"Everyone, stop what you're doing and gather up."
Yu IlHan shouted.
When his voice, which carried with it an air of assertiveness, filled the barrier, yet in a fashion that was hardly domineering, the ones who were struggling inside the Cradle of Miracles, the Dragon's Army that was having a large-scale fight, Yumir who was practicing his skills, Takagaki Asuha who just killed a demon, as well as Liera and Helièna who looked like they had a fight to the death, but were actually sparring, all stopped what they were doing. Yu IlHan explained to them.
"The barrier will disperse shortly. The moment it breaks, the effects of the slowing magic will increase greatly, so we need to be prepared for that."
"Ugh, there was that, wasn't there?"
[I wanted to adapt to my body better....]
"I'll tweak it in the future, so don't worry about it, Orochi."
[That sounds very unsettling since it's you who's saying it.]
"What was that?"
Yu IlHan cleaned up the various equipment within the barrier and collected the Cradle of Miracles. Although he couldn't reach the realm of higher existences during this time, he had an enormous harvest, so he decided to leave it at that.
Even excluding him and Yumir, a few people, including Liera and Helièna, managed to resonate with the power of dragons, and the outlook for the rest was anything but bleak.
"Ah, the barrier."
"I can feel my body becoming heavier."
"... it's breaking."
The moment Erta, who was sensitive to mana, said that, the barrier of time, which seemed as if it would last an eternity, shattered in vain. The majority of the people who spent a year and a half within the barrier felt dizzy upon experiencing the flow of time that had resumed.
"My god, it really was less than an instant."
"Uuugh, I feel extremely heavy now."
Although Yu IlHan had warned them beforehand, the slowing magic cast over Earth couldn't be avoided simply by being aware of its existence.
The three clan masters could now move normally under the magic's effects, thanks to their training over the past year and a half, but they had to clench their teeth from the overwhelming pressure. They even had the urge to just let go of everything and go with the flow of magic!
"Our clan will be confused if they see us."
"Just with you three acting at your normal speeds, it would help them recognize the existence of the magic. By then, they would be able to grow as well."
"This is hellish...."
However, they knew this was best for Earth; they could no longer complain. Yu IlHan handed the three a 'few' weapons and other equipment that he had made in his spare time in the barrier.
"Arm your clan members with these. They're legend-ranked for the most part, but well, they should suffice."
"I'm frightened myself by not flinching despite the appearance of several legend-ranked artifacts.... I'll gladly take the items though."
"Thank you, Lord Susa, I mean, Yu IlHan! I shall loyally serve you in the future as well!"
"Well, no, I don't need another loyal servant."
Since he had already told them the code of action, there was no need to hesitate. The clan masters all quickly went to their places.
They had a lot of talent in the very beginning, so they should be able to endure in this insane Earth and in the future as well. That went especially for Carina Malatesta and Michael Smithson, who had to protect each other. As for Takagaki Asuha... Yu IlHan didn't want to think about her for the time being.
"Well, then. Should we keep doing what we were doing before?"
[Master, do I really go around like this?]
The one that called out to him was, of course, Orochi. Orochi, having been enchanted into a body 'slightly' modified from Echjar's remains, could now control it proficiently, but it seemed he had become embarrassed after exiting the barrier.
[To think that I have to walk around in this embarrassing form…]
[Embarrassing form?! It transcendentally surpasses your original body of a lower existence!]
Echjar, enchanted in the Body of the Human Dragon, shouted as if to curse Orochi, but Yu IlHan ignored that. Echjar did not know what Orochi meant. What Orochi meant by 'embarrassing' was not referring to the physical body.
"You're embarrassed since you can't control the body properly yet, aren't you?"
[That's it. These muscles, these bones, these flesh – they're all leagues above mine. I can still feel creaks here and there.]
[Fu, at least you know your own place.]
"Shut up, Echjar."
