There Is No World For ■■

* * *

As the cold sea breeze paused momentarily and dawn slowly raised its head over the horizon, a small smuggling boat was heading toward Incheon Port.

Aboard the small boat, smaller than a cheap fishing vessel, were two people wearing ponchos and a smuggler.

Although long ears peeked out from under the two people’s ponchos, the smuggler didn't even sneak a glance at their ears.

And as long as he received plenty of money for the fare, the smuggler didn't care who the passengers on his boat were or what race they belonged to..

In that sense, today's clients were good ones. One gold bar per person, two gold bars in total—It was a huge amount of money for smuggling just two people.

Thinking that today was his lucky day, the smuggler steered the boat vigorously. His small boat circled the port and headed for the closed pier.

And among all the smugglers, he was the only one who knew of this route. It was a dangerous path where even boats that were slightly larger were likely to get caught by the coast guards and they would be turned into Swiss cheese.

But the greater the risk, the greater the reward once you made it through.

And if he followed this route to the closed Pier 13, security was loose enough for one could walk to downtown Incheon.

The small boat sliced through the water smoothly. After steering for about 30 minutes along the extended dawn, the destination appeared on the horizon.

"Esteemed Clients, we're almost there."

Upon seeing their destination Pier 13, the smuggler smiled —no, he was about to smile when…

...Light?

The smuggler couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion as he surveyed Pier 13 in the distance.

The once deserted Pier 13, where not even an ant would roam, was now brightly illuminated.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Pier 13 to see what was happening.

Amidst the lights, he could see collapsed containers, something large, and people in suits moving around.

...What are those?

Just as the smuggler began to feel a sense of foreboding, his clients spoke up.

“I thought that this was a fairly decent country, but it seems there are all sorts of unsavory things wandering around right at the entrance.”

It was such a beautiful voice that anyone who heard it would get goosebumps. Startled, the smuggler stopped the small boat.

“...It was an oversight on my part, Comrade¹ Miridith.”

“No need to apologize, Comrade² Rime. It is not your fault that we lost contact with the advance party.”

“But… I was the one who put forth the suggestion to come to this country.”

“I already said that it is fine. If anyone must be held accountable, it is my own fault for coming to Earth.”

Hearing them call each other ‘comrade’, the smuggler immediately raised his head.

He felt suspicious on seeing their long ears, but it was indeed true.

Commie Pointy Ears...

Lowering his head to avoid making eye contact with them, the smuggler spoke cautiously.

“Um, Esteemed Clients, there’s been a problem with the original destination, so we’ll need to go somewhere else. Uh, it’s just a short detour, so please wait a little longer.”

He did his best to prevent his voice from trembling, but the response he received made his body tremble more.

“No need for that. That pier is our original destination, isn’t it? We are going straight to that pier.”

“But… it’s best to not attract attention when entering a country illegally.”

“If you're worried about drawing attention, then there's even less of a reason to be concerned.”

“...Pardon?”

“They’ve already seen us.”

What?! Feeling surprised, the smuggler looked up and saw something standing at the end of the pier.

A suited man with the head of a cow.

It was not clear whether it was a mask or a disguise, but the cow-headed figure was staring directly at his small boat.

Holy shit, I knew that me having such good luck today was too good to be true ..

The smuggler wanted to flee immediately but he had no choice. He steered the boat towards the pier, hoping these commies were as strong as the rumors suggested.

* * *

Swish—

When Dung Beetle turned on the shower, water poured over his head, washing away the blood and filth that had accumulated over the past few days.

As he watched the reddened water swirl down the drain, memories of those he had killed or had once been people resurfaced in his mind.

Fortunately, he felt neither guilt nor regret.

Feeling a faint sense of relief, Dung Beetle continued to wash his body silently.

He continued until there was no blood flowing down his body.

After using an entire bar of soap to ensure that no blood and filth remained, he stepped out of the shower.

But as soon as he opened the door, he was taken aback.

“Oh… I didn’t notice this before you showered, but you’re quite handsome.”

What greeted him was Seti, eating cup noodles.

Dung Beetle raised an eyebrow slightly and checked out the shabby motel bed she was sitting on.

There was a pile of various convenience store food items on the bed: cup noodles, triangle kimbap, hamburgers, bread, cake, and so on.

About half the pile had already disappeared into her stomach, leaving only the wrappers behind. While the rest were half-opened, waiting to be eaten.

“...When did you buy all this food?”

“ I obviously bought it while you were holed up in the bathroom and taking a shower for 30 minutes.”

“...”

“I need to replenish the energy I used. I don’t eat this kind of instant food in normal circumstances, but…”

Glancing between Dung Beetle and the motel room, she cleared her throat, and added.

