An unexpected emergency video conference was held.
It was a meeting of the top 10 leaders, including South Korea.
The reason for this hastily arranged meeting was the disaster in the Philippines.
In the past, the Philippines was a country rampant with corruption as a developing nation.
In just ten years, it transformed into a developed country.
The day of upheaval arrived, and countless citizens awakened.
In terms of hunter possession ratio, it ranked first in the world.
Unfortunately, the average grade of the awakened individuals was in the lower ranks.
Nevertheless, people referred to the Philippines as the miracle of the Pasig River while witnessing such a transformation.
But now, such glory seems to fade into the records of history.
It is because the key figures who led the country’s development lost their lives.
Is that all? Even the president is dead.
For this reason, the participant in the conference was the Vice President of the Philippines.
He had the duty to clarify the situation to the leaders of each country.
Because there were things to be received. Moreover, the misfortune did not only befall the Philippines.
Before he spoke,
The leaders of each country expressed their sincere condolences.
“It was not in vain.”
Finally, when the condolences from South Korean President Kwon Hyuk-bong ended.
“We express our deep condolences.”
Only then did the Vice President of the Philippines speak.
“Thank you all. Especially President Kwon Hyuk-bong. Thanks to you, we could minimize the casualties.”
He conveyed his gratitude to President Kwon Hyuk-bong with a bow. Then he continued speaking.
“I must admit, only now I’m saying this, but the truth is, we Filipinos listened to President Kwon’s words with mixed feelings.”
In the past, President Kwon Hyuk-bong could hear many stories from the ceasefire.
For instance, methods of dimensional conquest by the demons or ways to resist them, and so on.
Truly extensive and intriguing stories. Therefore, President Kwon Hyuk-bong convened a summit the next day.
Then he disclosed all the information he had heard. Of course, the source of the information was confidential.
“The notion of resurrecting a deity by sacrificing people. It’s not an easy thing to believe, is it?”
The Vice President of the Philippines was speaking at the moment.
Suppressing his choked-up emotions, he revealed the full extent of the incident.
“But it was all true. After the initial summit as you mentioned, we could confirm a sharp increase in missing persons reports.”
Normally, they might have not considered it significant. However, they could act swiftly because they received a hint from the South Korean President.
“We immediately formed a missing persons task force. And through the search, we could locate the demons’ stronghold.”
The Philippines is a country comprised of 7,000 islands, making it a perfect environment for demons to hide and carry out their operations.
“Unfortunately, there were no survivors. Blood filled the surroundings, and before our eyes, hell unfolded. And we witnessed that. It’s what President Kwon Hyuk-bong referred to as ‘demons.'”
If it hadn’t been for the initial summit, the demons might have succeeded in their operation.
In fact, they were on the verge of success. Within just a day or two, the plan would have succeeded.
However, unfortunately, the outcome was a failure. Because Filipino hunters launched an assault.
Moreover, among the assaulting hunters, there were even those who had inhaled ashen runes. Furthermore, they were well-versed in effective tactics against demons.
“It was a tough fight. Many casualties followed. But we succeeded in driving them out. Let me show you that scene now.”
The Vice President of the Philippines played a recorded video. It contained scenes of the fierce battle of that day, even capturing the appearance of the demons.
“…!”
“That, that’s it?”
“Oh. My gods.”
Alien creatures sleeping within thin layers of blood. Those were the demons.
The leaders who watched the video swallowed their saliva in shock.
“If we had been just a little late, it would have torn through that thin layer of blood and emerged. If that had happened…”
The Vice President of the Philippines trailed off. But even without him explicitly saying it, they could understand.
‘Perhaps only the leaders of the nine countries, excluding the Philippines, would have convened the summit…’
A moment of uncomfortable silence passed. Then the Vice President of the Philippines, who had composed himself, spoke again.
“Fortunately, we managed to avert the worst with many sacrifices. However, the situation is not yet resolved. While we were able to eliminate the demons shrouded in blood, we missed some of the demons.”
“I heard The President lost his life to those creatures, didn’t he?”
“Yes, I am asking for your support. The Philippines is currently in dire need of every hunter we can get.”
He requested support from the leaders of each country. There was a moment of silence.
‘What if we send support and then face an urgent situation in our own country?’
‘We are also in a dire situation.’
‘It sounds like they’re asking for high-level hunters. Is it worth it?’
The leaders were calculating in their heads.
How much time passed like that? President Kwon Hyuk-bong’s voice broke the uncomfortable silence.
“Not right now.”
At that moment, the Vice President of the Philippines’ complexion noticeably darkened.
‘Is the Philippines beyond saving? But why would he turn it down so bluntly?’
He misunderstood President Kwon Hyuk-bong’s words.
But with the subsequent words, the Vice President could breathe a sigh of relief.
“Starting today, Korea will engage in large-scale training for seven days. Since it’s a training involving the entire nation, we can’t afford to withdraw personnel. So, after the training ends in seven days, we’ll send a deployment unit.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course it is. As I mentioned during the initial discussions, this isn’t a matter for one nation alone to handle. It’s a global crisis that demands a united response. Therefore, we must wholeheartedly offer our support when needed. I believe you all share the same sentiment.”
Kwon Hyuk-bong’s gaze swept across the faces of the assembled world leaders.
