The World Quest in Korea has been cleared.
The nation rejoiced at the news.
Regardless of whether they were Awakened or ordinary citizens, everyone celebrated the resolution of the abnormal phenomenon that had caused so much suffering.
People shared their relief and joy with family and friends.
“That was such a nerve-wracking time.”
“I’ve never been this scared of a Gate collapse before.”
“Same here. Normally, I wouldn’t have thought much about it.”
This incident drastically shifted public awareness.
Terms like Gates, Awakened, and collapses, which had become part of daily life, took on renewed significance.
“Awakened power really is national power. Without Seonghwa, Ghost, and the Perfect Clear Awakened, we’d have been doomed.”
“We’d better choose wisely in the next election.”
“Yeah, let’s vote for whoever promises to increase the Awakened budget.”
“Would any party even oppose that now?”
“Ugh, all this trouble because of those traitors.”
Meanwhile, Palan had entered the process of disbandment.
Its guild members scattered, and the remaining assets were swiftly divided among the other top 10 guilds.
Legal battles were still ongoing, but no one foresaw any hope for Palan.
Both material and circumstantial evidence were clear, and even Park Cheol-woong, the S-rank Guild Master who could have held the guild together, was dead.
All that remained for the remnants was imprisonment.
“Did you see the rewards for this World Quest?”
“Yeah, I saw them.”
As public interest in Awakened individuals reached an all-time high, the tale of the Perfect Clear Awakened, the central figure in this incident, became a hot topic.
Particularly noteworthy were the rewards for the World Quest.
“Wow, what kind of weapon would a Hero’s weapon be?”
“Could it really be a relic used by the Heroes a hundred years ago?”
“If it is, that’s peak nostalgia overload.”
“Couldn’t the government just show the rewards to the public once?”
The legacy of a Hero held immense symbolic weight.
It was no wonder the S-rank Word Mage had drawn so much attention at his debut.
“How did that reward end up going to the Perfect Clear Awakened?”
“Because it’s meant to be. The right person got it.”
But there wasn’t much time to revel in the aftermath.
A new World Quest appeared shortly after, this time on a global scale.
Nations quickly took action, beginning with efforts to reassure their citizens.
“People of France, remain calm.”
“Proud Britain has successfully resolved two World Quests since its founding.”
“Even neighboring Korea has cleared a World Quest.”
“This global calamity will serve to unite the Federation.”
Interestingly, there was less public unrest compared to the Korean incident.
The scale of the event was so vast that it almost seemed abstract, and governments worldwide projected humanity’s resilience with a reassuring tone.
Every nation worked to downplay the danger.
Panic would only make an already dire situation worse.
Thus, most people believed their governments would handle it—except in two countries.
└ Why does it feel like our country’s the most worried about this?
└ Because we can’t afford to worry about other nations.
└ Just wait. When they experience two large-scale collapses back-to-back, they’ll realize, ‘Oh, we’re screwed.’
└ Yeah, Korea acted the same way at the beginning of this mess.
└ Isn’t the Korean Peninsula safe? Didn’t they already clear the quest?
└ I’ve personally witnessed two collapses during this crisis—I can’t even sleep peacefully.
└ You survived two collapses? You should buy a lottery ticket.
In Japan, protests erupted daily, mirroring the unrest seen in Korea during the final stages of its own crisis.
“The current cabinet must resolve this issue immediately!”
“Secure the Blessing without delay!”
“Hold Korea accountable—bring the Perfect Clear Awakened here!”
Japan, having already endured the bitter taste of collapse, was teetering on the edge.
The tension they had been barely managing to contain now manifested as fear in the face of the World Quest.
The Japanese government tried to calm public sentiment, much like other nations, but anxiety persisted.
Globally, discussions about securing the Blessing were deliberately avoided in public statements.
Relying solely on one individual could incite panic.
<Of course, behind the scenes, they’re bombarding Korea with requests.>
“Naturally.”
Kang Hyun nodded.
It would be nice if they could take care of it on their own, instead of just talking.
Even as governments assured their citizens, people continued to see the Blessing as the ultimate solution.
After all, it is the most immediate and proven method.
After all, wasn’t the World Quest completed just yesterday in Korea?
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is going to have a tough time.”
<Coincidentally, the installation price for the Blessing has been decided.>
“How much is it?”
<Before I tell you, about the promise you made to offer a discount for Korea… is that still valid?>
“Of course.”
Kang Hyun had decided to offer Korea a lower price. It was the country he currently lived in, and his family was here too.
From his past experience, he knew it was far less stressful to maintain good relations with the country he was affiliated with.
‘To be honest, I had already installed plenty of Blessings before negotiations even began.’
If he were to charge full price now, wouldn’t it feel like coercion?
Though it was a necessary action, the sequence of events made it awkward.
“So, how much is it?”
<10 billion won.>
“…Huh?”
Kang Hyun, who had a personal cash reserve of 8 billion won, was rendered speechless.
“…That’s so unreal, it’s making me dizzy.”
<Actually, this price is on the lower side. Since this business essentially deals with life and death, charging too much would invite severe international criticism.>
Wait a second… then for the Blessings installed in Korea alone…
<Counting locations like Seoul, where multiple Blessings overlap as one, you installed a total of 41 Blessings.>
At half price?