If Yu IlHan could freely use creation and subordinate every single one of them, he wouldn't have fought with Echjar for over a year. Even Orochi, who had hung out with him for years and eaten many, many thought-souls, had difficulty controlling that body. How better would any others do?
"Do your best. I believe in you."
[I'm honoured.]
[Master is horrible! You're horrible!]
He checked the state of his companions, and then the state of Earth. Of course, not that anything much would have changed since not even an instant had passed.
In fact, as the three clan masters had been killing the demons that spawned on Earth for quite a while, the density of high-level monsters had decreased as well. Of course, they'll keep appearing in the future, but now that there was a system that sucked the mana out of Earth and sent it to Dareu, there would hopefully be no more cases of a massive monster outbreak.
"Well, then. Let's get to work."
"You damn workaholic~!"
Before the barrier broke, Yu IlHan gave them an occasional break. Thanks to that, everyone was in their normal condition, so there would be no drawbacks in acting now. Kang MiRae's expression darkened after Yu IlHan declared the resumption of work.
"Then do we need to be apart again?"
"That's what will happen. ... Should we reorganize the teams?"
"No, it's fine."
"MiRae. Youuuu."
Kang MiRae swiftly rejected Yu IlHan's proposal. Since the two had to remain leaders of their teams, she could not go with him, so she would take the opportunity away from others as well! Na YuNa clung to her with narrowed eyes, but her expression was very firm.
"The Flying Fortress was enhanced as well, so you also need to train to get adapted to the holy region too, YuNa."
"Such a sneaky excuse! You just made a sneaky excuse just now!"
"His Majesty… I cannot protect His Majesty by his side...."
"Calm down, Paté! The undead are going berserk!"
[Fuu, it's the same teams again...? If it's the master's wish, I shall follow. Fuu....]
The reactions from his subordinates weren't that good either. So many people didn't want to be apart from him! Well, it was an emotional thing, but Yu IlHan felt like he was losing his sense of identity and felt awkward. If he called himself a loner now, then he'd probably get beaten up.
"Dammit, we all became stronger, so can I at least go to IlHan's side?"
"I don't know what will happen, so please."
"What do you mean by 'what will happen'? There is only trash!"
Liera also grumbled. No matter how long she was with him, a lover's heart made her want to be by his side at all times.
"Will it really be two months until we meet again? This is not some fairy tale."
"It's better than meeting once a year. Next time, let's take it a little slow."
"Gaaawd, did I quit being an angel to do this?"
"It's because I trust in you the most. I'll switch you out as soon as Orochi gets adapted to his new body."
"...Really?"
"Really, I promise."
"Then okay..... Kiss me here. Quick."
Liera only got off Yu IlHan after getting his confirmation and a kiss. Then she got on the Flying fortress along with the others, who all glared at her.
When Mystic left for another world without being able to acquire a body until the end, there were four people on the Guardian fortress – Yu IlHan, Kim YeSeul, Helièna, and, finally, Orochi with Echjar's body. It was a strange composition of members.
"My son's popular alright."
"I don't need it though...."
"Mom's new dream is to make a baseball league with my grandchildren!"
"You mean nightmare."
[Fufu, if you leave it to me, I can do my best.]
"That's reassuring."
Welp, this was bad. He put her mother in his team to restrain Helièna, but somehow, the two were getting along better as time went on! Yu IlHan looked to his next hope, Orochi. Orochi avoided his gaze.
[My new body sure doesn't listen to me properly.]
"You...."
Perhaps he had to call Liera back right now? Yu IlHan seriously pondered, but he still drove the Guardian fortress anyway. His destinations were the other worlds where survivors of the Front Line Alliance may live. Once he gathered them all, it would be the turn for other big clans.
"How many more people would come with us...?"
[Well, I'm curious about how many more moths there are too.]
"Hey, watch your words."
[I only wanted to say that darling is as bright as the sun.]
"Hmph."
'Thanks to you, I could finally meet the one I love.'
