The Return of the Legendary All-Master

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

As the community was in an uproar over the topic of proficiency being thrown out as bait, Jeong-hoon posted a thread.

[How to Become an Incarnate – I'll Tell You.]

From now on, a message will simultaneously be sent to everyone.

If you accept, you can become an Incarnate, raise your proficiency, and earn rewards while stopping the invasion.

You'll be able to gain experience and increase your survival rate, so it's not a bad deal.

Just know this—

The invasions will continue, and beings on a completely different level will be coming.

As soon as the post went up, the comments poured in like clockwork.

└ If you become an Incarnate, don't you have to follow whatever he tells you to do…?

└ I don't want to become a puppet.

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I don't even need to do that. I've nearly hit level 1,000, so isn't it a problem if I get taken down by those weaker than me?

└ Those who get taken down aren't even here anymore. They've all been wiped out ㅠㅠ

└ Ah, that last line is making me hesitate… I'm already pissed off as it is, but even stronger ones are coming?

└ Who even is this guy, writing stuff like this? Is this a lie?

└ Is he someone who can see the future?

The overall response in the comments wasn't very positive.

But what could be done?

The possibility that higher races would soon arrive was likely to be true.

"Thanatos."

"Okay."

At Jeong-hoon's call, Thanatos handed him the prepared message.

It was the Incarnate proposal, and if one accepted, they would automatically form a contract with Thanatos.

On the other hand, if rejected, the message would disappear and the proposal would not be sent again.

"Let's schedule it to be sent three hours from now."

Using his authority as the master, Jeong-hoon finished preparing the message to be sent to all survivors.

Three hours from now, the message would be delivered to everyone.

* * *

'Huh, is this for real?'

Park In-tae, who had been quietly browsing the community, couldn't hide his astonishment.

He was the acting guild master leading Ho-Yeong in place of Yeo Sunwoo, who was currently absent.

Seoul, which had been swept away, was now restored, and Park In-tae was fully occupied leading all Ho-Yeong guild members to block the invasions.

In the midst of all this, one of the guild members introduced Park In-tae to the community post.

'Incarnate, huh…'

In truth, he had long held an interest in becoming an Incarnate.

The reason was that after reality had merged with the system, many had continuously grown stronger by becoming Incarnates.

Even if it meant becoming someone else's chess piece, in this world where only the strong could survive, the temptation was hard to resist.

Nevertheless, the reason Park In-tae had not become an Incarnate until now was entirely thanks to the guild leader.

'That power must never be taken.'

'…May I ask why?'

'Because they are beings that intend to destroy Earth.'

'Destroy… Earth?'

'Yes. By taking their power, you end up contributing to that destruction.'

He did desire power, but he had no wish to destroy Earth.

That was the reason Park In-tae had not become an Incarnate until now.

However, based on the post uploaded to the community, it seemed that becoming an Incarnate was not about destroying Earth, but rather about protecting it.

"How should I handle this…?"

If what was written there was true, becoming an Incarnate would clearly be beneficial.

Bzzzt—

Just then, he received a call from the young lady.

Park In-tae quickly answered the phone.

"Yes, this is Park In-tae."

[Uncle! Are you busy right now?]

"No, it's fine. I've just finished handling an invasion and was taking a short break."

[How's the damage?]

"Everyone did an excellent job leveling and following orders, so aside from five injured, everyone else is unharmed."

[That's a relief…]

"How about you, young lady? I heard you've been stopping invasions on your own…"

Unlike them, Yeo Min-Ji had grown to a level that was on an entirely different scale, enough to block invasions single-handedly.

Even so, he couldn't help but worry.

[I'm fine. More importantly, I contacted you because I have something to tell you.]

"Hmm? What is it?"

[You remember what my father used to say, right? That if you become an Incarnate, you would be contributing to the destruction of Earth.]

"Yes."

Yeo Min-Ji had been there when those words were spoken.

She had agreed with that belief at the time as well.

[That's no longer the case.]

She now says it's different.

"…Pardon?"

As Park In-tae reacted with visible confusion, she continued.

[It's a bit difficult to explain in detail… but the ones who were focused on destruction are all gone now. Only Transcendents who aim to protect Earth remain.]

"Uh… young lady, I don't know what grounds you have to say such a thing."

His mind was in turmoil.

Why is the young lady saying this now?

[I know it's hard to believe. Honestly, if Hun hadn't told me himself, I would still think negatively about it.]

"Are you talking about Mr. Jeong-hoon?"

[Yes. So please, just this once, could you trust me? That community post was written by Hun himself.]

"…Understood."

[Thank you. I'll join you there soon.]

"Is that true?!"

That was the best news he'd heard in a long time.

If the young lady joined them, Ho-Yeong's combat power would increase tremendously.

On top of that, as a commander, she was far more capable than he was, so defending against the invasions would become much easier.

[Yes. Of course, I'm not asking you to become an Incarnate. I just wanted to let you know that things have changed from before.]

"You don't need to worry about that. I know better than anyone that the young lady is not someone who would ever force such a thing."

[Then, I'll see you soon!]

"Please be careful."

The call ended just like that.

'Incarnate, huh…'

Park In-tae once again looked over the community post.

If what the young lady said was true, then the person who wrote this post must be…

'It must have been Mr. Jeong-hoon.'

If that was the case, it was obvious which choice would be the wise one.

After finishing his thoughts, Park In-tae put away his smartphone and gathered the guild members together.

* * *

"Hyung! I'm back!"

Following Hajin, Bong-Goo also successfully completed his 6th Advancement and returned.

'So, Uncle Yeo Sunwoo is the last one now.'

Currently, Hoyoung was being led by Park In-tae.

