The sky was shining brightly due to the trail of the meteor falling like a shooting star. The people all over the world who were victims of the apocalypse began to say their prayers, hoping to live another day.

Rimuru kept striding as he carried the beautiful man in his arms. It wouldn't paint the picture if people saw a fragile-looking guy carrying a buff man. But that wasn't something to worry about.

People are dead here anyway

Or at least not one.

"Hey, wake up." Rimuru shook the woman's shoulder until her eyes began to stir awake and landed on him. "You're safe now."

He placed Yoo Junghyuk on the ground beside her before offering a hand and a reassuring smile to her. "I won't hurt you," he said in a soothing voice, calming the tense face of the beautiful woman below him.

It took a few seconds to pass by, until she reluctantly accepted his hand and sat down in a comfortable position. Her body was sore; a few scratches could be seen on her arms—anything minor, no blood. The Parasite Queen really used her body recklessly, and seeing that made Rimuru feel empathetic.

{Analysis complete. The individual's body has no remaining parasites.}

That information cleared things up, and so he did what he wanted. He reached out his right hand towards the woman and stopped it a few inches before his finger could even land on her. The reason why is because of how the woman's eyes were etched with fear as they looked directly at him, like she was looking at a monster.

But that didn't stop him from helping her, because monsters have hearts too.

"May I?" The gentleness in his voice soothed the woman's heart, until it was evident that fear was replaced by tears once she felt the warming glow emanating from him. 

Rimuru could see the tears falling as she nodded, and so he gently touched her shoulder. What came after washed away the pain from the woman's sore body, until no trail of scratch could be seen on the surface of her beauty.

"My name is Han Rimuru."

He introduced his name, looking at the silver-haired woman, and then she replied.

"Lee Seolhwa. That's my name."

.

.

.

"I wonder where that meteor is," Rimuru asked himself as he looked around his surroundings, covered in flying dust and smoke—results from the fight earlier.

{Turn right.}  The Great Sage said, and he immediately complied.

It didn't take long for him to find the erected meteor on the ground. Bodies were lying around it, forming a pool of blood drenching all over the cold floor.

Just one look from Rimuru's eyes, and he could already tell that it was out of this world. The eerie aura it gave off was even frightening for insects—not a single life form was close to being exposed to its coating aura.

Rimuru took a step back. "So this is the real thing, huh?"

He was contemplating on whether he should just eat it or not. But that would be unfair, right?

Who cares anyway?

It was a risky move, and he was about to eat the meteor. Not until a bulb of idea lit up inside him.

'Aha!' Rimuru exulted inside his mind and praised himself for having such a brilliant idea.

And by brilliant idea, he meant—

"Great Sage! What should I do?"

Relying on his skill again.

You could hear someone slapping their own face in the background.

Rimuru waited for his skill to answer, and he was tapping his foot on the ground, getting impatient with just a few seconds. Then the Great Sage answered:

{I recommend transmitting your magical power to the meteor, Master.}

The robotic voice spoke like it was annoyed slightly, and it was as if it had a plan to change its tone slightly into a smug one.

"But... Doesn't that mean I'm summoning the disaster from the meteor?"

{I recommend transmitting your magical power to the meteor, Master.}

No matter how Rimuru looks at it or hears it, Great Sage was really being suspicious. Normally, the skill would just speak with its usually robotic voice or even smug once, like a period. Sporadically or almost all the time, this AI would sometimes do something without him knowing.

"Okay..." There was a hint of doubt in his voice as he stepped closer to the meteor. Every step he got closer, the eerie vibe it gave crawled on his skin—but didn't make him shiver.

Doubt and uncertainty might have consumed him, but his trust in the Great Sage will always prevail. Unlike people, the skill is more loyal—maybe more loyal than a dog who can bite the hands that feed them. 

To Rimuru, it wasn't just a skill anymore. If Kim Dokja has a wall, then Rimuru has his sage.

The blue-haired man just reached out towards the meteor. His fingers were grazing over it's crumby, crisp texture, like it was burnt. Moreover, it was hot, but it wasn't a problem for him. Rimuru already expected it to be hot since it was a meteor, and because of the magical influence around it, it changed its temperature.

'I'll place my trust in you, Great Sage."

He closed his eyes before transmitting his magical power towards the meteor. It was like being in love; Rimuru was blinded by trust. He just smiled, knowing that the Great Sage must've recommended this plan for his own good.

