Kang Hyun grabbed Mar’s face and pushed her away.
Her head was so small that it fit almost entirely in one hand.
“You know, I’m Mister’s protector!”
“And so what?”
That was how the phone call with Yoo Chae-young ended.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
“Why don’t you ask Yoo Chae-young, the one you like so much? I can’t tell you because I don’t know how much of this is supposed to stay a secret.”
All he had done was pass on the list of abnormal dungeons.
He didn’t involve himself further—too much hassle.
From now on, Seonghwa would handle it on their own.
“Geez, Master, you’re so unresponsive!”
“…? You want me to buy it for you?”
Aden’s persistent whining made Kang Hyun order her a tiramisu cake.
###
<Gate clear rates plummet due to dungeon abnormalities.>
<Experts predict a mana stone shortage within a month.>
In just a few days, the crisis became apparent in numerical terms.
Economic damage.
Casualties caused by dungeon collapses.
Loss of Awakened combat power.
Dungeon abnormalities were creating numerous problems.
However, the true issue lay elsewhere.
└ Clear rates are dropping? What happens to progress, then?
└ Oh, right. Didn’t a new season just start?
└ Wait, what?
└ …?
└ Wow.
└ Nah, it’ll get resolved soon enough.
└ lol yeah right.
If progress couldn’t be maintained, it was over.
Every dungeon in the affected country would overflow simultaneously.
What about the government?
Silence.
The issue was severe enough to bring about national collapse.
They feared that premature announcements might incite panic.
└ Ignoring it won’t help—what are they going to do about progress?
└ Can’t Perfect Clear handle it?
└ Unclear. Experts say you need at least a C-rank to achieve progress with Perfect Clear alone.
└ Aren’t there other Awakened people?
└ Who’s entering dungeons in times like these….
The scale of the threat was so unreal that most refused to face it head-on.
└ Korea isn’t a developing country. There’s no way it’ll blow up, right?
└ Worst case, we could get foreign aid.
└ Who’d help us? Every dungeon here is a ticking time bomb. Who’d volunteer for that?
└ Huh?
└ You really don’t get it? The country’s falling apart in real-time.
Fear was piling up, like lava in a dormant volcano.
Quietly, beneath the surface.
And then.
A message appeared before all Awakened in Korea.
Ding!
[World Quest has been initiated.]
[Quest: Defend Against the Dungeon Abnormalities]
[The Black World Tree is plotting an evil scheme. Stop their nefarious plan and protect Korea.
Quest Completion Conditions:
-Resolve the dungeon abnormalities: 0/1
-Identify the mastermind behind the plot: 0/1
Reward: Being calculated….]
A World Quest.
In the 100 years since Gates first appeared, such a notification had been globally rare.
The meaning was clear.
A majority of people were now exposed to a deadly threat.
The system was issuing an overt warning.
└ Did I just get this?
└ Damn it, I got it too.
└ The country’s done for lol.
└ ? What’s everyone talking about?
└ Why are the forums suddenly flooded?
└ Did Awakened folks get another alert?
└ Did Perfect Clear show up? Progress improved?
└ I’m packing up and leaving Korea, bye.
Fear exploded.
Everyone was anxious and couldn’t put down the internet news.
The emergency food at the large mart was sold out.
Panic erupted.
People anxiously clung to internet news updates.
Emergency supplies at large supermarkets sold out.
In the provinces, riots broke out.
The streets in front of the Blue House filled with protesters.
“The government’s failure to address the dungeon abnormalities must step down!”
“Take responsibility for the World Quest!”
“The president must resign immediately!”
Fear spread rapidly.
At the academy, Kang Hyun and Aden watched the news on TV.
“Wow… Master, it seems like the country’s in serious trouble.”
“The quest’s conditions are pretty straightforward.”
“Resolve the abnormalities and identify the mastermind… who’s going to take care of that?”
“Resolving it, sure. But the mastermind….”
Kang Hyun propped his chin on his hand.
Wasn’t this… that thing?
Speaking softly enough that Aden couldn’t hear, he muttered toward the system.
“It’s got to be the Abyss behind this, right?”
And then.
