Chapter 44

No Time (4)

“Are you…really okay?”

Il-hyun looked down at his palm with a grim look.

On top of it, the mouse absorbed the ether and sadly claps a broken core piece.

Similarly, Il-hyun tried to cancel the summoning, but no reaction was seen in the mice.

“What happened? Do you see any changes?” Lee Soo-yeon, who witnessed the sight, looked over at the mouse to ask if there was any change.

On the surface, nothing changed.

“It completely absorbed the ether in the core. I don’t know the details, but it’s hard to maintain, and the summons aren’t resolved.”

“…just so you know, if you have a core, you can endlessly generate summons,” Lee Soo-yeon said as she looked down on the Phoenix in her arms.

If there was no limit to the time and population of holding summoners, that was a really ridiculous ability.

It’s enough to reverse common sense and change the defense system itself.

“I’m not sure yet. Besides, the problem is……” Il-hyun’s vision blurred.

It wasn’t just the summoners who needed the core.

Il-hyun also needed a core—as much as possible.

He was able to grow so fast that he had eaten a significant amount of cores.

If he hadn’t come to Aegis, he wouldn’t have gotten this much core.

The summoner’s independence from Il-hyun was clearly an unexpected breakthrough.

During the battle, there was no need to subtract the power needed for this ability, and it was also possible to send it to other gate sites located on the other side of the globe.

However, if it needed too much core investment to hinder one’s growth, it was difficult.

“It was the same for you who needed a core. Besides, I may need food now.”

Lee Soo-yeon nodded and muttered.

As they were summoners who were made and moved by the power of Il-hyun, they might have to continuously consume ether for energy supply.

At that time, Phoenix, who was in Lee Soo-yeon’s arms, shook out.

Then, he jumped over on Il-hyun’s arm.

He handed over the guy who was rubbing at his sides.

“Yes, anyway,” Il-hyun said as he stroked Phoenix’s head.

There were many things to think about in many ways, but he once thought it had something to do with congratulating on the summoner.

Meanwhile, the mouse climbed on the shoulder of Il-hyun.

I think I have become a zookeeper.

“Huh? Another one?”

Ghost is approaching.

Il-hyun and Lee Soo-yeon handed the crushed canned drinks one by one.

“The convenience store in front of me was smashed, so I brought it on a whim.”

“Yes, thanks for this,” Lee Soo-yeon said and laughed as Ghost colorized.

“What’s the situation like?” she asked while opening the can and taking a sip.

“There’s still a long way to go, but we will withdraw first. I’m sure that there are no monsters left.”

When the two monsters came out of the gate, they destroyed the Togg’s core at the same time. The other monsters also stopped moving, so there they’re sure they couldn’t have missed anything.

“We should have a relaxing breakfast. Where should we eat?”

“Anyway, the surroundings are all broken, so why don’t we just go to the hostel and eat?”

“It’s obvious that there’s breakfast prepared there, but it’s boring now.”

“Well……”

Two wandering eyes turned to where Il-hyun is.

In this case, there was no majority vote.

As there are three people in the seat, Il-hyun made a decision without any idea on what to do.

While staying here, the local government supported it in many ways, and that included meals.

Honestly, even if he went to a very fine restaurant, it was hard to find a better place to eat.

“Maybe the hostel……?”

“Ah! Is that so? It’s like a power-oriented human being.”

“Okay, that seems wise. And I can’t believe that this is a cheap appetite. I’m going to go somewhere and go get some burgers.”

“Okay, that seems wise. I can’t believe that you guys have a cheap appetite. I’m going to go somewhere and go get some burgers,” Lee Soo-yeon clasped her hands together, looking satisfied.

It tastes good, but it seems like it has become a habit to follow the opinion of the boss at work.

“It’s okay. Pil-jun still has his brother,” Ghost, who hasn’t gotten to the results yet, said.

However, as soon as Seok Pil-jun saw the work and joined him, he was forced to abandon his last hope.

Seok Pil-jun easily decided to stay. He dismissed them lightly, saying he was not interested to go anywhere.

“But this cycle is longer than I thought? There was no noticeable news from anywhere else,” Seok Pil-jun said from behind the desperate Ghost.

The sun has been bright since time passed from a dark dawn.

In the meantime, there haven’t been big events in Europe and elsewhere.

Normally, when the danger cycle began, a high-ranking gate would burst out one after another, but not this time.

Of course, the number of gates increased, but the world wasn’t as nervous and alert as it’s supposed to be.

“Because it’s not been hours yet. Well, honestly, I thought it would be unreasonable for four, but I can afford it. It’s a good thing.”

Lee Soo-yeon thought it was a dangerous cycle, so he thought it was rather unreasonable to occupy one continent with four team members who lacked Jeong Jin-sung.

But if you look at the situation so far, four was enough.

Then, the receiver on their arms began to ring loudly at the same time.

—Greece A3, Finland A5, Belgium B1. The surprise gate appeared simultaneously! We will send you the information immediately.

“…I think morning has passed.”

* * *

They wanted the fifth cycle to quietly pass for a moment.

Unfortunately, the laws of the odd-numbered cycles are correct.

More than thirty high-ranking gates were opened all over the world at the same time.

Half of them were surprise gates, and overturned without a hitch in the event of a simultaneous burst.

“Damn, what gate is Won Ki-ok? It’s crazy that they all opened at once,” Ghost grumbled on the plane.

In the meantime, he’d worked all over the world and experienced prenatal work, but this was a first for him.

Even the level of each gate was high.

“It’s A3 rank… would you be okay alone?” Seok Pil-jun looked at Lee Soo-yeon with anxious eyes.

Even the A-class awakened powers dealing with average A-rank monsters was not always victorious.

No matter how strong Lee Soo-yeon was, it was dangerous to block a gate by himself.

“I have to try. The A5 class gate is more dangerous. Be careful,” said Lee Soo-yeon.

The level of the gates that popped here and there was hardly enough to withstand the local government’s awakening.

As it was an emergency, the personnel had to be split; the highest A3 level gate was for Lee Soo-yeon, the A5 gate was for the experienced Ghost and Seok Pil-jun, and the remaining B1 gate was assigned to Il-hyun.

Lee Soo-yeon looked at Il-hyun.

“Even if you’ve played a B-ranked monster a few times, it will be different from the B1 level. I think it only gives citizens as much time as possible.”

“Okay.”

“The same goes for the other side. Everyone should just cooperate with the local awakenings to buy time. Never overdo it.”

The atmosphere in the cabin was already serious. Il-hyun swallowed his saliva.

His first solo mission to Aegis will be like this.

However, even in a situation like this, the two summoners who sat next to Il-hyun’s side were undisputed.

Phoenix, who was much larger than him now, fearlessly struck down the mouse with his wings. The mouse fell on the floor.

Can I trust them……?