The white light burst first.
Flash after flash.
Consuming the room.
Eating everything in it until Gun-woo was nothing but a shadow standing inside a storm of brightness.
---
Then the voices.
All of them at once.
The room coming apart at the seams.
People rising from their seats.
Hands up.
Cameras swinging toward him.
The sound of it a wave that had been building since he said SSS and finally had somewhere to go.
---
*"Mr. Gun-woo—"*
*"Sir can I get some comments—"*
*"Just one question—"*
*"Mr. Gun-woo please—"*
---
He smiled.
Politely.
Genuinely.
Raised one hand.
"One at a time please."
---
The room didn't fully settle.
But it found something close enough.
---
He pointed.
A reporter in the front.
Chappy face.
Good hair.
The kind of composure that came from doing this long enough to not be impressed by rooms like this anymore.
He stood quickly.
Spoke quickly.
---
"Mr. Gun-woo. An SSS ranked dungeon represents an extremely high level of threat. From what we know about how dungeons operate a dungeon of that classification is beyond dangerous. Less than five have been confirmed worldwide."
A breath.
"What is the reasoning behind such an extreme decision. And we also have word that your office has been delaying the exact body count of losses in manpower and hunters throughout recent operations."
He didn't stop.
"China has already attempted a dungeon of this scale. They failed. They recently released footage and documentation of what happened."
He looked directly at Gun-woo.
"What makes you believe this can be done."
---
Gun-woo nodded before the question had fully landed.
"Yes."
His voice even.
"We are all aware of the difficulty of this task. China's attempt was studied extensively. It informed our preparation."
He moved through it without hesitation.
"Extra measures had to be taken before we could arrive at this conclusion. I did not come to this decision lightly."
---
He continued.
---
"The hunters working together have entered numerous dungeons. Extracted large quantities of mana crystals. Working alongside Olympus we have also been mining these dungeons for their resources."
A pause.
"Many of you will be familiar with the material. Dark and silver metal. Blue veins running through it. Moving like a pulse."
He let that image sit a moment.
"This material has become the most significant resource of the modern world. We have been accumulating it. Studying it. Learning from it."
His eyes moved across the room.
"We have also expanded our numbers. Hunters from other nations have joined our operation. We have sent scouts into the dungeon in question. Everything that can be known about the monsters inside and how they operate has been documented."
A breath.
"We are as prepared as preparation allows."
---
Another voice cut through before he could continue.
Sharper.
Less patient.
---
*"An operation at this scale — how can you be certain your information is reliable."*
The voice didn't wait for an answer.
*"Does this mean you trust Tears. Do you believe in him. Does he have a plan he's shared with you privately. What exactly is your relationship with the hunter Tears."*
A pause.
Then harder.
*"You have spent years accumulating power. Becoming one of the strongest hunters in the country. And some say you no longer care about the people. Many in South Korea believe you are a fraud."*
---
Another voice immediately behind it.
*"How much influence will Olympus have over this operation. How will South Korea be compensated. Will any of this actually help the people living in the orange and red zones right now."*
---
The room erupted again.
Voices stacking on top of voices.
Flashes going off in no particular rhythm.
Just constant.
Just consuming.
---
Gun-woo stood inside all of it.
The light finding his face from every direction at once.
Turning him into something half shadow half illuminated.
---
He looked at them.
At all of them.
The accusations.
The doubt.
The fear wearing the shape of aggression.
All of it aimed at him.
---
And he smiled.
---
Not performing it.
Not deflecting with it.
Just carrying it the way someone carries something they've decided not to put down.
His face calm inside the festival of lights.
Patient.
Waiting for the room to remember it needed him to speak.