Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 188

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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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188
The magic circle constructed on the Moon resembled the one we’d created on Earth, but this time, where the sealing stone had been, the lunar surface lay exposed.
The moment I awakened Bae Na-young, Jae-in activated the magic circle.
Just as on Earth, light emanating from Bae Na-young’s abdomen began seeping into the Moon.
“Good, it’s holding!”
Jae-in grew excited as the magic circle remained unchanged even as time passed.
“…Director…”
The researcher watching outside gripped Jae-in’s shoulder.
Beyond the garden, in the lunar crater still exposed without soil coverage, a crimson aura writhed and surged.
“…It should have a capacity hundreds of times greater than the sealing stone, yet you’ve filled it completely?”
Jae-in’s face drained of color.
“Director, it’s going to burst!”
Alice cried out urgently.
On Earth, the sealing stone couldn’t withstand the pressure and shattered. The Moon wouldn’t split in half, but it could certainly shake the ground.
“Jae-in, stop.”
I couldn’t gamble with the lives of 100 million refugees on the Moon.
“Tch… You owe me one, don’t you? When I wake up, you’d better play with me more?”
Luna approached the magic circle.
“Luna? What are you planning?”
“Don’t you get it? This child doesn’t want to be trapped. She’s lonely.”
Luna placed her hand on the glowing red lunar surface.
“I understand that feeling well. I’ll stay with you. Ji-seok! You need to come wake me up sooner!”
Her body transformed into white light and was drawn into the magic circle.
The crimson aura that had surged as if to tear apart the lunar surface mingled with Luna’s white light and gradually calmed.
“Bae Na-young!”
As the light faded from the magic circle and the Moon, I rushed to Bae Na-young.
“Are you alright? How’s your abdomen?”
“Yes, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
I lifted Bae Na-young into my arms and headed toward the World Tree Hospital. After a detailed examination, I learned the child’s growth had returned to normal speed.
However, having grown rapidly in the early stages of pregnancy, delivery was now less than two months away.
“Complete rest. Absolute rest.”
I placed a large cushion against the headboard of the bed at Lee Ji-seok’s House and sat beside Bae Na-young.
“I’m sorry for being stubborn…”
Knowing how I’d discovered the sealing method, Bae Na-young had gone limp like wet cotton.
Just moments before, she’d been angry about why it took so long to wake her. Pregnancy had intensified her emotional fluctuations, her mood shifting several times throughout the day.
“It’s fine. Thanks to this, the child is safe, and we’ve gained a clue about him.”
My purpose in entering the Tower was to save Bae Na-young and the child, but in doing so, I’d finally uncovered the identity of the Manager, which had seemed so impossible before.
I’d been trapped in the Mental World for a year after being struck by his psychic attack, yet I survived—meaning there’s a chance of victory.
It’s not about forcing optimism; if I collide with him and return alive, I evolve. That’s my victory.
Now that I’d confirmed Bae Na-young was completely safe, I needed to devise a strategy.
A countermeasure conference with representatives from each nation was held at the World Tree Headquarters of the World Hunter Association.
As I entered the conference room, those already present turned their gaze toward me. They were the heads of each nation’s Hunter management agencies, military institutions, and Guilds—people who wielded the power to shape Earth’s destiny.
Once I took my seat, the conference began.
“I shall commence the briefing.”
Jae-in, who had analyzed the materials I brought, served as the presenter for this conference.
“The Destruction God. The entity we have thus far designated as our ultimate adversary is akin to a pan-dimensional natural disaster. It cannot be stopped by human capability.”
Murmurs rippled through the chamber.
“However, we can indefinitely postpone that moment. To do so, we must understand the existence known as the Manager.”
The Manager’s Planet appeared on the screen.
“Long ago, someone in this dimension abandoned their physical form in pursuit of truth, becoming a being of pure consciousness. They discovered the existence of the Destruction God. To prevent it from consuming their dimension, they developed a lighthouse and used it to lure the Destruction God to another world.”
“Then we need only seize that lighthouse!”
General Samuel of the United States struck the table and shouted.
“Precisely. If we could steal or destroy that lighthouse, we might gain hundreds or even thousands of years. That Brixel has been fleeing for thousands of years, after all. Unfortunately, information about the lighthouse is limited. As new details emerge, we will share them immediately.”
The information I had provided was vast, yet we had nothing on the lighthouse itself. Still, Jae-in and Alice refused to surrender to the lack of data.
Using the AI Center at the Lunar Base, they were methodically calculating possibilities for information not found in any book, searching for details about the lighthouse. It might take an eternity, but doing something was better than nothing.
“Then, does this mean the Manager could sacrifice us to the Destruction God at any moment?”
One participant, his expression darkening at the pessimistic remark, posed the question.
“That is not the case. While we still know nothing of the lighthouse, we have discovered that the Destruction God itself has constraints. It consumes only dimensions that are collapsing. In other words, as long as our dimension endures without falling into ruin, we will not be suddenly devoured.”
“There is no fundamental solution then. Why does the Destruction God consume dimensions in the first place?”
“An excellent question. What does this appear to be to you?”
Jae-in pointed to the Manager’s Planet.
“…Is that not the Manager’s Planet?”
“That is Earth.”
“What?”
“It is merely one Earth among countless possibilities. Dimensions diverged due to minuscule differences that occurred in the past—like branches growing from a tree. The Destruction God is an entity that consumes dimensions devoid of potential, much like a gardener pruning branches.”
