Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 112

Would I communicate well with Cy? Should I call Cy over?

No. Again.

“Um, the fact that you’re here right now, is it perhaps an Avatar?”

“No. It’s a thought-entity.”

“Ugh. Ha, this is frustrating.”

“You know. It’s that.”

Know what! I can’t understand a single thing!

“I’ll ask something else. Why did you choose me?”

“That person chose you. I’m just following.”

“The Goddess Idea chose me, so you’re following?”

“Yes.”

“Why did the Goddess Idea choose me?”

“Sagacity.”

“Sagacity? Knowing what will happen in advance?”

“No. It’s Sagacity. She saw through the essence and principles of things.”

“Who? Me?”

“Yes.”

“Ha….”

I’m really going crazy! There’s no answer, no answer.

No. This time!

“Um, then I’ll ask this way. Assuming you’re a thought-entity, how do I save your main body? I don’t know where you are, what the situation is, or how to save you?”

“You are the one that person chose. You know.”

“Who? Me?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

Damn it!

This skill, Sarah Matilda, is clearly a suicide skill meant to frustrate me to death. Damn it!

“Okay. I’ll die of frustration if I ask any more. Forget it. Can you exist outside the dungeon in this state?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I don’t recognize you, you can act independently?”

“Yes.”

“How? You’re my skill.”

“Before being a skill, I’m a thought-entity, and before being a thought-entity, I am that person’s servant.”

“…….”

Okay. I give up.

Thought-entity or whatever, forget it.

From now on, absolutely, definitely, without fail, if I ever ask something like this first, I’ll volunteer to be that person’s servant. Damn it….

It’s like some kind of fanatic.

By the way, that person Sarah is talking about, the Goddess Idea, isn’t she the same Goddess Idea that wizards shout when casting magic spells? Right?

Eh, no way… Eh, it can’t be. Of course.

4 days, 14 hours, and 20 minutes after entering the Level 1 Bio Dungeon in Taebaek Mountain, Gangwon Province.

The main base’s minerals are almost fully mined.

Hongchan said it would only take about two or three more hours to finish up, but that’s not what’s important right now.

I need to ask about what I’ve been worrying about since yesterday….

“Oppa! Do you know you’ve been acting really weird since entering this Level 1 dungeon? Why do you keep glancing at me! Are you finally starting to like me? Really?”

“Your self-flattery is a disease.”

“But why do you keep looking at me, Mihye, and Kim Eun-hee!”

“Ah, damn it. Okay. All team leaders, gather around. Ah, Gilsun is excluded.”

I should just ask directly and get it off my chest. It won’t change anything even if I ask, but I have a bad feeling.

Anyway, there’s no way to confirm. How can I confirm if she’s her, or if she’s her?

The two could be twins, or siblings… no, that’s not it.

In any case, when you don’t know anything, you ask directly.

Even a child can learn from an eighty-year-old… no, that’s not it either. Ahem.

Han Deuk is a healer, Jihye and Mihye, Choi Eun-ji and Kim Eun-hee are all mages. Only Gilsun and Hongchan are warriors.

Not knowing what’s going on, the team leaders, except for Gilsun who’s busy mining minerals, gather around, blinking, and I carefully open my mouth.

“It’s nothing much, just suddenly curious. Han Deuk.”

“Yes. Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older brother or male friend].”

“What do you do when you cast a healing spell? Something called Personal Heal, right?”

“Ah, yes. First, I recognize the mana [magical energy], and then I shout, ‘Idea Goddess’s Providence, Personal Heal,’ and it activates like this.”

White light emanates from Han Deuk’s hand.

When that permeates the body of an injured Awakened [person with supernatural abilities], minor wounds are completely healed.

Well, unless it’s a situation where limbs have been severed, if you inject mana appropriately… ah, that’s not what’s important right now.

“Okay. Next, the mages. Do you also have the phrase ‘Idea Goddess’ in your spells?”

“Oppa [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend, used by females], how many times have we cleared dungeons together, and you don’t know that? Are you not interested in us at all?”

“Answer first.”

