104

Chapter 104 — The A-Rank Gathering

The morning after Subin’s training session with Han Yerin began unusually quietly.

There were no monsters roaring outside the city walls, no emergency sirens announcing a dungeon break, and no urgent message ordering Awakeners toward another battlefield. For once, the Association headquarters felt almost like an ordinary workplace.

Almost.

Subin walked through the main entrance carrying Simple Edge at his waist. The sword looked completely unremarkable compared with the elaborate weapons carried by many Awakeners around him, but the people in the lobby knew exactly who was carrying it.

Conversations softened as he passed.

“That’s him.”

“Subin Vans?”

“Yeah. The Sword God.”

“He came back from Greenfall alone, right?”

“I heard he fought an A+ monster down there.”

“That isn't even the strange part. Apparently he refused to take the central mana core.”

“Seriously?”

Subin heard all of it.

He simply kept walking.

A month ago, such attention would have made him uncomfortable. Now he had learned that fame was simply another consequence of becoming stronger. He couldn't stop people from talking about him, and there was little point in trying.

At the elevator, someone stepped beside him.

“You're getting used to it.”

Subin glanced sideways.

Han Yerin stood there in her usual Association uniform, her long spear case strapped across her back. She looked more relaxed than she had during their first meetings, and there was a faint smile on her face.

“Getting used to what?”

“People staring at you.”

Subin looked toward the lobby.

“They're still staring?”

Yerin laughed quietly. “You're pretending not to notice.”

“I notice. I just don't care.”

“That sounds more like you.”

The elevator doors opened.

They stepped inside together.

Yerin pressed the button for the seventh floor, where the A-rank briefing rooms were located.

After a moment, she looked at him.

“You know, you're becoming surprisingly normal outside combat.”

“Was I supposed to be abnormal?”

“You disappear into A-rank dungeons alone, fight monsters stronger than entire teams, refuse valuable resources, and then come back and ask whether the Association cafeteria has decent food.”

Subin thought about it.

“That's normal.”

Yerin shook her head, smiling.

The elevator stopped.

When the doors opened, the atmosphere changed immediately.

The seventh floor was reserved for high-ranking Awakeners and senior Association personnel. Several A-rankers were already gathered outside the conference room.

Kang Min-seok was leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

The moment he saw Subin, his expression brightened.

“There he is.”

Subin stopped.

Min-seok walked over and looked him up and down.

“I heard you defeated another A+ monster.”

“That's what the report says.”

“That's not an answer.”

“It was an A+.”

Min-seok stared at him.

“That's exactly why I hate talking to you.”

Yerin covered a smile.

Min-seok pointed at Subin.

“I want another fight.”

“You lost yesterday.”

“I know.”

“And you want another one already?”

“Exactly.”

Subin considered it.

“Fine.”

Min-seok's eyes lit up.

“Tonight?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Why not tonight?”

“I have a meeting.”

Min-seok sighed dramatically.

“You've become too busy.”

Before Subin could answer, another voice came from behind them.

“Perhaps that's because some people don't understand the value of preparation.”

Lee Jae-hyun entered the corridor with three guild members behind him.

The atmosphere immediately became colder.

Jae-hyun wore an expensive black combat coat, and the emblem of his guild was displayed prominently over his shoulder. Unlike Min-seok, who treated rivalry almost like entertainment, Jae-hyun looked at Subin as if he were evaluating a dangerous competitor.

His gaze moved briefly toward Yerin before returning to Subin.

“So the Association has finally decided to gather everyone.”

Subin said nothing.

Jae-hyun stopped several meters away.

“I've reviewed the reports from Greenfall.”

“And?”

“You're becoming a problem.”

Min-seok frowned.

“Watch your words.”

Jae-hyun ignored him.

“The Association keeps assigning important operations around Subin. Guilds are expected to cooperate with him, but no one knows what he'll do next. He enters dungeons alone, makes independent decisions, and refuses to follow conventional resource-sharing practices.”

Subin's expression remained calm.

“I'm not responsible for your guild's uncertainty.”

Jae-hyun's eyes narrowed.

“You're becoming arrogant.”

“No. I'm becoming stronger.”

The corridor became silent.

Yerin looked toward Subin.

Jae-hyun took one step forward.

“Strength doesn't give you the right to disregard everyone else.”

“I don't.”

“You refused the Greenfall core.”

“Because taking it would have damaged the dungeon.”

“That was your judgment.”

“Yes.”

“And you expect everyone to accept it?”

“No.”

Subin looked directly at him.

“I expect everyone to become strong enough to make their own decisions.”

