The streets of Hongdae were filled with young people. A place filled with the passion and dream of many young men and women.
At Cafe Amoa in the heart of Hongdae, four men and women were gathered. They were dressed differently and the atmosphere they gave off was entirely different from a common person.
They seemed like a combination that would rarely gather together but they were all tied by one common thing.
All of them were Awakened. In addition, each one of them were Starters and a guild master!
"If only this place was Paris. We could have gathered in Paris and once the stores open…."
The woman in her mid-30s waved her hands. She was frowning slightly while talking about flying to Paris.
Wavy, long hair and charming lips. The beauty spot above the nose and slightly droopy eyes gave her a glamorous type beauty.
Then the bald man wearing sunglasses and sitting opposite her smiled and said.
"I like the quiet."
"Then why did you pick the middle of Hongdae?"
"I don't like noise but my favourite thing is the vibrant energy of young people. Does Ms. Kim hate something like this?"
The woman he called Ms. Kim was actually Kim Suk-soo. Kim Suk-soo clicked her tongue.
"Well, I don't dislike money. By the way, why are we all gathered here?"
"Heaven's Will."
The woman nodded as she roughly guessed the story.
"Ah. It is about Kim Yong-woo. Didn't he go crazy? I heard that he is ranting nonsense every day about ants."
"He used to call me ant excrement."
"Oh my. Excrement is a little harsh."
Kim Suk-soo giggled and laughed.
Then a young man with blonde hair raised a coke to his lips and said.
"Ajusshi, don't humans become crazy every day? Quickly cut to the chase. I don't have time. I need to meet up with my team to decide a strategy to raid a dungeon."
"Isn't the Mithril Guild closed?
"Ajusshi's information is slow. It resumed again yesterday. The guild members are having a hard time. Those who perished in the Philippines…."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
The strong, young man knocked on the table.
"Aish! Don't you know that country was being ruined by creatures and a broker arranged for me to enter by boat? I was clearly invited."
Kim Suk-soo who had been listening quietly asked.
"That reminds me, how is the area? I heard that martial law has been declared."
"Noonim. Don't even say it. Tanks are being called in. Ah, and do you know that the creatures that are killed outside the dungeons don't drop Cores? Do you understand?" (Noonim= respectful way for males to refer to older females)
The young man's words were completely different from how he previously spoke to the man wearing sunglasses. He was a young man so Kim Suk-soo was a difficult opponent for him.
"Really? That is really good news."
Kim Suk-soo didn't have much of a reaction so it seemed like she already knew.
Exactly a week ago, large number of creatures came out from the dungeon in the Philippines. It was that there were 5,000 creatures. The civilians and Awakened received damage but after a few days, the military was organized and started to earnestly clean it up.
It was natural considered the quality of the attack in the first place. But no Cores dropped despite all the creatures killed. There was only one.
There were numerous speculations but the more reliable theory was that creatures needed to be killed in the dungeons. In other words, there was a close relationship between the dungeon and the Core.
Anyway, the Awakened were glad to hear it.
"By the way, what is with those cat like scratches? Didn't the tanks wipe them all out?"
"Well, one of them got lucky. I don't know much. It must have been a strong creature. Noonim, can we stop this topic? I'm feeling awful."
"I'm sorry dongsaeng Noonim was too short-sighted."
(Dongsaeng=younger sibling. Sometimes used to refer to a younger person who isn't related.)
Although he survived the raid, members of his guild had died so he naturally felt sad. Unlike the United States, South Korea had no compensation for those who died in dungeons. All of the Awakened that weren't in a institute had no choice but to go into the dungeon with nothing.
Many of the rich and powerful showed an avid interest in the Cores. If the guilds hadn't emerged then the Awakened in South Korea would have been their slaves.
"Let's return to business."
There was silence until a mysterious woman spoke. She was a similar age to the young man but she had a cold face. A tight skirt and blouse. She gave off the perfect impression of a 'cold city woman.'
"I met an Awakened."
The young man complained after hearing the man in sunglasses' words.
"What about it? Those who haven't defeated creatures aren't real heroes."
"He took care of a monster beyond the normal standard all by himself."
"Eh? Isn't that an urban legend? No, a dungeon legend?"
Kim Suk-soo covered her mouth as she smiled.
"Omo, dongsaeng. It is real. The monster."
The young man made a shocked expression.
"Eh eh? Haven't they never been seen before?"
"They exist. Dead people can't attend our meetings."
"…Get down to business."
Kim Suk-soo sighed.
"I'm not afraid of the Ice Princess. Hey, Alin. Loosen up your expression. Don't you know that you will get a lot of wrinkles by the time you are my age?"
"It appears one person has already heard the story."
Alin and Kim Suk-soo stared at each other.
The young man looked between them before sending a signal to Sunglasses. It asked him to proceed with the story.
"Hmm…I've acquired information that indicates the Awakened man is in Heaven's Will."
"Heol. Ajusshi, he is a real person?"
"Kim Yong-woo wasn't talking nonsense."
There was a moment of silence between the four of them.
Handling a monster beyond the normal standards alone. If it was true, it would be an overwhelming fact.
The presence of these monsters weren't just mere legend. All the people who had intelligence networks had classified it as Class 1 confidential information. The fact that they were reluctant to talk about it meant it was important information.
These people gathered due to necessity. Everything was for the sake of profit.
"Defeating it alone? No way. You saw a phantom."
Kim Suk-soo expressed her opinion. The young man also nodded.
It might be different a few years later. But right now, it was widely accepted that none of the Awakened could handle those type of monsters. It had only been 8 months since the Awakened appeared. The Starters were talented but even they couldn't exceed the limits of time.