The Start of the Incursion

There was concern about an Incursion, but it remained only that—concern.

Even the family's technology could not determine whether an Incursion would truly occur, or when. All they knew was that, statistically, whenever magical reactions linked to the seal were detected, the odds of an Incursion rose sharply.

For that reason, they neither halted the assignment nor shut down Diana's operations.

"The limits of being a secret organization are pretty sad."

"Tell me about it."

Over breakfast before departing for Diana, Jeong-Hoon had explained the possibility of an Incursion to Min-Ha, and now he shook his head at her words.

Because of those very limits, they could not close Diana's gates or stop the assignment. If they shuttered the park and an Incursion struck while the family handled it in secret, casualties could be kept to a minimum. But then the government—already vaguely suspecting the family's true nature—would leap to the conclusion that the family possessed technology capable of predicting even Incursions.

"Can't we just let them believe that?"

Unaware of the full picture, Min-Ha tilted her head and speared another bite of salad.

Close the park, proceed with the assignment, and if an Incursion hit, crush it with the family's power. In her mind that was the best—and only—sensible plan. Closing the gates would also spare them the chaos of throngs of visitors. Jeong-Hoon agreed on that point, of course.

"Problem is, I only had dinner with the President three days ago."

The President he had spent an entire night negotiating with. That man had wanted the family's S-class Awakened measurement technology. He had coveted it so fiercely that the result of the talks was the PS Association plan Jeong-Hoon himself had counter-proposed.

And if they now believed the family could also predict Incursions—one of the modern age's worst disasters?

"Then I'd either have to invent technology that doesn't exist and hand it over, or conquer the country outright. One of those two. No other way out."

Worse, the entire world would start lusting after the family's secrets. They would coax, threaten, and scheme to get their hands on them. The cleanup would become a nightmare. Diverting attention with empty nonsense would be impossible. One wrong step and he might find ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠himself forced to conquer not a nation, but the world.

"Oh—then since you could be in danger, Oppa, what about pausing the assignment for a while?"

Recognizing the political snarl, Min-Ha accepted his point and tried a different angle. Jeong-Hoon shook his head again.

"I'm the reason our forces are out here at all. What happens if a real Incursion hits the moment I'm gone and the power is pulled away?"

These were the family's forces, assembled under the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pretext of the assignment. They could not simply cancel the exercise and keep that much strength tied indefinitely to Diana. With so many people mobilized, every department of the family was already ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠running the risk of grinding to a halt. You could not tell forces like that to sit on their hands just because something might be dangerous. So they kept them bound under the assignment's cover, with Jeong-Hoon at the center.

"There were other options, but this was the only path that still let us talk to the government and keep things looking clean."

He had visited Diana on business. Because of the hotel terrorism incident he had simply reinforced his escort. Then an incident just happened to break out. That was a story they could shove through. The fact that operations had never been suspended made it possible to insist the whole thing had been completely unforeseen.

It was an unavoidable choice. Jeong-Hoon shook his head and looked up at the sky. Of every possible outcome, the best was that nothing would happen at all. But events always seemed to twist in the direction no one wanted.

Yeo Tae-Hyeon's drained voice crackled over the radio. Jeong-Hoon's face twisted.

"Owner here. Received. Check."

A frown was a frown, but radio protocol was radio protocol. After sending the confirmation he sat on a bench overlooking the bumper cars and sipped his coffee.

"Aren't you going to check it?"

"It's going to be a bust anyway."

Yesterday they had collected stamps with almost disappointing ease. Today was different. The moment Diana opened for business, reports of vassals acting suspiciously had poured in from every direction. Only one stamp remained, and this was already the eighth sighting.

"Still, wouldn't it be okay to check just once?"

"No need. It's a bust. Director Han—right?"

Answering Min-Ha half-heartedly, Jeong-Hoon spoke into the empty air. Han Su-Ho's reply came back over the radio at once. Just as the exchange made clear, Su-Ho was riding the channel the same way he had yesterday—and he was hearing every word whether Jeong-Hoon transmitted or not.

"You hear that? He says they're all busts."

"…is what Uncle Su-Ho is saying?"

She tacked her own summary onto the transmission. Jeong-Hoon only shrugged.

"He just finished telling us that wording matters when you judge information. He can't lie to me, so he's hedging with a clumsy 'could be.'"

In the beginning Su-Ho had once tried to deceive the Gaju and received a savage tongue-lashing from Yi Young for it. No matter how four-dimensional and unhinged the man was, the memory of Yi Young's killing aura still made lying impossible. So Jeong-Hoon simply stamped every vassal currently appearing as a bust and went back to enjoying his coffee on the bench.

"You're really that sure?"

"Yeah. I already have a pretty good idea who's holding it."

Su-Ho brightened at the admission. Jeong-Hoon shook his head.

"I plan on filling the whole week. An Incursion might still happen."

"Hey, Oppa—if you're that worried, why not just pass right now and focus everything on preparing for the Incursion?"

When Min-Ha pressed him on delaying the pass out of concern for an Incursion, Jeong-Hoon shot her a sharp look.

"Ah. Did I hit the mark?"

"No. I did think about that too. But sitting around forever isn't great either, is it? What did you hear earlier?"

