The team training for later that day was canceled as everyone immediately rushed to help the government document the various dungeon gates that were opening up everywhere.
People everywhere were advised to stay away from the gates, and while that didn't work entirely, they did manage to keep most of them away from the gates.
The daredevils couldn't be stopped as they rushed head-first into the dungeons, trying to find glory.
Ning walked with Kim Min-Soo towards the upper floors of the building to a massive room with screens all around them.
Various individuals, all important to the country, were on the screen.
"The White Devil guild is available," Kim Min-Soo announced as she walked up to one of the screens.
Ning stayed a little behind with the vice leader and other important members of the sect. He looked around to see the other 4 Apostles and their guild members, some more leaders from smaller guilds, various ministers, generals, director Sung and the prime minister.
"Does anyone have any idea what is happening?" the prime minister asked. He looked awful on the screen, not just from the lack of sleep the entire night, but also from the stress of having to hear such terrible news right afterward.
"What many dead?" Soo-Yun on the screen asked.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"As of yet, about 40 people that have entered the 13 new dungeons in Korea have not returned. It has been at least 2 hours since the first one is said to have entered, so it is expected that they have died already," the director spoke as he read from a few pieces of paper in front of him.
"It's also possible that they are inside there still, right?" one of the ministers asked. "A normal dungeon hunt can go anywhere from half an hour to an entire day."
"It is, minister. But one of the groups of people who entered included an S-ranked individual according to my data, and he too hasn't come out in the many hours. If the dungeons are so strong that it takes someone like that such a long time, then the other weaker ones certainly won't be having an easier time," the director said.
"That's a very negative look on the situation," the prime minister said. "But I suppose that helps us be realistic with our expectations."
"What's the dungeon rank exactly?" Lee asked.
"We do not know right now, but our people are finding it out as we speak. We should have the answer by the end of the meeting," the director said.
"How many dungeons are there exactly?" the speedster Park spoke from one of the screens.
"There are 18 dungeons that have opened around—"
"26," Ning spoke up from behind Kim Min-Soo. Everyone turned around to look at him with weird looks on their face.
"How do you know that, Apostle Ning?" the prime minister asked.
"I have my people searching the entire country. They already documented the number and location of the dungeons in Korea," Ning said. "I've sent them overseas to document the entire planet."
"Can that be trusted?" one of the generals asked.
"I don't think it matters if we trust the information or not," the director said. "His number is higher than our own, so at worse, we will just over-prepare. No harm in overpreparation."
"Yeah, but we will have to split personnel throughout the various dungeons. That will slow down our time if this turns out to be wrong," the general said.
The director had no answer for that. He was right after all. So, he quickly fished out a piece of paper from the pile in front of him and started reading out the places where the dungeons had appeared.
Once finished, he asked Ning, "tell me one dungeon that I did not list that you know. We will check it immediately to make sure your words are true."
"Sure," Ning said. "There's one in an abandoned building in Seoul itself. It's a half-constructed building with no paint, warded by sheets of red tins in Jung-Dong, Mapo-Gu. Since no one goes there anymore, people haven't realized that one has opened there as well."
The director immediately sent someone to check there.
"Alright, let's talk about what we're going to do now. Whether there are more dungeons or not, we still need to know how to go about the ones that exist," the prime minister said.
"What else can we do?" one of the generals asked. "Keep about 8 of them, and give the remaining up for auction. That's what we always do with the dungeons."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"We have no intention of buying that which has not been explored yet," Bak said. "So, our first task should be to explore one of the dungeons to see what it's about."
"Who is volunteering?" Lee asked.
Everyone remained silent. No one wanted to be the hero of the day. They would rather survive and be one some other time. If the dungeons were unnaturally strong, then they would be in trouble.
"Any of you Apostles willing to join? We will have to have at least two of you go together to look after yourself," the prime minister said.
"You should ask Graves what he knows," Ning said. "And if he knows exactly who is involved in this."
"Who are involved?" Kim Min-Soo gave a weird look. "What do you mean?"
"This is not something that just happened to happen," he said. "The various gods are behind this, I just don't know which ones."
The White Devil's guild leader couldn't help but give a wide-faced stare at him when she heard that.
"Sir, this just came," a voice shouted from the screens and everyone turned around just in time to see the director receive a note.
He stared at the note with so much shock and confusion, that the others couldn't help but get curious and a little scared.
"Director Sung, what did you just receive?" the prime minister asked.
"I…" the director tried to find his words. "The dungeons' ranks have been determined."
"And?" the prime minister pushed on him to answer quickly.
"And… they are all E-ranked dungeons."