An Unexpected Escort
Incheon International Airport.
"Hunter Lee!"
Kang Mina waved her hand enthusiastically.
Behind her stood the staff from the Hunter Administration Office, along with Choi Muryeong.
And...
"Whoa, that plane is huge."
A private jet emblazoned with the French flag was waiting for me.
"They sent something like this just to pick up one person?" I asked, sounding surprised.
"What are you talking about? Even this isn't enough!"
Mina made a huge fuss as she guided me forward.
As we climbed the boarding stairs, the flight attendants greeted us with polite bows.
"It is an honor to serve you, Hunter Lee Taepyeong," one of them said, directing us inside.
I felt like I had suddenly become the president.
If they treat me this well, I wonder what it's like for Leo White, the world's number one...
Suddenly, I was very curious.
A small nameplate with my name engraved on it was attached to my individual seat.
Naturally, my seat was the most luxurious one in the cabin.
Oh, nice. Very nice.
I leaned back comfortably into the plush leather.
Soon, a flight attendant approached, carrying a glass of champagne on a silver tray.
"This is one of France's finest champagnes," she said.
A small plate next to it was arranged with beef jerky, cheese, and assorted nuts.
Is this a plane or a five-star restaurant?
Either way, it was definitely top-tier treatment.
Gulp, gulp.
I downed the refreshing champagne in one shot.
"Your in-flight meal will be a multi-course dinner prepared by our private chef. We will start with Chateaubriand and..."
She rattled off a bunch of fancy culinary terms I didn't understand, so I just nodded along.
"What did she just say?" I whispered to Mina.
"I'm not entirely sure either..." she replied with an awkward smile, scratching the back of her head.
"It's my first time on a private jet, too. I'm only here because of you, Hunter Lee."
Ah, so that was it. I was glad I wasn't the only one experiencing this for the first time.
Rumble...
The plane began to speed down the runway.
The sensation of lifting off felt oddly similar to entering the Babel Tower.
"..."
The night view of Seoul grew distant outside the window.
And right in the center of it, the Babel Tower stood tall and imposing.
Staring at it gave me a strange feeling.
The Babel Tower, which threatened to destroy the world.
And me, whose life had been completely turned upside down because of it.
From a victim of rental fraud...
To South Korea's greatest super rookie.
If I had given up and ended my life back then,
I would never have been able to look down at a view like this.
"What are you thinking about?"
Choi Muryeong, sitting across from me, asked as he noticed me staring blankly out the window.
"Nothing much."
"..."
"Just thinking..."
"..."
"...that as long as you stay alive, things have a way of working out."
Paris, France.
The bunker conference room of the French Hunter Bureau.
"What?"
With that single word from the Director, the air in the room froze solid.
A single photo was projected on the screen.
Standing in front of the screen, the Deputy Director of the Hunter Bureau bowed his head deeply.
"...It has been confirmed that Hunter Choi Muryeong is accompanying him."
"South Korea sent a World Rank 3 hunter just to babysit a rookie?"
"Yes. The Korean Hunter Administration Office has already officially approved it, and he is currently on board the private jet..."
Slam!
Pierre, the Director of the French Hunter Bureau, slammed his fist onto the desk, unable to contain his fury.
"Why on earth would a World Rank 3 hunter get involved in this?!"
And for no other reason than personal security?
This was a disaster.
If Choi Muryeong tagged along, their original plan to nurture Lucien Moreau would be completely ruined.
Their initial scenario had been simple.
Lee Taepyeong would enter the tower alone.
A three-member French party would be assigned to him.
They would enter the Babel Tower under the guise of a joint raid on the 50th floor.
And then, an "accident" would occur.
Lucien Moreau, disguised as one of the party members, would ambush Lee Taepyeong.
He would murder the rookie and consume him.
Once Lucien Moreau acquired Lee Taepyeong's traits,
he would clear the 50th floor.
Then, according to their contract, he would periodically clear the 50th floor to earn Public Values for the state to pay off his crimes.
That was the best-case scenario France had envisioned.
Of course, it would be recorded as a tragic accident to South Korea.
But South Korea had plenty of talented hunters anyway.
The death of a single rookie would be forgotten in no time.
Just like the Tan Wei-ming incident in Singapore years ago.
We are the ones in a desperate situation right now!
France had already exhausted a massive portion of its Public Values just to maintain its barriers.
If this plan fell through, the entirety of France would be consumed by a Demonic Outbreak.
It would mean the collapse of the nation.
"In that case, why don't we..."
A young aide spoke up cautiously.
"Why don't we just ask Choi Muryeong and Lee Taepyeong to clear the 50th floor together? That would be much safer."
Silence fell over the room.
In truth, the young aide's suggestion was the most rational choice.
