NOVEL NEXT Ch 17
He scratched his nose. This was a matter of perspective; in a way, Jin Song-i’s words weren’t wrong.
But as mentioned earlier, it’s a matter of timing. From Yoon Young-su’s point of view, those worries were meaningless, and that wasn’t wrong either.
The one who had swiftly subdued Jin Song-i, who was so worried, was Jin Si-hu. No one could even begin to imagine the extent of his power. For him to be worried about someone like that didn’t make much sense.
Also, Jin Song-i already knew that the current Jin Si-hu was the *real* one. Although she had felt some unease with the fake version in the past, she had ignored it. This was no longer the case.
Anyway.
“I delivered the credit card and the watch that the 200th Apostle used.”
– “Thank you for your hard work. But my younger sibling hasn’t been contacting me. It’s a bit disappointing.”
“Maybe they don’t know how to use it?”
From across the room, Jin Song-i took a deep breath, and the sound was clearly audible.
– “Didn’t you explain it to them?”
“No, I didn’t.”
– “Why not?”
“Because you didn’t tell me to.”
– “…”
At that silence, Yoon Young-su chuckled softly.
“I thought someone named Jung-bin would explain the watch’s usage.”
– “I see… Hmm… But what about this Jung-bin person?”
It was clear what she meant.
“I don’t know the details, but it’s certain that they did something with Jin Si-hu in a Gate. Personally, I think they should be scouted by the Salvation Guild right away, but looking at the bigger picture, it might be better to leave them as they are for now.”
Jin Song-i’s laughter could be heard.
– “Thank you. I really appreciate all the hard work you do on my behalf.”
“You’re welcome.”
– “By the way, we’re about to enter the Gate now. Please hang in there just a bit longer, and then head home early tonight.”
“Understood. Have a safe trip.”
The call ended there.
Yoon Young-su leaned back in his chair and opened his status window.
[Name: Yoon Young-su]
[Occupation: Secretary of Salvation Guild]
[Level: 160]
[Current Rank: A+]
[Potential Rank: A+]
[Stats]
[Strength: A+]
[Aggility: A+]
[Intelligence: S+]
[Endurance: A+]
[Mana (Internal Energy): A+]
[Remaining Stat Points: 0]
Unlike most Awakened individuals, Yoon Young-su had perfectly balanced stats. It was a testament to his impeccable A-rank abilities.
He didn’t have any weaknesses, and his intelligence even exceeded his current rank.
Yoon Young-su had always wondered.
“What if I had been a Unique Awakener?”
Or.
“How far could I have grown?”
Those who can grow without limits in rank are the Unique Awakened. Ordinary Awakened cannot do this. This is what sets them apart.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it.
Yoon Young-su glanced at the clock.
The time was 8:23 PM.
Yoon Young-su didn’t “clock out.”
He had to head back to the Salvation Guild.
Jin Song-i had entered the Gate. It was best to stay on standby, as no one knew what would happen.
So, Yoon Young-su made his way to Pangyo.
—
Inside the Gate, Jin Song-i quietly opened her status window.
[Name: Jin Song-i]
[Occupation: Guild Master of Salvation Guild]
[Level: 590]
[Current Rank: SSS-]
[Potential Rank: *Undecided]
[Achievements: 45]
[Stats]
[Strength: S+]
[Aggility: SS+]
[Intelligence: SS]
[Endurance: SS]
[Mana (Internal Energy): SS+]
[Remaining Stat Points: 0]
The status window of Unique Awakened individuals was different from that of ordinary ones.
Specifically, it was in the title and potential sections.
Unique Awakened had their own titles, and their potential was marked as undecided.
Many believed this indicated infinite potential. It wasn’t wrong. After all, Jin Song-i and others like her were proving this.
Currently, her rank was SSS-, and her potential was still undecided.
This was the characteristic of Unique Awakened. They could grow without limits, and this made them special.
It was something worth thinking about.
Why are Unique Awakened so special?
For the past 10 years, no one had been able to figure this out. Some linked it to religion, claiming that these individuals were chosen by a god, while others hastily concluded that they were just special for some reason.
Jin Song-i didn’t agree with either of those.
However, she didn’t have a firm answer of her own.
She just thought about it, without reaching a conclusion.
In the end, at least in the current situation, there was no clear answer. She didn’t want to force others to follow her philosophical answers, nor did she want them imposed on her.
What Jin Song-i believed in was simple: Unique Awakened had a “privilege.”
That was an undeniable fact.
Jin Song-i thought.
If you have that privilege, you should show it.
Why did Yi Sun-sin fight with his life on the line?
He didn’t hide behind his position. He didn’t make excuses.
He didn’t avoid anything. He was confident.
He sacrificed himself to win the war.
Jin Song-i was the same.
What’s the point of studying and debating the differences between Unique and ordinary Awakened?
Spending time thinking about that wasn’t as practical as fighting against the enemies of humanity.
Humanity had been at war for 10 years. A war that might never end.
That’s why Jin Song-i was standing at the front now.
Around her, five luminous spheres appeared, and the dark cave was instantly illuminated.
Everyone took a sharp breath.
Everywhere around them, there were countless shadowy figures.
They looked like shadows or people covered in black paint.
Those were the Ghosts.
