Chapter 59
Emergency Summons (2)
In the middle of the dense forest of skyscrapers in Yeoksam—
“Please take a detour. The sewer system is under maintenance.”
“What kind of construction blocks off an entire intersection?!”
“We’ll resolve it as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.”
Citizens grumbled and turned their cars around, while the “civil servants” in reflective vests maintained their blank expressions.
But the truth was—the so-called civil servants were agents of the Foundation, and they were just as troubled as anyone else.
“Hurry and call for backup! We can’t handle this with our current numbers!”
“All available agents in Seoul have already been summoned!”
“Then issue a mobilization order to Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, and Gangwon regions too!”
“Yes, sir!!”
The staff scattered in perfect coordination, and the man giving orders ran a hand down his face.
Right in the center of the intersection stood a massive rift—three stories tall, pulsing with ominous light.
Of all places, it had to open in the middle of a busy downtown area.
Hong Chan-ho, the newly promoted head of the Rift Containment Division, looked pale.
‘Damn it… of all days…’
An Aster-class rift had opened—on his very first day of promotion.
An Aster-class rift, by definition, was dangerous. But under normal circumstances, it wasn’t unpredictable.
They only appeared a few times a year, their cycles were regular, and their emergence could be forecast in advance.
That meant there was always time to prepare—time to explore the interior before it expanded, gather the necessary players, plan the assault, and even execute an orderly civilian evacuation.
So much so that “Aster-class” rifts were treated as almost routine events.
Some wealthy patrons even funded them as official raids, offering prizes to encourage participation.
That’s why people jokingly called them “scheduled hunts.”
But when one appeared suddenly like this… the story changed entirely.
This wasn’t an event—it was an unpredictable catastrophe.
“Damn it all…”
Hong exhaled deeply and stepped into the temporary command tent.
Inside, several high-ranking players were already shouting.
“What’s going on? You called us here for an ‘emergency summon’—why?”
“I saw it myself—it’s an Aster-class rift, and right in the middle of the city, no less!”
“Isn’t it too soon for another one? The last scheduled raid just ended!”
“I’ll… I’ll explain everything.”
He said that, but even Hong wasn’t sure how to explain.
All he had were fragments of data gathered by the researchers on-site.
“First, about the rift’s structure. The initial readings suggest—”
He was still talking when a low voice cut through his words.
“That’s enough, Hong Captain.”
From the corner, a man in a gray ghillie suit pulled back his hood.
“Skip the stuff even rookies know. Let’s hear the real reason we were called in. You still haven’t told us that.”
“…It’s Chief Hong now.”
The man was Yoo Geon-hyuk, known as the “Air Sniper”—a famous player currently organizing a new community called Whirlwind.
“You gathered everyone from big names like me to small fries like them… What’s the deal? Don’t tell me you expect us to go in there for free?”
Typical of elite players—arrogant, but brutally perceptive.
The truth was, the sudden expansion of the rift had forced Hong to call for reinforcements without a solid plan.
And without an official bounty or reward, he had no justification to send anyone in.
Still, doing nothing wasn’t an option—the rift was expanding by the minute.
‘Damn it… I’ll just tell them I need to check with HQ first. That’ll buy time…’
He was forming his excuse when Yoo Geon-hyuk spoke again.
“I bet you’re about to say something like, ‘we’ll negotiate rewards with HQ first,’ huh? Well, forget that. I’m in. We all should be.”
“…What?”
Hong blinked in disbelief. He hadn’t expected that answer.
Yoo smirked.
“Even if things got messy, it’s still an Aster-class hunt. You all know what that means—rare loot, tons of experience, and glory. This is no different from a regular raid.”
It was a clever move—shifting the focus from danger to profit.
And he was right: the manuals existed, the procedures were clear, and even with limited time, they had enough manpower.
No one could deny that much.
“Come to think of it…”
“Yeah, the protocol’s already in place. With this many teams, we could pull it off.”
“Besides, missing out on an Aster-class would be a waste. The last one barely dropped anything.”
Hong stayed quiet.
He knew Yoo’s logic was full of holes—this wasn’t a normal Aster-class rift.
Its timing broke the usual pattern.
Its growth rate was abnormal.
But if Yoo’s words got these people moving… that was good enough.
“And one more thing,” Yoo said. “We won’t have to wait long. They are joining, too.”
“They?”
Everyone turned to the tent entrance.
Flap—
The curtain lifted, and a man in shining silver armor stepped inside.
A red cross glowed on his chestplate.
The entire tent fell silent.
“No way… you’re—”
“Why are they here?! In Korea?!”
“The Saint Union…”
“And that’s their First Commander—Atlan!”
The Saint Union.
A massive community of Holy-type players, organized like a knightly order.
They were legendary—even though they almost never operated outside Europe.
“I saw them at the last scheduled raid,” someone whispered.
