Unlike Japan, the atmosphere in the White House was pleasant.
“Does this change the situation?”
“Yes, sir. Until now, setting up an E-rank Blessing had been out of reach.”
Logistically, it would have taken a long time to establish it in Korea alone.
Even the U.S. had hoped to set up the Blessings in only a few major cities.
That’s why they had treated Korea so well.
“But now, we might be able to yield Blessings to foreign countries.”
Perfect Clear Awakened had advanced at an explosive rate.
Four consecutive Perfect Clears in just two days.
The world was stunned.
It defied previous predictions.
For a single Perfect Clear Awakened to fulfill an entire nation’s progress, they’d need to be at least C-rank.
That was the established theory.
“An E-zone dungeon Perfect Clear increases progress by 5%.”
“One person raised it by 40% in just two days? That’s unbelievable.”
Normally, the combined efforts of all Awakened in a nation would raise the progress by about 0.5% in a day.
Yet, even in the F-zone, a Perfect Clear increased progress by 3% at once.
Someone once referred to him as the only man who could single-handedly move whole numbers.
“At this rate, the current season will end before all the Blessings in the Korean Peninsula are even set up.”
Korea had no reason to rush.
Addressing the root cause of the crisis had already taken priority.
“At this point, it’s not just about yielding blessings—we could even sell them.”
“It was thought that Perfect Clears would be impossible beyond E-rank.”
“Why do experts always seem to be wrong?”
The experts might have felt unfairly criticized.
After all, Kang Hyun’s growth was beyond anyone’s imagination.
“This has driven EX’s value higher than anticipated.”
“What was once considered a speculative investment has suddenly turned into a blue-chip stock.”
“Was it Chief Choi? If it weren’t for him, EX would’ve been under America’s jurisdiction by now.”
In any case, this development worked in favor of the U.S.
“It was a good call to mark Korea early. Proceed with the Blessing installations.”
“Understood.”
“And if possible, identify this individual.”
The fast-movement technology currently causing a stir in Korea—its identity remained a mystery.
But there had to be some way to detect it.
“It couldn’t possibly be stealth technology, could it?”
“Even for the U.S., that’s impossible.”
The Korean government couldn’t have that level of capability.
“But Blessings aside, EX’s growth rate is terrifying. At this pace, even a D-rank Perfect Clear might be achievable.”
“According to our analysis, that would be difficult.”
There were barriers between each rank.
And starting from D-rank, the dungeon structures fundamentally changed.
“It’s predicted that EX’s Perfect Clear strategy relies on ‘herding tactics.’”
That was the most realistic scenario.
He was likely specialized in exterminating a concentrated group of enemies in confined spaces.
Up to E-rank, the simplicity of dungeon layouts made this feasible.
But starting from D-rank, dungeon scales expanded significantly.
“EX’s combat strength is exceptional, but without herding, solo-clearing D-rank dungeons would be nearly impossible. He’ll likely need a capable team.”
“Now is our chance.”
The U.S. is a country of talent.
They had plenty of ‘friends’ they could introduce to EX.
“Clearing D-rank will require extensive preparation. Let’s find EX before then.”
“Ensure it is done.”
The U.S. President smacked his lips.
###
“Eight consecutive loot box openings!”
“Whoa! Drum roll, please—!”
Aden was making a fuss, excitedly opening the stockpiled loot boxes.
The results?
“Nice! Junk items!”
“Ugh… I opened eight, and this is all I get….”
There wasn’t anything particularly useful, but it was still a net gain.
A new Word of Power had appeared.
Kang Hyun glanced at the system message before him.
[The seal of a random Word of Power has been released.]
[The Word of Power 【Explode】 has been unsealed.]
While it wasn’t versatile, it had considerable destructive potential.
‘And more importantly, it’s one of the two keys to that technique.’
He was pleased. If the other one appeared, his combat power would soar.
As for the rest?
Shockingly, it was all garbage.
“Wow, what a treasure trove of elixirs.”
“Are you mocking me?”
All the potions were low-grade, useless for his current level.
If nothing else, at least a refined mana potion could’ve been helpful.
‘I’ll set aside the ones useful up to E-rank….’
The rest would have to be refined or synthesized into higher-grade elixirs later.
‘Spatial inventory is really convenient.’
Elixirs usually required storage fees, but thanks to the inventory system, that wasn’t an issue.
‘Four F-rank body enhancement elixirs.’
They were practically useless now.
In that case….
“Open wide.”
“No! Don’t!”
“Open your mouth!”
“Stop it!”
“Open up, I said!”
“Don’t do this!”
Kang Hyun wrestled with Aden, trying to pry her mouth open.
“You’re the only disciple who fights her master!”
“Ahhhh!”
“This brat has no idea how precious elixirs are!”
“Then you should take them, Master!”
“Back in my day, we had to risk our lives just to get one of these!”
“How about three days off training per elixir?”
“One day per elixir!”
“Aaahhh!”
In the end, Kang Hyun forcibly shoved the elixir into Aden’s mouth.
“Blegh… It’s so bitter…”
“Now spit it out.”
“Bleh…”
After helping Aden absorb the elixir, Kang Hyun stood up.
“Let’s head to the dungeon.”
“E-rank dungeons are a breeze anyway. I’ll see you when you’re back.”
