Smashing All Common Sense

"Whew..."

I, Kim Haun, had just conquered an A-Rank dungeon at level 16. Was it merely some run-of-the-mill A-Rank dungeon? Not a chance. The entire country had been in an uproar over it. Internet forums and breaking news reports alike had breathlessly warned that its catastrophic difficulty bordered on S-Rank.

That was supposed to be ironclad common sense in the Awakened world. Yet here I was, having pulverized that logic into fine dust.

"Granted, I was doped up to my eyeballs on buffs, but still..."

Being capable of sourcing and swallowing those high-tier concoctions was part of my capability, wasn't it? Even so, I had to give credit where credit was due: the buff potions purchased from the Arcana Market in the Tower of Transcendence were absurdly potent. The efficacy was nothing short of miraculous, even if the stone golem who sold them had scoffed and downplayed their value.

Cassius, my good friend...

Those lukewarm tears you told me not to expect much from had completely overturned reality. Their defensive wards absorbed the brunt of the boss monster's fiercest assaults. When that Ancient Wyvern unleashed its searing breath right into my face, the roaring inferno felt like nothing more than a faint prickle against my skin. In fact, it was so manageable that my blessing, the Will of the Impregnable Fortress, didn't even activate once.

"Standing right beside boiling, churning pools of magma felt just like lounging inside a neighborhood jjimjilbang..."

And he called that nothing special? It felt like jumping several whole tiers in combat prowess. If ordinary hunters caught wind of this, they would faint dead away. Potions and elixirs of this caliber would sell for astronomical fortunes in the outside world; desperate guild leaders would arrive carrying blank checks. It was a shame I didn't possess the merchant qualifications to peddle them freely, but reaping the spoils of this raid was more than enough compensation.

"Thanks to those buff potions, I tore through an A-Rank dungeon like a walk in the park."

And I hadn't just cleared it—I had stripped the place down to the marrow.

"Whoa... insane. Absolutely insane."

An A-Rank dungeon was indeed on an entirely different level. When I conquered B-Rank dungeons, the payout amounted to at most 720 mana stones—and that was after the Seal of Amplification doubled the total reward! Here, the dungeon coughed up four thousand mana stones right off the bat.

Of course, considering the exorbitant cost of the consumables I had downed, the mana stones ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone might look like a net deficit. But the auxiliary loot tipped the scales completely: the wyvern's ember heart, twelve pristine sheets of dragon hide, and an offensive skillbook. Just imagining the mountain of cash they would fetch made my mouth water.

Yet beyond the tangible loot, a far more gratifying sensation bubbled up inside my chest.

What was it those arrogant bastards had barked so loudly? That a tiny, insignificant country could never hope to conquer this dungeon on its own? That the great Heavenly Emperor would graciously step in to resolve the crisis if our unknown climber crawled out and bowed his head in contrition?

Well, what a shame. I already cleared it. And it was a total breeze.

Only days prior, China had dropped that diplomatic bombshell without warning. And right on the heels of their calculated betrayal came the worst-case scenario:

With an unprecedented high-grade gate manifesting right on domestic soil, the public mood across South Korea had dissolved into pure chaos.

Every major media platform was drenched in grim foreboding. News broadcasts hosted round-the-clock emergency panels with titles like "A-Rank Dungeon 'Ancient Wyvern's Volcanic Heart': Is a Catastrophic Dungeon Break Inevitable?" and "Can Korea Conquer the Dangjin Gate? A Sobering Realistic Assessment." Public consensus had shrunk to a single, humiliating conclusion: our only salvation was to beg China or another awakened superpower for mercy before the gate breached.

Yet who was supposed to beg? The government? Or the anonymous climber known as EX-jwa? What crime had either committed? Frustration, indignation, bitter helplessness, and creeping terror hung thick across the country.

Then, like lightning splitting a pitch-black sky, news flashed across every screen.

An out-of-nowhere conquest. The terrifying A-Rank dungeon had collapsed, slain by the very same mystery climber—EX-jwa. The entire nation was instantly swept up in an overwhelming rush of dopamine.

The suffocating lump that had blocked the nation's throat for days dissolved in an instant, replaced by refreshing relief. Better yet, the tyrannical extortion from across the Yellow Sea had been chopped down at the knees. Inevitably, the ecstatic public began drawing comparisons to the world's supposed apex.

The target of their derision was none other than China's self-proclaimed 'Heavenly Emperor', Luo Qin. And naturally, word of this humiliating development reached his ears in real time.

SLAM—!

A heavy mahogany desk shattered under a furious palm, sending splintered debris across the polished marble floor.

"Failed... again? Is that what you dare report to me?"

China's foremost Awakened, the self-anointed supreme ruler of the global hierarchy, Luo Qin, stood trembling with rage. At this very moment, his venerable name was being dragged through the mud across every Korean forum.