“Didn’t Yoo Geon-hyuk have some connection with them?”
“Yeah. Rumor is, they supported his new community application.”
Hong could barely hide his relief.
‘This changes everything.’
If the Saint Union joined in, victory was practically guaranteed.
In fact, with their firepower, adding more players could actually get in the way.
He seized the moment.
“In that case, we can proceed. Everyone, prepare for immediate deployment—”
“Wait.”
A deep voice interrupted.
A large man with a silver gauntlet on his arm stepped forward—Choi Sung-chul, another squad leader.
“I heard the investigation isn’t complete yet. A proper raid requires thorough pre-scouting. Rushing in could lead to disaster.”
He wasn’t wrong—and he wasn’t just anyone.
Sung-chul was an elite, recently made even stronger after recruiting a remarkable rookie.
Hong tensed. If the mood soured now, it could all fall apart.
“The research team is still—”
“Hey, Choi.” Yoo cut him off again.
“Why ruin a good thing? You get one rookie who makes you look good, and suddenly you think you’re smarter than the rest of us?”
“…Entering without intel is reckless. This isn’t a normal rift. We don’t know what’s inside or how it behaves. You’d send your men to die blind?”
“Maybe you forgot—every rift is a death trap. If you’re scared, stay out. Isn’t facing danger why you’re a captain?”
“…And avoiding unnecessary losses is also part of being a captain.”
Click.
Yoo raised his hand, forming a gun shape with his fingers.
Compressed air gathered at the tip, forming a deadly bullet of wind.
“If you’re that scared, I can help you out. Better to be ‘injured and off the line’ than known as the captain who ran away, right?”
“….”
The air hissed sharply, building to a dangerous pitch.
He wasn’t bluffing.
“Stop it—both of you!”
Hong lunged forward, grabbing Yoo’s wrist.
“Captain Choi. I understand your concern, but if we leave that rift alone, the entire city could be swallowed. We need you.”
Sung-chul said nothing.
Hong pressed on.
“The research team will do everything they can to map out the risks. And if anything happens, with your leadership, we can handle it.”
“….”
“I understand your caution, but please—just this once.”
After a long silence, Sung-chul finally spoke.
“…I’ll prepare.”
Then he turned and walked out of the tent.
Hong exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders.
“Everyone else—begin preparations. We deploy in 30 minutes!”
When Sung-chul returned, his team was waiting anxiously.
“Sung-chul oppa, what happened?”
“We’re going in—30 minutes. Get ready.”
“What?! Are they insane?!”
“We don’t even have solid data! It’s Aster-class!”
“Inha, you said something felt off too, right?”
Sung-chul didn’t ignore her.
Inha’s intuition had proven right too many times before.
She had an uncanny ability to read battlefields—turning scattered clues into a clear picture.
He’d heard from Sae-hyun that she liked to imagine stories in her head—but in combat, that imagination was a gift.
‘And this rift definitely feels wrong.’
He couldn’t shake that unease.
Still, with the current situation, delay wasn’t an option.
After he explained the command tent’s debate, the team reluctantly accepted.
“…Then there’s no choice. Someone has to do it.”
“By the way, what’s up with those guys? Showing up out of nowhere like that.”
The Saint Union’s arrival had changed everything.
They were famous for cleansing old, neglected rifts—their holy knights annihilating all corruption within.
But those were long-dormant rifts—well-studied, carefully planned, with massive resources behind them.
This? A sudden anomaly in a foreign land, with limited time and manpower.
‘They must be trying to make up for their failure in the last raid.’
Sung-chul finally said it aloud.
“They flopped during the last scheduled hunt. This is probably their way to save face.”
“Oh, right—wasn’t their target missing last time?”
“So now they’re dragging everyone else into their mess?”
It made sense. They’d come all this way—they needed something to show for it.
“…Anyway, it’s decided. Get ready.”
“Yes, sir~.”
Soon, Sung-chul’s team and the rest of the summoned players gathered before the rift.
It pulsed like a living thing, slowly widening before their eyes.
At this rate, it would consume the entire intersection.
“All units—ready!”
“YES, GENERAL!!!”
The synchronized stomp of boots shook the ground.
Players—usually used to fighting in small teams—couldn’t help but be awed by the discipline of the Saint Union.
With them here, many felt reassured.
But Sung-chul couldn’t shake the sight of Inha’s troubled face.
She finally spoke, softly.
“…What do you think Sae-hyun would’ve done?”
He gave a faint smile.
“He’d probably have punched me for bringing you somewhere this dangerous.”
Inha chuckled.
“Haha, what do you even think of him, really?”
“He’s a punk. A complete menace.”
“I’m telling him you said that.”
She tapped his shoulder, grinning. For a moment, her expression lightened.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yeah.”
Setting their unease aside, Sung-chul and Inha stepped forward—
—and together with their team, crossed into the rift.
