Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 167

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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167
Alice was buried in a bean bag chair, tablet in one hand and snacks in the other.
The comfortable posture made it clear she’d been living like this for far longer than just a day or two.
“Your Majesty, hello?”
She greeted me with a nod without bothering to sit up—a far cry from her previous courteous demeanor. I didn’t mind, but if Alex had seen this, he would’ve thrown a fit.
It wasn’t just her personality that had changed. In merely two months since returning from the Moon, Alice’s once-gaunt frame had filled out, nearly doubling in size.
“… Alice, are you alright?”
“Earth is so wonderful.”
Alice beamed with genuine happiness. Her face had rounded so much she looked like a different person. But since she’d always had a cute face, it suited her well.
“Alice~ want more snacks? Would you like some juice?”
Mother called from the kitchen.
“Yes~”
At Alice’s response, Hee-chul jumped up and rushed to the kitchen, returning with snacks and juice.
The cause of Alice’s transformation was crystal clear. With everyone constantly offering her food without hesitation, it would’ve been harder for Alice—who’d never received such treatment—not to change.
It was absurd, but thinking of it as a happy life made me laugh.
“I need a break too~”
Bae Na-young sat down on the floor with her tablet rather than on the sofa. Why do Koreans always sit on the floor instead of furniture?
“Did things go well on the Moon?”
“Oh, did I mention there was a Destruction God on the Moon?”
“Really? Telus has one on its moon too.”
“…Really? I didn’t know that.”
“Could they be the same entity?”
“That would be difficult since they’re different worlds.”
“They’re not that different, actually. Especially the moons.”
“What do you mean?”
“Telus and Earth are probably dimensions that diverged from a single event in the past. The planetary sizes, orbital and rotational periods, and even the moons in the sky are identical, aren’t they?”
At Alice’s words, I shifted my gaze to Bae Na-young.
“I’ve thought about it too since Telus’s time is the same. But the constellations in the night sky were completely different.”
“That’s because Eres is blocking the sky. If you only compare what’s visible, they match. That’s also why Gates can be opened. It’s naturally easier to travel to a parallel world than to a completely different one.”
“… Bae Na-young, does that make sense?”
“I don’t know…. I should investigate it myself. But it sounds plausible.”
“Why didn’t we think of this?”
“When did we have time to research something like that? We were too busy fighting and traveling around.”
“Fair point….”
“Alice reads constantly without rest, and she reads across diverse fields, so she sees aspects we never considered. At this rate, we’ll really fall behind.”
“So she wasn’t just eating.”
“Why do you dislike women who gain weight?”
“…What?”
“Your response was slow. Don’t worry though. I have a metabolism that doesn’t let me gain weight.”
Bae Na-young said this while popping a snack into her mouth.
Fortunately, I wasn’t oblivious enough to say something like, “Well, that’s because you’re an Awakened One and a Hunter, isn’t it?”
“Alice, you should still exercise a bit. I’m worried about your health.”
She’d been so thin before that gaining weight was welcome, but at this rate after a month, she wouldn’t be able to walk in a year.
“Huh~? That sounds like a hassle….”
“You’ve really gotten lazy…. Come on, get up.”
I took a walk with Alice, who expressed her reluctance through every fiber of her being, and showed her around the World Tree.
After two months of not stepping foot outside the house, Alice’s breath came ragged after just a short walk.
Yet, captivated by the new surroundings, she breathed heavily and walked for quite some time. There were so many things in the world that couldn’t be seen in books alone.
“You can explore on your own without me. I’ll give you a pass.”
I handed Alice an access card.
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
“I’ll give you a good tour.”
Hee-chul, whether as secretary or bodyguard, tagged along and attended to her. In contrast, Alice neither particularly pushed him away nor gave him much attention. I wasn’t sure if she already knew how to handle men at her young age, or if it was just natural talent.
Alice especially loved the Hospital and Research Facility. My plan to raise her well and turn her into a capable Rigen worker like Bae Na-young and Jae-in was progressing smoothly.
People like Alex, Director Baek Young-shin, and Alice—the more of them I had, the more I could relax and enjoy myself.
“Want to visit the Moon too?”
“…Really?”
Alice’s blue eyes sparkled.
“Why not.”
I took Alice and Hee-chul to the Gate.
Hee-chul stood nervously in front of the Gate, unable to move his feet.
“Hee-chul, you don’t have to go if you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared at all?!”
Hee-chul jumped up and answered. He was putting on a brave face because he didn’t want to look frightened in front of Alice.
Since it wasn’t a dangerous place, I wouldn’t force him to go, but knowing it was safe, I crossed the Gate with both of them without worry.
The moment we crossed the Gate, the vast cosmos, the sun, and Earth came into view from the Earth Garden dome.
Faced with a sight she thought she’d never see in her lifetime, Alice was so moved that her mouth fell open and she couldn’t speak.
The three of us gazed at the blue Earth and the infinite universe for a moment.
[Hey there!]
“Kyaaah!”
Startled by Luna’s sudden approach, Alice flinched. Hee-chul stepped in front of Luna to protect her.
[I’m Luna. Who are you guys?]
“I-I’m Alice.”
Alice, who had heard stories about the Moon’s incarnation, composed herself and spoke.
