Chapter 192

Chapter 192
## Chapter 192

Settler (3)

“…Now that I recall, I did mention that in the past. Haha, none of you seemed to take it seriously back then.”

Chehai, who had briefly gone rigid, let out a warm laugh and gave a slight shake of his head.

He quickly recovered his composure, appearing entirely unbothered, and a subtle, nostalgic look even passed across his face as he remembered the old days.

“…I apologize for discussing your background when you weren’t around. However, I give you my word that it wasn’t meant as a slight. This is simply a matter of utmost gravity. It could prove to be an incredible asset when we confront the Immortal King.”

“Oh? The Immortal King…”

“Every individual in this room has a stake in this. Please, Chehai. We need your candid reply.”

Following Geos’s earnest appeal, Chehai shifted his attention back to the gathered individuals inside the meeting chamber.

Though he currently spent his days quietly looking after the youngsters, he had previously forged a heavy reputation on brutal, blood-drenched battlegrounds.

Consequently, it took little effort on his part to detect the underlying power radiating faintly from the group.

‘The detachment… assembled specifically to battle the Immortal King, I suppose.’

He observed the Saint from the Main God Church, a figure presently basking in massive renown, alongside a savage-looking tribal warrior who hardly seemed like a positive role model for the youngsters, a youthful girl who appeared to match the age of the older youth at his orphanage, and…

His eyes paused on Hesperon.

He questioned whether his initial impression was flawed.

‘…An unremarkable spellcaster? No, that seems highly unlikely. Could he be a hidden killer masking his presence? Yes, that makes far more sense. His suppression is remarkable.’

Yet right as he was rationalizing this conclusion,

Hesperon, catching the man’s attention, smirked and moved forward.

“Since it appears rather awkward for you to respond, allow me to state my background once more. My name is Ha Seung-hoon, a reality-defying awakened individual originating from Korea on Earth!”

With that, he smoothly went about reintroducing himself.

“I intend to go by the title Hesperon while staying in Auterica. Though you are welcome to simply call me Heron! My arrival in this realm took place just over two months ago. Hahaha!”

Chehai blinked rapidly in bewilderment at the sudden display before scanning the meeting chamber once more.

The members of the heroic group maintained their solemn expressions as they watched him.

“Phew—”

It became clear that evading the topic was no longer an option.

Letting out a soft breath, he gradually began to speak.

“Korea? Korea… Ah, I believe that name rings a bell. People used to say the vehicles manufactured in Korea were quite dependable, correct?”

He was openly acknowledging his background.

Geos’s gaze sharpened, and he gave a profound nod, shifting his posture slightly closer to the older man.

“Just as I suspected, you hail from the identical realm as Heron, Chehai.”

“That is correct. I am uncertain if this young man is familiar with it, but my home nation is Ethiopia.”

“Ah! I am aware of it. That is an African country, correct? Situated right beside Somalia.”

“Oh? Your knowledge is quite vast. Hearing those familiar terms after such a lengthy period… it brings about an unusual sentiment.”

Ethiopia, positioned on the eastern horn of the African landmass.

Though it was an immense distance away from Korea, it was by no means a completely obscure location.

It was widely recognized across the globe as the birthplace of coffee.

“…As for the duration of my stay in this world? To be perfectly frank, the precise timeline escapes me…”

He paused momentarily, running a hand through his beard as he reflected, before nodding to himself and elaborating.

“It has certainly exceeded three decades. Though it has not quite reached four.”

“…Is that the case? That is a remarkably lengthy tenure.”

While Geos merely offered a respectful nod of impression…

The remaining trans-dimensional travelers present in the room could not view this detail lightly.

‘Wow, more than thirty years?’

In truth, it was common knowledge that remaining within the transferred realm for an extended period offered a massive advantage, provided one could successfully integrate.

Taking Chehai as an example, even a thirty-year residency in this world would translate to just over three years passing back on Earth, and should he choose to remain permanently, his prospective lifespan would expand tenfold due to the chronological disparity between Earth and this reality!

Furthermore, given the accelerated progression benefits unique to this alternate world, an individual could theoretical practice for several decades, transform into an absolute powerhouse, and subsequently make their return.

And if circumstances ever turned catastrophic, they retained the option to flee before the worst occurred.

‘Yet there is no record on Earth of any awakened individual surviving in another dimension for over two decades.’

It wasn’t merely a matter of hidden figures; such individuals literally did not exist.

And the underlying cause for this phenomenon was likely…

“Um, Mr. Chehai? There is a particular detail I am curious about…”

Hesperon spoke up with an air of deference toward the elderly Black man, whose appearance was marked by a silver beard and deep facial lines.

“Are you still capable of interacting with the system?”

“Haha, so you understand how it works… It has been quite some time since my connection was severed.”

This exact circumstance explained why individuals who remained in foreign worlds for extended periods were designated as ‘settlers’.