“It varies depending on the attribute. I’m ice attribute, so it’s Ice Wall.”

Mihye answers before Jihye.

“No. The part before that. Tell me what you say about the Idea Goddess.”

“Tears. Idea Goddess’s Tears, Ice Wall.”

“Um, Jihye, what about you?”

“Hmph, I’m fire attribute. Idea Goddess’s Fury, Fire Wall.”

Looking at Kim Eun-hee and Choi Eun-ji, they each say their magic attack spells.

“I’m also ice attribute. Idea Goddess’s Lament, Sea of Despair.”

“I’m also ice attribute. Idea Goddess’s Sigh, Dew of Sorrow.”

The phrase Idea Goddess is included in all of them, and the goddess’s emotions follow.

Do mages’ personalities change according to their attribute from the moment they awaken?

Except for Jihye, they’re all calm and quiet….

“Is that Idea Goddess phrase unconditionally necessary? Why do you use such phrases? Do unique mages use the same spells?”

“Don’t you know?”

“What?”

Everyone looks dumbfounded at my answer. Jihye is shaking her head as if she expected it.

“Stupid Oppa. How long has it been since you awakened, and you don’t know that?”

“I’m not a mage, why would I need to know magic spells?”

“It’s faith. Faith.”

“Huh?”

Mihye explains again, finding it amusing. But whenever she opens her mouth, the back of my head feels cool….

“All mages in the world, or at least as far as has been revealed, magic spells start with faith. Of course, you need to awaken and have the mana to manifest magic, but the activation of magic spells requires faith in the Idea Goddess. You have to imagine and recognize the anger, lament, and sorrow she feels. Visualizing such emotions and activating mana to express it is what’s quantified as stats. How well you can express, imagine, and combine mana with the Idea Goddess’s emotions, that’s our mages’ ability. The amount of mana is secondary. Of course, the more mana you have, the more the maximum limit for using attribute magic increases.”

“…….”

“… Simply put, mages unleash mana based on the attribute they awakened to. The amount of mana they can absorb varies depending on the grade, and high-grade Awakened will naturally unleash the mana they can handle to use powerful magic. Of course, faith in the Idea Goddess is fundamental.”

As I remain silent, Jihye briefly summarizes from the side.

It would have been easier if you had said that from the beginning, why did you have to beat around the bush… ah, are both of them not simple? Ahem.

“Okay. So, if you don’t believe in the Idea Goddess, magic won’t manifest?”

“Right.”

I understand that, and now it’s time to ask the most important thing.

“Then, do you guys know who the Idea Goddess is? Was she born from some shamanistic belief? Or is she a god from another planet, like in fantasy?”

“…….”

“… Huh.”

“Ha, Oppa, you really don’t know?”

“Y-you guys know? Really? Seriously?!”

W-what is this!

You know the Idea Goddess? Really?

“W-where is she? Who is she?”

“Ha, she’s in Oppa’s heart! The Idea Goddess.”

“…….”

Damn it! Did you all plan this together!

Okay. I’m the idiot for asking.

4 days, 17 hours, and 40 minutes after entering the Level 1 Bio Dungeon in Taebaek Mountain, Gangwon Province.

“Ha… Shuttle liftoff. Move out.”

After mining all the dungeon clear reward minerals, we started moving towards the dungeon entrance.

As I sighed, looking at the faintly visible dungeon horizon, Jihye, who was behind me, came up to my side.

“Oppa~. Are you sulking?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“I’m serious. The Idea Goddess of mages is in each of their hearts. How else would we know the emotions of someone who doesn’t even exist? It’s empathy that starts from imagining that you’ve become her. All mages are like that.”

“I’m also a mage. There’s no crazy bitch like that in my heart.”

“Oppa, you’ll be punished by heaven if you say that.”

“I’m already being punished by heaven.”

“… I don’t know what happened, but the lighthouse for Awakened is the Idea Goddess. Oppa, think about it too. How can you imagine the sadness and despair of someone who doesn’t even exist? Her lament and tears, her providence, etc., there are so many things we don’t know, and nothing has been revealed. It would be different if we had even indirect experience, but the fact that dungeons appeared in the world is the biggest mystery anyway, so what are you trying to confirm? If there’s something you can’t confirm, and it’s being used in reality right now, you can just accept it and move on….”

