Chapter 88 | Omni Tales

The filming had reached its final stages. The story was approaching its climax, and the foreshadowed hints were being recovered. The emotions of the characters intertwined as conflicts exploded. Sword, who initially had the weight of a minor villain #3, now surpassed the supporting role level and approached the main character status. The atmosphere of the movie, which started as an action mystery centered around the protagonist’s solo show, transformed drastically with intensified action scenes and added romance elements.

“Okay, Jae-yeon! You will tear off your top!”

I raised my hand at Alan’s words.

“Um, director.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“I feel like I am taking off my top too often…”

This was already the seventh scene where I removed my top. It seemed every time there was an incident, my clothes got torn. Then Alan responded to my question.

“Jae-yeon-ssi. Look to the right.”

”…?”

I turned my head at his words. On one side of the filming set, I could see Sungjae monitoring our acting on a monitor.

‘He is like a picture.’

It wasn’t just about his facial features but also his proportions, style, and skin were perfect. When he frowned, it conveyed a fierce masculinity, while smiling revealed a boyish innocence—a true beauty.

Alan spoke, “Do you understand now?”

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t rely on your face alone.”

”…”

In front of my perplexed expression, Alan said:

“Tear it.”

”…”

Ultimately, I ripped off my shirt.

“Ohhh…”

“Wa. No matter how many times I look, it’s amazing. How much exercise does he do?”

“He doesn’t have huge muscles, yet they are so defined…”

“It’s insane that he isn’t even a Physique cultivator.”

I heard the murmurs of the staff but ignored them as I continued acting.

Bang!

I struck away falling debris with my fist. Originally, Dreamwalkers mages were supposed to handle this type of thing. However, director Alan knew about my gigas strength and demanded actual action sequences involving breaking and throwing objects.

“Haah!”

I ran through the burning spacecraft. It wasn’t really a spaceship but a set created by gathering space-related dreams from Dreamwalker academy’s mages.

As I sprinted down the corridor, Scarlet was on my back.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t talk nonsense and wake up! You foolish thing! Stupid idiot! Do you think anyone will care if you act like this?!”

“You know…” Scarlet spoke with a moist voice, “You understand right?”

“Crazy… Crazy, crazy! Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“Cut! Good, next!” Alan’s words caused Scarlet to be released.

Alan was already shouting at other staff members, “Quickly get the stuntman and mercenary roles ready! This is a temporary set, so we don’t have time! Hey! Over there! Don’t walk, run!”

As I watched the busy staff moving, Scarlet suddenly spoke up, “Jae-yeon.”

Initially, she found it difficult to approach me, but our distance had diminished significantly as we worked together on filming. It was natural since we had fought, hugged, and even shared several kissing scenes by now.

“Yes, Scarlet?”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake! Please call me Hye-young already! How long will you keep using my failed idol stage name?”

“Well, that name feels familiar… Let’s not worry about it.”

“Yes. Ah, and this might be a bit late to ask.” Scarlet, no Hye-young, took off her torn clothes and put on a simple black hanbok as she asked, “Does Jae-yeon have acting experience?”

“How could I? I’ve never been interested in this field.”

If my acting seemed proficient, it was because I had accumulated experience after being thrown into Land of Midgard one day, performing roles completely different from before. Unlike District 34 where lying was taboo, everything about me in Ardenia was false. If I couldn’t deceive even myself, I wouldn’t survive.

“Jae-yeon…you are truly amazing. Your acting is excellent, and you don’t get nervous in front of so many staff members and cameras. Even now, I still feel tense when facing the camera.”

“Well, the staff won’t kill me.”

No matter how many people watched me, they were cuter than the nobles who despised me, knights filled with hatred and jealousy, or mercenaries eyeing greedily for opportunities. Now, I was commanding forces numbering in the tens of thousands, so it wasn’t possible to be nervous from just these gazes.

“Huhu. It is something you would say, Jae-yeon. In fact, I was worried but didn’t expect you to do so well.”

As she said, I had been proficient at this job from the beginning. There were almost no retakes, and my good memory allowed me to memorize the script after reading it twice.

“Cut!”

However, not all acting came easily to me.

“Cut! Jae-yeon-ssi, speak with more pride and eloquence! This is the scene where Sword realizes himself as an emperor. Feel the noble blood flowing through him, leading people as a Noble Blood!”

Without realizing it, I protested against Alan’s words.

“But director. No matter how you look at it, this doesn’t make sense. Didn’t Sword become a space pirate after being involved in crimes while living in District 34? He should already be aware of the physiology of the macrocosm, having lived as a citizen of District 34 and later as a space pirate. To suddenly consider oneself an emperor just because they lead several thousand people…”

It seemed that Alan, being a native from District 34 who even served their Elder, couldn’t grasp the perspective of outsiders. The notion of royal pride or considering oneself an emperor?

Despite my objections, he insisted on maintaining these unrealistic sentiments.

