Perhaps he had anticipated that Min-hyuk would come to the Hunter Management Bureau, as the main entrance was swarmed with reporters.
Because of this, he headed to the Bureau Chief’s office through a secret passage.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Could you perhaps contact the World Association?”
“Actually, I was just waiting for you, Min-hyuk.”
Min-hyuk nodded slightly and immediately followed the Bureau Chief toward the conference room.
As they entered, the screen was filled with far more faces than before, a clear indication of the immense interest in the 10th Floor Base.
‘Is it because of the first-mover advantage?’
A smile played on Min-hyuk’s lips as he looked at the gathered crowd.
Recently, ingredients from the lower floors had emerged as vital resources, and they were expected to become even more important in the future.
While special resources were appearing on the lower floors of the Kingdom of Korea due to map expansions, most food ingredients could still be obtained from other towers.
The problem was that it took time.
Other towers didn’t have the ideal conditions for new Hunters to grow like the Kingdom of Korea did, nor was it as easy for them to obtain resources as it was for Korea, which was already set up and growing at high speeds.
That was why everyone hoped to invest in the Korean Tower.
If they fell behind here, catching up would be a monumental task.
However, if they could somehow pour money in and grab onto the tail end of the leading group, they could keep up while developing their own nation’s Tower.
And the essential element to grabbing that lead was securing a spot in Choi Min-hyuk’s 10th Floor Base.
“I am well aware of why everyone has gathered here,” Min-hyuk said.
At those words, everyone swallowed hard and focused their attention on him.
“Currently, twenty guilds can be established at the 10th Floor Base. I don’t want to provide this opportunity only to Korean guilds.”
The Bureau Chiefs of each country’s Hunter Management Bureau, who understood what Min-hyuk meant, nodded silently.
Due to System limitations, they would have to go through Korean Hunters or companies, but they could form transnational organizations as much as they wanted.
It meant they should establish twenty transnational organizations to register as 10th Floor guilds.
“I also intend to give the Villain Union an opportunity.”
The room erupted in murmurs at his statement.
Min-hyuk explained the reason behind his decision to them.
“I consider the safety of the 10th Floor Base and my family my top priority. Therefore, I don’t want to exclude them from the start.”
“Allocating separate spots for the Villain Union is…”
When the Bureau Chief of the Chinese Hunter Management Bureau spoke up, Min-hyuk shook his head firmly.
“No. It’s simply about ensuring they can compete fairly.”
It wasn’t as if he liked the Villain Union enough to give them special treatment.
He simply intended to create a minimum baseline so they could participate in fair competition as well.
“Shall we set the period until the 15th Floor is stabilized?”
Everyone nodded as if that were sufficient.
“Good. Then, I will refrain from interfering with the guilds until then. Ah! And it’s about time to select the next country.”
Unlike before, when selections were based on population, there was now a clear standard.
“I plan to select the country that is the most well-managed.”
Most of the Bureau Chiefs’ expressions crumpled at those words.
However, there were no objections to this decision.
The fact that Min-hyuk had gone through hell because of China and India was already widely known.
“I’m sure everyone is busy, so let’s resume the meeting later.”
Everyone nodded at Min-hyuk’s words and immediately left.
Soon, only Park Yeong-hwan and the President of the World Association remained in the conference room.
“I heard about the Villains from an agent,” Min-hyuk said.
Park Yeong-hwan’s eyes widened as he looked at the President of the World Association.
William then spoke with a bitter smile.
“I’ll come and explain it myself in the near future — “
“I’ll be waiting.”
William nodded slightly and turned off the screen.
In the quiet conference room, Min-hyuk was the first to speak.
“Do you know what he’s going to say?”
“I don’t know either. I can only guess that he’s trying to relay information that perhaps only a very small number of people in the World Association are privy to.”
Min-hyuk looked slightly surprised that even Park Yeong-hwan didn’t know.
“If it’s a tiny number…”
“Even the Bureau Chiefs of the United States or China probably don’t know. They likely only suspect that it concerns SS-class and special protected targets. Perhaps someone like Sun-hwa might have heard a whisper of it.”
Min-hyuk’s heart grew heavy at the fact that the information was restricted to such core figures.
It was a very weighty topic for someone like Min-hyuk, who had only just broken through the 15th Floor.
“With what you’ve achieved so far, you have already accomplished feats comparable to an SS-class. Once you pass the 20th Floor, people will say you’ve surpassed William’s legacy.”
Min-hyuk’s future value already far exceeded that of an SS-class.
However, his current achievements alone were enough to place him alongside them.
Thus, Park Yeong-hwan told him not to feel too pressured about receiving the information.
“I do have one suspicion.”
“Is it a problem concerning floors past the 60th Floor?”
“Yes. There is probably something there related to the Villains.”
Park Yeong-hwan fell silent, as if that was the extent of his guess.
Min-hyuk let out a small sigh as he watched him.
“Phew… I feel like I don’t want to know.”
“Don’t feel too pressured. The fact that you’ve made it this far is already a very hopeful situation.”
He spoke, relaying the words Cheon Tae-san had once told him.
