CH 354

“The Blue House National Petition Bulletin Board is abuzz with numerous petitions for land restoration projects in Gwacheon, Anyang, and Gunpo. Around thirty petitions have been filed, with many expressing concerns about the Jeonil Group receiving all the work once again. Despite a rebuttal by Park Yong-Tae, a former member of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and head of the restoration committee, public opinion remains divided due to various suspicions.”

Yeon-Hee was driving. Seeing that she was smiling, she was likely recalling the time we went around the dungeon together a long time ago.

“Moving on to other news, Lee Tae-Han, the president of the World Awakened Association, has established the Safety Bureau to combat crimes committed by association members and unregistered Awakened, as well as crimes targeting the association. Korean Awakened Sekhmet Kim Ji-Ae has been elected as the director of the Safety Bureau. She was formerly a public official at the Public Security Department of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office and will be overseeing the hacking incident that occurred on the day of registration. As a result, Coril Peterson and thirteen other cybercriminals are expected to be imprisoned in ADX Florence Prison, which was granted to the association by the US government. And without a formal trial…”

As I gazed out the window at the tranquil world before me, I was struck by the realization that the idea of an alien invasion was beginning to feel like a mere myth. The serene world was something that I wished to safeguard and preserve for the future.

Beside us was a van full of people. It looked like they were going on a weekend outing. I watched it pass by and turned down the radio. I contacted my parents whenever I had time, but this was my first time calling them since the registration day.

No matter whom I called, my mother always picked it up. After I talked to her for a few minutes, my father told me to wait for a bit. During that brief period of silence, I had a hunch my father moved to the yard to avoid my mother’s nagging.

Thanks to my father, my mother didn’t badger me into returning to the financial industry. Having seen my natural talent and past successes before the Stage of Advent, she was content to let me pursue my path. She was also mindful of the risks faced by the Awakened and concerned about me.

Nonetheless, my father still worried about me.

He claimed that he had taken up a lot of my time, but it was less than four minutes. At the same time, the car was turning towards the rest area.

***

We were thinking of getting some dessert after munching on some udon, ramen, bibimbap[2], some freshly made toast and fish cakes. Then, Yeon-Hee’s phone rang. When she shook her phone as if the message was interesting, I also got the message.

The message appeared to be targeted toward the entire population of Korean Awakened, with the exception of Odin, Mary, and the association leaders. It was transmitted through the association secretariat, indicating that the sender was likely someone within the secretariat.

「 Dear Na Seon-Hu,

We are deeply grateful for your dedication and sacrifice in the face of the extraterrestrial challenges we are all facing. These challenges have provided us with valuable lessons and inspiration, and, as a result, our headquarters has strengthened its external capabilities by refocusing our perspective on the outside world and establishing a system based on fundamental principles.

We pledge to continue fostering trust through the use of competitive teams with specialized skills and career paths. Furthermore, we are committed to our mission of connecting Awakened, such as yourself, with meaningful employment opportunities.

First. We will provide high-quality service.

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

* We promise your family will receive the same service. (We will help you with the details through consultation. We are confident that this service is superior to any offered by other companies.)

Second. We will maintain a consistent connection with the association’s secretariat to ensure swift access to relevant information.

* While lobbyist activities are prohibited in Korea, they can still be accessed through channels outside of the country, such as the United States. Furthermore, there are specific approaches planned for domestic situations in Korea, and the association has not expressly forbidden lobbyist activities.

Third. We will create the best in market (item, insignia) transactions that could be difficult.

* The association is preparing a system to trade items and insignias.

Fourth. We will provide you with employment that is worthy of your competence.

* If you’d like to advance into outer space: we will connect you with other companies to create the best attack squad.

* If you’d like to work in domestic and international jobs: there are many markets around the world that need the help of Awakened. This allows us to bring your value to the highest level.

Jeong Seok-Woo, Senior Vice Chairman/Daehyun Co., Ltd.

Phone number: 010-9652-3687

[email protected]」

The executive of Daehyun Group was directly involved in the scouting, but they were too late. Not only had the conglomerate groups like Jeonil and Ilsung already begun, but the foreign firms had also been contacting Awakened since the registration day. To them, Yeon-Hee and I were ‘Woo Yeon-Hee’ and ‘Na Seon-Hu’ instead of Odin and Mary.

We had registered our fake identities to the association, so the total number of registered Awakened in the world was recorded as 182,329, excluding two.

“Daehyun must not be doing this to make money, right? There’s not that many Awakened in Korea.”

Yeon-Hee made a good point.

“Maybe they really want to make money. All they have is the reputation of a conglomerate.”

“Anyway, I want a mocha latte.”

Yeon-Hee changed the topic as if it wasn’t worth paying attention to.

“Iced Americano.”

