The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 306

305

“What did you say…?”

The Russian Parliament.

Vladimir, the Minister of Defense, received news that made him doubt his ears.

“All the Association personnel who were searching the site have lost contact! Currently, the entire operation team of about 100 people, including Chairman Dimitri, are out of contact!”

“What are you talking about? Lost contact! When was the last contact made?”

“It was about 13 hours after the search began. We started searching at 8 a.m. yesterday…”

The aide and Minister Vladimir, who were reporting, looked at their watches simultaneously.

The current time is 8 a.m., a day after the search began.

So, it’s been almost 10 hours since contact was lost?

‘What on earth is going on…?’

Minister Vladimir asked with a rather confused expression.

“The Association’s control team can track locations, can’t they? Did you check?”

“Don’t you know? There are no properly functioning detectors within the Association.”

“……”

Minister Vladimir shut his mouth, having briefly forgotten the fact.

But only for a moment.

“Could it be that Dimitri, that bastard, took the item and ran away? He must know that location tracking is impossible.”

“That’s a possibility.”

“Ha, I knew he was laying the groundwork because he kept saying he was uneasy……”

Minister Vladimir clicked his tongue and muttered.

Not even imagining what was actually happening on the ground.

“Go to the site and look for him. If he ran away, there must be traces left.”

“Understood.”

“Report to me as soon as you find any clues. And… if you catch him, bring him alive. I’ll take care of the disposal myself.”

Just as he was giving instructions to his aide in a completely absurd direction.

Bang—!!!

Suddenly, a deafening roar was heard from outside the building.

The impact was enough to shake the office.

Minister Vladimir immediately got up and looked out the window.

“W, what is it?!”

In the distance, a huge flame and black smoke were rising.

And it didn’t take long to realize where it was.

“If that direction is correct… isn’t that the Association?”

“Y, yes, I think so.”

The aide also nodded with a bewildered face.

The two men were speechless at what was happening before their eyes.

Their expressions showed that they didn’t know how to accept this situation.

They closed their mouths as they watched the downtown area and citizens turn into a scene of utter chaos.

What on earth happened?

What the hell happened…….

How could the Association in the middle of Moscow be attacked in broad daylight?

At that moment, Minister Vladimir’s vision went dark.

‘From now on, even I can’t predict how they will react.’

Someone’s words were replayed in his head.

‘So… please be careful.’

Kim Jun-woo.

That one word he threw after contacting him immediately after the no-contact request.

“……”

Only after seeing the chaotic downtown area did Minister Vladimir understand the meaning of those words.

***

“Ah-young!”

WDSO Korea Headquarters.

Eclipse, a subsidiary research institute, Bank Item storage area.

Director Kim Min-joo, who suddenly rushed in, urgently called for Lee Ah-young.

From her stiff expression, it was possible to guess that something bad had happened.

“W, what’s going on?”

Director Lee Ah-young also asked with a nervous face.

“The International Association has started to move!”

“……!”

“……!”

At that answer, not only Lee Ah-young but also Chloe’s eyes widened.

“S, started to move? Are you saying they attacked Russia or something?”

“It’s not just Russia.”

“……Yes?”

“They are indiscriminately attacking the European and Middle Eastern Associations, including the Russian Association.”

A moment of silence flowed.

It was because they needed time to understand what that meant.

But only for a moment.

“If it’s an indiscriminate attack… could it be…….”

“Yes.”

Kim Min-joo nodded with a heavy expression at Lee Ah-young’s question.

“They’ve given up on controlling it now. Instead…….”

“They’ve changed their route to destroying everything.”

Chloe took over her words.

“Then we can start from the beginning.”

“……”

“……”

Kim Min-joo and Lee Ah-young’s eyes trembled.

Lee Ah-young, who soon regained her composure, asked Chloe.

“Haa, but… even so, destroying all the Associations around the world. There’s no reason to be so extreme…….”

“The International Association has been cornered from the moment they had all the Bank Items taken away. Now that they have nothing to lose, what can’t they do?”

Chloe answered, trying to act calm.

“Once they start moving, they won’t stop. Until all the Associations around the world collapse or they disappear.”

“But we have the Bank Items! No matter how cornered they are, there’s no way they’d move without thinking about that…!”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Chloe replied.

Lee Ah-young’s eyebrows twitched greatly.

Knowing that we have all the Bank Items, they’re still doing that…….

“The International Association got their hands on Eden first.”

“……”

“……”

At those words, everyone’s eyes turned downward.

And then.

“Anyway, now that the International Association has started to move, we can’t just sit still. We need to prepare our forces quickly and stop them.”

Kim Min-joo continued.

“Please call the teacher before it’s too late.”

“……”

But Director Lee Ah-young kept her mouth shut.

“What are you doing! Contact him quickly and ask him to return…!”

“Not now.”

Director Lee Ah-young cut off her words and answered quietly.

“The ability wave is as strong as the Omega rank dungeon. There is no way to communicate inside, let alone radio.”

“W, what does that mean…….”

“Jun-woo said that if there is no contact within 3 hours after entering the dungeon, then send additional troops. Until then, contact is impossible.”

Lee Ah-young said that and checked the time.

“Still… 30 minutes left.”

“There’s no time to wait! We need to deploy troops right now and bring him back somehow!”

Kim Min-joo’s voice grew louder and louder.

