Chapter 315

Chapter 315. Daily Life During War (1)

After the secretary left, the room fell silent, the conversation having come to a halt.

“Hoo.”

Parliament Member Jang Yung-kang took a moment to catch his breath, recalling the advice given by Squad Leader Yang Jochul.

— He dislikes formalities and prioritizes efficiency. Moreover, he detests wasting time, so avoid unnecessary excuses or speeches. Speak directly and clearly about what you want.

The suggestion to keep answers succinct and clear was an added bonus.

‘Directly, directly.’

He abandoned his usual speaking habits for today and practiced several times.

If he handled this well, he and K could fulfill each other’s needs and establish a good relationship.

“We must achieve results for the preservation of the army.”

It might seem laughable that he was this nervous about meeting a young man in his mid-twenties.

“He is not just a simple youth.”

He was the leader of the millions of players scattered across the globe.

His every action and word drew worldwide attention.

For that reason, anyone unable to acknowledge this fact had been excluded from this meeting.

‘I can’t let a fool like Jung Jonghwa cause trouble for us.’

Everything was prepared, so it should be okay.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed hard, and soon there was a feeling of presence outside.

After a staff member’s knock, the door opened.

A tall young man entered, with sharp, auburn eyes.

“You’re all here. Have you been waiting long?”

“We were eager to meet such a remarkable individual, so we arrived early.”

Jang Yung-kang extended his hand confidently, exuding an air of ease.

“Nice to meet you, K. It’s an honor to meet the Hero of humanity like this.”

“You flatter me.”

K shook hands with Parliament Member Jang Yung-kang amicably.

The first greetings exchanged in a fairly cordial atmosphere made the rest easier.

Jang Yung-kang introduced those who accompanied him, and K greeted each person one by one.

In what was now a somewhat friendly atmosphere, everyone took their seats.

“I’m not sure what kind of food you like. This place offers a variety of neat and tasty dishes…”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to join for the meal.”

K abruptly dropped a bombshell with his response.

“What, you can’t join us for the meal?”

This meeting was supposed to be a chance to talk over a meal, so why?

“On my way here, I received word that a High-Rank Hole had opened.”

“Ah.”

“Though the guild members are all highly skilled, I thought I should be on site just in case.”

MP Jang Yung-kang exhaled in relief, understanding K’s words.

K’s statement wasn’t an indication of lack of interest in their conversation.

“In that case, let’s postpone the meal and get straight to the point today.”

It truly meant he was too busy to join the meal.

The moment Jang Yung-kang thought he had a glimpse of understanding of K’s nature.

“I personally hope the military will strengthen evacuation drills and manage bunkers for civilian evacuation during emergencies.”

“B-bunker?”

K threw another bombshell.

Even though the topic was surprising, K continued speaking with conviction.

“The offensive will soon intensify. Property and casualty losses are likely to increase.”

To minimize casualty losses, there needs to be a place for people to flee in emergencies.

Although it wasn’t an unexpected topic, hearing it expressed with such certainty was surprising.

“How can you be so sure the offensive will increase?”

“I’m sorry, general Yeoh Jaek-gil, but I have no intention of kindly explaining every aspect of the post-war situation to you.”

K, who was pouring barley tea—the only thing on the empty table—looked around the room with cold eyes.

“What I want is a partner who can swiftly and perfectly address the discussed points, not an audience picking apart and asking for explanations of my actions, views, or instructions.”

After draining the filled cup of barley tea, K set the empty cup down on the table.

Since entering the room, K had displayed only polite behavior, momentarily overlooked.

The words commonly used to describe K weren’t mild.

K’s eyes, assessing those present, were sharp enough to send chills down one’s spine.

“A significant number of players from each country will be conscripted soon.”

With more domestic personnel being relocated, the number of unaddressed Holes will inevitably increase.

Likewise, the safety of areas where civilians reside will decline.

“Can the military handle bunker construction, management, evacuation training, evacuation personnel control, and defense during emergencies?”

If he got a negative answer, K would look for another partner without hesitation.

Most likely, that new partner would be the police.

Their arming level would increase, and the military would become more redundant than they are now.

It felt like he finally grasped K’s true nature, something not fully understood through Squad Leader Yang Jochul’s words alone.

MP Jang Yung-kang gulped and spoke.

“…… We should draft a funding plan soon. Whether the National Assembly will approve the budget is the problem.”

Another MP, quick to assess the situation, responded.

“We have to analyze the mobile population in each city to select optimal locations for bunker installations.”

“To control civilians, soldiers should also be prepared. We should adjust the training schedule accordingly.”

“I’ll discuss it with the Party.”

The division of roles, giving orders and carrying them out, was clear.

But no one saw the need to point that out.

Understanding that doing so could disrupt everything.

Once a preliminary outline of the plan was verbally agreed upon.

“Oh, could we also address another matter?”

While the military personnel were conversing, K added one more statement.

“Let’s propose legislation. Something that will ruin the lives of those loitering near Holes without a permit.”

His choice of words revealed deep frustration and discontent.

It was so explicit that ignoring this could mean alienating K.

