Chapter 350
Although the agreement between the World Awakened a.s.sociation and the United Nations was a matter that was decided already within the club, we had to explain it to the public. It should have appeared to have pa.s.sed through a fierce consensus debate and a plausible justification as the public were not fools.
After successfully completing the work, Lee Tae-Han flew back to Korea last night. He and I were watching the whole world at the moment.
Today was the registration day for the Awakened. It was natural that the world’s attention was focused on the a.s.sociation as the Awakened had been busy hiding their whereabouts. That was why all kinds of media were buzzing in most of the languages on earth including Korean, English, German, French, j.a.panese, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish.
In Korea, the time was early morning, while in some other places, it was already daytime, and in others, dawn. The registration was scheduled to start at 9 AM Korean time and continued until midnight the following day.
Meanwhile, the Korean media focused their attention on the a.s.sociation’s branch which was located in Seoul. Even prior to the emergence of the Awakened, the press had already positioned their cameras outside the designated photo line, aimed at the building. The reporters on site exchanged opinions with the studio over two conflicting issues: the agreement that went into effect yesterday and the transplant of microchips.
The first Korean Awakened who appeared was Kim Ji-Hoon. He communicated with the a.s.sociation security guards in the restricted area by rolling down his car window, and the entire interaction was captured by cameras in live videos.
He definitely expected that the public’s attention would be focused on the Awakened. As he left the items in the a.s.sociation’s storage box and turned around, people could see him dressed in a suit with freshly waxed hair. This could have never happened in the past.
Anyway, no one would have noticed him as an Awakened if he hadn’t crossed the controlled area. His gaze calmly swept over the cameras. Although the a.s.sociation had not issued any particular instructions, the Awakened had probably come to a consensus to avoid even speaking unnecessarily. Once Ji-Ae noona arrived, the atmosphere resembled that of a courtroom.
Meanwhile, the situation was similar in other countries as there was no conflict between the Awakened, which was contrary to some people’s expectations. There was an implicit rule that even if they met an enemy no fights should break out today.
The Awakened had become cognizant that public perception towards them had gradually soured, prompting them to avoid actions that clashed with the a.s.sociation’s desires. Since they were well aware of the a.s.sociation’s authority, they refrained from any such behavior. Additionally, they were conscious of my anger since many of them had attempted to a.s.sa.s.sinate Yeon-Hee during the Stage of Advent.
As a result, the Awakened had become adept at the art of survival, recognizing the need to establish their safety on Earth before venturing into s.p.a.ce. They had already become skilled at concealing their true ident.i.ties and patiently waiting for opportune moments.
Their focus on personal refinement and avoidance of fights with the outside world stemmed from their innate survival instincts. They had to remain like that under the cameras that broadcasted them worldwide. At least right here on the registration day…
***
The first registration procedure was microchip implantation. People guided the Awakened there even without asking for their names or levels.
“It’s going to sting.”
She expected this, but the feeling of the microchip being planted under her skin was disgusting. Kim Ji-Ae felt like something more fatal than the Graf Clan’s poison was being planted under her triceps. Nevertheless, she couldn’t violate the a.s.sociation’s rule.
The agreement between the a.s.sociation and the UN member states bore his will. He intended to systematically manage the Awakened within the a.s.sociation, placing them directly under his feet.
In other words, those who disobeyed his orders, such as not registering themselves, wouldn’t be able to avoid punishment. The unregistered Awakened wouldn’t be able to progress to the fantasy world. Thus, they would suffer for a lifetime as they had to constantly run away from the a.s.sociation and face the a.s.sociated consequences.
If a Chaser squad was to be established, Kim Ji-Ae definitely wanted to apply for it. She believed that if she was contemplating entering the extraterrestrial realm, then she had to be a part of the Chaser squad at any cost.
This was because she had a hunch that the a.s.sociation would concentrate its power within the team, which not only penalized the unregistered Awakened but also executed the registered ones who dared to oppose the a.s.sociation.
Besides her blood relation with Seon-Hu, her previous role as the head of the Public Security Department of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office and her current status being in the master section, suggested that she might be able to occupy the leader position of the Chaser squad. That was why she hadn’t returned to her old job.
Kim Ji-Ae followed the person guiding her, and Kim Ji-Hoon was in the process of registering in a separate room. Then, he made eye contact with her and lowered his head slightly.
Kim Ji-Ae faced the a.s.sociation staff who had a computer in front of him. Despite the short amount of time they had, the a.s.sociation had set a system throughout the world. They scouted elites through headhunting[1] and quickly hired a.s.sistants through interviews. The buildings and resources that were needed to serve as branches of each country were also prepared early on.
As expected, Odin was thorough. He definitely had planned everything before entering the Stage of Advent. If not, things couldn’t have been this perfect!
“My name is Yoo Won-Jin, and I will help you register today. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Odin had also completed training employees already. They were nervous in front of the Awakened, but not to the extent that their fear affected their job performance.
Kim Ji-Ae thought the elite vibe coming off from the employee was boring. He likely had moved from the Jeonil Group’s headquarters, a major company, or a public office. The reason why she was confident about that was that he recognized her. Knowing the face of the former chief public security officer of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office meant that he had been in a high position.
“Have we met before?” she asked.
He smiled. “It’s natural that you don’t remember me. I was in the legal office of Daehyun Group. We met at your office once.”