Yu IlHan remembered Carina Malatesta's words. He wanted to believe that there were more who thought like she did and shared the same intentions and will.
There were those who wanted to return, and those who wanted to protect them. If that was the case, shouldn't he at least give them the opportunity? He couldn't let himself play on others' palms for so long.
"We still have a lot of places to go to, so let us hurry."
"...Yes, we should."
Yu IlHan looked down at the slowly rotating Earth and at those moving on it before activating his Warp skill.
At that moment, a new thought twitched in his mind, but he quickly buried it deep inside his head since it was too embarrassing. Only Helièna had sensed a change in his expression and let out an adorable smile.
After that, the group travelled to many other worlds. Worlds where everyone lived peacefully; worlds where everyone fought desperately in their own ways; worlds where the fighting had ended; worlds where they found a way to communicate with the monsters; apocalyptic worlds; dying worlds; dead worlds.
Yu IlHan's Record skill greedily found and sucked new records, and numerous people were saved by Yu IlHan as well. More 'moths' who wished to protect Earth joined, but the ones he encountered most often weren't them.
"Please take us in!"
"We plead with you!"
"Oh, Lord God, please be with us!"
They were the ones that were struggling to survive in a world where mankind had lost hope. The moment they found a new hope, Yu IlHan, they tried not to let him go.
"Ooooooh, Supreme being! We shall follow you!"
"You damned SIMPLETONS!"
If it was once or twice, he could cope with it, but when the same thing happened for the seventh time, he ended up exploding.
"How many times do I have to tell you that Earth has it WORSE! Huh? Even if you come to Earth like that, you'll die with the slightest tickle!"
"But we cannot endure in this world with our power any longer! Even if that place is dangerous, it's better than this place where there is no hope!"
"Don't bullshit me. A false hope is much more cruel than despair!"
Even when Yu IlHan exaggerated the situation on Earth, those who had lost their worlds did not back down, and Yu IlHan had no choice but to take them back to Earth.
"God dammit. Why are there so many doomed worlds!"
"Well, that's because there are countless worlds, and the people of Earth were scattered across those countless worlds."
"I feel like I'm collecting dragon balls... ugh."
Amongst the doomed worlds, there were surprisingly worlds where elves took the role of mankind. The majority of elves died to monsters that grew stronger after several Great Cataclysms, and only a very small minority survived. And somehow – they might have realized that Yu IlHan had the status of an emperor in Dareu – stuck to him and did not get off.
"You will lead us well if it's you that receives the love of countless elves!"
"Damn! You damned things!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Why the hell am I your 'Your Majesty'?"
Like that, Earth was prospering in a way Yu IlHan didn't intend. Yu IlHan's sighs grew more frequent as the days went by.
"How many days was it again until I can use the barrier?"
"Hm, around 5 days?"
"I think there will be at least two more doomed worlds...."
Yu IlHan creased his expression and activated his Warp skill. But when he arrived at the destination, he tilted his head.
"There are no angels in this world either."
"There aren't?"
"Yeah, but the one before didn't have any angels in it, right?"
[There was none before that either, even though it was a world filled with vitality.]
[There was none before that one either. Of course, it was a world that prospered without the master needing to do anything, though.]
Yu IlHan absent-mindedly thought that some internal conflict was happening within the Heaven's Army.
The War of the Wall of Chaos was not long ago, but it seemed these higher existences were up to something again. How the hell did they manage to endure this long with the pace at which incidents are erupting? A curious thing....
"Well, I won't care about it."
[You'll have to face it one day, but for now, do as you wish, darling.]
"Well then. Let us look for people to take back."
[Master....]
Time passed. Yu IlHan and his companions had another ten or so training sessions within the Hourglass of Eternity's barrier. Despite that, Yu IlHan could not reach the realm of higher existences. He still lacked the decisive element.
Yu IlHan finally concluded that he had to gather records of higher existences.