The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Preparing for the Catastrophe

South Korea Awakening Administration

The conference room on the upper floor of the Korean Awakening Association headquarters was reserved for matters that could not be discussed through ordinary administrative channels.

The walls were reinforced with several layers of anti-magic materials, while a sophisticated security system monitored every entrance to the room. No assistants, guild representatives, or ordinary government officials were permitted inside without direct authorization.

At the head of the long conference table sat Chairman Kang Dong-wook.

He was seventy years old, with short gray hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a stern but composed face marked by the years he had spent dealing with the country’s Awakener crisis. Despite his age, his posture remained straight and his presence was difficult to ignore.

Dong-wook had once been an active S-Rank Awakener.

His Class was Commander, an ability that allowed him to enhance and coordinate Awakeners operating within a certain range. During his prime, his presence on a battlefield could turn an ordinary Hunter force into a highly coordinated military unit.

He had stopped participating in frontline operations several years earlier after becoming Chairman.

His strength, however, had not disappeared.

It had simply been redirected toward administration.

To his right sat Vice Chairman Seo Jin-tae.

Unlike Dong-wook, Jin-tae was a woman.

She appeared to be in her early thirties, with neatly styled dark-brown hair reaching just below her shoulders and sharp, intelligent eyes behind thin-framed glasses. Her appearance was elegant rather than intimidating, but her calm expression made it clear that she was accustomed to handling complicated situations without allowing emotions to interfere with her judgment.

She was an A-Rank Awakener with the Class Administrator.

Her ability allowed her to analyze and process magical energy at an extraordinary level, making her one of the most important people in the country’s Awakening administration.

She understood the numbers.

The Gate activity.

The changes in mana density.

The growth of the Awakener population.

The condition of guilds.

And the countless reports that passed through the Association every day.

Across from them sat Director Han Seung-ho.

He was considerably younger, appearing to be in his late twenties.

His dark-blue hair was styled neatly, with several longer strands falling naturally around his forehead while the rest was swept upward and backward. His handsome face possessed sharp, striking features, and his calm blue-gray eyes rarely revealed what he was thinking.

He wore the formal black uniform of the Gate Management Bureau.

Despite his age, his position was not ceremonial.

Han Seung-ho was an A-Rank Awakener with the Class Barrier, specializing in large-scale defensive barriers capable of protecting civilians from Gate disasters.

His responsibility was simple.

If a monster escaped a Gate, he was one of the people responsible for making sure it never reached the population.

The three sat in silence for several seconds.

A large holographic display occupied the center of the table.

Several reports were already waiting on it.

Dong-wook finally spoke.

"Let’s begin."

The room became completely silent.

Jin-tae opened the first report.

"We have three matters requiring immediate decisions."

She activated the display.

"The first concerns the increasing number of Awakener-related incidents across the country."

Several graphs appeared.

"Gate activity has increased by approximately twelve percent compared with the previous year. At the same time, the number of newly awakened individuals continues to rise."

Seung-ho studied the data.

"Are ordinary law-enforcement agencies still handling incidents involving low-level Awakeners?"

"For minor cases, yes."

Jin-tae changed the display.

"But that system is becoming increasingly inadequate."

Several incident reports appeared.

"Awakeners are now involved in a growing number of crimes that ordinary police officers cannot safely handle. We’ve also seen an increase in unauthorized dungeon access, illegal sale of monster materials, and unregistered Awakener activity."

Seung-ho folded his hands on the table.

"Then the regional Awakening Management Offices need additional authority."

"They already have more authority than they had three years ago."

Jin-tae adjusted her glasses.

"The problem is enforcement. Some regional offices don’t have enough personnel capable of dealing with high-level Awakeners."

Dong-wook nodded.

"Then increase recruitment."

"That will take time."

"How much?"

"At least several months before new personnel can be trained and deployed."

Dong-wook considered that briefly.

"Then prioritize the regions with the highest Gate activity."

"Already done."

Jin-tae changed the display again.

"We’ve also received requests from several provincial governments for additional defensive personnel."

Seung-ho glanced at the figures.

"Can we fulfill them?"

"Not without reducing the number of personnel assigned to Seoul."

That answer caused the room to become quiet again.

Dong-wook looked at the display.

"Then let’s maintain the current deployment."

Jin-tae nodded.

"Understood."

She moved to the next report.

"The second matter concerns the guild system."

A list of registered guilds appeared.

"Several medium-sized guilds are reporting financial difficulties. Monster material prices have become unstable, and the number of guilds capable of independently handling higher-rank Gates remains limited."

Seung-ho spoke calmly.

"Can the government provide financial assistance?"

"Only temporarily."

Jin-tae shook her head.

