Halo Quest (2)

The scene of the My Room was as bleak as always. However, there was one new anomaly. There was a plate with beautifully cut yokan and a teacup that had steam rising off of it in one corner of the room. Perhaps it was a display of Tsukuyo’s dedication to being Anvil’s wife. It was a form of Eastern etiquette to make a share for the dead. Indeed, it was an action worthy of the name Tsukuyo.

“I wonder every time I see it, but why doesn’t it cool down?”

-It is state-preservation magic. The fox is, unfortunately, quite adept at dealing with time and space.

The magic that dealt with time and space was considered to be the king of magic, but now he had just casually heard Tsukuyo was skilled at both.

“Now you just openly call her a fox.”

-The administrator’s power cannot stop what she did…! It is an act of invasion, would you like to give her a penalty?

“No, that’s alright. I’ll just let it go… it doesn’t feel bad.”

-…Member.

Kang Shin-hyuk stared at the teacup and yokan for a while, his thoughts a mystery.

“I don’t know.”

-Don’t know what?

“…Was it a good thing to think of my previous life?”

-You sound like an adult.

“No, it’s the opposite. Just some childish complaints… I’m sorry, administrator. Anyway, let’s check the dimensional quest.”

-…Okay.

A message appeared before him.

[Crushing World.]

[Mirotoz has perished. No new life is to be found in the world anymore. However, there are still those who have yet to die. They want to survive, even for a little bit longer. Halo, the Descendant, decided to lend them a hand, but his abilities weren’t enough, so he requested help from you.]

[You must forge shackles to bind the feet of the roaming giant, Terota. If you can tie down his feet, Halo will take care of the rest.]

[Quest deadline: 101 years, 6 months, 5 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes, 56 seconds]

[Earth to Mirotoz time ratio: 1:1.5]

“Wow.” He wasn’t really sure if the words before him were even in Korea anymore.

“I can’t understand anything except that the world has been destroyed… uh… so, is it not a request for the world Halo lives in?”

-You can say yes, or no. Halo will explain.

He had so many questions, including how one bound the foot of a destructive giant. Or what Halo could do after that point. Plus, the deadline was too large, and the time ratio was almost the same as the earth.

-I can answer any questions about the time ratio. It is because, as stated before, the world has already been destroyed. The time for a change in the world has passed.

“…What is the criteria for the destruction of a world?”

-It is based on whether or not a new life can be born. When the core energy of a world, called the source, is exhausted, nothing new can be born there.

It was a clear standard. The world he was heading to had already lost its source and perished. Somehow, however, he was able to accept it. Perhaps it was because of that image of destruction that remained in his mind from Anvil’s memories.

“Then what about Kieron? Wasn’t that world also destroyed?”

-Their situation was close to destruction, given the destruction Jormungand had caused. However, there was still a weak source in the world, and you prepared the fire to save it.

“Do you mean Millia…?”

-Yes, that fox.

Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh.

-She was a descendant of the royal family and had gained the authority to come into contact with that world’s source. It is possible for her to draw the energy remaining in the land to lay the foundation for new life to be born again. Although it is possible that Jormungand may turn their sights back to it…

“If so, give me another dimension quest.”

-If it can be solved with your ability, it will be done. But now is not the time for that.

Kang Shin-hyuk nodded firmly and accepted the quest. As he moved to the new world, a peculiar feeling overcame him. When his eyes opened, a huge tree stood before him.

“…Huh?” He blinked several times. The sky above him was stained with dark red ash, and below him was gray earth. Yet, the tree connecting the two was green.

[My friend, Anvil. Did you finally come?]

A voice arose from the tree. It was an inhuman voice that had an ageless quality to it, but he instinctively realized that it was Halo.

“Halo…?”

[It’s a pleasure to meet you in person… kind of.]

“Ha…” Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. Even a tree was a member of the Hero Universe!

[I am no tree. This is not my body, but merely a terminal containing a piece of my soul.]

“Main body… terminal…?”

[You will know if you touch it.]

“I see…” Kang Shin-hyuk placed his hand on the tree as instructed. His spiritual power began to synchronize with the spiritual power flowing through Halo’s enormous body. It was a ridiculous amount of spiritual power that made him want to retreat, but he was able to get a glimpse of what Halo meant. This wasn’t his body; it wasn’t even really alive. It was a pseudo-living creature with spiritual power… in other words, a golem.

“How is this possible…”

[I am just sending energy using this tree as a terminal. I wanted to support this world a little more.]

Halo lightly announced he was supporting an entire world by himself through this tree. If he didn’t know the circumstances, he would laugh at such a thing. But after feeling his energy, he couldn’t dare. The Hero Universe really was a group of monstrous abilities. If this tree were a terminal, however, where was his body? And how was Halo able to send this terminal to this world? He had too many questions.

“With this power, you could do anything yourself. Why did you need me?”

[I am supporting this world. If I try to deal with the giant with this terminal that can’t move, the world will collapse.]

“…”

[But I can’t leave him be. His footsteps are too heavy for this world right now. In the next one-hundred years or so, the floor will collapse if we can’t overcome him.]

He didn’t know how feasible that would be, physically speaking. Perhaps this world was flat.

“How big is he?”

[I’ll show you.]

Halo raised up a branch in front of his eyes. The end of the branch was rolled up, forming a ring, in which water droplets were formed. Kang Shin-hyuk realized it was a telescope of some sort and looked through it. At first, it was out of focus, but soon, a clear view reached his eyes. A very, very large black pillar was slowly falling down from the sky.

“Surely not.”

[That’s his leg.]

“…” What he had first thought was maybe a six-meter-tall giant like from a movie. Or maybe a thirty-meter-tall one from a manga. But no way… it was so large, that the human eye couldn’t even see all of just one leg. That leg alone had to be at least several hundred meters in circumference.

[That’s why I called for you. With you, it would be possible to make shackles that could hold his feet. If you can immobilize him, it is possible to kill him. How about it, Anvil? Is it possible?]

Kang Shin-hyuk blankly opened and closed his mouth like a fish. He didn’t even know where to start. Finally, slowly, he let out a groan.

“Shackles to bind that giant…you prepared something special for the materials, right?”

[Of course.]

Halo replied with a smile that Shin-hyuk could sense.

[But take a break for now. The kids will guide you.]

“Kids?” He raised his head reflexively, noticing pieces of leaves falling around him. One gently settled on his head, and the landscape around him changed.

Only

[It’s a lodging. You can follow the children.]

Halo’s voice came through the leaves. Shin-hyuk blinked several times before picking up the leaf glowing on his head and bringing it to his chest. Looking around, he was in a dark room without any windows. Gromas had a similar facility, so it felt familiar. Perhaps this place was also underground.

“We were waiting, Mr. Anvil.”

“We were waiting.” Kang Shin-hyuk blinked his eyes as he looked at the ‘children’ who had appeared as his guides. They were all ridiculously beautiful, with snow-white skin and very long ears. Kang Shin-hyuk was instantly familiar with them from fantasy novels.

“Elves…?”

“It is an honor that you know of our people.” The man in front politely bowed his head in response.

“We have nothing left, but please enjoy your stay.”

Kang Shin-hyuk had met an elf in his first summer vacation at Shinyoung