"Wow, Riceball is a ferret today. So cute."
Beep beep.
Recognizing Kwon Jihan, Riceball scurried over to him, rubbing its body against his large hand, enjoying the affection, while glancing at Yoo Juncheol.
"I heard it was a bird… Oh, right, form transformation…"
Yoo Juncheol muttered in disbelief, then greeted Riceball warmly. Riceball only gave him a haughty side glance, refusing to leave Kwon Jihan's palm.
Yoon Seo walked over and sat next to Kwon Jihan. Kwon Jihan smiled slightly and shifted a bit to make room.
"Hyung, you're wearing a white shirt today."
"Because Riceball's fur is white."
"Adorable. But do ferrets normally make that beeping sound?"
"Riceball cries like this regardless of form. Are these the abnormal status recovery potions?"
Yoon Seo picked up one of the potions beside Riceball as he asked.
"Yes, all S-grade. Please try one."
There were three bottles in total. Yoon Seo drank each one, verifying that his status remained stable.
"Not even a minute of reduction?"
"No."
"Hmm, we stayed up all night making these… I'll contact the team and have them remake them."
Yoo Juncheol sighed. Yoon Seo wasn't surprised by the results and wasn't particularly disappointed, as he didn't expect any abnormal status to be cured. Kwon Jihan remained silent.
Beep beep.
While Riceball continued to explore the office from Kwon Jihan's palm, the group discussed shield traps and strategy items. Yoon Seo actively contributed by pointing out improvements to the shield trap designs. A brand-new item was even in development based on Yoon Seo's strategy suggestions, and after watching the experimental footage, Yoon Seo was once again impressed by humanity's technological advancements.
"What about the Gaia skill? Even S-Guild and the Endless Team don't know about it?"
"Yes, they're searching, but no leads have surfaced."
The Gaia skill transfers to another person when the original owner dies, but three of the skills' current owners have yet to be found.
Current HolderLast HolderGaia's EyeKwon JihanLee KangjinGaia's EarthYoon SeoYoon SeoGaia's MindHughes SiroGaia's ShadowLee KangjinGaia's DreamLee Domin
Yoon Seo tapped the table with his fingers while looking at the chart.
If there is no current holder… just like "Seo Chaeyoon," they could deliberately go into hiding and then appear after the announcement of the Great Dungeon. Yoon Seo didn't particularly want to find them if they were hiding. If they were determined to stay hidden, there was no way to locate them.
"I plan to reveal the existence of this skill and attribute after observing the situation following the announcement of the Great Dungeon. By then, those claiming to be 'the chosen ones' will flood in, so your review process will be essential."
"Understood. We can verify that while confirming the final list."
"You won't be meeting with the European Association President during your trip to Europe this time, right?"
"I'd prefer to meet with Hunter La Bijina and only observe the prophetic scene before returning."
"I expected as much. I'll relay that information."
Yoo Juncheol typed something on his U-Pad.
Yoon Seo organized the schedule in his mind. First, this Saturday, September 4th, is the S-Rank Yellow Dungeon strategy. Then on the 12th, he needs to buy Kwon Jihan's weapon in the black market, and on the 19th, Grace's prophecy observation is scheduled.
Many people were looking forward to this revelation.
The method of using prophetic skills varies from person to person. Some need to fall asleep, some need to pray, and some must offer blood as a sacrifice… For Grace, she must immerse herself in the lake within the birch forest to be able to use her skill.
Though the methods are all different, they share one commonality: the activation time of the prophecy is influenced by the blessings of surrounding Awakened beings.
Do the blessings interact and socially engage in a world beyond human knowledge…?
For instance, Do Deungsoo, who is blessed with the "Space" attribute, is a sought-after audience by all prophets worldwide. With him present, the activation time of the prophetic skill is extended, allowing for more information to be gathered.
And on the 19th, two people blessed by Gaia are expected to observe as well.
As a result, many were eagerly anticipating this event.
At that moment, Kwon Jihan called out to Yoon Seo.
"Hyung, I have a question."
"Yeah?"
"This is about the Great Dungeon."
Kwon Jihan observed Yoon Seo's expression. He was wondering if he could talk about the Great Dungeon. Yoo Juncheol felt a sense of awe inside, realizing that this insensitive guy had come this far.
Yoon Seo merely raised an eyebrow, indicating he could speak.