Min-seok's mouth curved into a grin.

“That was a good one.”

Jae-hyun's expression hardened.

One of the guild members behind him stepped forward.

“You—”

Jae-hyun raised a hand.

The man stopped.

Jae-hyun understood something that his subordinate apparently didn't.

This wasn't a fight they could win through intimidation.

Subin wasn't surrounded by monsters here.

He was surrounded by humans.

And unlike monsters, humans could create consequences long after the fight ended.

Before the situation could escalate, the conference room doors opened.

Director Kang stood inside.

“Enough.”

His voice wasn't loud, but every A-ranker immediately became quiet.

“Come in.”

Everyone entered.

The conference room contained twelve seats around a large table. Representatives from the Association, several A-rank Awakeners, and guild leaders were already present.

Subin sat beside Yerin.

Min-seok took the seat opposite him.

Jae-hyun sat farther down the table.

Choi Ara arrived last.

She entered carrying a tablet and looked around the room.

Her eyes immediately found Subin.

“You saved me a seat?”

Subin glanced at the empty chair beside him.

“No.”

Ara sat down anyway.

“I'll consider it a yes.”

Yerin gave her a sideways look.

Ara noticed.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Your expression says otherwise.”

Yerin smiled politely.

“My expression is perfectly normal.”

Subin looked between them.

He had a feeling he had just walked into a battle he understood far less than any dungeon.

Director Kang activated the central display.

A map of the country appeared.

Three red markers appeared across different regions.

“The three dungeons that appeared overnight have now been classified.”

The first marker enlarged.

“Dungeon One: Ironwood Nest. Estimated rank B+.”

The second appeared.

“Dungeon Two: Crimson Hollow. Estimated rank A.”

The third marker appeared.

“Dungeon Three: White Valley.”

The room became noticeably quieter.

Director Kang continued.

“Initial assessment places it at A rank, but the mana signature has changed twice since discovery.”

Subin looked at the map.

“Environmental adaptation?”

“Possibly.”

“Monster levels?”

“Currently sixty-five to ninety-two.”

Ara raised an eyebrow.

“That isn't unusual for an A-rank dungeon.”

“No,” Director Kang said. “But the problem isn't the levels.”

He changed the display.

A series of measurements appeared.

“The dungeon's internal mana density is increasing.”

Subin studied the numbers.

“By how much?”

“Approximately eight percent in twelve hours.”

Several people frowned.

One of the Association researchers spoke.

“That rate is higher than Greenfall's initial development.”

Subin looked toward Director Kang.

“Are you sending a team?”

“Yes.”

“Which one?”

Director Kang looked around the table.

“You.”

Several people immediately reacted.

Jae-hyun leaned back.

“Of course.”

Director Kang ignored him.

“Subin will not be entering alone.”

Subin looked at him.

Director Kang continued.

“This isn't another personal training expedition. We need information about the dungeon's current behavior, and we need to test whether a coordinated A-rank team can operate effectively inside a rapidly changing environment.”

He tapped the screen.

“Han Yerin will lead the combat formation.”

Yerin nodded.

“Kang Min-seok will serve as close-range assault.”

Min-seok grinned.

“Finally.”

“Choi Ara will provide long-range magical support.”

Ara gave a small nod.

“And two additional A-rank Association members will handle defense and recovery.”

The final name appeared.

“Lee Jae-hyun and his guild will provide the remaining combat unit.”

The room became silent.

Subin looked toward Jae-hyun.

Jae-hyun's expression was unreadable.

“You're putting us together?”

Director Kang nodded.

“Yes.”

“That seems unnecessarily risky.”

“It is.”

Director Kang looked directly at him.

“That is why I'm doing it.”

Jae-hyun's gaze shifted toward Subin.

Subin remained calm.

He could already see the problem.

This wasn't simply a dungeon expedition.

It was a test.

Not of his swordsmanship.

Of whether people with different interests could cooperate when survival depended on it.

Yerin leaned slightly toward him.

“Don't start a fight.”

Subin looked at her.

“I wasn't planning to.”

“I know.”

She smiled faintly.

“I'm saying it before Min-seok starts one.”

Across the table, Min-seok heard his name.

“I heard that.”

Ara laughed.

For the first time, the tension in the room eased slightly.

Director Kang continued explaining the operation.

The team would enter White Valley for no more than six hours. They would map the first major zone, evaluate monster evolution, collect samples, and retreat if the mana density exceeded safe limits.

No unnecessary exploration.

No resource hoarding.

No individual pursuit of monsters.

The rules were simple.

