The President Sees an Opportunity
The President unfolded the report.
"Kuhahaha, we've completely eradicated those Free People bastards."
He stuck out his thumb toward the Minister of National Defense who had brought the report. It was a habit the President only showed when he was in a good mood.
The Minister of National Defense offered some honeyed words.
"This should boost your approval ratings too. Congratulations, Mr. President."
"You did well too, Minister."
"Thank you. It makes the work worthwhile when you recognize our efforts."
"By the way, who was the top contributor in this incident?"
"It's written in the report, but it's a national hunter named Nam Gyuil."
"Is that so? Quite a unique name."
The President set the report down on his desk. He rose from his office chair and walked to the window. Bright sunlight struck his pupils, and the noisy bustle of Yongsan assaulted his ears.
- Awaken, Mr. President!!
- Listen to the voice of the people!
- Convert awakeners' service credits to guild activity time!
The protesters' voices outside the window were grating on his nerves.
"Tch, those damn pests."
Muttering that, the President pulled down the blinds. He blocked the unsightly protesters from view, but their voices pierced right through the glass.
"The opposition party's making a huge fuss. What a racket."
The political scene was abuzz with debates over whether to convert Hunter Agency service periods into guild activity credits. The opposition wanted it, so naturally, the ruling party opposed it. With elections around the corner, they couldn't afford to look like they were being dragged along by the opposition. They had to rally their supporters by fighting back.
Of course, that was the internal line. Officially, they opposed it under the pretext that it would hinder responses to national crises.
The President let out a long sigh. To recover his approval ratings, he needed some positive image boost, no matter what.
Isn't there some way?
Thinking that, he sat back down and scrolled through internet news articles on his computer. That's when he found a very intriguing one.
The President checked the comments too.
The vast majority were positive reactions. When life gets exhausting and tough, people crave comfort from someone. Just like the baseball players or female golfers who comforted the nation during the IMF crisis—people draw hope from them.
Right now, the public was worn out with fatigue.
[Emergence of Powerful New Monster Species]
[Surge in Crime Amid Economic Hardship]
[Skyrocketing Utility Bills]
[Rising Hunter Agency Death Rates]
[Frightening Inflation]
[Pitiful Low Wages]
The news was filled with depressing headlines. Gate appearances were on the rise, and now even powerful new monsters were showing up. How much longer could humanity hold out against the monster invasions? That doubt lingered in people's minds.
Food supplies were strained, so they cultivated and ate plants scavenged from gates. Without artificial meat, even protein was hard to come by. Samgyeopsal and yukhoe, once everyday foods, had become luxuries.
Humanity was being backed into a corner bit by bit. In such a situation, it had been ages since good news like this hit the airwaves—they couldn't help but go wild over it.
A strange smile bloomed on the President's lips as he read the article on his monitor.
Perfect, this is it!
Associating with someone with a positive image would help improve his own and boost approval ratings. He immediately summoned the Minister of National Defense.
"Hey, Minister."
"Yes, sir."
"I said I'd give the top contributor whatever he wants, right?"
"Yes, you did."
"Bring Nam Gyuil to Yongsan."
"To Yongsan?"
"Yes. We'll have a luncheon at the Yeongbin Hall."
"...I understand."
The Minister paused briefly before bowing his head in comprehension.
The next morning, Nam Gyuil woke early and headed to the Hunter Agency. After scanning his work QR code and entering the office, he was met with a bewildering sight.
"Nom nom nom."
Lee Chanu was munching through three bags of snacks. In the corner of the office, snack boxes were piled mountain-high, teetering as if about to collapse.
"What's with all those snack boxes? Lee Chanu, did you order them?"
"Auuu."
With his cheeks bulging from the snacks, Lee Chanu mumbled something unintelligible.
Nam Gyuil blinked. He couldn't make out a word.
Hwang Ilsu stepped in to explain step by step.
"The public sent them."
"The public?"
"They said thanks for your hard work capturing the Free People and sent a ton of snacks."
Nam Gyuil chuckled. He hadn't realized it meant that much to the people. It made his chest swell with pride.
He tore open a snack bag and took a bite. A salty savoriness spread through his mouth.
That's when Park Heeryeong came rushing in, flinging the door open.
"Sir, good morning."
Nam Gyuil saluted, but Park Heeryeong didn't even acknowledge it. He looked extremely flustered.
"Hey, Nam Gyuil."
"What's up, sir?"
"The President wants to have a morning luncheon with you."
"You must have misheard."
"The President is summoning you! I've handled all the leave paperwork. There's a car outside to take you to Yongsan—go, now!!"
"Got it."
