There Is No World For ■■

* * *

"Oh."

The 'Author' marveled as he observed the auditorium where the entrance ceremony would take place.

The facility, with its vast space capable of seating tens of thousands, was built using the latest construction methods and was liberal with the high-quality materials used, including the seating on both sides.

It was so impressive that it would have been believable if he called it a World Cup stadium instead of an auditorium.

After all, there was even a setting where it would actually be used as a stadium during sporting events.

However, that was the end of his admiration. It was an interesting experience to see the space he had only described in writing in person, but it was also a place he had seen countless times before.

Lost in thought, the Author wandered around the auditorium aimlessly.

Prologue.

Although it was referred to as such outside the work, within the context of the universe, it would come to be known as the 'Bloody Entrance Ceremony.'

It was a tragedy where depending on the work, hundreds or maybe even thousands of people would die.

Hundreds or thousands, huh…

Although it was an enormous number, it didn’t really affect him because—how minor characters with no lines died— meant nothing to him.

The Author paused for a moment and sat in one of the audience seats, looking back at the setting.

All these problems began with a prophecy given to a Necromancer by a prophet.

- You will die at the hands of a person several hundred years younger than you, and that person will enter the Lord Howe Academy in five years.

After receiving the prophecy, rather than fleeing in fear, the Necromancer came up with a rather Necromancer-like solution.

- Why not kill the enemy of the prophecy before he kills me?

It was a relatively simple solution, but then, he encountered another problem.

Would it even be possible for him to find and kill his destined enemy from among the new students of Lord Howe Academy, where all types of support, from various countries on this savage and powerful Earth, would converge?

The Necromancer pondered over it for a long time while he continued to build up his strength and grow his hatred.

And the conclusion he arrived at was as simple as it was horrifying.

- I should just kill everyone.

Wouldn’t the problem be resolved if he killed all the new students attending the entrance ceremony?

Unfortunately, the Necromancer had both the will and the ability to carry out such an insane plan.

Well, it would ultimately become a self-fulfilling prophecy…

As a result of his actions, he would die at the hands of the protagonist after attacking the entrance ceremony of Lord Howe Academy.

Thanks to that, the protagonist would become famous worldwide, and it became the starting point where he was swept up in various incidents.

The problem was…

Who exactly is the protagonist?

The Author bit on his thumbnail as he glanced down at the auditorium.

Even though this world resembled the one he had written about in his novel, it was not exactly the same.

While the general aspects were similar, some parts were completely different, non-existent, or even beyond his understanding.

It is clear that it was a fusion of various works…

In fact, he was not the sole Author who created this world.

This was a franchise universe… so what it meant was that the person who created this world was someone else entirely, and he was a writer who had been hired to write a novel that was set in that world.

Of course, being a creator himself, he didn’t just write using what he was given. He created an original protagonist and came up with a setting that the fans loved.

However, that was also the case with the director of the movie adaptations, the comic artist, and the game producer.

Let’s make the protagonists a bit more consistent with each other.

The Author thought about the head of the world-building committee he had seen before—A nouveau riche bastard who allowed creators as much freedom as possible as long as they preserved the original world.

Thanks to that bastard, the protagonists in each version were of different genders and even races.

It was a handsome male actor in the movie version; while in the comic, it was a beautiful girl drawn with the artist’s wholehearted effort; and in the game version…

What’s the use of knowing all that? After all, none of them are in this world.

The Author cut off the useless thoughts. After coming into this world and tracking down all sorts of protagonists, he was unable to find any of the ones he knew of.

He even entertained the hope that he might be the protagonist himself, but seeing that he had transmigrated into a body that was only good for being from a wealthy family with otherwise pathetic skills, that didn’t seem to be the case.

What if the protagonist doesn’t show up by then?

At that point, another worry arose. What if there was still no protagonist even after the prologue started?

Don’t tell me that the prologue will end with the Necromancer killing everyone. The end of the story!

It sounded ridiculous, but in the first place, wasn’t the fact that he had been transmigrated into the world of the novel even more ridiculous?

…Should I just not participate in the entrance ceremony?

