Moving Out

Following the Fourth Great Awakening, the Hunter community had been thrown into utter chaos as a massive wave of newbies flooded in. Among the various servers, the KR server—primarily used by Koreans—was suddenly swamped by users from all over the globe.

The source of the commotion was a single server status display.

At a time when every other Impossible difficulty server across the globe was being shut down, this was the sole survivor. A closed server meant there were no Awakened currently climbing it. There were only two reasons a climber would disappear from a server: either they cleared the 100th floor to graduate from the Tower, or they died.

Since there was no way anyone had already cleared the 100th floor, there was only one possible conclusion for the other servers. Yet, this one remained active. And then, there was the 1st-floor leaderboard, which looked utterly absurd to anyone who saw it.

It was an overwhelming, incomprehensible number that defied comparison with any existing records. Although the leaderboard did not explicitly display the chosen difficulty, people were already certain of the new Rank 1's identity.

While some praised the birth of a new prodigy, and others watched with wariness and jealousy...

A chilly breeze blew through the Pentagon, where Captain—the leader of the world's top guild, Guardian, and the world's Rank 2 hunter—was arriving for work.

"Ah, damn it. I told you to turn off the AC. Why is it even on in March?"

A red-haired man frowned as he shut off the running air conditioner. The cool breeze died down, but the atmosphere in the meeting room remained heavy.

"Has Captain... not arrived yet?"

A blonde woman spoke up, her voice trembling. Anxious about something, she kept glancing toward the entrance.

"He just left. Everyone, make sure your reports are ready."

The red-haired man organized his documents and turned his gaze to the computer screen. On the monitor, a list of newly Awakened recruits, their chosen difficulties, and their clear statuses flickered, making his eyes dizzy.

"Captain must have seen the new ranking shift too, right...?"

"If he hasn't, it's our job to report it."

As one of the first Awakened, Captain had never let go of the number one spot on the leaderboard—until the Empress, a second-generation Awakened, appeared and snatched it away.

In numerous media interviews, Captain had confidently boasted that scoring 1,000 points on the first floor was impossible, claiming his own score was the absolute limit.

Everyone in the room knew exactly what had happened the moment his pride was shattered back then.

The executives quietly held their breath.

A moment later, the meeting room door opened, and a young blonde man walked in.

Standing nearly two meters tall, he possessed striking golden hair, a sharp nose, and a face handsome enough to belong to a Hollywood star. However, that handsome face was currently masked by an unreadable, expressionless mask, casting a grim shadow over the room.

"Awakening status?"

His flat, dry voice echoed through the hall.

"A total of 137 candidates Awakened this time. Among them, 123 chose Hard difficulty, and 14 chose Impossible. In terms of Awakened ranks, we have three SS-ranks, forty-seven S-ranks..."

The blonde woman rapidly read through her prepared report.

"...Seventy-two are melee-type, thirty-seven are ranged, twelve are magic-type, and sixteen are support or miscellaneous. That is all."

"More Awakened than expected."

"Yes. The hypothesis that those who physically train beforehand have a higher probability of Awakening can now be treated as established fact."

After the Second Great Awakening, major guilds had begun recruiting and training potential candidates, knowing another awakening event could happen at any time.

These people had undergone systematic training infused with the top guilds' know-how, leaving them fully prepared to conquer the Tower the moment they Awakened.

While losing all the elites who had challenged the Impossible difficulty was a painful blow, having over a hundred new Hard difficulty users was excellent news.

"Understood. Dismissed."

"Uh..."

Did he not know the first-floor rankings had changed? Captain ordered them to disperse after only hearing the report on the new recruits.

"Actually, sir..."

"...Captain, the first-floor leaderboard has changed. It appears someone in Korea has cleared the Impossible difficulty."

Pushing past the hesitating blonde woman, the red-haired man spoke up.

Captain was usually a confident, bright leader who guided his team with charisma. But on the day he lost his number one rank, his team had seen the absolute bottom of his temper.

What kind of scene would unfold today?

The red-haired man squeezed his eyes shut.

"Ah, that? Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

"Excuse me?"

Contrary to their expectations, Captain's voice was perfectly calm.

"Eugene Kim entered the Impossible difficulty in Korea. He must have cleared it, so don't lose sleep over it."

"Eugene Kim has Awakened?!"

"Yes. He called me before choosing his difficulty. He should be out of the reward room by now, so try contacting him."

Captain stood up and left the room.

Walking down the bustling corridors of the Pentagon, Captain thought of his colleague who had gone to Korea on business.

A man with squinted eyes that made you wonder if they were open or closed. Even before Awakening, he was a man who could always pierce through hidden truths and coordinate the guild's actions.

Occasionally, when Captain caught a glimpse of the dark pupils hidden behind those squinted eyes, he had felt an instinctive primal fear.

If someone had cleared the Impossible difficulty, it was only natural that it was him.

If it was Eugene, and no one else, Captain could accept him standing above his head.

Unaware of these inner thoughts, the executives of the world's strongest guild, the Guardian Guild, let out a collective sigh of relief.

At the same time, in the Forbidden City of China.

Sitting upon the throne of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, once used by the Emperor himself, a green-haired woman popped a cherry into her mouth.

