671

[Chapter 174]

[Foundation for Reconstruction]

All army commanders were subjugated.

Though it didn't envelop all of Gangbuk, the Cocoon covering Jongno-gu and surrounding areas could be said to be proof to people that the army's invasion had ended.

Everyone came outside.

""""...."""

The joy was brief.

People sank into deep sorrow facing the collapsed city.

Though they repelled the entire army.

They lost too much compared to that.

"Now... how should I live? How can I live without you..."

"These things destroyed everything... How much blood and sweat did I pour into getting this house..." "What should I eat to live now..."

Facilities, property, people, etc.

People whose tension eased after destruction passed trembled from the sense of loss belatedly creeping in.

People burst into laughter seeing day break, or conversely cried profusely.

Missing Child Notice

Name: Park Chang-sik (Male/8 years old)

Physical characteristics - Height: 124cm

 - Weight: 20kg

 - Blood type: O

Date missing: Seonryeok 15 year April 9

Location missing: Hwigyeong-dong 66-1

 Jungnangcheon direction

Circumstances of disappearance: 

Lost while fleeing from Violent Hoppers

Please find our son.

People who lost loved ones all gathered at Gwanghwamun.

Steles over 3m tall were erected on both sides of the road.

People gathered in front of the steles to search for missing people.

They told the staff managing the steles the names of people they were looking for and turned back.

"Mom!!"

"Hee-jin!!"

On one side, reunions of separated people took place.

Though there were Fairy government guidelines, separated people made Gwanghwamun a place of reunion.

Communication still wasn't working properly, so most people had to run around busily to get information and have meetings.

"But what can we do? We have to eat something to keep living."

"Rebuilding buildings will be quite a task too."

"We can make it a stronger city while we're at it. Players will help, and the government will provide support, so let's start work quickly." "If you have time to cry, just work instead. We're so busy there's no time to cry."

Loss, sadness, frustration, despair.

Nevertheless, people didn't collapse but stood up overcoming their own sorrow.

They faced the wind of revival looking at the collapsed city.

As there is birth after death.

There is creation after destruction.

People set out for work sites to cultivate the broken city without anyone going first.

"Hey, hold the materials straight."

"If we're making it, we should do it properly." "Everyone eat and work!"

Gangbuk welcomed reconstruction.

Many people came from Gangnam to help with their work.

Regardless of social status, there was no discrimination at work sites.

People focused equally on rebuilding the city they would live in.

☆

Fairy Lim Ga-eul officially declared the monster army's invasion over.

Business groups moved busily.

Groups that sometimes exploited people while fattening themselves in times of peace released funds to the market.

Though Lim Ga-eul pressured them, all groups knew.

The reason they could spend days indulging in pleasure in times of peace was because lower people tolerated it.

And the reason they tolerated it was because they assumed business groups would help them in times of economic misfortune like now.

It's no exaggeration to say business groups in Korea, which rose from destruction after the <End of Century Destruction>, were born from such hopes.

Though direct descendants of groups might be different, all group chairmen knew.

"Pine Group should quickly restore base stations to make communication smooth..."

Fairy Lim Ga-eul.

She muttered looking over the contents of each business group's support for Gangbuk in her office.

In the case of Galaxy Group and Sirius Group, they were creating jobs by releasing large amounts of money to the market.

Currently the two groups were mass producing construction materials using factories, and were in the process of arranging ways to distribute them.

Galaxy Group even operated hospitals for free while bearing deficits.

"Of course, they're not just doing charity work while taking losses. They're probably trying to imprint their company's image in people's minds with this opportunity."

Though not purely innocent intentions.

She thought it didn't matter anyway.

Besides this, Eternal Group paid a certain amount of insurance money to people who lost property based on insurance policies, and lent money at low interest rates.

Alice Group was distributing potions for free mainly to injured people and operating hospitals.

YH Group and Luminous Group were in charge of Gangbuk's food. They were operating cafeterias for people working everywhere to eat for free.

KK Group and East Sea Group were busiest. They were creating jobs by hiring workers and starting building reconstruction.

And Samra Group was taking on the distribution role for business groups to smoothly support Gangbuk.

"Samra will benefit the most. Distribution is king, king. Eternal Group is taking the biggest loss now."

Anyway, she was grateful that business groups voluntarily stepped forward to implement noblesse oblige.

