FLIA 105

“First, yes, that is correct. My team members and I fell into the Abyss, and we came back alive from it.”

The crowd immediately began to murmur. Until now, they had relied on Go Jaewon’s testimony, so the disappearance of the Sunrise Team had been surrounded by countless theories and speculation. The most widely accepted explanation was that they had encountered a terrible monster in the rift, fought it, and fallen into the Abyss. Other theories included fleeing overseas, self-destruction due to internal conflict, or going into hiding under the guise of retirement.

After Lee Hyunmook returned, the theory that they had come back from the Abyss was doubted even more. No one had ever returned alive from the Abyss before, so the idea was that unbelievable. Reporters’ questions soon rained down.

“What kind of place is the Abyss?!”

“Were there other missing people in the Abyss?”

“Is it true that Mr. Go Jaewon betrayed you?!”

“Who is the other civilian who came out with you?”

“Is your hair proof that you were corrupted?!”

Lee Hyunmook did not answer any of them and simply raised one hand. At press conferences like this, he preferred to wait without saying a word until the noise died down. The reporters recalled this and fell silent, and once it was quiet, Lee Hyunmook smiled and spoke calmly.

“I will give you a separate Q&A session after the announcement, so please save your questions for then. Now, I will continue the announcement.”

The murmuring faded. Lee Hyunmook silenced the reporters in an instant and delivered a shocking statement.

“The Abyss flows faster in time than the outside, it is far more vast than imagined, and it has a higher concentration of corruption than a rift. Sadly, except for the one person who escaped with us this time, all the other missing people were already dead, and we did not encounter any other survivors.”

In the crowd of reporters, someone let out a loud sigh and began to sob. It was probably someone who had a family member missing in the Abyss. Lee Hyunmook continued to speak calmly.

“Second, as of today, I, Lee Hyunmook, along with Lee Chanha, Seo Yakrin, Yoon Seungryong, and Ju Hoyoung, will dissolve the Sunrise Team and leave the guild.”

The reporters reacted with even greater commotion than before. The Abyss had been a vague and unbelievable story, but this was more concrete and hit home. The live broadcast chat exploded. Just as people began speculating about retirement or fleeing abroad, Lee Hyunmook drove the point home.

“This is not a retirement announcement. I am saying we will form a new guild and work under a new team name.”

Up to this point, Yohan, who had already heard as much, nodded along, but at the next words, he widened his eyes.

“The name of the new guild and team is Taeyang.”

Taeyang! Simple, but it sounded like a pretty good name. Considering the previous name was Sunrise, it seemed like a meaningful choice. Did it mean they were finally leaving Sunrise behind to become a new sun? As soon as he said it, the banner above was unfurled.

[Taeyang (太羊)] (Great Sheep)

“…Huh?”

The reporters, who had been clapping enthusiastically, tilted their heads. Because it was in Chinese characters, it took a few seconds for someone to point it out.

“That’s not ‘sun,’ it’s ‘sheep.’”

Yohan realized it right away. Wait, this Taeyang wasn’t the Taeyang (太陽) meaning ‘sun,’ it was Taeyang (太羊) meaning ‘great sheep’? Did he see that right? While he was doubting his own eyes, Yang Hwapyeong, arms folded, muttered suspiciously.

“Sheep? Sheep, as in a giant sheep?”

“Maybe it’s a printing error?”

Kim Yejoo also tilted her head in puzzlement. While the reporters looked confused, Yohan’s eyes widened. No way… That sheep couldn’t be the same sheep from Yangyang, could it? But it felt like it was. He broke out in a cold sweat. No one had told him about this…! They had all hidden it on purpose! He felt betrayed and clenched his fist.

“Third, my white hair is not proof of corruption. It is a physical change that occurred when I reawakened in the Abyss.”

Since he had been making nothing but bombshell announcements from the start, the reporters buzzed even louder. Reawakening? That was something no one had ever seen or heard of. Yohan tore his gaze away from the TV screen and quickly checked the real-time search rankings and trending topics. Every single one was related to Lee Hyunmook’s announcement.

‘Lee Hyunmook,’ ‘Sunrise Team,’ ‘Taeyang,’ ‘Abyss,’ ‘missing persons,’ ‘reawakening’… People, always hypersensitive to anything related to corruption and survival because of the rifts, were flooding the internet with posts.

“But anyone can say something with words. So I will show you proof of my reawakening.”

Lee Hyunmook raised his hand and unleashed his power. Immediately, a sphere of electricity rose above it, sparking. But unlike before, it was not a ball of bright white lightning. This lightning was black light, swallowing up the light around it. Camera flashes went off like crazy. The number of viewers on every platform streaming the broadcast shot up. Once he had given the reporters enough time to see and photograph the orb of black lightning, Lee Hyunmook withdrew it.

“I do not know exactly whether my reawakening happened because I faced countless threats to my life, or because I am a high-level awakener. I believe more research will be needed. What is certain is that my abilities have grown stronger since reawakening. I believe I can use this power to save more citizens in the future.”