The woman who had pushed Captain aside to firmly secure the world's Rank 1 spot—the Empress—had gathered her ministers to receive the report on the Fourth Great Awakening.

"The number of Chinese citizens who Awakened in this wave is estimated to be around 1.5 million..."

"Hmm... handle those details on your own. More importantly, I heard there was some amusing news..."

Dressed in a red cheongsam with her legs crossed, the Empress cut off her minister's report.

"It seems something interesting has happened in our little kid's country. Have you all seen it?"

"If you are referring to the clear of the Impossible difficulty..."

"Indeed. I wonder what kind of child they are. Aren't you curious?"

The Empress leaned forward, a playful smile playing on her lips.

"If you give the word, I will capture them and bring them to you immediately."

Among the officials dressed in traditional hanfu, a man clad entirely in black robes and a mask stepped forward.

"We do not know what kind of threat they might become in the future. It is best to nip them in the bud early..."

"Silence."

The Empress cut him off.

"Our new recruit is certainly enthusiastic. But a talented child has emerged from among our neighbors. Why on earth would we kill them?"

The Empress rose from her throne and stepped down.

Though a woman, she was taller than most men. Reaching out with a long arm, she rested her hand on the masked man's shoulder.

"Still... I am curious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to see what kind of child they are. If they prove to be dangerous, they might require a bit of... education. Contact the little kid. Tell her I'll be visiting soon."

"Understood!"

The Empress walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony into the sunlight. Gazing up at the cloudless blue sky and the brilliant sun, she soon departed the Forbidden City.

In the meeting room of Korea's number one guild, the Heaven's Bow Guild.

A bolt from the blue struck the pink-haired woman who was organizing the data on the new Awakened.

"That crazy bitch is coming?! When?!"

"She has already departed!"

"Oh, for God's sake... Contact the Guild Leader! Inform the Blue House as well!"

A visit from the Empress, a figure watched and feared by every nation on Earth.

Cheon Seo-ah, the Vice Guild Leader of the Heaven's Bow Guild, who had suddenly been designated as her guide simply because they were 'acquaintances,' clutched her throbbing head.

"Sigh... Are the new recruits secure?"

"Yes! All sixteen newly Awakened recruits have cleared the first floor of Hard difficulty and returned safely."

"Thank goodness none of them were stupid enough to choose Impossible."

The moment the new difficulty was reported, Cheon Seo-ah had strictly forbidden all candidates from entering the Impossible difficulty.

With the strategies for Hard difficulty perfectly established, they could achieve more than enough success by sticking to the proven path. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.

"Vice Guild Leader, Mr. Haram isn't answering his phone..."

A brown-haired woman looked at Cheon Seo-ah with an anxious expression.

"Do you think... Mr. Haram might have Awakened too?"

Following the Fourth Great Awakening, it had become accepted fact that those who trained their bodies and had real combat experience had a higher chance of Awakening. If so, the person in Korea with the highest probability of Awakening was Lee Haram.

"...Once that crazy bitch leaves, I'll go visit him myself. Unless he contacts us first, don't call him anymore."

"But still..."

"He's not part of our guild anymore. We shouldn't make a nuisance of ourselves."

They hadn't parted on the best of terms, so clinging to him desperately would be bad manners.

"Could... could Mr. Haram be the one who cleared the Impossible difficulty?"

"...We don't even know if he's Awakened yet."

The sole survivor of the Impossible difficulty, which had defeated the rest of the world.

Who was this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠person currently holding the attention of everyone on Earth?

"Besides... would Mr. Haram ever use such a bizarre player name?"

"...That's true."

Poppy's Older Sister.

For Mr. Haram, who didn't even own a pet and lived alone without family, it was far too strange a name.

"Anyway, let's focus on the crazy bitch who is probably crossing the West Sea as we speak."

"Yes, ma'am."

After sending the brown-haired woman away, Cheon Seo-ah picked up her phone and left a message for Haram, saying she would visit him soon.

"I wonder... if he still likes yanggeng..."

After placing a pickup order at a famous sweet red bean jelly shop in Seoul, Cheon Seo-ah headed to Incheon to receive their state guest.

After clearing the first floor and returning to the safe zone, I immediately exited the Tower.

I needed to use the points I earned on the first floor to buy stats and distribute bonus points, but there was something else I had to do first.

"Alright! Shall we go?"

"Woof!"

I packed a light bag, and as I headed out the door, I caught sight of myself in the mirror hanging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by the entrance.

Reflected in the glass was an exotic girl with silver hair and purple eyes, wearing a white hoodie.

If I ran into someone I knew looking like this, it would cause an unnecessary scene.

The exit point of the Tower was always the exact location where one entered it. If someone came looking for me at my house and I happened to emerge from the Tower at that moment, we would cross paths.

Leaving my vibrating phone on the desk, I walked out of the house.

My appearance had changed too drastically, and it wasn't time to meet my old colleagues yet. My old identity was no longer of any use to me.

Poppy was too large to walk around with, so I unsummoned them.

Then, I activated my Stealth skill.

My light footsteps carried me toward my new home, a place where my children and I could live in peace—a tragic city abandoned to the monsters.