Chapter 44. The Mystery Circle

Headline: Giant Mystery Circle Appears in Hwaseong City – Aliens to Blame?

— A massive mystery circle of several kilometers in radius has appeared overnight in Hwaseong City, causing quite a stir. Residents are expressing their discomfort, and some speculate that...

Headline: Pitch-Black Mystery Circle Appears Simultaneously Around the World

Headline: Mystery Circle Appears in Hwaseong City... No Material Damage Reported

Kim Do-Joon scrolled through his phone, frowning at the articles about Hwaseong City. The news was all over the television and trending on search engines. As he scrolled down, he could see that there were hundreds of comments.

└ Maybe it was a prank with some kind of skill? Idk, sounds more plausible than aliens.

└ But it's not just in our country. If it’s a prank, how did it appear simultaneously around the world?

└ Aliens? Seriously? More like a terrorist group, lol.

└ Hwaseong... I live there... So please don't say that even as a joke...

Rather than aliens or terrorists, it might be related to the World Tree?

This thought naturally arose as Kim Do-Joon read through them. Nowadays, any phenomenon beyond comprehension was first suspected to be linked to the World Tree. Unsurprisingly, some comments echoed his thoughts.

└ Could it be a dungeon?

└ But there are no roots.

└ Maybe it’s a new form of dungeon?

However, no one was fully sure. Despite appearing pitch-black, the ground didn’t transport anyone to another location.

Hwaseong, huh?

The city was located south of Seoul, not too far, but also not very close to where he lived. Nevertheless, Kim Do-Joon couldn’t just brush it off. With a slight wariness, Kim Do-Joon put his phone away.

"Daddy! I'm all dressed!"

His daughter, Kim So-Eun, burst into the room. She wore a Bikachoo-themed jumper that she often used for hospital strolls. Siwelin helped her get dressed for an outing.

"Let's see,” Kim Do-Joon adjusted her outfit, albeit there wasn’t much to do as Siwelin had done a perfect job. "Alright, shall we go then?"

"Yeah! Let's go quickly!" Kim So-Eun replied excitedly.

Their plan was to visit the kindergarten department of a certain academy in Seoul.

"Please take care of the shop while we're gone," Kim Do-Joon said to Siwelin.

— Have a safe trip. Also, don't forget to bring back melon bingsoo.

"Yeah, sure," Kim Do-Joon said, smiling.

It’d become a habit of Siwelin to ask for bingsoo whenever they went out. Thanks to this, their mileage points at the local bingsoo shop had significantly increased.

"

La la la la

—" Kim So-Eun happily hummed an unfamiliar tune, likely from a children's show on the television.

"Alright, make sure your seatbelt is on," Kim Do-Joon said as he secured her in the car seat.

“Okay!” Kim So-Eun kicked her legs in excitement, always cheerful.

She rarely disliked anything, especially since her life became far more enjoyable because she wasn’t confined in a hospital bed all day.

She seems extra happy today...

Perhaps Kim So-Eun was excited to meet kids her age. Unfortunately, they only went to the academy for a consultation and a tour today.

After a thirty-minute drive, they arrived at the academy's campus. It was larger than most universities, with numerous buildings for kindergarten through high school.

According to my research, the school curriculum is almost identical to regular schools until middle school.

The only difference between these schools and the regular schools was that they taught control of abilities for the Awakened children. However, starting from high school, the curriculum included combat training for those who aspired to become Hunters.

Kim Do-Joon parked near the kindergarten building, following the map at the entrance.

“Look over here everyone! Guess what this is.”

“I know! I know!”

“I know the answer!”

The cheerful voices of children came from within the smaller, cozier building. Awakenings were rare, especially at kindergarten age, so there was no need for a larger facility.

"Is this my new school?" Kim So-Eun squeezed Kim Do-Joon's hand, suddenly nervous hearing the other children's voices.

"Let's meet your teacher first," Kim Do-Joon said, smiling to reassure her.

Holding Kim So-Eun's hand, Kim Do-Joon went inside the building. Then, they arrived at the principal’s office.

Knock, knock.

"Come in," a voice called from inside.

Opening the door, they were greeted by an elderly principal.

"Oh, are you the one who called yesterday?"

"Yes, I'm Kim Do-Joon and this is my daughter, Kim So-Eun," he introduced.

"Ah, hello," Kim So-Eun said with a slight tremble, bowing politely.

