A short dream.
In it, the Meteor had successfully taken down the Great Beast , Pilot Kim had returned with an awkward smile, and Stellaria had halted its frantic evacuation to prepare a celebration.
Large logs were stacked to create a grand bonfire, symbolizing the flames that marked the dawn of human civilization, in celebration of their victory. Before it, people danced in joyous festivity, a hint at the resurgence and reawakening of human civilization.
Gordius and Woo Chae-rin sat together on a distant hill, side by side, watching the revelry unfold—a celebration hinting at the flourishing rebirth of civilization.
The mage from another world, proud of his hard-won victory, finally decided to collect his due. He subtly broke the silence, addressing Woo Chae-rin beside him.
“Chae-rin, it feels like I’ve done a lot for you. How do you plan to repay that?”
“...”
“There are several ways. Cash, in-kind, or perhaps a contract? I’d be willing to wipe the slate clean if you agreed to a long-term partnership, one that lasts until the contractor’s last breath.”
“...”
“Was that... strange?”
The prolonged silence from Woo Chae-rin left Gordius feeling embarrassed. He fiddled with his sleeve absentmindedly. Maybe he should have been straightforward. Why did he twist his words around? Was it that bad?
He felt too afraid to turn and check her expression. He knew that all experiments require observation and feedback for improvement, but for some reason, the idea of looking at her felt terrifying.
“Chae-rin?”
After much hesitation, Gordius finally turned his head, only to find out why she hadn’t responded and why he had felt so afraid to look.
Because she was dead.
Woo Chae-rin was dead.
In the dream, she had no head.
===============================================================
When Gordius opened his frozen eyes and took his first breath after a ten-year slumber, the first thing he saw was a one-armed girl, silhouetted against the setting sun, reaching out to him.
“It may seem odd to say this as someone who has been saved, but... we need your help. Could you join Stellaria once again?”
Stellaria .
Slowly, Gordius’s foggy mind began to light up, one neuron at a time. The Great Beast , the Meteor , the magic engine, the defeat, the cryo capsule, Woo Chae-rin, and... death.
That cursed death.
A wave of dizziness washed over him as his memories rushed back, scratching at his heart like a dull blade. It felt as if it had all just happened.
The one-armed girl looked at Gordius, pressing her hand to her forehead, realizing she might have been too hasty. Maybe he needed more time to think things over, fresh from cryosleep.
Or maybe he hadn’t heard her?
“Um, let me start over. I apologize for the delay in introducing myself, Mage. Thank you for saving us—”
“I heard you.”
“Oh, good! I was worried I spoke too fast.”
Gordius began to reassemble the puzzle pieces. He was in ruins, but they were ruins he recognized. Judging by the landmarks and debris, this was indeed the Stellaria underground bunker.
Though terribly collapsed.
And the small mech parked nearby, roughly seven meters tall. Its design was refined, unlike the rugged, truck-like Meteor , this was more like a sleek sports car.
Then there was the one-armed girl before him.
It was likely she was the one he had saved. At the time, she was just a kid, barely ten or so. But now she looked to be high-school age, though malnourishment made her age hard to gauge. She might even have passed the threshold into adulthood.
All of this painted a stark picture of the brutal passage of time.
“Report the current situation.”
“Oh, yes! Today is 2037, and the Great Beast ... well, it went dormant again, but now it’s been brainwashing the Awakened with hypnotic waves, creating an army of what we call ‘Followers.’ They’re our biggest threat at the moment.”
“Understood.”
“And we’ve accepted the survivors from Stellaria and formed a new group, Neo Stellaria , led by a guy named Joseph.”
“He’s a pretty famous tycoon. He even built a theme park with his name on it. A bit flashy, but he’s not a bad person. Well then, let’s head to the base! Get on!”
With agile movements, she hopped up the mech’s exterior and landed effortlessly in the cockpit. Then she extended a hand to Gordius.
Gordius stepped onto the robot’s hand, and she lifted him carefully toward the cockpit. But as he attempted to board, he hesitated.
“Go on, climb in!”
“It’s... a one-seater.”
And a very cramped one at that. There was barely enough room for the pilot, let alone for two people, especially not if he had to practically cling to the girl in her tight pilot suit.
“Well, if we squeeze in, it should work! Come on!”
The one-armed girl patted her lap, beckoning him.
Gordius sighed and awkwardly settled onto her lap, finding himself pressed close against her. But then a problem arose. Due to their height difference, his presence completely blocked her view.
“I can’t see anything. Could you... move a bit?”
“...”
“Hmm... still can’t see.”
They changed positions, with Gordius climbing in first and the girl sitting on his lap. But now, her cheek was squished against the glass canopy, leaving her unable to turn her head.
“Urgh.”
“I’ll just go separately.”
“But it’s safer if we stick together for—”
“Open the canopy. Rock Formation .”
In the end, Gordius created a seat on the mech’s shoulder out of rock and rode there instead. In retrospect, he realized he should have done this from the start.
He felt... regret?
“All right, to Neo Stellaria we go!”
“Hold on. I need to retrieve something.”
“Huh?”
Among the many things he regretted, one stood out: the unfinished Meteor Strike project. It was their best chance at piercing dragon scales, but they hadn’t completed it due to a mere week’s time. But there was a chance it was still buried here.