Thanks to that, the Fairy government just had to focus on commanding them to deploy manpower and resources appropriately and take appropriate measures.

Of course, calamity was coming within business groups too.

Though they were releasing money externally, signs of succession disputes were appearing internally.

It couldn't be helped.

It's a really strange thing.

Hannam-dong is under Pandora Clan's jurisdiction, but damage in Hannam-dong is particularly severe in Yongsan-gu.

Lim Ga-eul turned the documents.

Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, symbol of the wealthy area.

That place was almost completely ruined.

Because Pandora Clan abandoned Hannam-dong and made it a battlefield.

As a result, people living there suffered much property damage.

To make matters worse, bordering the Han River, there were many casualties before Players could properly respond.

The most serious among them was─

"─Choi Yun-han that person died... And not by monsters but shot to death..."

Galaxy Group's first chairman Choi Yun-han.

He died shot in the basement of his residence.

Lim Ga-eul furrowed her brow.

She laid out her thoughts.

"Then someone killed Choi Yun-han when monsters invaded... It's quite suspicious to say it was an impulsive crime. Or did Choi Yun-han ask a subordinate to kill him because he was afraid of monsters? If so, I can understand dying like that..."

According to the autopsy results.

Choi Yun-han met a comfortable death.

There were no signs of resistance.

Then one could think Choi Yun-han asked a subordinate to kill him.

"The problem is that person I know is absolutely not someone who would do that... Unless the old man had dementia, he's not someone who would give up on life himself."

Who killed Choi Yun-han?

Unfortunately, subordinates who were unconscious in the air raid shelter didn't remember what happened at the time.

So they were even accusing each other saying you shot him to death.

Not just that.

Choi Yun-han's death became a trigger.

"I didn't expect such a big commotion to occur in Galaxy Group..."

Though it's been a long time since Choi Yun-han stepped down from management.

Nevertheless, Choi Yun-han was like a myth to Galaxy Group people.

His existence held Galaxy Group people together as one.

But with his death, brothers who seemed to have deep affection on the surface now began to openly engage in psychological warfare.

"A fight between Galaxy Automobiles and Devices..."

Currently Galaxy Group's chairman is Choi Tae-bong.

His younger brother Choi Dae-bong leading Galaxy Automobiles was currently showing will for independence.

To understand how this situation came about, one had to go back several years.

"This fight started when Choi Tae-bong's son Choi Jung-hoon killed my younger sister and had to take a period of self-reflection... I didn't expect it to come to this."

Galaxy Group's direct descendant Choi Jung-hoon.

As he stepped down from the firm successor position to take a period of self-reflection, noise arose in the line that had been continuing Choi Yun-han - Choi Tae-bong - Choi Jung-hoon.

Starting with Choi Tae-bong's brothers, people influencing Galaxy Group gradually changed lines or created their own lines directly.

"It was just a matter of time anyway. If Choi Jung-hoon had ended his self-reflection and returned to management, their dreams would have ended there."

Several new factions were created within Galaxy Group.

But the Choi Yun-han - Choi Tae-bong - Choi Jung-hoon line was so powerful.

Moreover, Choi Yun-han strongly pushed Choi Tae-bong's line he acknowledged, so direct descendants couldn't act much.

In the end, the moment Choi Jung-hoon broke his self-reflection and came out to the world, they would have no choice but to be branded traitors and expelled.

From their position, they had to struggle to survive at some point anyway.

It was a matter of time.

And unintentionally, that time was pulled forward to now.

"Well, it's a good thing from my position. Since the automobile side is giving huge support funds separate from Galaxy Group, I should just turn a blind eye."

Returning to the story, Choi Yun-han died.

Galaxy Group's firm myth died, and those who couldn't defy Choi Yun-han are taking the opportunity to revolt.

Choi Jung-hoon was still in self-reflection.

The opportunity was only now.

So they were having a management rights dispute centered on automobiles with current chairman Choi Tae-bong.

If Choi Tae-bong doesn't block it properly, the group will probably split.

And as time passed.

Lim Ga-eul heard news she expected.

"So Galaxy Group will be split into device and automobile divisions. In the end, Choi Tae-bong agreed to take minimal damage."

Galaxy Group will be divided.