“Ahem, in a situation where I've secretly come to a motel with a man, can I really be picky about food?”

She quickly slurped up the noodle soup and picked up a triangle kimbap.

Dung Beetle shook his head as he sat on a chair next to the bed. Although he intended to start a conversation right away, he figured it would be best to wait until she finished eating. After all, you shouldn’t even disturb dogs while they are eating.

He glanced at Seti for a moment, recalling their last conversation at Pier 13.

- Would you like to work together with me? You help me with my revenge, and I’ll help you with your revenge on the government. Both of us risk our lives for each other.

It was a rather long-winded answer to the question, ‘What do you want from me?’

At first, he frowned, thinking it was nonsense, but Seti was serious.

- I know that you still can’t trust me, but my proposal is sincere.

When Dung Beetle asked who she wanted revenge on, her answer was short and to the point.

- Do you think that you are the only one holding a grudge against the government of this country?

Dung Beetle didn’t respond. He had experienced too many shocking events recently to be easily swayed by a sudden proposal for an alliance.

Seti then began to show her sincerity by going around the pier.

She first smashed the pig-headed figure’s corpse, searched for the secretary's body and made it look as if it was crushed under the Titan.

Next, she removed all traces of Dung Beetle left around the pier.

From grenade and shotgun marks on the Titan's body, to empty shells, and grenade fragments—She pushed them aside, shattered them, and erased them one by one.

Only after witnessing this entire process did Dung Beetle belatedly come to a realization.

That there was a possibility that the government would be able to analyze the traces and track him.

Seti was worried about a possibility he had not even realized yet, manipulating the scene to prevent the government from detecting or tracking him.

If someone were to examine the scene later, it would look as though she was the one who had fought the Necromancer.

- I think I’ve said this before, but there’s absolutely no downside if you team up with me, you know?

She said once she finished manipulating the scene and handed him the bag that the Secretary had.

It was none other than a bag containing Awakening Potions. Unfortunately, only one vial managed to fully retain its contents.

However, that was enough. It was a potion that made the government go to great lengths to obtain, even going as far as making a deal with a Necromancer. Hence, even a single vial would be worth an enormous sum.

- Why are you showing me so much favor?

- Kindness and favor are the basics of a deal, aren’t they?

On hearing that, Dung Beetle’s heart was swayed a little.

So, he decided to listen to her offer. Or rather, he pretended to be interested to gauge her sincerity.

- Then, shall we move to another location first?

To avoid any potential tracking, they circled around the outskirts of the city before arriving at a secluded motel.

And now…

Dung Beetle asked Seti as she was finishing her last triangle kimbap.

“Before we get into the details, I'd like to know what made you trust me enough to put forward this offer.”

While chewing her food like a hamster, Seti took her time to swallow and after she finally cleared her mouth, she replied.

“Hmm, there are two reasons.”

“...Two reasons?”

“First, your talent.”

“Talent, huh?”

Dung Beetle trailed off, and Seti smiled slightly.

“The manner in which you stole the Flying Kick technique by just observing it. You use it quite perfectly, you know?”

“...”

“Do you know what? The footwork you learned by stealing is called the Feather Step. I started learning it from a very young age, and every time I twisted my ankle, my instructors would whip my calves with a stick.”

As she recalled the past, Seti’s smile turned slightly sardonic.

“I practiced so hard for months, getting whipped until my calves were bruised. Only then I was able to use the Feather Step perfectly. And once I finally mastered it, do you know what I was told?”

“...I don’t know.”

“A genius! My instructor said I was a genius who only appeared once in a hundred years. Ha, do you get it now? The Feather Step is a technique that makes you a genius if you can master it in just a few months. But you? Ta-da, you perfected it in just three days!”

The term ‘perfected’ was a bit of an exaggeration. The Feather Step executed by Dung Beetle was far from perfection.

He twisted his ankles several times and stretched his ligaments to the limit while evading Titan’s attacks using the Feather Step.

His lack of insight and knowledge to use the technique properly was evident. And the only reason he could use the Feather Step was because of his absurd physical endurance and regenerative power.

However, Dung Beetle didn’t voice this fact out. Instead, he simply rephrased his thoughts a bit, expressing them in a roundabout way.

“Isn’t it hasty to judge my talent just by using that technique as the basis? It might just be that I’m particularly compatible with the Feather Step technique.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Seti arched her eyebrows.

“The fact that you can even say something like that is proof of your talent. You’re talking nonsense about martial arts while your body is performing the techniques adeptly. What else can it be called if this isn't a talent?”

“...”

“Real martial arts, like the Flying Kick technique, are different from sports. It’s not just about fitting or not fitting when it comes to controlling mana.”

Seti grumbled for a moment, then sighed and continued.

