Date: June 30, 2018 (Saturday)
Location: GDA Central Command, Geneva, Switzerland
Time: 12:40 PM
Exactly two weeks had passed since the first encounter with a Hell Gate. Inside the subterranean bunker of GDA Central Command, the air remained cold and heavy. Richard Vance sat perfectly still in his command chair, his presence anchoring the room like a silent monolith.
Aris stood before him, holding a new, encrypted data-pad.
"Report, Aris," Richard said. His voice carried that familiar icy chill, a tone that suppressed any hint of emotion.
"Sir, we have a major breakthrough," Aris said, his voice tinged with professional excitement. "We have found a B-Rank Blacksmith."
For a micro-second, a faint spark appeared in Richard's cold, emotionless eyes. This was the missing puzzle piece he had been waiting forty-five days to find. Yet, his facial expression remained as hard as stone.
"Bring them here immediately," Richard ordered in a sharp, straight tone. "In this current world, this person is the most valuable individual on the planet. A B-Rank Blacksmith can weave mana circuits directly into Essence Stones, creating a permanent mana flow."
"Our armies are currently using hybrid alloy weapons that shatter in fifteen minutes. This Blacksmith will end that logistical nightmare forever," he added.
The New Demographics
"Very well. Now, give me the exact demographics of our new mutants," Richard commanded.
Aris projected a massive data set onto the main wall. The numbers reflected a violent shift in the global population.
"Sir, your psychological shift has worked. Since the announcement to call registered mutants 'Dungers' instead of 'Dangers,' the world's perception has changed. They are no longer seen as a threat, but as a workforce."
Aris broke down the numbers with clinical precision:
Total Registered Dungers: 300 Million.
The Fallen Replacement: 117 million new awakenings in the last two weeks have fully replenished the D-Rank infantry lost in the first wave.
High-Tier Ratio: Approximately 2.4 million are C-Rank or above.
Support Division: 180 million strictly low-level F and E-Rankers.
"World governments have accepted your proposal without any resistance," Aris noted. "As of today, the GDA is no longer the 'Global Defense Agency.' It has been officially registered as the 'Global Dungers Association.'"
"I expected nothing less," Richard replied. Pure logic dictated that the world had no choice but to follow his systemized army.
The Search for the Architects
"Any news on the other specialized classes?" Richard asked.
"No, Sir," Aris admitted. "We have yet to find any mutants belonging to the 'Wisdom' or 'Architect' classes you described. Our search continues across every continent."
Richard tapped his fingers on the desk. "Keep that search as your top priority. Ordinary fighters are necessary, but Wisdom and Architect classes are essential to decode the new laws of our reality. They are the ones who will lead us into the Magitech Era."
He then shifted his focus to the tracking map.
"The protocol you set is being followed strictly," Aris reported. "Teams of C-Rank elites and D-Rank infantry are clearing E-Rank Hell Gates globally. They extract the stones, kill the Boss, and exit within the fifteen-minute weapon limit. Everything is functioning according to the mathematical model."
"Is that all?" Richard's tone returned to a flat, clinical note.
"Yes, Sir. Everything is covered."
Richard turned back toward his screen, abruptly dismissing him. "You may leave now."