"The situation isn't very good."
Kang Minseong, who was having tea with Ma Hakjun, casually starts.
I looked at his face wondering if he's playing some joke.
...It's not a joking tone. That's what he's saying seriously.
"Just casualties counted until yesterday are 10 percent more than before."
10 percent. A figure some might say 'Is that a big problem?'
But if that 10 percent involves human lives, it can never be called small.
And if that figure accumulates, eventually all ability users who can fight will disappear.
As Kang Minseong said, the current situation definitely couldn't be called good.
"Understandable that the Association President's face is a mess."
"Right. But I heard even this figure is small when considering worldwide. Severe places doubled. Thanks to that, they're requesting support from other countries."
Then Ma Hakjun exhales and nods as if he expected this.
I was also expecting this. Natural thing. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire.net
Whether monsters or gates, the name itself is 'Great Upheaval' - how could it not be affected?
My surroundings just semi-forcibly grew in skills so we get through without difficulty.
Other countries, other ability users must be suffering going 'What is this bolt from the blue!'
Even the setting that this gets worse remains.
If you think about it, all events happening now are just a kind of preview.
To not get swept up in the main story, everyone must stay alert and face it.
"Actually, the solution is simple, right?"
"Right. Do twice as much effort as before."
Saying that while exchanging words, both old men shook their heads.
I also agree with their opinion. Easy to say, but doing it is another matter.
Telling those who've been complacent to grit teeth and run from now on.
Not only the problem of some running, some not running, but even runners are problems.
Now we can't even grasp how long we need to keep running.
'Infinite race not knowing the destination. This is real hell.'
Until recently, moderate effort and moderate fighting guaranteed a decent life.
Not completely free from danger, but low possibility of tragic death.
Conversely, money and honor obtainable as ability users are sufficient.
Living with satisfaction from that, but now must prepare for infinite death matches.
Need to make efforts, I know. Probably everyone's realizing it.
But actually practicing that is a completely separate problem.
Relying on luck thinking 'Gates I handle will be safe' might be easier.
'Well, if they die doing that, it's their own loss.'
Thinking that while sipping tea, I heard someone calling me.
"Examiner Baek Seojin. What do you think?"
"About the current situation. Do you think it'll improve?"
Not simply asking about domestic situation. Asking about overseas too.
The answer I can give about that is honestly quite obvious.
"Well. To speak honestly, I'd say nothing is certain."
"Yes. Right now there's confusion everywhere, but if lucky, it could become an opportunity to grow further. Conversely, if situations get worse than this, damage will increase."
At my answer, Ma Hakjun asks 'Then looking at just domestic?'
Seems to want a positive answer, but my answer was the same.
"That also, I can't give a definite answer."
"Really? You're working so hard, and students are following hard too."
"That's correct, but that's limited to Academy students. Those friends must graduate and go outside, and even so, situations might get worse."
It's true I've worked hard as gatekeeper to raise student levels.
But that number is only a handful considering all domestic ability users.
When those friends eventually enter society, it might change somewhat...
"Unexpected. I thought you'd view things very hopefully."
"Me too. Changing Suhyeon, and discovering that friend Lee Hyunwoo. Each student you handle shows quite remarkable achievements."
"I'm grateful for both your words, but I only play 'examiner' role. In that process I can suggest paths and tell how to proceed, but making that decision is ultimately something they must do themselves."
Some will try to break through those blocking them to rise, but others might just give up.
I'll try to stimulate them maximally, but don't expect skills like Suhyeon or Lee Hyunwoo.
Not belittling students' levels, but that's the objective path.
Additionally, even raising all Academy students one level each, numbers are limited.
Examiner work also, the beginning was nothing special if you think about it.
Republic of Korea power increase, producing world's best ability users.
Did I do it with such tremendous intentions? Not at all. Didn't do it wanting that.
I do my best but don't have excessive sense of duty beyond that.
Right now I'm overwhelmed just taking care of myself and surroundings.
"Hearing that, it's true. ...Anyway, isn't it a fact that student levels rose thanks to you?"