“You might crave sweets in the future. Why don’t you have some when you can?” she asked.

“They must have one there since they seem pretty civilized.”

***

An association agent blocked the vehicle on the way to the hill in Incheon. Upon receiving information from a senior agent who recognized both my and Yeon-Hee’s faces, the new Asian agent visibly calmed his nerves, straightened his posture, and respectfully lowered his head.

They were in casual clothes, but the agents who would climb the hill with us were checking their personal armaments in combat uniforms and automatic rifles.

A palpable tension permeated the area due to the possibility of entering the dungeon with Awakened. If access to the Star Dragorin was unobstructed, then there was no reason not to have combat personnel accompany the team.

There were many things to test. First was if human firearms worked in this new world, and if so, to what extent could they hurt the creatures there. As a result, in addition to the automatic firearms they were armed with, the boxes containing the anti-tank rockets were also ready for transport. Combat agents wearing tactical equipment were also ready to enter dangerous areas in the Middle East right away.

Meanwhile, Seong-Il walked out of the group of nervous agents. He no longer looked old like he did in Ki-Cheol’s video. There was a lot of tension on his face too. The only relaxed one was Yeon-Hee as she waved her hand at him.

Seong-Il briefly lowered his head at me and said, “I feel much more relieved that you are coming with us, noona.”

“Me? I’m not going. Who said I’m coming with you?” Yeon-Hee replied.

He was visibly surprised. “Since you came here, I thought, of course, you would…”

“By the way, didn’t Ki-Cheol say he wanted to tag along? I could feel your love for him from the screen. It was a good video.”

Seong-Il scratched his nose. “Ah… You watched it, too. But I don’t have a big mouth. Even if he is my son, I don’t tell him everything as I keep my private life and public life separate. Also, outer space is… ugh. When he talked about elves and dwarves, I wanted to scold him so much…”

Seong-Il slurred the end of his sentence while shifting his gaze over our shoulders.

“Osiris? No, he is not coming, and there is a chance that you might not enter.”

“Huh?” Seong-Il widened his eyes.

“Odin will enter first and grasp the situation. You will be on guard just in case things happen. Why? Why do you look so disappointed? Do you want me to stand guard with you?”

He rubbed the back of his head. “No, it’s not that. I heard dwarves are good at making jewelry.”

“I hope their world is just as what the civilians are all making a fuss about. Hm, if you happen to get their jewelry, what are you going to do? Do you have someone you want to give it to, Seong-Il?”

He shook his head vigorously. “Cough. No, it’s just because I have someone to thank.”

“Jamie? She is pretty for her age. Okay, let’s work.”

“Huh?”

Yeon-Hee teased, “How long are you going to joke around with me? You’re more relaxed now, right?”

He pouted. “Hey, I’m not a novice or a coward. This is embarrassing. These people seem to understand a bit of Korean.”

“It would have been better to just manipulate your mind, right?” Yeon-Hee said slyly.

“Haha, no. You are so good at saying scary things with a smile.”

The senior agent was waiting to speak to Yeon-Hee. However, after the conversation with Seong-Il, the leader-like agent feigned familiarity with her. This immediately soured Yeon-Hee’s mood, causing her smile to disappear and her demeanor to turn cold and distant.

Yeon-Hee ignored the agent and told the others to carry out their duties appropriately. Then, she waved at me and gave me a worried look.

- I’ll be waiting for you, Seon-Hu.

Right after that I climbed the hill in search of the entrance to the dungeon. Upon reaching the entrance, the agents remained unfazed as the ground vibrated when the dungeon was unsealed. They had become accustomed to such occurrences.

Bzzzz-

They waited calmly for the moment when the stairs or burrows under the blue curtain became visible. However, they started exchanging puzzled gazes with each other when nothing occurred even after the vibration.

This was predictable as all roads leading to the Seven Demon Kings Corps had been sealed off upon the completion of the ritual. However, a new path could be forged, and only I, as Doom Man, possessed the power to do so.

The mere thought of it triggered electrical impulses in my mind as I recalled the moment when the dark power within my Life Vessel was revealed at my fingertips. Dark haze emanated from each of my fingertips, coalescing into black wisps that traveled up my arms from my wrists to my shoulders.

Srrrr-

Seong-Il’s and the agents’ attention were completely focused on me. While everyone’s eyes were shaking, the way to enter the Star Dragorin unfolded in front of us.

[You have transformed one of the old dungeons.]

[Class: F

Zone: Baronet of Baran

(Falklien Dukedom, Greenwood Continent)]

1. In South Korea, 1.5 years of military service is mandatory for all able-bodied men to ensure national security. ☜

2. A popular Korean dish consisting of rice, mixed vegetables, meat, egg, and a spicy sauce. ☜