Because once he participated, there would be no escaping. The prologue boss, the Necromancer, would use the undead he had amassed over the five years to surround the auditorium, and the horde of undead would use their bodies to block all the exits.

With so many civilians in attendance, it would be impossible to expect high-level magic or large-scale support fire.

Only the students and a few skilled individuals participating in the entrance ceremony would be able to provide support.

Of course, if that were the case, he might manage to somehow protect himself.

But the real problem here is the second phase…

The Necromancer. Although the Necromancer was weak in the novel, as a prologue boss should be... just thinking about the game or movie version made him break into a cold sweat.

A nauseating and terrifying feast of flesh.

Maybe I should just skip the entrance ceremony altogether.

He looked around the auditorium where the new students would gather and shook his head.

No, that won’t do. If I run away right at the start, I won’t have any chance to get involved in the story.

For the sake of the future, it was only right to get involved in the story. And it would be even better if he could help the protagonist and build connections in the process.

By following the story and taking advantage of hidden elements or the strange fateful encounters that the protagonist would usually come across… he could live a life that was completely different from his life in reality, a glamorous and wealthy life.

Since I plan on participating, should I make an impression on the heroines and deal with the supporting characters I don’t like?

With that grim and brutal fantasy as the last thought, the Author turned around and walked towards the exit of the auditorium.

The darkness of the silent auditorium extended long behind him.

* * *

Dung Beetle took several breaths.

With the first breath, he fired the shotgun and swept away the zombies blocking the path ahead.

With the second breath, he gathered mana in his feet.

With the third breath, he kicked off the ground and leaped over the heads of the zombies.

And by the fourth breath, he was already flying over the heads of the zombies.

However, the wall of zombies was too wide for him to leap over in one go.

Even after jumping over dozens of zombies, he once again fell back into the crowd of zombies.

Or rather, he almost fell.

Thud! Stepping on a zombie’s head instead of the ground, Dung Beetle jumped again. The zombies tried to grab him with their rotten hands, but they failed.

The zombies at the rear began to pile up their bodies belatedly, creating a repulsive barrier with rotting flesh overlapping.

At that moment, light burst from the shotgun in Dung Beetle’s hand.

Bang!

A lead bullet, coated with silver through magic, struck the wall of flesh.

Covered in bits of flesh and rotten blood, the nauseating stench stung Dung Beetle’s nose, and his clothes were stained.

However, that did not stop him. Once he confirmed that he was indeed getting closer to the Necromancer, he saw that the Necromancer, with a desperate look on his face, was channeling mana into his wand.

“O King of the Undead! The one who even kills death!”

The moment Dung Beetle stepped on the head of the last zombie and leaped, the Necromancer managed to complete his spell.

Zaaaaaaap!

The wand emitted light. A revolting green light that defied natural order flew toward Dung Beetle.

A precise strike that aimed for the moment he was defenseless in midair. Seeing that, a content smile spread across the Necromancer’s pale face.

However, that same smile disappeared in less than a second.

The moment the spell collided with Dung Beetle, a radiant multicolored light burst from his waist.

[The Curse of Decay! I can’t believe that this repulsive curse still exists in this world!]

At that moment, a noble voice... echoed in Dung Beetle’s mind.

[O Virgin! I shall protect you!]

As soon as he heard the word ‘virgin,’ Dung Beetle barely managed to resist the urge to let go of the unicorn horn he was holding.

Still mid-air, he twisted his waist and stretched his leg toward the Necromancer. It was a heavy flying kick, completely different from what Park Seti had shown him.

“A unicorn’s horn?! What kind of grudge do you—ugh!”

Dung Beetle struck the Necromancer squarely in the back as he turned to flee.

It was a superhuman kick driven by a surge of intense feelings. The Necromancer flew a short distance like a person hit by a car, before crashing to the ground.

As soon as Dung Beetle landed, he kicked off toward the Necromancer again. He didn’t give him any time to get back up.

“Keugh, wai— cough!”

Grabbing the Necromancer crawling on the ground by his neck, Dung Beetle lifted him up. His golden eyes pierced through the Necromancer’s pale face.

