Adam White. Jin-Woo locked eyes with the young American who had identified his affiliation as the Hunter Bureau.
'...'
It was obvious from his gaze alone that the man held favorable intentions. That the United States was recruiting Hunters from all over the world, backed by enormous financial power, was a self-evident fact that hardly needed concealing. So Jin-Woo had assumed that, once introductions were over, a proposal to come to America would follow naturally. But Adam brought up something entirely unexpected.
"There is information I'd like to share with you, Hunter." "Information...?" "Likely information that no existing country or organization in the world could offer you. Other than us, that is."
Jin-Woo tilted his head. What reason could they have for offering top-secret information to a foreign Hunter he had never even met before?
"What reason would you have for providing that information to me?"
At Jin-Woo's cold question, Adam flashed a bright smile.
"There are gains we can obtain simply by disclosing information to certain individuals."
Certain individuals. In this case, it meant Jin-Woo himself fell into that category of "certain individuals." Jin-Woo's curiosity was piqued.
"Let's hear it, then." "That's all I'm able to discuss with you, Hunter. The rest will be continued by our Deputy Director."
The Deputy Director of the Hunter Bureau. A man who wielded the political clout of a cabinet minister in most countries, and he had come all the way to Korea?
'That means this isn't some ordinary matter.'
Adam, judging that he had successfully stoked Jin-Woo's curiosity, finally brought out his main proposition.
"We have a vehicle waiting nearby. Would you like to meet the Deputy Director?"
But ultimately, the choice rested with Jin-Woo.
'Information, huh...'
It was bound to be one of two things. Either news he could profit from learning, or a tip that someone was targeting him. But neither prospect compelled him to feel he absolutely had to know. Even if there was an opportunity for gain, he wanted to focus on the black key right now, and he had the confidence that he could win even if someone declared themselves his enemy and came after him. And above all.
'I'm not even sure I can trust whatever information these guys claim to offer...'
Or the offer of information might be a complete lie. The opposing side's card might or might not be useful to him — he wasn't even sure if they held any card at all. Was there any need to be led around by their leash? The conclusion came quickly.
"I'll think about it and contact you." "...!"
Caught off guard by how the conversation had turned, Adam felt as though he had been struck on the back of the head.
'No — the Deputy Director of the Hunter Bureau traveled all this way to hand over top-secret information, and he's just going to ignore it and walk away?'
But the other party wasn't bluffing. He actually reached for the van's door handle. If Hunter Sung Jin-Woo left now, there was no telling when the next opportunity would come. No — there was a real chance it would never come at all. Adam couldn't tell whether Jin-Woo's remark was a calculated move, but one thing was certain: if they let him go, they would be the ones at a loss.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
As Jin-Woo moved to climb into the van, the fidgeting Adam blurted out urgently.
"W-wait just a moment!"
Jin-Woo's gaze shifted to Adam. Adam spoke quickly, trying to hold on to whatever fragment of Jin-Woo's interest he could.
"The Upgrader..." "The Upgrader?"
Adam wore the expression of a man who knew he had lost, and explained the word he had let slip.
"Are you familiar with an Awakener who can raise another Awakener's stats?"
You should have led with that from the start. Jin-Woo realized that the information Agent Adam — or rather, the Deputy Director of the Hunter Bureau — intended to share carried value beyond simple information.
'An Awakener who can raise another Awakener's stats...'
At last, Jin-Woo's resolve wavered. He lowered the foot he had been resting on the van's step and shut the car door. Adam let out a long sigh of relief.
"Haa—"
When he raised his head from where he had been bowing it, Jin-Woo was already standing right in front of him.
"Jesus!"
Adam scrambled backward in shock. Jin-Woo, as if he had been waiting for this, asked immediately.
"Now, where should we go?"
***
The black sedan carrying the two men came to a stop in front of a famous luxury hotel.
"This is the place."
Come to think of it, the hotel's name matched one that had been written on the memo Yoo Jin-Ho had given him before.
'So these were the English-speaking foreigners he said were looking for me?'
