Chapter 33: Ryu

“It sparked public awareness about Age,” Ion recalled.

The Daisytown incident led to a massive crackdown on System Age, but it was too late. Having grown in the shadows, Age became a global obstacle until the novel’s later stages.

That was the novel’s plot.

“From now on, it’ll be different,” Ion resolved.

He planned to enter the Daisytown dungeon himself.

Moshi and Solminium were rare materials. Solminium, in particular, was the only defense against a Giant’s “Ult,” and Daisytown was its sole source in the novel.

The coalition raid team didn’t allow widespread use of Solminium gear, unlike Jipyeong Seop. They monopolized it, selling it at high prices while Hunters worldwide fell to Giants. Nations with fewer awakened were nearly overrun by dungeon overflows.

“I’ll sneak some Solminium out. And if I clear the dungeon on the first raid, the catastrophe won’t happen.”

This was the opposite of the novel’s events. Normally, Ion would fear diverging from the plot, but not anymore.

A Level 4 Giant appeared in a Level 1 world. Without Ion, Jin Seongha would’ve died instantly.

The plot was already derailed, and something was happening.

Realizing this, Ion thought, I can’t be passive.

He decided to actively intervene.

Meanwhile, the news shifted back to the Naju dungeon, discussing Moshi and its properties. No one yet knew Jipyeong Seop would hand Moshi to the government. Perhaps he hadn’t decided.

Surely Jipyeong Seop won’t go against the novel.

With so many plot deviations, every “what if” had to be considered.

It was 6:40. Time to go. Ion turned off the tablet and summoned his mana.

7:01 AM. He arrived at his destination. Three cars were in the parking lot—three morning visitors.

Walking a bit, he reached an elegant hanok house. The high stone wall had security cameras every three meters. Ion pressed the intercom.

Beep.

“Yes, who is it?” a middle-aged woman’s voice, slightly annoyed.

“Hello. I’m here for something I left.”

“We’re about to have breakfast…”

“It’s not frog side dishes. Dessert’s sikhye. No time for silly code phrases—just let me in.”

“…Please wait.”

A minute later, the gate opened.

In the well-kept courtyard, staff in colorful hanbok stood in a line. At the front was a woman in a black hanbok with a veil.

“Welcome, sir. Please come in,” she said.

Ion followed her to the main house.

They likely knew his face, having memorized Spec-1’s roster, but their expressions gave nothing away.

Typical of Ryu brokers.

Ryu operated as a guild but wasn’t registered with the Hunter Association. Simple reason: it was built for “dirty work.” From black-market trading of banned items to contract killings of awakened, they’d do anything for the right price.

Their specialty? Information. A de facto information guild.

Ion sat at a tidy table in a small room with five surveillance items. He deliberately met each one’s “gaze,” signaling he was sharp enough to notice.

The veiled woman sat across from him.

“First meeting, sir. I’m Curator Sun, here to assist. May I see your identification?”

Not a Hunter ID—money or rare items.

“I brought information instead. Feel free to verify its truth. It’s about a lucrative material dungeon—location and spawn date.”

“…”

The broker, unfazed, responded calmly.

“Intriguing. What do you want in return?”

“An A-rank U.S. mercenary identity, info on an American woman named Wendy Lowell, and a meeting with a Korea-based System Age executive.”

The mercenary ID was for joining the Daisytown raid, Wendy Lowell to secure her pre-awakening.

Ryu’s intel network could easily handle those.

But meeting a System Age executive? Tough, even for Ryu. Only one executive lived in Korea—the cult’s deputy leader.

Still, Ion wouldn’t back down, regardless of their rank.

Saon’s hospital intel: “Hahoe Mask and Butterfly Mask were once one group but split over disagreements. Recently, Butterfly Mask has been in contact with System Age. We don’t know if it’s with Age itself or just the deputy leader. You need to find out.”

Saon hadn’t asked Ion to investigate, nor had Ion agreed, but the unsettling info couldn’t be ignored.

Saon and Ilon were likely digging their own ways.

“The first two are doable, but System Age involves significant risk for us…” the broker trailed off.

A question: Can we trust you and your info?

Ion said simply, “I’ll give you one piece of info. Use a truth-verification item or skill.”

“Thank you. One moment.”

She raised a hand, and a wall mirror slid open. A hanbok-clad staff member placed a hemispherical item before Ion. To an awakened, its system window would show details, but to Ion, it was just a black paperweight.

He knew what it was, though.

