NOVEL NEXT Chapter 407
#407
Will you accept?
Returnee, beings from another world.
Those who lived in a world different from modern Earth and crossed the boundaries of worlds to come here.
They had been trained for a long time in a world where mana and special powers were commonplace, possessing advanced mana management skills compared to Earth, where mana had only become widespread a mere decade ago. Thus, they were generally stronger than Earth players.
But that was as far as their value went.
While returnees were indeed powerful player resources, they couldn’t take on organizations like nations or corporations on their own.
The shining gold tower of modern civilization built by humanity was not so easily toppled by primitive barbarians reminiscent of medieval fantasy or martial arts worlds.
Ten years after the great upheaval, now in the age of players.
Modern Earth welcomed dimensional refugees and achieved even greater advancements in civilization.
Player guilds hustled to recruit returnees like a bustling market, aware that, in the face of the power of organizations and civilization, they were just individuals.
Whether they were kings, emperors, martial arts sect leaders, or demonic cult masters in their original world, they were merely Player A in the modern era.
Even if one brought an army from their fantasy world, they still couldn’t win against modern civilization.
That had been the conventional wisdom until now.
And now that wisdom was shattering to pieces.
When spaceships straight out of an SF movie covered the entire sky of Seoul.
People felt primal fear.
[This is the First Dimension Fleet of the Human Alliance Space Force.]
[We have arrived here for the exchange of civilizations, not conflict.]
[We will soon send an official delegation back home after due procedures.]
Every TV, radio, and computer in Seoul was hacked to broadcast the message from the Human Alliance.
It wasn’t just Seoul.
The dimensional fleet of the Human Alliance appeared in a dimensional leap over major cities worldwide, sending the same message in Washington, New York, Paris, London, Berlin, New Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Tel Aviv, and beyond.
Reactions to the sudden disaster varied across countries.
Some nations attempted diplomacy by welcoming the delegation they sent, while others categorically defined them as intruders and attacked according to engagement protocols.
There were countries attempting actions, but inversely, some designated them as invaders who had violated their territory, and according to the rules of engagement, they retaliated.
China was one of those nations.
In response to the Fourth Dimension Fleet appearing over Beijing, the Chinese President decided to punish the audacious Humanity Alliance fleet that had dared to invade Chinese territory from Zhongnanhai.
Dozens of Dongfeng hypersonic missiles were launched from the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force military base, and China’s latest stealth fighters soared through the skies.
The flagship of the Fourth Dimension Fleet, the Dimension Battleship Flying Dragon, was formed from troops originating from the Chinese military of Earth-2.
“Commander! The enemy has retaliated? What shall we do?”
“How dare they refuse to surrender to the order led by our Messiah, and to attack his fleet, the parallel world’s Motherland is utterly pathetic. Respond according to the rules of engagement.”
“Understood! All units, intercept the enemy’s attack and execute a beheading operation in Zhongnanhai.”
The cutting-edge hypersonic missiles that China boasted could not penetrate the magic barrier of the Fourth Dimension Fleet’s battleship and oxidized. Not a single one of China’s newest stealth fighters returned, having been shot down by interceptors launched from the dimensional mothership.
Soon, the main cannon of the dimensional battleship opened, and a brilliant flash erupted.
Koo-Kwa-Kwa-Kwa-Kwa!
When the death beam descended upon Zhongnanhai, all leaders, including the Chinese President, evaporated into thin air.
Following that, gates opened over every base of the Chinese Rocket Force and Air Force, leading to a bombardment of beams.
It took exactly 72 hours for China, once a great power of Earth-1, to be completely wiped out and raise the white flag.
Russia, which also chose to resist, faced humiliation as the Kremlin Palace burned under the dimension bombing launched by the Second Dimension Fleet comprised of Soviet troops, losing its bragged-about nuclear power and military bases.
That was not all.
“Cleanse the African continent occupied by the otherworldly beings and the lands of former North Korea with the fleet’s flames.”
“This is the Messiah’s hometown.”
“Let us create the land we will dedicate to him with our own hands.”
During the cataclysm, the lands of former North Korea and the African continent, which could not withstand the cracks and monster waves, perished.
Now entirely eroded by the otherworldly environment, those places had become fields dominated by monsters, and the Humanity Alliance’s dimensional fleet warped there.
All dimensional battleship main cannons opened fire, conducting a carpet dimension bombardment.
[Kieeeeeeeeeek!]
[Krurrurrrrrrrr!]
[Kyaaaaaaaaaah!]
Monsters screamed in agony and fell as the indiscriminate bombardment rained down, restoring the land to its original state.
The high-risk monsters that survived the bombardment were taken care of directly by heroes descending from the fleet.
“We will install terraforming devices.”
After eliminating the monsters, what was established was a colossal machine for terraforming.
A device that could transform any environment into an Earth-like setting given enough time.
As the once-abandoned lands of Africa and the former North Korea were being cleaned up by the dimensional fleet.
At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, a delegation of the Humanity Alliance was now face-to-face with all the world leaders.
The leaders of all nations in the world were face to face.
