Chapter 11: The Ivory Tower and Library (4)

Despite my earnest plea, it didn’t seem like headquarters would accept my request right away.

Well, it can’t be helped.

Public servants never get anything done in just a day or two.

They must have their hands full with all sorts of things because of the Gate.

Looks like I’ll have to handle it myself.

“Ming Ming. Listen. We’re going to find the head of the Hunter Association now. Can you locate them?”

“Ming!”

Ming Ming nodded as if in agreement.

I started moving in the direction Ming Ming was staring at.

For this, Ming Ming shrank down and got into a pet carrier.

I had no intention of attracting unnecessary attention.

Because I had to keep this as secret as possible, I came alone by car this time.

Though I managed to handle the Goblin Gate well and prevented large-scale chaos, the seeds of unrest must still be out there.

Gate Worshippers.

Traitor organizations.

They might have already taken deep root.

Thinking about the last time I entered the Gate and ran into people, it’s not like those kinds of people are rare.

Anyway, what’s most important to keep the situation under control is a strong ally.

I picked up Ming Ming’s carrier and got out of the car.

The best thing to do right now is to settle things with the Association head before any problems arise.

Isn’t it still before the Hunter Association is even established?

It’s a bit complicated, but let me explain.

Before the regression, the Government’s original plan was to manage the Hunters directly as a national project.

You can probably guess why the Government wanted that, but it’s obvious there’d be problems.

It wasn’t a situation that could be controlled like that, and of course, the Hunter groups fiercely resisted.

When I looked up at my own sound, I saw several crows watching me from above the apartment entrance.

“Must be the Puppet Master’s eyes.”

The Puppet Master.

That’s what we called the Hunter Association head.

The Hunter Association head was eventually able to gather most of the Awakened groups, who had fought desperately, into the Association.

But that was only after the Awakened groups had already become antagonistic.

It took a lot of time and sacrifice before a system centered on the Hunter Association could function.

And during that process, villainous Awakened groups started appearing, too.

I was planning to use an approach that blocked both sides.

Give the Hunter groups the autonomous association they wanted, and keep an eye on the troublemakers.

Fortunately, I had a rough idea of the area where the Hunter Association head lived, thanks to my previous life.

I swept the area with my mana sight.

There—one person.

An Awakened whose skill wasn’t high enough yet to completely hide their presence.

“If I find them now, I should be able to persuade them.”

The Association head I met in my previous life wasn’t someone you couldn’t talk to.

Maybe some of the Association head’s actions and those of certain Awakened seemed unreasonable, but that wasn’t all there was to it.

Many Awakened believed the country might dissect or quarantine them.

And there were actually countries that did that.

The Association head really did do their best last time.

We just noticed the situation a little late and acted a little late.

“Is this the right place?”

“Ming.”

I knocked on what looked like an ordinary apartment door.

The Hunter Association head wasn’t an idiot.

Of course, they wouldn’t just open the door for anyone saying, “Who’s there?”

There are lots of ways.

I could have Ming Ming smash the door down, or I could use mana to strengthen my body and force my way in.

I was still thinking about how to get in—

“Who is it?”

The Hunter Association head was staring blankly at me.

I hurriedly opened the pet carrier with Ming Ming inside.

“Ming Ming. Go to that person—”

No, not that.

Better do something reasonable…

“Go to that person and hug them.”

The dragon shot out like a bullet.

It tackled the Hunter Association head to the ground, then planted its face on them like a big dog.

“What…?”

The soon-to-be Hunter Association head.

Nickname: Puppet Master.

Real name: Baek Hyewon.

I looked at the Puppet Master’s face.

It’s always a little surprising to see famous Awakened in person, and the Puppet Master looked like just a completely ordinary person.

How should I put it? “Looks like a pitiful rookie in society” would be about right.

Even so, the Puppet Master was the strongest Level 5 Ability User among all the Hunters in Korea at the time.

Of course, I’m stronger now.

“What do you do? Are you an Awakened?”

“I’m a Public Servant.”

“Why are you here to see me?”

Ming Ming was still trying to stick their face into the Hunter Association head’s.

After watching for a bit, the hatchling dragon was wriggling, struggling to climb onto the head’s head.

It was a pretty funny sight.

I tried to stifle my laughter by pretending to cough.

“I’m from the Supernatural Science Research Institute. I thought you could help us with some research.”

“Uh, what’s this about now?”

“This is my Summoned Beast.”

The Association head removed Ming Ming from their head, then gave it a gentle pet.

Looking around, as if trying to understand the situation.

At least their expression was much softer than what I’d seen in my previous life.

They haven’t been through any tragedy yet.

“Let’s have a talk. I’m sure you have a lot of questions. And I have a lot to tell you.”

With an incredulous look, the Association head kept Ming Ming at arm’s length as best they could.

Gesturing for me to come in.

***

Ming Ming was nestled in Baek Hyewon’s arms like a pet.

Letting Ming Ming stick with her was insurance.

If she acted suspicious, Ming Ming would bite her right away.

Honestly, that’s one way to do it.

Subdue the Association head before they can cause trouble.

Right now, my level is higher and the gap is overwhelming, so even if I can’t win her over completely to our side—

“Well, just in case, that’s all.”

“This is what we want to talk about. You’re running an organization made up of Awakened right now, aren’t you?”

“What do you want from me?”

I let out a sigh.

“I guess I should start by explaining the situation.”

“Okay.”

