Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Perfect Clear Frenzy
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The media was in an uproar.
A flood of articles pouring in one after another.
📰 Breaking News "(Solo" tag gone from Perfect Clear alert.> Who’s the companion? Suspected foreign contact attempt.> 💬 Comments — Anonymous Why assume foreign? Could be one of ours. — Anonymous If it was us, the government would be blasting it everywhere as their achievement by now. — Anonymous Maybe they’re still in the contact phase? — Anonymous Come on, realistically, us? Nah, agents from advanced nations like the US, China, or Japan are way more competent. Obvious who reached out first. — Anonymous Yeah, makes sense. — Anonymous What the hell? Why’s Japan lumped in there? Korea, already rife with rumors of brain drain.
Everyone was filled with uneasy thoughts.
— Anonymous What’s the government doing? The top 10 guilds?! — Anonymous Are we losing this one too? — Anonymous This is unacceptable. Superconductors were a scam, and now those two—S-Rank Word of Command user and Perfect Clear—are our country’s last hope. — Anonymous If we lose even one of those—an S-Rank Word of Command user or Perfect Clear—I’m grabbing a knife and heading to HQ. It wasn’t a solo clear.
But the progress rate had climbed the same as always.
⚙ Progress Status ⚙ Korea (22 days remaining): 92.94001% The government promoted this figure to calm the public.
But the more they did, the greater the longing and sense of crisis for the Perfect Clear Awakener grew.
It only backfired.
The people of Korea were on high alert.
Successive brain drains.
And the resulting slowdown in progress rate growth.
The progress rate affected daily life in countless ways.
The most primal metric, tied directly to the lives of the people.
If it wasn’t filled, everyone died.
It wasn’t just a sign of future danger.
Anxiety or stability based on the progress rate.
Foreign investment, economic fluctuations.
Even birth rates.
All indicators moved in tandem.
The progress rate wasn’t just a problem if it failed within six months.
Its speed directly impacted current life.
Thus, Yoo Chae-young, support team leader of Korea’s third-ranked Blaze Guild, and her team wore deepening frowns.
"…We can’t let them get snatched away like this."
"But the government’s clamping down on information."
"I know. We’ve hit our limit going it alone."
This wasn’t the time for pride.
Yoo Chae-young’s glasses glinted calmly.
She found Section Chief Choi’s number in her contacts.
"As long as they don’t go to a foreign country."
"Pardon?"
"Bind them first as a government Awakener, then scout later."
It wasn’t an easy decision.
'That guy’s energy is too overwhelming…'
She preferred calm types like herself.
But this was truly the path for Blaze Guild.
"Hoo… From now on, we fully cooperate with Section Chief Choi Young-ho."
Korea’s two top headhunters.
If Yoo Chae-young and Choi Young-ho teamed up.
Finding the Perfect Clear Awakener was only a matter of time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Late evening at the academy.
Kang Hyun, oblivious to the chaos he’d caused.
Focused solely on the box before him.
[Would you like to open 'Random Box (+2)'?] "Time to crack it open?"
"This is always the most exciting part!"
The ever-thrilling random box opening.
A special Perfect Clear reward, no less.
Everything that came out was leagues beyond normal rewards.
"The system’s pretty great."
This free growth sensation.
A thrill he’d never felt in his past life.
Kyle’s strength was forged in blood and sweat.
"What’ll it be this time?!"
"Let’s go!"
[Opening 'Random Box (+2)'.] Light and sound effects burst forth.
Fwaaah!
[Dried Divine Spring Elixir has been granted.] Aden clenched her fist.
"Another one!"
The elixir materialized in the air before Kang Hyun.
Now he caught it straight in his mouth.
Nyam.
Crunch crunch.
⚔ STATUS UPDATE ⚔ ✨ Magic Power: F+ → E- "Ptoo. Okay, E-Rank- achieved!"
"Congratulations!"
"Mana’s topped off too—straight to another dungeon!"
"Let’s go!"
Country in chaos or not.
The two headed to the next dungeon.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Section Chief Choi’s face was haggard.
'They found him before us?'
Choi Young-ho, always ramrod straight.
This time, anxiety had his leg jittering.
Thud thud thud thud—
"Huh? J-Junior officer. The desk’s shaking. Earthquake?"
"No, it’s the chief."
"Pardon?"
Lose the Perfect Clear?
A dark cloud over the nation’s future.
His heart raced with dread.
He had to find them today.
But he couldn’t overwork his staff.
Regulations.
"E-Everyone, go home… I-I’ll stay late…."
"Whoa! The shaking’s worse!"
"Chief! We’ll stay too, stop it!"
Thankfully, his team’s patriotism stilled his tremors.
Outside grew dark.
