###
“And then I received this.”
Kang Hyun had a satisfied expression as he took out a laptop from his inventory and opened it.
“…? Where did you pull that out from?”
“That’s not the important part.”
He was told to deliver this to Ghost.
He opened the file.
“A list of lawmakers?”
“To be precise, a list of traitors.”
At those words, Yoo Chae-young’s eyes gleamed.
A list of traitors and those who had taken money from them.
It was different from the low-quality information floating around on social media.
There were real names on it—ones that had never been exposed before.
“It’s not just lawmakers; people of influence from all fields are included.”
“This… this isn’t just any kind of information.”
If this file were to be leaked?
Korea would be thrown into chaos once again.
Even Aden, intrigued, peeked over.
“The CIA is quite useful, huh?”
No amount of money in the world could buy this kind of information.
It showed just how desperate the U.S. was to win over Ghost.
“Let me take a look… My god, there are so many.”
“Right? The corruption runs deep.”
“With this, we could gain an enormous advantage just by blackmailing them!”
But that wasn’t going to happen.
“They will all die.”
Yoo Chae-young flinched.
She was someone far removed from murder.
But only for a moment.
She quickly set aside her initial fear and offered her advice.
“If you take your time and extract what you can first, you could gain a lot.”
“I don’t have time to waste on that.”
“…The names on this list are too significant. If you handle this too suddenly, Korea will be shaken to its core.”
“And should we leave a festering wound just because it hurts?”
This was all a necessary process.
Kang Hyun didn’t care.
Whether Yoo Chae-young looked dazed or not, he scrolled through the list with a flick of the mouse wheel.
“My Master isn’t called Ghost for nothing!”
“Hah, true.”
“Those who deserve to die should die.”
Chief Choi, Yoo Chae-young—
How many times would they have to be shocked before they got used to it?
“That’s right. If you cared about such things, you wouldn’t have killed Park Cheol-woong so suddenly.”
“Hey, he threw the first punch.”
“You killed him just because he hit you once?”
“Have you ever been punched by an S-rank? If not, don’t talk.”
Yoo Chae-young let out a chuckle.
“But the more I look at this, the more interesting it gets.”
There were also people who had taken money from China and Japan.
They were the ones advocating for their protection policies.
And when she checked who they were,
they matched perfectly with the traitor list.
“Once a sellout, always a sellout.”
“This also shows that the U.S. intends to counter foreign influence.”
“Fine by me. They’re traitors either way.”
Since killing Park Cheol-woong, Ghost had been laying low.
Drawing too much attention might make the government retaliate again.
But now was the perfect time.
All eyes were on the World Quest and the Perfect Clear.
Moreover, the government had already suffered a major blow for trying to suppress Ghost.
“Ghost will run wild for a while now.”
And Korea would grow even stronger, forged in blood.
“I should probably sell off all the stocks I’ve been holding onto.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Anyway, this was Charles’s gift.
To be precise, America’s gift to Ghost.
“So by accepting it, you’re acknowledging your connection with Ghost?”
“I’m planning to get along with the U.S. I was quite impressed by the CIA this time.”
Even back in his time as Kyle, brute force alone wasn’t enough.
Business, politics, intelligence— all of these were necessary.
Back then, he had also collaborated with intelligence organizations.
There was even an underground syndicate Kyle frequented.
If he got on good terms with the U.S. and its CIA, things would be much easier.
“And if they want Ghost, it means there’s something to be gained from them too.”
No need to just take from Korea.
Might as well spread it out evenly.
“…Every now and then, Kang Hyun, you surprise me with your way of thinking.”
“Eh? My Master isn’t smart, except for magic.”
“I don’t mean intelligence—I mean the way you think on a grand scale.”
“Ohh!”
“What are you two even talking about?”
Right in front of him.
Kang Hyun found it absurd.
###
“Chief Choi! Have some tteokbokki, tempura, and sundae!”
“Thank you!”
“You worked hard on your trip.”
“Thanks!”
A simple meal that cost less than 50,000 won.
Choi Young-ho was enjoying it without worry.
“Doesn’t the guild give you a performance bonus? Seonghwa’s global reputation skyrocketed after this incident.”
“I already have plenty of money. But what do you mean by global reputation?”
“Well, it’s not just Seonghwa.”
Korea’s credit rating had soared.
Of course, it was because of progress rates.
How well a country filled its progress gauge— this was now the standard measure of national Awakened strength.
If the Awakened power was too low, it meant either destruction or becoming an economic vassal of the GSA.
Naturally, this heavily influenced national credit ratings.
“Korea ranking 4th in the season progress…! I’m tearing up! Thank you, Kang Hyun!”
“Oh, right. We must have maxed out the progress gauge by now.”
A Perfect Clear of an E-rank Dungeon gave 5%.
And he had done it over 40 times.
