The next day, Commissioner Yoo Jeong-tae visited Jeon Jae-woo’s studio apartment once again.
“Hunter. Have you been well? You were not injured anywhere, were you?”
Concerned that Jeon Jae-woo might have suffered some injury while clearing the Ancient-grade Ruin, he had even brought Healers with him.
“No. I am perfectly fine. But Commissioner, you…”
Judging by Yoo Jeong-tae’s expression, he was the one who did not seem to have been doing well.
He had become noticeably haggard in the few weeks since they last met. If anything, it looked as though the Healers ought to be using their abilities on Yoo Jeong-tae.
Jeon Jae-woo, on the other hand, appeared perfectly healthy, with all four limbs intact.
Yoo Jeong-tae certainly had not hoped that anything would be wrong with him, but he still could not help being astonished.
‘He should have just finished clearing an Ancient-grade Ruin, yet he looks completely fine?’
Just how powerful was this man?
Of course, there was a very simple reason Jeon Jae-woo was completely unharmed.
Myeolgeop, the Golem, had been the one who fought the World Tree in a brutal battle.
Jeon Jae-woo had merely watched quietly from the sidelines without lifting so much as a finger.
“It is not much, but please come in.”
“Then please excuse the intrusion.”
Since guests were coming over, both Myeolgeop and the Elder Lich concealed themselves.
Of course, they had only hidden their appearances and were still nearby, watching over their master.
The Elder Lich was somewhat concerning, though.
Unlike Myeolgeop, which followed orders to the letter, the Lich had a more unpredictable personality. There was no telling what it might suddenly do.
In modern society, the head of a Hunter organization was one of the most powerful people in any country.
And lately, one of Commissioner Yoo Jeong-tae’s most important duties was none other than looking after Hunter Jeon Jae-woo and building a closer relationship with him.
Naturally, the Hunter Administration and the government had been thrown into turmoil when news broke that Jeon Jae-woo had cleared an Ancient-grade Ruin.
It was not as though he had done anything harmful to the country. If anything, he had greatly elevated South Korea’s international standing.
The problem was that the repercussions were simply too enormous.
The value of an Ancient-grade Ruin in modern society was beyond imagination, and now one belonged to a single private individual.
Before coming here, Yoo Jeong-tae had been subjected to relentless pressure from both the President and the Minister of the Ministry of Disaster Administration.
The government was delighted that an Ancient-grade Ruin had become the property of a South Korean citizen, but at the same time, the situation was difficult to handle.
The moment news of the clear spread, complaints had even come in from the international community.
Even if Ruins technically belonged to whoever cleared them first, they argued, surely there was still such a thing as basic decency between nations.
From South Korea’s perspective, which had been stabbed in the back countless times over Ruins in the past, the complaints were nothing short of absurd.
The moment the news broke, reporters from every broadcasting station had swarmed the entrance of the Hunter Administration headquarters.
Yoo Jeong-tae had pushed all of those headache-inducing matters aside and come to see Jeon Jae-woo instead.
“First of all, I sincerely congratulate you on successfully clearing an Ancient-grade Ruin.”
“Thank you.”
“I believe I should be the one thanking you, Hunter Jeon Jae-woo, for bringing such prestige to the country…”
Yoo Jeong-tae took a sip of the instant coffee Jeon Jae-woo had brought him, then asked.
“What do you want, Hunter?”
“What?”
Jeon Jae-woo responded with a question of his own at the sudden inquiry.
“As the head of the South Korean Hunter Administration, I want a firm assurance that you will stand with the Hunter Administration. And in exchange, I am willing to pay whatever price is necessary.”
When Yoo Jeong-tae first heard that someone had cleared a Legendary-grade Ruin, he had thought that an extraordinary figure had appeared in South Korea.
Looking back now, even the word extraordinary seemed inadequate.
Jeon Jae-woo himself was unquestionably one of the greatest national assets South Korea possessed, something that could not be exchanged for anything else.
