🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 204
The headquarters of White Burn.
A meeting room on the 10th floor.
“Wow, it’s been a while since we all got together like this.”
“Yeah, after the operation in Tenjin, everyone was way too busy to meet.”
“But why does this company look so impressive every time we see it?”
Normally, guild meetings focus on discussions about upcoming dungeon explorations, but for Team Z, the priority was more about exploring the unfamiliar office.
“Look at this. The camera head moves exactly in the direction I point! Wow—it even reacts to breathing.”
“There’s also subtitle display. Everything I say gets translated. English, Chinese… wait, even Swahili?”
“Hey! Someone here knows this! Suddenly it turned white, and there’s no shadow!”
“The air feels subtly different… refreshing… suddenly it feels like we’re in a near-future sci-fi movie.”
Correction: it wasn’t exploration. They were just country bumpkins visiting Seoul for the first time.
“These guys don’t even realize how embarrassing they look. Hey! Everyone, sit down!”
Only after Osuheon yelled did the team members reluctantly sit in their seats.
“Big companies really do feel different, don’t they?”
“That’s why even being a servant has to be at a minister’s house. Compared to this… ugh.”
“What kind of fights have we even been having all this time?”
The local broadcast was still running in the background.
“Now, everyone needs to get used to this,” Kim Minjung said, pulling the microphone closer and turning it on.
All eyes turned toward her.
“Why the formal speech all of a sudden?”
“It’s an official meeting. It’s about courtesy.”
“Wow, that’s cool, our Minjung.”
Kim Minjung held back a hint of irritation.
“We are now Team Z, the pride of White Burn. We also carry on the legacy of Cheongroe.”
The words “legacy of Cheongroe” made everyone serious; even their expressions changed.
“So, you need to get familiar with things like the 360-degree auto-tracking cameras, AI real-time subtitle displays, electrochromic smart glass walls, and the environmental control console. By the way,” she paused briefly, “these functions are all built using technologies developed by the Technical Research Division from dungeon items we studied. The achievements we’ve obtained—or will obtain—are reflected here.”
“That’s fascinating. We always thought dungeons were old-fashioned,” Osuheon said with a smile, and the team nodded.
“Therefore, we should take pride in standing at the forefront of world-changing events. With that in mind…”
Beep.
The large screen behind Kim Minjung changed.
“This operation will be extremely important. I assume you’ve already reviewed the fourth field report from the Near Eastern front before coming here.”
The large screen displayed a battlefield—one that the Cheongroe unit had experience with from previous operations.
The team members’ eyes sharpened—the same look they had when confronting Pingshin.
“As mentioned in the report, this area is chaotic, with countless mercenary groups and warlords clashing so often that the frontlines shift several times a day.”
Everyone nodded.
“And here—”
“Chairman Peng is here.”
Just as Kim Minjung was about to speak, the meeting room door opened, and Lee Hyun appeared.
“Good to see you again, Z-Team. The last time we met, things got… messy, didn’t they?”
He was followed by Michael Shepherd from Astra.
Kim Minjung shot him a sharp look, clearly wanting to question him about his prior encounter with Eom Giseon, but held back due to the presence of others.
Yet…
‘Something feels different…’
His aura was different from the morning. Previously, she thought he might have undergone a second awakening during his break, but now the depth seemed even greater.
Being a ranker herself, she could feel Lee Hyun’s change more intensely.
Sure enough.
“Oh?”
“What’s that?”
“Is he keeping all the good stuff for himself? He really went through a second awakening?”
The team reacted with awe. Even Eom Giseon and Osuheon shot competitive glances. Just his presence dominated the room.
‘I was surprised too. Those who watch him closely must be even more amazed. Z… every time, just keeps amazing me.’
Michael, too, looked at Lee Hyun with admiration bordering on longing.
The current appearance was only a fraction of what he witnessed after Lee Hyun spent hours in a meeting with the director.
‘The director said to let Z support anything. He must have foreseen all of this. As expected, the director’s perception is nothing like mine.’
Michael cleared his thoughts and said:
“I’ll be joining this meeting as an observer. Let me walk you through the necessary background first.”
Immediately, the real-time subtitle display activated, showing the Korean translation.
Michael glanced at it, slightly surprised, then smiled lightly, turning to the screen.
Kim Minjung moved aside, and Lee Hyun sat, connecting a USB to the computer. The screen changed.
“This is a live feed from ASTRA’s forward base in Syria. Sent just minutes ago.”
