“It’s from the president of Jeonil.”
The commander was more taken aback by Jamie than by me suddenly appearing in front of him and by the bizarre sight that he had seen from the video of the tablet PC. Yes, these would have felt more real to him than talking to Jamie. The voice of a powerful woman who could remove the stars[1] on his epaulet was more terrifying than the monsters.
I found the Ilsung Group’s logo on the smartphone that the commander handed over to me. A bitter smile spread across my face.
I said on the phone.
Jamie’s startled voice immediately popped out.
I hung up the call and prepared myself. Yeon-Hee nodded as if she understood why I was just staring at the phone instead of touching it. She also had a smartphone in her hand, but she was having difficulty contacting her family as well.
The only areas where the communication network was cut off were Anyang and Gunpo, where the monster corps had swept through. The Jeonil Resort, where families of key figures had gathered including mine and Yeon-Hee’s, was always accessible through phone calls.
However, that had been my mistake. The only sound I heard when I gathered the courage to call my father was an automatic voice message saying that the connection was being delayed due to a large volume of calls. Jamie was able to reach me as she used a special line.
Anyway, I now understood why Yeon-Hee didn’t join me in Act One when she could by using the returning stone.
I was still covered in blood from the Stage of Advent, and my parents would be able to smell it. They would even notice what I had gone through from my voice alone. Parents usually noticed changes in their kids quickly.
But still… I had to call them as soon as possible.
“It’s not working. I will try later.”
Yeon-Hee smiled and began touching her phone. She acted as she had never seen the applications installed there, and she stared at the camera icon for a long time. Then, she smiled at me and turned on the camera application. Yeon-Hee looked around through the smartphone lens by moving it in all directions.
Then, the commander came back in.
“Are you done with your call?” he asked.
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He seemed very curious about who I was. His attitude had become cautious, and he accepted my orders.
I responded, “I should call my parents, but the connection is pretty bad. Send them a message that their son is safe here. You should send it to Jeonil Resort. To Na Jeon-Il and his wife.”
Father must have been concerned about me, his son, who had suddenly vanished while watching the destroyed cities and monsters on the television.
“And find a way to contact them as soon as possible,” I added.
He replied, “Yes, sir. The martial law commander and VIP will come after suppressing the monsters.”
“The female president of Jeonil is flying here at the moment,” I replied.
He paused before finally saying, “...That’s what I heard. I will double-check and report to you again. Also, we have recovered the injured at the Gwacheon City Hall intersection as you have requested. We have sent the best medical staff in our military to treat them, so don’t worry.”
I shrugged. “If anyone complains of pain, just administer a strong sedative. Also, don’t approach anyone whose face is covered in darkness.”
“Yes, sir!”
The commander saluted me and left the barracks. Then, Yeon-Hee laughed out loud.
“Gosh, his attitude did a complete 180, hahaha. If he had entered the stage, he would have been a leader or something. Or… He would have died in Act One, Stage Two. Hahahaha.”
They provided us with some water to wash ourselves. There was enough for everyone as they had brought an entire water hose.
Yeon-Hee tried to get undressed on the spot without being aware of the surroundings because it had become her habit in the Stage of Advent. However, she stopped immediately as she felt people glancing at her. Only her chest and bottom were barely covered, exposing the rest of her skin. In fact, her underwear made of monster leather didn’t perfectly cover her.
Yeon-Hee said as she washed up, “Look at them. They are not afraid of me. This feels weird, hehe.”
I smiled grimly. “Enjoy it while you can. That will only last a couple of hours.”
***
I was very impressed by the Awakened’s work.
Kciphos warriors that were riding steeds had popped out from everywhere in the Seoul Grand Park. However, the axes that should have been held in their hands were nowhere to be seen. Some of them were barely alive, and there were Awakened chasing them.
Sheeeeeek-
Right when the soldiers were ready for the battle on a barricade made of armored cars, Yeon-Hee jumped out first.
- I can take a shower again. It’s so nice that I can say something like this.
Yeon-Hee’s telepathic reports were fast, and she was also quick at slaughtering the Kciphos warriors. She might have wanted to brag that she could finish such petty monsters by slicing them a few times without using her main skills.
Her use of a dagger was delicate. She started off by cutting off the neck of the steeds and warriors, then sliced their abdomens and hearts where mana stones were. Those four simple movements morphed into one set that easily slaughtered and killed any Kciphos in front of her. She was so fast that it was difficult to determine what the curse of the Clown’s Dagger was.
The road in front of the barricade was tainted with monster corpses along with blood and intestines flowing out from them.
“Do you guys need help?” Yeon-Hee asked the Awakened who had joined the back.
One responded, “No, it’s almost over.”
“How bad is the damage?” she asked.
“None.”
“Nice. It would have been embarrassing if there had been any because the monsters’ levels are so low. Anyway, you guys have just saved your country with your own hands. Have some pride.”
The person nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
The Awakened ran back into the battlefield, then Yeon-Hee turned toward me. The ground where she was standing was covered in blood. Her entire body was soaked as if someone had poured a bucket of blood on her. More blood was flowing along her hair and skin.
Yeon-Hee walked slowly toward me while juggling her dagger. She was obviously happy, but she seemed annoyed by the soldiers. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have shown off her ability like that. Everyone now looked at her in dread as her entire body was covered in blood, and she had a wicked smile on her face.
When Yeon-Hee returned to me leaving blood-stained footprints, no one even glanced at her.
“Did you see that?”