If people leading Galaxy Automobiles had intentions to take all of Galaxy Group.

Victory would have tilted towards Choi Tae-bong.

But they gave up greed and decided to get only part of Galaxy Group, not a unified Galaxy Group.

Nevertheless, it was quite a big gain from their position.

"Launching as Space Group next month, so please look favorably..."

Lim Ga-eul smiled bitterly.

It turned out as she wanted.

Galaxy Group and Space Group's shares were completely newly composed, so the two groups won't merge in the future.

"Then does Sirius Group become the #1 business group now... Sirius probably encouraged Space Group to make this situation. Whoever's handiwork it is, it's amazing."

Later hearing through information.

It's said to be Han Seo-yeon's skill who has connections with Galaxy Automobiles' direct line.

Lim Ga-eul was surprised hearing about Han Seo-yeon's skill splitting a huge group at just 24 years old.

On the other hand─

"─The group to be cautious of from now on will be Sirius Group."

Lim Ga-eul's judgment was cold.

The #1 always had to be watched.

Sirius Group was no exception.

However─

"─This is the group sponsoring Pandora Clan... I don't know when, but I should turn a blind eye for now."

Lim Ga-eul who was indebted to Noh Eun-ha couldn't rashly check Sirius Group.

She just vowed to be cautious.

And not long after again.

News spread that Galaxy Group's direct descendant Choi Jung-hoon would end his long self-reflection and return to management.

☆

Even after all army commanders were subjugated.

Eun-ha and Pandora Clan members had to work without properly resting.

Though they subjugated the entire army, imbalances occurred in the area due to the army's passage.

Besides this, they had to visit damage recovery sites and have meetings on how to rebuild Yongsan-gu and Jung-gu.

[...so, I will end the national emergency state. I sincerely thank everyone who has worked hard until now...]

Not long after that.

Fairy Lim Ga-eul officially announced the monster army's invasion was over.

Only then could Eun-ha get a day off and rest comfortably.

"Sleepy... I'm dying of sleepiness..."

"Pipi..."

Pandora Clan Hall at Sadang Station.

Eun-ha who visited the clan hall after a long time sprawled on the bed prepared in his office.

Many things happened in the meantime.

First, he had to be scolded a lot by family members including Eun-ah.

Though they were proud of him, most of the content was harshly scolding him for being defeated by Ye-gyeong once.

...I was flustered when Yu-jeong cried.

There was a time Lee Yu-jeong met him after a long time and shed tears in front of many people.

Eun-ha was more at a loss than when scolded by family members.

He expected to be scolded, but didn't expect a situation of her crying saying she was worried.

Fortunately, she calmed down when Eun-ha hugged her and patted her back.

Besides this─

"─You sleep right away as soon as you come? At least wash up."

"Try going around two districts in one day, noona. Do you think you'd say that?"

"Alright, sleep well."

He had to hear harsh words from Han Seo-hyun.

Eun-ha looked up at Han Seo-hyun who entered the office checking he had arrived.

She sat down next to Eun-ha with a thud and looked down at him.

"Tell me honestly." "...Wh-what?"

Han Seo-hyun asking abruptly then.

This was the sixth time.

Eun-ha flinched.

Han Seo-hyun was the person Eun-ha found most difficult to deal with after the monster army's invasion.

"You knew we wouldn't be able to marry in May, right?" "..."

Eun-ha avoided her eyes.

He couldn't answer her words.

When noona first said let's marry, I was excited and said let's do it in May, how could I have stopped it?

Noh Eun-ha's true feelings.

But Eun-ha exercised his right to remain silent.

Han Seo-hyun sighed.

"You must have really disliked marrying me." "No, that's not it..." "Or you were thinking very lightly of our contract." "..."

"Rest well. I'll get up now."

These days whenever there's a gap.

Han Seo-hyun would come find Eun-ha and show somewhat hurt feelings.

Today was the same.

Eun-ha grabbed Han Seo-hyun's hand as she was about to leave.

She fell onto the bed led by his hand.

"I don't know what you think, but I've never thought lightly of it." "..."

"The wedding will be postponed, but I'll still get married so know that. And I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you."

Han Seo-hyun blinking.

Eun-ha spoke looking at her.

Soon she smiled.

"Keep your promise, for sure."

"I'll definitely keep it. So please don't come find me sometimes and say things."