Ding!
[The World Quest’s completion conditions have been updated.]
[Quest: Defend Against the Dungeon Abnormalities]
[The Black World Tree is plotting an evil scheme. Stop their nefarious plan and protect Korea.
Quest Completion Conditions:
-Resolve the dungeon abnormalities: 0/1
-Identify the mastermind behind the plot: 1/1 (Completed)
Reward: Being calculated….]
“Uh, uh! M-Master! One of the two conditions has been cleared!”
“Huh.”
What’s going on?
###
As the wave of fear continued to spread uncontrollably, the government was hastily preparing measures and statements.
Ding!
[The World Quest’s completion conditions have been updated.]
[Quest: Defend Against the Dungeon Abnormalities]
[The Black World Tree is plotting an evil scheme. Stop their nefarious plan and protect Korea.
Quest Completion Conditions:
-Resolve the dungeon abnormalities: 0/1
-Identify the mastermind behind the plot: 1/1 (Completed)
Reward: Being calculated….]
At the forefront of the protest, a high-ranking Awakened was shouting into a loudspeaker.
“The government must take responsibility for this crisis—what?”
The protests came to a halt.
The government’s emergency meetings were also interrupted.
Everyone was bewildered.
What?
The quest notification appeared less than a day ago!
└ What is this now?
└ Who did this?
└ Wait, is the Korean government secretly super competent?
└ Yeah, right.
└ If it were the government, they’d already be promoting it as a political win. The fact they’re silent means they don’t know what’s happening either.
└ But seriously, who did this?
The sudden shift in atmosphere didn’t stop there.
Somehow, the media caught wind of the news and spread it quickly.
<Seonghwa Responds Swiftly to Dungeon Abnormalities!>
<The Strength of Korea’s Third-Ranked Guild.>
<Allegations of Inadequate Response Capabilities Are Baseless!>
At a press conference, Seonghwa’s Vice Guild Master spoke.
<We have developed a dungeon abnormality detection technology, which is currently being tested. While it is not yet ready for widespread use, we’ve prioritized its application to ensure the safety of our guild members.>
In truth, even the Vice Guild Master didn’t fully understand what had happened.
Thus, his statements were cautious.
Nonetheless, the public reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
As if they had never criticized Seonghwa, public opinion shifted drastically.
└ They just solve problems as soon as they arise.
└ Big guilds are different, huh?
└ It’s not just a big guild—it’s Seonghwa, ranked third among the top 10.
└ Honestly, let’s just call it the Big 3. Top 10 feels outdated.
└ Failed Seonghwa’s recruitment test for the fifth time. I want in…
└ Please make this technology a success. Cheering for you!
Seonghwa suddenly became the center of everyone’s expectations.
The slyly orchestrated media strategy backfired spectacularly.
The guild didn’t just neutralize the attention—it turned it completely in their favor.
After wrapping up the press conference, the Vice Guild Master sought out Yoo Chae-young immediately.
“Kang Hyun? That man has been a standout ever since the first day when he crushed Seong-min. I should’ve realized he wasn’t just some theorist!”
A man who despised facing the press now had a face full of smiles.
“I shouldn’t have doubted your judgment, Miss Chae-young. Hahaha!”
“I didn’t do much. He’s simply that talented.”
“But you’re the one who discovered him!”
Yoo Chae-young quietly smiled to herself.
The truth was, Kang Hyun had been a state-sponsored recruit.
However, she had recognized his potential early on, even when others dismissed him.
It was Yoo Chae-young who backed him up when no one else would.
Within the guild, this story was somewhat exaggerated, making it seem like she had “discovered” Kang Hyun.
Despite the positive outcome, Yoo Chae-young couldn’t help but feel conflicted.
She went to Kang Hyun.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop the leak about the abnormality detection.”
“It was inevitable.”
Kang Hyun had no desire for fame.
But neither did he hold any resentment toward Yoo Chae-young.
She had tried to handle the matter discreetly,
but stopping the leak had proven impossible.
After all, Kang Hyun had already distributed the list of abnormal dungeons to the guild members.
“This much is fine.”
