Chapter 93: Japan (1)
Chapter 93: Japan (1)
Han Shin felt that Kang Yujin and Laysia had grown closer after their trip to buy groceries and clothes.
Even if they weren't speaking completely informally yet, their conversations seemed much more relaxed than before.
As far as Han Shin was concerned, there was nothing bad about the two of them getting closer, so he was in a good mood.
Ever since leaving the orphanage and living alone with Kang Yujin in this house, Han Shin had naturally shared all his meals with only her.
Usually, he would eat facing Kang Yujin, but now Grace and Laysia sat on either side of him, sharing the meal.
Grace, with her neat, platinum-blonde bob.
Kang Yujin, with her glossy black hair tied in a ponytail.
Laysia, with her light red hair flowing down to her shoulders.
The three of them, each with a completely different and distinct appearance, were all common in their affection for Han Shin.
Furthermore, the fact that he had shared an intimate connection with all of them made this moment incredibly special to him.
Han Shin knew it was selfish, but he found himself wanting to keep all three of them for himself.
‘Mmm… let’s stay calm.’
As he felt dark desires bubbling up amidst the pleasant atmosphere, Han Shin forced himself to exercise restraint.
All three women before him were engaged in a warm, friendly conversation, and he didn't want to show them a pathetic side of himself.
Fortunately, the three women didn't notice Han Shin’s inner turmoil.
Han Shin’s expression might have looked a bit strange since he was struggling to keep it under control, but the women were busy exchanging opinions as Kang Yujin asked the other two what kind of house they should move into.
Kang Yujin could have simply decided on the new house unilaterally.
However, during her earlier conversation with Laysia, she had decided that she needed to solidify her position as Han Shin’s first wife—the primary spouse.
And so, showing her magnanimity, she asked Grace and Laysia about their preferred room sizes and what they needed.
She also asked about the preferred layout of the house, as well as necessary furniture and facilities.
At first, both of them answered somewhat hesitantly.
Grace wondered if she really needed to concern herself with such things, and Laysia felt she didn't have the right to get involved.
However, they soon realized that Kang Yujin wasn't just asking for the sake of appearances; she truly intended to incorporate their opinions to find a home where they would all live together.
As they began to offer a few suggestions, they naturally started giving Kang Yujin more active input.
Since the three were deeply engrossed in their discussion, they didn't pay much attention to Han Shin until he regained his composure.
“Shin-a, is there anything you want in the house?”
“I’m fine as long as it’s a house where we can all live together.”
Kang Yujin and Grace already loved Han Shin and acknowledged their relationship with one another. Laysia, too, had feelings for Han Shin that were steadily growing.
Because of their feelings, Han Shin’s words—which might have sounded simple and mundane to anyone else—felt special and heartwarming to them.
★ ★ ★
The entire world was currently on high alert due to the portal anomalies.
Initially, every region had suffered varying degrees of damage, but fortunately, most areas were managing to respond and stabilize the situation.
There had been great concern for regions like Kathmandu, Nepal, where conditions were already poor.
However, because these areas were accustomed to instability and the dangers of hunting, their Awakeners were naturally trained to move and act in groups. As a result, they were able to respond without much difference from their usual routines.
The Awakeners in these regions were already skilled at sensing danger, and some even operated by forming separate reconnaissance teams.
The fact that dungeon clearing had become systematized also helped, as the alliance between organized large clans and the Association proceeded relatively smoothly.
Of course, there were conflicts along the way, but a standard response had been established: entering the dungeon first to scout and identify the monsters before retreating. Based on this information, they would re-verify the dungeon rank and deploy the appropriate subjugation force.
However, there were still regions where the situation was so severe that it couldn't be said to be resolved.
These were the places Kang Yujin had heard about when she visited the Association as Wolyeong.
Korea, Japan, and the UK.
In these three regions, an unusually high number of dungeons containing monsters far more powerful than those in other areas had appeared.
Even so, Korea was in the best position among them.
Korea had a high number of strong Awakeners relative to its small landmass and population, and its systems were well-organized, providing some breathing room…
Above all, the fact that Kang Yujin had stepped forward as Wolyeong and cleared all the dungeons in the southern region once already played a massive role.
Since she had handled half of the forty or so dungeons that had appeared, the Korean branch of the Awakener Association and the large clans were naturally relieved of a huge burden.
Since then, Wolyeong had continued to help occasionally at the Association's request, making things relatively manageable for Korea.
