At the news he had been waiting for, Yoon Seo came to a sudden stop. Kwon Jihan, who had been walking ahead, turned back and halted as well. Intrigue sparkled in his gray eyes. Though Yoon Seo didn't say anything, Kwon Jihan strode back the way they had come and pressed the elevator button.
Unlike Kwon Jihan, Yoon Seo didn't particularly want to hear that inference.
To say he wasn't interested would be a lie. Honestly, he had been waiting for this call all along.
The secrets of this world. How could he not be curious about the Gaia system and the mysteries of the universe?
Yet, he hated that he kept finding himself wondering about such things.
'It seems like Hyung is actively trying to break through this situation… like he has the will to move forward.'
Why does Kwon Jihan always say the right things?
Yoon Seo wanted to turn away from his growing curiosity and determination about the future, which was why he didn't want to hear it.
– Yoon Seo? Are you busy right now?
Yoo Juncheol urged him for an answer. In fact, Yoon Seo had planned to do a three-round dungeon run with Kwon Jihan tonight, so he had plenty of time.
Furrowing his brow in thought, Yoon Seo sensed something and suddenly looked up. Kwon Jihan was standing silently in front of the elevator, watching him. He hadn't canceled the elevator call.
His cynical expression seemed to say, "I'm definitely not going to go listen to this alone."
The moment Yoon Seo saw Kwon Jihan's face, he felt as if the light had returned to a lamp that had been switched off.
"I'll go right now."
Yoon Seo replied briefly and hung up the phone.
He didn't want to delve into the world's secrets, but… he had to. There was a reason he had to.
It was because of this guy.
More than his curiosity about the future, more than his determination. And heavier and more important than his desire to turn away from this curiosity and determination.
It was Kwon Jihan.
As they made their way to the conference room, Yoon Seo wore a serious expression the whole time, which caught Kwon Jihan's attention. He lightly nudged Yoon Seo's shoulder.
"What on earth are you thinking? Your expression looks like you're about to kill someone."
"I'm not thinking about anything."
"Not thinking about anything? There's so much to think about. The Great Dungeon strategy, the conversation with the Observer, the assessment of the Chosen Ones, and so on… Ah, there are so many things that are giving me a headache. How are we going to deal with all of this?"
Ironically, none of the concerns Kwon Jihan mentioned were the reasons behind Yoon Seo's serious expression. While those were indeed complicated issues, Yoon Seo was the most knowledgeable about the Great Dungeon strategy, the conversation with the Observer was irrelevant, and the assessment of the Chosen Ones could be quickly resolved by reading the system profile with Kwon Jihan.
What occupied Yoon Seo's mind was the revelation Grace Elysia had received.
While Yoon Seo was conversing with the Observer, Grace had also received a revelation.
Interference Not Allowed
It was the same as before; an unidentified person entered a black portal alone. Regarding the additional question of whether there were conditions for entering the black portal, a revelation was received.
"Interference Not Allowed" was the response given when the question of the Awakened could not be answered.
Although the question remained unanswered, the vision was revealed… Grace saw the same scene as before.
Someone, just one person, entered the black dungeon.
"Huh? Your expression is getting more serious. What are you worried about?"
"…I was thinking about Hunter Grace's prophecy."
"Ah, that they can't tell us the conditions for entering the black portal?"
"No."
"I'm about to burst here, so could you please tell me what's making your pretty face look so serious?"
The identity of the person entering the black portal alone was Yoon Seo's greatest concern.
Because humanity had laid out that plan for the Great Dungeon strategy. In theory, it was a plan that would never fail.
According to that plan, both Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo should appear in the vision entering the black dungeon together. However, the latest revelation indicated that only one person was entering the black portal, so Yoon Seo couldn't help but worry. This fact was more significant and burdensome to him than the meaningless words of the Observer.
"Ah, hyung."
When Yoon Seo remained silent and continued walking, Kwon Jihan let out a frustrated exclamation.
He wondered why someone as perceptive as Kwon Jihan couldn't notice this worry, and feeling slightly sullen, Yoon Seo decided to ignore it.
Soon, they arrived at the conference room, where only Yoo Juncheol and Do Deungsoo were present.
Beep!
Riceball, which had been hovering above Kwon Jihan's head, flew around Yoo Juncheol and Do Deungsoo in circles before plopping down in front of them.
"Welcome."