He had concerns about gaining attention,
but this time it wasn’t for his combat prowess.
That alone made it bearable.
Now, the guild members were calling him “Doctor”.
Even though he didn’t have a degree.
“At least the public doesn’t know your name.”
“That was well done.”
The leak couldn’t be helped, but the follow-up had been flawless.
“That said… I’m sorry to ask, but since things have turned out this way,
have you considered stepping further into the spotlight?”
“Step further in?”
“Guilds from all over are reaching out to us.”
“Oh, to have their gates analyzed too?”
“Yes.”
This time, Kang Hyun had stepped forward because Seonghwa was like family to him.
He didn’t particularly want to extend his help further.
“I’ve already discussed it with the Vice Guild Master. The payment for your dungeon analysis will go entirely to you, and on top of that, you’ll receive 10% of the dungeon-clear profits.”
“Seonghwa isn’t taking a cut?”
“No. Just your involvement will skyrocket our guild’s reputation.”
It made sense.
Yoo Chae-young’s proposal seemed more about appearances than money.
“But 10% of the dungeon profits is surprising.”
“Tempting, isn’t it?”
Kang Hyun could analyze dungeons, but this was on another level.
If he analyzed a high-grade dungeon?
An A-rank dungeon could yield tens to hundreds of billions in revenue.
Taking 10% from that?
“Tempting, sure….”
But getting busier didn’t appeal to him.
There was already too much on his plate.
“Here, this is your share for this contribution.”
“Wait, what’s this? This fancy case makes my heart race.”
He recognized the item.
He’d received so many gifts like it in his past life.
A wooden box made from the Teraze tree.
It was commonly used to store magical elixirs.
“It’s a magic elixir. It increases mana by 1 within the E-rank range.”
“Oh!”
Nice!
Support already?
He hadn’t even been with the guild for a week.
Without hesitation, he tossed it into his mouth.
Yoo Chae-young flinched, but since it was her second time seeing it, she quickly calmed down.
Chew, Chew.
Ding!
[‘Mana’ has increased. (E- → E)]
“…Stop startling people like that.”
He spat the container into a trash can.
“Ah, healthy taste.”
“How can you consume an elixir like that? I’ve never heard of anyone doing that!”
“It’s fine as long as you do it properly.”
“Are you sure it’s okay? No side effects?”
“It’s fine, really.”
This wasn’t his first rodeo with elixirs.
Mana, E-rank.
‘Just one more point to go.’
Then he’d be able to use the cultivation technique from his previous life.
Kyle’s technique.
His growth would accelerate.
‘Perfect timing, with those loan sharks next on my list.’
With his stats increasing, the job would be much easier.
“By the way, if you provide analysis for other guilds, you’ll likely receive support like this again in the future.”
“That’s an offer I can’t refuse. Deal.”
He’d get busier, sure, but he’d secured time to focus on Perfect Clear.
As for the loan sharks, they could be dealt with at night.
A bit of extra cash wouldn’t hurt.
It would also boost Yoo Chae-young’s standing.
‘More importantly, I need to stay involved in this for a while.’
Because of the World Quest.
The rewards were rumored to be massive.
‘What will I get? Maybe another jackpot item like the Inventory?’
He was already excited.
‘If I expose Palan’s involvement, will that complete the quest?’
Time to leak it to the media:
The dungeon abnormalities were a collaboration between Palan and the demons.
Let’s see how the quest updates.
###
The mysterious individual who had already resolved one of the World Quest’s two conditions.
└ So, who is it?
└ An S-rank Word Mage?
└ Maybe the Perfect Clear Awakened?
└ How would that work? I heard they’re still in the E-rank range.
└ But seriously, how did they do it so quickly? Do they have some special skill?
└ The government should collaborate with them to resolve this crisis quickly!
The government was desperate to find him, scrambling in every direction.
The dungeon abnormalities hadn’t been resolved yet.
The nation’s fate still hung by a thread.
His help was essential to resolving the crisis.
Recruiting him as a civil servant would be even better.
Section Chief Choi felt the same.
He immediately made a call.
<Is this Mr. Kang Hyun?>
“Yes?”
What was with this person?
