My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

A large office, its walls adorned with grand paintings.

Scroll—

A woman with gray hair, dressed in uniform, sat in the center of the room, a heavy atmosphere hanging in the air, scrolling through a document on her computer. A subtle sneer appeared on her face as her indifferent blue eyes scanned the monitor.

"Heinrich Saint Landgard. The Saint of Auterica."

A cold voice, her blue eyes fixated on the silver-haired, handsome man on the screen.

'He first appeared on Earth last month. And the Society Master confirmed his existence in another dimension just recently.'

The woman—the Scribe, head of the Heavenly Wealth Society's North American branch—steepled her fingers and leaned back in her chair, a cold smile on her face.

"…It seems the dimension-hopping is real."

There was no other way to explain the discrepancy in time and space. The Society Master had personally confirmed it. It was unbelievable, but he could freely traverse dimensional boundaries.

'It seems he can only travel between his original dimension and Earth for now.'

Even that was extraordinary. No one, except for the Society Master, who had ascended to godhood, had ever demonstrated such an ability. But that wasn't her only concern.

"He had to say those unnecessary things…"

She frowned, muttering a complaint. His words, revealing his purpose, were the cause of her current predicament.

To eradicate the evil organization plotting the destruction of all dimensions, a secret organization hiding on Earth. That was the cause championed by Heinrich, the otherworldly Saint.

And the organization he was targeting was the Heavenly Wealth Society.

'I have to confirm how much he knows about us.'

She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. She had initially intended to recruit him, such a valuable asset, but now that he had clashed with the Society Master, it was impossible.

"The head of the investigation team is Priest Jason, right?"

A somewhat hot-headed paladin who valued logic and was uncompromising. She knew him well. She had manipulated him countless times.

'I hope this works. I need to buy some time.'

She recalled her recent conversation with Priest Jason, planting seeds of doubt about the White Knight, but she wasn't sure how effective it would be.

"A Saint… A Saint…"

She tapped her fingers on the table, muttering to herself. Then, she suddenly paused and chuckled. Her worries seemed pointless.

Swoosh—

A sunset-colored divine power emanated from her. She looked at the energy flickering around her hand and grinned. It didn't matter if he was really an otherworlder. It was too late. He was just a Saint, a puppet of a foreign god. There was a limit to what he could do. She served the true god of Earth. Her worries were unfounded.

"But I can't just do nothing."

The public's interest in the White Knight stemmed from their inability to comprehend his existence. But what if most of what he said was a lie, and he couldn't even prove it?

'I can make up any excuse. It doesn't matter what he says.'

Without irrefutable proof, his claims would lose their power. Eliminating him would be the next step. She nodded slowly and left her office.

'This might be easier than I thought.'

The lingering sunset-colored divine power flickered and dissipated.

The conversation proceeded smoothly after Heinrich took his seat. They knew about each other, and they acknowledged his power, so there was no friction. Heinrich's popularity was undeniable. Even the government and other organizations didn't want to antagonize him. They were satisfied with just meeting him and establishing a line of communication.

"…But Brother Heinrich, you said you can freely travel between the two worlds?"

Naturally, the conversation revolved around Heinrich. Priest Jason, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard, from the Pantheon headquarters, brought up the topic, and everyone's faces lit up with interest. It was their main concern.

"I heard about it too. Traveling between dimensions! I never imagined it was possible."

"Truly amazing. How is it even possible…? It must be due to divine power, right?"

"How often can you…?"

"What about the time difference…?"

Heinrich smiled gently and answered their eager questions.

"…I can't appear frequently because of the time difference. I have to focus on my own world."

Questions and answers were exchanged in a friendly atmosphere. Some were true, some were half-truths, and some were complete lies, but they all defied common sense. And naturally—

"…I have something to say about that."

—such one-sided claims weren't easily accepted.

"I acknowledge your extraordinary abilities, brother. Your devout faith is truly awe-inspiring."

Priest Jason spoke, and everyone's attention turned to him. Among priests, divine power was the ultimate proof of faith. They couldn't deny what they had witnessed. But that was irrelevant to his current point.

"But… I'm still skeptical about your other claims. Especially about you being an otherworlder, Brother Heinrich."