Ziiiiing.
In the UN headquarters conference room, the representative of the Human Alliance appeared in hologram.
“What do you want?”
A representative from Earth asked.
[We are the same humans from your Earth. What we want is peaceful exchange.]
“China and Russia have practically collapsed. Is this the kind of exchange you desire?”
[They first launched a preemptive attack on our dimensional fleet. We simply retaliated. In fact, not a single civilian from China or Russia has died. Only the enemy’s leadership and military power have been neutralized.]
The Earth representative fell silent.
There was nothing wrong with their words.
Indeed, China and Russia had launched a preemptive strike on the dimensional fleet, and there were no civilian casualties in this war.
After ending the war, the Human Alliance did not establish puppet regimes in China and Russia.
As a result, China and Russia were now in complete chaos.
“What is the reason for attacking old Africa and old North Korea?”
[According to the international laws of this world, the fields are considered unowned land, and if we restore the fields to their original form, we can claim ownership. We simply executed that plan, is there a problem?]
Everyone fell silent at their words.
Fields are unowned land.
If restored to its original form, claims of ownership are possible.
This clause had been established knowing that, with current technology, restoring the fields was impossible.
Even if restoration technology for other worlds emerged in the future, it would be developed by major powers, essentially a trap clause to allow powerful nations to legally reclaim the old lands known as fields.
While the transformed fields had become lands of monsters where humanity could not live, they had also turned into treasure troves filled with rare resources like mithril, orichalcum, adamantium, and magic stones.
If humanity could turn those fields back into habitable land, it would naturally be beneficial.
The vast African fields were already a wasteland with all the natives gone, making it even more appealing.
Of course, the trap did not consider the option of an earth-integrated country from a parallel universe leading a space fleet to terraform the fields with advanced SF technology several steps ahead of Earth.
The civilization level of Earth-2, which was being studied in secrecy by world powers, was almost identical to modern civilization, except for the existence of supernatural abilities.
There was no way they would consider such a ridiculous possibility.
But now that ridiculous possibility had become reality.
Only then did everyone present realize.
The technology of the Human Alliance from Earth-2 was beyond comprehension for Earth-1.
While other worlds and gates had become part of everyday life, the technology of Earth-1 could not control the disasters that were these other worlds or gates.
Yet the Human Alliance was using gates freely.
After attempting war, both Russia and China vanished from the map in just 72 hours.
All countries, no, Earth-1 had no choice but to essentially surrender to the Human Alliance.
The conditions of the other party weren’t that harsh.
However, due to the overwhelming difference in civilization and technology, Earth-1 would slowly become subordinate to the Human Alliance of Earth-2.
Voluntarily.
“…What do you want?”
[Establishing diplomatic relations with Earth-1 for peaceful exchange, recognizing sovereignty over the purified field by our Human Alliance, and… ]
The representative of the Human Alliance had a reverent expression.
[…Absolute safety and status guarantee for the leader of the Human Alliance, the one and only savior of 7.7 billion people, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.]
As the representative finished speaking, a holographic screen displayed the face and name of Kim Deok-Sung.
Everyone present gasped in astonishment.
Especially the President of South Korea was on the verge of fainting from shock.
Kim Deok-Sung.
Everyone knew about him.
The strongest returnee in history.
A strategic weapon-grade powerhouse and a player talent that must be acquired.
But that was as far as it went.
Was he not just a simple returnee, but a dictator of the future parallel world Earth’s unified government?
[Will you accept?]
The representative of the Human Alliance smiled, looking at the astonished faces of everyone.
*
Having called the dimensional fleet, I left the stunned guild officials and chaebol heirs behind.
The Human Alliance would handle the aftermath well enough.
Arriving at Seoul National University Hospital, I met my parents and, with Wilhelmina’s power, treated my mother’s illness, and soon encountered the other heroines who had arrived through the gate.
Then I had to spend a long time explaining to my parents that all sixteen heroines were my wives.
Fortunately, my parents didn’t seem completely against it.
“Well, these days, successful guild leaders often have multiple wives.”
“I’ve heard there are returnees from a world where polygamy is legal, but I didn’t expect our son to be one of them.”
“But they say the usual number is three or four. Isn’t sixteen just a bit too much?”
Just then, as my mother spoke, I flinched.
Actually, it’s not sixteen.
For some reason, Satou Rena hadn’t arrived yet.
If you include her, it would be seventeen.
But should I tell them that?
Seeing my parents who still seemed slightly unable to accept reality made me hesitate a bit.
I mean, I would also be flabbergasted if my son returned with sixteen daughters-in-law.
But still, it’s better to face the music early, so I should say it.
At that moment, I made up my mind.
“Wait! Mr. Kim Deok-Sung! What about me? Why am I left out?”
Bam!
The gate opened, and a beautiful girl with green hair appeared.
It was Satou Rena.
Her arrival made my father and mother’s faces stiffen slightly.
My mother turned to me.
“Uh, son. Is there another daughter-in-law here?”
“Ah… Yes.”
I nodded at my mother’s words.
This is going to drive me crazy.