Yet Jeon Jae-woo’s answer to Yoo Jeong-tae’s question remained unchanged.
“…I told you last time, but there really is not anything in particular that I want.”
“……”
Yoo Jeong-tae sighed inwardly.
As expected, this type of person was the most difficult to persuade.
If someone wanted something, the government could simply give it to them in exchange for securing their cooperation.
In that case, was the only remaining approach to appeal to concerns about his family’s safety?
“Hunter. You are already in a position where it will be difficult for you to remain merely a private individual on Earth.”
“If a neighboring country maliciously targets the power you possess, then in the worst-case scenario, your family could be placed in danger. If you join us, we can guarantee the complete safety of everyone you hold dear.”
That would have been a perfectly persuasive argument for most other Hunters.
“Ah. I appreciate the offer, but that is all right too.”
“…What?”
Yoo Jeong-tae stared blankly at the unexpected answer.
“Um, could it be that you are not on good terms with your parents…?”
“No, no. I think I have a perfectly good relationship with my parents. It is just that I can handle their safety with my own abilities.”
More precisely, with Myeolgeop and the Lich’s abilities.
Jeon Jae-woo was not an idiot. Naturally, he had worried about his parents.
Once his existence became known to the world, there would inevitably be dangerous groups that might approach them.
Concerned about his family’s safety, Jeon Jae-woo had even asked Myeolgeop and the Elder Lich whether it might be better to rely on the Hunter Administration’s protection.
Both of them, however, had reacted negatively to the idea.
‘If you are worried about the elders’ safety, there is no need for concern. Protecting two people is well within my abilities.’
[I agree, Creator. If you entrust your parents’ safety to a government organization, there is a possibility that the government could use that as leverage to influence you instead.]
‘…Is that so?’
And the two of them had taken enough precautions that there truly seemed to be nothing to worry about.
The Elder Lich had used Sorcery to place a special Ward on his parents that would activate automatically if they were threatened, and had secretly assigned Undead guards created through Necromancy to protect them.
Myeolgeop had apparently deployed something resembling Drones that would automatically intercept any threat approaching his parents.
The Elder Lich had even added that the security surrounding his parents was now superior to that protecting most heads of state, so there was no reason to worry.
From Jeon Jae-woo’s perspective, the Golem and Undead that followed him were immensely reliable.
“……”
With even his final card rendered meaningless, Yoo Jeong-tae had nothing more to say.
Truthfully, from Yoo Jeong-tae’s perspective, it would be perfectly acceptable if Jeon Jae-woo simply remained as he was.
As long as Jeon Jae-woo did not emigrate and continued living in South Korea, it was reasonable to assume that South Korea would always receive priority when trading resources from the Ruins he cleared.
The problem was that Yoo Jeong-tae had no guarantee that Jeon Jae-woo would continue remaining in South Korea indefinitely.
Who could say that he would never change his mind one day and move to another country?
Of course, the emigration of domestic Hunters was prohibited by law, but could the government physically prevent a Hunter of Jeon Jae-woo’s caliber from leaving?
Still, persuading Jeon Jae-woo immediately was clearly impossible.
That left Yoo Jeong-tae with only one thing to say.
After remaining silent for a moment, Yoo Jeong-tae slowly opened his mouth.
“Hunter Jeon Jae-woo.”
“Yes?”
“If you ever need anything, anything at all, please feel free to tell me.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“I am not saying that merely as a courtesy. This incident made something perfectly clear to me. If I want to earn your goodwill, I must be willing to do whatever it takes.”
“……”
The contract Yoo Jeong-tae had shown him last time had already made Jeon Jae-woo wonder whether the man considered himself above the law.
“If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to contact me. Whatever it is, I will support you in every way I possibly can.”
“Yes…”
“Then I will take my leave. I hope to see you again soon.”
Yoo Jeong-tae soon stood up, apparently preparing to leave.