Nam Gyuil hurried into the sedan heading to Yongsan. The heavy black sedan rumbled onto the road. He caught a glimpse of Park Heeryeong waving from outside the Hunter Agency. Faintly, he heard something about asking the President to praise him too, but Nam Gyuil dismissed it as a hallucination.
The road to the President's Yongsan office was jammed. Protesters were the cause.
- Convert awakeners' service credits to guild activity time!
The chants reached even inside the car. Nam Gyuil stared at the scene, lost in thought for a moment.
It'd be great if they could convert service credits to guild time. And soon.
That would solve one problem: establishing a guild. Once that passed, he wouldn't have to wait for discharge. Building a guild meant creating his own force—to handle future threats. Plus, he'd gain freedom of movement.
Right now, as a Hunter Agency member, I'm bound by orders.
His activities were heavily restricted in many ways.
Well, I'll think about that later. Right now, I've got rewards to claim.
What Nam Gyuil wanted was a certain plant: golden leaves. One of the ingredients for high-grade elixirs. A gate-discovered plant held by the Korean government. They periodically bought and stored items from gates. The golden leaves were among them. The President had even made a big show of preventing their export abroad.
Nam Gyuil pulled out his smartphone and searched for news from a few weeks back.
With elections nearing, the President was desperate for approval and pushed these stories to show results. Comments mixed mockery and praise.
Nam Gyuil pocketed his smartphone. "Elections" popped up in every comment.
I get that the President is pushing hard for the elections...
But why summon him for a luncheon at this critical time? And so urgently?
A thought flashed through Nam Gyuil's mind as he pondered.
No way. Is he planning to use me to boost his ratings?
It wasn't impossible. Interest in the Hunter Agency was higher than ever after the Free People takedown.
Nam Gyuil didn't care who won the elections. As time passed, stronger monsters would emerge, and no army could handle them regardless of who was President. What mattered was building his own powerful force. For that, he needed to establish a guild as soon as possible.
Wait. Could this be an opportunity?
The President opposed converting service credits to guild time. But meeting him for luncheon...
He wants to use me for ratings, so if I play it right, maybe I can get him to approve converting service credits to guild activity.
A smile crept onto Nam Gyuil's lips. Beyond the golden leaves he planned to claim, another gain might come his way.
No, it will. In this setup, I can control the board.
Unexpected luck had arisen.
Arriving at the President's Yongsan office, Nam Gyuil stepped out of the car with dignified poise.
Nam Gyuil arrived at the luncheon venue. The President wasn't there yet, and reporters were checking their cameras and equipment.
Luncheon, but they're broadcasting too?
Sitting in his chair, Nam Gyuil read the script handed to him by the chief of staff.
VIP Morning Luncheon Live Q&A
VIP meant the President. Handing him a script for the morning Q&A luncheon was a shock.
He's controlling even my questions and answers for his ratings.
What a guy. It hit home just how messed up Korea was. With monsters turning the country into chaos, politicians were just fighting over their rice bowls. Not doing a damn thing properly.
Is that why they never caught on to the big guilds hiding proper training methods?
Pathetic. These clowns running the country—it was laughable.
Nam Gyuil's expression hardened.
Soon, the impeccably dressed President entered the luncheon hall.
"VIP entering."
Nam Gyuil stood and greeted the President. Cameras captured every moment, broadcasting it live to the nation.
The President sat. Only then could Nam Gyuil sit back down.
"Hahaha, you're the national hunter who made great contributions taking down the Free People?"
"Sir. Nam Gyuil, team leader of 01 Team, Seoul Hunter Agency. Yes, sir."
"You've worked hard."
The President signaled the chief of staff, who brought over a box and placed it in front of Nam Gyuil.
"Glowing golden leaves."
The chief of staff said. Before the luncheon started, he'd asked what Nam Gyuil wanted, and he'd said golden leaves. They'd fetched it in that brief moment.
The President laughed heartily and added,
"The items the Free People had are yours too. I specially permit it."
Nam Gyuil was dumbfounded. The Free People's items meant the Space Diamond. He'd gone out on HA support, so it was rightfully his. Pretending to bestow it like a favor?
He's dead serious about those ratings. It's embarrassing to watch.
After that, they chatted about this and that. Or rather, it followed the scripted flow.
Eventually, the topic surfaced.
"There's talk of converting awakeners' service credits to guild activity time. What do you think?"
The President's question. The script said to answer "wrong."
But Nam Gyuil smiled and stated his true belief.
"I think it's valid."
The President's face stiffened instantly, the chief of staff scowled, and even the camera crew's eyes widened.
Up to now, the conversation had played to the President's tune. But from this moment, Nam Gyuil would take control of the board.