Chapter 45: Encounter (2)
Chapter 45: Encounter (2)
Park Min-woo explained to Wolyeong the reason he had pleaded with her to come today.
“Recently, an anomalous phenomenon has been occurring in the Chungcheong Province area. Could you assist us with the investigation?”
An anomalous phenomenon?
“I’ll listen first, then decide.”
Anticipating Wolyeong’s response, Park Min-woo signaled his secretary with a hand gesture to bring over a summarized report that would be easy for her to review.
Kang Yujin accepted the documents handed to her by the waiting secretary.
“Recently, portals have been vanishing as if the dungeons were cleared, despite there being no record of anyone entering them. Based on our investigation, no monsters have emerged, and the dungeons appear to be perfectly cleared. We suspect someone is clearing them without authorization.”
This... it’s Shin and Grace.
Only then did Kang Yujin realize what he was describing.
Her younger brother, Han Shin, had recently been clearing dungeons with Grace.
According to what she’d heard from Han Shin, they were specifically choosing portals that no one else was around, entering them almost as soon as they were generated. She hadn't thought much of it at the time.
Even if Kang Yujin didn't particularly like Grace, she acknowledged that the woman possessed extraordinary abilities.
Because of that, while she had initially been worried about Han Shin going into low-rank dungeons, she had recently felt somewhat at ease and hadn't been paying close attention.
The only ones who could be the cause of this ‘anomaly’ were Shin and Grace. I can’t believe I didn't realize it the moment I heard it... Phew...
It didn't matter much that she was a bit late to catch on, but Yujin chided herself nonetheless.
Being skilled at maintaining a poker face, she didn't let any of these thoughts show on the outside.
She pondered what to do.
In short, what the Association was asking was for her to wait in a specific area and enter any nearby portals the moment they appeared.
As a psychokinetic among S-Rank Awakeners, she was the perfect candidate. The dungeons Han Shin and Grace were currently entering wouldn't be dangerous for her, and she could easily handle any unexpected situations.
For a moment, Yujin considered accepting the proposal to prevent Han Shin and Grace from being discovered by someone else...
But she immediately dismissed the thought.
There’s no way to know which dungeon Shin and Grace will enter. It’s a waste of time. I should just flatly refuse.
“It’s too inefficient. I decline.”
“Ah... I see. Understood.”
In truth, Park Min-woo had expected her to refuse to some extent.
Given Wolyeong’s past behavior, she was an Awakener who pursued extreme efficiency and loathed wasting time.
Inviting Wolyeong to make this request hadn't actually been Park Min-woo’s idea.
It was the leaders of the large clans—specifically Lee Jeong-jin—who had applied pressure. They wanted to use Wolyeong’s help to show their determination to catch the ones stealing the portals.
It was difficult for Park Min-woo to refuse Lee Jeong-jin.
Lee Jeong-jin was like a shrewd politician, wielding powerful influence and playing politics skillfully. If Park Min-woo simply refused, there was no telling what kind of damage the Association might suffer.
Park Min-woo didn't want things to get that exhausting.
That was why he had pleaded with Wolyeong, hoping for a slim chance.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. That’s all for today. However, we expect a request for support from China around next week—”
Kang Yujin cut him off.
“We’ll proceed with that as usual.”
“Yes, understood.”
It was rare for Kang Yujin to meet with the Association in person as Wolyeong.
Since she had to hide her identity, it always carried a risk, so she didn't prefer it...
Thus, requests were usually handled wirelessly.
It was more convenient anyway, as they could sufficiently relay request details and exchange opinions that way.
From the perspective of the Association staff, it was only natural to prefer it, as they didn't have to face Wolyeong in person, and she handled tasks with sharp, prompt replies.
That was why she told him to contact her for next week’s request via the fully secured phone line they used previously.
Park Min-woo also found that more comfortable than speaking now, so he immediately agreed.
Wolyeong left the Association and vanished in an instant.
There were bound to be people who wanted to track her down to uncover her identity.
