinely ecstatic. She looked less like a clone and more like someone celebrating the death of their greatest enemy.
Se-Hoon glanced at the Beads of Omniscience.
“T-that... that ungrateful...!”
The Seeker was so angry she could barely form words.
Caught between two extremes, Se-Hoon coldly analyzed the situation.
Guess I shouldn't trust anything this woman created.
Making a mental note to never trust the Seeker again, Se-Hoon turned back to Terra.
“Ahem! Anyway, that was a fake order from the Demon Force. You need to listen to me: the true successor—”
“Got it. I’ll restore control immediately.”
“...Wait, really? Just like that?” Her immediate response made Se-Hoon blink in confusion.
Terra shrugged. “You said you’re her successor, right? That’s good enough for me.”
“Shouldn’t you double-check...?”
“Look, how many monsters can make it all the way down here? If you’re here, you have to be the real deal.”
“...”
She wasn’t wrong, but something about the way she said it rubbed him the wrong way. He narrowed his eyes. Meanwhile, Terra reached out her hands—but then hesitated.
“Huh? Hmm... That’s weird.”
“What’s wrong? Is it not working?”
“Well... I can’t override the order alone, as it was recognized as an official one. Do you have some kind of proof of succession that you received from the Seeker?”
Se-Hoon glanced at the Beads of Omniscience, and the Seeker grumbled.
“Just show me to her. That should work.”
“Fine.”
Se-Hoon extended the Celestial Bead past the boundary, allowing Terra to see it.
She stared at it for a moment—then snorted.
“Pfft... Hahaha! So I end up looking like this?”
“...I can teach you how to make another one. Just... destroy that thing already,” the Seeker slowly remarked.
“Shut up.”
With the Seeker silenced, he turned back to Terra, who cleared her throat.
“Ahem. Alright, that should be enough proof. I can transfer the administrator privileges to you now.”
“Administrator privileges?”
That meant Se-Hoon would have direct control over Terra—and, by extension, the entire planet. It was an immensely powerful tool, but also a terrifying one.
Mulling over it, Se-Hoon asked, “Will there be any side effects? And how long will this take?”
“There are no side effects, and I’ll try to wrap it up right away.”
Terra reached toward the Beads of Omniscience as Se-Hoon watched closely.
...Is this really it?
Getting to the current point was incredibly difficult. He had to locate Terra, travel to the core of the planet, and prove his legitimacy. Theoretically, all three should have been impossible unless the Seeker had actually returned from the dead.
Besides those, however... everything else was proceeding too smoothly.
“So, you really pulled it off?”
Just as Terra was about to touch the Beads of Omniscience, a foreign voice emerged from her mouth.
“No matter how I look at it, this makes no sense.... But if it’s you, I suppose it’s possible.”
“...Huh?”
“After all, everything that’s happened up until now has been the same. We thought it was impossible, but you pulled it off like it was nothing. At this point, only an idiot wouldn’t believe it.”
“What’s happening...?”
It was as if two voices were speaking at once from Terra’s mouth.
Se-Hoon’s eyes instinctively narrowed into slits at the strange situation. Yet he didn’t move. Because the moment Terra’s hand touched the Beads of Omniscience, the planet’s energy had begun to stir unnaturally.
“It’s such a shame to just hand it over... but, well, I suppose this level of loss is necessary. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.”
The playful voice chuckled as Terra—now a puppet—blew him a teasing kiss.
“See you next time, Successor.”
A heavy silence fell.
And only after confirming that Tuner had withdrawn did Se-Hoon finally speak. “Explain what just happened. Now.”
Sensing that the situation had taken a dangerous turn, Terra hesitated before cautiously revealing the truth.
“During the administrator transfer... an emergency system check was triggered. In this state... You aren’t allowed to move for the next ten minutes.”
“And if I do?”
Terra flinched before hurriedly explaining. “Then my system will treat you as a traitor and attack you immediately. And if the system detects that control is being forcibly taken—”
“You’ll be erased. Got it.”
Tuner’s trap was simple: they would hand over Terra—but only if Se-Hoon stayed put for ten minutes.
So they assume they can safely bring about the birth of another Harbinger of Destruction as long as I’m not in the picture, huh?
While it was an arrogant declaration, at the same time, it meant they were just that confident—enough to take a loss for it.
Under Se-Hoon’s contemplative gaze, Terra, nervously fidgeting, hesitated before speaking up. “U-um... So...”
She was clearly terrified that he might decide to eliminate her. Seeing her, Se-Hoon paused for a moment before settling her fears.
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay put.”
“Do you... do you, you really truly mean it...?”
Terra looked truly surprised.
For her, it was great news—but was it really okay to play into the enemy’s hands?
“Yeah, it’s perfectly fine.”
Se-Hoon’s lips curled into a subtle smirk.
“I left a substitute behind for situations like this.”