Jae-hyun didn't seem impressed.

“Who gets the mana cores?”

Director Kang answered immediately.

“Standard distribution. Seventy percent to the participating organization according to combat contribution, thirty percent to the Association's dungeon development fund.”

Jae-hyun nodded.

“And if Subin kills most of the monsters?”

“His contribution will be calculated separately.”

Jae-hyun looked at Subin.

“So he receives another special allocation?”

Subin leaned back.

“I don't care.”

Jae-hyun frowned.

“You don't care about mana cores?”

“I care about getting stronger. If the Association gives me something useful, I'll take it. If not, I won't fight over it.”

Min-seok chuckled.

“That attitude is exactly why you're getting richer without trying.”

Subin ignored him.

Yerin looked at the map.

“How soon?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

The meeting continued for another forty minutes.

They discussed equipment, emergency signals, formation changes, retreat routes, and communication protocols.

Subin remained mostly silent.

He listened.

He observed.

The team had six A-rank combatants, two support specialists, and several B-rank personnel.

On paper, it was stronger than any team he had previously joined.

But strength wasn't the problem.

Compatibility was.

After the meeting ended, everyone began leaving.

Subin stayed behind for a moment.

Director Kang looked at him.

“What?”

“You deliberately put Jae-hyun on the team.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because avoiding conflict doesn't make it disappear.”

Subin nodded.

Director Kang folded his arms.

“You and Jae-hyun will eventually clash.”

“I know.”

“I'd rather see that conflict happen under controlled conditions than somewhere in the city.”

Subin looked toward the door.

“Fair.”

As he left the conference room, Yerin was waiting outside.

“You took your time.”

“I was talking to Director Kang.”

“I guessed.”

They walked down the corridor together.

For a while, neither spoke.

Then Yerin asked, “Are you worried about tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Not even with Jae-hyun?”

“No.”

Yerin looked at him.

“You really don't worry about anything?”

“I worry about things that can actually hurt someone.”

“And Jae-hyun?”

“He can hurt people.”

Yerin stopped walking.

Subin turned.

She looked at him seriously.

“Then don't underestimate him.”

Subin's expression softened.

“I won't.”

Yerin nodded.

After a moment, she smiled.

“Good.”

They continued walking.

At the end of the corridor, Ara caught up with them.

“Subin.”

He turned.

Ara held up her tablet.

“I checked your previous dungeon reports.”

“And?”

“You're terrible at explaining your fighting style.”

Subin stared at her.

“I use a sword.”

“I noticed.”

She smiled.

“What I mean is that your reports say things like 'observed transition, changed direction, defeated target.' That's useless to a mage.”

“Why?”

“Because I can't learn anything from it.”

Yerin laughed.

Ara continued, “Tomorrow, I want you to tell me what you're seeing during the fight.”

Subin thought for a moment.

“Fine.”

Ara smiled.

“Good. Then I might actually understand why everyone keeps calling you a monster.”

“I don't like that.”

“Why?”

“Monsters are usually less complicated.”

Yerin laughed again.

Ara stared at him for two seconds before laughing as well.

The three continued toward the elevator.

None of them noticed Min-seok standing farther down the corridor, watching them with an amused expression.

He shook his head.

“Looks like tomorrow is going to be interesting.”

Elsewhere, Lee Jae-hyun entered the private elevator reserved for guild leaders.

His expression changed the moment the doors closed.

One of his guild members asked, “Guild Leader, should we really cooperate with Subin?”

Jae-hyun remained silent for several seconds.

Then he answered calmly.

“No.”

The subordinate looked surprised.

Jae-hyun's eyes hardened.

“We'll cooperate with the Association.”

“And Subin?”

“We'll watch him.”

He looked at his reflection in the elevator doors.

“There's a difference.”

The elevator descended.

Meanwhile, Subin returned home that evening and placed Simple Edge on the table.

He sat quietly for several minutes.

The sword remained unchanged.

Synchronization:

99.99%.

Personal Sword Path:

99.9%.

Sword Intent:

97.8%.

Sword God Class Evolution:

88%.

Nothing had increased.

Subin wasn't disappointed.

For the first time since awakening, he was beginning to understand that growth wasn't always measured by numbers.

Tomorrow, he would fight alongside people.

Not monsters.

Not dungeon guardians.

People with their own ambitions, fears, pride, and goals.

He picked up Simple Edge and looked at its plain blade.

“A sword is enough.”

He smiled faintly.

“But knowing when to draw it…”

His eyes became focused.

“That might be harder.”

The next morning, the White Valley expedition would begin.