Chapter 36

“Han Sunwoo here. Long time no see.”

It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since I contacted him, yet the Vice President of the Association arrived at my house.

His speed was truly astonishing.

“> You came really fast.”

“> I wanted to come even faster, but there was traffic. I even thought of taking a helicopter, but it would have drawn too much attention.”

“…That’s a joke, right?”

“> It was a joke, but if you order it, I will.”

“No thanks.”

Han Sunwoo sat with me in the penthouse café room.

“> I couldn’t really look around last time because it was urgent, but this house is amazing.”

“It’s thanks to the Association.”

“> No, I’m sorry we couldn’t provide you with an even better home due to budget limitations.”

“You don’t have to flatter me. I’m not planning to immigrate anytime soon.”

“> That’s a relief.”

Seeing this serious and stern-looking man crack jokes confused me. His image and his humor just didn’t match.

Last time, during the A-rank Break chain event, he looked so charismatic. Maybe he was more easygoing than I thought.

“> The President apologizes for not coming in person. They want to protect your identity.”

“I completely understand. Thank you for protecting me.”

“> Honestly, even though I’m the Vice President, my face is different from what’s publicly known.”

“Did you use a fake face to hide your identity?”

“> No, I got plastic surgery.”

“……”

“> Just kidding.”

“…Please stop joking with such a straight face.”

“> Understood. Actually, I use a special agent wearing a mask modeled after my face to switch with me. Since your appearance, Namjoong-nim.”

Was the person I saw on the helicopter really him? He nodded, confirming it.

“> Many people felt uncomfortable around me because of my stern image, so I practiced some jokes.”

“Well… I appreciate your effort, but please stop for now.”

“> Understood. Thank you for resolving the gate issue the other day. Thanks to you, casualties were minimized nationwide.”

“Don’t mention it. I should thank you for protecting my identity. Wearing those special masks can’t be easy.”

“> Not at all. If you’re curious about my real face, here it is.”

He handed me a photo.

He didn’t take off his mask, likely because of hidden observers.

I never cared much for politics, so while I didn’t recognize the Vice President’s face, the man in the photo looked completely different from the stern image before me – more like a handsome, gentle man.

“> The current face suits me better, right?”

“…Well.”

“> It’s okay. Sometimes I think I finally got my face back.”

“……”

“> That wasn’t a joke.”

“Your real face is better looking.”

“> But looks aren’t important in this job.”

True. His current charismatic face probably suited his leadership role better.

With the atmosphere lightened, he got to the point.

“> First, let me deliver the elixir. It’s the soul-condensed elixir from HP Company.”

“> Finally.”

“> It was delayed due to various incidents. I apologize.”

“No, it’s not your fault.”

“> Right. Grateful they got it at all.”

Lee Woo-jae spoke beside me, his eyes practically shooting lasers.

He was dying without that elixir, after all.

“> Sorry to interrupt, but can I drink it now?”

“> Of course. Go ahead.”

“President, please.”

I nodded and sent the elixir to Woo-jae in the 90th floor tower.

He closed his eyes and fell silent, then his expression relaxed like he was high.

“> Anastasia…”

“…Is there something weird in that elixir? What’s wrong with him?”

“> Try dying then reviving. Feels like drinking water after 30 days without it.”

“You’d die in 10 days without water.”

“> Exactly.”

Ah.

I knew he was dying, but since he said he just needed it within a month, I underestimated the urgency.

But thinking about it, that meant he was terminal within a month.

His proxy magic engineering puppet acted so normally that I almost forgot.

“> Feeling better now?”

“> Beyond better.”

“> Next time show you’re sick. I almost forgot.”

“> No point. Puppets don’t feel pain unless the owner is near death.”

“> I’ll get you more elixirs soon.”

“> Thanks. Don’t overdo it. I won’t die within a month now. Anyway, I’ll go rest.”

“Yeah, rest well.”

If he felt more relaxed now, that was good.

Although global gate breaks and S-rank gates were erupting everywhere, getting elixirs wasn’t impossible.

