High cliffs on both sides and a river flowing in the middle. It was the Verdon Gorge, the largest canyon in Europe.
Three humans appeared in the quiet night sky of the valley. It was Yonghoon and two women. Appearing in midair, they soon crashed onto the gravel field beside the valley.
Yonghoon, who landed with a crash, hurriedly checked on the unconscious Eunseo. In the rush of moving, he hadn’t been able to check her condition.
Upon inspection, thankfully, her life was not in danger. Her Dimensional Power was unstable, and one of her arm bones was broken.
However, the bone was rapidly healing. It was thanks to the enhanced body of a B-Rank Awakened and the Dimensional Core.
But having suffered a shock to her Dimensional Power, even if her arm healed, she could no longer fight.
Even borrowing the power of a Relic, the difference between S-rank and B-rank was vast. The fact that she had blocked it at all was impressive.
As Yonghoon let out a sigh of relief and stood up, Sunhee asked,
“Is Eunseo okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.”
Hearing Yonghoon’s words, Sunhee also felt relieved.
He replayed the earlier situation in his mind.
‘Did we really get them?’
Yonghoon estimated the chances of Lieutenant General Eunseo being dead at about fifty-fifty. Moreover, the spatial ability user hadn’t died either. If luck was on their side, they might have even survived the avalanche.
Yonghoon felt quite disappointed. If only he had captured the spatial ability user, they wouldn’t have been able to escape the avalanche.
“Will they follow us here?”
It seemed Sunhee also thought the enemy might still be alive.
‘I definitely killed the one who could detect Dimensional Power. So is pursuit now impossible?’
Hearing Sunhee’s words, Yonghoon fell into thought.
‘There are two ways to perform spatial movement: moving by sight and moving by confirming coordinates.’
And then Yonghoon thought of another method.
‘Sensing the opponent’s Dimensional Power!’
In that moment, Yonghoon realized!
Just as he had located Elena, if someone had frequently encountered another’s Dimensional Power, they could sense their location.
Yonghoon could sense Elena’s location, and he could sense Eunseo and Sunhee’s locations as well.
He could even sense Robert’s location on the island, and finally, the Eunseo of this world who was spatially moving toward him.
“They’re coming this way!”
Yonghoon placed his hand on the arms of the lying Eunseo and the seated Sunhee.
“Eh?”
He didn’t have time to explain to the surprised Sunhee.
The unconscious Eunseo didn’t need explanation, and even Sunhee, who had drawn on the Dimensional Core’s power, couldn’t possibly harm an S-rank Awakened.
He couldn’t fight while protecting them. He opened a dimensional tunnel and shoved them through.
After spatially moving the two, Yonghoon drew his sword. He had to end it here. Now that they could track his Dimensional Power, there was no way to escape.
Fortunately, it seemed the spatial ability user’s arm being severed had shortened their movement range. Spatial movement was happening in multiple stages.
Thanks to that, he had time to prepare. Otherwise, he would surely have been struck from behind.
A dimensional tunnel began forming ahead.
About 50 meters from Yonghoon. Too far for him to ambush, but close enough to block his spatial movement.
‘A true pro at spatial movement.’
They had perfectly exploited Yonghoon’s weakness.
Lieutenant General Eunseo emerged from the dimensional tunnel, sword in hand, glaring at Yonghoon with a twisted face.
When she had seen him through the memories of the Eunseo from the other world, there had been a slight fondness, but now all she felt was rage.
Moreover, the opponent didn’t even seem to intend to dodge.
Just how much had he underestimated her?
Enraged, Lieutenant General Eunseo charged at Yonghoon.
Yonghoon’s eyes gleamed as he faced her. He swung his spear into the air.
‘Futile move!’
She had blocked it several times before, and here he was attacking again. She braced herself for a spear to emerge from the air.
But Yonghoon’s attack wasn’t aimed at her.
His spatial sword was targeting the spatial ability user trailing behind her.
Anton spread his hand toward the spatial sword that appeared around him.
It was true that he was a spatial ability user lacking in offense and defense. But he had his own means of defense.
The Dimensional Power he emitted deflected the sword emerging from space elsewhere.
Slash!
However, one spatial sword cut through his side.
‘Huh? I thought I blocked them all?’
Anton looked at his sliced side with a puzzled expression. And then he understood.
‘Ah, my arm was severed. That’s why I couldn’t block it.’
Anton was dumbfounded by his own mistake. At the same time, he admired the spatial ability user before him.
Although he had far more experience as a spatial ability user, it seemed their combat experience was the complete opposite.
While he had overlooked his own injury, the opponent had spotted it in that brief moment and attacked.
‘Ah, Lieutenant General.’
He looked sadly at Lieutenant General Eunseo charging at Yonghoon. And then his vision darkened.
Lieutenant General Eunseo desperately rushed at Yonghoon.
She couldn’t afford to lose him. She had just sensed through her instincts that Anton had died. If the enemy before her escaped after killing him, pursuit would become much harder.
Among the subordinates left, the spatial ability users were all B-rank or lower. She couldn’t let all her subordinates die and let him escape in vain.
Her spear shone brilliantly as it swung toward Yonghoon. This attack was unstoppable. Whatever he tried, it would smash through and tear his body apart.
Yonghoon swung his sword desperately toward the incoming spear. The power contained in that spear was beyond something he could handle.
But Yonghoon trusted his sword.
Bang!
With a loud explosion, Yonghoon was blasted backward. Flying dozens of meters across the river, he crashed into the cliff on the other side.
Half-embedded in the cliff, Yonghoon bit his lip to regain consciousness. He tasted blood and his mind cleared.
He looked at his hand.
