A cold winter,
With the weather recording nearly minus 20 degrees Celsius day after day, the electric heated pad Suho used in his studio apartment broke.
It was a no-name Chinese product, so repairs were out of the question.
He wanted to buy a new one but had no money, so he layered on all the clothes he had and endured with his body curled up inside the blanket.
After receiving his meager part-time pay, trying to lift his spirits with his coworkers, buying urgent daily necessities, and paying various utility bills, he literally didn't have a single penny left.
Spending everything without even buying food—he clearly hadn't been in his right mind...
Still, he had to eat something... His hunger made the cold feel even worse.
*Should I ask my parents to send just a little money... just this once?*
But he couldn't bring himself to press the call button.
He knew full well that his mother, who had injured her back working as a nursing care assistant, had no income and was only sighing in distress.
*One hundred thousand won... No, even fifty thousand won right now would...*
He wanted to flee to a jjimjilbang to escape the bitter cold.
Even this shithole single room cost so much...
He had left home because it was impossible to study while living with five family members in a house like a chicken coop...
At this rate, he would have to return before long.
As he curled up tighter with a suffocating heart, someone knocked on the door.
Bang, bang, bang.
"Mister! Mister!"
That voice was...
"You haven't paid this month's rent yet. You know that, right? Mister! Are you in there?"
The landlady was like a demon hag.
Suho curled up even tighter.
He heard men's voices conversing outside, as if the landlady wasn't alone.
"What's going on? Did the punk freeze to death in there because it's so cold?"
"Should I pick the lock?"
"Yeah, pick it. If he's dead, we should look for anything worth money. Damn, just my luck letting that broke bastard move in..."
Click, clack, clack—
The door was forced open, and several burly men poured in.
"He ain't dead! Ma'am, this punk's pretending to be asleep here!"
"Kick him awake."
"Eeek!"
Suho sprang up from his spot.
Before he knew it, his bed was soaked with cold sweat.
"What the... this... *huff, huff.*"
A nightmare.
It had been a very long time since he'd dreamt of his impoverished days.
Not the past reality exactly, but a heavily distorted dream.
In those days when he hadn't possessed so much as a thousand won, let alone anything else... the events of that time must have been thoroughly etched into his brain.
Suho got down from the bed and went to the cozy shower room. He took off his clothes and turned on the hot water.
Hot water poured out like a waterfall.
It was the warm water he had always taken for granted, but in that moment, it felt different.
"Ha... this is really funny..."
Back then, he had been so poor, and it had been so hard that he constantly fought against a self-loathing that bored deep into the earth, despair, and depression, struggling so desperately to break free from them.
Days when he would shout "I can do it" every day, listen diligently to lectures on the power of positivity and the magic of belief, and busily pull up the emotions that sank and settled deep underground.
But now, somehow, things had completely reversed.
To think that now he had to diligently cling to a vain spirit trying to drift away into the stratosphere, leaving the mundane world behind in some state of no-mind...
Was there no middle ground?
Anyway, the dream of his impoverished days had helped.
He touched the wall of the shower room, made of luxurious and smooth marble, anew, and gazed at his hale face reflected in the mirror.
"Hey, you fool. Get a grip, get a grip. Right now, man, you're in a good enough situation. How great is it that you don't have to endure everything? How happy is each day? You don't need to let useless thoughts consume you with nihilism and make yourself miserable."
The handsome young man in the mirror smiled back.
After washing up and changing, he left the room. Androids that had been waiting here and there greeted him respectfully and followed.
In the penthouse living room, I Seojun, the deputy clan leader of the Sanarae Clan who was staying for the time being, sat fully armed.
Seeing the vast living room, the androids, and the Sanarae Clan's Admities, he viscerally realized that last night's dream had been nothing but an absurd dream.
While eating breakfast, he wanted to check his Subspace Warehouse as well and went over there.
Ravi, who had been intently studying something as always, flew over like a cat greeting its owner.
"Ravi, good to see you. Did you do well while I was away?"
"As for me, I'm always doing well."
Ravi, having completely failed to notice Suho's subtle emotional shift, answered blandly.
Since he had come, Suho looked around every corner of Dream Village. He browsed the gold, silver, treasures, and Etherium that had been neatly stacked on one side, and also did some cleaning and organizing.
