Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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“…Oh my god, you really cleared the dungeon already?”

“Y-yeah, that’s right.”

With an expression of disbelief, the staff member from the Russia Association stared at the vanishing gate, then hurriedly pulled out their phone to make a call.

“Yes, yes! That’s right. The strategy was completed.”

Then they approached me and continued speaking.

“I’ve finished the report. The promised rewards will be given shortly. And, the Minister wonders if maybe in the evening…”

“Uh. That’s enough. I’m leaving now.”

I said that and summoned a flying undead creature, soaring up into the sky in an instant.

We agreed to join with Henesia at the airport, so I should head that way.

‘Is it about time?’

There was a rational reason for my sudden visit to Russia to clear a dungeon.

And if my predictions were correct, the effects should be showing around now.

Flap!

Finding a suitable spot, I dismounted from the undead griffon and called the familiar person as I headed toward the airport.

Drrrr.

Tiiik.

“How’s the, uh, response?”

[What do you mean, how? Of course, it’s going just as you expected. The public opinion is changing immediately.]

The information Joseph provided was roughly in line with my expectations.

[As expected, the reaction from Russia is the most intense.]

To be honest, mine and Russia’s relationship is not that great.

Previously, there was friction with Ivan, an S Rank Hunter from Russia, during the large dungeon incident in the U.S., and with the attack on Henesia’s military base, we were practically half-enemies.

However, the current response is completely different. The citizens of Russia, as well as those in the higher-ups, are expressing their gratitude towards me.

[It’s no surprise; Russia has been facing a serious manpower shortage lately.]

Given the vast territory, surprisingly, there are few outstanding hunters.

Compounding the issue, a series of high-level dungeons had appeared, leaving the Russian government in a real bind, pacing back and forth without knowing what to do.

As the government’s inability to respond clearly exacerbated the citizens’ unease, my assistance along with Henesia and Astrid allowed Russia to manage their immediate crisis.

‘How amusing.’

Even though Ivan has dedicated his life to Russia, he’s now bedridden due to the S Rank dungeon’s repercussions, yet the citizens’ attention is entirely focused on me.

But it can’t be helped.

That’s just how the world works.

What matters most to citizens is someone who can save them from danger right now, not necessarily a person of conviction and justice.

And it’s not different for the citizens of Korea.

‘They must be on edge by now?’

An overwhelming wave of praise coming in from Russia in real-time.

Of course, I’m being treated like a hero, and now people are also talking about persuading me to naturalize immediately.

That would obviously create chaos in Korea as well.

It seemed impossible at first, but now it looks like their own S Rank Hunter is about to leak to the outside.

This issue is directly connected to their safety, causing urgency among both public officials and ordinary citizens.

In fact, the association has been practically begging me with messages already.

“…As expected, you haven’t changed a bit since then.”

“They must be in chaos over there by now.”

I glanced over to see two people approaching me, having no idea when I arrived at the airport.

I took a slight step back from them and slowly opened my mouth.

“Ah, if it’s going to keep being a hassle, it’s better to sort it out beforehand.”

If I had truly hated Korea, I would have just left without looking back.

Everything I do comes from a place of affection.

It seems it’s time to wrap up this annoying play, and just then, I heard Joseph’s urgent voice from the still-connected phone.

[Um… I think it’s something you should check yourself instead of me telling you.]

Korea is still in the middle of tackling the first S Rank dungeon, but I’ve heard that the second one has appeared.

What’s more, its rank isn’t ordinary.

“…S2, you say?”

With the exclusion of S1 Rank, which has never appeared before, this is essentially the highest ranking dungeon currently.

[From what I hear, it seems to be confirmed information. Isn’t it better to stop playing tug-of-war?]

“Uh, well, it’s going to come to a conclusion anyway.”

Now that an S2 Rank dungeon has appeared, there’s practically no other way. The Korean government absolutely has to call me and the other two back.

And by now, the citizens would be well aware of that.

Drrrrr.

Sure enough, I received a call on the separate phone I had prepared.

The caller was Seo Da Hye, the vice president of the association. It was a signal that things were wrapping up smoothly.

Upon answering, I blurted out that I was ready to head back without waiting to hear the details.

