"I don't know exactly what kind of awakening ability the Warrior has, but I can tell he's a master of some kind of martial art."
To be precise, even his awakened title was practically synonymous with "martial artist."
"And as for me… as you can see, my physical combat skills are a mess. Unlike my Master, that is."
"Well, that's only natural—you're a mage…"
"My Master is a mage too."
"…That's the first I've heard of that."
"I can't quite explain it, but the martial arts of my Master and the Warrior feel distinctly different. I don't have any real talent for martial arts myself, so I'm not expecting much, but…"
Slightly blushing, Seriniel looked away as she continued.
"I just… don't want to be a burden on the battlefield."
"Ah…"
Soohyeok nodded, sensing the sincerity in Seriniel's voice.
"If I get the chance, I'll definitely visit."
"Thank you. Since I've received so much, I'll make sure to prepare a worthy return."
"No, really, even the cash alone is already more than enough…"
Soohyeok waved a hand dismissively, but Seriniel was just as stubborn.
"There's a saying on Earth, isn't there? 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Elves have their own way of doing things, too."
With a gentle smile, Seriniel finished speaking and headed toward the SUV parked outside.
Soohyeok silently followed behind her.
'Either way, this is a great situation for me. I really need the money right now.'
His gratitude was brief—his mind quickly filled with thoughts of the large sum he was about to receive.
'1.6 billion… 1.6 billion, huh…'
It was the biggest windfall of Soohyeok's life so far, back on Earth.
***
After half a day's drive in the SUV, they finally caught sight of a frontier outpost not far from the Black Fang Mountains. Soohyeok weighed his options.
'I can't destroy the Cosmo Energy right away.'
If he did, the awakened ones still out hunting might get trapped in a collapsing world and be lost.
Massive worlds like the Tranon Dimension reportedly take over a week to fully collapse, but still—one can never be too sure.
'It's better to leave this part to Vice President Oh Shinwoo.'
The Association would handle things, evacuate the awakened, and close the portal properly.
But there was one problem.
His relationship with Oh Shinwoo was purely transactional.
Soohyeok—no, the currently nameless figure—was meant to become a hero.
To do that, some showmanship was required.
'Should I contact Oh Shinwoo first and just wait here at the outpost?'
No, that wouldn't look impressive enough.
As he debated, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a glowing stone tablet.
"That's pretty flashy."
Just its appearance alone seemed like it could serve as excellent promotional material.
Soohyeok's eyes gleamed.
A surprisingly good idea had just popped into his head.
"Warrior Yang Soohyeok."
As they neared the frontier outpost, Seriniel spoke up.
"Yes?"
"This is where I'll get off."
"Ah…"
The moment of parting had come.
All meetings must end eventually.
His time with Seriniel was no exception.
Soohyeok let out a quiet sigh and carefully brought the car to a stop near the entrance of the outpost.
Inside the gently vibrating vehicle, they looked at each other.
"Thanks to you, I was able to complete my mission safely."
This time, it was Seriniel who spoke first.
It seemed this whole affair had been a kind of mission for her.
"Same here. You made things a lot easier for me too."
It was the same for Soohyeok.
This was just a job, after all.
But that didn't mean nothing remained between them beyond the professional.
"We'll probably meet again someday."
Soohyeok smiled and held out his hand first.
Seriniel tilted her head slightly—usually so expressionless.
"Aren't you planning to visit Elvenheim?"
"Oh, of course. That's a given."
Finally nodding, Seriniel reached out and shook his hand.
It was warmer than expected.
Despite her usually cold demeanor, her hand passed a distinct warmth to Soohyeok's, still resting on the steering wheel.
"Then, even if not by chance, we're bound to meet again."
Seriniel said.
"You're right."
Soohyeok replied with a smile.
"But…"
As she gently pulled her hand away, a slight smile curled on Seriniel's lips.
"If we get to see each other again for another reason, that would be even better."
That smile was the brightest expression Soohyeok had ever seen from her.
And it was a clear expression of emotion.
Was this what it meant for a smile to shine?
Even in the dark world of the Tranon Dimension, Seriniel's smile truly shone.
Clunk.
The SUV door opened.
As she cautiously climbed down from the tall vehicle, Soohyeok stared at her back, momentarily dazed, then called out quickly.
"See you again, Seriniel! Thanks for everything—it was fun!"
As Seriniel stepped down from the vehicle using the side footplate, she turned at Soohyeok's words and gave a small nod.
