###
The media was in a festive mood.
But the Seonghwa Support Team office felt like a funeral.
“We… no, I lost.”
“T-Team Leader…”
In the end, the Perfect Clear Awakened had fallen into the hands of the government, through Section Chief Choi Young-ho.
“With this, the balance of power has completely shifted to the government.”
“From now on, the government will be able to do much more.”
They could control the progress systematically.
In the future, they could possess the strongest S-rank combat power.
No matter how powerful someone was, they could be crushed with force.
All of this came from the strength of a single Perfect Clear Awakened.
“At least the country will grow stronger.”
“But domestic guilds won’t be able to hold their ground. Not even Seonghwa.”
A bitter future.
The result of their defeat.
‘If only we had brought the Perfect Clear Awakened to our side…’
A meaningless thought.
Instead, they needed to look toward the future.
“Since it’s come to this, we absolutely must find an S-rank Word Mage.”
“Team Leader, fight!”
Team Leader, fight?
She would likely end up pulling an all-nighter.
Until they found the S-rank Word Mage!
“At least we managed to recruit Aden. But…”
“Our Aden is this year’s best achievement for our team!”
“But.”
“Huh? But?”
“Why do I feel a lump forming?”
Yoo Chae-young’s glasses flashed.
She pulled out an official document and showed it to her team member.
It was Kang Hyun’s profile.
“What’s this?”
“What else? It’s a parachute recruit.”
“A what? Parachute?”
“Yes, parachute! At Seonghwa, Korea’s third-ranked guild, a parachute recruit!”
Normally composed, Yoo Chae-young’s reaction was unusually sharp.
It was a matter of Seonghwa’s pride, after all.
“And why, of all people, am I directly responsible for this?”
This was nothing short of humiliation.
A parachute recruit in Seonghwa, Korea’s third-ranked guild!
And the Team Leader herself was overseeing them?
For just one rookie?
How far had Seonghwa’s reputation fallen?
“Wow, approval from the Awakened Management Bureau’s director? This is truly a mega-parachute case.”
“What’s their deal anyway?”
“Well, at least they’re a freelance mercenary. We can just cut them loose after the mandatory contract period.”
“That’s the problem! A free termination clause? Seonghwa doesn’t even give such benefits to A-ranks!”
A state-affiliated freelance mercenary?
What an over-the-top title.
Nothing about this sat well with her.
But Yoo Chae-young was a professional.
“Phew… Since we’re meeting Kang Hyun tomorrow, book an open dungeon reservation. We’ll conduct a test immediately.”
Let’s see.
Just how amazing this person really is.
“Won’t you be tired?”
“Complaints are one thing, but work must be done properly.”
“Yes! Team Leader, fighting!”
“Oh, wait a moment.”
Yoo Chae-young stopped her departing team member.
“What about the report?”
“Huh? Which one…?”
“The strategy promotion plan for guild members based on the increased stats from F-rank Blessing.”
“Oh, haha… I’ll finish it before leaving!”
Yoo Chae-young sighed again, rubbing her forehead.
“…Work on it tomorrow instead and get the research data on E-rank Blessings from the research team.”
The effects of E-rank Blessings were still unknown.
They needed to figure it out quickly to stay ahead of other guilds.
“Yes, ma’am!”
The staff member quickly bolted.
Yoo Chae-young tapped the official document absentmindedly.
“Kang Hyun, Kang Hyun…”
It felt like she’d heard the name somewhere before.
###
Another day, another dungeon.
Did he report the raid?
Not yet.
Instead, Kang Hyun called one of Chief Choi’s subordinates.
“Uh, I’m entering the dungeon now.”
<Yes, permission granted. Have a safe raid! Fight on!>
With a click, the report was done.
So convenient.
‘Do guilds handle things this easily too?’
Kang Hyun was starting to understand why Awakened were so eager to join large guilds.
Though in truth, the situation was completely different.
No one but Kang Hyun enjoyed such privileges.
“Let’s go.”
Entering the dungeon.
E-rank <Orc Camp>.
“Orcs?”
“Yeah. Undergrown mini-orcs.”
About twenty of them.
Mini-orcs might be small, but they were stronger than goblins.
“This looks tougher than the last dungeon.”
“But there’s no boss here.”
“Ah, I see.”
The key point of this dungeon was the regenerative ability of each mob.