In the midst of that, Ravi, who had still been looking intently at something, flew over to Suho with an excited face.
"Hoo... Sir Suho, Sir Suho, I found something interesting."
"Something interesting? What is it?"
"Lately, while studying the humanities and social sciences, I came across this."
"Really...? Just hearing it sounds boring..."
"It's the result of a study by Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics, and Professor Angus Deaton, conducted on 450,000 Americans in 2010 regarding annual salary and happiness. The statistics show that the happiness curve rises with money up to an annual income of seventy-five thousand dollars, but past seventy-five thousand dollars, the influence rapidly decreases, showing only a very gradual rise. Then from one hundred thousand dollars, it effectively draws a complete horizontal line. This point is the saturation point of satisfaction provided by wealth; it proves that there is a point beyond which income can no longer affect happiness."
"Hoo...? There's a study like that?"
Only then did Suho show interest and rise from his seat.
Hearing that there was a paper that officially researched and recognized the emotions he had already felt long ago, he felt anew how fascinating it was.
"Hmm, so the conclusion is that money and happiness have a linear correlation up to a certain point, but past that, money can hardly affect happiness. Seeing this, I think I can somewhat understand Sir Suho, who has been grumbling lately."
"Hiya... you're right."
"I think it every time, but humans are truly complex creatures. Without money, they feel like dying from the lack. With too much money, they feel like dying from the excess..."
"Uh... right. But that's kind of old news. I've mostly overcome it now. I've gotten much better by spending what I can where it's needed and focusing on doing what I want."
"That's a relief."
Ravi answered half-heartedly and promptly buried his head back in the screen he had been studying.
Was he really thinking it was a good thing, or was it just out of courtesy? ...Right, this guy had no concept of "courtesy."
"Ravi."
"Yes?"
"But where do you find and study all that stuff?"
"Didn't I tell you last time? Earth's internet and AI."
"That's true... but this is inside the subspace. There's no way it's connected to the outside internet. So you're here, but how do you access Earth's internet?"
Ravi scrunched up the bridge of his nose.
The expression he made when he found explaining to be a hassle.
Having been around him for so long, it seemed Suho could now read the guy's expressions bit by bit.
"There are several methods possible through indirect routes."
"Like what? Tell me too."
"The most common is using multidimensional energy or waves to interact with Earth's communication networks. And there is an interface that converts Rune Energy into signals like Earth's electromagnetic waves to access other dimensions' communication networks, but this is not a preferred method because Runes are precious. Also, there is quantum entanglement technology. This is a method that uses quantum entanglement to create entangled pairs with specific devices on Earth to exchange information. And..."
"Uh, Ravi, that's enough. I get it."
Ravi scrunched his brow again.
The face of someone who couldn't believe he'd been asked to explain only to not be listened to properly.
"Even if I listen more, I probably wouldn't understand anyway. Anyway, so you access Earth's information and study like that?"
"That's correct."
"Then, so. Could it be..."
"...?"
"Could you come to Earth?"
"That is extremely difficult. It's a complicated matter method-wise, but fundamentally, you must first obtain the Administrator's approval."
Ravi cut him off flatly, as if there was little room for negotiation.
"Hmm... I see. That's unfortunate... Ah, then, without crossing over, is physical interference possible?"
"That is possible in extremely limited environments... In a quantum superposition state, dimensional projection technology can cause physical interference between dimensions. But again, it is a highly complex method and one that requires paying a great cost."
"A great cost?"
"Rune Energy."
"Aha."
Ravi's dimensional physical interference.
The guy had emphasized that it was extremely difficult, complex, and costly, speaking as if it were impossible, but Suho tucked that possibility away in his heart.
* * *
All Admities possessed abilities that transcended humanity, and especially A-rank Admities and above had combat power equivalent to an armed platoon or higher.
In that regard, having five A-rank Admities, including I Seojun and Bak Dohyeon of the Sanarae Clan, protecting Suho was quite reassuring, but it wasn't invincible.
Suho always kept the worst-case scenario in mind.
That day, while eating lunch and drinking tea with I Seojun and the others, Suho brought up this issue seriously.