The principal smiled warmly at her.

"Oh my, how lovely. Come in, sit down, both of you," the principal said, gesturing to the sofa.

"Thank you," Kim Do-Joon replied, guiding Kim So-Eun to the sofa.

The principal, Park Shin-Hye, brought them tea.

"I'm Park Shin-Hye, the principal. You mentioned that your daughter is an Awakener, correct?"

"Yes. I was looking for a place that accepts Awakened children and is also close to our home," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"You've come to the right place. Shall I explain a bit about our kindergarten?"

The principal gave a detailed explanation about the kindergarten: the number of students, the kind of education they provided, and the safety measures in place. She even covered the shuttle bus routes.

"So, the shuttle bus stops at the nearby apartment?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"Yes. It might be slightly inconvenient, but you'd have to pick her up there,” Park Shin-Hye said.

"That's not an issue," Kim Do-Joon assured her.

After the explanation, Kim Do-Joon asked several questions about the other students, their parents, and the teachers.

Knock, knock.

— Ms. Park, may I speak with you for a moment?

"Ah, perfect timing," Park Shin-Hye said.

"Is it the teacher?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"Yes. Let me introduce you to her. Come in, Ms. Kwon," said Park Shin-Hye.

The door opened, and a freckled woman in her late twenties entered. She wore a simple outfit with an adorable apron, fitting for a kindergarten teacher.

"Oh, I didn’t know you had a guest..." the teacher named Kwon Soo-Young said.

"Please greet our guests, they are here for a consultation," the principal said.

Kwon Soo-Young bowed politely. "Hello, I'm Kwon Soo-Young."

"My name is Kim Do-Joon. Nice to meet you," he responded.

After the brief introduction, she knelt down to meet Kim So-Eun's eye level.

"Hi there! What's your name?"

"It’s Kim So-Eun," she replied.

"Nice to meet you, So-Eun. I'm Ms. Soo-Young."

Kim So-Eun nodded but then hid her face in Kim Do-Joon's arm, just as she had when she first met Siwelin. She was still shy around new people.

"I'm sorry, she's very shy," Kim Do-Joon apologized.

"No need to apologize. All children are like that," Kwon Soo-Young said kindly, which relieved Kim Do-Joon.

"Despite her looks, Ms. Kwon used to be a Hunter," the principal mentioned.

"Really?" Kim Do-Joon said, showing interest.

"Oh, Ms. Park, why bring up old stories?" Kwon Soo-Young said, embarrassed.

"There's no harm. Besides, it's not something to be ashamed of," Park Shin-Hye replied.

"But I only reached D-rank before quitting," Kwon Soo-Young said modestly.

Being a Hunter was a prestigious but tough job, and not many lasted long in the field. Fighting monsters for a living wasn’t always easy.

"I felt hunting was not for me, so I quit and studied to become a teacher," Kwon Soo-Young explained.

"

Wow

, that's impressive,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Not really. My friends said I gave up a goldmine

haha

," Kwon Soo-Young said with a chuckle.

"My dad is a Hunter, too!" Kim So-Eun suddenly chimed in, eager to join the conversation.

She had been bored that all the adults were talking without her.

"Oh, is that so?" Kwon Soo-Young asked.

"Yes!" So-Eun said proudly.

Kwon Soo-Young looked at Kim Do-Joon with renewed interest. While the kindergarten accepted Awakened children, it wasn’t often that their parents were also an Awakener.

"I'm still a rookie. I just recently got my E-rank," Kim Do-Joon explained, patting Kim So-Eun's head.

"Oh, then I'm technically your senior

haha

," Kwon Soo-Young joked.

"Looks like it," Kim Do-Joon replied with a smile.

"So, have you made a decision?" the principal asked Kim Do-Joon.

"What do you think, So-Eun? Would you like to study here? Ms. Soo-Young will be your teacher," Kim Do-Joon asked Kim So-Eun for her opinion.

"Teacher?" Kim So-Eun looked up at Kwon Soo-Young, who waved her hands and smiled warmly.

Seeing her smile, Kim So-Eun nodded shyly.

"It seems she likes it here," Kim Do-Joon said.

"Thank you, So-Eun! I'm looking forward to teaching you," Kwon Soo-Young said, gently shaking Kim So-Eun's hand.

