“But, did you find out anything during the interrogation last time?”
“I couldn’t get anything. It was a complete mess.”
There are two pieces of meaningful information.
“I heard that some high-rank Awakened with big brains are quite famous.”
“Hmm.”
And I found out the branch address where the low-level guy was working.
Even if we raid it, there’s nothing to gain.
‘Let’s see their reaction first.’
I killed the two guys they sent.
What will their next response be?
They might send stronger reinforcements.
They could try to make contact.
‘It doesn’t matter either way.’
Assassination attempts were just part of everyday life during the Kyle days.
‘I should just wait while doing my job.’
Let’s raise our mana quickly.
###
F+ Rank Dungeon <Dragonfly Plains>.
I took out Aden.
“A-rank student appears!”
The monster was visible immediately.
“Ah, the dragonflies I was practicing with last time… Uwaak!?”
Aden almost fell back again.
“Wh-what, why are there so many!”
“Back then it was F-, here it’s F+. But since the monster types are the same, the number is more.”
“But it still seems like too many!”
If there were about 30 back then.
Now it’s around 80.
“It’s said to be the most difficult among F+.”
“Did you choose this on purpose?”
“Now that my mana is E-, I want to see how much it is.”
Gradually, the dragonflies begin to target this side.
“Do-you think you can do it? Last time you couldn’t stop the loan sharks.”
“The stronger the target, the more rapidly mana is consumed. Just having a large number reduces the burden.”
“This, like last time, me using magic and you stopping them with your Words of Power…”
“Shut up.”
He took off his mask.
“【Stop】.”
Kiing-
Aden, who was worried it wouldn’t work, is impressed.
“Wow…”
The sight of them stopping is always mysterious.
Moreover, with dozens of monsters suspended in the air, it’s even more so.
“Oh… You seem much stronger now?”
“Not yet.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah, a-”
He took a deep breath.
Yesterday, before receiving the call from Chief Choi.
He cleared the dungeon and received rewards.
From there, he unlocked a Word of Power.
“【Fall】.”
“Yes? U-uuak!”
Hoodoodoodud-
Dragonflies as big as eagles.
Dozens of them dropped all at once.
Like something was pressing down from above.
“Wow, is it possible now? This number of them?”
“As I moved to E Section, my mana increased significantly.”
“I heard there are walls between each section, seems to be true. But…”
Aden looked to the sky.
Still about 30 were suspended in the air.
“Tsk, it’s not done all at once yet.”
If they were ground monsters, I could have sliced them one by one.
But since they’re floating in the air.
“You handle it.”
“Huh? If they rampage, wouldn’t you have no mana to stop them?”
“Not that. Use appropriate magic to shoot them down one by one.”
“Aha.”
Multiple ice arrows, an attribute of stability, were shot.
They killed all the dragonflies.
“Let’s pick up the mana stones.”
“Money!”
Finished off even the Black World Tree roots.
Crunch.
[An Awakened has achieved a ‘Perfect Clear!(Solo)’ …]
[Completed a dungeon ‘Perfect Clear!(Solo)’, special rewards are given.]
Today also [Random Box(+2)].
“Open it now!”
“Gacha!”
Now familiar light and sound effects played.
Ding!
[Item ‘Heartbeat of Prey’ is given.]
“Hmm?”
This time, it’s not a healing potion.
“Oh!? A ring? Could it be an item?”
“Let’s see.”
[Heartbeat of Prey]
A ring that detects others’ murderous intent, not ‘killing,’ but ‘murder intent’.
When detected, you point the finger at the subject of the murderous intent.
“Oh?”
This is considerable.
In his previous life, he suffered from assassination.
This is a very welcome item for Kang Hyun.
He told Aden about the effect.
“Um…? Isn’t it vague? How often in life do others try to kill you.”
“It happened just the day before yesterday, man.”
“Aha!”
Aden quickly changed her evaluation, giving a thumbs up.
“This is a totally good item!”
How funny.
“This is why I can’t stop Perfect Clear.”
He put it on his finger.
“Since you’ve been getting so generously in F Section, I’m looking forward to E Section.”
“Indeed.”
“How about E-rank next? Escape from F-rank section!”
“I heard they don’t give permission from E- onwards.”
“Huh? Why… Ah, collapse.”
F Section dungeons don’t collapse even if failed.
