Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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Returning from Thebes to Earth, it has already been a year and a half since I first became an Awakened One.

Much time has passed, and the relationships around me have undergone extreme changes, but the tasks I needed to carry out haven’t changed significantly.

I dive into dungeons, hunt monsters, and level up.

Following that simple principle, I tackled visible A Rank and B Rank Dungeons, and while taking a break at home, I contacted Joseph to share various pieces of information.

“Wow, there are way more high-rank dungeons than before.”

[Of course, as I mentioned last time, it’s not just a feeling; the numbers have genuinely surged dramatically. Compared to the year before last, we’ve already surpassed three times the count.]

“What about S Rank Dungeons?”

[There hasn’t been a noticeable change there yet. There’s been a lot of speculation about the reasons, but ultimately, it just isn’t the right time.]

Well, that makes some sense. It’s usually the case in games that the increase in difficulty happens step by step, from the bottom up.

However, my perception of the situation felt a bit different.

‘Even compared to just a few months ago, the concentration of energy within Earth has significantly intensified.’

Recently, I felt the surge was steep enough to notice the changes on a daily basis.

When comparing it to the recent events with the large dungeon in the U.S. or the S Rank Dungeon that appeared in Korea, the differences are substantial.

In other words, I believe that Earth is already prepared to accept stronger and larger dungeons.

‘If my predictions hold true, then soon…’

It was highly likely that S Rank Dungeons would begin to emerge in far greater numbers, similar to other ranks.

Perhaps, in the future, we might see dungeons at a level humanity has never experienced before.

When I shared these thoughts, Joseph expressed a hint of tension.

[It’s a terrible thought, but somehow it doesn’t feel like mere delusion.]

Statistically, that seemed accurate.

Dungeons are changing. They always have, and especially recently.

No one knows where it will all lead, but everyone agrees that humanity is being pushed into increasingly perilous situations.

And it wasn’t just the two of us who harbored such thoughts.

“…Doesn’t it seem strange no matter how you think about it?”

At an emergency strategy meeting organized by the Hunter Association of the United Kingdom.

There, Albert, the president of the association, pointed to the prepared data and posed a question to each high-ranking official present.

“Last month, the occurrence of B Rank dungeons was 163. A Rank was 37. What do you think?”

“The increase is quite significant. It feels as if the previous figures were outright false.”

“No matter how I think about it, this recent situation is quite bizarre. What exactly is happening?”

Unlike in the past when they were always bickering with each other, everyone spoke in a worried tone.

Albert also solemnly nodded and moved to the next screen.

“Honestly, what’s even stranger is the sharp decrease in the generation of D Rank dungeons.”

In stark contrast to last month’s 489 occurrences, this month dropped to a mere 187.

And that was undeniably peculiar.

Just last year, there were times when the monthly generation of D Rank dungeons in the UK exceeded 1,000.

“Do we all understand what this figure means?”

At Albert’s words, a silence enveloped the assembly for some time.

Before long, a middle-aged female council member with trembling eyes softly spoke up.

“It means D Rank dungeons could disappear altogether. In other words, the lower limit for dungeon occurrences is increasing.”

“Exactly, soon you won’t be able to find any D Rank dungeons even across the entire UK. In their place, higher-ranking dungeons will take their spot.”

That was a chilling thought. To be honest, even in the current state, there have been consistent casualties while trying to contain dungeons.

It might not resonate well in numbers alone, but at this very moment, somewhere there are victims of dungeons and monsters.

As everyone let out deep sighs, the senator Wilson, who had been standing with his arms crossed, spoke up in uncertainty.

“So does that mean the lowest rank could disappear, and another rank could emerge?”

“Excuse me?”

“Above S Rank, there’s a possibility that a new standard could arise.”

Most of the legislators were puzzled by Wilson’s somewhat vague statement.

However, upon further reflection, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

If the lower limit of dungeons is rising, it’s natural for the opposite upper limit to rise as well, right?

