The Protagonists Are Murdered by Me

Chapter 49

[You’ve successfully hunted a Level 61 protagonist.]

[Your Level has risen by 3.]

[610 days of lifespan will be rewarded.]

[Remaining Lifespan: 4022 Days, 17 hours, 11 minutes.]

Hanniel died of natural causes.

…Well, not really.

After he was half beaten to death by Seodam, he was dropped from the sky to his death.

Killing people, Seodam is not one to do it cruelly, but it couldn’t be helped..

Hanniel’s men had the Dawn Fairies surrounded.

Seodam of course didn’t do it out of his fondness for the Dawn Fairies.

Although he’s human and has emotions, he did it to save the flowerpot.

[Having hunted seven protagonists, Protagonist Hunter has risen to Lv. 3.]

[Carrying weight limit of items to other worlds increased to 40kg.]

[You can now grasp the plot of other worlds.]

[You can now interfere with the protagonist’s narrative and timeline.]

While looking at the messages that appeared, Seodam had a strange feeling.

It’s only been some time since he received the murder contract, so he can’t beleive that he has already completed 7 missions.

“Timeline? Narrative? What are you saying?”

< You can interfere at the point of changes that have a profound effect on the plot. >

“…What are you talking about, I don’t understand?”

Seodam gave a defeated laugh.

Sometimes, he feels like the Client is purposely explaining things cryptically.

I don’t understand it at all, but I’m completely satisfied with the fact that my weight limit has increased to 40kg.

In addition to my inventory, I can now carry fairly heavy items.

‘Won’t I be able to at least carry around a small aether blaster now?’

Its bullets are heavy, so I’m certain I’ll only be able to use it once or twice.

Eventually, a message appears asking if I want to absorb an ability or not.

[Skill Leave Body To The Wind (B) has been absorbed.]

“Oh. B-Rank…”

While admiring the pretty good skill I just absorbed.

[Skills Leave Body To The Wind (B) and Wind Step (D) have successfully resonated.]

[The above skills will be erased, and How To Run Like The Wind (A) will be created.]

[Do you accept?]

…Another message appeared.

“This…Definitely accept.”

[Skill How To Run Like The Wind (A) has been created.]

Immediately, Seodam felt his body lightened.

He could also feel the surrounding cool breeze as if it was each individual one.

This is indeed an A-Rank skill.

All Wind Step did was push the body slightly using the wind.

Though, even that was quite effective since it allowed Seodam to easily outrun a beast, and now…as if…

‘At this rate, won’t I really be able to fly?’

Therefore.

I tried sprinting into the air, but it was not possible to fly.

I can only do an incredibly high jump.

Also, with this skill and my 45 points of agility, the speed of my running has increased significantly.

“Status Window.”

As expected, I’m quite satisfied with the level of my abilities.

Except for mana, none of my other attributes caught up to my level until now, with agility being another one.

It seems to be the effect of the skill.

The A-Rank skill did not allow me to control the wind, rather, it just lets me ride along the wind.

As such, the effect might as well be a passive skill.

And to be honest, my sprinting speed is now similar to a decent car at full speed.

So, I thought.

‘I’m really superhuman now.’

I wanted to swing my sword here, but doing so would destroy nature.

With the death of Hanniel and defeat of the human army, there’s no reason to harm nature anymore.

After lightly running back to the Dawn Fairies’ village, I saw the Dawn Fairies huddled together doing something.

In the center was a woman.

The youngest princess, Sarilyn.

I heard that little girl, who’s about to turn 20, had a secret affair with Hanniel.

After everything ended, I thought the Dawn Fairies would be angry at her, but that didn’t happen.

They just passed Sarilyn, patting her shoulder.

Every time it happened, Sarilyn would flinch and tremble.

“Live a life of atonement from now on. We forgive you. Truly.”

“Uh, really?

The second princess, Marilyn, approached Seodam, then spoke while petting the flower.

“This way is much more painful. How many Dawn Fairies have suffered, how many have died, and how many trees have cried because of her…If everyone forgives her so easily, it will be much harder for her to forgive herself.”

“…Is that so?”

Well, I don’t know.

[Sleepy…]

The flower looks different than before.

On top of the petals was a little girl sticking out of nowhere, and her body, as if made from specks of light, was connected to the flower, making it seem inseparable.