"How did this happen? Did your department not assure me that those small-country insects could never hope to conquer it?"

"We... we have no excuses, Chairman. We offer our deepest apologies."

"Hah..."

Apologies were meaningless. The opportunity had evaporated, and the political trap lay in ruins. Luo Qin's eyes burned with vicious disdain as he leaned forward.

"And you claim he cleared it entirely alone? A nameless worm who has barely reached level 16?"

"Yes, Chairman... and the recorded clear time was a mere one hour and fifty-four minutes."

Luo Qin fell silent. What words could possibly describe such an absurdity?

"Incomprehensible."

The system never fabricated records. Which meant every detail of the report was indisputable fact. How could a 16th-level climber solo an A-Rank dungeon in less than two hours?

What was my own first A-Rank conquest like?

It had taken place years ago, back when he had attained level 43. A solo attempt? He hadn't even dared entertain such lunacy. He had mobilized the full state machinery of China, hand-picking the absolute cream of his elite guild members to form an invincible vanguard. Even backed by that overwhelming firepower, they had nearly perished several times over, and the brutal slog dragged on past three grueling hours.

Yet this Korean ghost had cleared a near-S-Rank dungeon alone in under two hours.

"Hah..."

Luo Qin was himself regarded as a terrifying freak of nature across foreign nations. Because he occupied the pinnacle of power, he understood better than anyone just how utterly nonsensical this feat truly was.

The high-ranking executives of the Heavenly Martial Alliance standing nearby wore equally pale expressions. They, too, were seasoned combatants who understood the brutal arithmetic of the towers and gates. And in the oppressive silence of the chamber, a chilling realization crept into several of their minds:

Perhaps... we have provoked a monster we should never have touched.

Naturally, not a single one dared utter that thought aloud.

At that exact hour, another global superpower was dissecting the incident with an entirely different calculus.

Washington D.C., United States of America.

Inside the uppermost holographic briefing chamber of the Department of Awakened Affairs—the DAA—Director Marcus Hale gazed calmly at the projected visage of his Asia Branch Director.

"I've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reviewed the preliminary briefing regarding the situation in South Korea," Hale said, his voice measured and authoritative. "Your analysts suspect an EX-Rank classification. What is your personal assessment?"

"I believe this individual possesses enough leverage to restore the global balance of power back in our favor—the very balance that collapsed the moment Luo Qin ascended."

The balance of power.

With a subtle flick of his finger across the holographic console, Hale projected the current global rankings.

The United States had once reigned as the undisputed superpower of the modern world. That hegemony unraveled the day Luo Qin emerged as an unprecedented freak of nature. With the Heavenly Emperor leading their vanguard, China's geopolitical influence ballooned at an alarming rate.

"Things deteriorated to the point where Washington was forced to walk on eggshells in select diplomatic spheres," Hale murmured coldly.

The current Korean standoff was a prime example. While Beijing blatantly threatened South Korea's sovereignty, America chose deliberate inaction. The calculation was simple: avoiding a direct collision with Luo Qin was more advantageous than honoring moral obligations. Worse still, America's pride, Ethan Caine, had slipped to third place behind Britain's Cedric Wainwright. It had seemed like a stalemate with no way out.

Until now.

"I remain fully convinced," the Asia Branch Director stated with absolute conviction. "If we succeed in recruiting the Awakened designated as EX-jwa into the United States, we can overturn the global hierarchy within six months at the latest."

"You have maintained that stance from the very moment he appeared."

"Yes, Director. Because the data has never wavered."

The DAA had monitored the Korean anomaly since his initial debut. They had maintained round-the-clock surveillance, analyzing every ripple he caused. They knew the full ledger of exclusive floor blessings: Luo Qin held eight, Cedric held three, and Ethan held two. Yet this unidentified climber had already stripped away three blessings that Luo Qin had monopolized for years. And now, he had soloed an A-Rank dungeon in under two hours.

"'Performance that transcends all common sense,'" Hale quoted softly from the confidential dossier. "'This entity cannot be evaluated under the existing S-Rank classification.' That was our lead analyst's conclusion. Whichever nation secures him will hold uncontested dominion over the next era."

If that was the reality, then there was only one path forward.

"China is currently running active recruitment and suppression operations against him, correct?"

"Yes, sir. Intelligence confirms Beijing has maintained constant covert pressure since their blessings were seized."

It was standard imperialist tradecraft. Marcus Hale knew the playbook by heart; the United States had run identical covert operations countless times across the globe. By tacit, unwritten consensus among the world powers, intelligence agencies generally refrained from sabotaging one another's active extraction initiatives.

Hale's lips curved into a cold, ruthless smile.

"Shatter that unwritten rule. This suspected EX-Rank Awakened... locate him by any means necessary, and bring him safely into the embrace of the United States."