...
The silence between us stretched on for what seemed like an eternity.
The sun that I had brought back illuminated the scene with an unreal golden light, painting the world in the hues of a clear day.
The shadows lengthened in an almost theatrical way, carving sharp outlines in the stone floor and highlighting every detail of Kim Hajin's stunned expression.
His eyes reflected the newly restored sunshine, but they were fixed on me, filled with confusion and a glimmer of fear.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find words, but none seemed sufficient to describe what he had just witnessed.
"That... that shouldn't be possible..."
His whisper was as fragile as the reality he was now questioning, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was all just an illusion. But it wasn't. It was real. And I was there to prove it.
A smile flanked my lips as I lowered my arm, allowing the sun to return to its natural course, as if it had never been touched.
"And yet, here I am, doing the impossible. What are you going to do with this information, Hajin?"
He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. When he looked at me again, something had changed.
The fear was still there, but now mixed with a fierce resolve, a flash of understanding that indicated he was already formulating a plan.
"If you really have that power... If you can directly challenge the co-author, then..."
He hesitated, choosing his words with extreme caution, feeling the weight of what he was about to say.
"It means you can change everything. But it also means that you've become his biggest target."
I shrugged, feigning indifference, even though I knew his words were true.
"I already knew that. If the co-author wants to stop me, he'll need to do a lot more..."
Hajin wiped his hands across his face, clearly exasperated, as if trying to process the magnitude of the problem.
"You don't understand... If he feels he's lost control, he can do something extreme. It goes far beyond simply increasing the difficulty. He could rewrite the very essence of the world to crush us... Or..."
"Yes, he might want to destroy this world."
The tension between us became almost suffocating. I could see in Hajin's eyes that, despite his apparent resolve, he was still uncertain. He still didn't know how to trust me completely. But there was no more room for hesitation.
"Then I'll take the world for myself... If he tries anything, I'll take that world."
[DING!...]
My eyes blinked rapidly at the sound of the notification, and before me appeared the system that had blessed me before and after my arrival in this world. My golden finger, the presence that I had always thought had disappeared, was back. But not only that.
It brought great news.
I read and re-read what was written on the translucent screen, absorbing every word with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
'Fuck!...'
A broad smile formed on my face and I continued.
"If he wants to play dirty, then so can we. Hajin, you told me you don't have any more ways to get stronger, right? Well, I can help you with that. I can make you stronger. I can guarantee that you'll become much more powerful than you ever thought you could be by using the co-author's benefits. I can even find a way to send you back to Earth."
He stared at me, assessing my words with a cutting intensity. For a moment, I thought he was going to refuse. But then...
"Right... I really can't stand the idea of that bastard's little games. Being forced to watch my world being manipulated by him gives me a headache."
That's right...
This guy has a God complex embedded in his mind. He must hate the co-author more than anyone in the world...
I got up from the bench, put my hands in my pants pockets and turned to face the front.
"Tomorrow, after combat class is over, come to boot camp. I'm going to make you stronger than you are now."
I left those words behind as I started walking, feeling Hajin's gaze on my back. He remained seated, staring at the sky where a few stars shone timidly.
"Time to go back. If some instructor catches me here, I'm screwed."
Kim Hajin also got up and left...
...
Back in my dormitory, I threw myself on the sofa and stared at the translucent screen that was still shining before me.
A laugh escaped my lips.
"That's hilarious... After I complete the story of this world, I'll be able to travel anywhere freely..."
If that's true, then it wouldn't be long before I could go to my world and try to bring my family back.
[TNE COMPLETION: 1%]
[COMPLETE 100% OF THE NOVEL'S EXTRA STORY, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE ANYWHERE FREELY. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO YOUR WORLD, YOU WILL. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO KIM HAJIN'S WORLD, YOU WILL... IF YOU WANT TO VISIT OTHER WORLDS, IN OTHER UNIVERSES, YOU CAN...]
[WORLDS AVAILABLE]
[WILL REMAIN HIDDEN UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF THE STORY... REMEMBER, UNTIL THE PERCENTAGE HAS BEEN COMPLETED, IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT TO FORCE YOUR WAY THROUGH].
"What a shame, I can't see the names... Are you deliberately hiding them to make me anxious? If so, you've really done it."
Before I could continue pondering, another notification beeped on my smartwatch...
[You've received a message.]
I clicked on the message, and the name that appeared on the sender surprised me a little.
[Heroes Association of the United States of America].