Anticipating that the 6th Advancement would take a long time, Jeong-hoon had handed over leadership to Park In-tae before leaving.

Because of that, Bong-Goo had started about two days later than the others, and it seemed to have taken him the longest.

"You've worked hard."

"Heh, don't be surprised. I've become a Shadow Emperor! A Shadow Emperor!"

An upgraded class above the Shadow King.

Bong-Goo had successfully advanced from Shadow King to Shadow Emperor upon completing his 6th Advancement.

"Congratulations."

Receiving Jeong-hoon's sincere congratulations, Bong-Goo's eyes grew teary.

"Hyung, I really thought I was going to die. Ha… just thinking about those quests gives me chills."

"You've worked hard. The 6th Advancement's difficulty is ridiculously high."

"I knew you would understand, hyung!"

"Yeah. Then, how about we have a match to celebrate your 6th Advancement?"

"…What?"

It was the moment his emotions came crashing down.

Bong-Goo's face, which had just been tearful, stiffened instantly.

He'd barely made it through the brutal hardship of the 6th Advancement, and now, hyung was saying to fight him? Was this a joke or what?

"Ah, I don't mean just fighting for no reason. While you were gone, this is what happened…"

Jeong-hoon quickly explained what had occurred in the meantime.

"They've rebuilt my house?!"

Seoul, which had been destroyed, was now restored, and he had been clinging to the faint hope that his home might still exist—but to hear that even his house had been completely rebuilt was like a dream.

"Yeah. I checked, and your family has also significantly leveled up and become stronger. They're currently living at home."

"Wow… hyung, thank you so much."

He had been forcing himself to stay bright while suppressing his aching heart, always thinking about his family, who had lost their home and were hiding in shelters. But now, that weight was lifted.

He wanted to run to his house and see his family right this moment.

"If it were up to me, I'd tell you to go home immediately… but we're short on time."

The reason Jeong-hoon suggested sparring was because of this:

Although the survivors had explosively raised their levels, most of them still lacked practical skill—they had merely increased their numbers. Many couldn't properly utilize the materials and equipment they possessed.

Because of this, there were quite a few people who ended up dying in ridiculous ways.

That's why Jeong-hoon intended to spar with Bong-Goo, who had completed his 6th Advancement, to film combat methods by class and related practical tips, and upload those videos to HoneyTube.

The idea was that, since HoneyTube now had global influence, many people around the world could reference the videos.

"Hyung, but… honestly, if someone can only manage to follow a video, wouldn't their skill level be pretty miserable…?"

After all, people's intelligence varied greatly.

Some quickly understood and applied what they learned, while others struggled to grasp even simple things no matter how many times they were explained.

"As long as they're not truly hopeless, there will definitely be people who improve by watching the videos."

"…Understood. If you say so, hyung, I'll follow your lead."

"Good."

Jeong-hoon contacted Jang Dae-hwi to prepare for filming.

They would begin as soon as he arrived.

"By the way… you're going to go easy on me, right?"

Bong-Goo's pupils trembled slightly.

If Jeong-hoon seriously went at him, things could get really bad.

"Why are you saying the obvious? If I go all out, no one will be able to learn any tips from the fight."

"R-Right?!"

Bong-Goo's expression instantly brightened.

This sparring match was, after all, meant to be an instructional session for beginners.

"Well, if you want, I can give you a proper fight after the spar is over."

"No, thank you!!"

Bong-Goo shouted hastily.

<Look at this guy. Why's he so lacking in confidence?>

<Tenebris-nim… look who his opponent is.>

<Still, can't he at least show some guts?>

<If he does, he'll really die.>

<Come on, surely he wouldn't actually kill him.>

Tenebris glanced at Jeong-hoon.

Seeing that, Jeong-hoon quietly let out a hollow laugh inside.

'…Is that really the image I give off?'

No matter what, it's not like he would actually kill Bong-Goo.

'Hmm… Master does tend to destroy anything that annoys him without hesitation.'

'Yeah. If he thinks he's right, he shows no mercy.'

Mukho and Anima chimed in as well.

'…Yeah, maybe that's true.'

'It's definitely true.'

'Master's not exactly a bad person, but from some people's perspective, his personality might earn him criticism.'

That's probably true.

'No one has a perfect personality anyway.'

But if Jeong-hoon just sat there silently, these guys would only push it further, so he glared at them, signaling them to be quiet.

Ahem…

'Okay, okay, no need to glare at us like that.'

* * *

While Jeong-hoon was busy preparing for filming with Bong-Goo, the scheduled time arrived, and the message was sent out to everyone.

'It really came.'

Park In-tae, who had gathered his guild members and was waiting, immediately checked the message as soon as it arrived.

[Your Final Chance]

Your level is honestly pathetic.

Watching you is frustrating. At this rate, the only thing waiting for you is death.

Don't believe me?

You're already struggling against weaklings like these—what do you think will happen when enemies stronger than them invade?

To you pitiful ones, I'm giving a chance.

Form a contract with me.

I promise to raise your survival rate beyond where it is now.

Unlike the others, I am on your side.

I will do my utmost to protect Earth.

If you select 'Accept' below, the contract will be established immediately.

"Really… his confidence is through the roof."

Just as the young lady had said, this man had clearly declared that he would lead the charge in defending Earth.

Of course, Park In-tae couldn't fully believe that everything written was 100% true, but there was no way he could refuse.

If asked whether he could stop enemies stronger than the ones now, he couldn't confidently say yes.

That's why, even if it meant borrowing the power of a Transcendent, they needed to raise their level.

"I accept."

Park In-tae chose to accept.

"I accept."

"I accept."

The guild members, who had been waiting for his decision, also chose to accept.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]