There was no certainty an Incursion would come, so he had simply set his own private deadline: watch until the assignment ended and no longer. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had already explained as much, yet Min-Ha was circling back to the same doubt. Jeong-Hoon let out a long breath.

"Is that really the reason? Or is it just an excuse you cooked up because I asked?"

"Eek! I'm sorry!"

Butler Ju's voice snapped over the channel. Min-Ha jerked upright and bowed her head. The tone was absolute—he would not stand by while his granddaughter kept being rude to the Gaju.

"So that actually works?"

Jeong-Hoon had tried the same threat himself once, but his attempt had been half-playful and she had brushed it off. This time she was genuinely terrified. It was pure magic.

"More importantly—Butler Ju was listening too?"

He had thought only Han Su-Ho was monitoring every conversation. When even Butler Ju responded, Jeong-Hoon could only shake his head. Apparently a wiretap was stuck to him somewhere.

"…"

Once Jeong-Hoon made it clear he had no intention of passing the assignment immediately, Min-Ha switched tactics: they were already at an amusement park, so they might as well ride something. With nothing better to do, he agreed.

"…"

"Are you all right?"

"…Not all right."

The problem was that every ride she dragged him onto was a thrill machine built specifically for Awakened. Those attractions were calibrated around C-class standards. Non-Awakened and lower-tier Awakened—E-class, F-class—had to wear protective gear just to board. And they possessed a savagery that made yesterday's roller coaster, which accelerated to 240 km/h, look like a children's toy.

"…I actually like pretty intense rides. But this is not it."

Finally able to form words again, Jeong-Hoon shook his head at the panorama before him. After a relentless parade of scream machines he had fled without a backward glance and taken refuge on the Ferris wheel. Now, matching the gondola's leisurely pace, the entire vista of Diana spread out below.

"…I think I'm going to develop a fear of heights."

Yet he could not properly take the view in. The jarring gap between the brutal rides he had just survived and the slow, gentle spin of the Ferris wheel made his stomach lurch instead.

"Gaju, it seems you're surprisingly unused to intense rides?"

Alone in the gondola, Min-Ha had switched from Oppa to Gaju. Jeong-Hoon stared at her blankly.

"You're a Trainee, yet you switch titles pretty smoothly."

He had expected her to keep calling him Oppa even in private. Min-Ha shook her head.

"The word 'Oppa' just reminds me of that idiot."

She stuck out her tongue with an expression of pure loathing. Jeong-Hoon recalled the twin brother she had mentioned the day before.

"You hate that twin of yours that much?"

He had heard plenty of stories about siblings who did not get along. Her reaction, though, felt a shade too extreme.

"If I started talking there would be no end to it. Grandpa already gives him so much living money, and he still comes to me asking for cash."

Butler Ju's grandson had been failed as a vassal candidate, declared he would become a rapper, and walked out of the house. Apparently he was living quite comfortably. The simple fact that he still received regular living expenses from Butler Ju already sounded ridiculously cushy to Jeong-Hoon.

"Sounds like a classic wastrel young master."

Understanding the rough outline, Jeong-Hoon nodded and looked outside. The speed discrepancy had faded; Diana's scenery finally registered clearly. And something that should never have been visible registered with it.

Even for a theme park built around hunters and monsters, deliberately exposing a classified magic circle was wrong. Feeling the wrongness, he transmitted—and the radio erupted in static. Every one of the Twelve Vassals who heard the call had panicked and keyed their mics at the same time, ignoring protocol.

Han Su-Ho's voice carried none of its usual leisure. Jeong-Hoon's brows drew tight.

"Then we need to arm our side as well. Director Han."

He snapped his fingers. In one corner of the gondola, Han Su-Ho—who had been using his invisibility ability—dropped the cloak and stepped into view.

"Stamp here."

Jeong-Hoon held out the stamp book. Su-Ho stared at him with genuine surprise. He had claimed to know the answer already, yet Su-Ho had never truly believed he did.

"Since when did you know?"

"Since last night."

The risk of an Incursion had forced Jeong-Hoon to think as hard as he could. If an Incursion struck while the assignment was still running, the chain of command would tangle. He needed to pass quickly. So he had reviewed the full roster of Diana's vassals—and realized that Han Su-Ho broadcasting on the radio throughout the entire assignment itself counted as periodically performing a specific action. He had also realized there was no rule saying a person could hold only one stamp.

"Impressive."

With sincere admiration Su-Ho pressed the stamp, then raised a hand to the earpiece he wore.

Confirmations from the rest of the Twelve Vassals crackled back in rapid succession.

"Then what we need to do from now on is—"

"KRAAAAAAH!!!"

Jeong-Hoon had been about to order the guests evacuated before the Incursion began in earnest. The roar slammed through his entire body like an electric current, making every nerve scream. He spun to the window and looked down across Diana.

Humanoid. Fifteen meters tall. Muscles on the verge of bursting, skin that looked hard as forged steel.

"Ogre Lord…"

A supreme existence that surpassed even ordinary S-class Ogres. Across the ten years humanity had been fighting monsters, this was the strongest, the worst enemy they had ever faced. A true SSS-class monster.

Through the Incursion, an Ogre Lord had manifested in the exact center of Diana Theme Park.