As expected, an amazing sword. The sword was intact.
Checking his body, Yonghoon let out a sigh of relief. The sword had absorbed the shock, and since he hadn’t forcibly blocked the attack, he had surprisingly endured it.
Well, if it were the other world, crashing into the cliff would have been the end, but here it was fine.
Yonghoon raised his other arm. He gathered Dimensional Power into his hand.
“No!”
Seeing Yonghoon raise his arm, Lieutenant General Eunseo screamed. She couldn’t let him escape here.
She hurled her shining spear with all her might. The brilliantly glowing spear flew toward Yonghoon.
Yonghoon smiled as he saw the spear flying toward him.
This was what he had been waiting for. His act had finally paid off.
Yonghoon concentrated Dimensional Power into his outstretched hand, and a dimensional tunnel formed in front of him.
The dazzling spear pierced through the dimensional tunnel.
The spear emerged right in front of Lieutenant General Eunseo.
It was Yonghoon’s dimensional tunnel counterattack.
Boom!
The spear exploded right in front of Lieutenant General Eunseo.
With a shocked expression, she instinctively tried to shield herself, but the explosion was too close.
Her arms and legs were blown into the air, and she was flung backward. Her tattered body ended up embedded in the cliff alongside Yonghoon.
Gritting his teeth, Yonghoon opened another dimensional tunnel. He had to confirm her condition. He spatially moved with his injured body.
Yonghoon looked at Lieutenant General Eunseo, who was embedded in the wall. Unlike him, who was relatively fine despite being embedded, she was bleeding all over.
Her limbs had been torn off, and her entire body was shattered. Even S-rank Dimensional Power couldn’t heal her body.
Eunseo blankly stared at Yonghoon. Perhaps her nerves were destroyed, as there was no pain in her expression.
“You won.”
As she opened her mouth, blood gushed out.
Hearing her words, Yonghoon showed a bitter expression. Seeing Eunseo’s face drenched in blood left him feeling strangely heavy-hearted.
“But I’m just a low-ranking S-rank. Soon, he will come back. He’ll avenge me.”
Lieutenant General Eunseo spoke calmly. Though her expression didn’t change, her voice grew increasingly faint and cracked.
Finally, she let out a faint smile.
“I wanted to become a Linker at least once, but it’s a shame.”
Eunseo’s lips stopped moving. And her Dimensional Power could no longer be felt.
Yonghoon calmly stared at her dead body, then his gaze fell on the sparkling gem on her chest.
He carefully pulled out the Dimensional Core.
A mysteriously glowing red Dimensional Core. It was clearly an S-rank Dimensional Core. He put the Dimensional Core into his pocket.
Yonghoon looked around.
He was searching for the spatial ability user who had died a little earlier.
He was lying about 200 meters away. He had been caught up in the explosion.
Yonghoon leapt through space and appeared before him, then pulled out the spatial ability user’s Dimensional Core as well.
Yonghoon turned his head. He could see Lieutenant General Eunseo’s corpse. He didn’t want to leave behind a corpse with Eunseo’s face.
Yonghoon grabbed the spear strapped to his back. He filled the spear with Dimensional Power and thrust it toward the air.
Boom!
The cliff above where Eunseo was exploded. The cliff collapsed.
The hundreds-of-meters-high cliff turned into rocks and poured down, eventually creating a massive stone grave over her body.
The valley was severed. The water downstream where Yonghoon stood had already started to recede. Over time, the upstream valley water would surely rise.
This valley would inevitably be submerged, altering the terrain. It might no longer even be a valley.
Yonghoon shrugged his shoulders. What happened afterward was not his concern.
Yonghoon, who had been staring blankly at the piled rocks, hardened his expression. It wasn’t over yet. Two Dimensional Beasts had spatially moved. Moreover, the enemy knew who he was.
He had to return as quickly as possible.
He spatially moved toward where Eunseo and Sunhee were.
After Yonghoon disappeared, the valley grew quiet again. It seemed that the monsters didn’t even think about approaching this place after the massive Dimensional Power explosion.
Only the aurora illuminated the surroundings under the dark night sky.
Time passed, and at some point, a dimensional tunnel formed above the valley.
And from within it, two people emerged. One was a B-rank spatial ability user woman, and the other was Brigadier General Lucas, Lieutenant General Eunseo’s adjutant.
As soon as he appeared, the Brigadier General looked around. But Lieutenant General Eunseo was nowhere to be seen.
He shouted irritably at Emily.
“Are you sure we came to the right place?”
Brigadier General Lucas had barely managed to chase after Lieutenant General Eunseo with just the two of them, given the chaotic state of the Warp Zone.
However, due to the Warp Zone issues, they had departed too late. Support also seemed difficult, and during the transfer, Emily had lost track of Lieutenant General Eunseo’s Dimensional Power.
“This is the last place where the Lieutenant General’s Dimensional Power disappeared. But we couldn’t move directly to the exact spot. The Lieutenant General’s Dimensional Power is right over there……”
Emily, while pointing to where the Lieutenant General’s Dimensional Power was, turned pale.
The place she pointed to was where the valley had collapsed and now looked like a massive grave.
“It’s inside there.”
At Emily’s words, Brigadier General Lucas blankly stared at the collapsed valley.
Lucas couldn’t believe it. But it was the loss of Dimensional Power. Unless they had moved thousands of kilometers, Emily couldn’t have lost track of the Lieutenant General’s Dimensional Power.
Brigadier General Lucas hardened his expression. There was nothing he could do now.
“We’re heading to the capital. We must meet the President.”
Compared to this, the devastated Nuremberg was nothing.
Emily and Lucas began spatially moving toward New London.