“So it only cuts away dimensions that are collapsing?”
“Correct. The Earth where the Manager once dwelled has already lost all hope, which is why the Manager’s attention has turned to other dimensions.”
“It sounds as though if we eliminate the Manager, Gates will no longer open and monsters will cease to appear.”
A defense industry executive from Germany spoke. His company had a longer history in crafting Hunter tools than Rigen, yet despite Rigen’s growth of several times to several dozen times annually, his company still lagged in scale.
“Correct.”
“Mana and Mana Stones have long since become resources of this world. Surely we cannot afford to lose them? Could we not negotiate with the Manager to resolve this peacefully?”
The enemy sought to consume our world, yet he spoke of compromise for the sake of profit. Many agreed with his words.
I wanted to lash out, but we could not afford internal division now.
“Now that we can traverse dimensions, the supply of Mana Stones and Mana is no longer an issue.”
I glanced toward Jae-in, and she delivered the words they wished to hear.
“Ohhh…”
“The problem is how to eliminate the Manager. We have yet to find a suitable method, so if anyone has suggestions, please speak freely.”
All fell silent, knowing I had been powerless and driven away. Deploying another Hunter would only weaken our forces.
“What if we opened a Gate and dropped a bomb through it?”
The United States Secretary of Defense Samuel made the proposal. Everyone’s expression suggested they wondered if this man knew anything besides bombs.
“I’ve given it thought, but if a bomb capable of dealing meaningful damage to that planet falls into their hands and then returns to us…. We’ll all be dead. Moreover, I don’t believe the infiltration route we used last time remains open.”
“Hmm….”
“That concludes my report. After reviewing the documentation, if anyone has alternative suggestions, please contact the Association’s response team at any time.”
Various opinions were exchanged, but ultimately, no viable solution was found, and the meeting ended.
However, simply identifying the enemy’s true nature and the cause of the Gates represented progress incomparable to anything before.
“I need to strengthen my spiritual body.”
I sat on the floor at home, turning the problem over in my mind. Risking my life on a challenge was one thing, but I couldn’t afford a one-hit game over.
“You possess no spiritual body, human. A spiritual body is a mass of consciousness belonging to beings like myself or the Manager. You might say it resembles the soul of a human like yourself.”
Eres spoke while lying down and eating snacks. Still fond of animated films, Eres had been watching them lately with Hee-ah. Though their age difference must be astronomical, Eres appeared visibly younger.
“A soul? Isn’t that different from a spirit body?”
“When a soul gains great power, it becomes a spirit body.”
“Then, couldn’t I just strengthen my spirit body?”
“Is it truly so simple? A massive spiritual body like the Manager’s exists in a higher dimension than you. Mindlessly strengthening only the spirit body won’t suffice—you must raise your soul’s defensive capacity.”
“Couldn’t you attack me using your spiritual body, Eres?”
“Attacks utilizing spiritual bodies are not my specialty. However, I know an excellent place.”
“Where?”
“The Demon Realm.”
“…”
“The denizens of the Demon Realm are accustomed to manipulating souls, and the Demon Realm overflows with demonic energy. If you can endure the swirling thoughts within that demonic energy without succumbing to corruption, surely you could withstand the Manager’s mental waves to some degree?”
“Can we trust Gaff?”
“Breaking a contract with a demon is far more dangerous. Besides, he lent you power to awaken from your slumber—he cannot demand greater compensation than that.”
“In that case….”
“If you’re convinced, shall we leave now?”
Gaff opened the door to the house and stepped inside. I had requested the World Tree’s protection, but it couldn’t stop an existence of Gaff’s caliber.
“You’re just walking in now?”
“Between us, really? Come on, let’s go.”
Gaff created a vortex of black clouds—a gateway to the Demon Realm.
“Sigh…. Let me say goodbye first.”
With less than two months until the birth, I wanted to stay home, but if the world falls, I’ll have to flee with only a handful of people. I didn’t want to see that outcome, so I had to do everything in my power.
“Na-young.”
“You’re leaving again?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re trying to save everyone.”
“…If things go wrong, you’ll know, right?”
I turned my gaze to the sphere on the nightstand.
“Just come back alive. You’re the most important thing in my world. A world without you isn’t worth existing.”
“I know. Still, if there’s a way for all of us to survive together, I have to struggle for it.”
I kissed Na-young lightly and placed my hand on her belly.
Thanks to my heightened senses, I could feel the child’s pulse and form.
“Dad’s going and coming back.”
I stuffed the items Jae-in had prepared into my pocket and closed the door.
“Let’s go.”
“It’ll be over quickly.”
Seeing Gaff’s cheerful face made me reluctant, but if Eres was reassured like that, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
I passed through the black clouds alongside Gaff.
“Ugh….”
True to its name, the Demon Realm was saturated with demonic energy in the air—a force that corrupted living beings and drained their vitality.
Normally, even as my life force flowed freely from my body, I had more than enough to spare. But in this barren space, I couldn’t endure for long. I sealed my flowing life force as if turning off a faucet and blocked the incoming demonic energy as well.
Physically, I could manage, but as Eres had warned, the thoughts of rage and desire embedded in the demonic energy clawed through my mind.
It was difficult to maintain composure, and I felt myself wavering under the influence of anger and desire.

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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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