Chapter 505, Enlightenment (3) |
Chapter 505, Enlightenment (3)
I truly hope that human doesn't suffer too much from the scouting failure.
***
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
One afternoon. A headhunter from a search firm placed a call somewhere.
“Yes. Hello?”
For reference, the phone belonging to the person Kim Giryeo was watching was connected to someone on the opposite side of the planet.
“Mm. Oh dear.”
Even if the call went through without a hitch, the news that followed was bound to be unpleasant.
The tone of the person on the other end isn’t particularly bright. News that South Korea’s fourth 5-rank wouldn’t accept the scouting offer... Upon hearing this from the headhunter, someone immediately moved.
Click.
The individual, who had slipped the heavily protected phone back into his coat, ran straight into a nearby gate.
‘It’s cool in here.’
Normally, he should have shouted loudly for the Boss, who was taking a stroll inside. However, the contact person who had taken the call stood still for a moment. This was because the alien environment of the surroundings momentarily overwhelmed him.
“_ _”
The sky was definitely a dark tone, like evening on the other side of the planet, but in contrast, every object inside was clearly identifiable in form, as if under a bright face. Moreover, a sophisticated pastel blue, the kind that might be designated ‘Color of the Year’, sat upon the ceiling, with luxurious golden waves rippling through it. At any rate, to behold such an undeniable different world with one’s own eyes.
“Sir!”
He briefly scanned the atmosphere of the beautiful dungeon before getting to the point. As he raised his voice, a figure had taken the call stood still for a moment. And this person also finally learned the fact that the Korean had rejected the offer, and the reaction was quite intense.
“Really? Again? That Awakened turned down the proposal and sent the headhunter back once more!”
Repeated failure breeds irritation in anyone.
“It’s a day where things just aren’t going my way.”
The CEO who spoke had received no less than two pieces of bad news today.
First, he had intended to launch a [Theme Park] business utilizing the vast natural area provided by the dungeons, and just as he thought he had successfully lobbied the politicians...
Suddenly, a colossal monster fish appeared in the middle of New York.
“What happened with the matter regarding the tourism business?”
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s been postponed again. At least another year. The monster’s rampage spread widespread psycho logical trauma.”
“Oh dear.”
“At the very least, as long as the citizens are in a state of fear, we won’t be able to pioneer the business.”
“And we were promised exclusive rights after so much effort...”
The boss monster that had leapt out through the water had eventually been suppressed.
However, even though an 5-rank who was once a sports star stepped in, the citizens’ anxiety had not subsided.
“There are so many fantastical spaces within dungeons! And because they haven’t Awakened, people are still barred from entering? How miserable.”
Of course, the restrictions are much more relaxed now than they were, but the world still doesn’t send ordinary people into dungeons unless it’s essential, does it?
“Tch.”
The East Asian-looking man clicked his tongue.
“But anyway, enough about that trivial tourism business.”
Their nationalities hadn’t been clearly revealed yet, but at any rate, the two individuals were conversing naturally in English.
“Everyone is preoccupied with the transparent fish that turned the city into a shambles.”
“Yes.”
“But the truly important thing is the human monster who took down such a beast in a two-man party.”
“Was it not a three-man party?
“They say the Rank 1 hunter escaped during the raid and has no contribution credit for killing the boss.”
This was inside a dungeon anyway. Therefore, they showed a relaxed attitude, not worrying about clear recordings via electronic devices.
“Still, a few years ago, if something like that happened, people would’ve guessed HASEONG was involved.”
The Southeast Asian added,
“It’s just that it isn’t like that anymore.”
“Mm.”
“Seeing as they brought down a mega-beast with just a two-man team... it seems that water-using psychic is truly an exceptional Awakened.”
At that moment, a vivid thought passed through someone’s mind. ‘Zhan’, the representative hunter of a certain nation. Well, that dark-skinned Chinese man was understandable, given that a great power was pouring all its support into raising him. Kim Giryeo, whom the power players of all the great nations had begun to eye, was actually not someone who used equipment conspicuously.
“A bare-handed psychic....”
In the end, no matter how much Kim Giryeo tried to hide it, it meant his ability itself was superior to other 5-ranks. In that case, the logic that followed was natural.
“The fact that such a transcendental Awakened keeps rejecting people’s offers is by no means a good sign for us.”
Swish.
The East Asian CEO turned his head. The individual taking this action was wearing nothing but a casual T-shirt and a pair of jeans. This was a sort of expression of rank, indicating that unlike a certain alien 5-rank hunter, he didn’t need to be wary of safety at every moment. However, it seemed he couldn’t be satisfied with just the Awakened bodyguards surrounding him. He continued with this claim.
“We must put that Awakened out of his home country by any means.”
In this day and age where psychics have begun to run wild, such a thought was understandable. Right now, without any grand declaration of war, the power pyramid was merely being quietly replaced beneath the surface. Awakened are not simply entertainers who perform strange magic.
Because their bodily composition has completely changed based on mystical phenomena, they have even gained resistance to radiation. So, to put it bluntly, psychics would be the ones to survive like cockroaches even if a nuclear war broke out. And we’re supposed to just watch them barge into high society?
“Psychics must have it good. Carrying weapons inside their bodies that can’t be taken away even with a thorough search... being able to enter any banquet hall at will.”
The wealthy man with a fair amount of power shook his head at this point.
“As long as we live in an era where human disasters are plain to see, we must always be prepared.”
“Regrettably, South Koreans generally tend not to accept transfer offers.”
“Still, we have to make it happen. No matter how difficult it is, we must constantly strive to bring Kim Giryeo over. Why are you already making weak excuses?”
