###
Korea’s 3rd Ranked Guild, “Seonghwa”.
The support team at Seonghwa was in complete chaos.
“Team Leader!”
“…Yes, I see it.”
While the team member was visibly excited,
Support Team Leader Yoo Chae-young responded calmly.
In front of her was the notification that had appeared earlier,
a notification she couldn’t take her eyes off for a long time.
[An Awakened has achieved a ‘Perfect Clear!(Solo)’ of an F-rank dungeon, completely halting the World Tree’s invasion!]
[To honor their achievement, a ‘Blessing’ descends upon the surrounding area. Everyone, please celebrate!]
“Three Perfect Clears in a row….”
“Team Leader, this makes it the sixth one worldwide, right?”
“Four of those were achieved by the same person. And in Seoul, no less.”
“That’s insane!”
The team members clapped their hands in excitement.
But Yoo Chae-young frowned, veins bulging on her forehead.
Her glasses glinted sharply.
“Now’s not the time to celebrate.”
“Huh? Oh no, the glasses…! Workaholic mode activated!”
“Stop celebrating and start tracking them down immediately!”
Her stern command snapped the team back to attention.
And they quickly returned to their desks.
“What’s the status?”
“Still nothing.”
“You haven’t located the Word Mage yet?”
“No.”
“Then, what about the Perfect Clear awakened?”
The S-rank Word Mage, a figure who had turned all of South Korea upside down.
They were the top recruitment target.
Now, a new priority had emerged.
Another extraordinary talent—
The one who achieved the Perfect Clear.
“Still no updates….”
“Why not? All you have to do is cross-check the dungeon records!”
“Well, the government is controlling the information.”
“What?”
“It seems Section Chief Choi Young-ho is involved.”
“…That man again.”
Yoo Chae-young was South Korea’s most renowned headhunter, a master at scouting and recruiting Awakened talents.
And Section Chief Choi Young-ho—
A figure frequently mentioned alongside her.
He was the one who resolved the mass defection crisis involving North Korea’s Awakened.
“This time, we absolutely must bring them to Seonghwa!”
Yoo Chae-young’s glasses glinted again.
Though usually calm and composed, she became visibly passionate whenever Seonghwa was mentioned.
Make Seonghwa Great Again!
This was Yoo Chae-young’s creed.
A workaholic.
Her life began and ended with Seonghwa.
“Wait a moment. With four consecutive Perfect Clears, where does South Korea’s progress stand now?”
“Let me check~”
A team member hummed as they checked the progress.
Dungeon Progression.
Every country had to clear dungeons to fill its progress gauge.
What happened if they failed?
National destruction.
All dungeons in that country would collapse simultaneously.
What country could survive such a disaster?
The system was preventing dungeon collapses for now.
After all, dungeon collapses were equivalent to the Black World Tree’s invasion.
However, the system’s power wasn’t limitless.
It couldn’t cover the entire Earth indefinitely.
Hence, the need to fill the progress gauge, proving to the system that the country was worth protecting.
Both Chae-young and the team member opened the progress status window.
[World Progress Overview]
USA (2 months, 16 days remaining): 100%
China (29 days remaining): 100%
…
Japan (3 months, 2 days remaining): 94.65805%
UK (2 months, 6 days remaining): 92.00295%
South Korea (25 days remaining): 89.00045%
…
“Progress went up by 9%—just in a single day!”
“Unbelievable.”
A single Perfect Clear raised progress by 3%.
An unheard-of achievement.
“The nation raised its progress by 80% over five months, and one person added 9% in a day….”
The deadline for progress was six months.
Countries had to reach 100% within that time frame, then achieve another 100% in the following six months.
South Korea had only 25 days left.
While the general public struggled to raise even 0.00001% collectively, a single Perfect Clear achieved a 9% increase in one go.
An unprecedented talent, to say the least.
Even Team Leader Yoo Chae-young gulped nervously.
She shifted her stance.
“…In the worst-case scenario, I can accept losing them to Section Chief Choi.”
“Yes, as long as they don’t defect to another country….”
This was why nations were desperate to secure Awakened individuals.
Not only were they national assets in themselves, but they were also directly tied to the country’s survival.
South Korea, in particular, was feeling the urgency.
Years of talent outflow had slowed progress.
And after witnessing North Korea’s collapse firsthand, no nation was as desperate.
“Still, we must bring this talent to Seonghwa!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
With a Perfect Clear Awakened,
‘We can become South Korea’s No. 1 guild.’
Or perhaps even world-class.
“Let’s move!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Make Seonghwa Great Again!
###
Kang Hyun lay on the sofa in the academy.
Ring Ring—
The phone rang.
“Hi, Dad.”
<Have you eaten?>
“I’m about to.”
<Good. I just called to check if you’re doing well.>
What nonsense.
“You called me just yesterday. Just admit you wanted to hear my voice.”
<Shut up.>
Kang Hyun chuckled.
Fathers had their own amusing quirks.
As Kyle, he had been an orphan.
But in this life, Kang Hyun lived with his family.
‘I used to think being an orphan was easier.’
Not at all.
In this life, for the first time, he felt the warmth of family.
At first, it was unfamiliar.
He wondered if he could truly call them family.
‘There are people in this world who care only about me.’
They would stay awake without sleeping, skip meals, and pour everything they had into raising him.
He couldn’t help but acknowledge it.
They were Kang Hyun’s family.
Without a doubt.
<Son, can you spare some pocket money?>
“Who is this?”
From the other side of the phone, Kang Hyun could hear his mother scolding, “Stop saying nonsense to the kid!”