Fragment of Saoshin (S) Crafted from the thigh flesh of a fallen nation’s god to prevent betrayal. Glows blue if the speaker’s words are true, red if false. If the speaker is uncertain, it remains unchanged. Durability: 80/100 Uses remaining: 2/5

Ion placed his hand on it. His familiarity with the process made the broker’s veiled eyes flicker curiously.

“The Giant in the Moshi dungeon,” Ion began, choosing words to hook the broker and their superiors.

“A hybrid of demons and beasts, ruling part of the Demon Realm since ancient times. Also guardians of a temple humanity must one day destroy.”

Giant, Demon Realm, demons, gods, temple—deliberately fantastical terms.

The fragment glowed blue.

The short-haired staff member couldn’t hide their shock, glancing at the broker. She, too, struggled to regain composure.

“Truly… fascinating. How do you know this, sir?”

She’d slipped, calling him “Corps Leader” instead of “sir.”

Spec-1 had sworn secrecy about the Moshi dungeon, so the broker likely didn’t know Ion was the Hunter who spoke to the Giant. Now, she’d pieced it together.

“Can’t say.”

“Do you have a foresight skill?”

“If you keep answering with questions, I’ll go elsewhere. Is the deal on or off?”

“Elsewhere” meant the black market.

At this point, Ryu and the black market were separate. In three years, the black market would absorb Ryu, but now both were fledgling, competing—Ryu for Asian info, the black market for Western goods.

They wouldn’t want a rival snatching someone with such exclusive intel.

“The deal is on, but I need to consult my superiors. Please wait, sir.”

The broker bowed and left. The staff retrieved the item. Others brought tea and snacks. Ion, wary of poison, didn’t touch them.

“…”

A staff member poured tea into the broker’s cup, sipped it, and ate a snack. Then they poured Ion’s tea, signaling it was safe.

Ion studied the staff member—short, sporty hair, tanned skin, brown single-lidded eyes, a scarred cheek. Tall, sturdy build.

Lee Dojin.

This matched the timeline—Lee Dojin was still with Ryu.

Some things haven’t diverged.

Need to make Lee Dojin an ally soon.

Lee Dojin would naturally become an ally once his two “secrets” were revealed. Still, Ion pondered ways to speed it up.

For Jin Seongha to survive a sudden Level 4 Giant, he’d need strong allies and items.

Ion planned to give him every “good thing.”

That meant visiting the black market soon. For now, Ryu was better for info, but the black market excelled at item farming.

Speaking of, Hong Insu mentioned getting black market tickets…

Ion munched snacks and checked his phone, ignoring the surveillance camera.

While hospitalized, Hong Insu visited, inviting Ion to a Spec-1 mercenary group chat. Ion hadn’t checked it since joining.

[300+]

So much chatter.

Even they knew not to discuss Giants or levels in an easily hacked chat. It was mostly nonsense, including complaints about Ion leaving the hospital quietly.

It was early morning, so no new messages. The last were from last night:

[Shin Minji] Where’s Hong today? So quiet.

[Bae Younghoe] Felt empty—Hong’s been silent.

[Ssonya] LOL he’s only 42 but texts like an old man 😭

[Bae Younghoe] Haha, don’t call this old man “oppa,” gives me goosebumps.

[Kim Purung] If hyung’s an old man, what’s Duldul-nuna? LOL

[Duldul] Don’t. Mess. With. Me. ?

[Kim Purung] Sorry.

[Ssonya] LOL Duldul-nuna’s old-school vibe is perfect.

[Duldul] LOL don’t mess with someone trying to stay young.

[Shin Minji] Seriously, what’s Hong Insu up to? Silent all day.

Shin Minji must’ve called, as Hong Insu replied five minutes later:

[Hong Insu] Sry sry, my brother’s in the hospital 😭

[Ssonya] Oh no!

[Kim Purung] Your sister? What happened?

[Hong Insu] Not her, my brother. Got caught in a sudden dungeon overflow while hanging with friends 😭

[Bae Younghoe] Damn, that’s scary.

[Ssonya] Not hurt bad, right…?

[Hong Insu] Luckily, an awakened was nearby, so not too bad.

[Hong Insu] He’s bossing me around with his pinky toe now lol… ugh.

[Duldul] Glad he’s okay.

[Hong Insu] But seriously, fate’s wild, hyungs and nunas.

[Hong Insu] My brother almost got swept up in an overflow before, saved by some big foreign awakened guy.

[Hong Insu] This time, that same guy was nearby and saved him again.

What?