In a macro sense, Yoo Jin-ho’s plan had many parts that were quite similar to Woo Jin-cheol’s goals.
‘If Woo Jin-cheol creates an association to unite the hunters, I will unite them with money.’
A mock training project using virtual reality would be something that any hunter would be tempted to do.
This was especially true for the head of a large guild with the largest number of hunters.
“Representative Yoo, can our guild participate in that project?”
“I want to participate too. If there is a limit to the number of people in the beta test, I would like to try it first. I will give you as much of my data as you want.”
Starting with Hyunmu River, other S-class hunters also showed strong curiosity and interest.
In fact, S-class hunters didn’t have a proper place to train to their heart’s content.
This is because if they show off all their strength, saying it is training, the whole area will be turned into a wasteland.
In short, it is a public nuisance on the level of a natural disaster.
Liu Zhikang, who wandered around China and spread black spirits everywhere as he pleased, was not called a crazy old man for nothing.
The S-class hunters, who knew that reality better than anyone else, had no choice but to willingly accept the demands made by CEO Yoo Jin-ho.
“North Korea? I’ll support you as much as I can.”
“They say that when you’re young, you have to suffer, so what’s the use of an old man stopping you? Have a safe trip.”
“I agree too. He’s a newbie who’s stronger than Grandpa Ma Dong-wook, so he’ll do well.”
“No, so when are you going to answer my question? What happened in India?”
S-class hunters actively gathered around Suho and showed their friendliness.
“Thank you all.”
Although Im Tae-gyu was a bit of a bother, Su-ho was able to get the unanimous approval votes of the five S-class hunters thanks to Yoo Jin-ho.
However, just like Chairman Woo Jin-cheol, Yoo Jin-ho’s goal in completing the virtual training program was not to have other hunters lend their strength to the battles of Seong Jin-woo and Seong Su-ho.
Quite the opposite.
‘To give a taste of the true horrors that humanity will face in the future.’
Yoo Jin-ho had a bitter look on his face as he looked at the S-class hunters who had lost all of their memories from the past.
Two years ago, when Woo Jin-cheol first brought this plan, Yoo Jin-ho joined hands with Woo Jin-cheol even though he had no memories of the past.
But from the moment all his memories returned thanks to Suho, Yoo Jin-ho put even more effort into the Na-hon-rep project with the company’s full force.
The direction of the plan has become much clearer than before.
‘It’s true that it’s training, but it’s actually closer to an evacuation drill.’
-We have prepared more than you can imagine.
They could not yet imagine what the true meaning of these words was.
So, you can look forward to it.
Because the game you create will have an incredibly high difficulty level.
‘Because we’ve implemented an overwhelming level of difficulty that even an S-class hunter would never be able to handle.’
So, I hope you will be endlessly despairing and frustrated in front of it.
Advertisements
They must fully realize their own helplessness and struggle to survive as best they can.
In order to send such a strong warning to all of humanity, Eugene Ho had even blatantly implemented a survival quest in the game where players would be busy running away helplessly within the time limit.
‘… … This is the best preparation I can do, Jinwoo hyung.’
Today, Yoo Jin-ho especially wanted to see Sung Jin-woo.
He had a bitter expression on his face, recalling memories from a past era that none of those gathered here could remember.
Especially when the battle with the dragon is right around the corner.
The tragedy of that day when the countries that ignored and laughed at Sung Jin-woo’s warning to run away immediately were erased from the face of the earth.
‘… …Ignorance is bliss.’
Yes, that’s right.
Humanity was ignorant.
People who originally know too little tend to not even know what or how little they don’t know.
That is why they committed the abuses that come from ignorance.
Numerous hunters and countries ignored Sung Jin-woo’s warning and instead acted recklessly, saying they would fight the Dragon Emperor’s army directly.
What followed were their desperate cries, despair, and useless deaths.
Eugene Ho remembered all those desperate scenes clearly.
‘… So this time, I’ll let you experience it in advance. What true fear is.’
How helpless humanity is against alien invaders.
And when the true nature of that horror truly comes upon mankind.
‘This time, I hope everyone runs away without saying a word.’
I absolutely trust Sung Jin-woo and Sung Su-ho’s words, and this time, I desperately run away.
This was the true goal of the ‘Project: Only I Level Up’ planned by Woo Jin-cheol and himself.
‘… … Of course, the best-case scenario would be for that day to never come. Then the game would remain simply a fun game until the end.’
