The Player Who Stand Chapter 9

The chief of staff reported the current damage situation in a calm voice.

"Roads where cars travel, other public facilities, and so on. Dungeons have appeared in various places around the world, and they are still appearing at a trendous rate."

"Finding the dungeons is a problem, but what cos after finding them is also a problem. We cannot eliminate the problematic dungeons."

Starting with the chief of staff's words, the other ministers began to point out problems one after another, as if singing a round.

"Hmm, have we not figured out a way to eliminate the dungeons?"

At the president's words, the Minister of Defense, dressed in a military uniform, spoke while looking over a thick docunt.

"It has been discovered that if you enter the boss room inside the dungeon and defeat the boss monster, the dungeon will collapse. However..."

The Minister of Defense swallowed, catching his breath for a mont before continuing.

"Upon confirmation, it was found that a maximum of only five people can enter the boss room. Therefore, it has been judged that mobilizing the military to solve the problem is a distant prospect."

At that, another minister, who had been anxiously tapping his fingers, spoke up urgently.

"St-still, shouldn't we at least try?"

"Are you suggesting we use the lives of our soldiers as bait right now!"

"No! That's not what I an, I'm just saying it would be good to at least give it a try...!"

Thwack-!

As the eting overheated and the focus began to blur, the president slamd his hand on the table, calming them down.

Only then did they quiet their excitent and silently shut their mouths.

Looking at them, the president spoke.

"First of all, I understand very well that the most urgent problem to deal with is the lack of manpower."

"Do you have a thod in mind, sir?"

"Well, it may not be the best, but in an ergency situation like this, it might be the next best thing."

The president muttered to himself, then looked at the Minister of Defense and spoke.

"If we lack the number of public officials to deal with the current situation, I believe we can sohow manage if we add the hands of the public."

"Sir... what do you an by that?"

The president was slightly frustrated that they didn't understand his words at once, but he decided to kindly explain his plan.

"I an, literally, that we will receive the help of the public. Even if manpower is too much to ask, we should be able to supplent information. Nowadays, everyone carries a mobile phone, so it would be good to create an app that can share information."

"So you an to respond to the dungeons appearing in real-ti using that!"

"Yes, just getting information on the location of the dungeons will allow us to apply first aid to most problems, so things will get much better. If we create a related app, it would also be good to create an account on social dia sites and make public service announcents."

"Yes, I understand."

Having found so direction from the president's words, the ministers stood up and moved quickly.

The president watched them with a small nod, then looked at the people who remained.

"Even if clearing the dungeons with soldiers is impossible, do you think it would be possible to at least deal with the monsters in the dungeons?"

"Yes, it is possible."

"In that case, we will first move in the direction of subjugating the monsters in the dungeons. I don't know how it will turn out, but it seems much better than just standing still."

"Yes, I understand."

The Minister of Defense heard this and was about to go outside imdiately, but the president still had more to say.

"And for this as well, we will try to borrow the power of the public."

"Excuse ? But that's!"

One of the remaining ministers was startled and spoke up, but the president just smiled as if he understood.

"I know what you want to say. It is certainly a dangerous task, incomparable to taking a few pictures from a distance. But..."

The president fell silent for a mont, as if to organize his thoughts.

"In my view, they were treasures too precious to let rot."

The president said, handing the docunts he had brought to the ministers.

"Ahem!"

"This is!"

The docunts contained articles about players who had succeeded in hunting monsters in dungeons.

Below the articles, it was ntioned that the monster carcasses were being traded at high prices, and the comnts below were surprisingly positive.

Seeing the ministers' changed expressions, the president spoke.

"I'm not just talking about the military aspect; this is a useful card for changing the atmosphere as well. We can change public opinion and it will be possible to revive the economic side of things."

At the president's words, the ministers were lost in thought for a mont before nodding in unison.

Even if the military aspect was solved with soldiers, problems like the economic effect or the citizens' anxiety could not be solved by mobilizing the military.

In fact, mobilizing the military in a situation like this was a heavy burden in many ways.

The ministers and working-level officials of each departnt began to formulate a solid plan based on the president's words.

Fantasy had descended into reality.

And reality slowly began to adapt to the fantasy that had suddenly appeared.

***

Trrr~

After finishing the eting, the president returned to his office, sat in his chair, and made a call.

"Ah, my apologies. The eting ran long, so I couldn't take your call."

Then, soone on the other end of the line asked.

"So, how did the eting go?"

"As I did what you said, the stage was set naturally."

The man on the other end of the phone said in a voice tinged with laughter.

"Thank you. I will be sure to repay you later."

"Don't ntion it. I only accepted because it wasn't a bad deal for my side either."

"Then let's just say the repaynt is off the table..."

