###
Heading to the test dungeon.
An employee drove Kang Hyun there.
While in the car, a call came in.
It was Chief Choi.
A mid-progress report on the issue discussed earlier.
<The media cooperation for disclosing the ledgers is not going smoothly.>
“Why?”
<It seems they’re intimidated since the opponent is Palan.>
“Tsk.”
Still, it wasn’t all bad news.
< We’ve identified branches like the one that handles contract work.>
“Then should I start by hitting them and shake them up?”
<Huh?>
“Stir up some trouble, and the journalists might be more inclined to act.”
You never know what might spill out when you shake things up.
<You’re being bold as always. Still, I’ll look into it in that direction.>
The conversation turned to trivial matters.
<Haha, actually, thanks to you, Master Kang Hyun, I’ve made a tidy profit in stocks lately.>
“You invest in stocks, Chief Choi?”
<These days, a public servant’s salary alone won’t buy a house. You need a lump sum to invest.>
Somehow, Kang Hyun ended up hearing about the woes of public servants.
“Stocks, huh…”
<If you have any spare money, put it in somewhere. Since the Perfect Clear Awakener appeared, the Korean stock market is entirely in the red. Nothing’s not rising.>
Korea’s economy had long been bleak.
A downturn in the semiconductor market.
A declining population.
And the fear sparked by the collapse of the S-rank Gate that destroyed North Korea.
<In the midst of all these bad conditions, Master Kang Hyun, you’ve breathed life into Korea’s economy single-handedly.>
“Is it that significant?”
<Not just the stock market—every economic indicator is moving in a positive direction.>
The ripple effect of the Blessing.
The Perfect Clear Awakened’s impact.
Its effects exceeded all expectations.
<Every number in Korea is rising. Except for public servant salaries, of course.>
“…”
<Hahaha! Just kidding!>
It was clearly not a joke.
There was bitterness in his voice.
‘Even the news comment sections are unusually harmonious.’
The internet, usually a place of constant squabbling, felt surreal.
└ These days, the economy is flooded with good news.
└ My stocks doubled in just a week. Even the number of side dishes on the breakfast table has doubled. Life is good. Food tastes better.
└ Why aren’t mine going up?
└ What on earth did you invest in? Even if you pick stocks blindly, everything’s on the rise.
Everyone was full of expectations for the future.
└ Hurray for Perfect Clear Awakened! Now, let’s just find the S-rank Word Mage!
└ Chief Choi Young-ho, we’re counting on you!
└ Even the F-rank Blessing is this good. If the effects of the E-rank come out, the KOSPI might soar again.
└ So, what’s the effect of the E-rank Blessing?
It was quite the sight.
<Did you know? There’s an interesting rumor about me going around these days.>
“About Chief Choi?”
<There’s an analysis that the sudden surge in the Korean stock market includes the expectation of finding the S-rank Word Mage.>
I flinched for a moment.
Why would he bring that up to me?
It must be a coincidence.
“How is that about you, Chief Chief?”
<It’s mostly from economic columns in foreign media, but they all mention me in their analyses.>
“Huh?”
<They say, since Mr. Choi was the one who found the Perfect Clear Awakened, the odds of finding the S-rank Word Mage are high too.>
“Oh~”
That made sense.
‘He really is the closest to the answer.’
Even now, I was on the phone with the man in question.
In a way, the analysis wasn’t wrong.
Of course, I feigned ignorance.
“That’s a funny story. Hahaha!”
<Hahaha!>
Even with the answer right in front of him, Chief Choi seemed content, happy about the rising stock prices and his own value.
Once the call ended, the employee driving the car curiously asked.
“Were you talking to Section Chief Choi?”
“Yes.”
“Huh~ Not many people can contact him directly.”
“Really?”
Kang Hyun scrolled through the news comments.
The employee, who had been eavesdropping eagerly, clicked her tongue in disappointment.
She didn’t seem like the type to blab.
She just gave up and started daydreaming.
‘Stocks…’
The corners of her lips curled up.
She, too, had made decent gains in stocks recently.
Thanks to the man sitting right next to her—Kang Hyun, the Perfect Clear Awakened.
###
At the gate.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Team Leader Yoo Chae-young, who will handle your registration process.”
Yoo Chae-young shook hands with them and then glanced at Aden.
Most people would be nervous in front of someone in her position.
But Aden seemed quite at ease already.
‘Did she treat Aden kindly? No, she seems a bit stern.’
A typical office look.
Glasses and a ponytail.
The office look suited her very well.
Probably the best I’ve ever seen on anyone.
‘A support team leader from Korea’s third-ranked guild… She must be someone extraordinary.’
As if reading my thoughts, the employee who drove us here chimed in.
“Normally, Team Leader Yoo Chae-young wouldn’t be the one to handle new recruits. She’s one of the people with the highest authority in scouting and evaluating guild members!”
“Oh, I see.”
“She’s like a legend in headhunting within the industry! It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she’s one of the key figures who made Seonghwa what it is today—”
“Min-ah, stop….”
Yoo Chae-young’s face turned slightly red as she pushed the employee’s face away with her hand.
“I see…”
The employee seemed oddly enthusiastic.
I wasn’t looking down on her or anything.
