The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero

Lee Gun smirked as if he had thought up something. “I see. That idiot Universe is the King of the World of Emptiness.”

Universe was the being that used sinners as slaves. And Hailey had been dragged away to that place because of her Karmic debt.

Normally, if a being was crushed by their Karmic debt, they were given a choice: head toward the World of Emptiness to serve a life sentence or choose immediate death

Hailey didn’t even get those choices. Aslan seemed to have realized the reasoning behind it.

‘There is no way the king of the World of Emptiness would forgive a forbidden child.’

He was an ill-natured being that would find any fault within Hailey and torment her.

Lee Gun dared to have gone on an incredible verbal tirade to call the King of the World of Emptiness an idiot and imbecile, but it didn’t matter in the end.

“Don’t worry about her. I’ll bring back my daughter-in-law.”

“What?”

Aslan seemed to have a plan. Lee Gun had found a path to life through Hailey’s death, but Aslan knew Lee Gun would never accept such an exchange.

“I’ll go to the World of Emptiness. I want you to be prepared to use the exoneration ticket on her.”

“I thought not everyone was allowed to go there. Is it possible for you?” Lee Gun asked.

Aslan laughed. “I have my old brother’s Steal ability, which he left behind. I just need to take your Karmic debt, and I’ll be able to go there.”

Most of the gods were scared of the World of Emptiness, so they chose execution. However, the story changed if they chose the life sentence. They would become a slave to the King of the World of Emptiness.

“It’ll be possible for me to enter the World of Emptiness, and I’ll steal her away. That’s the least I can do.”

He would have to take a slightly different route from his original plan, but Aslan had always planned on going to the World of Emptiness.

Aslan had planned on taking Lee Gun’s Karmic debt onto himself after Lee Gun had saved Hailey, then he would die.

Of course, this method would have allowed him to save all three, but it also meant Lee Gun and Hailey would never be able to touch each other ever again.

Because of the rule regarding the forbidden child, Hailey would be cursed again if she got close to Lee Gun.

However, Aslan called Hailey his daughter-in-law for a reason. It wasn’t as if he was envisioning a future for those two for nothing.

“Originally, I planned on turning you into a human,” Aslan said.

“!”

If Lee Gun weren’t a god, he could clasp hands with Hailey. He could do all kinds of stuff with her. He could even marry her, and they could have kids too.

Cycle allowed him to change into a human for a short time, but Lee Gun wouldn’t be able to dupe the universe.

However, this was different.

“You are a mixed blood of a human and a god. I can help you give up on traveling down the road of a god. Of course, you’ll never be able to become a god after that.”

This was Aslan’s plan where everyone would get to live. Of course, he himself would forever live as a slave within the world of pain. However, he was willing to go through it for his son’s happiness.

Universe was a formidable foe, but Aslan had heard about how the World of Emptiness was structured.

“I’ll just have to do it away from the King of the World of Emptiness. I’ll secretly steal her away.”

Lee Gun snorted. “You don’t need to do that.”

“What?”

“I’ll go there. If I don’t use the exoneration ticket, I’ll become an evil god. I’ll be able to go to the World of Emptiness.”

“What?!”

Lee Gun looked at his surprised father, then brushed off his hands as if it was nothing. “Also, I caused this. If I hand over my Karmic debt to you, I will be no different from the bastards that I killed.”

“!”

“Don’t turn me into someone who got his father killed.”

Aslan was at a loss for words. Flustered, he looked at his son. “But Gun…”

“Also, that plan also doesn’t let everyone live.”

“!”

Was it worth living if he had to kill his father to do so?

Lee Gun would never be able to mention such a thing proudly no matter where he went.

Even the mighty Aslan was shocked by Lee Gun’s words. He tried to stop his son. “If you go to the World of Emptiness, you might be able to sneak out Hailey. However, you won’t be able to leave!”

He had the skill that could steal away Hailey, but getting both of them out was impossible.

“Even if you go there, it doesn’t mean everyone will get to live…”

“Hailey will endlessly suffer unless I get rid of the curse, right?”

This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

“Do you plan on finding and destroying the rule? The rules of the World of Emptiness are different from the rules of the Divine world.”

Lee Gun was able to create the Rule Book of the universe, but he was unable to save Hailey with it.

“In the first place, a Rule Book doesn’t exist in the World of Emptiness. The king is the rule.”

“Then I’ll take the head of the World of Emptiness’s King. Oh. I like that. That simplifies it for me. It’s a tidy solution.”

“What?!! No!”

“That damn Universe. I caused a lot of trouble, yet he couldn’t remember my face? I can’t go through the process of inheritance because of that.”

“?!”

“Ah! This is great. If I cut off his head with my face right in front of him, will he remember me? Even an idiot will be able to remember the face that killed him.”

