The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 233

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 54

Ji Jung Hwi’s appointment as Association Director proceeded smoothly and swiftly.
It happened just an hour after the Awakener Association announced the voting results.
The next day, the Association posted Ji Jung Hwi’s inaugural address.
Standing before the camera in a sharp suit, Ji Jung Hwi showed no signs of the years that had passed since his absence.
“Good day. I am Ji Jung Hwi, the newly appointed Director of the Korean Awakeners Association.”
With that single sentence serving as his reinstatement greeting, the Director immediately moved to the main topic.
“The peace we achieved through the sacrifices of countless citizens and Awakeners is now threatened by the recent emergence of Double Dungeons. As the newly appointed Director, I wish to report to the people of this nation, without reservation, all the information regarding Double Dungeons that the Association has compiled to date. To date, a total of three Double Dungeons have appeared, and within the Underwater Dungeon owned by the Cheongmun Guild, an S-rank Double Dungeon has opened. This dungeon, which could have led to a massive break due to its short time limit, was cleared and subsequently disappeared thanks to the efforts of Ryu Do Kyung, Cheongmun Guild Master, Ryu Ja Kyung, Cheongmun Sub-guild Master, and numerous hunters from the Justice Guild.”
Ji Jung Hwi’s expression appeared dark yet composed.
It was the bearing of a leader who inspired trust in both Awakeners and non-Awakeners alike.
“However, citizens, please do not be overly concerned. With the cooperation of the Master of the Maestro Guild, the Gate Prediction Division has successfully updated and established a Double Dungeon warning system. Today, the Korean Awakeners Association announces a new Double Dungeon protocol. First, just as with Guerrilla Gates, safety text messages will be sent to all citizens as soon as Double Dungeon occurrences are predicted. Since Double Dungeons are expected to pose higher danger than existing Guerrilla Dungeons, we strongly recommend that those in nearby areas evacuate to safe zones.”
If the first measure was for non-Awakeners, the remaining provisions applied to Awakeners.
“Additionally, guilds that were clearing the Gate where a Double Dungeon appeared will be given priority to enter the second Gate, but they are not obligated to enter. Hunters have the right to abandon the attempt for their own safety, and this applies equally even to Double Dungeons with time limits. Finally, if the guild with priority abandons the attempt, the three S-rank Hunters closest to the dungeon will be forcibly conscripted.”
Click, click, click.
I lowered the volume of the video and grumbled.
“Forcibly conscripted? Isn’t that word choice a bit much?”
At that, Ji Jung Hwi’s holographic form in the conference room chair across from me let out a soft laugh.
“Regardless of the actual circumstances, appearances matter. The top-tier guilds get an opportunity to enter the Double Dungeon, so surely no one has major complaints?”
In response to the Director’s question, the guild masters present as holograms likewise agreed, some shrugging their shoulders and others nodding their heads.
Finding it fascinating, I poked the hologram of Yoo Myung Hwa, materialized in the seat to my right, with my fingertip.
Yoo Myung Hwa’s form looked real, but my finger passed right through with nothing to touch.
‘I still haven’t gotten used to this world’s technology.’
I gazed at the spherical beam projector-like item placed in the center of the table.

[ Hologram Projector (A)
: A solution for busy modern people.
Materializes holograms that transmit all sensory information. ]