But Lee Ah-young and Chloe were still unresponsive.

Then.

“I’ll go. Tell me the location of the dungeon!”

In the end, Kim Min-joo couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward.

“I’ll go and bring him back myself.”

“W, wait a minute!”

“If you go in, Kim Jun-woo and you could both be in danger!”

Lee Ah-young and Chloe tried to persuade her with all sorts of words, but she couldn’t hear anything anymore.

Kim Min-joo packed her equipment and was about to leave Eclipse right away.

“……That’s enough. You.”

But soon, a voice stopped her.

Someone who was battered and bruised came into the lab from the opposite side.

“T, Teacher…?”

“D, did you subjugate it…?”

“What, really?”

Lee Ah-young and Chloe approached him with a bewildered look, as if they had seen a ghost.

Kim Jun-woo nodded with a smile.

“Seeing you all gathered together… it seems like a bad situation?”

“The International Association has started to move. They are indiscriminately attacking Associations in each country…….”

“…I see.”

Kim Jun-woo let out a sigh as if he understood everything with that short explanation.

And soon.

“Please have all troops on standby right now.”

He opened his mouth.

“Because the training is over now.”

With those words, he left Eclipse first.

***

WDSO Seoul Headquarters.

Secretary-General’s Office.

“Please wait a little longer! We will dispatch troops right away!”

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard about the situation! Please hold on a little longer!”

“If you just focus on defense for now, we’ll go right away!”

Secretary-General Park In-beom’s phone was ringing like crazy.

As soon as the news of the International Association’s indiscriminate attacks was delivered, all the chairmen of each country’s Association were requesting help from WDSO [World Dungeon Security Organization].

Secretary-General Park In-beom was so busy responding to their flood of calls that he couldn’t see anything else.

“H, Hyung [Older brother/respected male figure]!”

In the midst of the busyness, Director Lee Doo-shik stormed into the office.

And immediately delivered the news.

“The Central African Integrated Association… has collapsed.”

“……!”

It was truly devastating news.

The Central African Integrated Association.

WDSO’s direct branch and key byproduct production area.

The fact that it was captured meant… that WDSO would no longer be supplied with byproducts.

Not only that, but top-quality byproducts such as Fractal would flow into the International Association.

‘They deliberately aimed for that first…….’

Chairman Park In-beom gritted his teeth.

Although they suffered a significant strategic loss due to the failed attack on Germany, they didn’t just rush in without thinking, even though they were cornered.

They thoroughly calculated and moved to replenish their insufficient power and equipment.

“Most of the Associations in Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East have already been captured! Each country has declared that they will take military action… but it seems difficult because the exact location of the International Association has not been identified.”

“Damn it…….”

Chairman Park In-beom’s fist trembled.

“It seems that terrorist groups and anti-government groups have also risen up, taking advantage of this gap. It is said that a declaration of war has been issued throughout Israel…….”

“……”

It was getting more and more confusing.

And this is exactly the situation that the International Association wanted.

We have to stop it.

If we delay any longer, the whole world will fall into irreversible chaos.

A war that has never happened before could break out.

“Where is Kim Jun-woo… now?”

“He said he just finished preparing to be dispatched. But because we can’t predict the movements of the International Association at all, we don’t know where to go first…….”

“……”

Secretary-General Park In-beom closed his mouth tightly.

Europe is already gone.

Geographically, the most efficient way to proceed would be to advance into Asia.

But I can’t be sure.

Above all, Secretary-General Wesley is a smart guy.

At first glance, it seems like he’s losing his mind and attacking everything in sight, but by attacking Russia first, he got his hands on Eden.

Then, he attacked Europe, which shares a border, to expand his sphere of activity, secured byproducts through Central Africa, and caused international chaos through the Middle East.

‘They’re prioritizing and attacking in order…….’

Then the next one is…….

“It’s not Asia.”

“……Yes?”

Secretary-General Park In-beom looked at Director Lee Doo-shik and continued.

“Including Korea, China, and Japan, the Southeast Asian region is the same as WDSO’s base. Attacking that place at the current time is too risky for the International Association.”

“T, then…….”

“A place where they can definitely succeed in the attack and bring the tide of the war at once.”

Secretary-General Park In-beom raised his eyes and met Director Lee Doo-shik’s eyes.

“The United States.”

His eyes flashed.

“The next attack area is the United States.”

“……”

Director Lee Doo-shik flinched, but only for a moment.

“……Understood. I will dispatch them right away.”

He left those words behind and ran out of the office.

Even after he disappeared, Secretary-General Park In-beom’s phone kept ringing non-stop.

But he ignored them all to sort out his thoughts.

The International Association’s indiscriminate attacks.

The wars that are breaking out in each country, taking advantage of the chaos.

Eden, which has already been handed over.

‘Damn it…….’

He clasped his hands tightly together.

The International Association was established to protect citizens.

The numerous independent Associations in each country that were established following them.

But at some point, the safety of citizens disappeared from their minds.

All that was left for them was control and power.

‘The Associations that were created to save each other are now fighting to kill each other…….’

Secretary-General Park In-beom had said the same thing before.

But unlike then, it is not a figurative expression now.

A life-threatening fight to step on each other to get to the top.

The fight between humans that is still going on even though dungeons have appeared and monsters have appeared.

The war has finally begun.