Eugene Ho smiled brightly at the S-class hunters who were all eager to participate in the closed beta test of the solo leveling game, completely unaware of his true feelings.
He also gave a chance to Hyunmu Kang, who was making an earnest expression towards him.
“CEO Hyunmu Kang, would you like to participate in the beta test yourself?”
“Yes? Are you really allowing our guild to do so?”
Hyunmu River’s expression suddenly brightened.
But Eugene Ho has a long aftertaste.
I have no ill feelings toward Hyunmu Kang personally, but the price he paid for mismanaging his subordinates and putting Suho in danger is by no means cheap.
“Yes. If you wish, I will give you the opportunity to experience it first, Mr. Hyunmu Kang. After all, in order to complete the game, we need data from S-class hunters.”
“Thank you, Representative Yoo!”
Again, ignorance is bliss.
I guarantee that Hyunmu Kang will be the first to experience the extreme difficulty level and taste despair.
But when it comes to the aftermath, it was no less than that of Berdo Eugene Ho.
[Keeeeeek! Don’t think this is the end! Can you give me the additional summoner rune stone you mentioned earlier right now!]
“… … !”
Advertisements
Hyunmu Kang was startled and took a step back when he suddenly saw a black shadow revealing its face in front of him and shouting at him.
‘How can this be?! You didn’t even notice me until I was right in front of you!’
It was a summoned beast of a rather tall size, contrary to its ominous demeanor, but I couldn’t help but feel goosebumps instinctively.
Regardless, Ber grabbed Hyunmu Kang by the collar and threatened him with an even more threatening expression.
[It’s only two, but you should know what a great honor it is to be able to provide even a little help to our little lord!]
“I, I’ll give it to you… … No, someone please give me this summoner… … .”
Hyunmu Kang, who was suddenly grabbed by the collar by Suho’s small and precious summoner, was at a loss as to what to do.
In the current situation, it was extremely difficult to shake off this small hand.
Then the savior appeared.
Seo Ji-woo, an S-rank hunter from the Blue Dragon Guild.
After all the important talk was over, Seo Ji-woo, who had shown interest in Ber since his first appearance, pointed to Ber and spoke to Su-ho.
“Seongsuho Hunter, I’ve been curious for a while now. Are you a re-awakened person like me? Was that summoned creature there before you re-awakened? So it has re-awakened into the combat realm now? What’s the new skill? What changes have you made?”
Although he had been holding back since a while ago, Seo Ji-woo had many things he wanted to ask Su-ho from the moment he first saw him.
“Haha. Sorry for asking so many questions. Actually, I was so happy to find out that this new recruit was a Re-Awakened.”
Suho, who was suddenly bombarded with questions from Seo Jiwoo, answered while quietly pulling away Ber, who was threatening Hyunmu River, with one hand.
“No. I was curious anyway.”
[Keeeek… … !]
“Thank goodness! Then let’s have a conversation since we’re both in the same situation. Isn’t that true? They say that re-awakenings happen often, but in reality, it’s mostly due to errors in the magic meter. But I’ve never seen someone like you or me suddenly get stronger like S-class. If the difference is that big, there’s no chance that it’s a measurement error.”
“… … .”
Seo Ji-woo was the one who kept talking nonstop once he got the chance.
But from Suho’s perspective, he was sincere when he said he was curious.
‘In my case, I made the excuse that I was a re-awakened person because of the level-up system, but how did this person actually re-awaken?’
Even Seo Ji-woo is a special case in which his appearance became younger after his awakening.
In many ways, Seo Ji-woo was also surprising from Su-ho’s perspective.
As if he had noticed Su-ho’s thoughts, Seo Ji-woo asked the most important thing and the thing he was curious about rather than the small questions.
“Oh, right! Then can you answer this first? Do you also remember the moment of reawakening?”
“Is this the moment of reawakening?”
“Yeah. It’s a really important issue to me.”
When Suho asked again, Seo Jiwoo’s eyes, which had been chattering excitedly, suddenly became serious.
And then, recalling the moment of awakening he had experienced, he continued speaking cautiously.
“By any chance, Seongsuho, are you also… … someone who woke up from sleep apnea like me?”
“… … Is it sleep apnea?”
“What is this?!”
The one word Seo Ji-woo uttered brought out a more intense reaction from Yoo Jin-ho, who was next to him, than from Su-ho.