Also, oddly enough, because the flower is linked to Seodam, it can use White Witch’s library.

Although the mana it requires puts a lot of stress on Seodam, the ability to use magic without having to concentrate is tremendously beneficial.

And, doesn’t it have the ability to control nature itself?

He has spent a lot of money here, but not only did he gain an A-Rank skill, the spirit had even blossomed, so Seodam smiled from ear to ear.

“Have you gotten enough rest now?”

[Yes…]

“What do you think? You think you can survive back on Earth?”

For a moment, she closed her eyes and basked in the energy of this place, then finally spoke.

[Yes…I don’t need the soil or air here anymore…]

In other words, it means Seodam doesn’t have to worry about her suddenly dying.

“Then, let’s head back.”

Said Seodam.

While saying so, the approaching Sarilyn looked at him with round eyes.

It seems that all the strange rituals that took place between the Dawn Fairies have ended.

Her gunshot wound in the abdomen has almost healed as well.

Not by her own abilities, but with the help of the flower.

To get rid of the bullet, the flower had learned magic from the White Witch’s library that even Seodam couldn’t, and a total of seven magic were simultaneously used to stop the bleeding and heal the wound.

While doing so, his mana was exhausted, and frankly, he was really impressed with her control.

With some hesitation, Sarilyn asked Seodam.

“…Are you leaving now?”

“I have to.”

“To where?”

“My home.”

Perhaps such a place, she can’t even begin to imagine what kind of place it is.

A terrible place she doesn’t know.

“Is…that so.”

And then.

Sarilyn bowed her head to Seodam, then after a while, lifted it and spoke.

“Truly, thank you.”

There were many things she wanted to say.

‘If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have the chance to atone…’

‘Condemned by mother nature and returning to her embrace…’

‘All the Dawn Fairies that have died…’

But Sarilyn omitted all the backstabbing.

Because such words are useless.

In the past, she had tried to understand other people’s hearts through conversations.

And Sarilyn who tried to express her feelings through words, realized something, albeit late.

When it comes to expressing one’s true feelings, the truth is, it’s more effective to be sincere.

Marilyn also bowed to Seodam.

All the Dawn Fairies who were gathered here bowed their heads to Seodam.

He momentarily looked at them, then walked somewhere.

Unknowingly to Seodam, it was in the direction of the Twilight Tree where he had first appeared.

Walking towards it, he spoke.

“I’m leaving. Take care.”

Saying so, his figure disappeared like a mirage.

Sarilyn turned her head towards her sister, and spoke.

“Big sister. We have to be ready from now on.”

“…Yes.”

They were not devils.

Just, different and more advanced than them.

They are among the over 100 tribes.

“Someday…They’ll come again.”

“I know.”

“And, I’ve realized how we can prepare ourselves.”

Sarilyn opened her palms.

The fallen leaves simply seem to be shaking, and Marilyn, who has inherited the power of spirits, could sense the skill Sarilyn was showing.

“You, that’s…?”

Until now, the Silver Spiritual Flower brought here by the spirit guide had given the spirits living on Dream Island ‘lessons.’

That’s not how you do it.

That’s how you do it.

Spirits are inherently pure and curious beings.

They accepted all the lessons, and in the end, it’s now possible to control nature in different ways than before.

And, the youngest princess, Sarilyn, was personally showing it herself.

“I no longer need to rely on anyone.”

With a firm expression, Sarilyn turned around and looked at the Dawn Fairies.

A Dawn Fairy who once dreamed.

The dream of leaving Dream Island and traveling the world.

But, the fairy no longer dream.

To atone for her sin.

To protect everyone with her own strength.

[Returning to your original world.]

[Time has returned to normal.]

Opening my eyes, the familiar apartment greeted me.

I’ve since adapted to this situation, which has become a normal occurrence.

Clasping my hands, I took off all my equipment and threw it into my inventory.

This mission was a significant financial loss.

I had used up all my explosives.

But, to be honest…

I wonder if I even need to carry around explosives anymore.

Explosives are of course still useful in other worlds.

However, when hunting on Earth, my swordsmanship and speed imbued with mana will be more effective than explosives.

Plopping down on a chair, I immediately took out my phone.

After changing the ‘Away’ status in my messenger, I checked the news.