Without offering him any proposal, he tightened his grip on the Necromancer’s neck. The sound of cracking bones echoed, and the Necromancer’s body went limp.

Dung Beetle tossed the Necromancer he was holding. The body of the one who mocked the dead fell to the ground lifelessly.

[O Virgin! We have won—]

Dung Beetle let go of the rod he was holding in his left hand and turned his gaze toward the path leading outside the pier.

Beyond the truck holding the Necromancer’s corpse, there was something crawling on the ground.

“Hey.”

Dung Beetle approached it while swinging his arms. As the footsteps drew closer, the thing crawling on the ground suddenly stood up and bolted.

Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. After taking a single step, Dung Beetle reached out and grabbed him by the back of the neck.

He flailed with all his might, desperately trying to escape. Realizing it was futile, he began to plead with Dung Beetle.

"P-Please spare me! I-I don't know anything!"

Meeting Dung Beetle’s gaze, the middle-aged Secretary, clutching a bag of awakening potions, began to tremble.

"I haven't even asked you anything."

"T-Then ask me anything! If it's something I know, I-I'll tell you everything! E-everything"

Even though his words were contradictory, Dung Beetle didn’t mind and asked.

"Who gave the order for this transaction?"

"..."

"Yeouido¹? Gyeongmudae²? How deep does the connection with the Necromancer go?"

The Secretary's face contorted. He shut his eyes tight and replied in a trembling voice.

"I-If I tell you, w-will you... spare me?"

"No."

Dung Beetle's reply was immediate. He tightened his grip around the Secretary's neck and added.

"But your family will live."

The Secretary's face turned deathly pale. His gaze wandered aimlessly before settling on the Necromancer's corpse.

Seeing the corpse with a broken neck, he sighed deeply, as if he had made a resolution.

"The, the ones who championed this deal... are the Patriots."

"The Patriots?"

"The people who sacrificed everything for our country and nation."

Country and nation? Dung Beetle frowned at the unexpected words that came out in succession.

"Explain clearly. Who are the Patriots? Are they a group, an organization? Or..."

"I-I don't know why you killed the Necromancer, but you're Korean, right?"

The Secretary interrupted Dung Beetle's question with another question.

"...So what?"

"Then, c-could you just back off? Not for my sake, but... f-for the sake of our country and nation."

The Secretary looked down at the bag he was clutching with unfocused eyes. Dung Beetle instinctively followed his gaze.

Dung Beetle knew well what was inside that bag.

Awakening Potion—A dream-like potion, which was said to have a small chance of awakening the user who took it as a mage.

Because of that damn potion, the Janitor Guild siphoned corpses and sold them to the Necromancer.

Because of that damn potion, the government killed and dishonored his colleagues.

And he was saying that the people who committed such acts called themselves... the Patriots, and they did this for the sake of the nation and country?

It was ridiculous.

It was so ridiculous that he had to ask again.

“Is the trashy act of selling the corpses of your own people for the sake of the nation and the country?”

“H-How did you know… Ugh!”

The hand around the Secretary’s neck tightened. Dung Bettle felt an overwhelming urge to snap the man’s neck right then and there.

“Enough with your nonsense. If you want a peaceful death, just tell me who the hell these Patriots really are.”

Struggling against the pain crushing his neck, the Secretary barely managed to answer him.

“T-the Patriots are… the, the temporary governm—beyond the dimensional por—”

[You wretch!]

Something interrupted the Secretary’s words. Recognizing the voice as the Necromancer’s, Dung Beetle turned his head.

He could still see the Necromancer's corpse. Instead, something was defying gravity as it rose into the sky above the truck he had brought.

It was a dark red rectangular box.

It was a coffin with such an intuitive appearance that one could immediately tell that it was a coffin, and it was currently floating mid-air.

[How dare you! My neck! You filthy maggot!!]

Creak! The coffin opened, revealing something inside.

A skeleton with no lower body, with only the upper torso remaining.

And from the skeleton's eyes, the same repulsive green light as the wand the Necromancer had been holding was glowing.

“So, the main body is somewhere else huh.”

No wonder it felt like things went too smoothly.

Dung Beetle tossed the Secretary aside and loaded shells into the shotgun.

***

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