"Eun-ha." "Hm? What?"

"When clan members or people looking for the clan come whining to me, then who should the administrator go to when she wants to whine?"

"...The Clan Lord?"

"So give up."

"Noona, did you want to do that so badly in May? I didn't know noona had such a romance..."

"I told you not to call me noona."

"You're 2 years older than me so you're noona." "Will you call me that even after marriage?"

"Then what should I call you?" "...It's homework. Think about it well."

"What homework. Then have you thought about what to call me?"

"I'll see what you do then."

Han Seo-hyun chuckles.

She gave Eun-ha a long kiss and got up.

"Anyway, you've worked hard until now. I'll turn off the lights, so just rest well today." "Aren't you tired too? Why don't you just take a nap here? The bed is big." "If you're thinking of throwing me on your bed, can you tell me after washing up next time?"

"What are you saying."

"Anyway, sleep well. I have more work to do." "Good work." "You too."

Han Seo-hyun turns off the lights.

She leaves through the door.

Eun-ha fell into a deep sleep.

He could sleep peacefully for the first time in a long while.

☆

But somehow an uneasy feeling about this invasion doesn't go away.

Was this invasion really a coincidence?

Fairy Lim Ga-eul thought.

When Mo Ra-yul inspected the Cocoon, she said there was nothing wrong with it.

She said it couldn't be grasped in detail without a precise inspection, but would an error that could suddenly stop the Cocoon's function not be discovered by <Big Data>'s inspection?

She came up with two hypotheses.

One, <Big Data> lied and deliberately didn't mention problems that occurred with the Cocoon.

"Though the possibility can't be completely ignored, would Mo Ra-yul who doesn't want to work that much really have done that..."

The question that arose then was what Mo Ra-yul would gain from it.

Momentary negligence?

But <Big Data> was certainly not unaware that it would harm herself.

Moreover, she wouldn't not know what would happen to her position if things went wrong.

It's unlike <Big Data>.

Therefore, Lim Ga-eul put more weight on the second hypothesis.

─Assuming it's not a coincidence, someone deliberately broke the Cocoon...

It was an absurd hypothesis.

But she couldn't lightly dismiss it.

There were so many suspicious points.

It was too exquisite to be a coincidence that army commanders led armies to invade Gangbuk as soon as the Cocoon broke.

Furthermore, it was strange that the tour schedule seemed timed to remove her far from Seoul.

It was odd that the first destination of the tour happened to be Gwangju far from Seoul.

In addition, it was too contrived that Twelve Seats in the dealer division weren't in Seoul at that time and happened to be sent on business trips to local areas.

"But there's no evidence. The circumstances are very suspicious, but there's nothing to prove it."

Nevertheless, there was definite evidence denying her hypothesis.

One─

─To have monsters gather an army and invade right after breaking the Cocoon, a link connecting the factor breaking the Cocoon and the factor of monsters invading is needed.

Humans and monsters cannot coexist.

So it was ambiguous to call the Cocoon breaking and monsters invading Gangbuk a calamity 'artificial'.

It was truly a groundless delusion without proving a situation where humans and monsters can coexist.

Another─

─People guarding the Cocoon said the Cocoon suddenly broke.

Jongmyo's main hall where the Cocoon was installed.

Lim Ga-eul checked CCTV footage from the time the incident occurred.

Then she grasped that the footage wasn't manipulated at all, accompanied by experts.

The Cocoon suddenly stopped functioning.

No strange points could be found in the testimonies of people in charge of protecting the Cocoon either.

It was evidence making Lim Ga-eul's hypothesis itself meaningless.

Nevertheless─

─It's strange, too strange.

Lim Ga-eul couldn't give up on the nonsensical delusion.

Nevertheless, there were so many suspicious things.

It's too much to be a coincidence.

Above all─

─I wonder if Eun-ha knew. That something would happen.

Noh Eun-ha who suddenly brought up inspecting the Cocoon couldn't be forgotten.

Her intuition said Noh Eun-ha knew this would happen.

Then it would be a matter of pressing Noh Eun-ha and asking who did this.

But things wouldn't go that easily.

If Eun-ha knew, he would have pointed out the culprits without needing to say to inspect the Cocoon.

Eun-ha didn't know either.

