Chapter 13: Encounter (1)
Chapter 13: Encounter (1)
As portals began appearing across the globe, Awakeners—beings that had never existed before—started to emerge.
This phenomenon occurred because connections to other dimensions, which had been closed until now, were established. As the power to awaken the latent talents of sentient beings flowed back into the world, Awakeners began to appear on Earth as well.
Naturally, there was immense chaos in the early days, but things stabilized over the course of thirty years. Now, Awakener Associations have been established, maintaining cooperative relationships with governments.
Awakeners are ranked according to their abilities, using a standardized global scale from S to F.
Among them, S-Rank refers to Awakeners powerful enough to solo a boss monster of a B-Rank dungeon. They are an extremely rare elite, numbering only about fifty worldwide. Some countries have none at all, while others boast a significant number.
In Korea's case, there are five S-Ranks—a surprisingly high number considering the nation's size. Consequently, Korea often receives and accepts requests from neighboring countries to assist with difficult dungeons.
China, for instance, has six S-Ranks, but even that isn't enough to easily handle every portal that appears within its vast borders. Japan is in a similar position with only four. Since Korea has a relatively lower frequency of portal appearances compared to its neighbors, they often have the leeway to send support when requested.
Of course, the requesting nations have to pay a fortune to the dispatched Awakeners every time.
The person sent to Japan this time was the most peculiar among Korea's S-Rank Awakeners. This individual had never shown their face to anyone and refused to reveal their identity. Always draped in a black robe and wearing a veil, it was impossible to tell who they were. Only through their voice and silhouette could one deduce they were female.
"Wolyeong-nim. It is this way."
The Awakener identified herself as 'Wolyeong,' and the Association and the government had no choice but to accept it. This was only possible because Wolyeong was absurdly powerful.
While a typical S-Rank Awakener can defeat a B-Rank dungeon boss alone, Wolyeong went far beyond that; she possessed the ability to single-handedly wipe out every monster in an A-Rank dungeon.
Because of this, the Association and the government couldn't pressure her about her reluctance to reveal her identity as long as she remained cooperative. If she ever became an enemy, she would undoubtedly be a terrifying foe, capable of causing catastrophic damage.
The woman in the black robe replied to the Association staff member guiding her.
"I'll go in immediately."
"Ah, yes."
The Korean branch of the Awakener Association even had a dedicated team just for Wolyeong, and this staff member was one of them. Despite having guided her for nearly two years, they hadn't become close at all.
Wolyeong maintained a strictly professional relationship with the staff, leaving no room for personal rapport. Beyond that, she consistently maintained an icy attitude that radiated a chilling aura.
Even now, Wolyeong's voice was incredibly cold.
She immediately stepped into the portal that had formed between the buildings. The Japanese Awakeners hurried to follow her.
The fee to summon Wolyeong was not small. While she would clear the dungeon, she never helped them maximize the dungeon's potential resources. Every time, she would find and kill the boss monster as soon as she entered, then take her payment and return to Korea.
The Japanese government and their Awakeners felt it was a terrible waste to see the potential profits from the dungeon vanish into thin air. However, they weren't in a position to demand she do this or that.
One gutsy Japanese Awakener who had tried to do so ended up with all his limbs shattered, brought to the brink of death. That victim was an A-Rank Awakener, yet he was suppressed and systematically broken without even getting a chance to swing his sword.
After that incident, Wolyeong became an even more untouchable existence.
As much as they hated the wasted potential profit, Japan couldn't afford not to call her when the number of portals exceeded what their own S-Ranks could handle. They had already experienced the tragedies that occur when a dungeon clear fails; making such a choice would be foolish.
Thus, their only option was to follow Wolyeong into the dungeon as she cleared it, scavenging whatever they could along the way. Wolyeong had permitted this, provided they didn't annoy her.
The dungeon Wolyeong and twenty Japanese Awakeners entered was an A-Rank dungeon. It was a vast space featuring a sandy beach and an open sea.
Since the spaces inside portals are dungeons created from fragments of worlds, the terrain isn't limited to cramped caves, temples, or buildings; it varies wildly. This particular type was considered quite difficult.
Dungeons with oceans usually meant the target was a marine monster, which was incredibly troublesome for Awakeners to deal with. No matter how much stronger they were than ordinary humans, sustaining combat underwater for long periods was difficult. Furthermore, it was physically exhausting and required a lot of expensive equipment, making it a financial burden.
