Cha Jun Sung is frustrated.

  It’s right in front of him, but he can’t do anything. He can’t even force his way in because his entry itself is blocked.

  He can go into level B, but there’s no point. He has more than enough points. This is the same as taking away his qualifications as a Lifer. The only comfort he has is that he can go into the store.

  “I can’t even help the World Federation.”


  He had promised to buy them level S parts after increasing Albatrus’ distribution ratio and gathering points, but he can no longer keep that promise.

  Cha Jun Sung told the World Federation and Park Jin Hyuk’s group about his situation.

  He didn’t go into details. He said that he had gotten into a conflict of opinions with the supervisors, who are higher than the helpers, and his entry into missions had been blocked in the aftermath.

  They all had expressions of disbelief, but he really had been blocked. Albatrus remained at level A state with Cha Jun Sung’s declaration, and World Federation discussed two plans for future moves.

  Are they going to take Albatrus to explore the sea and go through a slow level A mission? Or are they going to neatly give it up and go into a normal level A mission?

  This is what World Federation is currently debating. Park Jin Hyuk’s group will follow in whichever direction they decide on. This is something that Cha Jun Sung is sorry about. Maybe because he has a secret that he has kept from them ever since he became a mutant, but the number of missions he entered with his friends had decreased sharply.

  He thought that he might be able to relax a little since he had gotten all of the annoying things out of the way, but now he can’t go into missions with them even if he wants to.

  Park Jin Hyuk’s group said that it was okay, but it was obvious that they thought it a pity. Cha Jun Sung isn’t at ease either. This isn’t just a pause.

  It’s a permanent stop. He needs to be like this until Life Mission is over.

  “This really feels like shit.”


  What is all of this?

  Where is he supposed to use all of this uncontrollable energy?

  Does he have to live hundreds or thousands of years masked as a human?

  He’ll easily live hundreds of years with a level 9 body.

  He’ll remain alive after everyone he knows dies?

  Just the thought of it is horrible.

  He doesn’t want to live that long. Though Lifers have been created on modern Earth through Life Mission, the Earth itself is a peaceful place. It isn’t a place where he can run around as a mutant.

  “Damn.”


  Cha Jun Sung calms his rage. He doesn’t see a solution.

  Does he just have to pass time like this?

  He wished someone would tell him what to do.

  ***

  “Then we’ll try that and if it doesn’t work, we can try plan B.”


  Hundreds are gathered in a large conference hall that was built circular so that everyone could face each other. They are all World Federation Lifers.

  Rankers, Park Jin Hyuk’s group, and masters of large guilds are also in attendance. They are deciding on the second level A mission they will go into.

  After a careful debate, two paths formed. There were conflicting opinions, so they used majority rule to decide on plan A and plan B.

  This is because it is a difficulty in which the entire 10,000-person group could be annihilated.

  Strategist didn’t pay attention to big or small voices. He took into account every single person’s opinion.

  “How boring.”


  “Sh.”


  Park Jin Hyuk yawns and Koharo chides him.

  She knows it is boring too, but it isn’t good to be distracted from the mood.

  “So first is PDA entry.”


  Park Jin Hyuk said that it is boring, but he had listened to the entire meeting. Plan A is a normal level A mission. Plan B is exploring with Albatrus. Finding a level 8 in the ocean is like looking for a needle in a haystack. They never ran into one while completing Deep Sea Teeth.

  Though they did see a level 9.

  The majority of Rankers voted for a normal level A mission over searching the sea. Park Jin Hyuk’s group’s 5 votes were also among those.

  There are more than 20 level A Lifers who can fight with level 7s. Their main thought is that they can take on a weak level 8.

  Level B and C Lifers will take on all of the mutants below level 8. This is a win with numbers. They will go into the mission with the lowest points, a 1.2 billion point mission.

  “Basil, you did good.”


  “Hm.”


  Basil gives a sheepish look.

  There had only been about 50 level A missions.

  But now, there are a few more at 56. Of those, there are 22 that are below 1.5 billion, and they picked the 1.2 billion point one.

  Of the lower point missions, there was one mutant that was comparatively easy to catch.