Deprived of their connection to the interface, they lost the ability to utilize the Karma Shop, rendering a return to Earth impossible and forcing them to live out their remaining days within the alternate realm.

“I see, the rumors were accurate. Whisperings exist back on Earth, but they are entirely unverified accounts, making it nearly impossible to confirm their authenticity.”

Encountering such an individual face-to-face provided an ideal scenario to gather verifiable facts.

While their stated objective for seeking him out was to discover a viable countermeasure against the Immortal King…

Their underlying intent was to extract a wider range of data concerning the interface and the nature of awakened individuals from a verified settler.

‘Information serves as the ultimate asset, regardless of the scenario. Possessing broader knowledge allows me to optimize my existing capabilities effectively.’

Moreover, he represented an anomaly within the interface rules in multiple aspects.

Consequently, taking a highly calculated approach was only prudent.

“Mr. Chehai, would you mind providing a more comprehensive explanation? Even seemingly insignificant anecdotes might offer vital revelations for us. It would yield immense benefits for Heron, as well as the rest of our group.”

Heinrich, the Saint possessing the premier standing among the gathering, stepped forward to request his cooperation to ease the flow of conversation.

As Geos and the remaining companions joined in the request…

“Haha, well, it belongs to days long gone, so I mind sharing. I simply doubt how valuable it will prove to be.”

Chehai waved both hands in mild resignation and prepared to relate his background.

He pondered briefly on where his tale should commence, cleared his throat, and began outlining his history in brief terms.

“Ahem, I am unsure if young Heron here relates, but the region I grew up in was far from an ideal environment.”

Even Korea, a nation that once prided itself on unparalleled domestic safety, had devolved into chaos.

The state of affairs within Ethiopia on the African continent required no imagination.

The central authorities were hard-pressed to maintain order within the capital of Addis Ababa itself, which naturally meant their jurisdiction over outlying territories was practically non-existent.

In the vacuum of authority, numerous lawless factions began to emerge and expand…

During this period of upheaval, Chehai was stripped of his kin and left entirely on his own as a youth.

Naturally, such an occurrence was hardly unique in that environment; it was merely another widespread tragedy common to the region.

“An isolated youth possessed very few options for remaining alive amidst such lawlessness.”

The path he ultimately selected involved acting as a low-level courier for a local syndicate—the very perpetrators of his plight—while pleading for their tolerance.

Through this, he integrated into the syndicate, spending more than a decade focusing entirely on keeping himself alive.

However, an abrupt shift shattered his routine…

This transformation arrived when he underwent awakening after being designated by the interface during his early twenties.

“Hehehe, and the specific trait granted to me was not something that allowed me to remain passive.”

Chehai let out a dry chuckle.

The distinct capability he obtained was known as “Phase Distortion”.

This particular attribute allowed him to distort local space, providing a highly effective method of spatial manipulation.

Possessing absolutely nothing to lose, he maximized the 24-hour window allocated to him with extreme calculation.

He accomplished this by systematically wiping out the leadership of the criminal syndicate he served.

The faction, which operated essentially as a regional militia, possessed an abundance of firearms and explosive materials, and Chehai’s spatial manipulation was perfectly suited for liberating these armaments to conduct targeted strikes.

To put it plainly, it mirrored the phenomenon known back home as ‘pre-migration awakening insurgent activity’.

“Granted, I managed to take out only a handful of the high-ranking figures at the time, given my limited mastery and the brief window available. Afterward, I relocated to a secluded area amidst the turmoil before managing to slip away to Auterica.”

In reality, he had discarded any notion of returning to Earth by that point.

An extraction would only expose him to violent retribution from the surviving remnants of the syndicate.

Following his transition to this reality, he led a highly dynamic existence operating as a hired combatant.

With zero desire to head back, he funneled every point of Karma he earned directly into self-enhancement, allowing him to navigate over a decade of combat entirely unscathed.

“Eventually, my travels brought me to this specific settlement, where I became captivated by the woman who would become my spouse. Having accumulated ample funds, establishing a household presented no obstacle.”

“Oh? You are a family man, Mr. Chehai?”

“Did you truly believe I would choose a solitary existence at my stage of life?”

He offered a sharp reply to Hesperon, who had spoken up in sheer astonishment.

Meanwhile, Geos, who had remained a silent observer, permitted a subtle grin to form as he murmured quietly.

“…Our initial encounter also occurred within this boundaries. At the time, I assumed our ages were comparable.”

“Hahaha, yet you managed to outpace my appearance by several years afterward, Geos. Ah, now that I reflect on it, I ought to clarify that particular transition.”

Chehai tugged at his beard with a soft chuckle before redirecting his gaze to Hesperon, his demeanor shifting to an expression far more solemn than before.