“And more importantly… you used the Quake Stomp, didn't you?”

“Quake Stomp?”

“I mean, the technique you used to smash the Titan’s head. Hmm… how should I put it, it’s like an ultimate move in the Flying Kick technique.”

“An ultimate move?”

Dung Beetle thought back to the moment he burst the Titan’s head. The power was tremendous, but the technique used wasn't anything extraordinary.

Whether his body shattered or not, it was about putting everything into a single strike.

That was all there was to it. It was just a matter of exceeding the limits that the human body instinctively imposed on itself to suppress reaction and exert force.

For Dung Beetle, it was more of a gamble while relying on his body’s Regeneration ability.

An ultimate move? Without the Regeneration ability, it would be nothing more than a self-destructive weapon.

Seeing him look puzzled, Seti continued.

“Although the Flying Kick Technique itself is already quite advanced, the Quake Stomp is a stepping stone for even more sophisticated skills. And it's impossible to master if one does not possess the talent.”

“…”

“Didn’t you feel it when you used the Quake Stomp? The Quake Stomp can only be executed when you have full control over your entire body.”

Ah. Dung Beetle finally understood the true meaning of the Quake Stomp.

It was about surpassing the limits set by the body.

And having succeeded so effortlessly, he wasn't even aware of it; it was like unlocking a lock by instinct.

Enhancing one's senses with mana was already a difficult feat, let alone overcoming instinct. So if this wasn’t talent, then what was?

“...So, do you now understand why I believe your talent is real, Dung Beetle-ssi?”

Dung Beetle nodded quietly.

He left the tiny realization he had for later and continued with his questions.

“So, what’s the second reason?”

“Your desire for revenge.”

Hearing the straightforward yet unexpected answer, Dung Beetle frowned slightly.

“My desire for revenge? What does that have to do with anything?”

“You didn’t run away, didn’t you?”

“...”

Seti looked him straight in the eyes and continued.

“When you fought the Necromancer. You could have run away, but you didn’t.”

“...”

“No matter how fast Titan and the Necromancer were, they wouldn’t have been able to catch up if you had fled using the Feather Step. Your momentary speed was far superior, and it wasn’t like the Necromancer could get in a car.”

“That’s…”

“And if it weren’t for me, you would have died there. You knew that well yourself, right?”

Dung Beetle was unable to come up with a rebuttal because everything she said was true.

“But still, you didn’t run away. Why? Because death was better than fleeing.”

As Seti's blue eyes gazed at him, emotions he couldn't understand were swirling deep within them.

“Am I right?”

“…”

Seti's voice, tinged with a hint of regret, dug deep into Dung Beetle’s heart.

“Heh, it’s written all over your face, Dung Beetle-ssi. You’re thinking, ‘How does she know so much?’”

And the moment he heard her next words, a gentle ripple spread across Dung Beetle’s heart.

“It’s because I was in the same situation before.”

Seti slowly raised her head. Her eyes were looking not at the old motel ceiling but at a distant past.

“But… I ran away.”

Dung Beetle couldn’t discern what she was recalling, but he was certain of one thing—She regretted it.

“While fleeing, I thought to myself. It’s better to stay alive and seek revenge later…”

Her voice trembled as she clenched her fists.

“But after surviving, I was unable to muster the courage to seek revenge again because the opponent was much stronger than me, and the living must continue living…”

She slowly lowered her head. As Seti’s blue eyes, having escaped from the past, met Dung Beetle’s gaze.

“...It’s a pathetic story, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s pathetic.”

Hehe, Seti laughed while covering her mouth.

“Thank goodness, if you said no, even as an empty consolation, I would have become angry.”

With those words, the two fell silent for a moment.

After a brief moment of exchanging thoughts between them, Seti extended her hand to him and spoke.

“So, Dung Beetle-ssi, would you like to join hands with me? We’ll risk our lives for each other; you help me, and I help you.”

Dung Beetle didn’t reply. He rested his chin on his hand as he silently looked at her outstretched hand. Despite the calluses, it was a delicate and beautiful hand.

It was a hand that belonged to someone who had lived in a world entirely different from his.

“Um… if you don’t do anything in this situation, I’ll feel a bit awkward…”

“Seti.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s team up. You help me, and I’ll help you. But, we won’t risk our lives for each other.”

“…”

“That’s my condition.”

Dung Beetle said as he extended his hand in return.

A hand, full of calluses that no amount of soap could hide—a janitor’s hand… no, a murderer’s hand.

Seti, with a blank stare, alternated her gaze between his face and his hand before gletting out a small laugh.

“Alright. Deal.”

She extended her hand. As their hands overlapped, Dung Beetle realized that this was the first time he had ever shook hands with a woman.

***

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