Jihye’s chatter continues beside me, and it seems like faint heat haze is rising from the distant horizon.

An unsolved mystery that cannot be confirmed or proven.

Yeah. Forget it.

Since when have I scrutinized and confirmed everything one by one?

If there’s something I can’t understand, I just don’t understand it.

The reason why she chose me, why I have to save her servant, is not important.

Her choosing me is her business, it has nothing to do with my intentions.

I will live as my heart tells me, and I will act accordingly.

No one in this world can replace me.

A little later.

Before going out after arriving at the dungeon entrance, I said a word to the guild members and the clear team.

I was just about to go out without thinking, but it’s because of Hongchan’s advice.

“You’ve all worked hard to clear the Taebaek Mountain Level 1 Bio Dungeon.”

“We didn’t have any trouble at all.”

“That’s right. We didn’t have a single battle with dungeon units, we just mined minerals all the time.”

“I mistook this for a picnic in the dungeon!”

“Hehehe.”

“Haha, right. I thought I came to hang out somewhere.”

The support guild members were cautiously looking at me, but the Awakened belonging to other regional defense guilds and parties all said something.

“It’s not a big deal, but I’d like you to refrain from mentioning the skill I showed when entering the dungeon clear, if possible. It’s not a demand, but I haven’t announced it yet.”

“Wow~ that was a skill? As expected of Support Guild Leader!”

“You just reached out your hand and that huge mature tower disappeared, that’s a skill?”

“A-amazing!”

“Could it be Level 3 or 2?”

“Who knows. The media said it was Level 4, but it’s not Level 3, and if it’s around Level 2, such a skill might appear.”

“Could it be the legendary Level 1?”

“As expected, you’re an amazing person!”

My words cause noise and commotion again here and there.

Didn’t you hear me say refrain from mentioning it? Are you a frog?

Why can’t people understand what I say in one go?

“Please don’t spread it to the outside as much as possible. Well, even if you do, there won’t be many people who believe it.”

“That’s right. I can’t believe it even though I saw it with my own eyes. Others will be even more so. I understand.”

“Skill security is normal, isn’t it! Don’t worry. Support Guild Leader!”

“If you raise the dungeon reward even a little, I’ll keep it a secret until I die!”

“Hahaha, I agree! Support Guild Leader, you’re the best!”

Can I trust them? Eh, no way.

Even if I say this, they’ll all go around talking about it soon. They’ll add flesh to the bones and spread it even more, saying they witnessed Support Guild Leader using an incredibly amazing skill, like a carp flapping its mouth above the water.

Okay. Add flesh and spread more lies about my unbelievable skill.

That way, the truth will be hidden, and only lies will be seen.

Sometimes, reverse thinking becomes the best move.

I threw myself into the pitch-black space to go outside.

I’ll be going outside soon, and I’ll feel a slight dizziness….

[Ding! Verifying the availability of the Taebaek Mountain Level 1 Bio Dungeon. Active, Inactive]

Huh? What is this?

A notification that has never appeared before rings, raising questions.

Availability verification? Active and inactive?

Ah! Sarah Matilda!

That’s right. Clearly, the damage of the Sarah Matilda skill is the activation and deactivation of the bio dungeon.

Did I use the skill to damage the dungeon?

Um, then what do I do with this Level 1 Bio Dungeon? Active and inactive….

As I exit the dungeon, I feel a slight dizziness.

The soldiers guarding the entrance are startled and quickly radio, and soon dozens of jeeps and trucks rush in.

Special agents, no, Dungeon Management Bureau agents, association executives, and soldiers all rush towards me in a flurry, like Pooh Bear seeing a honey-covered jar.

The soldier with the rank of colonel who approached me first asks.

“Huk, w-was it cleared?”

I came out because it was cleared, you old man. What a pushover.

“Yes.”

“H-how in two and a half days, it was said it would take at least a week!”