In the end, Lim Ga-eul holding onto a hypothesis that couldn't be established was purely because of Noh Eun-ha.

"─Maybe he sees the future..."

Soon she muttered.

Then shook her head.

The speculation was too much.

Nevertheless, Lim Ga-eul couldn't erase the question that suddenly arose.

Alright, let's assume the worst case scenario.

Eventually she changed the topic.

Since she made an absurd imagination anyway, she decided to inflate the imagination further.

If this incident really wasn't a coincidence, and was an artificially occurring incident─

─Think about who benefits the most.

Surely that person would be the culprit.

Or related.

Lim Ga-eul racked her brains.

"...Too many."

That was the conclusion she soon reached.

There were too many.

Crisis was opportunity.

Just Space Group's chairman alone made this crisis an opportunity.

Weren't many heroes born?

Weren't many groups receiving people's praise by supplying wealth with good intentions?

This assumption is meaningless.

There's no end to thinking about it.

Lim Ga-eul gave up thinking.

Instead she decided to think about something else.

If this incident occurred artificially, there was an indispensable part.

There's a traitor among high-ranking officials who can interfere with my and the Twelve Seats' schedules.

That was the biggest problem.

The existence of a traitor.

I thought I had weeded out all suspicious personnel a few years ago with the Eternal Pharmaceuticals incident.

It seems there's a traitor in the government I don't know about.

Maybe there's someone who changed among people who newly entered even after weeding out everyone like that.

There's no end to finding rat bastards.

Lim Ga-eul laughed self-deprecatingly.

Then developed her thoughts.

The person benefiting from this incident could be the internal traitor.

What is the enemy's identity?

How large is the enemy's scale?

Unknown.

That creates fear.

Lim Ga-eul had no choice but to imagine the worst assumption facing fear.

The traitor who would gain the biggest benefit.

That person is─

─Grandfather Baek Seo-jin.

<King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.

The Player who will serve as head of the Twelve Seats and minister in the Mana Management Organization, substituting for <Iron Fortress> Moon Jun this time.

"No way..."

Lim Ga-eul denied.

She had to deny.

She couldn't not deny.

Because if she didn't deny─

─The person I can rely on disappears.

Now there will be no one left.

The people who supported her as Fairy would all disappear.

It was nonsense from the start.

Why would Baek Seo-jin do such a thing?

There's no way Baek Seo-jin of all people would have betrayed.

If so, Grandfather Baek Seo-jin would have stopped me from becoming Fairy long ago.

Rather, he wouldn't have tried to persuade me to become Fairy.

It's not Baek Seo-jin.

But someone Lim Ga-eul doesn't know is right to be working in secret.

It could be one, or it could be many.

"..."

The situation of having to face an invisible enemy was just miserable.

It's like measuring the depth of an abyss with no visible bottom.

Nevertheless, she had no choice but to do what she had to do.

I have to weed out suspicious individuals.

Quite a few officials died this time, so I'll implement a large-scale personnel reshuffle and overhaul the government while I'm at it.

There's no other way.

As long as the enemy's identity is unknown.

Even if I weed out, weed out, enemies will keep appearing.

Nevertheless, Lim Ga-eul had to do it.

There was no other way.

Seonryeok 15 year

Korea Mana Management Organization Personnel Appointment

The Korea Mana Management Organization announces personnel transfers for the Management Bureau, Control Bureau, Information Bureau, Special Affairs Bureau, Dispatch Bureau, Administrative Bureau, and Surveillance Bureau as follows.

The implementation date is set for Seonryeok 15 year May 1.

Seonryeok 15 year April 28

Korea Mana Management Organization Fairy Lim Ga-eul

Seonryeok 15 year

<Korea Mana Management Organization Personnel Appointment>

─ Surveillance Bureau ─

Name

Transfer

Baek Seo-jin

Surveillance Bureau Director →

Korea Mana Management Organization Minister

Seon Woo Hwa-ryeong

Gyeonggi Branch Head →

Surveillance Bureau Director

Do Chae-yeon

Special Affairs Bureau Defense Department Head →

Surveillance Officer

Ahn Jin-ho

Surveillance Bureau Micro Division Head →

Surveillance Bureau Micro Department Head

Woo Il-shin

Surveillance Bureau Macro Section Head →

Surveillance Bureau Micro Division Head

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