But Aden’s eyes sparkled.
“So, Sister Chae-young is an amazing person after all!?”
“Ahem, well. I apologize for the sudden testing process.”
“It is rather sudden.”
Yoo Chae-young’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“Since it’s a special recruitment and not a public one, the schedule had to be arranged urgently.”
“Well, we did join rather suddenly too.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
She seemed slightly irritated.
Even so, her demeanor remained polite and professional.
She seemed like a decent person.
“I heard the test will take place in a dungeon.”
“Yes.”
“I’m E-rank, and Aden is A-rank.”
The two of them couldn’t enter at the same time because of the rank difference restriction.
While it was technically possible to put Aden into the inventory and bypass it, showing that wasn’t an option.
“Will it be conducted in two separate entries?”
“It will be conducted at the same time. Take a look at the gate in front of you—doesn’t it seem different?”
“Hmm… It does look unusual.”
A particularly obnoxious dungeon.
‘Why does that aura feel familiar?’
It was a presence he’d grown dreadfully accustomed to in his past life.
“Typically, you can’t exit a dungeon until it’s cleared. But this one is an open-type dungeon.”
“Does that mean entry and exit are unrestricted?”
“Yes. Furthermore, although it’s classified as an E+-rank dungeon, there are no rank restrictions for entry.”
It was somewhere between a ‘dungeon’ and a ‘passage’ by definition.
This meant Perfect Clear wasn’t possible.
“Is that all?”
“Pardon? Was there something else you were curious about?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
The gate in front of him was strange.
It seemed the guild hadn’t caught on to its true nature.
‘The aura of the Abyss Legion Commander. That bastard.’
Legion Commander.
Commanders were the highest-ranking demons, second only to the World Tree in strength.
It appeared one of the commanders had tampered with this gate.
Likely, the one from the Abyss.
‘It’s not as if my existence has been exposed… This must be a coincidence.’
If that was the case, this wouldn’t be an isolated incident.
He needed to investigate further.
If the hand of a commander had reached Earth, it was a significant problem.
“Let’s go in.”
Kang Hyun headed toward the gate first.
“Wait, I… Allow me to guide you!”
Yoo Chae-young seemed flustered by his proactive approach.
###
The three of them entered the dungeon.
“Team Leader, are you also an Awakened?”
“Yes, but it’s nothing impressive. I’m F+ rank.”
As an Awakened, Yoo Chae-young didn’t have much of a presence.
“Aden, this is an E+…”
“Hmm?”
Yoo Chae-young hesitated mid-sentence, meeting Aden’s gaze.
Ah, she’s cute.
“…Rank dungeon. Do you think you’ll be able to clear it?”
Her professionalism slipped briefly, but she quickly corrected herself.
The only real combat power here was Aden, effectively an A-rank.
Neither Kang Hyun nor Yoo Chae-young would be much help.
Of course, there wasn’t a strict need to clear it.
‘As a mage, soloing might not always be feasible depending on their combat style.’
Mages came in many types.
Quick-cast types specializing in rapid spells.
Warlord mages who excel in large-scale battles.
Or, very rarely, enchanters who support allies with buffs.
And many more.
“Failing to solo an E+ rank dungeon isn’t shameful, especially for a mage. Their role is naturally team-oriented.”
“Well… I, uh, don’t think I can manage on my own….”
“Don’t be nervous. Speak freely.”
“I have no experience. My output control is shaky, and if an enemy gets too close, I can’t even handle a goblin… That’s why I have to fight alongside Master….”
“You’re new, so that’s understandable.”
Being inexperienced wasn’t a flaw for someone of A-rank.
The fact that Aden had even shown up was already commendable.
‘Wait, she has a master?’
Yoo Chae-young encouraged the visibly nervous Aden.
“Any gaps in your abilities can be filled as you work with us at Seonghwa. Don’t worry.”
“Yes…!”
“Let’s explore the entrance area for now.”
After walking a short distance, monsters appeared.
Aden’s gloomy expression brightened.
“Oh, golems!”
“What, feeling confident?”
“Not exactly, but I’m familiar with them!”
Aden, who came from a prestigious family in Thea, explained.
“The knights at my family’s estate trained with artificially intelligent controlled golem dummies. I used to watch them spar frequently.”
“Wait… Your knights used those expensive things? And not for the direct heirs?”
“Huh? Are they expensive?”
Kang Hyun was momentarily taken aback.
This kid might be more impressive than she seemed.
“Aden, are you a noble from Thea? I’d love to hear more about your background when we become part of the same family.”
“Oh… Uh, yes.”
It wasn’t a pleasant past, but Yoo Chae-young extended her warmth nonetheless.
She was professional yet personable when needed.
“In any case, if your opponents are golems, that should ease the pressure!”
“Shall I show you, then?”
Their opponents were five 2-meter-tall golems.
Aden stepped forward and began preparing a spell, glancing back at Kang Hyun before casting.
“Master? Should I freeze them all at once with an ice domain? It’s probably the most stable approach….”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Hehe, hehe… I’m still not used to real combat.”
“You need to develop the ability to make decisions on your own. Figure it out next time.”
“Yes! I’ll keep that in mind!”
Yoo Chae-young tilted her head curiously.
‘Master?’