Not even a month had passed, and it was already full.
The top three countries had completed theirs right at the start—strong nations with overwhelming power.
Of course, the recent global crisis had an impact as well.
At some point, the progress rate of every nation had slowed significantly.
Had this been any other season, Korea likely wouldn’t have made it to 4th place.
“Wasn’t Korea’s credit rating pretty bad?”
“Yes. Due to constant talent outflow, our progress acceleration was steadily declining. We only had two S-ranks.”
“Now we have three!”
“Haha, unofficially, at least.”
But now, things were different.
“Korea, which once struggled to even hit 100% next season… is now a proud exporter of elite mercenaries!”
This time, Korea was sending Awakeneds to struggling nations, those suffering from low progress rates.
“The entire nation is incredibly proud of this!”
Awakeneds eagerly took up the opportunity.
After all, it was an honor.
Moreover, this was a season where everyone was struggling.
Mercenary pay had even gone up with a premium.
It was a fantastic way to earn foreign currency.
“This proves that Korea’s global standing has risen!”
“Not bad.”
“As a public servant of this country, as a citizen! I sincerely thank you once again!”
“Come on, just eat your tteokbokki.”
Kang Hyun wasn’t particularly fond of this kind of thing.
Before he knew it, the plates were clean.
“That was delicious!”
“Get some rest. You have a business trip to France tomorrow.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Kang Hyun returned to his academy to prepare for his trip to France.
###
America was bewildered.
“We’ve scoured all entry and exit records but found nothing.”
Among the Awakeneds who had entered the country, there was no EX.
Of course, that was expected.
“It’s a high-speed movement ability that even crosses oceans. I wasn’t holding my breath.”
“But it didn’t appear on our air defense systems either.”
The U.S. had already been wary of the rapid movement ability.
Naturally, they had tightened their air surveillance.
Not even a single drone could enter American airspace undetected now.
“Then does that mean they moved along the surface?”
“That speed is impossible on the ground.”
A stealth-based high-speed movement that even bypassed reinforced air defenses.
“…That’s impossible.”
“But it happened.”
“…Hah.”
At first, they thought it was some new Korean government technology.
But if even the U.S. couldn’t do it, there was no way Korea had suddenly figured it out.
It had to be EX’s original Awakening ability.
And that was highly significant.
“Then, if EX were to head for the White House right now, could we stop him?”
“…The probability is low. Even if he has stealth, infiltrating a building at that speed without detection would be difficult.”
“So, are you sure?”
“…”
A gap had appeared in America’s security.
“It’s like a ghost.”
But EX and Ghost couldn’t be the same person.
EX was only D+ rank. Meanwhile, Ghost had one of the most powerful S-rank offensive capabilities.
“This is practically teleportation.”
“Spatial movement is an impossible phenomenon. Even Kyle and Mila Roden couldn’t do it.”
“It’s just a figure of speech.”
Still, it wasn’t an immediate crisis.
“Rest assured. EX is not a threat to the President.”
“That’s true. He’s only a D+ rank, after all.”
The President of the United States was the most heavily guarded man on the planet.
And it wasn’t just human security.
The President absentmindedly touched the brooch on his chest.
A faint glow emanated from it.
“But what if, one day, he becomes the strongest S-rank? Would I still be safe then?”
“…The U.S. has time. We will find a solution.”
First, they needed to uncover the exact nature of his ability.
“By the way, there’s been a theory about the connection between Korea’s three rising figures.”
That theory had just gained more traction.
Now that the relationship between the Doctor and Ghost had been revealed.
“EX’s stealth movement… could that be the source of Ghost’s assassination ability?”
“…”
“…Why aren’t you answering?”
It wasn’t an entirely impossible idea.
They had all appeared around the same time.
If there truly was a connection between them—
If one of them had passed on their technique—
If Ghost had the same ability—
“Then, what if Ghost… attacked the White House?”
“…”
“Could we… stop him?”
A chill spread through the office.
The aide remained silent, unable to answer.
“…Increase the national Awakened defense budget significantly.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Prioritize research into this as much as possible.”
“Understood.”
“And… increase the number of my Awakened bodyguards.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
The President swallowed hard.
###
“【Open】”
The two of them stepped into the academy.
The trip was over.
“I enjoyed France more than the U.S.!”
“The food in France was too greasy for me.”
The second day of protection placement was done.
Kang Hyun opened the World Quest window.
[Time Remaining: 4 days, 21 hours, 42 minutes]
About five days left.
What would happen when the countdown ended?
For now, there was nothing they could do.
All they could do was set as many protection sites as possible and become stronger.
That was the best course of action.
“Should I open the weapon chest?”
“Ooooh! Finally! The Hero’s Weapon!”
The Hero’s Weapon.
What would it be?
[Would you like to open the Hero’s Weapon Box?]
“Yes.”
