Chapter 528 - 528 (1/2)
Despite Su-hyeun's warning, people's response still ended up splitting into two camps.
One side said that the dungeons were disappearing, and it was all a needless concern being blown out of proportions. Meanwhile, the opposing side argued that the world needed to remain on guard according to Su-hyeun's stark warning.
”As I thought, we still lack that necessary push.”
Scanning the intelligence report, Lee Ju-ho began chewing on a blameless pen.
It was one of his habits whenever he had too many things to think about. The report document depicted the changes to people's awareness of numerical values.
”It's obvious when you think about it, though. Dungeons are in decline, while no new awakeners are appearing,” said Hak-joon as he handed over new documents to Lee Ju-ho.
No new dungeons appeared these days, so whenever Hak-joon wanted to take a break from climbing the Tower, he would either stay with his almost-girlfriend Yun-seon or pay a visit to Lee Ju-ho toiling away at the Jongno Tower.
Lee Ju-ho asked, ”Are they really disappearing, though?”
”Even you think that's true, don't you?”
”Huh, I guess so.”
He could only groan.
Hak-joon was right: Lee Ju-ho was no different.
If it weren't for Su-hyeun's warning, even Lee Ju-ho would've thought that dungeons and all the associated dangers were a thing of the past. Of course, that line of thinking was still bubbling in the corner of his mind even now, ”It's one thing with dungeons disappearing, but what about new awakeners not appearing...?”
This timing when no new awakeners had appeared almost coincided with the start of the decrease in the number of dungeons.
This event caused many people to assume that the strange phenomenon swamping the world for many years—dungeons and awakeners—was finally ending.
But then, Su-hyeun showed up during the Ranking Wars and declared that the war wasn't over yet. He certainly caused a bit of stir, but even then, there wasn't enough reason for everyone to tense up again.
”It's impossible to convince everyone with just words, isn't it? Relying on nothing but people's respect toward Su-hyeun and appealing to their emotions will get us nowhere.”
”You also think that way, big bro?”
”Think about what?”
”You know, about what Su-hyeun bro said. How the war is still not over and all.”
”Well, do you think it's over?”
”Maybe…” Hak-joon mumbled the rest of his sentence before shaking his head, ”No, don't mind me.”
”What do you mean, don't mind you?” Lee Ju-ho tossed the documents aside on the table without much care. ”It's fine to think that way, know what I mean? Honestly, I wish he was wrong, too.”
”You too?”
”You know how Su-hyeun can be so meticulous all the time. And considering all the things he had to go through, and how responsible he could also be—”
”But he still spoke with so much certainty back then, didn't he?”
”Well, all I can say is I wish he's wrong this time.”
It was not over yet, he said.
Everyone looked up to Su-hyeun. They trusted him and tried to follow his example. Even so, they prayed that he was wrong this time.
”That's the happy ending we all want, after all.”
”I guess you have a point there, bro.”
”Well, that doesn't mean we should sit on our butts doing nothing, though. You, me, everyone.”
”You want me to get out of your hair?”
”You sure are quick on the uptake. You should go and try to climb one more floor if you have time to kill.”
”You can't be serious?! I only came back yesterday, you know!”
”Besides all that, aren't you gonna go and see your miss? It's morning, yet you sure seem to have a lot of free time on your hands.”
”She found a job recently, you see. She's now working at a kindergarten in Guro-gu—”
Bzzzz, bzzzzzing—
Lee Ju-ho's smartphone abruptly went off just then. He glanced at the name on the phone's screen, ended the conversation there, and answered the call, ”Hold on. Yes, Mister Rohan.”
Answering the call, Lee Ju-ho grew more and more serious as he listened. He then shifted his gaze over to the computer monitor and began searching for something, ”...Yes, I confirmed it just now. Yes. Thank you for the heads-up.”
”Was that call from Mister Rohan?”
”Remember what we were talking about a minute ago?”
”Sorry?”
Creak—
Lee Ju-ho pivoted the computer monitor around so that Hak-joon could also see. ”Looks like it's finally begun.”
There was a news article displayed on the screen. Its headline read: ”First new awakener appears after one year, two months! Kim Su-hyeun spoke the truth!”
* * *
The system was almost fully repaired.
He could have wrapped up there and stopped, but Su-hyeun continued tinkering with the system.
However, the part he was tinkering with wasn't the newest part of the system. He focused on the original bits Master Subhuti had created, specifically the part about the Tower itself.
”It wasn't just Yggdrasil.”
The layout of the Tower was far more intricate and expansive than he initially thought.
He believed that each floor of the Tower was a world found inside Yggdrasil, but several other World Trees were also involved in a highly complex manner.
It would require more time to connect many disparate trees to the Tower to issue various trials. Not to forget, even the system that granted new abilities and powers had to be connected, too.
”Just how far do these connections go?”
He couldn't see the end of the Tower. Not only that, but variations in the types of trials were so numerous that it seemed impossible to count them properly.
Su-hyeun was currently staring at the Tower and the system as the omnipotent observer. That was why he could see how far the effects of the system extended and what types of trials were available.
Trials were created mainly to help various worlds existing in Yggdrasil and other World Trees to overcome their crises. Su-hyeun's trials corresponded to such goals as dealing with the Lich King or raiding dungeons.
”Just how far...?”
The higher the floor, the higher the difficulty would be.
If Su-hyeun stuck to climbing the Tower and did the trials as scheduled, then he would eventually run into Osiris and probably Shiva next.
”Amazing.”
Su-hyeun got to learn something new today.
Master Subhuti was far more impressive than Su-hyeun had given him credit for. It was also likely that the other Five Godly Sages, such as Buddha and Zeus, had no idea how amazing Subhuti was.
He ensured that an excellent awakener would eventually run into Shiva simply by climbing the Tower until the end.
And also...
”So, we meet again in this place.”
Su-hyeun got to meet the ”presence” once more.
* * *
”Heo-urhk—!”
Su-hyeun's eyes shot wide open as he sat up.
He wondered how much time had passed by.
The surroundings had gotten dark by the time he woke up to look around. He completed repairing the system that went out of whack after Master Subhuti's passing, then ensured that the repaired system would be granted to various World Trees.