According to international agreements, all Awakened individuals are required to report to the authorities when they acquire a transformation or skill.

Of course, not everyone follows this rule.

Some Awakened individuals hide the fact that they have transformed or acquired a new skill.

They keep it as a hidden trump card for unexpected situations.

In that regard, Awakened individuals in Korea had a relatively high reporting rate.

Part of it was due to the severe penalties imposed for failing to report, but another reason was that only those who reported were granted access to state-owned dungeons.

Of course, this meant nothing to Kim Chul-jun.

He was one of the few private dungeon owners in Korea.

And at his level, the penalties for failing to report were meaningless.

What if high-ranking Awakened individuals like Kim Chul-jun began to resent these penalties?

They could always choose to naturalize in a country offering better conditions. There had been quite a few cases of this happening.

So, ignoring the reporting requirement wouldn’t have been an issue, but Kim Chul-jun still reported his newly acquired skill to the Management Bureau.

The problem was the skill’s classification.

Kim Chul-jun reported it as an S-rank skill.

Acquiring an S-rank skill was already difficult enough. If it was a Taming-type skill, even more so.

News of this spread discreetly among journalists, and they flocked to Kim Chul-jun’s mansion.

As if he had been waiting for it, Kim Chul-jun held an emergency press conference.

“I’m Han Chae-yoon from Ohkyung News. This morning, around 10 a.m., you reported to the Management Bureau that you had acquired a Taming-type skill. Is this true?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I’m Lee Jae-young from Jeil Daily. Do you intend to share how you acquired the skill?”

There were several ways to acquire a skill.

• Obtaining a skill book dropped by a boss monster.
• Purchasing a skill book on the market.
• Fulfilling specific conditions in a dungeon.

These three methods covered nearly all cases of skill acquisition, so Awakened individuals generally had no reason to hide them.

But Kim Chul-jun was different.

“No, I don’t plan on sharing.”

“Does that mean you acquired it through an alternative method?”

“I can’t comment on that.”

“Does this have anything to do with the Management Bureau?”

A sharp question that cut straight to the core.

Recently, Kim Chul-jun had failed to break the 12-K98 barrier.

In response, the Management Bureau had declared this a clear breach of contract and announced plans to take legal action.

Of course, the Bureau’s decision was justified.

If they turned a blind eye to contract violations by Awakened individuals, public opinion would erupt.

People would demand to know where their tax money was going.

So, penalizing contract breaches had long been an unwritten but firmly established practice.

But human emotions were not so simple.

From the perspective of the accused Awakened individual, it was natural to feel resentful.

“I have no comment on that either.”

The journalists' eyes gleamed.

They quickly typed up their drafts and sent them to their respective newsrooms.

“You keep refusing to comment, but I’d like a clear answer on this one.”

“Go ahead.”

“Should we interpret your skill acquisition report as a step toward naturalization in another country?”

Many Awakened individuals had chosen Korean citizenship and lived in Korea, but just as many had chosen the opposite path.

If a country’s conditions were favorable enough, some would receive generous offers and naturalize there.

The journalist’s underlying question was whether Kim Chul-jun was inflating his value to negotiate a better deal abroad.

“I’m open to all possibilities, but as of now, I have no intention of naturalizing elsewhere.”

Flashbulbs went off.

“Even if Japan offers you a large sum of money and a cabinet-level position, your stance remains the same?”

“There are rumors that China has made covert contact with you. Can you confirm or deny this?”

“No, that is not true.”

“It’s been reported that Korea has never had a registered Taming-type skill before. Would you be willing to demonstrate it?”

“I’ve already prepared for that.”

At that moment, the ground trembled.

Thud, thud—! Thud! Thud-thud-thud!

The earth shook violently.

“What’s that sound?”

“Is there a street protest happening somewhere?”

“There’s no protest scheduled for today.”

“Then maybe it’s just some construction work. Forget that, focus on getting shots of Kim Chul-jun.”

And then—

“O-Orcs!”

A voice cried out.

Indeed, from within Kim Chul-jun’s mansion, a group of orcs emerged in formation.

Thud!

The orcs, moving in perfect unison, knelt before Kim Chul-jun.

They were displaying absolute obedience to him.

“H-How…?”

“I-Is that even possible?”

“Didn’t they say it was a Taming-type skill?”

“But orcs aren’t supposed to be tamable…”

Even among Taming-type skills, there were limits. Some creatures could be tamed, while others could not.

Orcs belonged to the latter category.

And yet, this scene before them—what did it mean?

“It’s not just that he tamed them, but how many are there?”

“At a glance, there must be dozens…”

“Is that even possible? Even Michael wouldn’t be able to do this…”

Taming-type skills didn’t work instantaneously.

After casting the skill on a target, one had to gradually build rapport over time.

So what they were witnessing now defied common sense.

Kim Chul-jun had reported his skill acquisition that very morning.

Unless he had acquired the skill years ago and only now decided to report it, there was no way he could have tamed this many orcs in such a short time.

Then what was this?

What was really going on?

Was Kim Chul-jun hiding something?

And if so, why?

