Chapter 116: The Trap (2)
Chapter 116: The Trap (2)
Poison.
No, it was more accurate to say they were becoming addicted to a drug.
In the beginning, the number of reinforcement portals was small, allowing them ample time to focus on the excavation work. Some A-Rank monsters were large and slow, making the process of extracting artifacts remarkably easy.
But this was exactly what the demons intended.
The demons were beings who followed the Evil Gods, invading countless worlds, inflicting agony, and sowing destruction. When invading other worlds, they often used the desires of intelligent beings to lure them into traps.
Once they realized through the logs that the Japanese Awakeners were obsessed with artifacts, the demons deliberately created and sent dungeons that were easy to harvest.
To the large Japanese clans, it was like finding a sip of water while dying of thirst in a desert. They were ecstatic. Unaware that demons were pulling the strings, they were utterly blinded by the immediate profit before their eyes.
The demons gradually increased the number of reinforcement portals. Rather than being concerned, the large Japanese clans welcomed the increase. To them, these reinforcement portals had become synonymous with artifacts.
The demons had tossed out sweet bait in the form of easy-to-raid dungeons, and the Japanese Awakeners were already hooked. They even took care to place higher-quality artifacts inside the dungeons—just a little bit at a time.
Eventually, it became difficult for the Japanese Awakeners to handle the sheer number of reinforcement portals on their own.
Normally, they should have requested help from Korea, but their eyes were already rolling back with greed for more artifacts. This was exacerbated by the fact that the high-quality artifacts provided by the demons in the early stages had significantly boosted the Japanese Awakeners' combat power.
In the eyes of the large Japanese clans, they no longer saw the A-Rank monsters; they only saw the artifacts.
Having previously resented Wolyeong for not allowing them to monopolize artifact excavation, they couldn't bear the thought that asking for her help again would mean losing all these treasures.
They held a meeting for the sake of formality, but their minds were already made up before it even began.
"Is there really a need to call them?"
"Exactly. We've grown stronger thanks to the artifacts. We can handle this ourselves."
"We can't keep bowing our heads to those Chosenjin forever!"
"Let's handle it among ourselves this time."
Wakatsuki Toshiki, the head of the Japan Branch of the Awakener Association, spoke while stroking the tip of his well-groomed Kaiser mustache.
"Since everyone seems to be of the same opinion, let's try to unite and overcome this on our own. If the situation worsens, we can just ask for help then, so it doesn't seem particularly dangerous..."
"I agree."
"We agree as well."
By unanimous decision, the Japanese Awakeners resolved to deal with the reinforcement portals themselves without reaching out to Korea.
Though they held a meeting to appear rational and spoke as if they were acting in the national interest, they were ultimately blinded by artifacts and failed to accurately assess their own capabilities.
Because the reinforcement portals had increased gradually—like a drizzle that soaks one's clothes before they even notice—they judged that they could manage and saw no reason to ask Korea for help.
Unlike before, artifacts with unprecedented functions were appearing, and the Japanese Awakeners simply couldn't give them up. From artifacts that amplified mana to armor and weapons with extraordinary defensive and offensive power, the items were more than enough to enhance an Awakener's abilities.
In fact, as the Japanese Awakeners used these artifacts and felt their own strength increasing, their confidence continued to swell.
Initially, the threshold they considered dangerous was 20 reinforcement portals. But that line kept moving up.
"As we get stronger, we can handle even more portals."
"Exactly. This is a god-given opportunity."
A few Japanese Awakeners expressed concern, but...
Their voices fell on deaf ears. Instead, they were mocked as cowards or accused of being on the Korean payroll.
Just as the demons intended, the Japanese people were intoxicated by the poison of artifacts and let their guard down.
By the time a month had passed, the number of uncleared reinforcement portals had surged past 50 and was nearing 70.
However, because the overall capability of their Awakeners had risen due to the artifacts they had acquired, Japan was filled with confidence that they could clear them in time before the dungeons burst. They didn't think it was a major problem, and some even adopted a "so what if the monsters come out?" attitude.
"We already know what the monsters are. Can't we just kill them the moment they step out of the dungeon?"
"Right. In the past, we focused on clearing them within the time limit because we didn't know what would happen or if they'd escape into the world. For portals in remote areas rather than city centers, we should focus on finding artifacts even if we go over the time limit."
Afflicted by a total lack of safety awareness, the Japanese Awakeners crossed the line.
Originally, the strict rule to clear dungeons within the time limit was based on the fear of civilian casualties, property damage, and the unknown ecology of the monsters that would pour out. This was a global standard. Even in Nepal, where Han Shin was active, the rare instances where dungeons couldn't be cleared due to geographical issues were treated with extreme gravity, as monsters becoming indigenous species caused immense damage.
However, Japan was a developed nation with well-established infrastructure and a manual for handling monsters. Because they had been so efficient in the past, they had never dealt with monsters becoming an indigenous threat. This success, ironically, prevented them from realizing the severity of the current situation.
Furthermore, because they were unaware that demons were behind the portals or what their hidden objective was, they began to make truly absurd decisions.
Eventually, Japan even began to deceive the outside world.
Reporting new portals was mandatory. The process of handling them had to be entered in detail into the International Awakener Association's database, but they deliberately omitted entries. They feared that if other countries saw the backlog of reinforcement portals, they would pressure Japan to seek help from Korea as they had before. This only made the situation more dire.
The demons' plan had succeeded.
Eventually, one by one, the reinforcement portals failed to be cleared and began to explode like dimensional bombs.
The monsters were dealt with immediately, so there was no immediate large-scale damage, but holes began to tear in the dimensional barrier that separated Nippur from Earth.
At first, they were tiny, microscopic holes.
But it is a law of nature that once a hole forms, it becomes harder to patch and easier to widen.
For the demons, this was the moment their efforts of the past thirty years finally bore fruit.
Of course, demons also varied in power, and it was still difficult for high-ranking demons to pass through such minute cracks. However, even the "weak" among demons were strong by relative standards. The lowest-ranking demons possessed strength comparable to C-Rank Awakeners, while mid-ranking demons were far stronger than A-Rank Awakeners.
In Aokigahara, at the foot of Japan's Mt. Fuji—an incredibly vast sea of trees known as Jukai—a purple portal appeared.
The Kanto region was an area where portals appeared frequently, so it was densely packed with equipment to measure mana fluctuations. This allowed for the immediate detection of any new portal.
Whether by luck or misfortune, Japan detected this demon-infested portal immediately.
It was difficult even for demons to cross the dimensional barrier and enter Earth with their bare bodies, especially since the Evil Gods were currently slumbering to recover their strength and could not provide aid.
The demons had to find their own way to invade Earth from Nippur, and the method they devised was the dungeon.
After thirty years of creating and sending dungeons, the demons wondered if they could use them as a vessel to cross over, and that idea had now become a reality.
The dungeon had become a sort of landing ship for invading Earth across dimensions. Since it was centered on the dark mana of the demons, the portal appeared purple—unlike the dungeons sent as dimensional bombs—and demons waited within.
The catch was that they still needed a week before they could emerge. This was an unavoidable penalty, a result of strengthening the seal to safely preserve their power while crossing dimensions.
Even to an ordinary person, the purple portal exuded an ominous, roiling energy. Yet, the Japanese Awakeners had become arrogant beyond measure.