"I see. Political pressure, huh..."
The afternoon meeting with Alice wasn't a formal meeting, but rather a conversation in the reception room. Only those who weren't busy with other things could attend, so; only I, Cheon Sa-yeon, and Woo Seo-hyuk participated.
"Korea must feel a bit frustrated in times like these."
"Is Australia any different?"
"Overseas, including Australia, is a bit different from Korea. I understand that in Korea, everything from guilds to ability information is managed by the government."
In Korea, when a person awakens as gifted, they typically register their status with the country and then join a guild.
That way, they can receive various benefits and lead a stable life. Some people may still have regular jobs or work for companies after awakening, but it's very rare.
"Honestly, things aren't exactly smooth sailing for us right now either."
Alice sighed briefly then continued.
"I got a call from my guild this morning. They told me to stay quiet and not stir up any trouble... But our master isn't the type to suddenly say something like that out of the blue."
Cheon Sa-yeon, who had been listening silently, twisted his lips into a smile.
"Seems the pressure isn't just on us."
"My guild didn't speak to me directly since I'm in Korea, so they spoke through the management headquarters instead… Even though I'm trying not to be suspicious of all this, I can't help but feel uneasy."
I frowned along with Alice.
Not only were our guilds getting harassed, but Alice was being placed under pressure as well. Of course, Alice was still an important guest from Australia, so she was different from us, but even so, this was still odd.
"It's definitely strange. I think it's a bit excessive."
Cheon Sa-yeon tapped the armrest of the sofa with his finger, his expression hardened. After a moment of thought, he spoke.
"It does seem excessive, just as Han Yi-gyeol said. The guild management headquarters has never directly informed an overseas guild like this... It's certainly unusual."
I instinctively knew that Cheon Sa-yeon had thought of something.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?"
"Yes. But first, let's go over the situation from yesterday."
Cheon Sa-yeon gave a nod to Woo Seo-hyeok, who was standing next to him, then he immediately turned on the tablet he was holding and began his report.
"The monster discovered on the streets of Gangnam yesterday was a mutant centipede that appears at the E271 section gate in France and the F12 section gate in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan."
"Huh? Then, what…"
"A monster that only appears at gates in France and Japan has appeared in Gangnam, Korea."
Woo Seo-hyuk handed me the tablet. The screen displayed a picture of a monster identical to the one I'd encountered yesterday, with detailed information written next to it.
"Futhermore, there were no signs of gate malfunctions or monsters escaping from the gates around Gangnam."
Alice, who was listening to Woo Seo-hyuk's briefing with a stern expression, said.
"So, to sum it up, this monster, which is only found at gates overseas, suddenly appeared in the middle of Gangnam, Korea. And it did so without a trace, as if they had used some sort of transportation item."
…Transportation item?
As I listened to Alice's story, I flinched at the mention of a 'transportation item'.
A sense of foreboding slowly crept over me. The phrase "transportation item," which Alice had used as a metaphor, firmly stuck in my mind.
Dozens of foreign monsters suddenly appeared and attacked the streets of Gangnam. No traces connected the gates to the monsters. Circumstances of illegal black market dealings involving the gates...
- I just did what the… guys who commissioned it… told me to do.
- The Trappers… told us to drop the item where they are gathered…
Recalling the men's testimonies that they'd entered the gate and dropped items as ordered by the Praus Cult, I snapped my head up at the sudden realization.
'No way…?'
Cheon Sa-yeon, who met my eyes which were unable to hide my shock, blinked slowly. Facing his quiet demeanor, my suspicions that seemed almost impossible to believe quickly solidified into certainty.
"That… is that even possible?"
"Well, there's no other way. We only have circumstantial evidence though, no concrete proof."
"Huh? What are you guys talking about?"
Alice, who had been listening to my conversation with Cheon Sa-yeon, asked with a puzzled look on her face. Woo Seo-hyuk, standing behind her, seemed to have already figured it out, his expression not changing much.
"I think I know why the Praus cult sent people to the gates, and even resorted to mind control."
After a moment of hesitation, considering how much I should explain to Alice, I answered cautiously.
"It seems like they put transportation items inside of the gates which connect to the outside."
"A transportation item… inside the gate?"
"Yes. The monsters appeared in Gangnam in an instant via a transportation item which was placed inside either the French or Japanese gates. That explains how a monster from an overseas gate could appear in Korea without a trace."
"Um, hold on… Han Yi-gyeol, just a moment."
Alice frowned slightly and touched her forehead.
"I'm sorry to ruin the moment like this, but a transportation item that efficient doesn't exist. Connecting a transportation item from France or Japan to Korea just doesn't make sense."