I spent a little over three days over there, and since the time dilation was almost twice as fast, it’s been two days.

I contacted Taylor first, then the master swordsmen one by one.

Since some haven’t seen my status message, as well as there were those who asked me to contact them as soon as I returned.

I intend to select a few master swordsmen from these.

The criteria for selection are simple; someone I can trust, and is worth nurturing.

If I spread the knowledge I have, even an ordinary person could exhibit superhuman power.

‘By the way, I’m telling you, if you recklessly teach these powers, dimensional returnees will come after you.’

This part was quite troublesome.

Dimensional returnee.

What the hell happened between the dimensional returnees for there to be a rule of not allowing the spread of their skills to the outside world?

Although I’m not a dimensional returnee, my skills resemble their wugong, so I have to be careful as to not get on their radar.

Whether it’s Jian Ji or the Supremes.

Judging by the fact that such nicknames only appear in martial art novels, maybe they’re posturing.

For now, I need to find the most influential dimensional returnee.

‘I can be a little bit confident now.’

I’ve been playing it safe as much as possible.

An ordinary person suddenly gaining superpower will be put in the spotlight.

Just look at the case with Lee Yeonjun.

Once an ordinary, didn’t he receive the whole world’s attention after he awakened as a C-Rank superhuman?

It’ll be the same for me, who has been ordinary for 15 years, if I suddenly show my powers.

And…

Garnering such attention, there is no way it’ll end well for me.

People who want my secret.

People who want to pry it from me.

People who are politically motivated or want to use me for their business, and before I know it, I’m dead.

‘For now…I’ll contact the dimensional returnee I met last time.’

Thinking so, I turned on my messenger again when I saw a floating announcement on the main screen.

There, words more eye catching than wanting to call a dimensional returnee.

“Great Rift?”

Come to think of it, the timing is about right.

Great Rift.

Jokingly called an annual event by hunters, this strange phenomenon, which appears once every two to three years, is seemingly a combination of a dungeon and gate.

Also, every Great Rift so far had an energy output identical to SS-Rank, which was characterized by the sheer volume of monsters inside.

I was involved in a few Great Rifts 10 years ago before the hunter system was firmly established, however, that’s no longer the case.

Nowadays it’s mostly A and S rank superhumans entering Great Rifts.

Slowly reading the announcement, a message appeared.

It was from Lee Junseok, a S-Rank hunter who was strangely cordial towards me the other day at the swordsmanship debate.

[Lee Junseok: Sir, hunter Yoo Seodam, are you well?]

[Lee Junseok: I see that you’re back.]

It hasn’t even been five minutes since I changed my messenger’s status.

You noticed too quickly.

[Yoo Seodam: Yes, I just came back.]

[Lee Junseok: I see.]

[Lee Junseok: Sir, if you don’t mind, may I speak to you now?]

Seeing that there was nothing wrong with it, I agreed, then my phone immediately rang.

“Hello.”

[Hello, hunter Yoo Seodam, sir. Have you seen the announcement?]

“Great Rift?”

[Yes. The Seer prophesied that a week later a Great Rift would appear.]

Unlike last time when he spun his words, he got straight to the point this time.

[The Seer said the name of the Great Rift is ‘Tempest at the Cliff’s Crossroad.’ Frankly, isn’t it a poetic name?]

“No, uh. It sounds like something from a Korean middle school textbook.”

Actually, I slept in language class.

[Hahaha. Anyways, 12 teams have been selected to enter the Great Rift this time. Team 1 through 12. I’ve been assigned as team leader of team 7. And…there’s an empty spot left.]

“Mhm.”

Unless you’re a fool, anyone would have noticed it.

This, he’s asking me to join the 7th team for the Great Rift.

Empty spot.

It’s a good excuse.

Did he leave it for me?

Or was it empty and he just thought of me?

I don’t know.

Yeah, I don’t know, but in any case, it’s a good thing for me.

Unlike other anomalies, the casualties of Great Rifts are quite high, but…

In the first place, as a F-Rank hunter, there was never a time I wasn’t at the risk of dying.

Also, there’s a good deal of money to be made from Great Rifts.

Therefore, when I was about to agree.

[So because of that…if you’re free, can you take my place as team leader of Team 7, sir hunter Yoo Seodam?]

“…Say what?”

No, what’s wrong with this fellow’s beliefs?