The video played.
“What… what is that?!”
“A giant…?”
“No! It’s a mob!”
“What are you talking about! No dungeon break has been detected!!”
A barren wasteland with sand blowing in the wind.
Only ruins of a temple symbolizing the ancient Palmyra Empire were barely visible in the distance.
Multinational soldiers, their affiliations hard to determine, ran frantically toward the camera.
Tanks lined up and fired their main guns, while helicopters and fighter jets flew overhead in a chaotic scene.
“What’s going on?”
“The French Foreign Legion? Aren’t they enemies of the 13th Legion? And Astra is here too?”
“It’s hard to pinpoint exact positions with all this sandstorm.”
The Z-Team was equally confused.
As if sensing this, the drone camera zoomed in sharply.
In the distance, near the temple ruins, something massive walked slowly.
Boom…!
Boom…!!
Though the sandstorm obscured its shape, each step caused the ground to tremble visibly.
The team watched the footage silently.
“Damn! What is that?! That absurd rumor… it was real?”
“Oh, God! Why here of all places… Inspector! The measurements! Are they done?”
“Yes! Just now… but the readings—”
“Hurry! Do you want to watch your comrades die?!”
“C-Captain! Check here! UCO is…”
The captain quickly turned to the massive figure.
The figure stopped walking. Slowly, it turned its head toward them.
Still obscured by the sand and far away, its features were indistinct, but its gaze was unmistakably on them.
Flash!!
Its presumed head blazed with intense light, and, as if sensing its end, it muttered:
“Goddamn…”
Screeech!!
The video was filled with static.
No one dared speak, stunned by the shock.
Lee Hyun pressed pause, and Michael spoke solemnly in English:
“The observed mana level was at least 9,200 Arca—over a thousand times the standard. Astra calls this an Unidentified Celestial Object, or U.C.O.”
Meaning: “supernatural phenomenon of unknown origin.”
“Both the drone and nearby units were annihilated; very few survivors remain. If there are any, they may be held somewhere in the desert.”
Even while discussing Astra’s vulnerabilities, his tone was calm, as if it wasn’t his concern.
Beep!
Michael tapped a pad handed to him by Lee Hyun. The screen switched to two faces familiar to Team Z.
One was Peng Jinghao.
The other was his subordinate, Ling Feng, now known by the codename Onma.
“Their target is the U.C.O. The 13th Legion is crossing the desert, pushing even Babel’s Tower aside. They’ve already attempted contact with the U.C.O.”
Osuheon raised his hand.
Michael nodded. Osuheon asked:
“What happened to those who attempted contact with the U.C.O.?”
“Annihilated.”
“…!”
“No corpses were found. Our investigation team observed the scene, and it appears even the remains were consumed.”
“…That means…”
Osuheon’s face hardened.
Michael nodded:
“Yes. Very similar to the case of <Primordial Dragon Tiamat’s Nest> in South Africa.”
“…!”
“…!”
“…!!”
“Given your status as Awakened, you should all know about that incident. You can’t not know—the exploits of Sanshin were remarkable.”
Tiamat’s Nest.
The deadliest five-star dungeon in history, causing immense casualties and destruction.
A dungeon break triggered massive monster waves, erasing South Africa from the map, and the surrounding region suffered so much damage that Sub-Saharan Africa became the hellish wasteland known today.
Yet, it also profoundly affected global politics.
Four of the Nine Heavens who focused on clearing the dungeon are now world leaders.
Especially, Sanshin Mo Jeong-gyeon’s exploits are still studied in Awakened education institutions today.
“For reference, the first observation of Rabu emerging from the nest was at 8,700 Arca… the situation could become even more dangerous.”
Arca measures the mana level of mobs.
“So it could continue to grow?”
“Yes. Data is insufficient to rate it as dangerously as the <Nest>, but that may happen soon. Fortunately, the U.C.O. has not yet harmed civilians.”
Michael nodded to Lee Hyun and surveyed each Z-Team member.
“This footage is classified even by domestic intelligence, but we share it to request formal cooperation despite the risk.”
Until now, Michael had appeared cold and detached. His eyes finally showed fire.
“The Astra unit is presumed held somewhere in the area. Survivor signals suggest they are alive, but due to mana interference, precise location cannot be determined.”
Lee Hyun and the team could feel Michael’s earnest emotions. They all understood the urgency.
“It’s dangerous, but could Team Z… assist with the search operation?”