“Gun!!” Aslan angrily shouted. 

Lee Gun just smirked. “Also, I’m not ready to become a human yet.”

Aslan looked tired as he massaged his brows. “I’m not even sure if that’s possible. I don’t think you’ll be able to live if you decapitate Universe.”

“No. There is a way. There is exactly one.”

“What?”

“A way to save everyone without sacrificing anyone.” Lee Gun smirked as if he had come up with a plan.

* * *

A light flashed. It was a warm light, the only light within the darkness.

The man headed toward the light as if he was drawn to it. His head was telling him that he shouldn’t head toward the light, but his body wanted to go toward it. For some reason, he felt he would be beaten to a pulp if he didn’t go toward the light. 

After an indeterminate time had passed, the man extended his hand toward the light.

“Kuh-huhk!!”

Hugo violently exhaled. He coughed and clutched the ground as if he was in pain. “Shit… What the hell….”

He was in pain. It felt as if his lungs were filled with water.

Soon, Hugo did a double take. “Uh? Uh?”

He realized that he was still alive. “What the hell? Why am I alive?!”

Taken aback, Hugo looked at his surroundings as he felt all over his body. He had no idea where he was, but it was as if he was in an empty space. “What the hell? Is this the World of Emptiness?!”

Hugo had been looking at his surroundings when he suddenly screamed. The reason was Lee Gun’s face in front of him. “Ahhhk!!! I’m in hell!! Kuhk!”

Hugo received a hit.

Lee Gun angrily made a fist. “You want to die??”

“Uh, uh??”

A flustered Hugo wondered if Lee Gun was really in front of him. He tried touching his friend and even pinched his cheek. “Uh? You are the real Gun? Uh? How?”

Hugo was sure he had received his Karmic debt after he had gotten rid of the Cluders. He was sure he had died! “Did I fall into hell with you— Kuh-huhk!!”

“I saved you, idiot.”

“What?!”

“I used the exoneration ticket on you.”

“?!”

Lee Gun had revived Hugo, who had disappeared after receiving his Karmic debt.

“Don’t worry about your Karmic debt. It doesn't exist. You can now live a normal life as Hugo Otis.”

Hugo froze. Of course, he knew what those words meant.

“What the hell are you doing!! Why do you think I died first!!!”

Hugo knew it. He had ceased to exist, so Lee Gun reviving him meant that his Karmic debt was…

“The exoneration tickets were supposed to be used on the two of you!! Only two were left!! I wanted you to live with Hailey… That is why I…!”

Hugo became angry, but Lee Gun just snickered. “I didn’t want to turn my nieces and nephew into orphans.”

“…!!”

“We weren’t able to do anything for your latest born. Her present was ruined. I can’t take her father from her in good conscience.”

That wasn’t all.

“Also, I realized you trusted in me and waited twenty years for me, but I never gave you anything as thanks.”

“!”

“That’s why I want you to live a happy life with your family. This is my present to you.”

Hugo was at a loss for words. Twenty years was nothing. He had already received too much from Lee Gun.

Feeling a sense of guilt, Hugo was unable to lift his head.

Lee Gun slapped his head. “Do you realize your data was almost all gone? I had a hard time reviving you. I had to use a variety of abilities, including the ability of Time. You should say thanks to me for the rest of your life.”

“… I….”

Lee Gun laughed as he looked at Hugo, who seemed tormented. 

“I want to disappear in a cool manner after saying that, but I won’t. Don’t worry! I won’t die without a fight, and I have a reason for saving you.”

“…!!” Hugo jerked his head up.

Lee Gun let out a bitter laugh. “Originally, I planned on using them on Hailey and you. I planned on going away in a cool manner… However, Hailey changed my mind.”

When Hailey had chosen to die, Lee Gun had a realization. It was meaningless unless all of them lived.

“Hailey protected my life, so I’ll work to preserve it until the end.”

“…!”

“Also, I can go to the World of Emptiness if I take on Karmic debt as a sinner.”

“You’ll steal away Hailey from there?”

“Well, it was my father’s plan. He said he’ll go, but…”

“But?”

The curse wouldn’t be solved if they used that plan.

“That’s why I’m going to go there and kill Universe. I’ll solve the problem at the source.”

“Oh, I see. Such a solution exists— What? Whose head do you want to take???”

“The head of the World of Emptiness’s King. He’s the one who made that rule. I don’t need to steal her away. I don’t have to think too hard about what I have to do. I’ll just make it so that the rule never exists in the first place. Then there will be no problems. It’s simple to understand, right?”

It was way too simple…

Hugo looked like he wanted to cry. He clutched at his face. He had so many words to say, but he had no idea where to start.

‘I was wondering why he was so confident in using the exoneration ticket!’

