Chapter 166. Annihilation
The manifestation of an entity with an SSS-level threat.
As a result, the world lost all its principles and began to collapse.
The sight of earth, sky, and all matter blending and melting together like paint.
It was the disintegration of a world.
【Pururu】─What? What’s happening???
【Mysticism】─😱 The sky is melting!
【Yumi】─They say the dimension is collapsing?
【Rizenova】─When a great being like one with an SSS level descends, such things can happen.
【Hwang Mir】─But really, isn’t it extreme to destroy the world just by appearing? It’s not like this world is made of tofu.
【Bubble Bubble】─This is my first time seeing such a case.
【Luna-chan】─In theory, it’s not impossible.
【Luna-chan】─Dimensions also have levels, and that world is a low-level one. It seems it can’t withstand the existence of the Abyss Lord and is falling apart.
【Luna-chan】─Of course, this is the first time I’ve seen it happen in real life too.
Watching the world distort.
The Hedgehog Summoner was flustered and wiggled her backside slowly.
─［…Doodoomba?! What’s going on?!］
─［The world is collapsing because the Abyss Lord was summoned.］
Iris reiterated.
It was because of the Abyss Lord’s summoning that the world had fallen into this state.
Hearing that, the Hedgehog Summoner bounced her backside five times in shock and glared at the Abyss Lord.
─［Abyss Lord! What have you done?!］
─［I did nothing, Teacher.］
The Abyss Lord, sitting cross-legged, rose into the air, responded, and gave a single shake of his backside.
Doom-ba.
Then, the world began to collapse even faster.
Rumble—!
─［Oh dear.］
The Abyss Lord, seemingly flustered, paused, glancing up at the sky.
It didn’t seem as though he was intentionally bringing down the world.
【Pururu】─Oh my god, what the—
【Mysticism】─😱😱😱
【Yumi】─Huh! Just a tiny movement made space distort even faster!
【Rizenova】─If he dances the Doodoomba properly, the dimension would vanish in an instant…
【Hwang Mir】─Tell the Abyss Lord to stay still and not move!
At least I wasn’t flustered.
After all, this wasn’t happening in my world, but in another world.
So I was able to stay calm.
“Dochi. First, let’s dismiss the Abyss Lord’s summoning.”
─［Doom-ba? That’s impossible!］
“Impossible? Why?”
─［When I made the contract with the Abyss Lord, I included a clause requiring him to shake his backside a thousand times to return to the abyss!］
【Pururu】─?
【Mysticism】─🤔
【Hwang Mir】─Eh?
“Why on earth would you include a clause like that…”
─［Doo-doom-ba…］
To send the Abyss Lord back to the abyss, he would have to shake his backside a thousand times.
But that wasn’t an option.
If the Abyss Lord shook his backside, it would accelerate the collapse.
I sighed and asked the Abyss Lord.
“Abyss Lord, can’t you do something? Do you have any power that could stabilize the dimension?”
─［If it’s annihilating the world, then maybe, but unfortunately, I don’t have any abilities for stabilization. My powers are far from anything protective.］
It made sense.
He wasn’t a typical spirit but an undead spirit.
He might be able to cast minor protective buffs, but he likely didn’t possess enough power to restore a collapsing dimension.
He had even handed over a robe crafted from his soul to protect the Hedgehog Summoner instead of a ‘protection buff.’
Anyway.
It seemed there was no way to stop the dimensional collapse.
“…Iris. If the world collapses, what will happen to you all?”
─［Normal creatures will perish. But we won’t be extinguished just from this. We would likely fall into the cracks between dimensions.］
“So you’ll be safe?”
─［No issue. Even if we fall into the cracks, we’ll return to the Ancient Labyrinth after some time.］
【Pururu】─Well, that’s a small blessing.
【Mysticism】─Phew.
As Pururu said, it was a relief.
Even if the dimension collapsed, our team would remain safe.
─［Um… Teacher. Is this my fault, by any chance?］
─［Yes. It’s your fault, Abyss Lord.］
【Yumi】─Blaming him instantly.