“Have you, or anyone else, explored this bunker before? The Stellaria underground facility?”
“No, this is probably the first time. No one wants to come near a place where the Great Beast lurks.”
“Then it’s likely still here. A weapon to defeat the Great Beast .”
“...!”
The one-armed girl banged her head against the canopy in her excitement.
She was visibly ecstatic. After all, the Old Stellaria , that mysterious organization that had once confronted the Great Beast , had hidden a secret weapon. It was thrilling to think about.
“There’s really a weapon like that here? Let me make some calls! Uh, wait... Ahem, Hummingbird calling Nest, respond.”
- “Nest here. You found something?”
“It turns out we can actually defeat the Great Beast !”
- “What nonsense... Why would you want to defeat that thing while it’s peacefully sleeping? If you found him, just report and head back. We’re not prepared for another fight if it wakes up.”
“I’m bringing back the weapon, so get ready!”
- “Look, if you’ve found anything... Just return—!”
She ended the transmission with a click, her eyes shining as she turned to Gordius.
“So, where should we start digging?”
“There’s no need to dig. I’ll maintain Anti-Gravity on that container, so you can carry it easily.”
“Anti-Gravity... Just amazing.”
As they exited the facility, the remains of the bunker fell back to the ground, and the sound of crashing echoed through the air. The girl laughed joyfully.
Gordius, standing on the robot’s shoulder, glanced back at the ruins. Memories were buried there once more, and Woo Chae-rin was no longer part of this world.
But there had been a curious phrase in that brief exchange between the girl and the older man on the radio: Why destroy something that’s sleeping?
Had they become so weary of fighting the Great Beast that they accepted it as a natural part of the world, now focusing solely on survival under the banner of Neo Stellaria ?
If so, what was his role in all this?
He smiled to himself at the obvious answer.
“Heh, as if there was any doubt.”
Her voice echoed in his mind.
- “Please, bring about the future, Goldie!”
She had asked, and he had no choice but to oblige. If anyone would carry on Woo Chae-rin’s mission, it would be him. This time, he would destroy the Great Beast , even if it meant doing so in a world where she was no longer by his side.
And so, ten years later, Gordius finally answered her.
“Yes, Chae-rin. But I’ll make sure to collect this debt... with interest.”
A shrewd businessman, Gordius never lost out on a deal.
===============================================================
Neo Stellaria ’s headquarters.
This underground bunker was far superior in both facilities and size compared to Stellaria . They had evidently invested a lot more money in its construction.
As the one-armed girl and Gordius returned, they were greeted by a middle-aged man decked out in flamboyant jewelry and sporting a smirk, complete with a goatee that made him look slightly sinister.
The one-armed girl saluted him with a grin.
“Hummingbird reporting back, Commander!”
“Would you stop cutting me off mid-sentence, Kim Yoon-seo? Damn it... What’s with this container? You must be the mage then, the one who developed the magic engine?”
Gordius addressed Commander Joseph directly.
“Let me ask you bluntly. Have you given up on defeating the Great Beast ?”
“You sure don’t waste any time, do you? Fine, I like getting straight to the point, too. I get where you’re coming from. I mean, your whole organization went up in flames, so of course, you’d have a grudge. But here’s the thing—”
Commander Joseph continued, unabashed.
“People are tired. It’s been ten years, and we haven’t even managed to scratch it. And even if we built another big robot like Meteor , it wouldn’t even move. Our scientists all agree it’s ‘impossible.’”
“ Stellaria managed it.”
“I know. But they still failed, didn’t they? Look, I’m gonna be straight with you. The only reason you’re here is because Yoon-seo wouldn’t shut up about you. You’re the guy who developed the magic engine? Great. But it’s been a decade, and the world has moved on. Things have changed. I’m not sure you’re worth investing in.”
Gordius raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t come here for an investment. I came to collect royalties.”
“Royalties?”
“For the patents on the magic engine and the Stellaria trademark. You’ve used them for ten years now. By my calculations, you owe me—this entire facility.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you—hey, where are you going?!”
Without waiting for an answer, Gordius walked into the bunker. He knew he could take over by force, kill the commander, and take his place. With his magic, it wouldn’t be hard. But there was a simpler and quicker way.
He had observed Woo Chae-rin for a long time, and he knew how she had won people over.
Gordius strode further into the facility, past the bemused workers of Neo Stellaria , and called out:
“Anyone interested in saving the world? I’m selling that dream for cheap!”
“...!”
“I built the Meteor in just a month, and I almost took down the Great Beast . Why do you think it went into hibernation? Because it got pummeled by a giant metal club!”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The weight of a decade of defeat was melting away, replaced by the pull of new hope. People are led by the gravity of conviction.
“Three months. That’s all I need. In that short time, we’ll bring back world peace! To a time before the Great Beast , when survival wasn’t just a joke!”
He shouted with all the fervor he could muster, lighting a flame of hope—or rather, starting a wildfire of confidence that would spread uncontrollably.
And so, three days later...
“After tallying the votes, Neo Stellaria will begin the construction of a giant robot to hunt the Great Beast . Damn it, no one cared when I said the same thing before, and now this new guy comes in and...!”
“You’re amazing, Mage!”
Gordius had won over Neo Stellaria .