Norma Selner—commonly referred to as Mrs. Selner or Ms. Selner, a forty-six-year-old Black woman—was currently the only person in the Hunter Management Bureau who held a higher protection rank than the President of the United States. In other words, if both she and the President faced a threat to their lives simultaneously, the Bureau would save her first before even considering the President. How could such a thing be possible? When the former Director had left the Hunter Management Bureau, he had described her to the incoming Director in the following terms during the handover.
—No matter who becomes President, America's position as the world's foremost Hunter nation will not waver. But if she disappears, America will have to start worrying about Gates all the way out in its rural towns.
That was right. Thanks to her gathering the world's S-rank Hunters together, American citizens could sleep soundly without a care in the world, regardless of where high-level Gates appeared across that vast land. Twenty-six top-tier Hunters had transferred their nationalities at her behest. That was more S-rank Hunters than many countries—those typically called Hunter powers—could boast. And because the Bureau had been the one to select and approach them, their quality was exceptionally high as well. Mrs. Selner, then, could be called the guardian deity protecting America from beneath the surface. No matter how high the status or treatment of S-rank Hunters, none could take precedence over Mrs. Selner. Her very existence was a state secret so absolute that even the President could not approach her carelessly. Naturally, the S-rank Hunters who were permitted to meet her had been thoroughly vetted by the Bureau's stringent criteria. The specific individuals Agent Adam White had mentioned.
—For certain individuals, simply revealing information to them yields benefits for us.
Most S-rank Hunters, Jin-Woo included, had not initially understood how remarkable it was to fall within that category of "certain individuals." However, once their limiters were broken by Mrs. Selner's ability, Hunters would finally realize the truth—just who had chosen them, and what that meant! It was said that some Hunter, overwhelmed by the power overflowing through his body, had knelt before her in tears. The next day, his nationality changed from the Republic of the Congo to the United States of America.
'It had always been that way.'
That was why Deputy Director Michael Connor had not harbored even a shred of doubt. He was certain that Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, like every other Hunter before him, would cry out in astonishment and come begging. He would cling to her. Was there a more fitting word for it? He was utterly, unquestioningly convinced. And yet.
The cry of astonishment came from someone else's mouth.
"Aaagh!"
Mrs. Selner, who had been gazing into Jin-Woo's eyes for quite some time, suddenly screamed as though she had seen something unspeakable and toppled backward. The two agents guarding her instinctively drew the guns they had been hiding and aimed them at Jin-Woo.
"Stop! Have you two lost your minds?!"
The Deputy Director, witnessing the agents' rashness, cried out in horror. Leaping to his feet, he slammed both of the agents' guns down with his hands and roared with curses laced through his words.
"Don't you know who's standing right in front of you, pointing these kinds of things?!" "But the ma'am—" "You fools! If you're worried about Mrs. Selner, tend to her first!" "S-sorry, sir."
The agents immediately holstered their weapons and helped Mrs. Selner up, who had collapsed to the floor and was trembling violently. Her complexion was a pitiful shade of blue. The Deputy Director turned and bowed nearly ninety degrees toward Jin-Woo.
"I apologize, Hunter. Our agents committed a terrible offense."
The Deputy Director's voice, which had been so composed before, was trembling—clearly, he was shaken.
'Trained to prioritize the ma'am's safety above all else, and yet they pointed guns at an S-rank Hunter.'
If the other party had been a hot-tempered Hunter, not only would those two agents have lost their lives, but his own life—the person responsible—would not have been spared either. Drawing firearms in a country where bringing in guns was prohibited and aiming them at a top-tier Hunter before his very face—there was no excuse that could be uttered. When Mrs. Selner had screamed and fallen—that was one. When the two young agents had pulled guns from inside their coats—that was two. His heart had lurched twice, and it was still pounding thunderously. But.
Jin-Woo was just as bewildered by the situation.
'What in the world is going on?'
