The ripples from the Steel Fang Caverns disruption spread further than even Min-jun had anticipated. Lionheart, already under immense pressure, found their operations in the A-rank dungeon perpetually hampered by unpredictable mana fluctuations. Monster spawn rates remained erratic, clear times plummeted, and their profits dwindled. Grandmaster Lee Jin-ho's public statements grew increasingly terse, blaming "unforeseen systemic anomalies." The Awakener Association, hesitant to openly challenge an S-rank guild, merely issued vague warnings about dungeon volatility.
Golden Lion Guild, however, was not so easily fooled. Jung Ho-jun, while outwardly relishing Lionheart's misfortune, was privately unnerved. He had his own intelligence network, and whispers of a shadowy, untraceable force disrupting the established order reached his ears. He intensified Golden Lion's search for Dream Weaver, but his efforts were equally blind.
"They're starting to suspect it's more than just random chance," Professor Kim reported during their next strategy session, his voice carrying an edge of nervous excitement. "Golden Lion is pulling their top trackers to focus on anomalies in mana signatures. Lionheart is dispatching their elite units to secure other high-value dungeons, fearing a repeat."
Min-jun nodded, his gaze fixed on the holographic map of Seoul, his mind already three steps ahead. "Good. That means they're spreading their forces thin, reacting rather than planning. We need to maintain this pressure, sow deeper discord, and make them bleed resources."
Kim Min-jun (Apex F-Rank / Nascent S-Rank)
* Rank: F (Still a mockery of the System's perception)
* Level: 50
* Strength: 80
* Agility: 150 (Unmatched precision and speed in manipulation)
* Stamina: 90
* Mana: 110
* Unique Skill: Lucid Dream Training (System Anomaly / [???] Rank) - "Mana Core Resonance" is now capable of inducing localized, temporary mana 'voids' or 'surges' in mana-rich areas at a distance. "Mana Signature Replication" can now perfectly replicate and project mana signatures (including A-rank Awakener signatures) to specific points, creating false trails or confusing sensors. "Tactical Flow Foresight" provides near-omniscience in complex, multi-faction scenarios. Current Focus: Mass Deception, Mana Network Exploitation, Psychological Warfare.
"Our next target," Min-jun continued, tapping a different spot on the map, "is Golden Lion's public image. They're hosting a major charity gala next week, showcasing their 'benevolence' and the 'strength' of their guild. It's a prime target for a reputation hit."
"How do we do that?" Ji-won asked, leaning forward, her eyes bright with a dangerous excitement. "A public illusion?"
"More than that," Min-jun's lips curled into a faint, strategic smile. "We use their own greed against them. Professor Kim, your intel on their financial network, specifically their 'secure' digital vaults?"
Professor Kim pulled up a separate, encrypted file. "Golden Lion uses a proprietary mana-encryption system for their high-value digital assets. It's supposed to be impenetrable. Designed by their top S-rank Hacker, Baek Hyun-woo."
"Supposed to be," Min-jun mused. "Their system relies on a continuous, unique mana signature from a central server to validate transactions and secure funds. If that signature is disrupted, even for a moment, their system goes haywire. We won't steal money, but we'll make it appear as if they're hemorrhaging funds, publicly. Ji-won, you'll ensure the world sees it."
The plan was audacious, requiring surgical precision. They couldn't physically infiltrate the Golden Lion headquarters. Min-jun would have to use his "Mana Signature Replication" and "Mana Core Resonance" from a distance, channeling it through the city's complex mana ley lines – a network far beyond what conventional Awakeners could even perceive, let alone manipulate.
The night of the gala arrived. The grand ballroom glittered with the elite of the Awakened world, all dressed in their finest, hobnobbing with Golden Lion's top brass. Cameras flashed, live streams broadcasted every carefully curated moment.
From their hidden subway base, Min-jun was in a deep meditative state, connected to the city's mana flow, his senses extending through the ley lines like tendrils. He found the faint, unique mana signature of Golden Lion's financial server, a subtle, almost imperceptible hum amidst the city's vast mana noise.