Heinrich nodded slowly at his clear distrust. He had anticipated this reaction.

It had been a common belief for over two decades. It was natural for them to be skeptical of someone claiming to be an otherworlder. While it had only been two decades, it was still a significant amount of time since the Great Change, an unprecedented event.

"And another thing. You said you came to Earth by the will of God to eradicate evil. That an organization plotting the destruction of all dimensions is hiding on Earth… Heh."

Jason chuckled and shook his head. He looked around the room and stared directly at Heinrich.

"If such an organization exists, why are they inactive? If they're capable of destroying multiple dimensions, Earth should be easy for them."

"I've also looked into Auterica. You're currently at war with the Immortal King, a being who nearly destroyed your world. And you claim this evil organization is behind that disaster…?"

His calm tone gradually turned accusatory.

"While the Pantheon's internal unity isn't strong, its scale is global, comparable to the World Returnee Association."

"If such an organization existed, we would know. No, not just us, but everyone would have heard of them. That is, until you mentioned them, Heinrich-nim."

Jason continued, his words filled with conviction, as everyone else remained silent, their silence a sign of agreement.

'…This is dangerous. Their distrust is greater than I anticipated. Did I underestimate them?'

His claims were based on the premise that he was an otherworlder sent by God. If that premise was questioned, his entire argument would crumble.

'Well, I am an Earthling.'

Not many truly believed him. They were simply swayed by his power and the 'faith' he radiated, maintaining a neutral stance.

'To gain their trust, I have to prove I'm an otherworlder capable of dimensional travel…'

But Earth was a gathering place for those with extraordinary abilities. Whatever he did to prove himself, there was a high chance of it being refuted.

'If I had more time…'

Those returning from Auterica would eventually corroborate his story, strengthening his claims. But even that would only prove his ability to travel between dimensions, not that he was an otherworlder.

'I can't waste time.'

He had to break their preconceived notion that only Earthlings could travel between dimensions. But how? Irrefutable proof…

"Very well. Then I shall show you."

"Hmm?"

"What?"

…There was a way. It was easy for him.

'It's not uncommon for humans who went to other worlds to return as vampires or werewolves. Or with the ability to transform.'

But there were limits. And the most effective method was…

'Let's go all out. It's better to shock them than to be subtle. I'll force them to believe me.'

Heinrich closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and spoke in a solemn voice, as the others watched in confusion.

"…God has answered my prayer. He will send another of his servants to this land."

"What?"

They exchanged confused glances. But regardless of their reaction, the situation escalated rapidly.

"I shall summon him now."

"N… No…"

"Um, Heinrich-nim?"

Ignoring their hesitant calls, he stood up abruptly, walked towards a window, and threw it open.

"Heinrich-nim? Summon… what…?"

"A being that shouldn't exist in this world."

He looked up at the clear sky and spoke, his voice filled with reverence.

"A guardian of dimensions, a balancer of equilibrium, an observer of the world by God's will."

And as if responding to his call…

Crackle—!

…a spark appeared in the middle of the clear sky. More sparks followed, their range expanding. Everyone stood up abruptly, sensing the unusual phenomenon.

"W… What?"

"W… Wait! This is the middle of Seoul…!"

But before they could voice their concerns…

Fwoosh—

…a blinding golden light—

[*ROAR—!]

—and a deafening roar, filled with an overwhelming presence, swept through the area.

A massive creature, dozens of meters long, covered in beautiful, shimmering golden scales, appeared where the anomaly had occurred.

-Wee-ooh—! Wee-ooh—!

Sirens wailed throughout the city. The peaceful cityscape descended into chaos.

'I feel a bit sorry, but… it had to be done.'

This wasn't just about convincing those present. His words had spread throughout the world through various media. He had to convince everyone, make them believe him.

And glancing at those who had been questioning him just moments ago, Heinrich knew his plan had worked.

"What… is that…?"

"Huh!"

They stared out the window, their mouths agape. Anyone could instinctively tell.

That being… that creature… wasn't something that could be artificially replicated.

An overwhelming difference in kind and presence, beyond any illusion or transformation.

[*ROAR—!]

Flap— Flap—

The Gold Dragon, diligently studying abroad with his Yeouiju, roared again, announcing his presence to this world.

End