Chapter 96: Japan (4)
Chapter 96: Japan (4)
Han Shin and Laysia intentionally showered separately.
It was a wise decision, born from the knowledge that if they stepped into the bathroom together, their lust would likely flare up again, leading to another round of sex.
Up until now, whether it was with Grace or anyone else, Han Shin had never managed to leave a bathroom after simply washing up if he wasn't alone. Aware of this tendency, he suppressed his desire to join her.
Laysia also felt a deep sense of regret at not being able to shower with him, but she, too, lacked the confidence to keep things strictly platonic.
Though it took a bit longer since they had to go one after the other, the two finished cleaning up and returned to the villa in Kathmandu.
Grace, who had already finished preparing breakfast, greeted them warmly.
"Welcome back, Lord Han Shin. Good work, Laysia."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Thank you for preparing breakfast."
As Han Shin’s woman, Grace was already fairly certain that the two would have shared a bed at least once after their training session.
And in fact, they had...
She could tell by the scent wafting from the clothes Laysia was trying to hide behind her back. It was a familiar, lewd scent that Grace knew all too well. She realized immediately that the clothes weren't just damp from the sweat of sparring.
A small pang of jealousy pricked at her, but since Laysia was acting with extreme caution and the act was ultimately necessary for her Level Up, Grace chose not to show it.
Her lingering jealousy vanished the moment Han Shin began eating and complimented her on how delicious the food was.
After their usual post-breakfast tea time, they began preparing to head back into a dungeon. But just as Han Shin reached for his smartphone to open the Manager App, Kang Yujin called.
"Yes, Noona."
"Shin, can you come home right now? There’s something we need to discuss."
The slight urgency in Kang Yujin’s voice made Han Shin wonder if something had happened.
"Yeah, I’ll be right there."
Since Grace and Laysia were standing right next to him, they overheard the gist of the conversation. The group immediately held hands and returned home via the Sanctuary.
As soon as they arrived, they saw Kang Yujin. She was dressed in a black suit, looking as though she had been about to head out when she made the call.
"Noona, what’s going on?"
"I just got a call from the Association. Japan has reached out asking for help."
With that single sentence, Han Shin understood why she had been so urgent.
He had already heard that Korea, Japan, and the UK were regions where portals spawning particularly powerful monsters—now officially termed Reinforcement Portals—were appearing frequently.
Korea was faring well because its Awakeners were generally high-quality and Kang Yujin had been assisting with clears, but the status of Japan and the UK had been a point of concern.
If Japan was asking for help, it meant they could no longer handle the situation on their own.
Yujin briefly explained the current situation in Japan as described by the Association.
Portals had been appearing in high concentrations in the Kanto region, drawing most of Japan's Awakeners there. However, the recent surge of powerful monsters from these portals had overwhelmed them. They were reaching a breaking point.
Having been dispatched to Japan several times on request, Kang Yujin provided additional context.
"So, how many portals have piled up?"
"According to their records, there are twenty dungeons where A-Rank monsters have appeared."
"That many...?"
Han Shin realized the situation was far more dire than he had imagined. Monsters appearing in A-Rank portals were not to be taken lightly.
It became even clearer why Japan was struggling. It was common knowledge, even among civilians, that while Japan had many B-Rank and C-Rank Awakeners, they had a relatively small number of top-tier elites. It was an open secret that Korean Awakeners often stepped in to help.
"It’s too difficult and dangerous for you to handle all of those in time by yourself, Noona."
"Yeah... If I had enough time, I could clear them one by one, but we only have about three days left."
Han Shin frowned at the short window of time.
They should have asked for help sooner. Sigh...
He felt a surge of irritation at the Japanese side for waiting until the last minute to request aid. However, the milk was already spilled.
Now, they had to clear the dungeons in time to prevent the Dimension Bombs from detonating and releasing A-Rank monsters into the world. Such an event could provide the Evil God Forces with a foothold on Earth and result in catastrophic loss of life.
"Noona, is there a way for us to sneak into Japan?"
The need to hide his identity as an Awakener was a major hurdle when time was of the essence.
"It’ll be hard to go the way we went to Nepal."
Han Shin had expected as much. Since Japan was a developed nation with strict immigration controls, moving secretly through a broker was extremely difficult.
"If we had more time, I could look into something, but we don't have that luxury right now."
"Yeah, I understand."
When they went to Nepal, they had taken the time to set up a private flight route. Opening a similar path into Japan would undoubtedly take more time than they had. Han Shin felt a headache coming on; they needed to clear those dungeons immediately, but the logistics were working against them.
Grace and Laysia, still unfamiliar with Earth's modern systems, couldn't offer any alternatives.
"Listen... Shin. Why don't you come with me to Japan in disguise, using an alias so your identity isn't revealed? If I vouch for you as someone I trust, I think I can get you through."
Kang Yujin had been agonizing over this since she received the call, and she concluded this was the only way.
"Laysia and Grace can be temporarily reverse-summoned. You and I will go to Japan, and once we're there, you can summon them again."
Yujin’s suggestion was quite persuasive to Han Shin. Grace and Laysia agreed as well.
"Lord Han Shin, that seems to be the only way."
"She's right, Lord Han Shin."
The goal was simply to get Han Shin into Japan. Though it carried risks, the current situation demanded they take them.
"Alright, let's do it your way, Noona. But how should I disguise myself...?"
"Maybe you could wear a black robe and a mask like I do?"
Yujin shared her initial thoughts, but Grace and Laysia chimed in with more ideas, insisting that Han Shin’s identity needed to be hidden even more thoroughly.
The four of them spent over an hour in deep discussion, meticulously planning how Han Shin should present himself to the world.
★ ★ ★
Park Min-woo, the Korean Branch Manager of the Awakener Association, spoke with a voice full of relief after hearing his secretary's report.
"Wolyeong accepted?"
"Yes. She said she would help immediately."
"I knew she would. That's Wolyeong for you."
Based on her past actions, Park Min-woo had secretly believed that Wolyeong wouldn't stand by and watch innocent people suffer.
"However, she did make a few requests."
The secretary handed Park Min-woo a printed sheet of paper containing Wolyeong's conditions.
Park Min-woo read through the single sheet of A4 paper. The first condition was that, due to the urgency, she would focus solely on clearing the dungeons rather than taking the time to excavate artifacts.
That’s only natural...
The second condition was that she wouldn't be working alone this time. She would be accompanied by a colleague, and she requested that this person's identity be kept secret, just like her own.
This gave Park Min-woo pause.
In truth, having anonymous Awakeners active was not well-received. Creating more precedents for this was problematic, as there was always the risk that an unidentified Awakener could turn rogue and commit crimes.
Even in Wolyeong's case, there was constant domestic and international pressure to reveal her identity. It was only because Park Min-woo had actively supported her and blocked those demands that she had been able to operate without issue for the past two years.
Adding another Awakener with an unverified identity was a significant burden for him.
What should I do...
The other requests were no problem at all, but the addition of another anonymous Awakener was the final stumbling block.
After some deliberation, Park Min-woo decided to accept. He knew that if Wolyeong didn't get to Japan quickly to support them, the casualties would be immense.
"Tell Wolyeong we accept her terms. Get everything ready immediately."
"Yes, sir."
As the secretary left the office, Park Min-woo sat alone, tapping his desk with his left finger.
Still... I should see them in person before they depart.
Since Wolyeong had said she would leave immediately, Park Min-woo prepared to head to the airport in an hour to see her off.