If he had settled for an average civilization after his own was destroyed, it might have been understandable. However, maintaining such delusions while residing in one of the most prestigious worlds within both the macrocosm and Earth 34 could only be possible if someone couldn’t accept their current predicament, making them idiots.

‘And he isn’t even an Emperor class.’

Even among highly advanced civilizations, there were individuals referred to as Emperors. These beings transcended the boundaries of transcendence, surpassing the power of entire civilizations. They were monstrous entities capable of single-handedly crushing interstellar fleets and destroying stars themselves. Such figures were considered mid-tier Transcendent Beings or mid-tier gods. In terms of magic realms, they would fall under Class 10, equivalent to the Natural or Mythical stages in martial arts terminology.

‘These are true Emperors.’

Transcendent Beings held immense influence, capable of either flourishing or ruining civilizations regardless of their advancement, earning them unwavering reverence.

For instance, Earth-34 belonged to the Leonhardt Empire, founded by Emperor Leonhardt, a mid-level Transcendent. Of course, Earth-34 was unique even within the macrocosm. With the establishment of the guild master (a high-rank deity), it had evolved into a form distinct from typical empires.

“No, well, things might be different from a macrocosmic perspective, but not all emperors need to be such individuals, right? In crude terms, some people refer to their clan leader as the Empress of Great Korea.”

”…”

jae-yeon’s head started pounding at this simplistic understanding of an emperor. An emperor is the Monarch of Monarchs, possessing unparalleled authority and status under heaven.

The moment the frog emerged from the well and saw their emperor as insignificant, the position of emperor could no longer be considered honorable.

“Cut! Again!”

“Cut! Hmm… It isn’t working. Let’s stop for today. We will shoot other scenes while I think more about the scenario. If it feels this uncomfortable, there must be some problem with my perception. Recently, these issues have become sensitive…”

In the end, filming ended at that point, and we returned to our accommodation.

I closed the door of my single room, organized the inventory of a character on autopilot hunting mode, then restarted the hunt again.

“The Emperor.” The word slipped out unconsciously as I sat on the bed, leaning against the wall.

“Emperor… Noble Blood…” Suddenly, memories from the past resurfaced.

[I am royalty! I’m from the bloodline of the divine king! How dare you ignore me!]

My father couldn’t forget his past glory. Even after settling down in District 34 for over a decade, he constantly reminisced about living in District 98.

He was a trashy human being. He didn’t work and had no intention of supporting his family. My mother, who came from a maid background, was despised by him, and he would raise his fist whenever he felt slightly upset.

Father was a superhuman. As a member of the royal family, he learned cultivation techniques passed down through generations (although they were classified as low-grade according to District 34’s standards). Growing up with access to elixirs, his abilities surpassed those of experts.

Naturally, my mother, whose powers were comparable to an ordinary person, suffered immensely under Father’s violent fists. Whenever he got drunk and went on a rampage, she narrowly escaped death each time.

I was no different. Despite my natural resilience, I struggled to endure my father’s merciless violence. My bones broke and blood spilled countless times. Of course, going to the hospital wasn’t an option.

My father had already received several Stigmas of Sin for domestic abuse, which society couldn’t condone. If doctors discovered signs of such abuse, they wouldn’t have hesitated to report it. He escaped trouble only because people blamed cultural differences; otherwise, one police report would’ve been enough to land him behind bars. His mediocre combat skills were good enough against his wife and children but useless against the disciples of the God of Justice.

“Wow~ Human trash~”

If priests of the God of Justice had come running with such enthusiasm, I wouldn’t have been able to resist and would’ve been taken away immediately.

‘I should…have done that. If only I jumped out the window for help…’

However, I couldn’t do it. At that time, I was too young, and my mother still obeyed my father. Then on that day, when I reached middle school age…

I awakened ‘Inexplicable Combat Premonition’…and as usual, confronted my father who was beating up my mother.

”…”

I remember that day clearly. My bloodied father, looking devastated, and my mother, just crying uncontrollably.

And the next day, my father committed suicide.

“How absurd…”

I smiled bitterly at the memories that had been forgotten for so long. I thought back to my time wandering around District 34. Despite living in such an advanced civilization akin to paradise, I couldn’t find my way. I was always filled with anger and causing trouble everywhere.

But what about now?

‘It’s really funny.’

A savage and violent person, someone who was a misfit from their era, became a brave warrior, a reliable companion, and an admirable leader only when thrown into the Land of Midgard, filled with blood, flesh, deceit, and evil.

”…Login.”

Pop!

The background changed instantly. Moving from a warm modern accommodation to a dungeon swept by blizzards made my entire body feel cold. No matter how much resistance I had against the cold, it wasn’t a pleasant environment.

‘I killed one of the three bosses. I just need to clear the remaining two in the same manner.’

With this thought, I moved forward, but unfortunately, my enemies weren’t fools either.

“Scrap! Get out!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The ice slayers and golems abandoned their attacks and retreated. Instead, thousands of monsters surged forward.