"Everyone, please listen without misunderstanding my words."
Since he seemed quite serious about what he was going to say, everyone focused on Suho.
"I know that even if enemies come after me, all of you will protect me."
"Of course."
"Don't worry. We will protect you perfectly."
"Heh-heh, if Sir Suho is even slightly hurt, we'll be dead meat to the Clan Leader."
Suho smiled brightly at them making such bold promises.
"Yes, I'm truly grateful and reassured. Matters that don't require your intervention will be handled by the security androids, and I really believe you'll help with the rest. But..."
But? Why would there be a "but" here?
Everyone stared at Suho intently.
"I'm just... assuming the worst-case scenario. If we get caught up in a sudden Tower Break, or get pulled into a Tower that suddenly generated nearby..."
"That won't happen. Tower Breaks don't occur suddenly; there's always sufficient advance notice."
"And even if we're pulled into a suddenly generated Tower, it's just the first-floor waiting room, so we can get out immediately."
"Hmm, I see. Then what if in the worst case, we encounter an enemy that all of you can't handle?"
At Suho's words, the five A-ranks looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"I don't think you need to worry about that either. It's virtually impossible to assume an enemy that the five of us can't handle."
"That's right. The five of us... we could probably tangle with even an S-rank?"
"Right, it'd be like raiding an S-rank boss. Definitely possible."
I Seojun also smiled faintly and comforted Suho.
"I understand what you mean. But we are in the upper class even among A-ranks. What you fear won't happen."
But Suho persistently kept pouring cold water on them.
"What about two?"
"Huh?"
"If two S-ranks come, could you still win?"
At those words, silence fell for the first time.
Everyone seemed to be thinking intently, but none could readily give a clean-cut answer.
While waiting for an answer, Suho asked first.
"It's difficult...? If there are two S-ranks?"
"Ahem... hmm."
"Umm... each S-rank is a monster. Honestly, if the five of us faced an S-rank, we could probably take one down with the feeling of raiding a boss monster, but two is actually difficult... However, it's quite hard to imagine a situation where two S-ranks would join forces and attack together."
"That's right. S-ranks have such enormous pride."
"Honestly, I can't really imagine S-ranks moving on someone's orders for kidnapping or terrorism either."
The five A-ranks chattered noisily, seemingly trying to ease the tension.
But Suho wanted to make sure they got this point, so he spoke again.
"Let's assume that's the case. If two or more S-ranks come. I'm telling you this to prepare for that moment, so listen well."
I Seojun gulped.
What on earth was this difficult client going to demand? He felt like his lunch would come back up.
But Suho showed no signs of stopping.
"If two or more S-ranks join forces to attack us and attempt to kidnap me, all of you run away without looking back. Understood?"
"What?! No...!"
"That's absurd!"
"If that's the case, there's no reason for us to be here..."
"Sigh..."
Suho waited for them to calm down before speaking again.
"I'm saying this not just for you, but for all of us. As you know, I have the Subspace Warehouse ability. An ability I gained along with item collecting. With this ability, I can evacuate to a space isolated from the current dimension anytime, anywhere."
"Ah..."
"That's why..."
"That's why I'm telling you this. I can unconditionally avoid danger, so in such an extreme crisis situation, don't worry about me and save your own lives. You don't have abilities like mine. So run away unconditionally. Scatter in five different directions and run. Understood?"
It was a sufficiently convincing argument, but the righteous five hesitated, finding it difficult to accept emotionally.
Suho, misinterpreting their reaction, asked.
"Is it impossible to run away even from two S-ranks?"
"Ah, n-no, it's not. Even if two S-ranks come, if they pursue us with their lives on the line, we don't know what would happen, but if we're just running without clashing, I think it's entirely possible. After all... we wouldn't be the main target."
"Okay, then please make sure to do that. Only then can I avoid danger with peace of mind. If we worry about each other in an emergency and hesitate, and someone ends up dying, it can't be undone. That's why I wanted to talk about this in advance."
With complicated feelings, the five A-rank Admities of the Sanarae Clan quietly nodded their heads.
Suho hated the idea of someone getting hurt or dying because of him,
and he hated losing someone.
He wanted to avoid such a thing at all costs.