“Wait a minute. What happens if I don’t cooperate?”

Kim Songcheol asked. Kim Myeongju raised his head, clasped his hands, and remained silent for a moment.

He spoke as if he truly had no other choice.

“The mobilization order from the Special Disaster Response Agency is equivalent to a wartime mobilization order, and non-compliance carries a prison sentence of 1 to 5 years. Frankly, I don’t know what would happen if you sued the nation, but…”

“So, I don’t have a choice.”

“I am very sorry about that aspect. However, what is happening now is a global disaster. I would appreciate your generous understanding, considering this situation.”

Kim Myeongju continued with an utterly serious expression.

“But I prefer voluntary participation over forced mobilization. Imprisonment is the minimum stick, and there’s a carrot prepared separately. Let’s start with the money.”

Kim Myeongju pulled a chair over and sat down. Finally, Kim Songcheol and Kim Myeongju were at eye level.

“If you participate voluntarily, I will guarantee a contract bonus of 10 billion won and an annual salary of 10 billion won. In addition, there are separate bonuses based on points earned. Furthermore…”

“10 billion won? For the contract bonus?”

Kim Songcheol dug at his ear, wondering if he had misheard. He had heard that Hunters received a lot of money from the country, but he never imagined that the contract fee alone would be 10 billion won.

As an accountant, he tended to receive a lot of flyers, but even in those flyers, there was no Hunter who had received a contract fee of 10 billion won.

At most, it was around 3 billion won. The exact amount would only be known by disclosing bank statements, but it probably wouldn’t be much different from what the flyers said.

“It’s too early to be surprised. This money is just the basic amount based on mana affinity. If you show aptitude for magic or swordsmanship, it will increase even more. Think of it as being more than a sports star, and you’ll understand. Also, if there are scout offers from overseas, it will increase even further. Money doesn’t lie.”

“…”

Kim Songcheol’s head became complicated.

It wasn’t just because of the amount Kim Myeongju proposed.

“Could I have some time to think about it?”

“I’ll give you a week. But besides the financial aspect, I hope you deeply consider the future of the Republic of Korea. Damage from gates is occurring one after another all over the world. Even though the situation in Korea is relatively good… the Ulsan tragedy happened. Mr. Kim Songcheol has enormous potential. Please help the people of the Republic of Korea no longer tremble in fear.”

Kim Myeongju bowed his head once again. There was no hint of pretense. He truly wished for Kim Songcheol to accept.

That he would protect the Republic of Korea.

***

At a Korean traditional restaurant.

Kim Myeongju sat in front of a neatly set table.

He had neatly combed his greying hair and wore glasses.

Sharp eyes were alive behind the lenses.

He looked like a soldier facing war, not a meal.

Creak.

The door opened, and an elderly male staff member entered.

Kim Myeongju immediately stood up from his seat.

“Minister, have you arrived?”

“Sit, sit.”

It was Choi Jongmun, the Minister of Interior and Safety.

Since the appearance of dungeons and gates, and the establishment of the Special Disaster Response Agency, the Minister of Interior and Safety has only been appointed by the current regime’s faction.

At this moment, Choi Jongmun could almost be considered second only to the President.

“So, you have good news?”

Choi Jongmun asked as soon as he sat down. His expression was bright. Apart from political issues, he was also a citizen of the Republic of Korea.

“Yes. In this Mana Affinity expansion evaluation, a candidate with high potential has been discovered.”

“Oh, so pushing for the age expansion had an effect. It will save some face. So, how much potential does he have?”

“His mana affinity was 100.”

“What?”

Choi Jongmun’s expression instantly crumpled. It wasn’t in a negative way. He too was doubting his own ears.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I confirmed it myself. His affinity for mana was unusually high. I never expected such a body to exist.”

“That’s an unbelievable figure. As long as he’s not just a showy facade with high mana affinity… he’ll be a tremendous asset.”

Choi Jongmun finally nodded slowly. If he was nurtured well, the safety of the Republic of Korea would be guaranteed.

Is that all?

Nowadays, national power is determined by points. Perhaps the Republic of Korea could become the strongest nation.

“Have you secured the recruit?”

Choi Jongmun asked, reading the report Kim Myeongju handed him. It was a report containing Kim Songcheol’s profile.

“Not yet.”

“What? Then?”

“He said he needed time to think, so I granted him a week.”

“This person, is that how he handles things?”

Choi Jongmun did not hide his displeasure.

“You should have just grabbed him and sat him down! You’ve been doing so well until now, why stumble here? Is that all the repayment for my trust?”

“I apologize, but I made that decision after judging the overall situation. He’s 31, an accountant. If we act coercively…”

“An accountant over thirty is still a civilian! Can’t you even sweet-talk one person?”

“I judged that we wouldn’t be able to achieve proper cooperation if we acted coercively.”

Kim Myeongju said, maintaining his politeness without wavering. There was no sign of intimidation, but his tone was earnest.

“What if things go wrong? His parents are still alive, didn’t you think of that? What parent would be happy for their son to become a Hunter? Especially accountant parents! And what, are we going to jail him? If we jail him? Won’t the media go crazy?”

“…Just trust me this one time. We absolutely must not be coercive. In times like these, we must proceed based on trust with the government, Minister.”

“This is driving me crazy. What about information control?”