A smile that inspired trust naturally appeared on his handsome face. After dispelling the suspicion that he was corrupted with the overwhelming keyword of reawakening, something that would follow him like a tag for the rest of his life, Lee Hyunmook continued.

“Fourth, this will be… the most surprising announcement I make today.”

He paused to draw even more attention, then glanced behind him. At his signal, Lee Chanha stepped forward with a small box in his hands. He placed it carefully on the podium, drawing murmurs from the reporters. When the box was opened, it revealed a small Eternal Stone gleaming with pure white light.

“Eternal Stone?”

“Isn’t that an Eternal Stone?”

Most people were puzzled as to why an Eternal Stone would be the most surprising announcement, but the quicker reporters were already red-faced with excitement, typing furiously. Soon, Lee Hyunmook confirmed their expectations.

“This Eternal Stone, brought back from the Abyss, can cure corruption.”

Oh my god! Kim Yejoo covered her mouth as she let out a scream-like exclaim. Yang Hwapyeong exhaled a trembling breath. It was the same reaction countless viewers watching the broadcast would be showing at that moment.

“I will prove it here and now. Are there any corrupted among the reporters? I will take up to three volunteers.”

In the world today, many people lived with mild corruption. In minor cases, it caused only headaches, depression, or skin conditions, but that was enough to make a person’s life difficult. Many reporters raised their hands at once, far more than expected. Roughly one or two out of every ten. Yohan was realizing for the first time just how many corrupted people there were. Including those who had not raised their hands, the number might be even higher.

“Me! I’ll do it!”

“Please, let me have it!”

The voices were quick and urgent, forgetting they were at a press conference. As a purifier, Yohan felt an instinctive pity. If he were up there, and if he did not have to hide his power, he could have purified all of them at once…

Lee Hyunmook scanned the volunteers and personally chose three reporters. All of them had visible symptoms of corruption. One had an ugly blotch covering one cheek up to the nape of the neck, another had nails grown into claw-like shapes, and the last had cracked skin that exposed raw flesh and caused nothing but pain.

“First, if you don’t mind, please introduce yourselves.”

“I… am Kim Seunghyun from New World Media.”

“I’m Yoo Gaeun from the Seomun Daily.”

“Park Jihan from Daily Star.”

Even while introducing themselves, their gazes stayed fixed on the Eternal Stone glowing faintly on the podium. They envied those whose corruption symptoms did not show on the outside. They were people who had tried everything to get rid of these unsightly marks. Sadly, the only current treatment for corruption in living beings was to remove the affected body part, which had low regeneration potential, and for ordinary people struggling to make a living, it was often not even possible.

“Then we will begin the corruption treatment with Kim Seunghyun.”

If anyone else had done this, the first thought might have been that it was a scam. But this was Lee Hyunmook, and he even had the convincing reason that it was an Eternal Stone brought back from the Abyss, so the reporter had no doubt.

Neither he nor the other two could take their eyes off the Eternal Stone. As corrupted individuals, they felt an instinctive pull toward its purifying energy. Once the cameras had moved close enough for detailed filming, Lee Hyunmook took the Eternal Stone in hand and brought it above the reporter’s face.

The faint light from the Eternal Stone spread over the skin. Slowly, the ugly blotch began to fade. Reporters cried out in amazement. Kim Seunghyun, unable to see his own face, clenched his fists nervously. Soon, the blotch was completely gone. When he checked a mirror, tears of gratitude welled up. Memories of the days when he could not even go outside because the corruption was on his face, and how he had suffered, came flooding back.

The other reporters’ corruption symptoms also disappeared completely in turn, and the press conference hall erupted into uproar. Yohan smiled bitterly while watching the scene.

According to Seo Yakrin’s explanation, Eternal Stones shone in many colors and each had different properties. Like awakeners, they had different attributes. Among them, some Eternal Stones could hold a small amount of power like a battery. The one Lee Hyunmook was using now was one of those stones.

Its purification ability was minuscule compared to Yohan’s, but people were ecstatic. It was the first known method of curing corruption in the world. It took Lee Hyunmook quite some time to calm the reporters down.

“The Taeyang Guild possesses several more of these Eternal Stones. For the stability of society, our guild will take on the responsibility of caring for corrupted individuals. We will run shelters to protect and treat them, easing the government’s burden. In addition, we are planning to form a coalition of guilds to support awakeners. We will call this the Awakeners’ Association.”

The Awakeners’ Association! This was an announcement that would throw the government, and especially the Rift Management Bureau, into chaos. The government had always resisted unity among awakeners, and Lee Hyunmook, who had been relatively cooperative until now, had changed his stance since returning from the Abyss. A few reporters recalled rumors that had quietly circulated in the stock market, suggesting the government had eliminated the Sunrise Team.

“Guilds that join the Awakeners’ Association will be considered for benefits such as low-interest loans, Eternal Stone rentals, and subjugation support, so please contact us.”

Leaving the tearful, newly cured reporters beside the podium for all to see, Lee Hyunmook finished his announcement and continued speaking.

“Now, I will take questions.”

The reporters in the conference hall instantly turned into a swarm, throwing questions at him.