Now truly alone in the office.
'We can’t lose them. For this country!'
Coffee fueled by a subordinate’s patriotism.
Downed in one gulp!
His hand never stopped flipping files.
Flip flip!
Then, a face amid the Awakener profiles.
'Ah, it’s that guy.'
Kang Hyun.
The man who’d come with A-Rank Aden before.
But the info was off.
'Huh? F-Rank-?'
Registered recently too.
What? No way.
He’d felt the aura of a high-rank.
Bad data?
Too suspicious to skip.
Let’s dig a bit.
'Aden’s a mage, and he’s her master… so probably a mage too.'
Dug through contacts.
Found a well-connected mage acquaintance.
Called.
The verdict.
[Oh, that con artist?]
"C-Con artist?"
[Everyone in the know knows. He was a hot topic for teaching Word of Command once. Know what happened?]
A hollow laugh came through.
[He got rejected by Oh Hyuk-jun for lacking talent, that’s what.]
"Oh Hyuk-jun? The B-Rank who’s a top A-Rank candidate?"
Hearing the full story brought despair.
'A con artist after all…?'
Unbelievable.
He’d felt like a big shot.
Trusted his instincts.
'No, wait. He’s A-Rank Aden’s master.'
Why would she stick with a con?
Did she fall for it too?
Fishy.
'Is he really a con?'
A little probing would tell.
Resolved, Choi Young-ho called Kang Hyun.
Ring ring ring—
'Ah, in a dungeon.'
Dungeon signal interference.
Calls from inside distort like this.
But soon.
A callback.
"Yes, Kang Hyun."
[I saw a missed call.]
"Yes, that was me. Busy?"
[No. Just finished up.]
"Right. About Aden’s new ID registration…."
Then.
Footsteps pounding the hall.
Thud thud thud.
Bang!
"Ch-Chief!"
A subordinate who’d clocked out rushed back.
Refusing to leave.
What?
Muted the mic hastily.
"Hold on, I’m on a call—"
"Perfect Clear! It just popped up!"
Perfect Clear.
Now.
And Kang Hyun, fresh from a dungeon.
"…!"
A shiver ran through him.
"G-Go out! Later, later!"
"Pardon? Oh, yes sir."
Why’s he stuttering?
On with some bigwig?
Subordinate left, door shut.
Choi Young-ho shot up, nearly toppling the chair.
Rifled madly through strewn files.
'Dungeon clear records. Reporter: Kang Hyun, Kang Hyun….'
[Hello?]
Trembling hand.
And.
'This is it!'
Awakener Kang Hyun.
Yesterday’s clear report.
'F-, F, F+. And one F+ this afternoon.'
It matched.
Heart pounding so hard he felt sick.
'Found him.'
The world’s only.
Six straight Perfect Clear Awakener.
[Hello? Connection’s bad.]
Choi snapped to.
"Yes, yep! Can you hear me?"
[Ah, better now.]
"One sec, about Aden… I’d like to talk."
Secure a meeting first.
"Yes, yes! Any date you like… Ah, yes. See you then, Mr. Kang."
Scribbled the meeting spot with shaking hands from excitement.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Master, electric bill came."
"Yeah, set it there."
Kang Hyun answered absently.
Focused on his task.
Mana stones spread across the floor.
"What’re you doing?"
"Counting mana stones. Time to cash ’em in."
"Oh, all this is money?"
Only six dungeon runs.
But all solo, no team.
So he monopolized the stones.
A huge haul.
What a normal F-Rank would get in 30 runs.
"How much you think?"
"Fix the academy’s broken toilet first when you get paid."
"It’s still usable, no?"
"Yeah, but seeing it broken depresses me for no reason."
"…Right."
Kang Hyun felt the same.
'Ex-hero here. Gotta keep up appearances.'
Not broke anymore anyway.
"While fixing, how about a bidet?"
"No bidet at home?"
"I live in a goshiwon. Two-pyeong room."
"Whoa… How do you live in two pyeong?"
"That’s why I don’t. Sleep there, live here."
Explains why she studies magic all day.
'She’s lived pretty frugally.'
Hard to earn as an illegal immigrant.
"Alright, let’s splurge a bit! More snacks, add a bidet! Pay debts slow."
"Huh? I gotta pay debts?"
"Oh? Come to think."
Guys who sent assassins to kill a debtor.
Right to pay them?
'Killed their guys, so we’re fully enemies now.'
Pay up, they’d send more killers.
'Can’t wipe ’em out in Korea. Can’t just keep taking hits.'
Time to meet the boss and hash it out.
Cancel the debt while at it.
"Excellent point, disciple. Sharp mind on you."
"Heh. You think?"
Seemed a talk with the loan sharks was needed.
The hero way.