"Still, since the giver has sincerity, I won't refuse what you're offering."

At the president's sly words, the man on the other end of the phone chuckled.

"Alright, we're both busy right now, so let's talk about this later over a drink."

"Yes, I'll be waiting."

Having finished his official business, the president spoke in a slightly playful tone.

"By the way, your daughter is quite sothing. You said all these proposals ca from her head, right?"

"Yes, she was originally a quiet child, but recently she's been moving around actively here and there. I don't know what she's thinking, but she's smart and not a child who would do bad things, so as a parent, I must help."

At those words, the president chuckled.

"Haha, I'm quite envious. To receive the full support of the chairman of Samcheon Group, the top corporation in South Korea."

"What are you talking about? I'm supporting her while keeping to the lines I've thought out. Besides, others may not know, but you shouldn't be saying that to ."

"And why not? I ca this far as a self-made man, I couldn't even dream of others helping ."

"Wasn't it the sa for ?"

As they continued their conversation with such trivial banter, the president asked.

"So what is your brilliant daughter doing now? I'm curious what she plans to do on the stage she created by even asking you for a favor."

"Ah, my daughter? I'm not sure myself, but it seems she's thinking of making her move in earnest, going around eting players."

At the chairman's words, the president nodded as if to say, 'as expected'.

"Well, even to establish a guild, you first need people to join it. But aren't you worried? You doted on your daughter so much."

"Of course, I was worried at first. When I heard her purpose, I was heartbroken and even thought of refusing. But..."

The chairman chuckled as if reminiscing about sothing and said.

"My daughter had beco much stronger than I thought."

***

"We have returned."

The five players, including Choi Seok-ho, spoke and bowed their heads slightly toward the woman in front of them.

Clink-

She received their greetings with a light smile and placed the fork she was holding on the empty plate.

"So, what were your impressions of actually entering a dungeon?"

"It was certainly different from the ga. But I think we'll get used to fighting in reality after about a day. Around that ti, the boss room..."

"That's not allowed."

She cut off Choi Seok-ho's words and answered imdiately.

At her reply, not only Choi Seok-ho but also his other colleagues beside him wore expressions of incomprehension.

Noticing their gazes, Cheon Yuhwa took a sip of her sweet caral macchiato to wet her throat before speaking.

Her secretary next to her muttered quietly, "To drink that after eating cake..." but she ignored him.

"To enter the boss room, you need to be at least strong enough to enter a dungeon alone and face three monsters at the sa ti."

At her words, the minds of the five, including Choi Seok-ho, montarily beca complicated.

They were contemplating whether they could survive for three days alone inside a dungeon.

"The fact that you're contemplating it ans you lack confidence. So let's postpone the boss room challenge until you've gained so confidence. Once you go in, you can't co out until you're on the verge of death."

"Yes."

Unlike a mont ago, they obediently nodded at her words.

It wasn't as if the boss room would disappear sowhere just because they moved a little later.

Besides, they also had sothing that was bothering them.

They were all Thousand-rankers, but it was their first ti fighting a life-or-death battle in front of a living monster.

As a result, they had made several minor mistakes due to nervousness.

Watching them, she smiled slightly and shook her head.

"I didn't particularly intend to discourage you. I know well enough that you are skilled players. But..."

Gulp-

She had already finished her sweet caral macchiato and took out a candy to put in her mouth.

After replenishing her sugar, she spoke in her characteristic tired, languid voice.

"Challenging the boss room is forbidden until you get used to life-or-death battles."

With those words, as if the conversation was over, she stood up and began to walk away, and her secretary moved to follow her.

As she walked out the door, she ntally reviewed her future plans one by one.

She had created a stage where she could move freely through her father.

She had already gathered people and submitted the application for guild establishnt.

So from now on, it was ti to focus on making a na for herself in as many places as possible.

She asked the secretary behind her.

"Have you mapped out a route for how we should move?"

"Yes, I've mapped it out focusing on dungeons in Seoul that et the conditions you ntioned, miss."

"Have you prepared the collection team's vehicles?"

"I have prepared a large truck and 10 workers."

"Well done."

She answered simply and continued walking.

"Then, while I go get rid of the troubleso dungeons, you do the task I asked of you."

"...Should I really do as you say, miss?"

"Yes, you just have to do as I said. Let

know if anything unusual happens."

The secretary had an expression of incomprehension, but it wasn't as if he had a choice.

"Yes, I understand, miss."

"Good, I'm counting on you."

One of the children of the Samcheon Group's chairman, Cheon Yuhwa, spoke languidly but smiled at him as if she trusted him.

Seeing that smile, her secretary and long-ti butler, Kim Jae-hyun, let out a small sigh and began to move.

To handle the task Cheon Yuhwa had ntioned.

(End of Chapter)