Srring-
“【Burn】”
Fwoosh!
Flames engulfed the dark crimson blade.
Aden’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Wow…”
She was thrilled to witness the magical swordsmanship once again.
‘Lord Kyle must have fought like that too.’
There was no one else who used magic swordsmanship.
At least, not outside of movie scenes.
After all, no sane person would simultaneously train in both magic and swordsmanship.
Perhaps her master was the first since Kyle.
‘I can’t wait to join a guild with Master.’
Aden eagerly wanted to show others her master’s magical swordsmanship.
“I’m going in.”
Kang Hyun charged straight into the group of orcs.
Kuweeek!
Gweh!
As the sword slashed, flames lingered in the air, drawing fiery trails.
Swick.
Swick!
The orcs were cut down, their wounds seared shut.
Sizzle—
The mini-orcs collapsed one by one, their regeneration thwarted.
‘The sword really does cut well.’
It was worth the 120 million won he spent on it.
With this kind of equipment, he could definitely buy more in the future.
Especially now that the platinum card was fully transferred over after the contract.
“Be careful!”
Three orcs surrounded him.
But he deftly slipped away.
‘With higher stamina, everything feels easier.’
The ginseng from Drake Mountain he ate earlier raised his stamina by 3, bringing it to E-rank.
Swick.
Sizzle—
‘Still, it’s a bit lacking.’
The mini-orcs had thick necks.
He couldn’t decapitate them cleanly in one swing.
With higher strength, it might be possible.
The lack of satisfaction in the feedback annoyed him.
Those blasted stats!
“Master, you’re amazing!”
Before they knew it, about 20 mini-orcs were wiped out.
‘Mana consumption is much better now.’
Mass slaughter spells like 【Stop】 are powerful.
Fighting with magical swordsmanship by casting Words of Power on himself was far more efficient.
At this rate, he could probably clear one more dungeon.
Perfect Clear might be out of reach, but…
‘I can sustain basic Words of Power like 【Burn】 for quite a while now.’
His stability had improved.
He could feel himself growing—at an incredible pace.
‘The system is great.’
With additional support, he’d grow even faster.
This elite course of progression was something he could never enjoy in his past life.
“Let’s call it a day here and prepare for the Seonghwa meeting.”
What rewards would come this time?
Just before cutting down the last root—
“But is this really okay?”
“What is?”
“Taking all the benefits for ourselves from both the government and Seonghwa. It feels like we’re being too greedy.”
The government had signed a freelance mercenary contract.
Literally, a contract of freedom.
They hired Kang Hyun, the Awakened, as a mercenary.
As a result, they imposed very few restrictions.
He wasn’t a government official but a mercenary.
Mandatory conscription?
Even that took the form of a mission request.
He could refuse.
Since it wasn’t conscription, he would receive compensation and keep the spoils of war.
‘And yet, I still receive all the benefits we agreed upon.’
It was an extremely one-sided contract.
Was it really okay to have it this easy?
“This is the right of the strong. It’s the choice they made.”
“Ohhh… Master’s wisdom!”
When Kang Hyun made a plausible remark, Aden’s eyes sparkled again.
What an overreaction.
The government seemed content with having priority.
As long as they kept him out of foreign hands or other guilds, it was still a win for national power.
‘More importantly, building up my position like this will make it easier to become a diplomat to Thea in the future.’
It was a contract that left everyone satisfied.
[Perfect Clear! (Solo)]
[A tremendous achievement! You have completely thwarted the invasion of the World Tree!]
[Due to your achievement, a ‘Blessing’ will be bestowed upon the surrounding area! Everyone will praise your achievement!]
Now it was time for the reward.
[As a reward for perfectly clearing the dungeon (Solo), you are granted a special item.]
[You receive a ‘Bronze Box’.]
“No special achievement this time?”
“You’re being greedy. Talk after clearing ten more.”
Still, it was fine.
Even the Bronze Box rewards were worthwhile.
Besides, he had a good feeling about today.
[Opening ‘Bronze Box’.]
A familiar effect burst forth.
Shuaaak—
Ding!
[A random Word of Power has been unsealed.]
[The Word of Power 【Vera】 has been unsealed.]
“Oh! It’s here!”
“Wait! Your reaction is too good—don’t tell me….”
“It’s junk!”
