Chapter 78: Chaos (1)
Chapter 78: Chaos (1)
The Awakeners of Earth were thrown into literal chaos.
Just as Han Shin’s party had experienced, many had entered dungeons they believed to be low-rank, expecting an easy clear, only to be blindsided by unexpectedly powerful monsters. Some were injured; others, less fortunate, lost their lives.
Those who realized they were outmatched and retreated quickly managed to survive, but many unlucky Awakeners failed to make it out.
Though heavy casualties occurred in a short window of time, the accumulation of testimonies and reports from survivors allowed the Association and the Large Clans to grasp the situation quickly.
First and foremost, the data regarding dungeon ranks—compiled over the thirty years since portals first appeared on Earth and ingrained into every Awakener’s training—had become virtually obsolete.
Until now, the rank of a dungeon inside a portal was determined by the magnitude of mana detected from the outside. Since this method measured the mana output of the Dungeon Core, it had been considered reliable. Over the decades, the process had been refined and supplemented to the point where it was believed to be flawless and without error.
But now, trusting this measurement system had become a liability.
Monsters that should never have appeared in low-rank dungeons were emerging, causing casualties to snowball like a mass of ice rolling down a mountain. The confusion was immense. To make matters worse, entirely new species of monsters that had never been documented before began to surface, making every dungeon entry a high-stakes gamble for Awakeners.
In recent years, dungeons had become comparable to a game where the strategy guides were already written. Everything from the most efficient way to clear them to the best methods for farming items was set in stone. The Large Clans had even turned the process into a streamlined, factory-like operation.
Now, that was no longer possible.
Low-rank Awakeners immediately became hesitant to enter dungeons at all. Unlike the early days when portals first appeared, they had recently enjoyed a sense of psychological security, knowing that even if they risked their lives, they were following a proven roadmap. That security had vanished.
This reality could not be kept secret. No matter how hard authorities tried to control the flow of information, it was impossible to silence everyone. In an age where information travels at lightning speed, rumors spread instantly to the general public, and the media began to cover the crisis extensively.
As a result, the Association was swamped with calls, and staff members were frantically busy trying to manage the unfolding chaos. They hurriedly summoned the leaders of Korea’s Large Clans to an emergency meeting to coordinate a response.
Even in the face of such a crisis, most of the Large Clans were busy calculating their own profits and losses.
‘If we play our cards right, we might be able to take the number one spot...’
For a long time, the Yuseong Clan had held the undisputed top position among Korea’s Large Clans. In times of peace, the gap was insurmountable due to the Yuseong Clan’s prestige and capital. They attracted the most talented individuals, and the fact that their leader, Lee Jeong-jin, was the strongest Awakener in Korea carried immense weight.
Many felt that this upheaval of the status quo wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Since they didn't know that Evil Gods trapped in another dimension were behind the portals, the gravity of the situation didn't truly sink in. These were people of the establishment who had already grasped power and wealth; most had risen to their positions by overcoming the dangers of the early portal era. They were confident they could do it again.
In contrast, Park Min-woo, the head of the Korean Branch of the Awakener Association, took the situation very seriously. Had he chosen to start his own clan, he was a man capable of building a Large Clan on his own. Instead, he had dedicated himself to the Association out of a sense of duty. He constantly reminded himself that humanity did not yet fully understand everything about the portals.
This was why he reacted so sensitively to anomalies. It was the reason he had called a meeting immediately when Han Shin and Grace cleared a dungeon in Korea previously. Once again, he gathered the leaders of the Large Clans to face the crisis together.
“I’m sure you’re all aware that new monsters are appearing. For the time being, how about we send vanguard teams composed of elite Awakeners to scout the dungeons before deploying the main forces?”
At Park Min-woo’s suggestion, Baek Yong-gi of the Goryeo Clan gave a relaxed smile.
“We are already doing that.”
“So are we.”
“Anyone with a brain is doing the same to protect their new recruits.”
Park Min-woo felt inwardly relieved that the other clan leaders were already taking precautions. Contrary to his expectations, the meeting proceeded smoothly. The clan leaders were surprisingly cooperative, agreeing without much dissent to follow the Association’s directives in emergencies and to center their response around veteran Awakeners.
Park Min-woo found the ease of the meeting somewhat suspicious. He had expected the Large Clans to make various demands and for the consensus to be reached only after painful negotiations. The lack of friction left him feeling slightly dazed.
However, after seeing the clan leaders out and returning to his office, he realized his mistake.
The emergency meeting had been cooperative and free of demands only because there were official records being kept; the leaders needed to maintain their public image and build a narrative of heroism.
Behind the scenes, however, the clans had already submitted a litany of demands through administrative channels, seizing the opportunity to claim interests they had previously been denied.
The list was so long it was difficult to read in one sitting. It ranged from basic tax exemptions to setting exorbitant prices for information on new monsters and demanding higher point allocations for clan rankings.
The Yuseong Clan, being the top-ranked group, had relatively few demands. It was the clans below them that were clearly looking for a chance to climb higher.
Technically, even F-Rank portals were now potentially dangerous, meaning manpower was scarce and every move had to be made with caution. Since the Awakeners of the Large Clans now held all the leverage, it was difficult for the Association to simply refuse them.
This wasn't just happening in Korea. In countries all over the world, many Awakeners were looking to use this crisis to fulfill their own greed and line their pockets.
“Ugh... my head...”
After spending a long time reading through the demands of the Large Clans, Park Min-woo pressed his left hand to his forehead and let out a groan.
It wasn't that he didn't understand. Seeking one’s own benefit was human nature. In fact, Park Min-woo knew well that providing incentives was often the most efficient way to get things done.
But these demands were excessive. Asking for total tax exemption until the crisis was resolved... or demanding that graduates from the Academy be forcibly assigned to lower clans before the top-ranked Yuseong Clan...
These were demands that affected other interest groups and couldn't be easily resolved. Normally, he would have told them to stop talking nonsense, but in the current climate, he couldn't just dismiss them. The headache was real.
“Sigh... that Baek Yong-gi. He’s nothing but greed...”
Park Min-woo’s blood boiled thinking about Baek Yong-gi, who had acted like a selfless, duty-bound Awakener in the meeting, only to submit these demands behind his back.
‘I just hope things stabilize quickly without any major incidents...’
Having been active since the early days, Park Min-woo had personally witnessed what happened when a dungeon wasn't handled properly. When he thought of the potential victims if portals weren't cleared in time, his anxiety grew.
‘At least... Wolyeong expressed her intent to help...’
Park Min-woo held the Awakener known as Wolyeong in such high regard that he spoke of her with deep respect, despite not knowing her true identity. Although her personal details were a mystery, his trust in the S-Rank Psychokinetic was absolute.
From his perspective, she was like a fixer who got the job done perfectly without demanding an exorbitant fee relative to her power. To a man stressed by the political maneuvering of the Large Clans, Wolyeong—who stated her intentions clearly and handled her work reliably—was a godsend.
Initially, some within the Association questioned whether they should allow an Awakener to operate anonymously, but Park Min-woo had stepped in and insisted they accommodate her wishes. This was why Kang Yujin had been able to operate for two years without her identity being compromised, despite her own efforts to stay hidden. The Association simply hadn't tried to track her.
He had already received a report that Wolyeong would help whenever she was able, and she had even provided information on the new "Stone Beast" monsters without any strings attached. He was more grateful than ever.
Considering that Wolyeong’s power could clear a dungeon in an instant, he believed that even in the worst-case scenario, she could at least help delay a catastrophic wave of dungeon failures.