S-class monsters, Ghosts.
Jin Song-i, calmly observing her surroundings, slowly put her hands in her pockets.
Her eyes darkened.
Slowly, the five luminous orbs emitted a bright light.
Meanwhile, there were others watching her from a close distance.
They were the members of the Helios Guild, who had officially requested Jin Song-i to clear the S-class Gate.
By the way, the Helios Guild was quite famous.
Its Guild Master, John Marcel, was an S-class Awakened and knew how to use his power for the future.
Originally from Brazil, he moved to the U.S. to study, and later settled in America. He worked with lower-ranked Awakened, helping recent graduates of the Awakened Academy to gain experience by clearing Gates. For John, giving these students experience was one of the joys of life.
Not long ago, by chance, the Helios Guild won a bid for an S-class Gate in Cristóbal, Texas.
At first, they planned to clear it with only their guild members, but John had a change of heart.
What if they cleared it with students from the Awakened Academy who had just graduated?
That’s how they had been handling Gates of rank A and below, but this was their first time with an S-class. So, they reached out for help.
They offered 80% of the clearing fee for assistance.
The first to receive the offer was Jin Song-i in Korea.
She knew about John and the Helios Guild.
Thus, she decided to join the mission, not for 80%, but for 50% of the reward, which, in hindsight, was a good decision.
As she calmly turned her head, Jin Song-i effortlessly took down hundreds of Ghosts.
“Ghosts are stronger in the dark. If you’re sure this Gate is filled with Ghosts when you first enter, immediately light it up. Torches or light magic are fine. You can also use holy-based skills.”
Jin Song-i began walking.
“Especially when Ghosts sleep at night, it’s dangerous. As Nightmares, they steal not only one’s vitality but also mana in dreams. If you’re careless, even an S-class Awakened might not survive. These monsters are very dangerous.”
However.
“Pure physical power isn’t that strong. As long as you keep the lights on and avoid those trying to put out the flames using Nightmares, clearing a Gate with Ghosts is relatively easy.”
Jin Songyi shared a lot of knowledge with them.
She was someone you could always rely on.
It was during this thought that it happened.
Kuuuuuuuuung-!!
The gate shook violently.
Everyone’s expression stiffened. Jin Songyi’s was no exception.
They all knew this reaction well.
It was an abnormal gate.
More specifically, it was a “fluctuating gate,” a precursor to a change in the gate’s rank.
Questions flooded everyone’s minds.
Why?
They had only killed ghosts, so why was this happening?
There was a well-established theory in the Awakener community.
A fluctuating gate would always become a gate of one rank higher than its original rating.
The gate they were in was S-rank.
That meant this gate was about to become an SS-rank gate.
The problem was that this gate was already close to the highest tier of S-rank.
If it became SS-rank, it would not just be any SS-rank gate. It would be one at the very end of the SS-rank spectrum.
It was a gate that no one had ever cleared “alone,” and now it was about to emerge into the world. There was no luck to be had.
Soon, the ground trembled again with a deep rumbling.
From the darkness ahead, countless footsteps echoed. It sounded like hundreds, even thousands, of monsters were charging toward them.
The air shook violently, and the Awakeners tensed and began to tremble in fear. This was it. They were going to die. There was no way out.
Only one person remained calm.
Jin Songyi shouted loudly.
“Run toward the entrance!”
* * *
Yoon Youngsoo stood frozen for a moment, truly dazed.
“What… what did you say?”
– They say the gate the Master is at in the U.S. has fluctuated.
He swallowed hard.
– The gate measurement shows a value of 4,800.
Gate measurement tools do not indicate the gate’s rank in terms of F, E, D, etc.
They provide a numerical value.
For example, a value between 1 and 100 is F-rank, 501–1000 is E-rank, 1001–1500 is D-rank, 1501–2000 is C-rank, 2001–2500 is B-rank, 2501–3000 is A-rank, and 3001–4000 is S-rank.
Anything above 4001 is SS-rank.
These are the cumulative rankings based on 10 years of data.
– Sir, the value seems unusual. It’s similar to the Baekdusan Gate that appeared two years ago.
The Baekdusan Gate, precisely, was a gate that appeared two years ago.
At that time, a dragon emerged from the gate, and to clear it, four unique Awakeners, two SS-rank Awakeners, 200 S+ rank Awakeners, and 400 A+ rank Awakeners specialized in auxiliary abilities were dispatched.
It was cleared, but not without significant casualties.
Such a force was required for a successful clear.
And now, Jin Songyi was with the Helios Guild.
Honestly, if Jin Songyi was alone, there would have been no issue. But the Helios Guild—therein lay the problem.
They had dozens of rookies fresh out of the Academy. Among them were future S-rank or even SS-rank potential Awakeners. They just hadn’t leveled up yet.
“…This is insane.”
The key issue now was what to do next.
“What’s the World Awakener Association doing?”
– …They’re starting a rescue operation, but it will take some time.
“…”
– Most of the Awakeners who are friendly with the Master are currently clearing other gates, and one of them has some time to spare… but whether they’ll step in is uncertain. They’re quite the eccentric.
Yoon Youngsoo furrowed his brows.
It wasn’t just the bleakness of the situation.
It was his own self-loathing for remaining calm despite the circumstances.