“Did you?”
They only whispered to each other.
***
Soon, Yeon-Hee received the things that she had been waiting for. She changed into proper underwear given by the soldiers, then turned around to face me.
“Isn’t it too big?” she asked.
I could definitely see the space that was left in the bra, but I shook my head. Yeon-Hee started getting dressed and rolled up the tent. Then I heard Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han getting closer to us. When they came into view of everyone, the entire area fell silent.
The heightened emotions that had been aroused by the heat of battle didn’t easily extinguish. The sight of them walking around while glaring with murderous intentions and dripping blood would have been another unrealistic scene for soldiers. They must have looked like butchers who had just finished their meals.
People made their way to them even without the commander’s instructions. Apart from their stench, the Awakened looked down at the soldiers with a frantic gaze. Only a few hundred had entered the area, but the entire brigade was overwhelmed by them.
The commander stared blankly at them in front of the barracks and turned to me.
I said, “I saw a hotel beside the City Hall. Ask them and make sure to serve meals, clothes, cell phones, and whatever else they want. The cost doesn’t matter. Charge all of it to Jeonil Group.”
The commander immediately replied that he would follow my order even though my instructions could have provoked the soldiers’ anger. It might have been because he was overwhelmed by the Awakened’s charisma.
Seong-Il ignored the commander and came into the barracks. “Gosh, noona. I had a hard time recognizing you. So pretty!”
Meanwhile, Lee Tae-Han was asking the commander for a smartphone. The commander hadn’t noticed who he was due to his blood-stained face.
“Thanks for your kind words, Seong-Il. But oopsy. You should stay with the residents of the savior’s city and work a bit more.”
Yeon-Hee had taken the words out of my mouth. It was one of the topics we had talked about before the Awakened returned.
“I need to go check Ki-Cheol,” he stated.
“I heard you have dealt with mana stones, right?” she asked.
He blanked and nodded. “Oh my. Yes, once upon a time. I forgot about it until you brought it up.”
She ordered, “Collect everything.”
He tilted his head to the side. “What is the point? They are useless now.”
“The sooner you finish it, the faster you can go see Ki-Cheol,” Yeon-Hee insisted,
Seong-Il groaned. “Ah, please, noona. Damn, this drives me crazy. How can a person who can see people’s minds so well not understand how a father feels?”
“Were you going to see him without a gift?” Yeon-Hee responded slyly.
He blinked, clearly confused. “What?”
Yeon-Hee chuckled. “You should bring him a gift. And are you going to go like that? Your son will faint if you see him the way you are now.”
Seong-Il whined, “But isn’t picking up stones the job of the lower ones? Well, I still don’t understand why we need them.”
Yeon-Hee shook her head. “They are not just stones. They are mana stones.”
“Then, I’m going to bring soldiers, okay? I’m going to kill anyone who has sticky fingers.”
Yeon-Hee shrugged. “I don’t know how many would be able to even look at dead monsters, but sure. That’s up to you. Let’s go see Ki-Cheol after finishing this quickly, Seong-Il. I’ll prepare a quality present for him.”
Seong-Il nodded. “Okay. All I have to do is retrieve mana stones, right? What about their leather or heads?”
“We don’t need those. Also, collect the drop items as you see them.”
Seong-Il barked out a laugh. “You are giving me more orders, so I’m going to leave before you give me more. I’ll see you later!”
Seong-Il gave me a short nod and went out of the barracks. Military trucks were carrying the Awakened and moving in the direction of the hotel I mentioned. The injured, who had been moved separately, seemed to be moving together at that time.
I approached Lee Tae-Han. He showed no excitement even though the smartphone in his hand had his group logo.
I ordered, “Prepare for the press conference.”
There seemed to be no need for an order to stay neat in a suit. Lee Tae-Han’s eyes trembled with surprise. He had expected that I would choose him over Joshua, but upon hearing it in person, he had to have accepted the new reality. He lowered his head, deeply touched.
As Lee Tae-Han wiped the blood and gore from his face, the commander finally recognized him. However, the commander’s reaction was interrupted by the sound of a helicopter approaching from the sky.
Jamie, the Jeonil Group’s leader, had departed from Jeolla-do[2] and arrived before the president and martial law commander who were nearby.
Jamie got off the helicopter and ran straight toward me, but she flinched for a bit when she noticed bloody footprints on the ground. Like everyone else, she didn’t understand how long we had suffered for and how terrible the Stage of Advent was.
That was why she had lamented that she hadn’t selected to be awakened. She was sad that she had not been able to join me. Yeon-Hee burst into laughter as she looked at Jamie and how ridiculous she was acting.
Then, Jamie read the intimidating atmosphere in the area. She definitely felt a sense of incompatibility with Lee Tae-Han. It wasn’t just because of the stench of blood coming off of his wet hair.
“Were you one of them as well, Mr. Lee?” she asked.
The two had seen each other, but Lee Tae-Han left without answering. In the past, his reaction would have been impossible because he had merely been the President of the Ilsung Group.
Jamie looked at Lee Tae-Han’s back with a thoughtful face, then turned toward me.
I asked her, “The connection seems to be off. You must have a special line, right?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
I ordered, “Phone my parents.”
“Okay.”
She asked while touching her smartphone’s screen, “But how long were you there for?”
1. The more stars they have on their epaulets, the higher their ranks are. ☜
2. A province in Southwestern Korea. Its capital city is three hours away from Gwacheon by car and an hour away by plane. ☜