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Chapter 253: Chapter 253

Justitia.

Korea’s number one guild, famous as a group that values justice. It was led by ’Seo Seohui,’ one of the ’Symbols of Eternity.’ They had stood against sinister incidents and dreadful calamities both at home and abroad.

"Guildmaster, may I ask one question?"

"Sure, ask whatever you like."

"Do you believe it is right for our guild to participate in this incident?"

"Since when did Justitia start weighing the severity of incidents?"

Click.

"And this matter...."

As she equipped her gear, the guildmaster, Seo Seohui, said,

"I think it’s an incident large enough that even a major guild like ours is worth joining."

"...If we judge by the scale of the incident, that’s true, but Guildmaster, you know as well as I do."

"What, that the culprit in this incident is behaving far more gently than anyone imagined?"

"Yes. The head of the Moon Lady Religion says the mastermind behind this incident is an evil god, but there isn’t even proper evidence."

"You’re not trying to dismiss the Moon Lady Religion’s bishop, the one they call the Tower of Wisdom, are you?"

"That’s not it."

"We’ll be able to confirm the proper evidence in this meeting."

Seo Seohui grinned and looked at his colleague.

"You’re always so timid."

"You’re too fearless, Guildmaster, so the rest of us have to be cautious."

"I’ve never recruited timid friends as guild members."

"Even if you say that, we can’t help but worry about your safety."

"You still seem dissatisfied that I’m participating personally this time, right?"

"If I offended you, I apologize."

The vice-guildmaster, his close aide, bowed his head.

"Still, it feels like, in this matter, you’re showing a side that’s unusually... unlike you, Guildmaster."

"What side would that be?"

"You seem a little excited."

"Ah, is that so."

Seo Seohui nodded.

"That could be."

"...Ever since you heard that Hunter Seo Gio would be attending this meeting, you’ve been like this."

"Guess I made it pretty obvious. What do the others think?"

"It wasn’t that obvious. Only me and the secretary’s office folks can tell a little."

"That’s right. I’ve wanted to have a conversation with Hunter Seo Gio for a long time."

Fully equipped, the guildmaster turned to face his colleague and said,

"You were looking forward to meeting him too, weren’t you?"

"I won’t say it’s completely untrue."

Justitia pursued justice and order. A guild where those who knew the value of goodness gathered. Their favor toward Hunter Seo Gio—said to practice self-sacrifice with his whole body even if he wasn’t a saint in name—was already high.

"He seems like someone who resembles you somehow, Guildmaster."

"Me? In what way?"

"...I heard he has tremendous drive. Not that he doesn’t consider his own safety, but he always puts it second. He’s like you, Guildmaster."

"I think so too."

As always, he smiled.

"I hope we can become good friends."

"...."

The vice-guildmaster lowered his head.

The name of Justitia’s guildmaster Seo Seohui’s primary skill was ’Friend.’ It was an ability that was influenced by beings he regarded as friends, a passive skill he could not turn on or off.

’...I hope it influences you in good ways.’

The vice-guildmaster’s worries came first.

’Could it end up influencing you in strange ways instead?’

Simply put, his skill was the ability to assimilate with ’friends.’ It could be a good influence, or it could be a bad influence. He worried that Seo Gio might add even more self-sacrificial tendencies to the guildmaster.

Seeing the vice-guildmaster like that, Seo Seohui laughed.

"Don’t worry ahead of time when we don’t even know if we can become friends or not."

"When the Guildmaster sets his mind on becoming friends, is there anyone who could refuse?"

"Of course there is. Anywhere, there is."

He couldn’t become friends with everyone in the world.

"I might not want it, and the other person might not want it, right? It’s true I’m sociable, but it’s not like I have a skill that can brainwash people or charm them."

"You do have charisma that’s almost the same, though...."

"That’s too much praise. Still, my skill is indeed quite suited to getting close to people."

Seo Seohui glanced at the clock.

"Shouldn’t we get moving?"

"Yes, I’ll escort you."

"Sorry for holding up a busy friend."

"It would be absurd for me not to go along when you’re stepping in personally, Guildmaster."

"I told you, you don’t have to worry so much."

He grinned.

"Like always, we’ll be the ones who win."

That childish line, that justice would win.

That was Justitia’s motto.

* * *

The meeting place was none other than the Association’s party room.

When Justitia moved to the Association headquarters, Association staff greeted them. They bowed deeply toward the Symbol of Eternity in respect, then guided them to the meeting place as naturally as water flowing.

"My."

There, the Association President, Dan Haera, was waiting for her friend.

"I heard you might come, but I didn’t think you really would."