My eyes narrowed as I opened the contents of the message.
The US was offering me a monthly grant...
Two million dollars a month.
"Heh... Looks like I'm getting popular."
A satisfied smile crossed my face. That money would certainly come in handy, even if I didn't really need it, after all money was the easiest thing I could have in the world.
Selling magic swords.
Creating magic scrolls.
Healing injuries that rich people can't return to normal.
Killing djinn and collecting rewards for eliminations.
Hunting down villains and handing them over to the Heroes' Association.
Creating any kind of ore I wanted.
There were endless ways for me not to run out of money, but, as the saying goes:
"You can't look a gift horse in the eye."
Note: "You can't look a gift in the eye" is a proverb that means, in general, that when you receive a gift, you should show satisfaction even if you don't like it.
Money is always very welcome.
But what do they want with it?
What was the motive behind this generosity? Something told me that they wanted much more than simply to support a promising talent, perhaps to be on good terms with me?
'Whatever. As long as they don't do anything crazy, everything will be fine between us...'
I let out a light sigh as I put the smartwatch away, massaging my temple with my fingertips. The US's intentions were obvious, but for now, there was no reason to turn down that easy money. If they tried anything, I'd know how to deal with it when the time came.
Getting up from the sofa, I walked to the bathroom of my dormitory and turned on the shower, feeling the hot water fall under my muscles as I reflected on the day's events.
The meeting with Kim Hajin, the revelation of my connection to the problems the co-author will cause us, the promise to strengthen him and, above all, the confirmation that I would be able to travel between worlds when I completed this one's story.
The prospect of being able to bring my family back to life was like a flame burning inside me.
But first, I needed to finish this story, and that meant dealing with the co-author and all the dangers that would come along the way.
These problems wouldn't be a problem for me, but that didn't mean I could become complacent, after all, there are humans, people, innocent beings in this world.
After showering and putting on comfortable clothes, I headed to the kitchen, where I made myself a hearty meal.
My appetite was considerable, even if I didn't need to eat.
'Ah! I'm glad I can enjoy these things in peace, it would be sad if my appetite had disappeared, or perhaps my taste buds.'
After brushing my teeth, even if I didn't need to, because I could use magic to clean my mouth.
'I think it's pretty hard for a cavity to destroy these teeth anyway...'
I went back to the sofa and looked up Chae Nayun's name in my contacts and pressed call.
The smartwatch rang twice before her familiar, excited voice answered:
[Nayun: Theo? I thought you weren't going to call me until later.]
I smiled as I heard the softness in her voice, a tone laden with curiosity and a slight hint of happiness.
[Theo: I felt like listening to your voice. Is there a problem with that?]
On the other end of the line, Nayun let out a sound that sounded like a mixture of laughter and a sigh.
[Nayun: You really know how to say things like that... If you carry on like this, you're going to make me ill-at-ease.]
[Theo: And that would be bad?]
I said expecting her to grumble, but what I got was an answer I wasn't expecting.
[Nayun: Maybe not! I felt like listening to you too.]
The silence that followed was comfortable, one of those moments where no words were necessary.
But then her voice came again, a little more seriously this time.
[Nayun: Theo... Something tells me you have a lot on your mind. Am I wrong?]
No, not wrong at all, you've hit the nail on the head, this sixth sense of women is really incredible.
I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of everything I had discovered and planned for the future.
[Theo: You're not wrong. A lot of things are happening at the same time, and some of them can change everything, both for the good and for the bad... But don't worry, I've got everything under control.]
I don't want to worry you with matters that are out of your hands, not yet.
She remained silent for a moment, before replying with a resolute tone:
[Nayun: Whatever it is, don't forget that I'm on your side. And don't leave me behind, understand? I'll wait until the day you want to talk.]
My smile softened, feeling a pleasant warmth in my chest. Chae Nayun was strong, determined and stubborn, and I knew that no matter what happened, she wouldn't accept seeing someone she cared about fighting alone.
[Theo: I would never do that, Nayun. You're mine. And when the time comes, I'll tell you everything.]
She snorted on the other end of the line, but I could sense her smile through the tone of her voice.
[Nayun: Hmph! Great. Now that you've said that, there's no turning back. You'll have to put up with me forever.]
[Theo: And I wouldn't complain a bit.]
This time, it was Nayun who remained silent, probably trying to hide his embarrassment.
I laughed softly, pleased that I'd managed to render her speechless for a few seconds.
[Theo: And your brother? How was his return? Was it good?]
....