But from E-rank onwards, it’s different.
So they’re thoroughly controlled.
“You said you wanted to do it alone, are you crazy?”
“Even I would have done that.”
“What the hell?”
“Hahaha! Those rotten Awakening Bureau bastards! They actually refused my Master’s approval!”
This punk… keeps acting up.
“Your snacks are confiscated. I’m not buying any more.”
“Aaack! No, please! That was my first time having snacks in 15 years! It’s such a rare luxury!”
“Wait… was it really that bad?”
What kind of life has she even lived as an undocumented person?
At this point, I’m starting to feel sorry.
“…Fine. Let’s exchange the magic stones right away. I’ll buy you plenty of snacks. I’ll even treat you to a meal.”
“Wow! Long live Perfect Clear Master!”
I should probably cover her food expenses too from now on…
‘…Hold on. I’m the head of the academy, and she’s a student.’
Am I really supposed to be the one paying?
But Aden quickly interrupted my thoughts.
“So, what now? Are we never going to an E-rank dungeon?”
Kang Hyun scratched his head awkwardly.
It’s not like he could assemble a team.
He couldn’t use Words of Power in front of others either.
‘Do I just keep farming F+ dungeons forever?’
Oh, right—wasn’t there Chief Choi?
We’d set up a meeting.
‘Maybe I should ask him about it.’
If he can somehow negotiate using Aden’s A-rank status.
He might be able to get some perks.
‘Or maybe I’m just being overly optimistic.’
Well, he’ll talk to him and see.
###
Today’s the day to finally exchange mana stones.
Kang Hyun’s heart fluttered with excitement.
He waited in the main bureau lobby.
‘Money, here I come.’
Money in a modern society.
Even Hero Kyle couldn’t help but smile at that thought.
‘While I’m at it, I should update my Awakener rank. E-rank… Wait a minute.’
Can I report myself as E-rank right away?
His growth has been too fast.
It’ll draw unnecessary attention.
‘Tsk… Everything’s such a hassle, from dungeon permits to all this bureaucracy.’
If only he had a reliable connection in the government.
While lost in thought, his turn came up.
“Please proceed to the counter. We’ll assist you with the exchange~.”
Kang Hyun walked in.
The staff member at the information desk picked up the phone.
” Chief Choi, Awakened Kang Hyun is here.”
<Got it. Treat him well. If anything happens, let me know immediately.>
Kang Hyun entered the counter area, which was in the same room as the registration desks.
It was the place where Aden had registered earlier.
There, he saw a familiar face for the third time—a rookie female employee.
“Please place the mana stones on the scale.”
“Sure.”
Kang Hyun took out a pouch from his inventory.
The employee blinked in confusion.
‘Where did that come from?’
Was that some kind of magic too?
But her curiosity was short-lived.
A mountain of mana stones poured out.
The sheer volume made her flinch.
‘W-why are there so many?’
Didn’t he just register here recently?
How did he gather this much in such a short time?
‘Wow…’
Could he be some kind of extraordinary talent?
‘Wait a minute.’
She remembered her training.
Awakened with abnormal power.
Murdering teammates in dungeons.
Hoarding mana stones.
Stealing items.
The employee felt a chill.
‘No way…’
Clause 4 of the rookie manual.
Never make personal judgments.
If something feels off, consult a supervisor.
“U-uh… please wait a moment.”
“Take your time.”
The employee left the room and called the first-floor security team leader.
‘If something strange is happening, the team leader will handle it.’
If he turns out to be a criminal Awakened…
It’s fine. The first-floor team leader is an E+-rank Awakened.
Moments later, the employee returned with a man in a suit—the first-floor security team leader.
“Haha, this rookie here hasn’t learned how to assess mana stones yet. I’ll assist you.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Kang Hyun fiddled with his phone while the team leader observed him.
‘The amount of mana stones is certainly unusual, but… wait. Is that his face?’
That guy.
Kang Hyun, wasn’t it?
‘He’s the one our company marked for elimination.’
The guy who borrowed money, then awakened.
Why is he still alive?
The first-floor team leader, officially a security guard, was actually a corporate informant.
His job was to leak information about new Awakened individuals to the company.
‘Wasn’t the operation supposed to take place yesterday?’
Did the information he sent not go through?
He’ll have to send it again.
‘The sheer amount of mana stones and his suspicious vibe—he’s a problem.’