“For now, I’ve received non-disclosure agreements from the measurement assistants. Of course, I also received one from the subject. There won’t be any information leaks.”

Currently, there were a total of four people who knew about the Mana Affinity 100.

Kim Songcheol himself, the researcher who helped with the measurement, Kim Myeongju, and Choi Jongmun.

These four.

“…Still, I can’t be at ease. They’ll pull all sorts of tricks to steal Hunters…”

Choi Jongmun kept tapping the table with his fingers. His anxiety was evident.

“Last time we lost one, remember? The one with Mana Affinity 43. We sent him home to pack his bags for a moment, and he was recruited and went to America, remember?”

“I’m aware.”

“And yet you’ll give him a week?”

“Yes.”

“…You’re prepared to lose your position, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Kim Myeongju’s answer was unwavering.

***

Kim Songcheol stayed cooped up at home all weekend, only picking up his phone on Monday morning.

He selected Choi Daeseong from his call list and tapped it.

[Hello?]

Choi Daeseong’s voice soon came through. From the surrounding noise, it sounded like he was on the subway.

“This is Kim Songcheol.”

[What’s up? So early in the morning?]

“I’m not feeling well, so I think I’ll have to take a day off.”

[Oh, really?]

“Yes. I’ve had a cold coming on since yesterday, and even after taking medicine, it hasn’t improved…”

[I heard the flu is going around these days. Take a rest, there’s no helping it.]

“Yes, I apologize.”

[Don’t worry about it, it’s not even peak season.]

Kim Songcheol vaguely ended the call. Of course, he didn’t have a cold. His mind was just complicated.

He was destined to become a Hunter anyway, but he couldn’t bring himself to commit.

It was true that he was tempted by the money Kim Myeongju offered. But suddenly becoming a Hunter didn’t really appeal to him either.

As a Hunter, he would have to enter dungeons and fight monsters, risking his life, but Kim Songcheol had never risked his life before.

He was, after all, a delicate hothouse flower raised gently in modern society.

Risk his life?

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of aversion.

Kim Songcheol stayed inside his house for a week like that.

He kept taking days off, but he didn’t worry about his job at all.

Because his mind was filled with thoughts of being a Hunter.

As time flowed by, it became the last day of his promise with Kim Myeongju.

“Hoo…”

Kim Songcheol lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, then roughly put on some clothes and went out. All he had in his pockets were his phone and car keys.

He immediately drove his car out of Seoul and onto the highway.

It was a weekday morning, so the highway was wide open.

After driving for a long time, he arrived at Ulsan.

There was nothing unusual until he crossed the border into Ulsan.

Scattered rural villages were gathered, and the roads were intact.

However, after passing the tollgate and driving further into Ulsan, a massive ruin appeared.

Almost an entire district, not just a town, was devastated.

Kim Songcheol drove his car as the navigation system guided him.

It was a mountain overlooking downtown Ulsan.

Kim Songcheol parked his car and got out. After a short walk, an observatory appeared.

He held onto the railing and looked down at Ulsan.

It was a horrific scene.

The crater where the missile had fallen remained, and an enormous pile of building debris lay scattered.

It was impossible to tell what part of the building anything had belonged to. It was so finely shattered and dispersed.

‘No smell.’

He had heard that for a year after Ulsan was devastated, it was filled with the smell of chemicals.

The corpses of monsters blown apart by missiles were scattered everywhere, and it was impossible to clear them all.

Monsters are living creatures, so they rot, and if left alone, various giant beetles and epidemics would infest the area, so chemicals were continuously poured over them.

“…There’s no devastation quite like this devastation.”

His impression of Ulsan was ‘horrific.’

Although everyone had evacuated, evacuation wasn’t the end of it.

They had lost their workplaces and their homes.

There was no way to fully compensate their losses, and the hundreds of thousands of Ulsan refugees were a huge social problem.

In another sense, Ulsan could be said to have fared well.

In Australia’s case, the land was simply taken over by monsters.

What if, in Korea too, they couldn’t eliminate the gates with points and monsters began pouring out simultaneously?

Could everything really be solved with missiles?

What if the entire country was devastated by constantly firing missiles?

That too was a problem in itself.

Moreover, Korea’s gate deletion speed was gradually slowing down.

That meant they were short on points.

If this trend continued, the downfall of the Republic of Korea wouldn’t be a story of the distant future.

‘If I can be of great help, I should do it. If I’m not much help… that’s fine too.’

Facing the horrific sight of Ulsan, Kim Songcheol’s mind was somewhat made up.

To become a hunter.

Kim Songcheol picked up his mobile phone.

[Hello? Mr. Kim Songcheol?]

Kim Myeongju’s surprisingly cheerful voice flowed out.

“Yes, hello?”

[Yes, what’s the matter?]

“Oh, I… I’m going to try being a hunter.”

“You’ve made a very good decision.”

Kim Myeongju’s voice came from behind, not through the receiver.

He turned around to see Kim Myeongju standing there with her mobile phone.

“Were you following me?”

“Mr. Kim Songcheol is the hope of the Republic of Korea. Bodyguarding is absolutely necessary.”

Kim Myeongju smiled broadly and continued.

“Shall we enroll, then?”

Enrollment.

A place of learning for magic and swordsmanship.

It meant entering the Special Tactical Training Institute.