Jin-Woo followed the agent upstairs to the room where the Deputy Director was waiting. Deputy Director Michael Connor of the Hunter Bureau confirmed the face of the man standing behind his subordinate and could not contain his excitement.
'This is it!'
The hardest part of any deal was getting the other party to sit down at the negotiating table. Once they sat down, it was practically halfway to success. The Deputy Director beamed and extended his right hand to Jin-Woo.
"I'm Michael Connor, Director of the Hunter Bureau."
Agent Adam swiftly interpreted his English greeting into fluent Korean. Jin-Woo shook the Deputy Director's hand.
"Hunter Sung Jin-Woo."
The two exchanged brief introductions and sat facing each other across a table. Adam did not sit but stood beside the Deputy Director.
"Have you ever met with officials from foreign countries' Hunter organizations?"
The Deputy Director opened with that lead-in.
"No."
When the answer he had been hoping for came, the Deputy Director smiled.
'As expected, no country can move faster than America.'
Only the forward-most striker on the field could score a goal. The Deputy Director had absolutely no intention of squandering the asset he had obtained before anyone else. Especially since his superior had given him standing orders to bring this man in by any means necessary — a top-tier, no, a special-grade Hunter. He had not even considered vague rhetoric when he took his seat.
"I'll get straight to the point, Hunter Sung Jin-Woo."
The Deputy Director pushed a tall stack of documents across the table toward Jin-Woo.
"The United States of America wants you, Hunter Sung Jin-Woo." "This is...?" "Immigration paperwork for the United States. Normally, these documents would take one to two years to process. But for you, Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, it's different."
The Deputy Director raised a single finger.
"One second."
He then declared with a confident voice.
"The moment you say yes, you can become an American citizen in a single second. And of course, not as an ordinary citizen — you will receive treatment perfectly equal to that of the nation's top Hunters." "..."
Up to this point, the conversation was exactly what one could have predicted. But what Jin-Woo wanted to know about was the "Upgrader" — that Awakener. When Jin-Woo's gaze landed on him, Adam flinched and looked away. Jin-Woo turned back to the Deputy Director and spoke.
"I came here because I was told there was information to be shared."
The Deputy Director let out a hearty laugh.
"It's not unrelated to what I just said." "Huh?" "If you agree to become a Hunter of the United States, we will take the abilities you possess and elevate them to an even higher level."
The Upgrader. It seemed to be an Awakener whose ability was exactly what the name implied. Realizing that Agent Adam's words had not been empty, Jin-Woo was torn between belief and doubt.
'An Awakener with that kind of ability actually exists?'
So he asked.
"Is that... even possible?"
Seeing Jin-Woo's interest, the Deputy Director spoke in an excited tone.
"As a matter of fact, she's right here."
Jin-Woo already knew. A faint trickle of mana had been seeping through the gap under the closed door. The amount was small — too little to be entrusted with guarding someone as important as the Deputy Director of the Hunter Bureau. Then again, perhaps she was an Awakener with a special ability rather than a combat-oriented one. That was the conclusion Jin-Woo had been reaching. Sure enough, the Deputy Director issued a command to the agents waiting inside the room.
"Bring Mrs. Selner out."
Click. The moment the Deputy Director's order fell, the door opened and two agents emerged escorting a middle-aged Black woman. Jin-Woo narrowed his eyes at the strange aura emanating from her.
'...'
She definitely had a presence unlike any ordinary Awakener. When the woman stopped beside the table, an agent pulled out an empty chair. Only then did the woman slowly settle onto the edge of the seat. Mrs. Selner recognized Jin-Woo immediately and showed her interest.
"So you're the one from that footage..."
Since material on Hunter Sung Jin-Woo had already been thoroughly provided to her, the Deputy Director introduced the woman only to Jin-Woo.
"This is Mrs. Norma Selner. The only person in the world — an Awakener who can raise other Awakens' abilities beyond their limits."
When the introduction was finished, Mrs. Selner gave Jin-Woo a slight nod. Jin-Woo returned the nod.
"Mrs. Selner, please explain your ability to the Hunter in brief."
Looking at Jin-Woo, who was still regarding her with a skeptical gaze, the woman offered a playful smile.
"Everyone gives you that same look at first, Hunter. But."