Leaving the old man standing blankly with a bewildered expression, others hurriedly ask in turn.

“We have ambulances and medical staff waiting below. Would you like to move immediately?”

“It was cleared in an incredibly short time, how many casualties were there?”

“Two and a half days! Not even Level 3, but Level 1! What on earth happened inside?”

“Do we just need to do the regen clear in 3 months? Is it safe until then?”

As I subtly step back from the crowd, a pure white light continuously appears near the dungeon entrance, and even the warrior-type Awakened who remained at the end of the line come out of the dungeon.

“Hey, move aside a bit. Not everyone’s out yet.”

“Let’s move. Let’s move.”

At this rate, I’m going to get injured by the rushing people, something I didn’t see in the dungeon.

“Existing shuttle teams, line up in front. Move.”

“Line up and wait! Shuttle teams, gather together.”

“50m ahead! Shuttle Team 1 from the left. Move!”

“Stay alert until we disband! Hurry!”

At my command, the team leaders relay the situation and urge the guild members.

The rushing people become embarrassed and make space.

“Report personnel check.”

“Report personnel check!”

“Shuttle Team 1, total 15, casualties 0, current personnel 15. Report complete!”

“Shuttle Team 2, total 15, casualties 0, current personnel 15. Report complete!”

“Shuttle Team 3, total 15, casualties 0, current personnel 15. Report complete!”

…..

“Clear Team, total 377, casualties 0, current personnel 377. Personnel check report complete!”

With Hong-chan hyung’s personnel check report as the last, all the Awakened safely exited the dungeon.

“We have safely cleared the Level 1 Bio Dungeon of Taebaeksan. We will move to the Dungeon Management Bureau in the existing large buses, then disband after completing the clearance report. Move out!”

“Moving out! Maintain the current formation!”

“Move quickly! Moving out!”

Team leaders stepped up to urge the guild members, and the Awakened belonging to local defense guilds and parties moved together, watching over the guild members.

The slightly hesitant, bewildered, and left-behind people hurriedly followed, with pitiful expressions like lost baby birds.

Helicopters, appearing from nowhere, flew above the large buses, and dozens of ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, and military jeeps escorted us.

Surely, we’re not going all the way to Seoul, to the Dungeon Management Bureau like this, right? Nah, no way.

“We’ve really made it. Look over there. How many police cars are there?”

“You’ve made it? It’s all thanks to the Guild Leader.”

“What~ Of course, it’s thanks to hyung [older brother/male friend], but we’ve taken good care of him all this time.”

“Ahem, well, that’s an undeniable fact.”

“Stop talking about taking care of him and make sure to collect the head money [payment per person] for the Top Guild and Ensoli guild members before disbanding.”

“… Huh? Hyung, are you really going to receive that?”

“What are you talking about? We were originally going to receive it. What have you been listening to? Are you senile?”

“No, no. We’re currently returning after clearing a Level 1 dungeon.”

“So?”

“Hyung’s contribution to the clearance is 98%, and if the mineral is 760 tons, the reward alone is….”

“Over 2.6 trillion won [approximately $2 billion USD]. And tax-free.”

Ji-hye neatly calculates from the side.

“Even so, are you going to take the life money?”

“That’s that, and this is this. And the contribution is 98.876%, and the mineral is 764 tons and 5 hundred… how many kilograms was it?”

“567.675kg.”

Whoa!

Sarah appears next to me and echoes my thoughts.

“Can I continue to exist? It’s too stuffy inside.”

Does she feel emotions too? She’s a thought, right?

Ah, is she feeling emotions because she’s a thought?

And please, make some noise when you move around! Ah, she’s not human… Never mind. I don’t know.

Why does my head hurt so much when I see her?

“Do whatever you want.”

“Yes. I’ll exist.”

As Sarah looks at me with a strange expression, Ji-hye in the seat next to the aisle screams.

“Oppa [term used by younger women to address older brothers or close male friends]! Not with your mistress!”

“Ugh, it’s annoying to explain. Think what you want!”

Annoying. I’ve explained it’s a skill that much, but they don’t believe it.