That was true. Distance was a problem, and moving dozens of monsters at once should've been impossible. But…
"If anyone could do this, it would be the Praus cult."
- A red jewel-like thing…
The red jewel probably referred to the transportation item. It must have been made using Kali's blood.
This was likely the goal behind the black market gate deals carried out worldwide. They placed transportation items inside gates inhabited by dangerous monsters and moved them to areas crowded with civilians. It was a truly horrific plan.
"Do you remember the recent art gallery incident? The Praus cult used items they'd created themselves to create a curtain that acted as an impenetrable barrier over the entire gallery. This group is capable of such deeds"
Alice, after hearing this, narrowed her eyes as if she'd finally grasped the seriousness of the situation.
"Honestly, it's hard to believe… but seeing that Han Yi-gyeol and Master Cheon Sa-yeon are so certain, I'll go with it for now."
Alice's neatly trimmed eyebrows drooped. Her voice heavy with worry as she spoke.
"But… even if what Han Yi-gyeol said is true, that doesn't mean the problem is solved. No, in fact I'd say it's gotten worse."
"Yes. If it's true that transportation items were scattered inside the gates, it's much more serious than we expected."
The black market gate dealing scandal had already been going on for over two months. We didn't know how many gates had been filled with transportation items since then, or when they would ultimately be used. There was no way to find out.
The air in the reception room quickly grew heavy. In the tense atmosphere, Cheon Sa-yeon spoke.
"We're currently checking to see if anyone other than authorized personnel have accessed the E271 gate in France and the F12 gate in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. If we confirm the records, our guess will be correct. Then we'll make a decision..."
Kugugung!
Before Cheon Sa-yeon could even finish speaking, the building shook slightly. It was a subtle vibration, too faint to be felt under normal circumstances, but we, who were conversing so quietly, didn't miss it.
"…Did you feel that just now?"
"Is it an earthquake?"
An earthquake in the heart of Seoul? It's not entirely impossible, but it's too much of a stretch to dismiss it so simply.
"I'll check the situation outside immidiately...."
"Master!"
Just as Woo Seo-hyuk started getting a bad feeling just as I did, he pulled out his cell phone. The reception room door opened violently, and another attendant hurriedly rushed in to report.
"Roheon has sent a request for assistance! Level one 1, Code Red, location Gwanghwamun!"
"Master, we have a request for assistance from the Jaina Guild!"
"...!"
The attendants rushed to the door, shouting for help. I instinctively stood up and turned to look at Cheon Sa-yeon. His eyes, coldly fixed on me.
***
A fire, fueled by oil spilling from a car, raged fiercely. Thick smoke billowed, and screams echoed from all directions, creating a chaotic mess.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Oh, no, no!"
The piercing roar of a monster cut through the screams. Then, beyond the pitch-black smoke, another deafening crash erupted as something else had collapsed.
"Move quickly! Take out any monsters you see!"
"Yes!"
"Move! Everyone to your positions!"
At Hong Sia's command, the guild members moved in unison. Hong Sia watched the guild members quickly run past her before raising her head.
'What the hell is going on…'
Gwanghwamun Square was transformed into a hellish wasteland, covered in corpses and blood. Dozens of monsters suddenly emerged out of nowhere, attacking and preying on civilians in the blink of an eye.
"Master, I've sent out a request for assistance to all nearby guilds. They say they'll be arriving shortly."
"Okay. What's the situation?"
The Jaina guild, which was closest to Gwanghwamun Square, was the first to arrive and assess the situation, quickly taking control.
Kim Na-yul answered Hong Sia's question in a gloomy voice.
"It's not looking good. There's a huge amount of flying monsters everywhere, and just like last time, there are some hiding underground. There's even poisonous smoke spreading around too..."
"Kwaaaaak!"
"T-there are traps…! Everyone, watch your step! There are traps laid out!"
The cry from a nearby guild member cut off Kim Na-yul's words mid-sentence. Hong Sia bit her lip at the sight of her guild members struggling to protect themselves, let alone save other people.
"There's even monsters that set up traps too?"
From monsters flying overhead to monsters setting up traps, they were all monsters that had never even been seen before in this area.
Just like with the monsters that attacked the streets of Gangnam yesterday, it was hard to figure out the proper course of action when faced with dozens of monsters which appeared so suddenly.
Bright red blood flowed between the tiles on the floor. Looking down at it, Hong Sia felt an indescribable chill. A cold sweat ran down her temples as a new report came in from behind her.
"Guild reinforcements have arrived!"