One by one, those who had remained silent until now began to rise from their seats.
‘If Korea has taken the initiative, there’s no turning back.’
Fearing he might miss out on crucial information, the leader pretended not to understand.
“Of course. China, our great nation, has a surplus of hunters. We’ll assemble a dispatch force immediately.”
“We’ll do the same.”
The hastily convened meeting was nearing its end.
As pledges of support from each country wrapped up, someone turned to President Kwon Hyuk-bong and asked,
“I understand there’s nationwide training starting today. Can you elaborate on the program?”
“It’s end-of-times response training.”
“End-of-times response training? For all citizens? Are civilians participating in drills too?”
“Civilians will be trained to familiarize themselves with evacuation sites and report suspicious activity. There are other components to the program, but explaining them all now would be too time-consuming.”
President Kwon provided a brief overview.
However, the world leaders were eager for more details about the specific training content.
South Korea had revealed its methods for dealing with the monsters. Their training likely had unique elements.
China eventually stepped forward.
“President Kwon Hyuk-bong, as I mentioned earlier, our primary concern is the lack of hunters. While we’re willing to send support to the Philippines, we still have a significant number of hunters available. Could we send them to Korea for training?”
“To your country?”
“Yes. We’d like them to learn the training methods employed by Korea.”
“…”
“Didn’t you just say that everyone in the world needs to come together and respond?”
So, in other words, they were saying that they wanted to benchmark the training being implemented in South Korea.
“Hmm. Alright. But you’ll have to come quietly and observe. If what happened before happens again…”
They would need to be prepared.
That’s what Kwon Hyuk-bong seemed to be implying.
“Of course.”
As soon as President Kwon Hyuk-bong gave his permission, the other countries made the same request. Even the Philippines. Kwon Hyuk-bong gave them the same answer.
“Alright. Please come and see for yourselves.”
***
The Integrated Defense Exercise was a government-led training for end-of-days response.
Civilians, government officials, soldiers, and hunters.
Abbreviated as ‘C.G.S.H.’, they all participated in the training together.
Civilians received training on evacuation to shelters.
Government officials provided necessary supplies.
Soldiers assisted the hunters.
Hunters were tasked with identifying bases and exterminating monsters. Each had their own assigned area.
The defense exercise lasted a total of 7 days, with the first 3 days excluding civilians.
The conclusion fell under the category of ‘hunters’, responsible for securing bases and maintaining combat readiness during the training period.
Of course, it wasn’t exclusive to just the conclusion. All gathered healing guild members were assigned such tasks.
The assembly point was in front of the Upper Senate Office.
“Captain Dok-!”
Pyeong-ari waved to call Conclusion. Next to her were some familiar faces. They were dungeon exploration team members.
‘Baek ho-dam, Seo Sang-hoon, Su Seon-hwa.’
Jong-sik greeted them with a warm smile.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
But they seemed somewhat awkward for some reason.
“Oh. Yes! Team leader Dok. No, should I call you Captain Dok? Oh, it’s been a while.”
“…Hello.”
“It’s an honor to meet you again.”
What was it? It was a look that was both welcoming and unwelcome. And their responses were equally awkward.
And Jong-sik had seen that look countless times before. So he knew exactly how they were looking at him.
They were uncomfortable with him. After all, Dok Jong-sik’s status had risen considerably since they last saw him.
In response, Jongsik took the initiative to approach them. He didn’t put on airs or act superior. Instead, he adopted a more friendly tone.
“Is it because it’s been a while that it feels awkward? I’m glad to see you all again. How have you been?”
“Uh, well, we’ve been doing fine. We’ve been exploring dungeons, recruiting newcomers, and receiving personal training.”
“Yet you didn’t contact me at all? Especially you, Su Seon-hwa. What did you say last time we met?”
Su Seon-hwa stammered in response to Jongsik’s question.
“I, uh, asked for some training. But Captain Dok seemed busy, and I thought you might find it bothersome…”
“Hmm. Disappointed, huh? Do you see me as someone who’s bothered by colleagues?”
“Colleagues…”
Su Seon-hwa mumbled. She had thought their connection was fleeting, but Captain Dok considered them colleagues. It was surprisingly touching.
The perceived distance between them greatly diminished. It wasn’t just Su Seon-hwa.
Baek ho-dam felt the same, as did Seo Sang-hoon. They had all judged Conclusion prematurely.
Baek ho-dam spoke up with a sheepish expression.
“Actually, I held back. I thought I might be taking up Captain Dok’s time unnecessarily. But I didn’t need to do that. I let prejudice cloud my judgment. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I was just joking because I was glad to see you. After all, we’re on the same team.”
Their teammates’ expressions softened upon hearing this.
The awkward atmosphere seemed to dissipate.
Then, Pyeong-ari, who had been observing from a distance, raised her voice.
“Now that Captain Dok is here, shall we listen to the training briefing?”
As Jong-sik was about to nod in agreement, Pyeong-ari’s phone rang.
“Oh! Just a moment. It’s a call from the Association Chairman…”
“Take it and then we’ll start.”
With Conclusion’s permission, Pyeong-ari hurriedly answered the call.
“Association Chairman? Yes? Who, who’s coming?”
She exclaimed, furrowing her brow.