Compared to the past, when things only looked good on the surface while skipping the lower floors, the current situation was much more promising.
Unlike the days of merely enduring, he had now provided a clear scenario where ‘if you endure, hope will be seen!’
Because of this, the existing SS-class Hunters were putting in more effort while performing secret missions.
“Let’s deal with the task at hand first.”
It wouldn’t be too late to worry about the world’s secrets after hearing them.
To resolve the immediate issues, he left the conference room.
He headed straight to the 1st Floor and walked toward the reporters who were waiting with bated breath for him to emerge.
“I have just finished discussing the guilds for the 10th Floor Base with the World Association,” Min-hyuk said, getting straight to the point as soon as he stood before the reporters.
“There are twenty spots. However, I don’t intend to give this opportunity only to Korean guilds this time. If you form a transnational organization that crosses the boundaries of nations and factions to participate, I will accept them all. For your information, I also intend to accept the Villain Union if they participate.”
At those words, a noise much louder than the murmurs in the conference room filled the building.
“There are only twenty ‘Official Guild’ spots, but I plan to create more spots for reserve guilds.”
“Does that mean an official guild can be pushed out if they fail to meet the standards?”
“Yes. I plan to verify the performance of the guilds once a month. If a guild falls below the standard, their spot will be handed over to one of the reserve guilds.”
That wasn’t all Min-hyuk announced.
Although it was a long-term plan, he said he would eventually turn reserve guilds into official guilds and create a ranking system.
He stated that even reserve guilds could secure a proper place if they worked hard.
However, everyone present knew the truth.
By the time that happened, the twenty initial guilds would have already surged far ahead.
Would they only surge ahead inside the Tower?
Hardly.
The transnational organizations tied to the twenty guilds would preempt the global Tower food market.
The transnational organizations tied to the twenty guilds would preempt the cheap potion market.
The twenty guilds would preempt new named Hunters who had built a solid foundation.
Would it end there?
No.
The initial twenty guilds would grow steadily while Min-hyuk climbed to the 20th and 30th floors, eventually shaking up the Hunter equipment industry.
Ultimately, they would even seize control of the mana stone and monster corpse markets.
It was a golden opportunity to shake the global market.
It wasn’t just about the money.
They had to jump in just to survive.
“I know it’s difficult for the Villain Union to approach me. So, I will meet and talk with them right here. If you want to see me, reveal your identities and come out.”
Min-hyuk declared that he would officially meet with the Villains since things had come to this.
The people from the Hunter Management Bureau behind him also murmured at his shocking declaration.
Even they hadn’t expected Min-hyuk to be so bold.
“Min-hyuk…”
Min-hyuk nodded as if he knew what the agent who approached him was going to say.
Villains were a breed that couldn’t be trusted.
Even if they came publicly after revealing their identities, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t commit an act of terror.
No matter how strong he was, Min-hyuk had only just entered the 15th Floor.
There were still many Villains stronger than him.
“I don’t intend to meet them individually. Exactly 2 hours from now, I will see them all at once in this very spot.”
He turned to Park Yeong-hwan and asked.
“Can I light a bonfire here?”
“Ah… yes!”
At Min-hyuk’s words, the agents and reporters let out exclamations, remembering the existence of the Bonfire.
“Then, shall we do some interviews while I wait for the Villain Union?”
The reporters’ eyes sparkled at the mention of an interview.
Soon, the lobby of the 1st Floor of the Hunter Management Bureau was transformed into an interview hall for Min-hyuk.
Most of the questions revolved around the 10th Floor Base.
“How do you plan to operate it in the future?”
“Will you continue to maintain a close cooperative system with the Hunter Management Bureau as you do now?”
“How will you solve the real estate issues of the base?”
The reporters, who had prepared their questions in advance, asked poignant questions, and Min-hyuk answered them diligently.
Meanwhile, through the agents gathered at the Hunter Management Bureau, Villains began to make contact one by one.
The Mafia, Cartels, Triad, and Yakuza.
Min-hyuk stood up after hearing that numerous Villain factions had sent individual representatives, excluding the major powers.
“I’ll end the interview here.”
Min-hyuk clapped his hands to conclude the interview and immediately summoned the Bonfire.
As the Bonfire dropped from the air with a thud, exclamations erupted from the reporters, most of whom were ordinary people.
The agents slowly pushed them back, and soon a wide space was created in the lobby solely for Min-hyuk.
“Welcome, everyone from the Villain Union.”
Min-hyuk welcomed the Villains, who had risked coming to see him, with a bright smile.
The Villains standing before him bent their waists at 90 degrees, a gesture unbefitting of villains.
“We greet you, Choi Min-hyuk.”
As if they had been threatened beforehand to act politely, the Villains remained bowed until they heard Min-hyuk’s response, only then sitting in the chairs provided across from him.
“As you’ve heard, I intend to provide an opportunity to the Villain Union as well. However… to do that, you must follow the minimum rules.”
The Villains nodded silently at Min-hyuk’s words.
The conversation, which lasted for several hours, was broadcast worldwide in real time under titles that all carried the same name.
「The Expanded 10th Floor Base! Reshaping the Rigid Hunter Industry!」