“Are you messing with me on purpose!?”
Sorry.
I’ll explain everything when the time is right.
‘But teasing her is surprisingly fun.’
In his previous life, Mila was the same.
It made Kang Hyun wonder—was this why people took joy in raising disciples?
###
Oh Hyuk-jun, an executive of Palan, threw the documents onto his desk with irritation.
“Who the hell is this guy? Suddenly, an A-rank villain shows up?”
“Well, that branch did operate under the guise of a private loan company. It’s possible they made some enemies.”
“Phew… Yeah, it’s probably nothing.”
He couldn’t spare energy worrying about a mere villain.
Even if the idea of an A-rank villain was a bit nerve-wracking.
It wasn’t like there had been a conflict with a guild.
The issue was limited to one subcontracted branch.
“What’s more concerning is losing the security team leader we planted in the headquarters.”
Oh Hyuk-jun, who had been killing newly awakened individuals, had been siphoning support funds from the demons.
But now that their most competent informant was gone, carrying out murders would become much harder.
“The support funds will decrease.”
“Damn it.”
Bang!
Oh Hyuk-jun kicked the desk.
“This is ridiculous! Everything’s turning into a damn mess….”
First, they lost a new A-rank recruit to Seonghwa.
Then, the Perfect Clear Awakened was taken by the government.
And now, an unknown villain appeared, threatening their funding.
His legs trembled.
He found himself biting his nails.
Finally, he lit a cigarette with an irritated flick.
The room filled with the sweet scent of a peculiar drug.
His subordinate flinched.
“Hey, let’s push up ‘Project Unreal’. Trigger it right now.”
“Are you sure? The investigation isn’t complete yet.”
“Ah, about the legion commander opposition? Just proceed with it.”
Those who had faced the legion commander might catch on to the plan.
“So what if they notice? Let them.”
“Hmm… When you put it that way, it makes sense.”
“If they find out we’re connected to the demons, what can they do? Do they even have evidence?”
The subordinate nodded.
Oh Hyuk-jun opened a safe and handed over a bundle of scrolls.
[Irregularity Generator]
Designates ten dungeons to be corrupted with the power of the Abyss Legion Commander. These dungeons will exhibit “Irregularities”..
The item originated from the system.
It was designed to counter the Black World Tree.
But this item was harmful to humanity.
It had been corrupted by the system under the influence of the Black World Tree.
“Take it. Begin.”
“Yes.”
Irregularities would occur in each dungeon.
This would increase both the failure and mortality rates of raids.
With Awakened individuals growing fearful, progress would slow significantly.
This situation would allow them to control the progression and consolidate their influence.
By reducing the number of Awakened individuals, they’d earn a hefty reward from the demons.
That was ‘Project Unreal’.
“Stop being so scared of minor setbacks. Crisis breeds profit.”
“Yes, but….”
“What now?”
“What about the Perfect Clear Awakened?”
“What about him? Oh, the progression?”
Now that the Perfect Clear Awakened was under government control.
“The government will use him to drive progression forward.”
“He can’t cover it alone. This time, the demons seem to be going all out.”
The dungeon irregularities would be far more severe than expected.
Experts had calculated as much.
Even with the Perfect Clear Awakened, they couldn’t meet the progression requirements.
He needed to grow to at least C-rank for that.
“More importantly, even he would be at risk from the irregularities. Didn’t you notice how he struggled in E-rank zones and how his Perfect Clears have been less frequent? It’s starting to overwhelm him.”
“That’s true. But if he dies…?”
“If he dies, he dies. It’s not like I could have used him anyway.”
In fact, that might be better.
It would only solidify Palan’s position in controlling the progression.
“Uh, but….”
“What now?!”
“I’m worried the demons might deceive us and accelerate the project independently. If that happens, Korea might fail to meet the progression requirements—”
“Then we’ll just move to another country. What’s the point of your brain if you don’t use it?”
His response was immediate, without hesitation.
“…Understood. My apologies.”
“Proceed without any delays.”
“Yes.”
After dismissing his subordinate, Oh Hyuk-jun took a deep drag from his cigarette.
The trembling in his legs subsided, and his gaze grew unfocused.
‘If this works out….’
He’d gain recognition from the guild master.
And finally, he could achieve his dream of becoming the vice guild master.
His thoughts drifted, hazy and content.