Chapter 13

Chapter 13
## Chapter 13: Growing Anticipation

In all honesty, a Rank 3 Erosion Core isn’t particularly mind-blowing. The actual problem is that a novice Hunter is an even less impressive entity.

“The authorities must be jumping for joy.”

“For the moment, their strategy is to just keep a close watch on his actions. However, if that boy displays talent that exceeds what we’ve already witnessed…”

If that Hunter climbed beyond the status of a merely gifted beginner…

Korea could experience some instability, and it wouldn’t change a thing. The trials they were conducting would proceed without a second of hesitation.

“Setting Gyodongdo aside, how are the other locations progressing?”

“The experiment at Daemado was a total success. The other nineteen resulted in failure.”

The individual in the hood let out a heavy breath.

“That is a bit clumsy. At the very least, it’s a small mercy that the victory occurred in Japan.”

A success rate of a measly 5 percent. Regardless, they had gathered high-quality intelligence. With one triumph secured, they could dissect the errors of the nineteen fiascos and improve the probability of success in the future.

“Get the next phase ready.”

“Is that a good move? Perhaps we should give it some breathing room…”

“By the time we are prepared, that Yoo Chan-seok fellow will likely have produced even more staggering achievements.”

But what if he fails to deliver? The journalist whispered the thought under his breath almost unconsciously.

“If he falls short, he’ll be nothing more than a falling star that flared up for a second—utterly mundane. No shift in plans there.”

“M-my apologies.”

The two figures disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Neutralizing a Rank 3 Erosion Core by oneself is something veteran professionals do without breaking a sweat.

But when the person responsible is a complete greenhorn who just recently received his Hunter license? It becomes an achievement that is virtually unthinkable for a normal person.

“I feel like some child wonder from a reality television show.”

The chatter surrounding me was generating massive interest throughout the country. And this wasn’t just a localized phenomenon restricted to Korean borders.

After all, Korea was no longer a minor player on the world stage.

“This is merely the opening act.”

Every pair of eyes was fixed on me. Starting off this aggressively had everyone counting down the seconds until my next performance.

When the reputation begins to outpace your genuine capabilities, you find yourself unable to sustain the image. The second you slip up, all that fascination transforms into ridicule from a let-down public.

If you succeed, however, those expectations evolve into adoration. And the people tracking my every move right now? They would have mountains of capital ready to invest.

“It won’t take much longer.”

Without the assistance of Lee Se-eun, capturing this much limelight so rapidly would have been a struggle. Because of the Gyodongdo contract she pointed me toward, I managed to take down a Rank 3 solo.

But I no longer required her help. From the beginning…

“Top 10 on the planet? She must be incredibly busy. One favor is more than enough.”

Hope’s List, they called it. Essentially a hall of fame for Hunters. It was managed by the Korea Hunter Association central office and refreshed at regular intervals with the names of the elite.

A catalog of 100 individuals. A worldwide leaderboard of Hunters from every corner of the globe.

“According to the records of the Korea Hunter Association, there are roughly 70 million Hunters active globally right now…”

And out of those millions, exactly 100 names.

I stared with total indifference at the list displayed on my computer screen.

Thirty-seven of those elite 100 were Koreans. To put it plainly, Korea was the dominant Hunter superpower. That was the leverage that kept other nations quiet and solidified our position as the leaders in neutralizing Erosion Zones.

In a way, it was similar to archery in Korea. When a gifted young archer appears, the public doesn’t hope for a silver medal at the international games.

“It’s gold or it’s a failure.”

Countries that dominate a field set incredibly high benchmarks for their rising stars.

To put it another way…

At the very least, making it onto that list converts public expectation into genuine faith. For true status, you have to fight your way into the highest tiers.

If you don’t make the cut, you’re just another overhyped Hunter who faded away into obscurity with the rest of the nobodies.

I gave my clothes one final inspection and stepped out the door.

The press, having picked up on the rumors, had filed requests for interviews. Today was the day I had to stand before them.

“Nobody except the great predecessor has pulled it off, right?”

No other Hunter had cleared a Rank 3 solo on their very first contract since the inception of Hope’s List—excluding the legendary figure who has occupied the number one spot since the start.

“Even calling it his ‘first contract’ doesn’t quite apply to the great predecessor.”

The very first zone he neutralized after becoming a Hunter was eventually reclassified as a Rank 3.

The point was, what the press—and the general public—craved wasn’t just some bright-eyed rookie.

I walked through the entrance, met a forest of microphones and lenses, and began to speak.

“Greetings to everyone. I am Yoo Chan-seok.”

I had no reason to feel intimidated. I had stood in front of much larger assemblies before. Granted, there wasn’t any high-tech equipment like this in that other realm, but the experience is largely the same.

The moment I stopped speaking, a reporter chimed in immediately.

“We have received reports that you neutralized the Rank 3 Erosion Core on Gyodongdo entirely on your own.”

They were already aware of the facts, so why the question? Regardless, hearing the confirmation directly from the source is a completely different experience than hearing it through the grapevine.

“That is correct.”