First the woman had suddenly screamed and collapsed, then Bureau agents had drawn their guns on him, and now the Deputy Director was flailing about and bowing in apology. At first it was absurd, then it was exasperating, and finally—
"...It's fine. No one's been hurt yet."
He didn't even have it in him to be angry. When the second-in-command of a nation's foremost institution stepped forward to acknowledge his subordinates' mistake and apologized so humbly, getting in their faces and berating them on top of that would only be undignified.
"Thank you, Hunter."
Only after Jin-Woo said it was all right did the Deputy Director raise his head. From the look on Jin-Woo's face, he didn't appear to be mocking him. The Deputy Director felt a genuine wave of relief wash over him.
'If this had happened in front of someone like Thomas Andre or Liu Zhigang from China...'
Before he could even begin to apologize, the hearts of those two who had pulled their guns would have already stopped. It was only because Hunter Sung Jin-Woo was a gentlemanly person that a conversation could even be attempted.
'Whew.'
The Deputy Director let out a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from the bridge of his nose with his hand. The fire that had landed on his foot had been put out, at least. Now it was time to look around to the surroundings. Bowing once more to Jin-Woo, he hurriedly checked on Mrs. Selner's condition.
"Mrs. Selner, what happened?" "M-Michael..." "Ma'am...? Why are you sweating so much?"
The Deputy Director himself had just been drenched in cold sweat from the near-crisis, but Mrs. Selner was completely drenched—her entire body was soaked with sweat.
'What happened?'
Jin-Woo, concerned about her condition, stood and approached, but Mrs. Selner averted her gaze and shuddered. The Deputy Director bit down hard on his lower lip.
'At this rate, there's no way...'
He had managed the difficult task of getting Hunter Sung Jin-Woo to sit at the table, but the crucial card needed to continue the negotiations had disappeared. She was in no condition to use her ability. The Deputy Director turned and spoke to Jin-Woo with a somber expression.
"It seems Mrs. Selner is not feeling well today. May we contact you again at a later time?"
***
Meanwhile, an important visitor had arrived at the office of the President of the Korean Hunters' Association. It was Matsumoto Shigeo, President of the Japanese Hunters' Association. The two Association Presidents sat facing each other in a room with no attendants whatsoever—only their respective interpreters standing nearby. Go Geon-Hui was the first to speak.
"I heard about what happened to Mr. Goto." "It was a tragic matter."
A bitter expression had briefly flickered across Matsumoto's face, but it changed completely.
"However, I did not come to discuss the past. I came to discuss the future."
Go Geon-Hui nodded. Between the two of them—or rather, between Korea and Japan—there were several matters that still needed to be resolved. First was the distribution of mana crystals. Originally, the plan had been to begin distribution a year later, after the ants had all died off. But now, Jin-Woo had already wiped out the ants completely. Japan, which had discovered Jin-Woo's astonishing activities through satellite surveillance cameras, was well aware of this fact.
—What—is that man trying to do? —The ants... The ants near Sung Jin-Woo are disappearing. —His summoned creatures have begun their hunt! —The summoned creatures are spreading across the entire island. —What is he? Don't tell me...?
So the old saying held true—nothing kills like a groundless suspicion. In the blink of an eye, every trace of mana on Jeju Island had vanished. All except for one massive concentration of mana, presumably Sung Jin-Woo's.
'Immense power. Unpredictable initiative. And even the cruelty of deliberately killing creatures that could have been left alive.'
Was there any other Hunter in this world who suited Japan so perfectly? Matsumoto recalled the atmosphere in the situation room at the time and smirked. Then he handed a few documents to Go Geon-Hui.
"What is this?"
Go Geon-Hui asked as he took the documents.
"A formal declaration that Japan will relinquish its ownership of the Jeju Island mana crystals." "...?"
Go Geon-Hui, half-skeptical, began scanning the document. His eyes widened. What Matsumoto was saying was true.