“I’m Hee-chul.”
[Want to play with me?!]
“Luna! Aren’t you supposed to be working?!”
Jae-in entered the dome through the air hatch and removed her helmet.
[Work’s boring…. Can’t I play for a bit?]
Luna looked at Jae-in with a pitiful expression.
“No way! There’s no rest until we at least repair the damage!”
Jae-in dragged Luna away, her face crumpled in distress.
“That person is…?”
“Yeah, she’s the incarnation of the Moon.”
“…That’s a bit different from what I imagined. But what is that?”
“Huh?”
Following Alice’s gaze, I saw space warping in the distance between Earth and the Moon.
“…You two, return to Earth. And bring Bae Na-young.”
Alice and Hee-chul hurried back to Earth, and I exited the dome.
“Jae-in! Luna!”
“Chairman? What’s wrong?”
“Look up!”
From a gaping void like a black hole, an enormous rectangular structure made of wood burst forth. It stretched a hundred meters across and several hundred meters in length.
“…Luna, do you know what that is?”
[No. I’ve never seen it before.]
“Ch…Chairman, it’s heading toward Earth!”
I opened communications with Earth.
“Director, can you see it now?”
[Yes, I’m currently stopping the space agencies of various nations from launching missiles.]
Director Baek Young-shin was also sweating profusely on Earth. The people of Earth, having suffered from the existence of otherworldly beings, now wanted to launch preemptive strikes whenever an unknown entity appeared.
It was wise to be cautious and not blindly trust, but indiscriminately attacking an unknown opponent could lead to catastrophic consequences.
“I’ll approach and investigate. Please hold them back a bit longer.”
I lifted my body and moved toward the mysterious rectangular structure.
As I drew closer, I could see someone standing on top of it.
Since the structure was also approaching, I reached the top quickly.
“Greetings. Are you… an Earthling?”
The figure standing on the deck asked upon seeing me. Fortunately, the interpretation magic I’d learned in Telus worked on this mysterious person as well.
Standing bare-bodied in the vacuum of space, he bore a human form. His long-haired, bearded face had skin that was unnaturally smooth, and he showed no heartbeat, muscle movement, or respiration typical of humans.
Now I could generally gauge someone’s power at a glance, but from him, I sensed not even the strength of an unawakened being. It was as if a puppet or corpse was moving. He was concealing his power.
“That’s correct. I am Lee Ji-seok, a resident of Earth on this planet. Would you reveal your identity?”
“I am Brixiel. Is it true that Earth is under attack from the Destruction God?”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m afraid I cannot disclose the detailed methods by which we obtained this information, but I can tell you we have means to monitor their movements. However, Earth doesn’t seem to have suffered significant damage. Fortunately, it appears we arrived quickly this time.”
“…”
“Please do not be so wary. Our Ark drifts across dimensions, rescuing those who wish to escape the Destruction God’s attacks.”
“Stop approaching Earth for now. It looks like a hostile act.”
“We will cease our approach.”
The moment he finished speaking, the Ark’s movement stopped. Was someone watching? Or was he controlling it himself?
“You said you rescue people, but Earth’s population exceeds billions. How do you plan to rescue them? Are you relocating them to another dimension?”
“No. We accommodate them within this Ark.”
“This ship is certainly large, but how many people could we possibly save with just one vessel?”
“Of course, we cannot save all of Earth’s inhabitants. However, we can certainly take everyone who wishes to come. Will you follow me?”
I followed him as he guided me inside. Stairs materialized on the upper section of the Ark, and we descended through them.
As I made my way down the long staircase, brilliant light flooded into view from within.
“Welcome to the Ark.”
Light radiated from the ceiling directly above the passage we had emerged from, as if a sun had risen there.
Looking down at the Ark’s interior from above, it was far more massive than what I had perceived from the outside.
Endless buildings and streets stretched before me, and I could even see forests and lakes.
“… Did we just traverse through space?”
I had felt no sensation of passing through a Gate.
“Ah, does Earth not possess space-expansion magic? We are using magic that expands the internal space. Otherwise, the Ark would have to be impossibly massive.”
As he explained, he stepped onto a rectangular platform and gestured for me to join him.
The moment I stood beside him, the platform—connected to nothing—began descending smoothly.
Various races who appeared to be residents bowed their heads in greeting to him. Many were species I had never encountered, even in Earth or Tellus.
People with skin of every imaginable hue, individuals with horns sprouting from their heads, creatures with tails, beings with multiple writhing limbs… and entities whose very nature defied classification.
Like Brixiel, numerous humanoid figures with smooth skin and emotionless faces worked throughout the Ark.
“These are golems I created. They perform countless tasks on the Ark in place of people. Without these golems, such a colossal vessel could never have existed.”
Brixiel explained, sensing my gaze.
A city of such endless proportions could house at minimum millions of residents and golems. If space could be expanded indefinitely, this might not represent the full complement of inhabitants—or military forces.
Unlike with the Angelic Forces, I felt no ominous presence. Yet I could not read Brixiel’s mind, and as with Luna, my premonitions might prove ineffective against such a transcendent being.
Brixiel’s mysterious power, vast military strength, space-expansion magic we do not possess…
If there was no other way, we would have to fight. But first, I needed to discern their true intentions.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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