“It occurred roughly two decades after my arrival in Auterica. One afternoon, an absolute certainty washed over me. I understood implicitly that failing to initiate an immediate return to Earth meant the opportunity would vanish permanently.”

Nevertheless, he chose to actively disregard that internal warning, lacking both the desire to return and the requisite Karma to fund the journey.

As a consequence…

“Shortly thereafter… my link to the interface vanished entirely.”

The transformations did not stop at that point.

An accelerated process of physical decline immediately followed the loss of the interface.

It felt as though the years he had deferred were suddenly demanding payment all at once.

Despite maintaining a remarkably vibrant appearance well into his fourth decade, he shifted into an elderly figure looking far beyond his actual years in the span of roughly twelve months.

“Naturally, even under those conditions, my core capabilities and attributes remained intact. I began to intensely analyze the distinct capability I once wielded. Though it escaped my notice initially, the psychological void left by the abrupt removal of the interface was far more profound than I anticipated.”

Yet…

An additional decade rolled by.

By the time his residency in this alternate realm crossed the thirty-year threshold—.

Every single capability tied to his status as an awakened individual evaporated.

This loss encompassed not only his defining trademark, “Phase Distortion”, but also the secondary proficiencies he had gathered and the physical parameters he had bolstered through his Karma allocations.

“………”

“…… Trenches filled with silence as everyone remained quiet.”

Chehai closed his eyes tightly upon reaching the conclusion of his account.

An uncomfortable quiet settled over the meeting chamber, broken only by the soft respiration of the occupants.

‘Not simply the interface and the marketplace, but even the suspension of physical aging ceases, followed eventually by the erasure of proficiencies and attributes?’

This implied that the specialized advancement advantages inherent to an alternate reality dropped away as well, even if he hadn’t detailed that aspect explicitly.

Striped of every asset tied to his awakened status, he had truly transitioned into an ordinary denizen of this realm, entirely integrated.

‘Could it be that the interface system systematically reclaims the distributed Karma?’

Typically, the interface and access to the shop were surrendered upon a formal departure via the ‘Return’ option within the Karma Shop.

Yet there had never been any mention of proficiencies and attributes being entirely wiped clean…

‘Fascinating, this marks the fundamental distinction between a returnee and a permanent settler. This data is incredibly significant.’

This particular reality was completely unheard of back on Earth.

Just as Hesperon was nodding to himself, highly gratified by the profound revelation,

“However, it would be incorrect to assume I walked away empty-handed.”

Chehai reopened his eyes, scanning the group with a knowing grin.

He slowly extended an arm forward,

And delivered a swift motion through the empty air.

*Snap—*

“What?”

Instantly, Hesperon bounded upward from his spot, rubbing his backside in surprise.

It was a manifestation he had witnessed Geos execute on multiple occasions.

There was no mistaking it; it was “Phase Distortion”, the exact specialized capability the old man had detailed.

“…But did you not state that your power had vanished…?”

“Naturally, the interface-granted attribute is gone. What you just witnessed is a personal methodology I perfected, blending the principles I deduced from that power with the precise guidance of aura.”

Granted, the potency was vastly reduced compared to the era when he wielded the true “Phase Distortion”, yet its practical value was a highly sophisticated method that Geos had validated in real combat multiple times.

It permitted a standard combatant relying solely on aura, who hadn’t even achieved a state of higher transcendence, to execute a strike that bypassed physical distance.

‘To think he managed to replicate it solely by deconstructing his original specialized capability… ‘

“You mentioned that your own specialized capability manifested only recently, correct?”

“Y-yes…”

“Spending over three decades utilizing a power, followed by a decade of relentless analysis once the interface dissolved, teaches an individual a few things.”

The weight behind his statements felt considerably more profound now, likely due to the group just witnessing a demonstration of his ingenuity.

Hesperon adjusted his posture, resting his hands together as he gave the man his undivided focus.

Beside them, Isea, who was positioned on a seat to one side of the meeting chamber, displayed an identical reaction.

She was surreptitiously absorbing every detail while maintaining an aloof facade, determined not to lose a single piece of guidance.

“A specialized capability is far more than a random power assigned by chance. It possesses a profound alignment with the individual. The dilemma is that no one… not even the possessor, comprehends the exact nature of that bond.”

He brought his explanation to a close, a warm smile gracing his features.

“Given that our base powers vary, I cannot guarantee how much of this applies directly to you, but I am willing to walk you through the core principles from the ground up. It ought to prove quite useful. Hehehe.”

Chehai let out a self-assured laugh.

In that moment, it appeared as though a brilliant radiance, surpassing anything ever displayed by Heinrich, emanated from behind the old man.

—

A mere twenty-four hours after absorbing his guidance,

《The specialized capability advances, unlocking deeper potential. The maximum threshold for avatar manifestation has expanded.》

It marked an unprecedented moment where a unique capability progressed entirely independent of the Karma Shop.