I didn’t bother adding qualifiers like “I got lucky” or “somehow I managed.”

“It couldn’t have been a simple choice to make or execute. What was going through your mind at that moment?”

“I believed I was capable of doing it, so I did it. The fact that I’m standing here talking about it is proof that my judgment was sound.”

Acting arrogant is fine. Success has a way of making arrogance look like sophistication.

Imagine someone saying, “I looked at the music and knew I could play it—anyone could, right?” If that comes from someone who only knows a simple nursery rhyme, people laugh.

If Mozart says it? Everyone reacts with “As expected…” in total wonder.

I had established a record with only one other precedent on earth. There was no problem with this interview approach.

“The IHC has scheduled the transfer window to begin in 65 days, spanning a period of 10 weeks. Are there any firms you are currently considering?”

Hunters are restricted to switching agencies only during these designated transfer periods.

Contracts take time to complete, and if a Hunter just walks away in the middle of a task with a casual goodbye, it creates absolute turmoil.

New Hunters are granted a one-month “free agent” window after they are chosen, but that time has already passed for me.

“I have no intentions of joining any corporation at this time.”

Would they fixate on the word “yet” or the phrase “no intentions”?

The inquiries kept coming. Another half-hour of rapid-fire questioning followed…

“The entire world is monitoring your future actions, Hunter Yoo. As a Hunter, is there a specific vow or philosophy you can share with us?”

It was time to wrap things up. This query, one more, and then the press briefing would conclude.

What should I tell them?

That I saved a neighbor’s house only to return and find mine engulfed in flames?

They wouldn’t grasp the meaning even if I told them.

“I will provide results that exceed your highest expectations.”

There was nothing else to add. Following the short briefing, I was paged for a meeting with the Association President.

“You handled that situation like a seasoned veteran.”

“I’m glad it appeared that way. My palms were sweating quite a bit.”

“Is that so?”

He dismissed the comment with a casual air and then focused his attention on me.

“Do you have any new contracts lined up?”

“I do.”

I’m essentially a private contractor. If I sit around doing nothing, I’m just an unemployed person.

Naturally, I had a few possibilities in mind. The president spoke with a controlled, deliberate tone.

“When you are selecting your next tasks, make sure to weigh every single variable.”

He turned his smartphone toward me as he spoke, displaying several active requests on the screen.

“Are these suggestions?”

“Certain tasks carry more weight than others.”

The way he phrased it sparked my interest. The relative “importance” didn’t appear to be linked to the level of peril involved.

“Consider this specific one…”

A cargo ship arriving from distant America would stop briefly at Busan before continuing to Nanning by way of Zhanjiang to discharge its load. I would board at Busan and provide security for the freight until it reached Nanning.

“What is it, basic supplies or something?”

China is currently in a desperate state. If Hunters have the Hope’s List, then Erosion Cores have the Great Eight.

The eight most lethal zones on the planet. One of them, the Gonzalo Rock, is located in Beijing.

“Gonzalo Rock was among the initial Erosion Cores to appear during the global outbreak thirteen years ago.”

The twist? One of them struck China right during the Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People.

The top leadership was annihilated. Unlike the rapid initial mobilization in Korea that produced the first generation of Hunters, China fumbled the response.

Total disorder followed. China was crushed like a piece of brittle candy under the wheels of a heavy truck.

“Nanning is effectively the capital of China now.”

Even a rotting tree still has some value. China didn’t undergo a total collapse.

The people who made it out fled south, away from the expanding Erosion Zone surrounding Gonzalo Rock in Beijing, and consolidated around the People’s National Salvation Party in Nanning.

“More to the point.”

I scanned the cargo manifest and then stared at the president with a look of total skepticism.

“No matter how much I study this, these are not basic necessities.”

While I was surviving in another world, did the preferences of the Chinese elite become this extravagant? Replacing simple home cooking with exotic furs and expensive liquor?

Aside from the furs and spirits, there was luxury furniture, high-end vehicles, designer garments, and luxury timepieces—it was all high-end consumer goods.

“You realize that not everyone is satisfied with just the bare essentials.”

I pulled up a recent news report about China without offering a verbal rebuttal: descriptions of food scarcity and a lack of organized distribution.

“I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make, but China is desperate for actual survival supplies right now.”

The president let out a soft sigh as he looked at the news story.

“It is true that many countries are suffering because of the Erosion Zones. However, the world of international statecraft hasn’t completely disintegrated.”

In other words, this is political lubrication to keep diplomatic relations functioning smoothly. I slid my phone back into my pocket.

“I don’t intend to get caught up in political games.”

I didn’t have the patience for minor power-seekers fighting for scraps in a world that was falling apart.

“The Korean administration views this as a high priority.”

“I don’t.”

He looked completely drained.

“Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, as blunt as this sounds… you are a brand new arrival. It seems all the attention has inflated your ego.”

This wasn’t some random old man from the neighborhood—it was the President of the Association. Most Hunters would be trembling and immediately walking back their statements.

Just as I parted my lips to give him an answer, the door was suddenly thrown open.