Chapter 231: Had He Not Existed? (1)

March 4, 2051

"Let's wrap up today's lecture here," the professor announced.

A few students let out sighs of relief.

"But since we still have about ten minutes left, I'd like to end with a lighter story."

The students who'd been eager for class to end frowned, but quickly corrected their expressions, wary of being caught by the professor.

"What do you think would have happened if Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok had never existed?"

Those who had been checking their notes or whispering about lunch paused to look up. Though their expressions remained blank, the professor could tell from their eyes that they had no real interest in his story.

He smiled. "Kim Ki-Rok received a lot of criticism after saving the Yuashiel Dimension, didn't he?"

The students nodded. Kim Ki-Rok had indeed drawn public ire because he appeared to prioritize Yuashiel over Earth. Several countries, guilds, and corporations were outraged by his actions, which forced Earth to shoulder heavy losses. The public didn't care much at first, but powerful organizations eventually united to manipulate their opinion against him.

"The trouble was, all that anger from corporations, countries, and guilds was directed at Kim Ki-Rok alone."

It took just three days for them to backtrack, admit their faults, and beg for forgiveness in an official setting.

"There were plenty of theories about how this happened. Some said the 'Crazy Bastard' threatened them again."

A few students tried their best to stifle laughter.

"Others suggested that while some parties lost out in the auction, there were others who gained. Sensing an opportunity to build ties with Kim Ki-Rok, they stepped in to resolve the situation before he even needed to act," the professor said.

"The Guildmaster of a mid-sized guild who can move countries and corporations," a female student in the front row muttered.

The professor burst out laughing. "Exactly! Isn't it fascinating? Someone from such a background, with such sway, is undoubtedly remarkable. Now then..."

He clapped his hands and smiled brightly. "Let me get back to the main point."

A few students groaned softly upon hearing the catchphrase that Kim Ki-Rok often used when conversations went off track. Seeing their professor mimic his mannerisms, they realized he was a subscriber of DG Channel, probably even a member of his fan club.

Still, Kim Ki-Rok always used that phrase with a smile, just as their professor had now.

A student snorted, another let out a dry chuckle, and a third looked genuinely curious about why Kim Ki-Rok had so many fans. The room settled as everyone turned their attention back to the professor.

"Though that storm passed in three days, many wondered why Kim Ki-Rok went so far for the Yuashiel Dimension. If we look back on the first day of 2050, however, people actually praised him for siding with them."

The students nodded. On that day, not just one but several S-Class Gates opened, throwing society into chaos. In the end, a total of seventeen had been discovered simultaneously.

"Each Gate had a danger level above 180," the professor continued.

Some students shivered, remembering the panic. The sudden appearance of so many S-Class Gates drove people to despair, until the actions of one person turned things around.

"Yuashiel reinforcements," a student murmured.

The professor nodded. "That's right. Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok visited the Yuashiel Dimension and returned through the Permanent Gate with reinforcements."

Elven and Beastfolk warriors arrived, led by Aura Masters and Archmages from different nations. Independent groups, like the Tower of Wizards' Archmages and S-Class mercenaries, joined as well.

"Though they scattered to support the countries that had purchased priority, once Yuashiel's reinforcements arrived, the situation started to shift, but..."

"January 10th," another student interjected.

"Yes. On that day, thirteen more S-Class Gates appeared at once."

This new wave shattered the fragile hope that had begun to grow. The new Gates were even more dangerous than those on January 1st.

"Though it was dire, a Gate appeared the very next day that rekindled hope: 'Dimensional Alliance, Elemental Plane.' People rejoiced. They waited for the Elementals to emerge, and when the Gate opened, a stunningly beautiful woman stepped out."

It was then that the Queen of Elementals arrived on Earth.

"After she was thanked for coming, people asked, 'When, where, and with whose help did Earth form a Dimensional Alliance?' Her answer stunned everyone. The one who created the alliance was..."

"Kim Ki-Rok," several students said at once.

The professor smiled at their chorus.

***

"It was Sir Kim Ki-Rok," the Queen had replied.

"What? Again?" the reporter blurted out, incredulous.

"Pardon?"

"Ah, sorry. Kim Ki-Rok, no,

Guildmaster

Kim Ki-Rok..."

Even the Queen of Elementals spoke of Kim Ki-Rok with respect.

"D-did Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok propose the Dimensional Alliance?"

She nodded. "That is correct."

"What sort of help did you receive?"

"We received salvation. And..." The Queen smiled and added, "Various foods."

Just as he had saved the Yuashiel Dimension, he had aided the Elementals too. The reporter expected as much, but upon the mention of food, he was momentarily stunned into silence.

"P-pardon?"

"And culture," the Queen went on.

"Uh, um... Culture?"

"Yes. I periodically received gifts of entertainment and food," she said.

Entertainment and food?

With a radiant smile, the Queen faced the bewildered reporters again. "Hmm... I'm curious about something. May I ask?"

"Ah, yes, please go ahead," the reporter replied, managing to regain his composure.

"What is the difference between single-player FPS and online competitive FPS?" she asked.

"Pardon?"

"I plan to stay for a while once things settle down. There's not a big difference, right?"

