In the Name of God - Chapter 73.1
As soon as I entered the representative’s office at Black Tail headquarters, Woo Hye-ran handed me an information file regarding the “Edinburgh Holy Land Collapse Incident” and pouted her lips playfully.
“If I had known new information would crop up this frequently, I wouldn’t have included that clause.”
“It’s no use regretting it now.”
“I know. I’m just saying.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Woo Hye-ran spoke again, her playfulness vanishing.
“The damage in the UK from the Holy Land collapse is quite severe. They were already struggling to suppress the monsters that appeared when the Holy Land fell, but a Dungeon Break occurred right before they could even finish cleaning up.”
Dungeon Break.
The so-called phenomenon of monster saturation within a dungeon.
It refers to a situation where the number of monsters periodically generated inside a dungeon exceeds a certain limit, causing them to swarm out of the dungeon.
As I personally experienced during the Daejeon Holy Land collapse, it seemed that once a Holy Land disappeared, all dungeons in that area began producing monsters all at once. It was as if a limit that had been suppressing the dungeons had been released.
In a dungeon that runs rampant like that, it soon becomes filled with monsters, and eventually, a Dungeon Break occurs before anyone can take action.
“There must have been many casualties among Awakeners as well as civilians.”
“That’s generally the case. The only saving grace is that the monsters weren’t able to cross over into the neighboring Holy Lands.”
Monsters cannot cross the boundaries of a Holy Land.
Thanks to that, the monsters overflowing from Edinburgh did not invade other regions or cause riots there.
However, it wasn’t something to be entirely relieved about.
While scanning the file I received from Woo Hye-ran on my phone, my gaze stopped on a single reference photo.
I could see a vivid crack, about the size of a human head, forming in a transparent membrane imbued with a bluish energy.
It was the 97th Holy Land, which surrounded Hangzhou, China.
“The 97th Holy Land looks dangerous too.”
“The size of the crack is still small, but it’s identical to the phenomenon that appeared in the Daejeon and Edinburgh Holy Lands. That’s why China is currently moving quickly to evacuate the residents of Hangzhou and is instead dispatching many of their own Awakeners.”
Since the cracks, presumed to be the starting point, had occurred in two Holy Land collapse incidents already, the fact that Hangzhou would likely follow the same path could not be ignored.
‘Are they breaking one by one in reverse order?’
After witnessing the phenomenon where the Holy Lands created by my authority were collapsing one by one and becoming Disaster Zones, I couldn’t help the bitterness in my chest.
If the collapses continue like this and the Holy Lands are reduced by nearly half…
‘Countless monsters will run wild to an unmanageable degree, just like back then.’
Although the number of Awakeners had increased significantly compared to when I was playing the game, most of them were people who gained their abilities after the Holy War ended.
The number of those who personally experienced and remembered the period of desperate struggle against monsters, including the Holy War and the time before it, was quite small. Not many Awakeners who survived that war remained.
An Awakener’s dungeon raid was a completely different matter from waging war against monsters that had occupied the fields.
A dungeon was a battle dealing with enemies moving within a limited space and its own set of rules, but war was a fight where one had to endure against endlessly surging monsters amidst unpredictable front lines and variables.
The present was full of Awakeners who did not realize that difference.
Just how much of that calamity would they be able to block?
As if she noticed my face darkening, Woo Hye-ran showed a smile with a look that told me not to worry.
“Immediately after the crack was discovered in the Hangzhou Holy Land, the International Association of Awakeners began a large-scale discussion on countermeasures. They plan to minutely inspect and reinforce all Holy Lands regardless of the nation.”
Woo Hye-ran, who rose from the sofa across from me, stretched refreshing-ly.
“I’m going to be busy one way or another. Even today, I have to prepare for departure. So from now on, rather than delivering information in person like this, I’ll send it to you as it comes.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Answering sincerely, I tentatively brought up the question I had been holding in my mind since before entering the office.
“By any chance, do you have information on the ‘Black Saint’…”
I stopped speaking as I recognized the expression on Woo Hye-ran’s face.
“I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s nothing to be sorry for.”
As expected, it seemed there was still no information regarding my apostle. It was natural since it hadn’t been long since I requested the information, but I couldn’t help feeling a sense of disappointment.
“I thought maybe some information would get caught while investigating the Holy Lands, but strangely, not even a single strand of hair has turned up.”
“…”
“If I learn even a little something, I’ll tell you right away, so please wait a bit longer.”
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