Mrs. Selner leaned her upper body toward Jin-Woo and spoke in a near-whisper.
"Once they experience it, they all end up clinging to me." "Ma'am..." "I know, Deputy Director. That he's an important man."
Maintaining her smile, Mrs. Selner continued her explanation.
"Hunter Sung Jin-Woo. Every Hunter has a limit. No one can surpass that limit."
That was why an Awakener's rank never changed. It was common knowledge known to every Hunter.
"Then you, ma'am..."
Before Jin-Woo could even finish his question, Mrs. Selner's face lit up with the joyful expression of a child picking up the strawberry reserved for the last bite of cake.
"That's right."
Jin-Woo's eyes widened.
"I can raise that limit in three stages. Whether you'd call it forced re-awakening or bringing out hidden potential, I'm not sure—"
An incredible ability! Her single statement was a bomb powerful enough to uproot the hearts of even the top-tier Hunters. Jin-Woo's gaze turned to the Deputy Director. The Deputy Director nodded.
"Everything she says is true. However, her ability comes with a cooldown — after each use, she needs a long rest before she can use it again, so the number of Awakeners who can receive the benefit is limited to three or four per year." "...What kind of improvement are we talking about?" "It varies by person, but after all three stages are complete, they report feeling a growth in strength of roughly twenty to thirty percent."
Twenty to thirty percent! If Jin-Woo, whose average stats already approached 250, received that kind of stat-boosting buff, his average stats could easily surpass 300. The numbers were staggering.
"If this kind of ability became known to the outside world..."
Mrs. Selner shared the same concern Jin-Woo was voicing, and after much deliberation she had joined the Hunter Bureau — a place where she could fully exercise her ability while remaining protected.
"We protect Mrs. Selner and pay her a fair compensation. In return, Mrs. Selner raises the stats of the Awakeners who cooperate with us. That is the mutually beneficial relationship we maintain."
The Deputy Director wrapped up his explanation. Now was the time to get to the heart of the matter. Having bided his time from the very beginning, the Deputy Director finally seized his opening.
"This is the gift we can offer you, Hunter." "A gift..."
Could there be any greater gift for a Hunter?
"If you agree to become a Hunter of the United States, we will grant you priority access to this benefit above all others. Additionally, we will arrange the guild of your choice and ensure the contract is concluded on the best possible terms."
From a Hunter's perspective, these were conditions that were virtually impossible to refuse. Jin-Woo could now understand why Hwang Dongsu had boldly decided to move to America despite the scorn of an entire nation. If the United States was the one making the offer, the enormous sum of money had merely been a smokescreen to hide the real 'reason.' This would be enough to make even ordinary Hunters lose their minds and jump at the offer — so what would happen when someone told a top-tier Hunter that they could have their abilities raised further? Who could possibly refuse? But. Jin-Woo pointed out one crucial fact.
"How can you prove that such power actually exists?"
Then Mrs. Selner interjected.
"There's no rush. I've come today to unlock the first stage for you."
Only then did Jin-Woo fully understand what Mrs. Selner had said at the very beginning.
'Once they experience it, they all end up clinging to me?'
Every single one. Every Hunter who had witnessed her ability chose to move to America. The Deputy Director casually asked.
"Everything she said is true. Will you consent to the first unlock?" "Without any compensation...?" "Consider it a complimentary service, Hunter."
Mrs. Selner lightly took hold of Jin-Woo's wrist. When he turned to look, she smiled warmly and gestured for him to come closer.
"Look into my eyes. Carefully. That's the first step of the process."
The Deputy Director leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and watched the two of them with satisfaction.
'It's done. He's hooked.'
The game was over. Once the first unlock was completed, Hunter Sung Jin-Woo would be the one reaching out for next contact. No — if he was the impatient type, he might sign the immigration papers right here on the spot. The Deputy Director's interest now lay elsewhere.
'Just how far does his limit extend?'
Crossing and uncrossing his arms, stroking his chin, the Deputy Director gazed at Jin-Woo with keen interest. But then—
"Hah!"
Mrs. Selner let out a strained gasp, and her pupils began to tremble violently.