Eugene Ho defeated the other S-class hunters he was dealing with and immediately joined the conversation between Seo Ji Woo and Su Ho.
“Seo Ji-woo Hunter! Is that true? You’re the one who woke up from sleep paralysis?”
Looking at Yoo Jin-ho’s serious expression, Su-ho thought of the phenomenon called ‘sleeplessness’ that has been occurring all over the world recently.
Advertisements
‘Sleeplessness’
This phenomenon, nicknamed the Final Sleep, was a social phenomenon in which people who could not adapt to the mana mixed in the air as the number of Gates opened across the Earth increased, would suddenly fall into a deep sleep and not wake up for days or months.
It was only relatively recently that the term ‘Ikmyeonjeung’ was coined in academic circles.
Until then, the number of people who suffered from sleeplessness was so small that it was difficult to statistically prove that it was a phenomenon related to magic.
But these days, that number has been increasing.
The medical community, sensing the seriousness of the situation, belatedly developed a life support device using magic stones to barely keep them alive until they woke up.
Suho, who was well aware of that fact, noticed something strange in Seo Jiwoo’s words and asked.
“You woke up from sleeplessness and then reawakened? As far as I know, sleeplessness is a phenomenon that only happens to those who are physically maladapted to mana, but Hunter Seo Ji-woo… … .”
“That’s right. I was already a hunter and was active when I got sleep paralysis. Judging from your reaction, Seongsuho, it seems like you are a different case from me.”
Seo Ji-woo had a slightly gloomy expression at Su-ho’s reaction.
There was good reason for that.
“It’s not just me. All my colleagues who were with me ‘there’ that day, despite their mana adaptation, fell into sleep deprivation. But I’m the only one who woke up.”
“Where is that place?”
“Double dungeon.”
… … !
Suho and Yoo Jinho’s expressions changed abruptly at Seo Jiwoo’s words.
Even Ber, who was sneaking out to threaten Hyunmu River again, had a sudden change in expression.
At this moment, these three were each thinking different thoughts.
‘If it’s a double dungeon, then could it be a void gate?’
‘How could there be another designer’s legacy?’
A moment of mixed emotions.
Ber could guarantee it.
The double dungeon that Seo Ji-woo entered with his colleagues is not the double dungeon that Sung Jin-woo entered in the past, the Temple of Karthenon.
So what happened to the hunters who went in there and got sleep sickness?
Eugene Ho was also confused.
‘Just like in the past, the number of people suffering from sleep apnea is increasing even in this day and age. But even then, I think the only people who woke up on their own were Jinwoo’s mother and my father… ‘
Suho asked Seo Jiwoo a fundamental question on behalf of Yoo Jinho, who did not know the specific reason.
“How did you wake up from sleep deprivation?”
“Hmm. I gave the same answer to the medical staff back then, but honestly, I don’t know. All I could say was that I woke up somehow.”
“You don’t know why at all?”
“Yes. That’s why I wanted to ask you instead. If you’ve been through the same thing as me, I wonder if you might know how to wake up my colleagues who are still asleep.”
The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
Looking at Seo Ji-woo, who was lowering her head with a bitter expression, Su-ho thought deeply and then asked again.
“Then, did you have any dreams while you were sleeping?”
“……dream?”
Advertisements
“Yes. In my case, the trigger for my awakening was a ‘dream.’”
Suho answered by condensing his experience into one word.
That wasn’t entirely wrong.
It was like I had accepted the current level-up system in a dream I had because of my father during puberty.
“It was a dream… … Yeah, I had a dream.”
Seo Ji-woo’s expression became very serious at Soo-ho’s question.
A distant memory came to mind that I had seen while I was suffering from insomnia and falling into an endless sleep.
“… …black sea.”
“The sea?”
“Yeah. The endless black sea. There was no land anywhere, and I was floating aimlessly in the middle of a vast ocean with only water. All I could do there was float around like a corpse.”
Seo Ji-woo covered his body with both hands as if even recalling the memory of that moment gave him goosebumps.
“Then I barely managed to grab onto something and hung on desperately.”
And just as quickly as he finished saying that.
[The King of the Mad Dragons, the Lord of Destruction, raises the corners of his lips.]
“At that time, what I was hanging on to was a huge… … tree with deep roots in the black sea.”
At that moment, Suho realized what Yongje was trying to say.
“… … World Tree.”