Well, I can’t believe it either, so how could you guys? Whatever. I should get some sleep until we arrive.

I seem to have fallen asleep, and it looks like we’ve almost arrived at the Dungeon Management Bureau.

Are they even controlling the roads?

Police officers controlling traffic are lined up at the city intersection.

One-way traffic, we move straight ahead like a bus without brakes, without even getting caught by a traffic light.

For some reason, I fall into the illusion that I’ve become a great person.

“Wow~ There are so many people. Look at that. Did all those people gather to see us?”

“They came to see you? It’s because of the Guild Leader.”

“Can we even go inside? There’s no road at all.”

“Kahahaha. Soldiers are coming out to clear it.”

Amid the guild members’ chatter, Hong-chan hyung’s phone rings.

“Yes. Ah, yes. I understand. I’ll wait. Yes. Yes.”

Hong-chan hyung, who hung up the phone, gets up from his seat and relays the situation to the guild members.

“There are too many people gathered, so we’ll wait for a bit while they clear it. Relay it to the other teams as well.”

“Understood. I’ll send out a group text.”

“Okay.”

Shortly after.

Military and police personnel, including Dungeon Management Bureau employees, are stationed everywhere, and after some clearing, we finally get off the large bus….

“Woahhh~.”

“Waaa….”

A tremendous roar vibrates all around.

“Han. Ji. Won! Han. Ji. Won!”

“Haaan~ Jii~ Woon! Haaan~ Jii~ Woon!”

At someone’s lead, my name changes into a chant of hundreds, thousands, making my chest hot.

An enormous camera flash and broadcasting cameras were filming us, and as people gradually began to gather, we hurriedly went inside.

As soon as we entered the entrance, Special Task Force Director, no, now Dungeon Management Bureau Director Kim Jin-hwan ajusshi [term used to address older men], appeared from somewhere and grabbed my hand with a grin from ear to ear.

“You’re really amazing! Really amazing! To clear a Level 1, a whole Level 1 dungeon without a single casualty, no, not even an injury! You’re really amazing! Ah, this isn’t the place to be doing this, let’s go in quickly. I have a lot to ask. A lot.”

Led by the fussing Director, executive-level Management Bureau employees guided us to the conference room.

First, wash up, eat, and get a good rest… Ah, we rested enough in the dungeon, and I slept roughly while coming here earlier.

Then, if we meet again tomorrow or the day after and talk… that won’t do. Ahem.

That being said, I don’t have much to say?

I just held out my hand once.

Republic of Korea Dungeon Management Bureau 13F Conference Room.

“… At that time, the Guild Leader stretched out his hand like this and said one word. ‘Disappear.’ Then, that 30m high mature tower really disappeared in an instant. It was a situation I couldn’t believe even after seeing it with my own two eyes.”

“No. It wasn’t ‘Disappear,’ it was ‘Go in.’ And the mature tower wasn’t 30m, it was about 50m. Of course, it disappeared afterward.”

“No. ‘Disappear’ is correct. And there was an enormous light when it disappeared.”

“That was, that came from the Guild Leader’s body later.”

“No. That light burst out from the Guild Leader first, and then the mature tower disappeared.”

Only shuttle team leader-level guild members and those above Level 6 among the local defense guilds and party members gathered in the conference room to have a briefing on the Taebaeksan Level 1 dungeon clearance.

As expected, before I could even open my mouth, the remaining Awakened, excluding the Jiwon guild members, began to chatter among themselves.

Forget about keeping my skills a secret!

As if they were having a competition on who could explain it better, they raised their voices, foaming at the mouth and even spitting.

The Director, who had been silently listening to the Awakened’s mutually assertive, unreliable words, tilted his head and asked me.

“Guild Leader Jiwon. What is the truth?”

“Well. I was so out of it, I don’t remember exactly. After listening, I don’t even know myself?”

“Wasn’t the Idea Mirror filming? We provided it to you.”

“It seems like it wasn’t activated because it was Level 1. And as soon as we entered the dungeon, there was a moving mature tower right in front of us, would I have even thought about filming?”