Did he know what kind of opponent he was talking about?

“You are talking about the Universe!! The World of Emptiness is the homeworld of the Cluders! All kinds of monsters aside from the Cluders are there. Then there are prisoners stronger than the Primordial god….”

“You did call me the god of disaster.”

“!”

Lee Gun let out a sharp laugh. “Who cares about monsters?”

He’d just become a being that the monsters called a calamity. In some aspects, he had become the strongest being in existence.

Hugo pounded his chest when he realized what Lee Gun planned on doing. But even if he could cleanly wrap everything up by killing the King of the World of Emptiness and send Hailey back to earth…

“How do you plan on coming back? Even if you do kill the King of the World of Emptiness, how are you going to get out of there?”

That place was called the World of Emptiness for a reason.

“You may be able to go over there, but you will never be able to come back!”

Why else would Aslan say he would be able to steal away only Hailey? 

“Let’s say you sent Hailey back here. Who is going to send you back?”

In other words, Lee Gun would be stuck in a very deep hole. If one person helped the other get out of the hole, what would happen to that person?

“Will you die a lonely death over there?”

This was why Hugo wanted the exoneration tickets to be used on Hailey and Lee Gun. He wanted them to live a happy life even if Lee Gun had to become a human.

However, Lee Gun merely laughed. He patted Hugo’s shoulder as if to say Hugo should know his worth. “You have a Faith of 1000%.”

“…!”

Lee Gun looked at Hugo with trust in his eyes. “The gods always bragged about it. Gods need subjects to believe and worship them. That way, the gods can be reborn again and again.”

“…!”

“I’m a god. If even one person remembers, I can be born again.”

Hugo looked dumbfounded. “Do you not remember yourself cussing everyone out for not being able to go through the process of inheritance?”

“That’s why I want you to remember my face, and I’m going to decapitate Universe.”

He’d make sure to write his record all over Universe’s face before coming back. Above all else, he had a reason to be so sure.

When the magic temples had called forth Oblivion to erase all memories about Lee Gun, everyone had forgotten about him except Hugo. Hugo eventually remembered him, and that was how Lee Gun was able to regain his power.

And when he had killed Time, he had used Hugo’s Faith to come back to the original timeline.

‘If I get rid of Universe, the World of Emptiness will disappear too. There is a high probability that I will die.’

With this method, he at least had some probability of coming back.

“I don’t want a 0% future where one of us has to die. I don’t care even if the probability is 1%. I want an outcome where everyone lives. That line of thinking was why I revived you.”

“Gun.”

“There is no way I’ll let one of the residents of my territory be taken away. Who do they think is protecting this place? My pride will get hurt even if one dies.”

If a possibility allowed everyone to come out of this alive, Lee Gun would take the gamble.

Lee Gun laughed. Although he spoke like this, he was half in doubt as well. In fact, Aslan had tried to stop him until the end.

- Alright. Let’s say you succeed, and you defeat the King of the World of Emptiness. You might even become stronger as a god. However, the problem is time.

- Time?

- How many enemies do you think are within the World of Emptiness? Why do you think it is called that? Your existence itself can be erased there.

At that moment, Hugo said, “Alright. I’ll wait until you come back. I won’t forget you. That’s why you can send Hailey ahead. You can acquire power there, then I want you to come back to us.”

Lee Gun let out a bitter laugh. “It might take me a while… It might take longer than the last time.”

“I’ve waited twenty years for you in the past. I don’t care if that time is multiplied by several folds. I’ll be sure to pay off my debt to you when you come back.”

Lee Gun nodded. “I guess it can’t be helped since you’re insisting. When I come back, I want you to pay that debt back to me. Ah. I’ll write it down so that I can remember.” Lee Gun wrote on his palm with a pen.

Hugo had no idea what Lee Gun was writing, but it was a lot of stuff. It made Hugo sweat.

Oblivious to this, Lee Gun laughed. “When I meet you next time, I’m going to ask a lot of things from you.”

Hugo was dumbfounded, but he just nodded. “Alright. I’m willing to make it all up to you if you come back.”

Lee Gun nodded again as he pushed Hugo away. At the same time, his Karmic debt rushed toward him.

As an enormous power encircled him, Lee Gun heard a voice.

[Do you want to choose death? Or do you choose to become a resident of the World of Emptiness?]

Lee Gun laughed. “I’m going to go take the head of your leader.”

As if Universe had sent it, when those words rang out, an enormous shadow encircled Lee Gun.

Lee Gun laughed toward a flustered Hugo.

[This is goodbye.]

Hugo extended his hand in panic, but he soon nodded. That was how Lee Gun disappeared. He disappeared alongside the small item that he had made for Hugo.

It was as if he had never existed at all.