Level. Level, huh. Other things aside, stamina and grit improved somewhat.
Despite tormenting them that much, they all endure well. Enough to feel sorry.
"...Not all, but I think so to some degree."
If I used the Sweet and Sour trait, more students might have become stronger.
But this trait also had limitations. Maximum five at once.
Before, I only did it with Suhyeon and Lee Hyunwoo so I didn't know, but when I lowered evaluation standards,
When I tried to do it for students meeting standards next, such warning appeared.
Indeed my trait must focus on doing my best to block.
At my answer, Ma Hakjun touches his chin then suddenly looks at Kang Minseong.
"Looking at this, I want to hear your opinion once more."
"I told you, Hakjun. This would be quite a good opinion."
What are they suddenly talking about? A good opinion?
Did they have some conversation while calling me?
Looking at both alternately, it was Kang Minseong who spoke.
"First, Examiner Baek Seojin. You know quite a few of my disciples are abroad?"
"Right. I heard you operate from small sword dojos to large-scale training centers for weapon-types. Is that correct?"
"Correct. Thanks to that, I have quite a few contact points with overseas."
"So much that the Foreign Ministry contacts that friend when difficult situations arise."
Even Ma Hakjun, who wasn't particularly attached to disciples, shows envious reaction.
Not only overseas news but various support and requests too.
I can see anew how great the power of the Kang family, Suhyeon's maternal family, is.
"Anyway, I had some discussions with overseas ability user personnel."
"That monsters get stronger daily and gates appear more frequently, but to reduce gaps between regions and become shields so neither collapses, we need better quality educational institutions."
Better quality educational institutions?
"Um, Chairman? Don't each country already have training institutions for ability users?"
Like the Republic of Korea's Ability User Academy, other countries are all the same.
Each attaches selected people for ability users their country will have.
Ability users aren't just the most powerful weapons fighting monsters,
They also serve as measures judging a country's power.
"Right. You're correct. But being scattered like that, they often can't further develop strengths or supplement weaknesses."
"Additionally, as the Examiner knows, monsters appearing in each country are slightly different. Ability users trained accordingly are each country's ability users, but lately gates are unstable and monsters coming out are very unexpected ones. Naturally, those first encountering such monsters must be temporarily confused."
"...That confusion could lead to injury, severely to death?"
At my answer, Kang Minseong smiles saying that's correct.
"So after current events occurred, country leaders discussed several times. Pooling each country's know-how and supplementing each other's weaknesses to become stronger. Creating a kind of joint academy."
Immediately upon hearing Kang Minseong's words, one question arises.
Whether each country really wants and welcomes that sincerely.
Teaching their know-how means ultimately revealing their power.
If that information gets exposed to villains, it'll definitely help them too.
Such obvious danger while agreeing, that question.
"I think I roughly know what you're thinking."
It was Ma Hakjun who answered my question.
"I was also worried. Whether all countries will really cooperate. Whether each country's ability users will acknowledge the joint academy's authority. If either doesn't work, it might be worse than not making it."
"What do you think, Dean?"
"Eventually everyone will agree and acknowledge its necessity."
The necessity of world joint academy I mentioned.
Everyone knew. That if one place collapses, everything will collapse in domino effect.
When Britain, having lost S-rank, staggered once, France got swept up too.
An S-rank gate Britain couldn't eliminate became a dungeon,
Which kept pouring monsters toward France.
"Until now, everyone could handle it sufficiently in their own countries, so it was individual or competitive matches. But not anymore. It's not enough to just block well in your own country. If other places collapse, monsters you must handle increase two-fold. No, several times over."
Having said that, Ma Hakjun took a sip of tea.
"Now. That's the story so far. I want to hear your opinion once."
Kang Minseong again seeks my opinion.
Sending ability users from each country to receive unified education for improved skills.
And all that will start at the world joint academy.
About that possibility with many problems still to solve.
"...My answer, I think you already know."
For me, of course, there couldn't be a better stage.