“Kiyak… Kuk!” I tried to advance by striking the necks of charging yetis, but cold energy poured down from all sides. Ice swords and spears struck my body while the ice elementals fearlessly blocked my movements. It was the power of numbers—the same tactic used against the ogre in Apgujeong-dong. With countless relentless attacks raining down like raindrops, even someone as strong as me couldn’t push through unscathed.

“Help Lord Sungchul!”

“We’re coming too!”

Knights and soldiers followed closely behind me.

Boom! Bang!

“Casts! Cast your spells faster…!”

“It’s too cold! My lips are frozen shut…”

Mages joined the fray by hurling fire magic at monsters.

“Rrrraaahhh!”

“Gwooooar!”

“Zzzzttt!”

As more monsters converged on our location, the battle intensified. Soldiers were cut down by ice or struck dead with fists, their bodies littering the ground. Despite this, the morale of my soldiers remained unbroken.

“Do not retreat!”

“Hold your positions! Die where you stand!”

It had been slightly over a year since dungeons started appearing and monsters began emerging from them. Our forces were mostly comprised of foreigners with little history or tradition to speak of. Despite this, their loyalty and pride exceeded all norms.

…Right. That’s true.

I was fully aware of it. I am practically already an emperor now. My minions have repeatedly advised me to declare either an empire or at least a kingdom, which is entirely feasible given my territory and influence. Although our population may be lacking somewhat, we possess enough power for such a declaration.

However, I refrained from doing so due to reservations within myself. Until now, I believed it was simply not yet the right time. But after hearing Alan’s words, I realized that wasn’t the case.

I was foolish.

With a bitter smile, I surveyed the battlefield.

The situation wasn’t good and was rapidly deteriorating. The extreme cold weakened my soldiers, while prolonged combat had attracted more monsters to converge on our location. Suddenly, these creatures surrounded us like waves crashing onto the shore, steadily eroding my forces.

Continuing this battle would lead to the annihilation of my entire army, including myself, in no time.

“Alright.”

However, it was as expected.

“They’ve gathered sufficiently now.”

Swishhh!

I swung the Great Power Sword, clearing space by repelling the monsters. Then, I shouted:

“Now!”

In response to my command, Stonestone, Hundred, Smile, Flower, and Haze simultaneously yelled:

“Come forth!”

There was no time to manipulate the interface. Both my hands were busy.

“Kasim!”

[The Roaring Drake Kasim (Legendary) has been summoned.]

Chaos erupted as six drakes appeared simultaneously. The monsters were overwhelmed by Kasim’s bulk, with some even attacking him. However, their fierce attacks couldn’t immediately harm a legendary-ranked drake.

“Roar.”

Goo-ooooh---

At my command, a white sphere began forming in front of Kasim’s mouth. However, there was a problem.

“Roar! I said roar!”

“Roar, Kasim!”

Only one Kasim prepared to roar—the one I had summoned—while the others didn’t follow suit.

The White Drake summoned by Haze just stared blankly at its master, while the others didn’t even do that much. They bent forward as if they were about to take off and fly somewhere else.

‘Oh damn it! Should I have practiced beforehand?’

As this thought crossed my mind, I yelled out:

“Roar!”

“Grrr…”

All the White Drakes focused on me with their eyes. Then…

Graaaaah…

Balls of light appeared here and there.

“Block them! Block those massive breaths!”

“Aaaargh!”

Monsters rushed towards us in panic, but it was too late. Kasim’s roar wasn’t a skill with a long cooldown or casting time.

Gulp.

Firstly, my Kasim swallowed the ball of light.

[Kasim is roaring!]

[Kasim’s Roar!]

[Kasim’s…]

The light burst forth, sweeping away all the monsters gathered together. The efficiency of this wide-area skill exceeded common sense when used against such tightly packed enemies!

Guild members and elite soldiers connected through the Alliance system could brace themselves or crouch to withstand Kasim’s Divine Roar, but the monsters couldn’t handle it.

“Grrr…” Despite sustaining massive damage, both boss monsters survived. It was due to the buff applied to boss-level creatures, but I stood before them nonetheless.

“It’s over.”

“Human! I will curse you…”

Shhhk!

The ice slayer’s head fell off, followed by the destruction of the ice golem’s core. With that, it was finished.

[The Ice Queen’s Paradise (Advanced~Hero) on Hell difficulty has been cleared!]

[A guild that meets the conditions first can apply for a siege!]

[Magnificent Brick Castle (Advanced) will appear!]

“O-Oh… Warm…”

“I can breathe…”

Kugung!

Soldiers collapsed onto the ground as it shook beneath them.

In truth, Zimail was bitterly cold with temperatures below -15 degrees Celsius, but compared to the dungeon where they risked dying despite being bundled up, this felt like paradise.

I counted my soldiers and realized over 3,000 casualties had occurred during the relatively short battle. Despite such devastating losses, their eyes sparkled as they gazed upon me.

“Well done, everyone.”

“Woooooh!”

“We won! Our victory!”

Amidst their jubilant cheers, I began walking, already treading the path of an emperor.