"When even my friend who’s so busy she might die of overwork soon shows her face, I figured I couldn’t just rest comfortably in my office."

"You’ve got quite the gift of gab. Every time I see you, your speaking skills have improved."

Dan Haera asked with her usual doll-like smile.

"So what’s the real reason?"

"This situation is different from the last mermaid incident."

Back then, it had been a disaster not just nationwide but worldwide, so Justitia’s manpower was needed. There was a clear enemy, so the response was clear as well. It was something that would have been resolved even if he, Justitia’s guildmaster, hadn’t stepped in personally.

But this time was different.

"It’s too abstract."

The scale was large, and the enemy was ambiguous.

"From what I hear, side effects are already showing up more often than not."

"People addicted to dreams are increasing, and they’re even trying to seek out the dungeon itself."

"Right. They say the dream itself isn’t the dungeon, but that there’s a real dungeon beyond it."

"Seems that hit their conquest instinct, so they’ve become even more proactive."

"At this rate, society as a whole will collapse."

It was a society he and his friends had worked hard to build. And a world that, though lacking, was still trying to become better. There were many right things and many wrong things, but the blood spilled was even greater than that.

"We can’t let that happen."

"I agree."

The immediate damage was small, but the potential risk was far too high.

After that, miscellaneous everyday conversation went back and forth. Association President Dan Haera still wore a mechanical smile, but her friend Seo Seohui could tell that Dan Haera was in quite a good mood.

’She must’ve been exhausted.’

Seo Seohui knew what Dan Haera had given up for the world as it was now.

"...Looks like they’re gathering."

"We said we’d meet at 3 p.m."

"He’ll come too, right?"

"You mean Hunter Seo Gio?"

"Yeah."

Seo Seohui examined his friend.

"...."

"...."

They both knew they were feeling the same thing.

’...Maybe it’ll be clearer if we see him in person. Even if I can’t tell as a mere contractor, Haera, as the owner of the promise, will definitely notice.’

The skill name of Association President Dan Haera was ’Promise.’ A kind of transaction through which one could receive a promise of fate. Through an object or concept, she could receive a promise of something of equal value.

Among those, the best cost-performance offering was memories and emotions. Dan Haera and her friends had offered those up to shape the Korea of today. That was why they were deeply interested in the existence called ’Hunter Seo Gio.’

’When I saw his photos and videos taken by reporters, the feeling was... strange.’

He might be someone connected to their ’promise.’

’But I can’t tell exactly which promise he’s bound to.’

From what he’d heard, Hunter Seo Gio was twenty-nine. Considering that they themselves were already well into their fifties, there was a high chance he was bound by an abstract promise.

’Which means we might owe something to Hunter Seo Gio.’

That was why Seo Seohui had been yearning to meet Hunter Seo Gio. He had already built personal goodwill toward him, and thinking he might be a comrade influenced by ’Promise’ made this excitement inevitable.

’Well, he could also be the protagonist of a negative connection. But that’s something we can confirm in time.’

Soon after, the head of the Moon Lady Religion and its priests entered the conference room.

"We’ve been seeing each other often lately, haven’t we?"

"It would be better if these things happened less often. It’s unfortunate."

"Please, take a seat. The materials you sent ahead of time, as well as the materials gathered by the Association, are already prepared."

"Thank you for your consideration."

And then, the Collection Merchant arrived.

"Every familiar face is gathered here!"

The first to enter was Bisavol.

"It’s been a while, everyone. Have you been well?"

"Yes, it’s been a while, Guildmaster Bisavol."

This time as well, the Association President guided him to his seat with a mechanical smile.

"We would appreciate it if you would go to the seat marked with the Collection Merchant’s name."

"You’re still so cold... We’re meeting after so long, and you won’t smile a bit more?"

"I am always smiling for everyone."

"That’s exactly what’s cold about you, but it’s nice to see even that. Thank you for the invitation; I’ll take my seat."

Was something putting him in a good mood? Bisavol, whose attitude was more bare than usual, grinned as he looked at the fifth-floor head, Curator Garasani, who came in right after him.

"Where is our Hunter Seo Gio?"

"It seems he is running a little late because he is having a brief conversation with one of the Moon Lady Religion’s priests."

"Then he’ll be here soon."

There were about five minutes left until the promised time of three o’clock. Since it wasn’t a broken promise, the Collection Merchant had nothing to be faulted for. More than anything, the Origin itself—’Hunter Seo Gio’—would never fail to keep an appointment....

As if proving that, ten seconds before three o’clock on the dot, two more people entered the conference room.

"I’m sorry, I’m a little late."

"It’s fine, please take your seat."