"Why didn't you open the Gaia skill from the beginning? You… only shared it with each other midway through. Wouldn't it have been easier if you had opened something like the telepathy of
"I heard that everyone kept it secret to avoid raising each other's suspicions. Skills like
"Then what about your
"..."
Yoon Seo was momentarily at a loss for words. Oh, what was the reason again?
He narrowed his eyes.
"It's not just
"Does
"There's one more, but I don't really use that either. It consumes a lot of mana unnecessarily."
"I'm curious about what it is."
"..."
Kwon Jihan showed curiosity, but Yoon Seo didn't reveal it. If he thought he would use it often in this Great Dungeon, he would have naturally shared it, but that wasn't the case.
They continued their discussion and decided to have an early lunch. The cafeteria menu was ordered to Yoo Juncheol's office. It was a privilege of the Seokyoung Guild Master. Today's menu included grilled short ribs with side dishes, boiled pork with kimchi, and beef pho with spring rolls. Yoon Seo, of course, ate all three. He shared some with Riceball, but it didn't seem to enjoy it.
After the meal, they resumed their discussions, and soon it was only 30 minutes before the briefing time.
Checking the time, Yoo Juncheol spoke with a tense expression.
"Actually, there's something Yoon Seo should definitely know."
"Please, go ahead."
"During the announcement of the Great Dungeon today, we won't disclose information about the black portal."
Yoon Seo's previously calm expression froze instantly.
"I absolutely cannot agree to this. Are you trying to lure soldiers into a battlefield while hiding what they're up against?"
As Yoon Seo got angry, Riceball also made a squeaking sound and stiffened up, assuming a threatening posture toward Yoo Juncheol.
Yoo Juncheol quickly shook his head.
"That's not what I mean. The entry condition for the black portal is likely to be 'the chosen one' anyway…"
"That's just speculation."
"Yes, and the truth is, we… humanity has been planning something for a long time. Not just planetary maps, spaceships, or warp holes, but something we've been planning for the last ten years."
"What kind of plan?"
"The problem is that I can't disclose this right now. It's classified information known only to the heads of certain government organizations and hunter groups, and it's bound by something like your 'Contract' skill, so I can't speak about it. One thing is for sure: even if we don't inform the Great Dungeon strategists about the black dungeon, their safety won't be compromised."
[The
[Confidence: 80 : Neutral: 10 : Doubt: 10]
"You're not 100% certain, are you?"
"Should I say it's still a plan? It's in the development stage… To ensure the success of this operation, we absolutely need your help. But I can't explain it due to the contract. The hunter bound by the contract is currently in the dungeon, so I can't lift it."
"Is Kwon Jihan also bound by a contract?"
Yoon Seo looked at Kwon Jihan. Kwon Jihan's eyes narrowed.
"Who would dare to use a contract skill on me, unless it's someone like Seo Chaeyoon? Aren't you curious about what kind of operation this is?"
"Yes."
"Good. Your curiosity about the future is very commendable."
"..."
"Humans are currently creating something. It's like a bomb item…"
Kwon Jihan began to explain.
"..."
As he listened, Yoon Seo's eyes widened.
Yoo Juncheol, bound by a confidentiality agreement, couldn't add a word about the plan, but in fact, there was no need for him to elaborate.
Humanity had been preparing "this" for a very long time.
At first, the practicality of "this" seemed almost vague. Even after finding Seo Chaeyoon, he had no expectations for its success.
'If a single breath could crack my shield, then it must have at least 70 million tons of destructive power.'
That was the case until Seo Chaeyoon said those words.
Upon hearing that, Yoo Juncheol recalled "this," which he had not considered until now.
If it succeeds properly, the black dungeon within the Great Dungeon could be cleared in an instant without the long and horrific process of conquering it.
It would be humanity's first counterattack against the Gaia system.
***
After the conversation ended and Yoon Seo left the office, he found himself lost in thought in the hallway.
"..."
He pressed his hand against his chest, feeling a mix of emotions.
Even without this situation, today was already a confusing day, and now it felt even more chaotic.
While Kwon Jihan and Yoo Juncheol seemed confident in their success, Yoon Seo felt he needed to hear more explanations. What's the deal with positrons and antihydrogens? There were still many parts he didn't understand.
He had said he would explain later, but what he really wanted was just to know what he needed to do and how.