Do Deungsoo gently stroked Riceball with his finger as he greeted it.
After a quick exchange of greetings, Yoo Juncheol got straight to the point.
"This is still just an opinion and not definitive, but we think it's the most plausible."
"Go ahead."
Yoo Juncheol activated a holographic device in the center of the table.
Earth, the solar system, the Milky Way…
A vast universe unfolded. Riceball jumped into the hologram, making a beep sound.
Yoo Juncheol began to speak.
"The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate."
***
In the deepest darkness, at the last path to the realm of discord, the guardians of the universe, the revocation of star status…
People interpreted those ambiguous terms through modern physics.
The universe is expanding. And it is doing so at an increasingly rapid pace. This is an undeniable fact.
As a result, celestial bodies located so far away that light cannot reach them can never be observed. For instance, even if there were a celestial body at the edge of the universe, Earth would never be able to see it by any means because the universe is expanding faster than the speed of light.
Humanity refers to the range that light can reach and be observed as the "observable universe." What people commonly mean when they say "the universe" refers specifically to the observable universe.
The range at this point can vary depending on a specific reference point. The observable universe centered on Earth and that centered on Proxima b share many common areas but are never entirely the same.
"You all probably understand this part. But think about it, Yoon Seo. If the universe is expanding very quickly, and at an accelerating rate, wouldn't there necessarily be regions that do not share the range of light with any reference point? There are already regions outside the universe where light does not exist from any reference point."
"There are theories like that."
Kwon Jihan agreed. Do Deungsoo nodded in agreement as well.
"..."
Yoon Seo had innocent eyes that didn't quite grasp what was being said, but the three of them were too focused on the dark area of the hologram to notice.
"The place outside the observable universe, where no light exists. That is what the Gaia system refers to as 'the deepest darkness' and what the observer calls 'the realm of discord.' The 'path to darkness' refers to the boundary with the universe that Yoon Seo has visited, and it can be speculated that the guardian deities of the Gaia system, including the observer, are protecting that boundary."
"Protecting it from what?"
"From the discord."
"What exactly is this discord?" Kwon Jihan asked.
Yoo Juncheol raised his voice slightly to explain, being conscious of Yoon Seo's presence.
"We believe this discord might be a sort of bug. When something from outside the universe expands its territory and crosses into the observable world, that's when the discord occurs, leading to some sort of bug or error. We have no idea what kind of phenomenon this is, but it is clear that it poses a danger to us. Considering the messages that mentioned fighting something to maintain peace, along with the arrival of the black portal, it seems that humanity's ultimate enemy is that 'discord.' If we leave the bug unchecked, irreversible consequences will follow."
"And if we don't have the ability to prevent this bug, we lose our qualifications."
Kwon Jihan said calmly.
Yoon Seo felt a chill run down his spine.
What happens when one loses their qualification as a star?
Ten years ago, the Gaia system tested Earth's qualifications. However, they not only failed to conquer the black portal but also couldn't even enter it. If they decided to conduct a second test, then this might be the final one.
Yoon Seo suddenly recalled the moment he heard that the Great Dungeon would appear again. He thought immediately:
'Because I couldn't enter the black portal, is the Gaia system saying it will give me another chance by telling me to go into the Great Dungeon?'
Somewhere deep in his unconscious, he had vaguely understood his destiny as the 'chosen one' that he must fulfill.
Yet, there were still unclear things remaining.
What kind of enemy was this discord, anyway?
Why, out of all the stars, did Earth have to undergo such a test?
If he passed the final threshold, would he end up fighting at the boundary where the observer was?
'There's no way I'll be fighting outside of Earth.'
That could never happen.
Then how would he bake cookies? How would he go running? How would he fish for bream?
Yoon Seo felt his head spinning from the increasingly grandiose story.
'I was just postponing my death for a moment because of a will.'
As Yoon Seo took out a medicine and swallowed two pills, Kwon Jihan offered him a water bottle.
"Hyung, don't worry too much. The guardian gods have kept saying they will be with you, so don't be afraid."
"I have my doubts about whether the guardian gods can be trusted. If this really was a test, it would be infuriating. So many people have died, and if it ends with the excuse that it was a test for peace, I'd be furious."
"Yeah, that does seem a bit much. I might just give them a good whack if I ever meet them."
At Kwon Jihan's blasphemous remark, Do Deungsoo chuckled softly before quickly regaining his composure.