"Then...."

As one priest hesitantly took his seat, Hunter Seo Gio, who had entered with him, also sat down on the Collection Merchant’s side. Dan Haera and Seo Seohui stared at him.

Warm divinity of the sun god lineage, and the chaste aura characteristic of a priest, overflowed from him. His behavior was elegant and upright, and the smile on his lips was, in some ways, similar to Dan Haera’s.

"...."

"...."

...Beyond that, they didn’t feel anything particularly special.

’...Will we know if we talk?’

Thinking that, Seo Seohui turned to the Association President.

’Ah.’

And in an instant, he realized her intent.

What she had seen. From the way she looked as if to say, ’Let’s talk later,’ it seemed she had noticed something, so Seo Seohui opened his mouth to let things proceed naturally.

"Doesn’t it seem everyone is here?"

"I think so as well."

Dan Haera nodded.

"Let’s begin the meeting."

They had gathered to discuss 대응 measures for the new S-rank dungeon, ’Amusement Park of Dreams.’

* * *

The meeting did not take very long.

"The Moon Lady Religion’s saintess has been taken by the evil god of dreams."

From the start, there was already a clear victim.

"What clearer damage could we possibly need beyond this?"

"I agree with the Moon Lady Religion bishop."

The Association President also sided with the Moon Lady Religion.

"The Moon Lady Religion handled our Association’s request extremely thoroughly. Thanks to that, we were able to confirm records inside the dungeon about the owner of this dungeon, that evil god."

If you peeled off the surface that could be called a lucid dream and went deeper, you could reach the ’Amusement Park of Dreams.’ The Moon Lady Religion and the Association’s staff obtained information about the ’evil god’ there.

"They called it the evil god of blood and rage. In addition, we confirmed it as a divinity that can also be described with words like pleasure, fear, and war. Inside the dungeon as well, it seems to be treated as a very ancient evil god... and it appears that it has awakened again."

"Why did it have to be Earth?"

"We can infer that the current state of Earth was the most appropriate time for the ’Amusement Park of Dreams’ to run rampant. There must have been countless candidate worlds, but perhaps we were the one that got selected. As for more detailed reasons, we will need investigation."

"We should assume that, while it was sealed, its divinity also underwent evolution. Compared to the past, when it ruled the world through simple blood and fear, it’s using far more intelligent methods. It is poking at humanity’s greatest desire."

"Compared to direct harm like what happened to the Moon Lady Religion’s saintess, it may not seem like much, but clear victims are already appearing. There have been more than a few cases where people nearly died due to addiction to sleeping pills."

"What’s interesting is that no one has actually died. If the evil god did not directly lay a hand, how did such results occur? The divinity playing this prank knows very well how to manipulate humans."

"That’s right. Since no one has suffered massive tangible damage, citizens are gradually losing their restraint as well. I’ve begun to think the evil god’s goal may not be simple social collapse, but the expansion of its forces. It may intend to colonize Earth as a whole."

"At this rate, we may do nothing but be toyed with until Earth is swallowed by the evil god. Of all things, it’s divinity. To think an existence with no response beyond sealing—even sealing itself being difficult—would set its sights on Earth...."

Justitia’s guildmaster said,

"Up until now, there have been countless cases like this."

"Guildmaster Seo Seohui is right. It’s simply that another ordeal we must overcome has arrived."

"Then it seems the conclusion of this meeting is already decided."

Subjugation was necessary.

"We have to shut down the ’Amusement Park of Dreams.’ We must block the mysterious passage so it can no longer interfere with Earth, and establish measures so citizens can focus on reality."

"We trust that the Association and the government will handle measures for citizens who are addicted to dreams or showing signs of it. And if so, then it seems the attitude we must adopt has been decided as well."

A virtual dungeon with no entrance. What humans had to face was not an unkillable divinity, but their desire and thirst itself. Their enemy was striking a truly cunning weakness.

"We’ll end this first meeting here. Until the next meeting is arranged, we would appreciate it if each leader would deliver a clear plan for how you will enter the ’Amusement Park of Dreams’ and respond. By the next meeting, the Association will discuss with the government and present policies to rescue citizens."

They had set the direction, so now it was time to put it into practice.

* * *

After the meeting ended.

"Hunter Seo Gio?"

Justitia’s guildmaster, Seo Seohui, called to Seo Gio.

"Since we’ve met like this, could we have a brief conversation?"

"Guildmaster Seo Seohui is very sociable."

"Ah, I hear that a lot."

"Do you?"

Gio smiled.

"That’s unexpected."

You couldn’t even smile before.

Thinking that, Gio accepted the conversation.

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