“As you probably know, just a few days ago, hundreds of Gates opened all over the world. Monsters poured out of the Gates.”

“I know that much. And you are?”

“I’m Doctor Lee, director and senior researcher at the Supernatural Science Research Institute. I’m working to resolve the situation.”

“Aha.”

“The Gate is a plague. From the other world come monsters and air—it’s a cancer that appears to devour our world.”

“That’s a pretty unusual way to put it.”

It might seem like a strange way to put it, but that’s the truth.

As I’ve said, the Gate is a plague that eats away at the human world and the vanguard of invasion.

It’s also an attempt to fundamentally change the nature of this world through terraforming.

“What I want is simple. We—the Government—will establish the Hunter Association as a Legal Entity that gives you the chance to make money and autonomy. And I’d like you to work to resolve the situation, too.”

“Why are you telling me this? The Association doesn’t even exist yet.”

I looked at the Puppet Master.

Saying, “Because you’re going to be the Association head in the future,” would be strange.

I started thinking carefully about my word choice.

“I’ve been tracking what you say online. There are a lot of Hunters who don’t trust the Government right now, aren’t there?”

“There are people like that, yes.”

I wondered what I should say to persuade this person.

The core of their actions is distrust.

“The Government has plans for the Awakened. But I don’t agree with those people.”

“In what way?”

“The Government will try to hire as many Hunters as possible, ideally all of them. But I’ve been saying that’s impossible.”

Baek Hyewon tilted her head as if interested.

“Why do you work for the Government?”

“I’m not working for the Government. I just want to be in a position where I can help people. And right now, that’s here.”

Next to the Hunter Association head, two doll-sized figures dressed in black appeared.

“So what’s your opinion? Specifically.”

Before the Hunter groups cause trouble, I’ll make a preemptive move and set up a Legal Entity composed of Hunters.

Like other professional associations—lawyers, for example.

To prevent Hunter groups from splitting and fighting each other and coming into sharp conflict with the Government, like in my previous life.

Other professional associations work more or less the same way.

“And what do I get out of it?”

“For now, you get to do as you please.”

The Association head pondered for a while.

“If that’s your plan, I’ll just carry it out. But is there any particular reason you came to see me?”

She’s smarter than she looks, as expected.

“Ming!”

Ming Ming started squirming again.

The Association head got up for a moment and came back with a Tuna Can.

The sound of the can opening.

Ming Ming turned his attention from Baek Hyewon to eating the contents of the Tuna Can.

The Association head looked deeply serious as she thought it over for a long time.

“So. Give me an answer.”

“I’ll cooperate for now. Though I’m still not quite sure what you want.”

It took a while to explain, but—

I did have a specific goal for coming to the Association head.

“This is still confidential… but I know where the next Gate will open. It’ll open in Busan.”

“Hmm, really? That—”

“Come with me.”

The Association head’s eyes narrowed.

Just as suspicious as her personality.

But her choice was obvious.

She, like all the others I’ve seen so far, wouldn’t be able to resist the pull of the unknown and would come find me.

“You mean, go catch Monsters?”

“Yeah.”

The Association head looked anxiously around her.

I looked quietly at the Hunter Association head, and after a moment, Baek Hyewon spoke.

“All right.”

“Just wait a little bit. You’ll get a call in two days.”

A Hunter gains experience and grows stronger by catching Monsters.

If you want to get stronger, you have to enter the Gate as soon as possible and kill Monsters.

It was the reaction I expected.

The Association head still had a look full of suspicion, but if she wanted to chase the mystery, she had no choice but to listen to me.

“Ming Ming. Come on.”

Ming Ming left the Association head and came to my side.

I got up from my seat.

Even though I’m still anxious, I managed to secure the cooperation of the future Association head…

This much is a success.

***

I returned to the Research Institute.

I was planning to open the Treasure Chest I found at the Ruins.

If I tried a little, I could probably pick the lock, but there’s no need.

I’d already done a CT Scan of the chest, and I confirmed that it was surrounded by wooden walls about 1.5 cm thick.

“Guess I should just open it with a saw, huh?”

After marking the cutting area on the chest with a marker, I started cutting with a power saw.

The Treasure Chest didn’t last long and quickly split open.

I grabbed a crowbar and pried open the Treasure Chest.

What came out of the Treasure Chest was…

“An Egg?”

I carefully took the item from inside the Treasure Chest.

As expected, it was an Egg.

An Egg slightly bigger than a Stork Egg.

I didn’t know what was inside the Egg.

Strange—it hadn’t shown up on the CT Scan.

I checked the inside of the chest again.

The inside of the chest was lined with lead, so the CT Scan couldn’t penetrate it.

“What do I do with this?”

If I run an MRI Scan, I should be able to see what’s inside the Egg.

There’s less chance, but I could try to hatch it by adjusting the temperature.

“It looks like a Stork Egg, so maybe I can hatch it the same way.”

Why would the beings who built the Ruins guard this Egg so tightly, even setting up a Relic Golem?

That question made my footsteps hurry.

The Supernatural Science Research Institute has some medical imaging equipment in the underground sector.

I quickly made my way to the underground sector and put the Egg inside the MRI machine to scan the inside.

Beep—!

The scan finished quickly.

I looked at the results of the MRI Scan.

Except for the long tail, it looked like the skeleton of an ordinary bird.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell what kind of Monster it was.

Now that I’ve done the MRI Scan, it’s time to put it in the Incubator.

An Egg is a little world of its own.

“Let’s see what comes out.”