"Why?"
Why would the Japanese Hunters' Association, which had taken no small blow from this, so readily give up such enormous profits? The answer came quickly.
"In exchange, hand Hunter Sung Jin-Woo over to us." "Ha."
Go Geon-Hui let out a dry laugh and leaned back against the sofa.
"Unfortunately, he does not belong to the Hunters' Association."
Even if he had been a member, there wasn't the slightest intention of handing over such a Hunter to another country.
"I know."
Matsumoto continued, as though he had been waiting for that response.
"But he maintains a very close relationship with the Association, and currently, without going through the Association, it is impossible even to contact him."
Unfortunately, the Japanese Hunters' Association did not have the same intelligence capabilities as the American Hunter Management Bureau. That meant the only way Matsumoto could reach Jin-Woo was to persuade the Hunters' Association.
"I'm not asking you to hand him over. I'm asking for an opportunity to negotiate with him." "You're willing to give up this astronomical sum for that chance?"
A nod. Matsumoto nodded. Through this incident, Japan had lost ten top-tier Hunters. The money that should have gone to them was still in hand. Money was overflowing. If the price was gaining a Hunter on par with Sung Jin-Woo, mana crystals were a small price to pay. But.
"I decline."
The response came back different from what Matsumoto had expected.
"You're declining?"
Matsumoto was visibly startled. Of course, he was confident that he could bring Hunter Sung Jin-Woo to Japan, but all he had asked of Go Geon-Hui was for a chance to negotiate. He never expected the other side to reject the offer outright.
"Are you refusing this chance because you're afraid Japan will take Hunter Sung Jin-Woo from you?"
Go Geon-Hui shook his head.
"I'm telling you that from the very start, you are not entitled to a single mana crystal."
Go Geon-Hui's loaded statement caused the interpreters to exchange uneasy glances.
"Mr. President, are you sure you want to say that as is?" "Of course. Don't leave out a single word—translate everything exactly as I said it."
Matsumoto's face reddened as he listened to the interpreter's words.
"President Go Geon-Hui! What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Naturally, his voice rose. At that moment, Japanese began to flow slowly from Go Geon-Hui's mouth.
"I'd like the interpreters to leave so the two of us can speak alone."
Matsumoto was visibly startled.
"You... you can speak Japanese?" "My father did a small bit of business in Japan when I was young. It was a long time ago, so fluent conversation would be difficult, but—"
A nod. With Matsumoto's assent, the two interpreters left the Association President's office. Matsumoto began.
"We sacrificed ten S-rank Hunters for your sake."
The list of casualties included none other than Japan's number one Hunter, Goto Ryuji.
"If you refuse my offer, I have no choice. I will add the compensation for their losses on top of half the mana crystals and file a claim with the Korean government."
But Go Geon-Hui scoffed.
"President Matsumoto... you still labor under the delusion that you hold the upper hand." "President Go Geon-Hui!"
Matsumoto's eyes shot open and he leaped to his feet.
"Is that any way to speak to those who fought on your behalf?"
Unlike the agitated Matsumoto, Go Geon-Hui remained calm until the end.
"I have always been curious."
Perhaps Matsumoto's anger subsided in the face of Go Geon-Hui's composure, for he slowly sat back down. Waiting until Matsumoto had fully settled into his seat, Go Geon-Hui continued.
"Why you—the ones who love nothing more than to make a name for yourselves on the world stage—handed over the Queen hunt, the most critical process of the raid, to us." "Because Korea had no independent capacity to buy time against the ant swarm." "If that was truly what you believed, would it not have been better to slot the Korean team in as a single group alongside your four teams, with Japan's elite squad entering the anthill to hunt the Queen?"
Indeed. The look in Matsumoto's eyes changed.
"...So what exactly are you trying to say now, President Go Geon-Hui?"
For some reason, he spoke Go Geon-Hui's name with deliberate clarity.