The high-ranking officials of the association and the members of Parliament all imagined such a scenario together.

Dungeons exhibiting levels high enough to topple the definition of what is now considered S Rank, threatening the UK with their unprecedented existence.

“Uh, uh…”

That was, quite literally, a calamity. A fearsome situation that was too terrifying to even contemplate.

‘The worst dungeon that has appeared on Earth thus far is S2 Rank.’

Even that was merely an assumption since there wasn’t a clear standard set, not a solid record.

And what lies above that is the unknown.

Just a blank space, held in reserve for when a dungeon greater than S2 Rank indeed appears.

However, it seems that it won’t be long before such a rank actually exists.

“…Huff, I believe the seriousness of the situation has been clearly communicated. Either way, this is beyond our control. Let’s focus on raising our strategy pace in line with the rising generation counts.”

That was the right point.

The legislators all nodded, moving onto the next agenda item while weighing each other’s opinions earnestly.

Hoping fervently that the concerns we have do not become reality.

#
Recently, Baek Eun Ha’s movements have been nothing short of shocking.

Suddenly turning into an international fugitive as she headed towards the U.S.’s S Rank Large Dungeon, she solved all the problems and confidently became Korea’s fifth S Rank Hunter.

And in just four years, she cleared the S4 Rank dungeon that appeared in Korea with merely a party of three.

She was accompanied by Yesiel and Xavier, making her performance undeniably impressive.

‘Then, she unexpectedly got entangled with the great powers of the West and engaged in a fierce power struggle.’

The struggles against Henesia and the Seven Stars, among others, were somewhat distorted in their portrayal to the general public.

Of course, revealing that it involved a human who crossed over from another dimension would certainly stir chaos. This was a natural measure from the perspective of global organizations.

Finally, it became the story that Baek Eun Ha turned the unidentified Awakened Ones, Henesia and Astrid, who were not registered in the database, into hunters belonging to Korea.

This was largely influenced by the Hunter known as Julian Chenwiltz from the Seven Stars.

– Baek Eun Ha is truly a lucky charm, isn’t she?

– She’s a bit of a troublemaker, but everything’s turned out well in the end. Doesn’t this just show she has a knack for things?

– Ah, whether she’s a hidden experiment or a conspiracy, we’re now a Hunter superpower! LOL

With two S Rank Hunters brought in, naturally, there were no citizens who disliked it.

While unfounded speculations and rumors spread in Korea and several other countries, for most citizens, it was no longer a matter of concern.

And naturally, Baek Eun Ha, the protagonist of this saga, was almost treated like a national hero in various communities.

Additionally, from the perspective of the association, they had definitely recognized Baek Eun Ha’s fearsome strength, and they were not even thinking of crossing her.

Thus, Baek Eun Ha was truly dedicating herself to high-rank dungeons without worrying about anyone’s feelings to raise her experience.

However, with such circumstances, a faction began to emerge that had grievances against Baek Eun Ha.

Most of them were guilds in Korea that suffered losses due to excessive dungeon assignments directed towards Baek Eun Ha.

Boom!

“Seriously, is this even reasonable? No matter how much of an S Rank Hunter she is, there’s never been anyone who behaved this dominantly!”

“No matter how many complaints we make, the association just keeps saying it’s the norm for compensation, and there’s no response beyond that. They must all be in cahoots!”

“Shouldn’t we band together? This country runs because of whom, and why should we endure this blatant neglect?”

Of course, not every major guild joined in on such sentiments.

Especially, the Clear White Guild, which was aware of Baek Eun Ha’s abilities, and allied guilds had expressed no discontent.

After all, making an unnecessary fuss would likely lead to their downfall, and maintaining their position under the protection of such a powerful individual like Baek Eun Ha was deemed sufficient.

However, even considering that, there were surprisingly many guilds that shared similar feelings.

And they were quick to initiate action. From stirring public opinion to taking bold actions from there on.

The targeting of Baek Eun Ha by the major guilds that had dominated parts of Korea was about to begin.