***

"Thinking back to that interview, I wonder... Is the Queen of Elementals still ranked number one?" the professor asked.

A student who played Battle Island, the most popular FPS game at the time, nodded. "That's right, and she still holds the top spot."

"I see." The professor laughed, picturing the elegant queen enjoying a video game. "Thanks to the Elemental Plane and Yuashiel, Earth cleared the Gates far faster than anyone expected."

Altogether, thirty S-Class Gates had appeared. The Hunters Association and government had estimated five years to clear them. But with reinforcements from Yuashiel and the Elementals, the job was done much sooner.

"The Gates were cleared in a single year. That's why I sometimes wonder what would have happened had Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok never existed?"

"A five-year blackout," a student muttered.

"What would have happened if Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok had never existed?" the professor repeated to those with their heads still tilted. "Who discovered, planted, and nurtured the World Tree that helped Hunters grow stronger on Earth?"

The answer was Kim Ki-Rok. Technically, Kim Ji-Hee discovered it, but she was a girl Kim Ki-Rok had saved.

"Who defeated the demons and Black Wizards?"

Kim Ki-Rok had personally challenged the demons, buying time for others to overcome them and even sacrificing Gate clear rewards to secure victory.

"Take the Patera Dimension, for example. Kim Ki-Rok built trust with Yuashiel's people, planted and revived the World Tree on both Earth and Yuashiel, and forged alliances in countless ways," the professor summarized. "He also rescued the imprisoned dwarves. Without him, there would have been no craftsman to smelt Pastera, making it nearly impossible to clear The Last City of the Patera Dimension."

The professor paused before revising his statement. "No... we'd have lost countless S-Class Hunters clearing the Gate. In the worst case, Japan itself might have disappeared from the map."

The room was now completely still. Some students sat in silent contemplation while others swallowed hard.

"Let's review," the professor said. "If Kim Ki-Rok hadn't rescued the dwarf from the Black Kingdom, we wouldn't have cleared the Gate or spared the Hunters. We would have waited until the Gate went berserk, letting monsters pour out, and then rained missiles down on them. Of course..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood that they would have given up on saving the dwarf.

"After that, the last Gate to the Patera Dimension would have appeared. Here's the problem: we wouldn't have known the mechanical monsters' weakness. Maybe we'd figure out that their bodies were made of Pastera, but that's it. Without the skills to smelt it, we'd have failed to clear the Gate, missing out on rewards and potentially losing Japan itself."

Without a relationship with the dwarves, no one could smelt Pastera. The Hunters Association would have abandoned the Gate, since the mechanical monsters had high mana resistance and nearly indestructible bodies. It would have cost them rewards, their lives, and even the loss of a country.

"Shall we go even further back?"

Just then, the bell marking the end of class rang. Since no one interrupted or got up from their seat, the professor continued on.

"Whether it was Ma Ak-Soo and the Awakened criminals, or the nationwide sweeps against Awakened criminals—both at home and abroad—Kim Ki-Rok offered his Discernment services to all, setting the price based on the guild or Hunter's rank."

Hunters who used his Discernment quickly and safely cleared Gates, earned rare hidden rewards, and grew rapidly. In addition to that, he used his powerful "information network" and connections to support various governments and the Association in tracking down these criminals.

"What about the technical Hunters of DG Guild?" the professor asked.

These were Hunters who, by unlocking sealed Skills and undergoing rigorous training, achieved a Second Awakening.

"Blacksmith Kang Woo-Hyuk likely would have awakened much later, or worse, been arrested and sent to prison before his Second Awakening because of ties to the Hwarang Workshop, which was linked to criminal activity."

Kang Woo-Hyuk, a technical Hunter from DG Guild, held a key skill: Equipment Reinforcement.

"And what about Lim Yun-Ju and Cha Min-Ji? Lim Yun-Ju probably would have reached her Second Awakening, but with no support or network, she might have ended up working as a Hunter for another country—China, the UK, or maybe even France. Cha Min-Ji would have faced similar difficulties," the professor continued, referencing technical Hunters who'd struggled greatly before their Second Awakening.

As the students nodded along in agreement, he moved on to combat Hunters.

"Ji-Yeon would have become famous anyway, so we'll skip her. The Five Siblings of Mapogu would also have found success. But Jeong Man-Kook's ability relies on someone with the Cooking Skill, a chef who can make delicious food. Without Kim Ki-Rok, he'd likely be much weaker today."

The professor continued to list Hunters whose fates would have been much bleaker without Kim Ki-Rok.

"And finally, our Ji-Hee."

He smiled, and the students smiled with him. The little girl had grown up.

"Our Ji-Hee, the youngest S-Class Hunter, was once captured by Ma Ak-Soo's gang. They were conducting experiments on brainwashing humans with mana stones and psychic skills."

The implication was clear: if Kim Ki-Rok hadn't intervened, the youngest S-Class Hunter, Kim Ji-Hee, might have become the youngest S-Class Awakened Criminal.

"Hmm! Maybe I should have made today's topic, 'What if Kim Ki-Rok had never existed?'"

The professor laughed, seeing his students' rapt attention. After checking the time, he finally concluded his spiel. "Well then, enjoy your lunch. I'll see you at the next lecture."