Midas and V were valuable enough to make elixirs feel trivial.

I could keep acquiring them through contracts.

As he said, I didn’t need to rush and push myself.

After all, what was a few years to Lee Woo-jae, who spent 25 years trapped in the Tower?

The important thing was saving his life and bringing him out, not speed.

‘Not yet, though.’

I wished I could bring him out now, but it was still too soon.

He could barely stay alive with mana-condensed elixirs; going back to low-mana environments would shave off his lifespan immediately.

I cleared my throat and asked Han Sunwoo the main question.

“> So, how’s the situation overseas?”

“> I was about to tell you.”

S-rank gates and A-rank breaks were erupting worldwide. Chaos was unavoidable.

Rather, Korea already beginning restoration efforts was what seemed strange.

“> As you may expect, except for the US and Korea, the rest of the world has yet to resolve their breaks.”

“> Oh, the US already handled theirs? It’s only been a day.”

“> Not completely, but they’re dealing with remaining monsters.”

As expected of America.

Before and after the gate crisis, they remained a superpower.

“If money can’t solve it, you simply don’t have enough money” – that saying suited them.

Hunters were still people within capitalism.

Naturally, they gathered where the money was – maintaining America’s status.

“> What about Japan and China? And North Korea?”

Japan and China were strong Hunter nations.

China wasn’t on par with the US, but sheer population made it number two globally, with Japan ranked sixth alongside South Korea at seventh.

I’d heard Japan used to be second or third in economic power.

But awakenings correlated with population, and nurturing Hunters required economic power, so it was inevitable.

Our insane competitive society was just an exception.

Germany was third, India fourth, and Russia fifth.

“> Japan is struggling to respond. Their mountainous terrain and rural areas prevent efficient Hunter dispatch.”

“> Ah, right. Japan is very mountainous.”

“> Yes, worse than Korea. Lots of countryside and wide land.”

“> So civilian casualties are high.”

“> Fortunately their system isn’t bad, so recovery is progressing. But their government approval rating is plummeting. Unlike Korea, where the President’s approval rating is rising – thanks to you, Namjoong-nim.”

Well, it made sense their approval went up.
Though it wasn’t thanks to the President but to me.

‘Feels like I did them a favor for nothing.’

“> Did they request dispatch support?”

“> Of course. Not just once or twice. They keep begging.”

“> Did you send any help?”

“> No, citing rest and recovery needs. That was the right call.”

I nodded.

Though I resolved the crisis quickly, many died and cities were destroyed.

Sending exhausted Hunters to help Japan would’ve been madness.

Plus, relations with Japan weren’t great lately – territorial disputes and trade conflicts.

An uncomfortable alliance against China.

“> And North Korea is on the verge of collapse.”

“> Already?”

“> It’s more accurate to say ‘finally’. They forced awakenings and gate conquests without proper weapons or systems.”

“> True… But I didn’t think it’d be this fast.”

“> They’re so desperate they contacted us, asking for help as fellow Koreans – or threatening to launch nukes.”

“…Haha.”

I let out a hollow laugh, though it wasn’t funny.

With magical engineering and Hunters, nukes were manageable nowadays – but still no trivial matter.

“They probably won’t actually launch. There’s nothing to gain. Internal intel suggests they’re considering asylum.”

“> North Korea, seeking asylum?”

“> If their people die out, there’s no tax base to feed the Kim family. They may surrender to China or Russia and flee.”

“> So they’d surrender not to us but to China or Russia?”

“> They could live decently under China or Russia. Though with China facing two S-rank gates and Russia one, surrendering to Korea is also likely.”

“Hmm…”

He was right.

No country had faced two S-rank gates simultaneously before.

Plus, India bordered China.

If India failed to conquer their gate, monsters would flood Nepal, then China and Pakistan.

“> So how’s China? They’re probably in the most danger.”

“> Well…”

Two S-rank gates, two more in neighboring countries, and countless breaks.

It was dire.

Han Sunwoo’s face turned complicated as he spoke.

“> China’s situation… is a bit strange.”