“I see. Then, we will refer to the clearance reports of the Jiwon guild members and each member of the Clear Team to infer the situation. And, is the person next to you a new team leader? They seem to be a foreigner.”

“Yes?”

“I haven’t seen that woman before… Who is she?”

The Director is next to me… Ah, Sarah!

How should I explain this?

A mixed-race person who was just accepted as a guild member… Could she even speak Korean?

I hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer, when suddenly Sarah got up from her seat, bowed her head, and opened her mouth.

“I’m Sarah Matilda. Guild Leader Han Jiwon’s exclusive secretary. Please take care of me in the future.”

Huh? What? What!

In an instant, my dazed mind finally found its way home when it was time to slap my cheeks.

“Hmph, secretary my ass. More like a mistress.”

“It’s a romance, a romance.”

“But she speaks Korean so well? Is one of her parents Korean?”

“Probably.”

“Was saying it’s a skill just something you said?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Did you believe that?”

“Believe it. I was so dumbfounded that I wasn’t even surprised.”

Before the stray dog that found its way home could even bark, the kids next to me barked first.

Ha, damn it.

Why is it that no one believes me even when I tell the truth?

Well, I can’t believe it either.

Ignoring my throbbing head, I said to the Director.

“If things are roughly settled, we’ll move to our lodgings.”

At my words, the Dungeon Management Bureau Director, who had been talking with the executives, was startled and stammered.

“Lodgings? Now? A press conference is scheduled in 30 minutes.”

Huh? What? Press conference?

I urgently looked at Hong-chan hyung with my rapidly turning head.

Shortly after.

“Can’t hyung just do it? It’s so annoying.”

“I’ll do it next time, so you do it this time. Is that how a guild leader should act so irresponsibly? It’s not just once or twice. Everyone is looking for you, what am I supposed to do! You were like this last time too, are you going to be like this until the end? I’m really going to quit!”

“Okay. I got it! I’ll do it, jeez. Why are you yelling.”

Hong-chan hyung’s eyebrows slightly lower at my answer.

“I’ll be next to you, so if they ask something weird, don’t answer right away, just gloss over it. Don’t get angry at clumsy question attacks, stay calm. If you ditch the press conference for no reason, all the image you’ve built up until now will be ruined, so think carefully before answering. Got it?”

“……”

Do you think I’m a child in front of a stream?

Why is there so much nagging? You’re not my mom. Geez, me.

That being said, it’s annoying. It’s really annoying.

It’s so bothersome, I really don’t want to do it, and it’s so embarrassing.

Can’t I not do it?

As I appeared in a situation where hundreds of reporters, or reporters, I don’t know, were gathered and only looking at the platform, flashes that would blind my eyes went off. Dozens of broadcasting cameras turned on, making me more nervous than when I entered the Level 1 dungeon.

As I took my seat, the host was blabbering something, but I couldn’t hear it.

It’s embarrassing. It’s so embarrassing.

Until two years ago, I had been working for over ten years, giving countless PT [presentation] presentations, and skillfully taking control of the atmosphere to carry out projects, but there weren’t this many cameras back then.

I’ve said everything I wanted to say in front of dozens, hundreds of people, but there were no broadcasting cameras back then. Of course, they didn’t take pictures either.

As Hong-chan hyung tapped my thigh from the side, my thoughts finally disappeared and my mouth opened. According to the existing script.

“I’m very tired because I just cleared the dungeon. I’ll only take three questions. Anyone have a question?”

As soon as I finished speaking, hundreds of reporters raised their hands.

After roughly scanning the surroundings, I pointed to a man in his late 30s in the front row.

“I’m Nam Seong-guk, a reporter from the KBO News Bureau. First of all, as a citizen, I would like to express my gratitude for clearing the Taebaeksan Level 1 Bio Dungeon. It’s not because you gave me the right to speak first. Haha. Rather, I know that Guild Leader Han Jiwon cleared this Level 1 dungeon without a single casualty, and according to what we’ve confirmed internally, your clearance contribution is over 90%, is that true? If so, how exactly was it cleared? Surely you didn’t solo the Level 1 dungeon?”