“If necessary, feel free to use my name, Palao Guild’s name, or anything.”

“…… I’ll discuss it with the Party to push it forward.”

“Thank you.”

Glancing at his watch, K stood up from his seat.

“Let’s meet again once more progress has been made. I’ll host a meal next time.”

It was pressure to ensure progress was made without repeating words.

A month after K succinctly delivered his points and left.

News arrived of the army’s emergence in the Middle East.

It marked the beginning of a full-scale invasion.

* * *

“I’m heading in now!”

“Good job, Yul!”

On the way home after closing a Hole that opened in the heart of Seoul.

Kim Yul gazed out at the serene yet slightly noisy nighttime scenery of Seoul.

“It’s already been a month…”

Beginning with the Middle East, countries with crucial resources were attacked.

Ports and airports scattered worldwide couldn’t avoid being raided, and air routes were already blocked.

But fortunately, sea transport routes remained intact.

– Ships have more loading capacity than planes. It also costs less for transportation.

– We should prioritize safe and reliable maintenance over speed.

– People have the teleportation magic circle as an alternative now.

So, it was determined that protecting the sea rather than the air was better.

Following K’s intention to abandon air routes, the association decisively concentrated forces.

About 80% of Water-attribute players were conscripted to protect sea routes.

Meanwhile, players with Wind attributes stayed to protect the homeland.

The quick mobilization compensated for the reduced number of domestic players remaining.

Had they insisted on maintaining air routes and abandoned the sea…

And if many Water-attribute players had remained in other countries…

“Things wouldn’t have been contained as they have been.”

Kim Yul chuckled, watching the still-moving cars, flickering traffic lights, and people walking in the streets.

“He’s an extraordinary guy.”

Everything was unfolding exactly as Hyunwoo wished.

Shaking his head with amazement, he returned home.

An apartment complex not far from the guild headquarters.

Hyunwoo, Kim Yul, and Yang Taeho’s couple settled there.

“The doctor and Hyung are probably at the hospital, and the twins… are home.”

Kim Yul opened the door after confirming the twins’ presence downstairs.

The home where Hyunwoo and he lived was directly above where Seo’s family and the twins lived.

Since the two players often closed Holes and led irregular lives, they thoughtfully separated living spaces.

Sometimes they even changed clothes just to head out again during busy times.

Hyunwoo seemed to think it was better to live separately than wake his family late at night.

The top floor where they stayed was inaccessible to others, thanks to the Guardian Tree item.

Therefore, insisting on living in the same house was pointless.

“It seems he’s subtly considering not leaving me alone.”

Most importantly, having separate living spaces made it easy to take care of Rice Cake.

“Wow.”

Returning home, Kim Yul peeked into Hyunwoo’s room and murmured with disbelief.

“How much bigger are you going to grow?”

Of course, the sight of Rice Cake, lying on its belly in the room, turned its head away at his question.

Regardless, Kim Yul measured its size, rubbing his forehead.

“I doubt it’ll fit through the door anymore…”

After transitioning to Earth, Hyunwoo’s mana supply became quite regular.

Perhaps due to this, Rice Cake, which had been slightly larger than a large dog, was now bigger than a refrigerator.

Honestly, it was large enough to be mistaken for a monster if brought outside.

“Hyung seems intent on keeping Rice Cake and media exposure a secret.”

As a consequence, few people knew about Rice Cake.

Similarly, little was known about the fairy brought home with Rice Cake.

“He seems to be pondering how to handle it.”

As if hearing Kim Yul’s thoughts, the door to the fairies’ room softly opened.

“You’re back…?”

“Yes, have you been well?”

“We’re doing fine… with nothing to do.”

Kim Yul awkwardly smiled in response to Dennis’s forlorn voice.

He worried that they might fall into depression.

Without currently receiving instructions from Hyunwoo, they couldn’t act on their own.

Instructions would likely follow once Hyunwoo reached a decision.

Until then, they should maintain current orders and stay well.

Kim Yul removed his dusty and bloody clothes and took a shower.

Subsequently, he rummaged through the fridge, seeking something to eat, but found nothing.

“Looks like I’ll have to go shopping…”

He often ate out, but the fairies were bound indoors, so stocking up on food was essential.

“They could have told me food was running out.”

Kim Yul gathered his jacket, ready to head to the mart.

Before he could leave, though, someone entered the house first.

“You need to fix that constant worrying habit of yours.”

Alongside footsteps, the sound of the door’s keypad echoed.

“Aren’t you too nonchalant? Aren’t you worried about Hyung?”

“Who says I’m not? I’m just saying you’re overthinking! Us worrying and trembling here won’t change anything.”

Hyunwoo’s siblings, Jinwoo and Yeonwoo, had arrived.

“Stop fighting by the entrance and come inside.”

“Huh? Oh, you were home?”

Upon hearing Kim Yul’s voice, Yeonwoo, who had just entered, greeted him pleasantly.

“I just got home.”

“I read about the Purification—it went well, right? You’re not hurt?”

“As you can see.”

Shrugging casually, Kim Yul followed Yeonwoo inside and asked Jinwoo, who followed after her.