【Bubble Bubble】─Even though he was the one who summoned him.
The Abyss Lord fell silent, rubbing his chin.
After a moment of contemplation, he extended his right arm and spoke softly.
─［Then I must take responsibility.］
“How will you take responsibility?”
─［I can’t normalize a collapsing world, but I can rescue the lives here.］
Snap!
The Abyss Lord snapped his fingers.
At that moment, enormous whirlpools of darkness began swirling throughout the world.
─［I will transport every living being in this world to one of the lower abysses under my control.］
“Will they survive that?”
─［No. They will die. But that’s not a problem. Under my grace, they will be reborn as new beings in the abyss.］
It would be much better than disappearing helplessly here.
The Abyss Lord added, explaining that when a dimension collapses, there is a high chance the souls within it collapse as well.
In other words, the probability of reincarnation becomes exceedingly low.
So he intended to gather the souls here and grant them new life as beings without physical bodies.
─［Then, I shall now gather the souls.］
The sound of his fingers snapping echoed once more.
As it did, the whirlpools of darkness grew fiercer, rapidly absorbing the creatures that existed in that world.
─［Go, goooo!］
─［Gooo!!!］
─［Kieeeek!］
─［Uwooo!!!］
All the creatures, including the dinosaurs, were sucked into the darkness.
Perhaps collapsing along with the dimension, their bodies were grotesquely distorted.
“…Well, I suppose that solves it decently.”
【Pururu】─Are you sure it’s resolved?
【Mysticism】─🧐
【Luna-chan】─The world will perish, but the creatures will survive, so I guess it’s resolved.
【Bubble Bubble】─It’s the best option.
While watching Iris’s screen.
“Gauntlet, have some warm cola.”
“Thanks.”
Merino brought me a cup of cola.
I took a sip and continued leisurely watching the world steeped in chaos.
Then, a thought suddenly came to mind, so I turned to Sage Lunaris with a question.
“Sage. If an SSS-grade being manifests on Earth, could it cause a dimensional collapse like in that world?”
【Pururu】─Earth should be fine. Nothing happened when you were around, Geon.
【Yumi】─But Kang Geon was in a sealed state back then.
【Yumi】─And I wasn’t asking you, Pururu, so keep quiet!
【Mysticism】─🤐
【Luna-chan】─Hmm.
【Luna-chan】─There’s a chance a collapse could occur. Right now, Earth’s dimensional barrier is unstable. And if the barrier disappears, the probability of collapse will increase even more.
【Luna-chan】─From what I can tell, Earth isn’t too different from the world Hedgehog is in and lacks dimensional protection.
“Huh? You think that world and Earth are at a similar level? So, assuming Earth had no dimensional barrier, does that mean it’s a low-level dimension too?”
【Rizenova】─But even when the SS-rank Medical Angel was dispatched to Earth, it was perfectly fine, so it’s not a lower dimension, right?
【Pururu】─That’s the same for the world over there.
【Yumi】─Rizen, Pururu. Quiet.
【Luna-chan】─Earth isn’t a low-level world.
【Luna-chan】─When I said that other world was low-level, it was only because it couldn’t withstand the presence of an SSS-level entity. Meaning, compared to Elemencia, it’s lower in rank. A high-level dimension like Elemencia wouldn’t collapse even if an SSS-level being manifested there.
【Luna-chan】─Anyway, both that world and Earth should be considered average or slightly above-average dimensions.
【Hwang Mir】─True, that other world doesn’t seem like a lower dimension. There wasn’t any problem when we summoned SS-rank spirits.
【Mysticism】─Wait? But Hedgehog is also SSS-rank, so why was it okay at first? 🧐
【Bubble Bubble】─Hedgehog’s SSS-rank is only due to her summoning skills. Her actual body is just highly evasive and weak.
“So… essentially, even average-level dimensions might not be able to withstand an SSS-rank presence?”
【Luna-chan】─Probably? But I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never seen an SSS-rank descend into another world.