205 billion won.
Good heavens.
“Wow… 200 billion… What could I even do with that?”
<…I’m envious.>
“What was that?”
<Nothing.>
Lost in thought for a moment, he missed the comment.
With this kind of money, he could buy elixirs without hesitation.
Once things settled down, a shopping trip for elixirs was in order.
‘I should’ve bought Mom a nicer bag and Dad better liquor.’
He suddenly recalled the time his parents had worried about Kang Subin’s university tuition.
‘Well, we can say goodbye to such trivial concerns now.’
It was time to let them retire soon. His father had once mentioned a dream of opening a quiet bar when he got older.
‘Should I just hand them the money, or help them set it up? I’m terrible at business though.’
Noticing the smile creeping onto his face, Kang Hyun caught himself.
This wasn’t his first taste of success.
The status Kyle had achieved in his previous life was incomparable.
But this was the first time he felt this kind of fulfillment—the anticipation of someone else’s happiness brought about by his own success.
Kyle, an orphan in his past life, could never have understood this feeling.
This was an emotion unique to Kang Hyun, who had grown up in a happy, ordinary family.
‘Maybe I should’ve paid more attention to those around me in my past life.’
Though, if he had, he might never have achieved the feat of sealing the Black World Tree.
Even now, he occasionally regretted it—being so focused on the future that he missed the happiness right next to him.
‘I suddenly miss that guy.’
He remembered something Park Cheol-woong once said.
< There are values in life you can’t recover once you regret losing them.>
<I’ve decided never to regret it.>
Indeed.
Some things could no longer be undone.
‘…Oh well. I’ll just focus on protecting the values I have now.’
He resolved not to let regret take hold again.
<Mr. Kang Hyun?>
“Ah, sorry. I was a bit distracted. What did you say?”
<As we were setting the price for the Blessing, I realized that the current president seems very favorable toward you.>
“Really?”
That was good news. It was always troublesome when the leader of a country was antagonistic.
‘Why, though? Is it just because I’m a citizen?’
There would probably be a chance to meet him someday.
He’d find out then.
<Well, I need to prepare for my trip, so I’ll take my leave now.>
“Alright. Take care.”
After ending the call, Kang Hyun returned to his work.
Then he sensed something off and turned his head.
Aden stood there, mouth agape, staring at him.
“200 billion… won….”
“…What.”
“Meat… Korean beef….”
“Meat again? Don’t you ever get tired of it?”
“That’s an impossible concept.”
It was as if Aden’s brain was hardcoded with “large sum of money = meat feast.”
Kang Hyun sighed. ‘I should take her to try other delicious food sometime.’
“Let’s wrap this up and head out.”
“Yay!”
Aden refocused on her task, sorting through the elixirs scattered across the floor.
“Wow, such a waste. Where are we even going to use all these elixirs?”
The boxes stacked from clearing the Korean Quest totaled 23.
All of them had been opened, but it was still far fewer than the number of Blessings he had installed.
‘So the daily cap is five Perfect Clears.’
Beyond five in a day, no additional rewards were given.
Still, he received two Silver Boxes as a special reward for achieving 10 Perfect Clears.
And the results?
“Bronze Boxes feel so underwhelming now.”
“I know, right?”
The haul was abysmal—only one usable elixir among the lot.
It was inevitable. The only attribute still in the E range was stamina.
Higher-tier elixirs, like those for D-range stats, only dropped from Silver Boxes and above.
“Ugh.”
Ding!
[‘Stamina’ has increased! (E+ → D-)]
Kang Hyun checked his stats.
[Stats]
Strength: D-
Agility: D
Endurance: D-
Stamina: D-
Mana: D+
All his attributes had entered the D range now.
It was a respectable lineup.
‘Still, it’s odd that I didn’t get a single Word of Power this time.’
Was it bad luck this time, or had he been exceptionally lucky in the past?
“Let’s hold off on the World Quest rewards for now.”
“Agreed. Today doesn’t seem to be our day.”
He was wary of losing momentum and getting another dud.
Let’s save it for another time.
“Meat!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Letting Aden drag him along, they headed to the barbecue restaurant they’d visited last time.
###
“Now, let’s commence the emergency summit hosted by the Global Superhuman Alliance (GSA).”
Chief Choi stood stiffly as he listened to the opening declaration. His body trembled.
‘Why… Why am I here…?’
The conference room was packed with representatives from all over the world.
While many were proxies, there were also several presidents, prime ministers, and other heads of state in attendance.
The man next to him tapped his shoulder, making Choi flinch.
It was none other than Kwon Dong-chul, the President of South Korea.
“Do your best. Your role here is critical.”
“U-Understood!”
Why wasn’t the head of the Awakened Bureau here instead of me?
Choi Young-ho wanted nothing more than to clock out and go home.
“The topics of today’s meeting are: ‘Discussion of Solutions for the Dungeon Abnormalities’ and ‘Prioritization of Blessing Installation.’”
He could feel countless eyes on him.
Chief Choi desperately wished for this nightmare to end.