“Yes. That’s right. Next question?”

“……”

“… What, what?”

“… What did you say just now?”

The press conference hall is buzzing.

Is this recording, no, is it live?

Anyway, it’s being recorded, right?

I told you. I soloed it.

The reporter who asked the question gets up from his seat again and asks.

“Um, I didn’t hear you well just now, but did you just say you soloed it? The Taebaeksan Level 1 Bio Dungeon? Did we hear you correctly?”

“That’s right. My contribution to clearing the Taebaeksan Level 1 Bio Dungeon is 98.876%. It’s written in the dungeon report, so please read it later. It’s a dungeon system, so it can’t be faked.”

“… Oh, my god!”

“Unbelievable!”

“I, is it real?”

In an instant, camera flashes that would blind my eyes went off again, and screams were heard.

By the way, I was so nervous at first, but now that I’m doing it, it’s pretty good? I’m not even nervous.

Did my camera phobia go away?

I was very nervous at first. Ahem.

The next day afternoon.

After resting well, sleeping well, and eating my fill, I arranged a meeting again with executives, including the Dungeon Management Bureau Director.

Of course, it’s not my business that the security guards in the hotel where I was staying and the Dungeon Management Bureau employees, including the police, had a hard time with the crowds that were flocking in.

I heard later that yesterday’s press conference renewed the highest viewership ratings related to news coverage.

I thought it would be so embarrassing, so I deliberately didn’t watch the internet or TV, so the team leader-level guild members are telling me the current situation that I know.

I arrived at the conference room and was leisurely having a cup of coffee when the door opened and a man in his late 50s entered with the Dungeon Management Bureau Director and executives.

“Please greet him. He’s the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

“Ah, yes. I’m Han Jiwon.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Gong Jin-tae, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

After greeting each other and awkwardly shaking hands, we sat down awkwardly….

“You must be busy, so I’ll get straight to the point. The United States, Japan, and China have made unofficial requests to clear Level 1 dungeons. There is one bio dungeon and two mech dungeons….”

“I won’t do it.”

“… Yes?”

“I cleared a dungeon yesterday. I haven’t even gone home yet. Are you telling me to go abroad in this state?”

“Ah, that’s not it. They have also formed their own clearance teams and entered the dungeon. It’s an unofficial request in case of emergency. It seems they are conscious that Guild Leader Jiwon cleared it in the shortest time without a single casualty. Not now, but one month from the dungeon clearance deadline. In other words, it will be two weeks later.”

“Is it in case they can’t clear it in their own country and the dungeon explodes?”

“That’s right. It’s to prepare in advance.”

“Hmm, I’m not really interested….”

“If you agree, they will pay 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD] per guild member and 500 billion won [approximately $375 million USD] to the Guild Leader as a service fee. This is separate from the dungeon clearance reward.”

10 billion won per guild member? And 500 billion won for me?

Then, since our Jiwon Guild has about 230 members, it’s roughly 730 billion won?! [approximately $550 million USD]

Ha, Han Jiwon has really grown a lot. He’s just saying billions and billions.

But it’s not decided yet.

“… For now, the dungeon hasn’t exploded, so I’ll just keep it in mind.”

“I understand. I’ll tell them that. Sorry to bother you when you’re busy.”

“No. It’s okay.”

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”

“Yes. Take care.”

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs left, the Director, who had been seeing him off, came in and said something strange.

“The Minister came on purpose instead of having a Vice Minister or secretary do it. He came to see your face. There will be many things like this in the future. The same goes for me. Hehehe.”

“I roughly guessed. It’s annoying.”

“A, annoying? Hehe, hehehe.”

Why are you laughing? Then it’s not annoying?!

It’s so annoying to me?

By the way, why did I come here?

Before I could slap my stupid head myself, I remembered the purpose of coming here.

It’s related to the clearance reward.

Because the amount of mineral was so large that the Dungeon Management Bureau notified me that they couldn’t handle it all at once.

“… Yes. That’s right. Guild Leader Jiwon’s clearance contribution is over 98%, so because of that tax exemption….”

The conclusion is that. Taxes.