"Let's go," said Jinchul. He led them through a side door and down a pristine hallway. The air grew colder, and a palpable sense of gravity replaced the aggression of the training hall.
They entered a large conference room with a polished obsidian table. At its head sat a man with a shock of silver hair and a quiet, imposing presence. He was President, Go Gunhee.
Just as the door clicked shut behind them, two other figures entered from a side entrance. One was a young woman with a long ponytail, her expression sharp and serious. The other was a man with a relaxed, almost lazy posture, who gave a small nod to Jinchul.
"Chief," the man said, his voice calm. "Lee Dun-He and I have the data you requested."
Jinchul nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two newcomers before settling on his team who was watching him "President, allow me to introduce my ground operations team. This is C-Rank Mage Song Chiyul, B-Rank Assassin Kang Taeshik, and a former high-ranked Hunter, Tank Lee Jin-Seok. We also have S-Rank healer Min Byung-Gyu"
He then gestured to the two new arrivals. "And these two are my top agents from the surveillance team. This is C-Rank Hunter Lee Dun-He, and this is C-Rank Scout Kim Jun-ho."
"Report," Go Gunhee said, his voice a low rumble which caused interest in everyone except the association people on what was going to be reported.
"We finished analyzing the data as Chief Woo instructed, sir," Lee Dun-He began, her voice crisp and professional. "Everything looks normal on the surface. But Gates are occurring more frequently compared to a year before. We are seeing a 35% increase in that."
"Not only that sir. The rank of the gates has differed as well. Before we had seen more D, C ranks. But now C - A are in increasing trend mainly led by surprise gates" finished Kim Jun- ho
A palpable silence fell over the room. The gravity of the situation was not lost on anyone present.
A cold silence descended over the conference room, the air thick with the unspoken weight of the data that Lee Dun-He and Kim Jun-Ho had just presented.
The casual confidence that had marked their entrance had vanished from the faces of Song Chiyul and Kang Taeshik, replaced by a tense stillness.
Seok's expression, always calm, betrayed a subtle shift in his posture, a readiness he hadn't shown before. Even the S-rank healer, Byung-gyu, who had been a quiet observer, now leaned forward, his hands clasped on the table.
President Go Gunhee, his presence a calm, commanding force, absorbed the information for a long moment. He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, but his eyes held the sharp glint of a hunter who saw a threat on the horizon.
"It's a mistake on our end to focus on the immediate, tangible threats with the evidence we have henceforth," Go Gunhee said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that filled the silence. "Everyone is looking for the next S-Rank gate, the next catastrophe. But the data tells us that a sudden, cataclysmic event is not our most likely future."
His words hung in the air, and for a moment, no one spoke.
"A 35% increase in gate frequency?" Song Chiyul was the first to break the silence, his voice tight. "That's not a trend, that's a warning. What's causing it?"
"Or is there a specific region where this is happening?" Taeshik added, his scout's mind is already going through potential causes. "The team's data is only from Korea. Is this a global phenomenon?"
"Should we inform others?" asked Seok with a grim expression
Go Gunhee looked directly at Jinchul, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "The real crisis is a slow, relentless surge. The mana readings from the gates are becoming more erratic and powerful. Gates are occurring more frequently. This isn't a simple fluctuation; it's a systemic change. We are not facing a single, overwhelming enemy, but a gradual, inexorable war of attrition. We must adapt, or we will be overwhelmed."
He swept his gaze over the team. "We cannot continue to treat A-Rank gates as an anomaly to be handled by the handful of S-Ranks we have. It looks like the Association must have a reliable unit that can tackle these high-risk dungeons and gather intelligence without causing unnecessary collateral damage."
Byung-gyu, the S-rank healer, finally spoke, his voice measured. "President, with all due respect, will this team be enough? I think even if I participate, we will need more than this?"
"No that wont be enough but with the data we have, the change is currently happening slowly. We should have some time, I hope. But did you forget, we are going to have an alliance with KG and WTG too." explained Jinchul
"Do you think the Guilds will accept it immediately. I believe it will not be so easy to convince them right?" questioned Seok who was observing silently till now.
"True, my plan is to approach the KG first as we already have partner relationship with them. Once they are on, we will approach WTG and slowly other guilds in the future" answered Jinchul " It wont be easy but that is why I approached president to create a small team which will be helpful in clearing the gates."
Go Gunhee nodded in agreement. "Precisely. This team is a test bed for a new kind of defense. Now, listen closely. What you have just learned is classified. The public is not ready to face the upheaval that would come from this revelation. The other guilds are not prepared to adapt. We need more data, and we need time. Everyone here must sworn to secrecy. No one outside this room knows what we have just discussed."
He held their gaze, one by one. "Understood?"
A chorus of "Yes, sir" and "Understood" filled the room, the weight of their new responsibility settling on their shoulders.
With a final, silent nod, Go Gunhee dismissed them.
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The Team
Woo Jinchul - Team Captain (S Rank - Yet to be confirmed)
Kang Taeshik - Scout & Assassin - Viper (B Rank)
Song Chi-yul - Mage & Swordsman - Flame (C Rank)
Jin Seok - Tanker - Iron Wall (A Rank)
Min Byung-Gyu - Healer (S Rank - will not participate in raids for now)
Spoiler:- I know you may be thinking along the line. Yes their ranks will change in the future