"Chul-soo, prepare for localized mana surges," Min-jun instructed, his voice low and focused. "So-yeon, ready 'Mana Overcharge' on Ji-won. She'll need maximum output."
Park Chul-soo
* Rank: E
* Level: 27
* Strength: 48
* Agility: 16
* Stamina: 48
* Mana: 28
* Skill: Steel Shield (E-Rank) - Can now project a short-range concussive force field (E-Rank) to clear immediate areas, or to create deliberate, localized tremors.
Lee So-yeon
* Rank: E
* Level: 26
* Strength: 17
* Agility: 19
* Stamina: 30
* Mana: 95
* Skill: Minor Regeneration (E-Rank) - Healing output further increased, can now apply a rapid burst of stamina regeneration. "Mana Overcharge" can temporarily boost target's mana efficiency in addition to attributes.
"Ji-won, you have precisely three minutes once I initiate the disruption," Min-jun's voice was sharp. "Project the public data screens of the Awakener Association's financial monitoring network. Make it look like Golden Lion's assets are plummeting. Rapidly. Create panic. Make it appear as if their secure funds are being siphoned off by an unknown entity."
Ji-won nodded, her eyes closed, her concentration absolute. So-yeon placed her hands on Ji-won's back, a steady stream of "Mana Overcharge" flowing into her, pushing her mana reserves to their peak.
Min-jun began his work. He replicated the very faint chaotic ripple from the Dungeon Core he'd stabilized, and through "Mana Core Resonance," projected it along the ley lines directly into the mana signature of Golden Lion's financial server. It wasn't an attack to destroy; it was a frequency shift, a deliberate disruption of harmony.
In the gala ballroom, the atmosphere was suddenly pierced by gasps. On the massive screens displaying Golden Lion's "transparency" – their real-time financial assets – the numbers began to flicker wildly. Then, they plummeted. Thousands, then millions, then billions of Won appeared to drain away into thin air, replaced by an ominous red. An error message, shimmering with distorted mana, briefly appeared: "Unauthorized Mana Signature Detected."
Panic erupted. Attendees, many of them investors and key figures in the Awakened economy, rushed the screens. Golden Lion executives, led by a pale Jung Ho-jun, looked on in horror. Their top S-rank Hacker, Baek Hyun-woo, was frantically working on a comms unit, his face a mask of disbelief. "Impossible! The encryption is unbreakable!"
Ji-won, unseen and unheard from their hidden location, layered on the illusion. The red numbers flashed faster, more erratically. Illusory whispers of "Guild Collapse!" and "Massive Fraud!" seemed to echo in the minds of the horrified onlookers. The gala descended into utter pandemonium.
Min-jun maintained the disruption for the full three minutes, then slowly, meticulously, withdrew his mana signature, leaving behind no trace. He reversed the subtle frequency shift, allowing Golden Lion's system to, very slowly, restore itself. By then, the damage was done. The trust was shattered.
The next day, news headlines screamed about the "Golden Lion Financial Phantom," the "Impossible Breach." Golden Lion scrambled to reassure the public, but the damage was irreparable. Their stock plummeted, their reputation was in tatters, and their financial partners began pulling out.
"They're pointing fingers at Lionheart," Professor Kim chuckled, reviewing the latest intelligence. "And Lionheart, still reeling from the Steel Fang Caverns, is denying it vehemently. The entire S-rank hierarchy is in disarray."
Min-jun felt a deep sense of strategic satisfaction. They weren't just fighting battles; they were waging a quiet, sophisticated war, using the very System against itself. The A-rank guilds were too accustomed to brute force, to direct confrontation. They were blind to the subtle, pervasive power of a Weaver of Dreams.
"They're bleeding," Min-jun stated, looking at his team, their faces tired but resolute. "And they don't even know where the cuts are coming from. The next phase begins soon. We push them to the brink, then we expose them. All of them."
The silent ascent continued, unnoticed by the powerful, the arrogant, the blind. Dream Weaver was no longer just surviving; they were thriving in the shadows, weaving a destiny that would reshape the very foundation of the Awakened world. The tangled web was tightening, and the unseen weaver was preparing to pull the strings.