As soon as she entered the dungeon, the woman in the black robe, Wolyeong, began walking along the shore alone. To a casual observer, it might have looked like she was enjoying a stroll along the beach...
But the thick darkness settling over the shore and the eerie atmosphere suggested otherwise.
"Turn on the lights!"
Since the area was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, they needed light. While there was a risk of attracting monsters, it was actually preferable in this situation—entirely because of the "fixer" they had brought along.
There are many types of Awakeners. Those who fight using the internal Qi of their bodies are called warriors, swordsmen, or archers depending on their weapons and roles. Those who have awakened Mana use magic of various attributes and are called Mages. Those who follow Ahura Mazda, the God of Light, are divided into Holy Priests and Divine Knights.
Finally, the most unique type are the Psychokinetics, who use supernatural mental powers.
Wolyeong was a Psychokinetic. And as her rank indicated, she was an S-Rank Psychokinetic. Currently, she was the only one of her kind in the entire world.
Ordinary Psychokinetics were often treated as inferior versions of Mages. Regardless of their attribute, Mages could consistently use spells with greater destructive power, giving them more influence over dungeon exploration. The only advantages Psychokinetics had were that their power was invisible and could be used in non-combat situations.
However, Wolyeong possessed a level of strength that was on a completely different dimension from existing Psychokinetics. That was why she was ranked S-Rank.
Even now, without much movement, Wolyeong was using her psychokinesis to locate the monster. It didn't take long for her to find a massive, shark-like monster beneath the waves.
It was a species she had never seen before. But for her, that didn't matter at all.
Step, step. Wolyeong walked toward the sea.
She didn't seem to do anything, yet the waves rushing toward her suddenly stopped, and the sea began to part.
The Japanese Awakeners and the Association staff following her stood there with their jaws dropped. They had seen her power many times, but it was breathtaking every single time.
To an ordinary person's sensibilities, Wolyeong possessed god-like power. Even if it was inside a dungeon, seeing her part the sea so effortlessly left them speechless. It was astounding even to fellow Awakeners.
The team, whose original mission was to quickly scout the beach for anything valuable, momentarily forgot their task and simply watched.
Thump!
Thanks to the portable LED lights they had set up along the shore to brighten the area, the scene was clearly visible. A massive shark-like monster had been dropped onto the beach, its hideous maw agape as it thrashed about.
It was a giant shark, nearly 20 meters long. The tyrant of the sea was no different from a common fish once it was dragged onto the sand.
Crack! Crunch!
The sound of bones snapping and shattering echoed repeatedly. Using her psychokinesis, Wolyeong crushed the creature's jaw so it couldn't bite anything and shattered its spine, leaving it in a near-death state.
"Handle the rest yourselves."
"Ah, yes! Thank you!"
For the Japanese Awakeners who were constantly aided by Wolyeong, learning Korean had become a necessity. Even though she was always cold and distant, some had the petty hope that they might gain something by staying on her good side... while others sincerely worshipped her strength and wished to become her subordinates.
Regardless of their motives, all the Japanese Awakeners were shocked by Wolyeong's actions. She had never been this considerate during a dungeon clear before.
A monster of this size was undoubtedly the boss.
"This looks exactly like the Megalodon from the movies."
"It really does."
"Wow... those teeth look incredibly sharp."
"Hey, be careful. You'll get hurt."
The gathered Awakeners began to chatter excitedly. Since the never-before-seen monster was already suppressed, their curiosity took over.
Leaving them behind, Wolyeong turned around and exited the dungeon, considering her work done. The Association staff member, who followed her out immediately, spoke up.
"Great work."
"This was the last portal I had to check this time, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. It finished much faster than expected. Would you like to return to Korea immediately?"
"Yes. Right away."
The staff member wondered if there had been a change in Wolyeong's heart, as this was the first time she had worked so enthusiastically. The schedule, which was expected to take a week, had finished three days early. The fact that Wolyeong, who had agreed to a week-long schedule for the first time, finished it so quickly felt like a positive sign.
However, this was a complete misunderstanding.
With an expression as cold as ice, Wolyeong followed the gleeful staff member while looking at her smartphone.