  [Level A Mission: Catching Seven]

  – Goal: Attainment

  – Description: The seven colored armed beetle is living somewhere in the tough Amazon, the largest forest on earth, so big that it can’t even be expressed as wide. The Seven Color Beetle King is always hiding if not under special circumstances. Find him and kill him.

  – Reward: 1,200,000,000 points. Lucky box.

  Several candidates had been discussed.

  Rankers have caught level 8s in the virtual version. But Basil is the only one who has gotten Seven Color Beetle King.

  Seven Color Beetle King’s combat ability is weaker than that of other level 8s, but its ability to hide is impressive. It basically hides 364 out of 365 days.

  Once they find it, it is easy to catch it with the World Federation’s abilities. Its defense is as great as its ability to hide, but that is it.

  There’s nothing else for it to show.

  Basil caught the Seven Color Beetle King after wandering around in 9 combination stealth function for several months. When the Seven Color Beetle King feels an oncoming threat, it hides even deeper.

  The annoying thing is that it is small, contrary to its name as king.

  It is similar to a mid sized car. It would be easy to spot if it were big, but it can be completely hidden if it is behind a couple large trees.

  Basil knows a lot about the Seven Color Beetle King. That is why he mentioned it as one that is easy to catch when each of the Lifers were laying out their opinions.

  That is how Catching Seven became World Federation’s second level A mission.

  Basil clearly said.

  Finding it is the problem. Seven Color Beetle King prefers quiet places and when something gets near, it watches the situation and then moves. They need to find it first.

  “It would be nice if Jun Sung could go with us.”


  It is absurd.

  Losing entry qualification. What on earth did he do while going around alone that he got such sanctions? They can’t understand it.

  “It’ll be released soon.”


  “Right?”


  Park Jin Hyuk agrees with Kyoko.

  He doesn’t think that Cha Jun Sung will be blocked forever either. The restriction will be released after a couple months.

  “We are entering in two months. I will send out a notice, so stay prepared.”


  Strategist ended the meeting. Lifers group with the people they are close with.

  Park Jin Hyuk’s group watched and then scattered to spend time on their own. In two months, they will be starting a real level A mission.

  Two months was short. Park Jin Hyuk’s group and World Federation entered Catching Seven without Cha Jun Sung.

  Then at some point, 5 years passed.

  Where there is a start, there is an end. An end that isn’t clear, but foggy? Then that is the end.

  This year will mark 10 years since Life Mission was applied to reality. The virtual was used for 10 years as well, so that means 20 years has passed combined.

  20 years – a long period of time in which newborn babies become young adults, young adults become middle-aged, and the middle-aged surpass old age and pass away. Common people naturally aged following time. But Lifers chosen by Life Mission were different.

  Aging stopped for young people as an effect of body modifications. Time reversed 20 to 30 years for the old, and they rediscovered their youth.

  5 years ago or even before that, there were several changes to the mission system. The biggest were unrestricted entry and weakening of upgrade conditions.

  The majority of Lifers who survived the last 10 years are level B. There are a few above and below. Even the worst of them had gone through the 4th stage of body modifications, and level Bs were in the 5th and 6th stages.

  The estimated life expectancy of 4th stage level C Lifers is over 100 years. They can spend about half of that life span as youths. Level B Lifers can live longer than those at lower levels, and they maintain their youth for a longer period of time. And there’s no need to mention levels S and A.

  Lifers don’t get sick with small or serious diseases.

  Not long ago, there was a news report that a level B Lifer ignored a traffic light and crossed the street without a battlesuit.

  It would be expected for a human to be squashed flat after colliding with a car that weighs tons. But that Lifer only sustained a few bruises. They can’t really be called humans anymore. They are superhuman.

  They had 3 to 4 times the abilities of ordinary people even if they didn’t go through body modification. These were called rookies.

  Life Mission changed the world.

  The changes that occurred over 20 years are more extreme than changes that should be made over hundreds or thousands of years.

  Lifer selection and recruitment stopped after 10 rounds.

  1st to 3rd rounds were tens of millions, but the number decreased from the 4th round.

  Supervisors halted recruitment because they didn’t need more lower level Lifers, and they focused on the Lifers they had now.