“_ _”
“This is on a different dimension from simply increasing a nation’s medalists.”
“Hmm.”
“Convincing Korea’s fourth 5-rank is equivalent to acquiring a new weapon!”
If only they could have an Awakened who was significantly stronger than others under their command. They would be able to survive even in the Age of Superhumans. Standing in the dungeon with the beautiful backdrop, those engaged in conversation soon brought out an additional sentence with roughly that logic.
“But now I’m truly worried. No matter how much I look, at least in this era... that water psychic seems to be the best.”
“They say he hides his mana to the point of looking like an ordinary person usually, but that’s actually the part that reveals his control ability.”
“But what if someone like that is enticed by a nation outside our group to work as an assassin?”
“That’s a profession that suits that man’s impression.”
“At any rate, politicians must be worried sick by now. From now on, if they can’t do their jobs, it won’t be tomatoes or eggs—they’ll be hit by superpowers.”
For the reasons above, certain power players of the great nations desperately wanted to subjugate Kim Giryeo under them. However, just like that Jeong Haseong, somehow the figures in Korea didn’t abandon their nationality at all, even if treated as precious as princes.
“Family, lovers, friends...”
Mumble, mumble. The individual counts on his fingers, talking to himself. As indicated by the words just spoken, Kim Giryeo appeared to be someone who didn’t even have much that seemed precious. A body that woke up after becoming a corpse.
A body that didn’t particularly have a wide social circle even when it was alive anyway. Thus, when seen through the eyes of a third party, Kim Giryeo had tracks that were truly like a ghost. Consequently, it had become quite difficult to set condition transactions targeting precious people.
“...As expected of an 5-rank. His background isn’t normal either.”
“Come to think of it, a recent study said the Awakening phenomenon is experienced a bit more frequently by people who deviate from the average.”
“A natural result. A person has to be dissatisfied with the life they’ve lived so far to harbor such preposterous dreams as superpowers, wouldn’t they?”
That ended the small talk. The woman standing in the middle of the dungeon turned her head.
“But anyway, let’s put the principle of superpowers aside for now. I should try changing the approach...”
“Yes. Please go on.”
“Fortunately, as long as a person lives, they usually possess at least one weakness.”
“Ah, you don’t mean—”
“No matter what kind of personality one has, one’s own life is ultimately important. So, let’s slowly find the flaws in that psychic’s skills!”
Just because a tiger with a fine coat is roaming the streets, one cannot simply capture it blindly. As it was also this person’s theory that to raise a wild beast, one must first possess proper protective equipment.
“If we prepare to restrain a transcendent Awakened, usable bargaining chips will accumulate naturally.”
“Are we planning to attack Kim Giryeo?”
At that, the subordinate voiced concern.
“If we’re exposed, we’ll never scout in our name again.”
“Of course.”
“And if things escalate, we’ll probably face retaliation too.”
“Uh-huh, putting it that way makes it seem like a rather dangerous act.”
The superior explained calmly.
“But it’s fine. It won’t go the way you’re worried about at all.”
“Why?”
“We’ll employ very valuable manpower.”
“Valuable manpower?”
“And quite an expensive Awakened as well.”
To an outsider, it might sound like a new threat.
“A [Tamer]? If we utilize that ability that has finally appeared, no one will perceive us as the instigators anyway.”
Unfortunately, the mechanics of that skill were like this—
***
[Taming].
That is an ability that appeared truly long after the Dungeon Shock occurred. And the world’s researchers explain the reason like this: Awakening was a phenomenon much more influenced by the mind than we thought. Since it has been revealed that superpowers are no longer impossible, the imagination of people all over the world is slowly opening up in accordance with that, or some such.
‘At this rate, aren’t they practically labeling those with unusual skills as delusional?’
At any rate, due to this mechanism, there are more possessors of complex forms of ability these days.
[Taming]
[Active]
[Details: Can issue commands to monsters.]
Strangely, however, the man in this spot, despite being an example of a good phenomenon, didn’t set his mind at ease.
‘To think I have to find out every single weak attribute of an 5-rank hunter by disguising it as a mindless attack from a magical beast...’
First of all, the skill he possessed could completely hide the fact of human intervention regardless of what incident was caused. But perhaps because of that convenience, the skill activation conditions were also uniquely difficult.
[Can only be used on mortally wounded monsters.]
Commands could only be issued after beating a sinister beast from another world until it was nearly dead, so he couldn’t organize an army like the common image of a druid.
In any case, the Awakened himself had to be strong.
‘My skill only activates when I’ve drained their health to the point where the beast is practically unconscious. Honestly, the sensation isn’t different from moving a corpse.’
However, in reality, such problems of power were sufficiently solved through diligent training or good equipment. Thus, there was a separate additional reason why a specific individual maintained an expression full of anxiety...
‘Why do I feel this uneasy every time I see that hunter?’
Swish.
The so-called Tamer scanned the vicinity while pretending to check his face in a mirror. In fact, the place he had been sitting all this time was inside the first-class section of an aircraft. And naturally, near his seat sat the professional target. The man checked the dry blonde hair caught in the edge of the mirror and soon swallowed another sigh.
‘Why... am I thus anxious. Could it be my nervous system is already ruined because I’ve been living with my days and nights swapped lately...’
Was it because the person in front of him was an authority in the field of manipulating magic—an alien archmage? Or was it because the opponent had already dealt with every mental interference-type magic assassin, including brainwashing?
Regardless, from the Tamer’s perspective, there was not yet a single thing that could be determined. Even after going through so many incidents. To third parties, Kim Giryeo was still a hunter whose inner thoughts remained unknown.
Author's Thoughts
Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)