【Rizenova】─Ah, I see. So, the Sage must have sealed Gauntlet’s power when sending him back to Earth out of fear of the worst-case scenario—that Earth might collapse.
【Luna-chan】─Nope, that’s not it.
【Rizenova】─?
【Luna-chan】─The Sage didn’t think that deeply when she suggested sealing.
【Rizenova】─Hmm. I’ve been overestimating the Sage.
【Pururu】─But would there really be a world that would collapse just from the presence of an SS-rank?
【Yumi】─If it’s an extremely low-level dimension, it might collapse.
【Luna-chan】─There are probably more than you’d think.
【Hwang Mir】─Oh, so a dimension would have to collapse just from the arrival of an SS-rank for it to truly be considered low-level?
【Bubble Bubble】─Even if it collapsed due to an SS-rank, it wouldn’t necessarily mean it’s extremely low-level. SS-rank itself is considered legendary-level even in Elemencia.
【Yumi】─Then, let’s classify such worlds as relatively low-level.
【Luna-chan】─No. Such worlds are definitely low-level.
【Luna-chan】─Even though SS-ranks are exceptional, I don’t think their mere existence should be enough to destroy a world.
Reading the assistants’ chat, I nodded slightly, organizing my thoughts.
Before my power was sealed.
When I still held SSS-level power, Elemencia was certainly a high-level dimension.
It wasn’t because it endured my presence, but because I already knew the dimension itself was high-level.
It’s clear that even if another SSS-level being manifested, it would be fine.
And if I list a few other dimensions that come to mind from high-level dimensions:
========================
Ancient Labyrinth.
Azeras’s homeland, the Celestial Realm.
Elemencia.
Lumina, Rizen’s world.
New Kendra, Earth, and the world where Hedgehog is currently dispatched.
========================
The top three could withstand an SSS-rank presence.
In other words, they can be called high-level dimensions.
The fourth is unconfirmed.
From the fifth onward, they likely couldn’t handle an SSS-rank presence.
However, they can handle SS-rank beings.
This was how I could organize it.
‘But even if my seal was lifted and I went to Earth with my SSS-level physical form, I don’t think it would be a problem.’
Like Hedgehog, who has an SSS-rank due to being a summoner yet had minimal impact on that world, I, too, would likely have little effect just by existing there.
I’m simply a pure physical being with no special abilities, just exceptionally strong physical prowess.
‘Still, to be safe… I’d better avoid going to Earth if the seal is completely lifted.’
Well, there’s no way to get there right now anyway.
And even if there was, there wouldn’t be much reason to go.
By the time I become the Labyrinth’s ruler or the seal is fully lifted, the dimension Earth belongs to might no longer exist.
Anyway.
I gained an important piece of information on this dispatch.
In a world that isn’t a high-level dimension.
If I ever need to dispatch monsters to a place like Earth, sending SSS-rank monsters there would be a mistake.
Unless the goal is to destroy that world.
When I’d finished organizing my thoughts.
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─［Complete dimensional collapse imminent. We are about to be naturally expelled into the dimension’s rift.］
Iris’s voice sounded.
It seemed the end of that world was drawing near.
The Abyss Lord, sensing this, gently embraced Hedgehog.
The SS-rank spirits had already returned to the abyss.
─［Teacher, stay close to me; it could be dangerous.］
─［Doodoomba! Once we’re in the rift, I’ll dance to my heart’s content!］
…
The world, which had blended together like paint, had now lost all color.
No more sounds echoed.
Finally, the concept of space itself disappeared, and the world met complete annihilation.
…
Iris’s screen, which had gone pitch-black.
…
─［Arrived in the dimensional rift. Safe.］
Iris’s voice, which had fallen silent, resonated again.
Soon, her vision returned.
In a blank, white space.
─［Doom-ba, doodoomba! Dance with joy!］
─［It’s Doodoomba time!］
Hedgehog and the Abyss Lord were enthusiastically shaking their backs.
Thankfully, they were safe.