However, "manageable" was only in comparison to Japan and the UK. New dungeons were still appearing, and for the large clans, subjugating monsters that belonged in A-Rank dungeons carried significant risk, forcing them to approach with caution.
The other two regions besides Korea—the UK and Japan—were in much worse shape.
Japan, in particular, was a region that frequently requested support from the Korean Association even in normal times.
Kang Yujin had gone on several business trips to Japan as Wolyeong, and the situation there was never great, often requiring her to help clear numerous dungeons.
This wasn't because the quality of Japanese Awakeners was poor or because they lacked a proper system, but rather because too many portals were being generated in Japan.
Even before the anomalies, there were certain regions where portals appeared with high frequency, and Japan was one of them.
Furthermore, the fact that so many portals appeared in the densely populated Kanto region was a major problem, forcing a large number of Japanese Awakeners to be concentrated there.
As a result, Japan had the most advanced warning systems and evacuation facilities in the world to alert citizens as soon as a portal appeared.
The problem was that because the majority of Awakeners were concentrated in the Kanto region, handling portals appearing in other areas was no easy task.
It wasn't that portals were rare in other regions; it was just that the Kanto region was particularly problematic.
Because of this, Japanese Awakeners—except for a few very high-ranking individuals—were always busy and exhausted, regardless of which region they operated in.
If their only goal was clearing the dungeons, they might have been less fatigued and had more opportunities to rest…
But artifacts possessed a value that simply couldn't be ignored.
To put it bluntly, the large clans and the Association in Japan were "grinding down" their Awakeners to clear dungeons, trying to kill two birds with one stone: safety and high profits.
However, this recent anomaly had pushed the load on Japanese Awakeners past their breaking point.
Portals were appearing in the same massive numbers as before, but now there was a higher probability that the monsters inside would be much stronger.
Japan had responded somewhat nimbly by forming reconnaissance teams to check the interior and retreat, but the problem was a lack of people to actually clear them.
Japan was already a place that requested aid from Korea, and now that an overwhelming number of portals containing A-Rank and B-Rank monsters were appearing, they simply couldn't cope.
Generally, if a portal isn't cleared within a week, the monsters inside are released onto Earth.
Japan had already experienced significant damage from such events in the past, and the trauma was substantial.
In a desperate situation they couldn't resolve on their own, Japan naturally reached out to Korea for help.
Wakatsuki Toshiki, the head of the Japan Branch of the Awakener Association, bowed his head and pleaded directly with Park Min-woo, the Korean Branch head, during a video call.
"Please, you have to save us."
"For now, our side isn't at a stage where we can be completely at ease either. This isn't a decision I can make alone, so I will discuss it and get back to you."
Park Min-woo gave a principled answer.
Since such a response was expected, Wakatsuki continued to bow and plead, stating they would offer any compensation necessary.
"I will do my best."
"Thank you so much! I'll be waiting for a positive response!"
Once the grueling video call ended, Park Min-woo sank into his chair.
"Sigh..."
A heavy sigh escaped him.
For the past few days, Park Min-woo had been living in his office, catching only snatches of sleep. He couldn't simply reject Japan's request.
If Japan failed to block the portals and monsters began pouring out, there was no telling what kind of damage would reach nearby Korea.
Furthermore, as someone who approached his work with a sense of duty, his conscience wouldn't allow him to sit by and watch innocent lives be sacrificed.
The problem was that Korea was also a region where many portals with powerful monsters were appearing, and in this situation, the large clans were unlikely to listen to an order to help Japan.
‘In the end, there’s only Wolyeong-nim...’
Park Min-woo felt incredibly guilty about asking Wolyeong to go to Japan. She had already done so much recently and was still clearing portals occasionally at the Association's request.
Looking at the data provided by the staff after the call with Wakatsuki Toshiki, there were currently over thirty A-Rank portals in Japan that weren't being handled properly.
These had accumulated because the Japanese Awakeners couldn't clear them in time. They were clearing the oldest portals as they could, but they were only slowing the rate of accumulation, not reducing the total number.
The number was so high that it felt like too much of a burden to ask Wolyeong to handle them all alone.
‘Still, I have to at least bring it up...’
After much deliberation, Park Min-woo decided to inform Wolyeong of the current situation and ask for her thoughts, as he couldn't think of any other way.
He judged that if Wolyeong could provide even a little help, even if she couldn't do it all, they might avoid the worst-case scenario.