It was an A-rank item, but Ji Jung Hwi, the Association Director, had donated it with the intention of holding frequent guild meetings going forward.
Thanks to that, I was able to sit in the Justice Guild Conference Room and attend the meeting hosted by the Association Director without having to travel to the Awakener Association.
The meeting attendees were representative guilds from the Jung Dong Alliance and the Gong Gil Yeon Alliance.
Across from me sat Sa Ma Young, with Sung Ro Sa and Ryu Do Kyung on either side of him.
For reference, Ryu Do Kyung attended the meeting as the guild master of the Cheongmun Guild, which belonged to the Jung Dong Alliance, not the Gong Gil Yeon Alliance.
It was something that had happened while I ventured into the mountain village to seduce Ji Jung Hwi, the Association Director.
Looking at Ryu Do Kyung with a pleased expression, he returned my smile.
“I quite like this new Double Dungeon protocol.”
As the meeting had just begun and things were still somewhat chaotic, Yoo Myung Hwa suddenly spoke up.
“The three people being dispatched are determined purely by distance, correct?”
“That’s the plan. If there’s no S-rank that can be cleared, we move down to A-rank.”
“Wait a moment.”
As I raised my hand, all the guild masters, including Ji Jung Hwi, turned their attention toward me.
Honestly, being stared at by all these renowned figures made me nervous, but there was something important I needed to clarify.
“Are healers dispatched separately?”
This time, everyone’s gaze turned toward Ji Jung Hwi.
This question was important to them as well.
Besides the Justice Guild, Fantasia and Dongbaek Guild, and Cheongmun each had one healer.
However, Ji Jung Hwi tilted his head slightly, as if asking something obvious.
“Didn’t Yeo Joo, the healer, enter the Double Dungeon this time as well?”
“She… did enter.”
“Then how was it? Could you manage without a healer?”
“…That’s not quite right.”
I glanced at Kang Han sitting beside me before answering.
That day, Kang Han had nearly died.
If I hadn’t been there with him, he wouldn’t have survived until we escaped the Double Dungeon.
His injuries had been that severe.
And I knew something.
That S-rank god’s shell creature from last time was merely the beginning.
“So the four healers will be dispatched in rotation separately?”
“Since three regular hunters are being dispatched based on distance, it seems right to apply the same logic to healers.”
Sung Ro Sa spoke in his characteristically cold voice.
That foul-mouthed guy was really struggling to manage his image in front of people.
“And if you try to hide your healer away in some remote mountain village, I’ll go drag them out myself?”
Yoo Myung Hwa warned with a smiling face, her tone menacing.
“Don’t even think about having your youngsters or the weak ones sit this out. I’ll drag them in even if I have to knock some sense into them.”
They had always been known as rivals, but after splitting into the Gong Gil Yeon Alliance and the Jung Dong Alliance, their relationship had become even worse.
Fortunately, before the conflict could escalate further, Ji Jung Hwi, the Association Director, stepped in to mediate.
“Then let’s conclude the explanation of the protocol here. The Maestro Guild master has something to say about the Double Dungeon prediction system, so let’s hear it.”
At the far end of the long conference table, across from the Association Director, a featureless black shadow materialized.
It was a hologram of the Maestro Guild’s guild master, the Master.
‘At this rate, I’d never know what he actually looks like.’
Even I, who had seen Je Hwa dozens of times, couldn’t be sure the hologram was actually him when I first laid eyes on it.
The only similarity between this shadow and the real Je Hwa was that it had the basic human form—two arms and two legs.
His features were completely obscured, as if painted over with black ink, and he was far shorter and smaller than the actual Je Hwa.
Moreover, the gaunt, perfectly proportioned silhouette resembled a mannequin so closely that one couldn’t even discern a gender.
“Master, it’s been a while since we last met.”
“It’s been a long time, Guild Master Ryu Do Kyung.”
A distorted voice that blended the tones of a child, an elderly person, a woman, and a man responded.
“Since everyone here is busy, I’ll get straight to the point. The functionality update to detect the unique wavelengths emitted by Double Dungeons has been completed successfully. Its performance was proven through the Cheongra Double Dungeon case last time. Additionally, today we conducted an experimental patch to measure the difficulty level of Double Dungeon conquests.”
“Is that… even possible?”
The Utopia Guild Master asked in surprise.
The term “Double Dungeon” hadn’t existed for very long.
And we’d only learned days ago that they required specific conditions to be fully opened.
Yet now a system to measure the danger level of Double Dungeons had been created.
‘It’s only possible because it’s Je Hwa.’
I wasn’t sure why I felt so proud, but my shoulders rose with satisfaction regardless.
“It’s still incomplete. The system’s predictive accuracy will be verified each time you all enter a Double Dungeon going forward.”
It was a chilling statement.
It meant the elite hunters gathered here would become test subjects for the experiment.
“From now on, each guild’s conquest team entering Gates must carry a Double Dungeon alert beacon at all times. The beacons will be delivered to each guild tomorrow.”
“Hmm.”
The meeting concluded with the guild masters’ heavy sighs.
But it wasn’t quite over.
Ji Jung Hwi, the Association Director and organizer, removed the holograms of all other guilds from the virtual conference server, leaving only us and the Master, before speaking.
“Then shall we discuss the Darkness Addiction Scanner?”
The moment Ji Jung Hwi said that, the Master’s hologram—Je Hwa’s hologram—flinched noticeably.
Then he turned his head toward me and asked.
“…Do these people know about Darkness Purification as well?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————