“Thank you,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

After the tour of the kindergarten facilities, they spent the rest of their day shopping for necessary items. The very next day, Kim So-Eun started attending kindergarten.

***

Two weeks had passed since Kim So-Eun started attending kindergarten. At first, Kim Do-Joon was worried, so he sent numerous messages to Kwon Soo-Young, and even covertly checked on his daughter. However, seeing Kim So-Eun adapting well and making a new friend reassured him.

As long as she has one friend, everything will be fine.

Kim Do-Joon thought that a single friend was enough. It’d have been sad if she had none. His frequent visits to the kindergarten meant he hadn’t ventured into dungeons lately. He only made quick trips to labyrinths every day or two. The rest of his time was spent training in the mountains behind his home.

“

Ha...

Ha...

” Kim Do-Joon panted.

— It seems like you can now split your mana into ten strands. Congratulations.

"T-thank you," Kim Do-Joon replied to Karlish, before collapsing onto the ground. He was exhausted from mana depletion.

This intense routine of training, followed by shower and sleeping, had become his daily life.

The next day, after his usual covert check on Kim So-Eun, Kim Do-Joon had a rare social engagement.

"Over here, Hyung!" called Hwang Hyun-Woo.

They met at a gamjatang restaurant in a quiet alley. Hwang Hyun-Woo had been raving about its delicious food before. Despite it being slightly past lunch, the place was packed.

“Auntie, two gamjatang and a bottle of soju, please!”

“The sun is still high and you’re drinking already?!” the owner chided.

“Come on, I’m just trying to support the business. Turn on the TV for us, will you?”

Regulars chatted noisily as the TV played the news, making the restaurant even more bustling. Kim Do-Joon and Hwang Hyun-Woo placed their orders and sat down.

"I’ve brought all the equipment that you’ve asked for. But there's not much," Hwang Hyun-Woo said.

"Oh, really?" Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Yeah, as you already know, less dungeons appeared recently," Hwang Hyun-Woo said.

Kim Do-Joon was too preoccupied to notice. But he had seen such discussions on television and the internet.

"And that’s why freelancers like us are struggling to find work. Guilds prefer to handle things internally now," Hwang Hyun-Woo said.

"I see. I've been busy with other matters, so I haven't entered a dungeon recently," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Is that so? Then your timing is perfect. Other Hunters without guilds are really struggling to find any work right now," Hwang Hyun-Woo replied.

Hwang Hyun-Woo seemed to want to explain why the amount of equipment that he brought was limited. Hwang Hyun-Woo, who often procured materials himself, was feeling the pinch.

"Speaking of which, Hyung," Hwang Hyun-Woo said in a hushed tone, "I’ve arranged a spot in a party. Would you like to join?"

"Me?" Kim Do-Joon looked surprised.

"Yes. I’d feel much more confident with you there," Hwang Hyun-Woo replied.

Kim Do-Joon pondered the offer. It had been two weeks since he last tackled a dungeon, so he felt ready.

I want to know how strong I’ve gotten with the Invincible Body and the ability to divide my mana into ten strands.

Although he’d been testing his abilities in the orc labyrinth, real dungeons were different, especially when working with others.

[This is the Mystery Circle in Hwaseong City. As you can see, the ground is completely black.]

Suddenly, a television on the opposite wall caught Kim Do-Joon's eye.

[It's been two weeks, and still, no information has been revealed. The government repeats that they are investigating. This phenomenon doesn’t just occur in our country, but also in the Unite States...]

"Even after two weeks, people are still fussing about it, " Hwang Hyun-Woo noted.

"Yeah, I guess so," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Maybe a Tutelary God is suppressing dungeon occurrences?” Hwang Hyun-Woo speculated.

"A Tutelary God?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"Think about it. Dungeons started to decline in appearance around the same time those circles appeared," Hwang Hyun-Woo explained.

"Could such an ominous Tutelary God exist?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"Nowadays, assuming black means bad is a bias, Hyung."

Hwang Hyun-Woo smiled, making Kim Do-Joon chuckle.

At that moment, the reporter's voice indicated something unusual had been noticed.

[Wait, what’s this?]

[Planet V2 – FRD48295]

[The growth of the World Tree has been confirmed.]

[The World Tree is transitioning from the “root” to the “stem” stage.]

Thunk.

[

Aaaah!

]

With the sound of a spoon dropping, the reporter's scream echoed.