He would have been at least a team leader or a senior at the Judicial Research and Training Inst.i.tute that she used to attend. If so, then he would have known much about her. She was particularly worried about the rumors spreading regarding her family"s dependence on her uncle for financial a.s.sistance while living in Jeonil.
“We, the Awakened, were granted a new life during the Stage of Advent, and even after our return, we still have that life,” Ji-Ae said.
“You must have gone through a lot. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“But you seem to have started a new life too. Are a.s.sociation employees also considered as members?”
Kim Ji-Ae believed the reason why this middle-aged man had abandoned his original social status and moved to the a.s.sociation was that they guaranteed enormous benefits.
‘Agreement?!
However, the timing wasn’t right. Daehyun Group’s legal team wouldn’t have known something that she didn’t, so he might have decided to go on an adventure. He took a gamble on himself and jumped into the World Awakened a.s.sociation.
When Kim Ji-Ae looked around, there were few elites like him.
“Yes, the a.s.sociation members are divided into two groups: rank-and-file[2] members and Awakened members. Among our employees, those who can directly deal with the Awakened were able to join the a.s.sociation as rank-and-file members.”
The staff slightly raised his right arm. He glanced at the area where the microchip was embedded, then smiled in satisfaction.
Kim Ji-Ae replied, “The Stage of Advent was like that too. A decision made today could determine tomorrow’s life and death. Your name is Yoo Won-Jin, right? Congratulations. You have succeeded in entering our world even without going through the stage.”
Her words stung, but the staff smiled.
“Haha… Thank you very much. I will wholeheartedly support you. Before we get started, I will tell you some precautions. This is a formal process that every Awakened goes through, so don’t worry about it too much. Please listen to it for your own knowledge.”
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First, there would be consequences if the Awakened registered any false information. The actual verification of the registered information would be carried out soon. Second, voluntary withdrawal from the a.s.sociation was impossible. Third, the employees in charge of the registration would be an exclusive window of the a.s.sociation in the future.
Kim Ji-Ae thought after listening to him until that point.
He is not just bold but lucky. He is in charge of me. I must be one of the top Awakened who is getting implanted with a microchip.
It was unlikely that Odin and the other leaders would get microchipped. Even if Odin was considerate and told her to remove the chip, she intended to politely express her refusal. She needed to take the initiative as a future leader of the Chaser squad, so she would not be using her blood relation status with him to get an unfair advantage
“I already know your name, but I hope you understand. May I have your name, please? If you have a code name, please let me know as well. If you don’t, I’d appreciate it if you could make one now.”
“Kim Ji-Ae. Code name: Sekhmet[3].”
“Which section and level are you in?” he asked politely.
She responded, “Master section. Level four hundred fifty-two.”
The staff paused for a second, then quickly began to enter data with a businesslike expression.
“We will proceed in the order of traits, skills, items, and insignias. What traits do you have?”
***
The a.s.sociation’s central server received the registration details and pertinent information of the Awakened. Watching the numbers increase reminded me of my past battling in economic wars alongside Jonathan. At that time, we were constantly monitoring figures on various displays. We were so busy that we couldn’t afford to a.s.sume any unforeseen situations back then.
However, what Lee Tae-Han and I were concerned about now wasn’t the Awakened. Those who were on top of our nerves were surveilled by the a.s.sociation’s security team. We had installed a security system equivalent to the service that was used by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, so I didn’t think there would be an issue with cyber units owned by the military of each country.
However, hackers who moved annoyingly into private organizations were the problem. They were the skinny ones with freckles and chubby guys who lived with donuts in their mouths. I was confident that they worked as security directors in Silicon Valley during the day and as members of a hacker organization at night. They were my biggest concern.
Just like how Orca kept the bodies of the five key members of the invasion team as trophies, the a.s.sociation’s server was considered a trophy by those within the hacker organization.
I was well acquainted with their habits because I had previous experience hiring them to breach the servers of the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues. That was also the reason why the a.s.sociation’s security team was desperately protecting the system as they had also worked as hackers before.
Of course, it was extremely dangerous to attack our servers now that the agreement between the a.s.sociation and the UN member states had come into effect because we had jurisdiction. If we captured them, then it wouldn’t be as if we’d merely confine them within their homes and block their access to electronic devices. No, they’d be subjected to more punishment.
Meanwhile, Lee Tae-Han had zero knowledge of this field. He didn’t understand the reports from the security team, so he was listening to my explanation. He looked at me as if he was wondering how I knew all this.
As time elapsed, the evening arrived. I heard the voice contacting me through telepathy which made my heart flutter. It was a voice that I had wanted to hear for a long time.
- I’m done! Can I go there? I miss you so much, Seon-Hu!
[The Priests of Doom Man have completed the ritual ‘Transition.’]
[Would you like to respond to their wishes?] (Required Power: 300)]
[You have answered the wishes of the priests.]
[Please select the dungeon that will go through transition.]
1. The practice of recruiting talented individuals from one organization to another, often with the promise of better compensation and benefits. ☜
2. Ordinary members of a group or organization who hold no leaders.h.i.+p position or special responsibilities. ☜
3. An ancient Egyptian G.o.ddess a.s.sociated with war, destruction, and healing, and is often depicted as a lioness. ☜