"If we begin subsidizing every struggling guild, we’ll create another problem. The government cannot become responsible for maintaining private organizations indefinitely."

Dong-wook nodded.

"Then provide support only where it affects national security."

"I agree."

Jin-tae closed the report.

"High-ranking Gates, emergency response guilds, and organizations responsible for major population centers should receive priority."

Seung-ho looked toward the display.

"And the international situation?"

Jin-tae’s expression became more serious.

"Several countries have begun requesting greater access to high-level monster materials and Gate research."

Dong-wook leaned back slightly.

"We will cooperate where it benefits South Korea."

The room remained quiet for another moment.

Then Seung-ho looked toward the final report.

"There is one more matter."

Dong-wook’s expression became serious.

"Seoul."

Jin-tae closed the previous reports.

The holographic display changed.

A single designation appeared across the screen.

S-RANK GATE — SEOUL

The atmosphere in the room immediately became heavier.

Jin-tae spoke first.

"The Seoul Gate remains our most serious national security concern."

Seung-ho looked at the information.

"The estimated remaining period?"

"Approximately one year."

Dong-wook’s expression did not change.

"One year."

"At the current rate, yes."

Jin-tae enlarged the Gate’s status report.

"If the Gate is not cleared before its stability threshold is reached, the possibility of a catastrophic collapse becomes extremely high."

Jin-tae enlarged the Gate’s status report.

"If the Gate is not cleared before its stability threshold is reached, the probability of collapse will increase sharply."

She brought up another set of figures.

"The current projection gives us approximately twelve months before the Gate reaches a critical state."

Dong-wook studied the data in silence.

"How much has the internal mana density changed since the last operation?"

"Thirty-one percent."

Jin-tae changed the display.

"The increase isn’t uniform, either. The deeper sectors are becoming considerably more unstable. If the current rate continues, the monsters inside the Gate will continue evolving alongside the increase in mana concentration."

Seung-ho’s expression hardened.

"Which means the next operation will be more difficult than the previous one."

"Almost certainly."

Jin-tae moved to the next page.

"The first expedition confirmed that the Gate’s internal structure is considerably larger than initially estimated. The investigation team was unable to establish a reliable map of the deeper sectors before withdrawing."

Dong-wook looked at the report.

"And the second operation failed to solve that problem."

"Correct."

A casualty report appeared.

"Five S-Rank Awakeners participated in the second operation, supported by A-Rank and B-Rank personnel."

Jin-tae’s voice remained completely professional.

"The operation lasted six hours."

She paused briefly.

"They reached the third major sector before being forced to withdraw."

Seung-ho looked over the figures.

"Casualties?"

"Thirty-eight confirmed deaths."

His expression tightened.

"Twenty-one A-Rank. Seventeen B-Rank."

Jin-tae continued.

"Another sixty-four suffered injuries serious enough to require extended recovery. Several will not return to active duty."

Dong-wook’s fingers rested against the table.

"And the five S-Ranks?"

"Alive."

Jin-tae brought up their individual reports.

"All five sustained injuries. Two required hospitalization, and none of them are currently cleared for another operation."

Seung-ho leaned back slightly.

"So we lost a significant portion of our high-level forces without reaching the deepest section."

"Yes."

Dong-wook remained silent for several seconds.

The holographic image of the Gate rotated slowly above the table.

"How many S-Rank Awakeners can South Korea realistically deploy if another operation is authorized within the next six months?"

Jin-tae answered immediately.

"Three."

Seung-ho’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Only three?"

"Three who are both available and considered suitable for an operation of this scale."

She brought up another list.

"The others are either committed to national defense, assigned to major guild operations, recovering from previous missions, or unavailable for operational reasons."

Dong-wook looked through the list.

"And if we wait?"

"The number may increase."

Jin-tae paused.

"But so will the difficulty of the Gate."

No one spoke.

Dong-wook finally looked toward Seung-ho.

"How many civilians would be within the projected danger zone if the Gate collapsed?"

Seung-ho activated another display.

"The immediate evacuation zone would cover several districts."

A map of Seoul appeared.

"At minimum, several hundred thousand civilians would need to be relocated before the collapse."

He zoomed out.

"If the initial containment fails, the evacuation zone would expand considerably."

Dong-wook’s expression became grim.

"How long would a complete evacuation take?"

"Under ideal conditions, several days."

Seung-ho looked toward the map.

"In reality, we’d need considerably longer."

Jin-tae closed the projection.

"Which means evacuation cannot be our primary solution."

"No."

Dong-wook’s answer was immediate.

"If Seoul has to be evacuated, we’ve already failed."

The room fell silent.

Jin-tae opened another file.

"There is one remaining option we haven’t discussed."

Dong-wook looked toward her.

"Foreign assistance."

"Yes."

A list of countries appeared across the display.