And it was for his own good, really.

Not until a single crack from the meteor caught his attention and made him open his eyes.

'Huh?'

[The catastrophe of questions has appeared in your world! ]

Before anything could be registered inside his mind, the meteor he was holding caught him in an explosion.

.

.

.

The loud burst of dust ascending to the sky and its loud air impact caught the attention of the two black-haired figures.

"Tsk..." Han Sooyoung clicked her tongue in annoyance as she grabbed her blade from the scabbard clinging to her waist. "Who in the world has the right mind to make the wrong decisions?!!"

Her angry breakdown snapped Kim Dokja out of his daze before he looked in her direction.

"We have to run after it..." There was a tone of dread covering his words; it was as if he was urging. "FAST!"

That didn't need to be repeated as both of them started sprinting the city roads, like they were cheetahs included in a marathon.

Han Sooyoung's eyes were around the city, on every corner and every side. Her eyes were focused. There was a menacing presence everywhere, it felt like a destructive one, yet there were two opposing sides. 

"Hey! Do you have any idea who did that stupid thing?!" She inquired in an angry voice, mixed with the deep breathing induced by her rising and falling chest as she ran. 

While the other, Kim Doka, was lost in his thoughts. The question she asked was the question he also asked himself. Things have been lost in the story's track for a while now, or maybe even from the start.

A number of thoughts piled up in his mind as he asked himself.

Did the Parasite Queen succeed in summoning the disaster? 

He himself was unsure, yet there was a big possibility of that happening. This wasn't the same story he had read, yet it was still the same. If things are renewed from their original paths, then assuming that was the conclusion has the brightest possibility of this change.

As they ran down the road, they could see a sea of people running everywhere, screaming in fear. There were a few monsters, a few incarnations who fought them, and the remaining cowards who ran away. 

It annoyed Han Sooyoung so much that they stumbled upon havoc despite having their own major problem. She could've avoided it and continued running towards the disaster they had to hunt, yet it was inevitable because the monsters were on the way.

Not until a glowing web of threads tied up the monsters and crushed them, slicing them to pieces as blood poured out in a stain. 

Just like that, they were back from hunting for the disaster, along with Yoo Sangah.

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.

.

A screeching tire slides on the concrete, along with multiple parts of a car flying on every direction.

It was like a child's play. Two kids were throwing toy cars at each other, it was a fun sight indeed.

Rimuru released his blade from its scabbard, then swung it in the air, which brought gusts of wind undulating like sea waves. Then it formed into flames—dark, heavy waves of flames.

[The exclusive skill, 'Dark Flames LV.3' has been activated!] 

It raptured its way towards the opponent, a tanned man who has long hair and is skinny in the bones. Yet its surface wasn't fragile, nor was it smooth; it was sturdy and hard like a rhino's skin. 

But facing such dark, heavy flames, brought terror to his eyes. Then he acts upon instinct.

[The exclusive skill, 'Red Fire Cannon LV.??' has been activated!] 

Accumulated particles of heat and light grew bigger with caution over time on the tips of his fingers. Then, with just three seconds, it blasted off in an enormous amount, launching from his hands like a canon ball towards the opposing power, another flame that is against it.

Between two flames that are torrential and cannon in form, dark and highlighted in color, and heaven and earth difference of intensity. There was no doubt that only one flame from between the two could remain burning despite the impact.

It was like time was rushing itself, pushing two opposite flames to crash into each other. Until both forces collided and released tons of heat everywhere, turning vortex and spinning a cylinder, then grew and grew until a giant tornado formed.

"What in the crappy novel is this? Don't tell me there's a monster out there too?"

Han Sooyoung spat out her complaints and pushed her way through the crowd. But unlike her, Kim Dokja, who was the one who was rushing so much, has now stopped. 

Sangah noticed this, then turned around to face the standing man.

"Dokja-ssi?..." She asked softly, catching the attention of Han Sooyoung, who also stopped upon hearing the voice.

"Let's change plans." Kim Dokja said sternly.

Han Sooyoung tried to retaliate, but she was cut off when a smirk appeared on Dokja's face.

"My partner's got it covered." 

Finally, after having that session of cold and sore throat, I finally published another chapter!! Keep holding on and waiting for more! and while... how about you guys encourage me by giving me ideas? Hehe.. and also, I'm planning to write something, I hope you guys will support me for it. Love you!!