“No. Today, we’re going to the D-zone.”
“What!?”
Korea’s immediate crisis had been dealt with.
There was no rush to deploy more Blessings for now.
‘The negotiations with other countries haven’t even concluded yet.’
Besides, unlike Korea, most countries weren’t in critical condition.
Japan was the only one that had taken significant damage, and that was due to poor handling of the situation.
“Let’s take a look around the D-zone for now.”
“Wow!”
Taking Aden with him, Kang Hyun headed toward the Gate.
###
‘So this is the effect of a Blessing.’
Looking at an anomaly dungeon under the influence of a Blessing made it clear.
Unlike Providence, this was an artificially created anomaly dungeon.
‘It suppresses some of the Abyss’ power.’
The power of an Abyss Legion Commander still lingered in the dungeon.
It was just being suppressed.
The Abyss’ power didn’t disappear entirely.
It wasn’t omnipotent.
In extreme cases, if a Legion Commander were to invade directly, the Blessing wouldn’t be enough to stop it.
‘If the power is suppressed like this….’
They passed through the Gate.
A normal dungeon unfolded before them, resembling a dense jungle.
[You have entered the D-rank dungeon, ‘Jungle of the Crimson-Eyed Apes’.]
Kang Hyun summoned Aden.
“Ew, the air feels sticky.”
“Watch your step. The terrain is rough.”
Soon, the monsters appeared on their own—a group of monkeys with crimson eyes.
Kyahhh—
Keeek, keek!
“They’re hanging from the trees?”
“What should we do?”
“Knock them down?”
“That would’ve worked before.”
Kang Hyun opened his inventory and dropped E-rank mana stones into his palm—one for each monkey.
Twelve in total.
With a bit of mana control, he made the stones float around him.
“Whoa! How are you doing that!?”
“Skillfully.”
As his mana reserves grew, his options expanded.
‘I used to feel like my hands and feet were tied. This is great.’
Aden’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
“Teach me how to do that too!”
“It’s very difficult.”
“I’ll work hard!”
“With your talent, it’ll only take a few years of practice.”
“Ugh.”
Aden’s enthusiasm deflated instantly.
“Ugh… It looked so cool, though…”
With a flick of his hand, the mana stones began orbiting around him at an even distance.
Kyahhh—
Kreeek, keek, keek!
The monkeys reacted.
They seemed to realize Kang Hyun was preparing something.
It was clear that intelligence was higher in D-rank dungeons.
The monkeys pulled out bamboo blowguns and began loading them, ready to use.
However, before they could lift them to their mouths—
“【Gara】”
The floating mana stones shot out in all directions like bullets, each one striking its target square in the eyes.
Keeegack!
Keek, keek!
Kiiiieeek!
“Mana stones are rocks infused with energy.”
“Yes, Master!”
Aden stood at attention, listening intently.
“They hold a pure and vast amount of energy.”
Because of this, mana stones are used extensively in modern industries—not just as energy sources but also as raw materials for various applications.
It’s no wonder they’re considered the cornerstone of mana civilization, second only to oil.
“But their reactivity is extremely low.”
That’s why specialized processing is required to refine or use them as fuel.
“And if a mana stone is broken?”
“Uh… does it explode?”
“No.”
The energy simply disperses into the air.
However…
“If you can ignite that pure, concentrated energy, it becomes incredibly useful.”
The monkeys writhed in pain. Kang Hyun lowered his hand.
“【Explode】.”
BOOOM!
“Wah!?”
The shockwave ruffled Aden’s hair as the once-noisy jungle fell silent.
“Wow…”
“What’s so amazing? You can do this too with your magic.”
“But it’s so much cooler! If you hadn’t explained it, you’d have just said two words and blown everything up!”
“That’s true.”
Quick casting.
Power that didn’t always align with the time taken to prepare.
These were just a few of the many advantages of Words of Power.
“Let’s move deeper inside.”
“Wait, this isn’t over?”
“They say dungeons get bigger starting at D-rank.”
Monkeys kept appearing, but they were easily dispatched. Kang Hyun used less mana-intensive methods than 【Die】, like earlier.
“It would be easier to clear everything with a single use of 【Die】.”
“Finding a dungeon where that works won’t be easy anymore.”
Before long, they reached the jungle’s center—a clearing with no trees, where a massive gorilla lay resting.
As befitting its status as the alpha, it had a prime spot basking in the sunlight, with a black root from the Black World Tree serving as its pillow.
Snore…
“Are you just going to fight it directly?”
“Why bother?”
Kang Hyun threw a stone to wake the gorilla.
Grr…?
“Spirit. Soul. Essence.….”
The true advantage of 【Die】 wasn’t mass slaughter.
It was delivering a single fatal blow, regardless of the opponent’s strength.
Even as Kang Hyun recited the invocation, the gorilla remained still.
A rare sight for a boss monster—it wasn’t the aggressive type.
“Declaration. Fade…【Die】.”
Thud.
The gorilla fell back, resting its head once again on the World Tree root.
This time, it no longer snored.
“No matter how many times I see it, this is completely broken.”
“It is broken. Let’s get out of here.”
The dungeon was cleared.
Ding!
[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!]
[Special rewards are granted for achieving a ‘Perfect Clear! (Solo)’.]
[You have received a ‘Silver Box’.]