The journalists’ tangled thoughts were nothing more than misunderstandings.

Because the truth was—

Kim Chul-jun had never acquired a Taming-type skill in the first place.

However, the reason he reported acquiring the skill despite not actually having it was due to unavoidable circumstances.

Lv.2 Dagger Weasel

• - A dagger weasel inhabiting Kanatarans
• - Can be summoned for a certain duration to designate attack targets

Lv.10 Restraint

• - Binds the target for 100 seconds
• - Does not activate if the target has a detoxification passive, so caution is advised

These were the typical descriptions displayed in a normal skill window.

However, the ability that Chul-jun acquired this time was different.

Lv.?? ??

• - Unable to verify

A series of question marks.

He simply had no confidence in explaining it.

Of course, he had no intention of clearing up the reporters' misunderstanding.

The reason he held a press conference was not to boast about how much stronger he had become.

It was...

“I plan to challenge 12-K98 once again using this skill.”

To announce his intent to reattempt the conquest.

The Management Bureau was in a state of emergency.

At this rate, another awakened individual was about to defect, so their reaction was only natural.

Director Lee Myung-seop entered the conference room and got straight to the point.

“Are we certain this skill has never been reported before?”

“We’ve investigated through multiple channels, and we’re certain. This skill has never been documented before.”

“According to expert opinions, they all believe Kim Chul-jun’s skill surpasses the one possessed by America’s Henry Michael.”

“Henry Michael’s skill?”

“Yes. As you just saw, Kim Chul-jun controlled dozens of orcs. That’s a feat even Henry Michael can’t achieve.”

“Isn’t it possible he had been hiding the skill acquisition all this time?”

“That’s practically impossible.”

“On what grounds?”

“Kim Chul-jun was affiliated with the Abyss Guild until very recently. Even if he wanted to hide it, he wouldn’t have been able to. The only remaining possibility is that he acquired the skill after leaving the guild, but that too is impossible.”

“Well, taming that many orcs couldn’t have been done in just a month or two.”

“Exactly.”

“Then he really did obtain an unbelievably powerful taming skill… Have we contacted him yet?”

“He’s been out of contact since the press conference.”

“What is his intention…?”

As they were pondering this, a junior employee sitting at the far end cautiously spoke up.

“Uh… Could he be considering naturalization?”

“Didn’t he already state that he wasn’t considering it?”

“That’s true, but then why would he announce his intention to challenge the 12-K98 barrier again?”

“Well…”

For a moment, Lee Myung-seop was at a loss for words.

“This is just speculation, but could it be that Kim Chul-jun is trying to raise his value by demonstrating his abilities?”

“Raise his value?”

“Yes.”

Lee Myung-seop nodded.

Honestly, that seemed like the most plausible explanation.

Breaking an impenetrable barrier in an instant. The achievement would be broadcast live across the world, and nations would scramble to recruit him.

And in that moment, his worth would skyrocket beyond measure.

“Damn it!”

As that thought crossed his mind, he cursed instinctively.

Lee Myung-seop immediately bolted out of the conference room.

His destination was Kim Chul-jun’s residence.

‘I have to convince him somehow! No matter what!’

Just as the reporters had misunderstood, Lee Myung-seop was also completely mistaken.

Kim Chul-jun had no intention of defecting at all.

If South Korea had the Management Bureau, then China had an institution known as the Central Administration Office.

This organization was globally shunned.

- "Reestablish order in the world with China at its center!"

Their grandiose slogan was the reason.

The slogan instantly captivated the hearts of the people.

Moreover, it ignited their ambitions.

This was exactly what Liu Qiang, the secretary of the Administration Office, had intended when he created it.

“So, he tamed orcs, you say?”

“Yes.”

“That black man in America—wasn’t goblins his limit?”

“He has tamed twenty goblins and is currently attempting to tame a wyvern.”

“Not bad.”

“However, compared to the goblins he has tamed over the years, the new ones are still at a low level and don’t pose much of a threat.”

The reason taming skills attracted worldwide attention was precisely this.

Successful taming created a slot in the system. The tamed creature could level up, and its stats could be distributed.

But its greatest appeal was evolution.

Goblin → Goblin Warrior → Goblin Warlord → Goblin Chieftain → Legendary Goblin.

It would grow stronger through successive evolutions. Additionally, it could be equipped with items.

“Have we made contact?”

“If you approve, we will proceed immediately.”

“Hmm. That black man’s goblins were rated as A-rank, weren’t they?”

Of course, taming a creature didn’t mean it started as an A-rank from the beginning.

It was only possible because Henry Michael had cultivated them to their final form.

“Yes, four of them have been assessed at A-rank awakened levels.”

“If Kim Chul-jun’s orcs reach their final stage, they could exceed that, couldn’t they?”

“That’s correct.”

“And unlike goblins, orcs can communicate, making them even more threatening.”

“……”

“To reestablish global order under China’s rule, he is someone we must secure. Offer him however much money he wants. If he desires women, send as many playthings as needed.”

“I’ll relay this to our Korean branch. However… if we fail to recruit him, what should we do?”

“If we can’t have him, then naturally, no one else can either.”