He had carved time out of an already packed schedule to come here, yet he had gained nothing from the visit.
Even so, he had not tried to pressure Jeon Jae-woo into agreeing to anything.
‘Someone in the position of Commissioner must be extremely anxious. He is still not going to pressure me?’
Jeon Jae-woo had half expected(?) something like a scene from a movie or television drama, with the government threatening him and demanding his cooperation.
But Yoo Jeong-tae understood perfectly well the consequences that could arise from cornering Hunters.
South Korea had already suffered major losses in the past because of mistakes like that.
Jeon Jae-woo did not have a particularly bad impression of Yoo Jeong-tae.
The man genuinely seemed to be trying to accommodate him.
If so, perhaps doing this much business with him would be fine.
Jeon Jae-woo rose from his seat and dragged over a box he had stashed in a corner of the room.
“Then, Commissioner. Since you are already here, would you mind selling the rewards from the Ancient-grade Ruin for me as well? I do not think I can use all of this by myself either.”
Yoo Jeong-tae had just turned to leave, but somehow, he was already back in his seat, his eyes shining brightly.
“If you entrust them to me, Hunter, I will make certain you receive the highest possible price.”
***
Recently, China and Japan had been extremely angry with South Korea.
Why?
Because Hunters from South Korea had snatched away Ruins that both countries had been targeting.
For Japan, it was the Legendary-grade Ruin Grave of Swords.
For China, it was the newly appeared Ancient-grade Ruin.
China, in particular, was furious.
Japan had merely lost out on a single Ruin it had wanted.
China, however, had been determined to secure this newly appeared Ancient-grade Ruin at all costs.
Recently, every Ancient-grade Ruin that appeared had been taken by the European Union, India, or some other competitor before China could secure it.
At this rate, China could hardly maintain its dignity as the world’s greatest Hunter power.
That was why it had been sharpening its blade, determined that this Ancient-grade Ruin would finally be theirs.
Then, out of nowhere, some completely unknown Korean Hunter had appeared and taken it the moment it emerged.
Technically, a Ruin belonged to no one until it was cleared.
Nevertheless, the Chinese leadership was furious over what they regarded as the loss of the Ancient-grade Ruin.
“These bastards. I have tolerated enough. We cannot simply let this pass.”
At the muttering of China’s incumbent President and dictator, a sycophantic subordinate rubbed his hands together and eagerly agreed.
“You are absolutely correct. How dare they challenge us?”
“Precisely. A great nation must never allow itself to be outdone by a small one.”
“Then what do you intend to do…?”
Yet the Chinese government itself did not have the courage to confront the person who had actually taken the Ancient-grade Ruin and demand accountability.
When the news arrived that the Ancient-grade Ruin had been cleared, China’s high-ranking Hunters had frankly been terrified.
Not a single Hunter in China, despite its status as a Hunter superpower, could clear an Ancient-grade Ruin alone, much less do so that quickly.
Retaliation was only an option when the opponent was someone you could afford to test.
The President himself had been a powerful Hunter before becoming a dictator, so he understood that fact better than most.
Thus, the Chinese leadership decided to redirect its anger elsewhere.
Toward the South Korean government.
They could not be completely certain, but the person who had cleared the Ancient-grade Ruin did not seem to have a particularly close relationship with his own government.
If they had been close, the South Korean government would surely have brought him into the fold long ago and loudly proclaimed to the entire world that their country possessed such an extraordinary Hunter.
The President tapped his fingers for a moment before speaking.
“We have several Legendary-grade Ruins that we cleared jointly with South Korea, do we not?”
“Yes. There are three or four mining Ruins that produce Magic Ore.”
Because the two countries had worked together to clear them, the Ruins were currently under joint ownership.
“Our contribution to those clears was greater anyway. Just take them. Throw all the Koreans out.”
The President of China gave the order with the kind of thinking befitting a dictator.