However, Park Min-woo and everyone else who had met Wolyeong in person were unanimously against it, so the Association never even attempted it.
Anyone who had seen Wolyeong literally crush a house-sized monster with her psychokinesis knew better than to make her angry.
Wolyeong was already quite cooperative considering the power she possessed; there was no reason to provoke her.
Kang Yujin hurried home.
If she happened to run into Han Shin and Grace returning from a dungeon, she had to tell them immediately.
I’m sure I’m not the only one they asked. I have to warn them quickly.
No matter how powerful an S-Rank psychokinetic she was, it was physically impossible for her to cover every portal appearing across the Chungcheong region.
That meant there were definitely others besides her.
Probably the large clans like the Yuseong Clan... They must have reacted sensitively to this.
Since Han Shin was injured and she became an Awakener, Kang Yujin had no interaction with other Awakeners. However, she kept track of how the industry worked through information from Association staff and things she saw and heard directly or indirectly.
Regardless of nationality, portals were currently a means of making money.
From their perspective, Han Shin and Grace clearing dungeons without notifying the Association was illegal—it was theft.
It was a natural deduction that the large clans would react most sensitively.
Since it was standard practice for them to squeeze every possible resource out of a dungeon, they were bound to be sensitive about their allotted portals vanishing.
★ ★ ★
Just as Kang Yujin expected, parties prepared by the Association and the large clans were already waiting across Chungcheong Province for portals to open.
They had prepared well-balanced parties capable of easily clearing F or E-Rank dungeons.
They knew it was impossible to cover every portal that might appear.
However, the speed at which portals were vanishing had been increasing lately. They believed that by repeatedly trying to enter portals as soon as they were generated, they would eventually find something out and catch the culprit.
At a glance, this plan seemed reckless and forced, but it actually worked.
★ ★ ★
Han Shin decided to try using a spear in today’s dungeon.
At first, Grace had opposed the idea, but she was soon persuaded by Han Shin.
Using a sword had already lost much of its meaning for him, and Grace couldn't think of a particular reason to stop him when he said he wanted to try handling a spear.
“Understood, Lord Han Shin.”
Han Shin had accumulated combat experience and was physically exceptional. Grace decided to go along with his wish, believing he would be fine against the types of monsters they were currently encountering.
I can protect Lord Han Shin, so it will be alright.
Grace gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist, growing more alert to ensure Han Shin’s safety.
The terrain of the dungeon they had entered was a grassland where the grass grew up to their waists.
As always, a thick darkness hung over the area. Although the Spheres of Light summoned by Grace illuminated a wide area around them, nothing was visible.
A wind blew from ahead, though its source was unknown, causing the grass to sway like rolling waves. It was quite a sight.
However, this was a dungeon; one could never let their guard down.
Above all, this type of terrain was extremely dangerous.
Since the area was covered in waist-high grass, visibility was poor. There was no telling what might be lurking beneath.
First, Grace decided to secure a safe zone around them.
Shring...
“Lord Han Shin. Please stand still...”
“Okay.”
Han Shin nodded at Grace’s words as she drew her sword.
A faint light flowed from Grace’s blade.
Channeling her Sword Energy, she lowered her stance onto one knee and swung her sword in a wide horizontal arc.
Slash!
With a clean cutting sound, a massive silver crescent of Sword Energy surged forward from Grace.
In the wind-swept meadow, the grass was carved out in a fan shape.
With a single strike, Grace had cleared the grass for about thirty meters in front of her.
The severed blades of grass were blown back by the wind.
Some grass settled on the ground, but the area was now significantly clearer.
For now, nothing emerged.
Grace couldn't quite predict what kind of monsters would be here this time.
She hadn't been to every single corner of Nippur, so it couldn't be helped.
Still, she couldn't consider the danger fully resolved. There could be monsters burrowed underground.
“Lord Han Shin. Let’s move forward.”
“Right.”
The two began to walk slowly forward.