"Your withdrawal... wasn't it planned from the very beginning, not because of the giant ants?" "You've lost your mind." "You're the ones who've lost your minds. What exactly did you plan to do by sending our Hunters to their deaths?"
Go Geon-Hui's eyes narrowed. At that, Matsumoto burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha."
Before long, a recording device was produced from his pocket. Shaking his head, he continued.
"Everything you just said. It's all been captured right here. The crime of insulting Japanese Hunters without a shred of evidence and using that as a pretext to delay the promised distribution."
A sinister smile spread across Matsumoto's lips.
"Let's have the international community judge you."
With this single audio file containing Go Geon-Hui's statements, the fact that the Japanese Hunters had retreated during the operation could be buried completely. Public opinion would shift. It was a clear misstep on Go Geon-Hui's part, jumping to conclusions and believing circumstantial evidence without regard for the consequences. And if he were to lose his composure entirely and lay a hand on him? That would be irrefutable evidence. The audio file had already been transmitted to the situation room computers back home. But.
"Evidence? I have some, of course."
Go Geon-Hui produced a small, black rectangular object from inside his coat as well.
"...?" "Hunter Sung Jin-Woo found it at the site and brought it back."
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Matsumoto's demeanor softened slightly.
"What... is this?"
Go Geon-Hui smiled faintly at Matsumoto's puzzlement.
"The black box attached to their transceiver. Apparently, it was on the equipment the Goto team was using."
In an instant, Matsumoto's face turned ashen. Go Geon-Hui seized the moment, produced a player, and played the audio file he had extracted from the memory.
—How long has it been since the Korean team went in? —Just a moment. It's been a little under ten minutes. —Ten minutes, huh. —I suppose it's about time we started preparing to pull out.
The voice of Goto Ryuji—one of the most famous Japanese men in the world—was clearly captured. Go Geon-Hui turned off the player and spoke.
"Do you know why I chose not to release this file, President Matsumoto Shigeo of the Japanese Hunters' Association?"
Matsumoto slowly shook his head. His already ashen face was now turning white.
"Because I didn't want to rain on the parade of our citizens enjoying the taste of victory, splashing them with the filth of what you did. I held onto it for a little while—not for your sake, but for ours."
The recording device dropped from Matsumoto's hand with a thud. Go Geon-Hui spoke.
"Now you know what I have to say, President Matsumoto."
The player in Go Geon-Hui's hand was crushed to pieces by the grip strength of an S-rank Hunter.
"Get out of this room immediately."
***
After Jin-Woo had left, the Deputy Director remained in the room alone with Mrs. Selner.
"Ma'am, what on earth happened?"
He had seen many Hunters over the years and had worked with Mrs. Selner more than once, but something like this was a first. Suppressing her racing heart, Mrs. Selner managed to squeeze out a voice.
"He is a King. An exceedingly powerful one."
The Deputy Director's eyes widened. The only people who understood the principle behind Mrs. Selner's ability were the Director, the Deputy Director, and Mrs. Selner herself—just three people. And now she was asserting that Hunter Sung Jin-Woo was "King-class." Thump, thump. The Deputy Director felt his heart pounding once more.
"Then... are you saying he is on par with Hunters of national power-level?"
Slowly, she shook her head.
"No, I don't know about that. This is my first experience like this. He is a King, but he's different from ordinary Kings." "Excuse me? Could you explain in a way that's easier to understand..." "While I was looking into him, he was also looking at me." "Well, that's always the case with other Hunters—" "No! Not Hunter Sung Jin-Woo—the endless darkness inside him was looking at me!"
Mrs. Selner's body trembled. It was the primal fear inherent in all living things—the fear of death. But that wasn't the important part. The truly crucial words—she managed to recall them, even as her body shook with terror.
"And he..."
The Deputy Director leaned in once more. Mrs. Selner parted her lips with great effort.
"He has no limiter."