[…Yes. Thank you. I’ll send a guide to the airport.]

Having won the battle of nerves, it was now my turn to conduct the ceremony with confidence.

#

“Damn it!”

Bang!

Jucheon’s Seong Gong Tae, who is practically the leader of the Guild Alliance, expressed his lost fury as he repeatedly slammed his wooden desk.

Despite hiring foreign hunters with a massive amount of funds, now an S2 Rank high-risk dungeon had appeared.

To be honest, there were no more options left for Seong Gong Tae and the leaders of the Guild Alliance.

‘Why such a sudden drastic change…?’

Truthfully, it felt unfair to Seong Gong Tae. An S2 Rank dungeon was a level that the current power of Korea absolutely could not handle.

Seong Gong Tae was definitely not incompetent. However, citizens were not considering even such trivial matters in a situation where their safety was threatened.

– If that’s the case, why did you give Baek Eun Ha so much hassle?

– See, what did I say? If an S Rank dungeon appears, they can’t do anything. It wasn’t even something to dispute in the first place. The ones who can do more should be prioritized, why cause a fuss?

– In the end, it’s another example of how public opinion in Korea has backfired. So what are we going to do now?

The citizens’ reactions were ruthless.

Realizing their inability to resolve the situation, they continuously denounced the leaders of each guild headed by Seong Gong Tae.

Simultaneously, on the other hand, there was a flood of apologies directed at Baek Eun Ha, requesting her to return.

– We were wrong! Please forgive us and come back just once!

– We were wrong. We were wrong. We were wrong. We were wrong.

– We’re all going to die. We’re all going to die. We’re all going to die. We’re all going to die. We’re all going to die.

– Teacher, please…

The citizens now understood. Ultimately, the most influential figure in present-day Korea was Baek Eun Ha.

Without her, they would inevitably be ruthlessly trampled under greater violence.

And as if hearing the desperate wishes of the citizens, thankfully, news arrived that Baek Eun Ha had returned to Korea.

Through that series of events, the Guild Alliance led by Seong Gong Tae realized that they were completely pushed out in this battle of nerves and that they would no longer be able to interfere with Baek Eun Ha in any way.

‘…He’s more cunning than I expected.’

I’d heard that his mental state was unstable and that he had extreme emotional fluctuations, but when actually facing him, he was quite different from what I had imagined.

Just as I was simmering with frustration, another piece of news came from one of my aides that added to my difficulties.

“D-Dear! The strategy team has cleared the dungeon. However, the damage on our side is quite significant…”

News of clearing the previously appeared S4 Rank dungeon, but the contents were nothing short of horrific.

If this continued, we would really be tied up completely with no means to act.

‘…It’s over.’

Ultimately, the Guild Alliance had no choice but to reluctantly acknowledge their defeat while suffering immense losses.

#

“Huh, one side cleared it? That’s great. Ugh.”

In the urgency of the situation, while on a helicopter, I was receiving a briefing from Seo Da Hye as we headed toward the troublesome S2 Rank dungeon.

“However, the overall damage is considerable. The only ones left standing are the Clear White Guild and the Taeguk Guild, who have experienced multiple large battles. Beyond that, it’s a level that cannot ignore the weakening of our forces.”

“…Ugh. As long as Seo Ha is safe, that’s all that matters.”

I might come off as callous, but I really had no interest in the others. That’s why I had ordered Lee Ji Cheol to help the Clear White Guild in advance.

“…By the way, it’s practically a top-tier dungeon, shouldn’t we properly assemble a strategy team?”

Seo Da Hye asked, seeming worried, but our responses were straightforward.

“Ugh. I-I’m fine alone.”

“In fact, there’s no need for many people; it’s more odd to gather together. Isn’t that right, Astrid?”

“…Yeah. No problem.”

Seeing their immense confidence, Seo Da Hye simply nodded in understanding.

Dududududu.

Dudududu.

As time passed, as the helicopter descended closer to the ground, a gate of ominous color, distinctly different from before, slowly came into view.

This was an area yet to be verified by humanity, the highest-tier gate.

As I gazed at it, I muttered wearily.

“…It should all be over in two or three hours at most.”

Thus, we headed back into the dungeon.