Then, as if preparing to leave immediately, she turned her head back to face forward—but didn't move.
She remained still.
"Seriniel?"
Had a sudden wave of deep regret hit her?
Curious, Soohyeok called out to her again.
A brief silence followed.
"…Riel."
A soft voice—barely louder than the flutter of wings—finally reached Soohyeok's ears. But he heard it clearly.
"Riel?"
"You may call me that next time."
Then, Seriniel began walking away with long strides.
Her steps were so big and fast, it didn't suit her usual graceful, quiet demeanor at all.
'But… it's kind of cute.'
Is this what they meant by awkwardness being adorable?
Soohyeok let out a small smile, watching her retreating figure grow smaller in the distance, then turned his eyes to the portal ahead.
His gaze hardened.
But a smile tugged at his lips.
"Well then… let's put on a little show."
Reaching into the small compartment in the driver-side door, Soohyeok retrieved the iron robot mask—miraculously still intact, only slightly cracked, despite the ATV having been wrecked.
He moved his foot from the brake to the accelerator.
VROOOOM—!
The engine roared to life as the SUV shot forward.
Through the rearview mirror, he could see the criminals with pale faces—some of whom seemed to recognize him—eyes wide with shock.
They couldn't speak, but their expressions said everything.
'N-No-Name!'
The hottest name in South Korea right now—a hyper rookie on the verge of breaking into the top tier.
The criminals were the first to learn the true identity of the man who was about to transcend the title of "rookie."
And they thought:
'The rumors weren't exaggerated at all…'
The legendary No-Name from the rumors?
What a joke.
If anything, the rumors understated how terrifying he really was.
The man they had seen and experienced firsthand was far more fearsome than any story suggested.
VRAAAAAH—!
The SUV surged forward toward the portal at full speed.
Soohyeok focused his inner energy into his eyes, confirming that the area ahead was clear of people. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.
From a distance on the hillside, soldiers spotted the vehicle and checked its registration number, quickly clearing the road.
'Registered vehicles really do come in handy.'
He'd briefly considered braking, but it was no longer necessary.
CLICK.
Past the final limit of the accelerator—he felt the pedal click like a button—and the SUV thundered forward up the slope toward the portal.
FLASH—!
The vehicle climbed the hill and leaped straight into the portal.
Soohyeok felt a momentary wave of dizziness.
Then the scenery changed.
Now outside the Earth dimension, he slammed on the brakes and veered the steering wheel away from any buildings or people.
SCREEEEECH—!
The SUV skidded violently, tires screeching against the ground.
All eyes turned to the SUV bursting out of the portal—and to Soohyeok.
As he brought the vehicle to a complete stop, he rolled down the window and held up the Cosmo Energy—the radiant, rainbow-colored stone tablet.
Many people immediately realized what it was.
"Cosmo Energy?!"
"No way—is that from the Tranon Dimension?!"
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.
The SUV door opened, and Soohyeok stepped out wearing the iron robot mask.
"It's No-Name!"
The astonishment turned to cheers.
"Wooooah!"
Some even let out outright cries of excitement.
No one knew No-Name had entered the Tranon Dimension.
Most assumed if anyone were to return with the Cosmo Energy, it would be Vladimir.
So the result was beyond anyone's expectations.
"No-Name recovered the Cosmo Energy from the Tranon Dimension!"
"He beat Vladimir to it!"
Who went in first, how he found it—that no longer mattered.
All that mattered was one thing:
Korea's hero, No-Name, beat Vladimir.
The energy at the scene exploded.
"But how do we know it's real?!"
"Is that really Cosmo Energy?"
"Is that even really No-Name?"
Doubts still lingered—briefly.
Kim Youngsook approached Soohyeok.
"Excellent work, No-Name," he said, eyes shining.
The Association's inspection team rushed to the tablet.
The dazzling, rainbow-hued stone—its energy unmistakably that of a dimensional crystal.
"It's authentic."
Confirmation complete.
"No-Name has successfully recovered the Cosmo Energy from the Tranon Dimension!"
Kim Youngsook turned and shouted it like a proclamation.
No more doubt remained.
Those who had questioned it moments before were now showered with disapproving glares.
Flustered, they quickly slipped away.
What followed was nothing but applause and celebration.
"That's our No-Name!"
"Forget Universal 8 or that Russian gentleman—this is the real deal!"
"Long live Korea!"
WOOOOOOAH!
The entire outpost trembled with the roar of the crowd.
It was pure frenzy—an eruption of national pride and awe.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]