People like him should be taken care of quickly.
Just then, Kang Hyun’s hand twitched.
‘Huh?’
His tightening fingers.
It was the Heartbeat of Prey ring he had received as a reward.
‘What’s this situation now?’
As he loosened his grip,
The ring moved his finger, pointing directly at the security team leader.
It meant that the guard had murderous intent.
Kang Hyun abruptly stood up, the chair screeching behind him.
Bang!
“Wha—Mommy!”
Ignoring the startled employee, Kang Hyun grabbed the security guard by the collar.
“Urk!”
“You’re a funny guy. Hey, do you know who I am?”
The guard’s eyes widened in shock.
‘What… what the hell is this lunatic doing?!’
Despite his panic, the guard attempted to counter.
Though his opponent was an F- rank, he tried to twist Kang Hyun’s arm and throw him down.
‘What the… why won’t he budge?!’
But Kang Hyun had already secured the upper hand, positioning himself with superior weight distribution and leverage.
Instead, the guard found himself slammed onto the desk.
Thud!
“Argh!”
“Gyaaaaak-!”
The commotion immediately drew the attention of Choi Young-ho, who rushed down after hearing the report from the front desk.
“What’s going on here?!”
Kang Hyun casually waved.
“Oh, it’s been a while, Chief Choi.”
“O-oh, indeed, it has.”
Chief Choi stammered.
He hadn’t expected to meet Kang Hyun again under these circumstances.
And yet, here was the man, calmly greeting him while pinning down a security guard as if it were a routine chore.
Something about Kang Hyun’s demeanor exuded an odd sense of trustworthiness, even while he held someone down.
Meanwhile, the first-floor team leader—the subdued guard—was confused.
‘Chief Choi? What’s he doing here?’
Choi was a highly capable individual, well-known for his skills within the headquarters.
He wasn’t the type to rush down for minor incidents.
A sense of foreboding swept over the team leader.
‘No way… Did they figure it out? No, that’s ridiculous. I’m overthinking this.’
He dismissed the thought, attributing it to the chaotic situation.
On the other hand, Choi Young-ho quickly assessed the scene.
‘The first-floor security team leader, overpowered by an F-rank?’
It seemed impossible.
But then again, the other party was the Perfect Clear Awakened.
He quickly accepted the anomaly.
There had to be something special about someone like that.
“What happened here?”
“This guy—are you sure he’s really affiliated with headquarters? Feels more like someone sent him here from a shady group.”
“What nonsense are you spouting, you lunatic?!”
An accusation like this was no light matter.
A headquarters security guard versus a newly registered Awakened—on paper, the guard’s position would seem more credible.
Yet Choi couldn’t dismiss Kang Hyun’s claim so easily.
‘Affiliated with a shady group?’
And the one making the accusation was the Perfect Clear Awakened?
What were the odds of this being a mere coincidence?
A thought struck him.
‘Could it be… a spy from another country?’
He recalled recent events where Kang Hyun had been approached by foreign agents.
It was no secret that several nations were keeping tabs on him.
If that was the case, this situation made perfect sense.
An assassination attempt on an Awakened.
Such incidents had occurred numerous times before.
Failed attempts to recruit him?
Or perhaps just a move to weaken Korea?
The motives were endless.
‘Perfect Clear Awakened individuals are just that valuable.’
Chief Choi finished organizing his thoughts, his expression hardening.
‘How dare they. Our Perfect Clear Awakened?’
The future of South Korea?
‘You treasonous scum!’
Thanks to Kang Hyun, they had uncovered a spy.
The first-floor team leader had been lurking within the headquarters for years.
Choi didn’t know how Kang Hyun had figured it out, but…
‘I’ll expose everything.’
Who was behind this, and what other shady operations they had been conducting.
‘The investigation will reveal it all.’
If he was innocent, there’d be no problem.
But if he wasn’t, justice would prevail.
“Security! Emergency! We’ve got a suspected spy! All team leaders, report to my location immediately!”
Choi’s shout sent a ripple of panic through the room.
The first-floor team leader’s face paled.
His mind raced to piece together the puzzle.
The sudden conflict, Choi’s rapid descent, the perfect coordination…
‘I… I’ve been exposed!’
He realized the truth.
They had figured out he was a corporate mole.
This was a trap all along!