Then came the sound of a slap on the back.
Smack!
<I-I was joking. Anyway, how’s the academy doing?>
He knew his father was aware the academy had hit rock bottom.
Kang Hyun had even taken out loans to set it up, so his father had always been worried.
“It’s doing so well that I’m starting to pay off the debt.”
<What!? Seriously? You weren’t saying that just a little while ago!>
“Yeah, things turned around. I’ll explain more when I visit.”
He hadn’t told them he’d Awakened.
It would only make them worry.
‘Especially with all the noise about the Hero Plaza Gate collapse recently.’
Even though there were no casualties, the Gate collapse in the heart of Seoul had been a major event.
Lately, danger seemed to be the focus of everyone’s attention.
‘And I’m still working through the F-rank range with its high mortality rates.’
It would be better to tell them later.
His rank would rise soon enough.
“I’ll send you some pocket money, too.”
<Hyun-ah, it’s Mom. Make sure to put that in my account, okay?>
Her voice replaced his father’s—she must have snatched the phone from him.
<Don’t overdo it, all right?>
“Do I look like the type to overdo things?”
<I mean, don’t feel down if things don’t go well. And don’t let people’s insults get to you.>
“…Where did you hear that?”
It seemed she’d heard about people calling him a scammer.
He glanced at Aden, who was chomping noisily on snacks.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Master?”
“…Student, I’m sorry, but I might need to use you for a bit.”
“Excuse me?”
Turning back to the phone, he said.
“Hey, Mom. One of my students recently made it big, and it’s turned the academy into a real success story. I’ll bring them by sometime.”
“Huh?”
Aden pointed to herself in confusion.
“Yeah, that one. I’ve been busy helping them out. Anyway, eat well and enjoy some good food; I’ll send money over. Bye~”
He hung up.
“Ahem. Uh… sorry for not giving you a heads-up.”
But Aden didn’t look concerned at all.
“Did you just brag about me to your parents?”
“Brag? Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”
“Heh-heh.”
A wide grin spread across Aden’s face.
Oh, I shouldn’t have worried.
“Ahem! Well, if my Master wants to show off his ‘A-rank’ student, who am I to deny him? That’s the least I can do as your disciple!”
“Uh… right.”
That smug reaction made Kang Hyun want to smack him, but he held back since he was the one asking for help.
“Though, won’t they be shocked if you bring an A-rank student?”
“Oh, good point.”
Maybe A-rank was a bit too much.
They were considered key national assets, after all.
“Still, better that than worrying them about my Awakening.”
“True enough.”
“Once I’ve built up my reputation, come with me to visit my family estate.”
“Of course, Master! Such trivial matters are nothing—I’m more than happy to oblige! A disciple owes everything to their Master!”
What a good kid.
I should reward him somehow.
“Enjoying the snacks?”
Aden, just as poor as Kang Hyun, was devouring the snacks he had bought, as if he intended to finish them all in a day.
“They’re amazing! I can’t remember the last time I ate such indulgent treats!”
He must have been pretty deprived.
“You usually don’t buy stuff like this. What’s the occasion?”
“I awakened, didn’t I? Eat up. I’ll sell mana stones and buy more.”
“Understood! I’ll even count this as dinner!”
Though Kang Hyun still had debts, selling mana stones would soon take care of them.
‘Since I clear dungeons solo, the earnings are way beyond what I’ve heard online.’
With no one to split with, even though he lacked immediate cash, his situation was much better than before.
“Where’s the remote?”
“Huh? Didn’t the connection get cut off because we didn’t pay the bill?”
“I reapplied yesterday.”
“Wow! I’ll find the remote!”
Like an excited puppy fetching a stick, Aden dashed off and returned with it.
“It’s been so long since I watched TV instead of my phone!”
“Turn it on.”
“Yes!”
The news popped up immediately.
<Yesterday afternoon, a new A-rank was officially registered as an Awakened in South Korea.>
<Oh! Who advanced? Was it Oh Hyuk-jun, the prominent B-rank Awakened?>
<No, this is a ‘new registration’ in the truest sense. Let’s dive into the details.>
“Hey, they’re talking about you.”
“Ha!”
Aden excitedly turned up the volume.
<…This is an exceptionally rare occurrence. Foreign media are expressing admiration for South Korea’s pool of gifted individuals.>
Aden suddenly thrust his phone forward.
“Look at this!”
He’d already found an internet article.
It was a translated foreign news piece.
<A new A-rank suddenly emerges following two other prodigies.>
<Is the Korean Peninsula a treasure trove of talent?>
<The 21st century belongs to South Korea?>
“Feeling proud?”
“Look below—Master’s mentioned too!”
<Not just an A-rank but a Perfect Clear Awakened emerges.>
<Global attention focuses on South Korea’s two rising stars.>
Huh?
Perfect Clear?
Why’s that being mentioned?
‘I thought there were other Perfect Clears besides me.’
Why the fuss, then?
He checked the online comments.
└Find both the S-rank and the Perfect Clear ASAP!
└What are the Awakened Management Bureau and the Top 10 guilds doing?
└Please, don’t let them slip through this time.
└Even securing one of them would make someone a national hero.
└Since the North Korean collapse, I can’t sleep thinking about an S-rank Gate blowing up in Seoul.
The world thought the S-rank and the Perfect Clear were two different people.
S-ranks couldn’t enter F-rank dungeons, after all.
‘But this atmosphere…’
Perfect Clears were clearly being valued as highly as S-ranks.
‘Why is this happening?’
Something felt off.