"Several nations possess S-Rank Awakeners capable of participating in large-scale Gate operations. However, none of them have committed personnel to the Seoul Gate."

Seung-ho folded his arms.

"Because they don’t consider it their problem."

"Partly."

Jin-tae shook her head.

"The greater issue is risk. Sending an S-Rank Awakener into an unknown S-Rank Gate carries significant political and financial consequences."

Jin-tae shook her head.

"The greater issue is risk. Sending an S-Rank Awakener into an unknown S-Rank Gate carries significant political and financial consequences."

Dong-wook remained silent for a moment.

"Then we compensate them accordingly."

Jin-tae nodded.

"That will be necessary."

She brought up a list of countries and their registered S-Rank Awakeners.

"Several countries have individuals who could potentially contribute to the operation. However, most of them are already assigned to their own national defense forces or affiliated with major guilds."

"Which countries are most likely to cooperate?"

"Japan, the United States, China, and Germany are the most realistic options."

Jin-tae highlighted several names.

"They have enough high-level Awakeners to spare at least one or two S-Ranks without seriously weakening their own defenses."

Seung-ho studied the list.

"Would they actually send them?"

"That depends on what we offer."

Dong-wook nodded.

"Then prepare the proposals."

Jin-tae began listing the terms.

"Financial compensation, a share of the monster materials recovered from the Gate, access to research data, and permission to establish temporary extraction rights."

Seung-ho looked at her.

"Extraction rights?"

"Only for materials recovered during the operation."

She clarified the condition immediately.

"South Korea retains ownership of the Gate itself and all information regarding its internal structure. Foreign participants would receive compensation and a predetermined share of recovered materials."

Dong-wook considered it briefly.

"Acceptable."

Jin-tae made a note.

"I’ll have the Foreign Affairs Division begin confidential negotiations."

"Do it immediately."

She nodded.

"There is another matter."

The display changed.

A list of domestic S-Rank Awakeners appeared beside the foreign candidates.

"Our current S-Rank personnel cannot be treated as a single pool."

Jin-tae pointed toward several names.

"Some are assigned to national defense. Others are responsible for major Gates in Busan, Incheon, and Daegu. Removing too many of them from their current positions would create additional vulnerabilities."

Seung-ho nodded.

"We can’t weaken the rest of the country just to prepare for Seoul."

"Exactly."

Dong-wook looked at the list.

"Then establish a minimum defensive requirement for every major region."

"I’ll have the numbers calculated."

"Once that’s done, anyone above that requirement becomes available for the Seoul operation."

Jin-tae nodded.

"Understood."

Seung-ho looked toward the Seoul projection.

"And the evacuation preparations?"

"Begin them quietly."

Dong-wook’s answer came without hesitation.

"Don’t announce a mass evacuation."

Seung-ho understood immediately.

"Controlled preparations."

"Yes."

"Emergency shelters, transportation routes, medical facilities, military staging areas."

"And civilian relocation plans for the districts closest to the Gate."

Dong-wook looked at him.

"Prepare everything without creating unnecessary panic."

Seung-ho nodded.

"I’ll coordinate with the regional offices."

Jin-tae returned her attention to the Gate’s stability report.

"There is one more problem."

Dong-wook looked at her.

"The twelve-month estimate isn’t a guaranteed deadline."

She enlarged the graph.

"It’s an approximation based on the current rate of instability."

The line continued rising.

"If the mana density increases faster than predicted, the critical threshold could arrive several months earlier."

Seung-ho’s expression became serious.

"How much earlier?"

"Impossible to determine with certainty."

Jin-tae paused.

"But we should operate under the assumption that we have less than a year."

Dong-wook nodded.

"Six months."

Both looked toward him.

"We prepare as though the Gate will reach critical instability within six months."

Jin-tae immediately understood.

"That gives us a much smaller margin for error."

"Exactly."

Dong-wook stood.

"By the time we know the exact deadline, it may already be too late to act."

He looked toward the holographic image of the Gate.

"We will not wait for certainty."

The room became quiet.

Seung-ho closed the civilian defense report.

"I’ll begin preparations today."

Jin-tae gathered the remaining documents.

"I’ll contact Foreign Affairs and begin compiling the available S-Rank candidates."

Dong-wook nodded.

"And I’ll speak with the President."

Both officials paused.

"The government needs to understand that this cannot be treated as an ordinary Gate operation."

His expression remained calm, but his voice carried the authority of someone who had already accepted how serious the situation was.

"Whatever resources we need, we secure them now."

Jin-tae stood.

"Understood."

Seung-ho followed.

"I’ll have the first defensive deployment plan ready by tomorrow."

Dong-wook gave a final glance toward the Gate.

"Good."

The holographic projection continued rotating above the table.

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