With the World Rank 3 and South Korea's rising star working together, clearing the 50th floor would be a breeze.
And it would be done safely.
They could clear it fifty or even a hundred times, far exceeding the contracted twelve.
However...
"No," Director Pierre growled, his eyes cold.
"Do you not realize what we stand to lose if those two actually succeed in clearing the 50th floor?"
"..."
"The recipe for the world's greatest potion!"
Slam!
His fist slammed onto the desk once more.
"It would cause a catastrophic national loss!"
No one dared to speak in the face of the Director's fury.
From the very beginning, this plan was built on the premise of Lee Taepyeong's death.
If Lee Taepyeong was consumed by Lucien Moreau, his mission would be deemed a failure.
And the contract would become null and void.
Lee Taepyeong failing the mission and being marked as missing inside the tower...
That was the ultimate goal.
For France, it was the perfect outcome: Lucien Moreau would gain a powerful new trait, and they would get to keep their precious potion recipe.
But...
With Choi Muryeong tagging along, the entire plan has gone off the rails.
It wasn't just off the rails; it was completely derailed.
What if they just swallowed their pride and asked Choi Muryeong to clear the tower as well?
Was the Korean government stupid?
They would demand the potion recipe, tower data, massive amounts of Public Values, and countless other political concessions.
They might stop the Demonic Outbreak, but France would be left as nothing but an empty shell.
They might as well become a vassal state of South Korea.
"The Director is correct," the Chief of Intelligence said, standing up.
The screen behind him flickered and changed.
It now displayed a detailed log of Choi Muryeong's past activities.
"Choi Muryeong is former military," the Chief of Intelligence explained.
That made him even more dangerous.
"That is likely why he chose to remain loyal to the state despite possessing world-class power."
"..."
"And we have received intelligence that Choi Muryeong has been digging into Lucien Moreau."
"He has sharp instincts," Pierre muttered.
"Indeed. If Choi Muryeong gets involved in this operation..."
"..."
"...Lucien Moreau's existence will inevitably be exposed."
"..."
"And our plans along with it."
If that happened, France would be dragged before the court of global public opinion.
"If Choi Muryeong intervenes, all control over the operation will shift to South Korea."
As the Chief of Intelligence finished speaking, a heavy silence descended upon the room once more.
"Director, perhaps even now, we should consider the terms offered by the United States..."
"We proceed with the original plan," Pierre cut him off coldly.
Silence enveloped the room once again.
"Thoroughly exclude any unauthorized personnel."
"..."
"There are no exceptions. Not even for a World Rank 3 hunter."
"..."
"France's Babel Tower belongs to France."
"Then..."
"Allow him entry into the country, but deny him entry into the tower."
Several officials nodded in agreement.
In the quiet room, only the rapid clacking of a keyboard echoed.
"Prohibit all information sharing, and block his access to the raid site entirely."
"Understood."
"Make sure to get a written pledge stating he will absolutely not enter the French Babel Tower."
Click.
Pierre pressed a button, and the screen switched once more.
This time, Lee Taepyeong's grinning face filled the screen.
"The only one entering the French Babel Tower will be Lee Taepyeong."
"..."
"Is Lucien ready?"
"Yes. We have confirmed that his Cannibalism trait is functioning normally. His recent 'meal' was also a success."
"Good."
Only then did a satisfied smile spread across Pierre's face.
"Tell him."
"..."
"A new meal has been prepared."
"Yes, sir."
The silence broke as the officials began moving busily around the room.
"France will survive..."
They were making the exact same choice they had made eight years ago.
Instead of eliminating the danger,
they chose to exploit it.
They remained blissfully unaware that their confidence was nothing but sheer arrogance and delusion.
The airport was quiet.
"There are fewer people here than I expected," Mina noted.
With signs of an impending Demonic Outbreak appearing all over France recently, tourist traffic seemed to have completely dried up.
Well, that was fine by me.
I absolutely detested crowded places anyway.
Still...
It was surprising that there wasn't a single reporter in sight.
In Korea, articles would be pouring out the moment a high-profile hunter set foot in the airport.
Ah, maybe it was because I wasn't considered a famous hunter yet.
Whatever.
The escorts sent by the French Hunter Bureau guided us through the terminal.
"Welcome to France, Hunter Lee Taepyeong."
A beautiful blonde woman offered me a handshake.
"I am Marianne Gauthier from the Hunter Bureau's External Relations Team."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Taepyeong."
Marianne smiled brightly, shaking my hand firmly.
"Thank you so much for coming all this way. I will be taking care of your accommodations and needs during your stay in Paris, so please let me know if there is anything you need."
"Ah, right."
I just nodded casually.
It was only a one-month stay anyway.
How uncomfortable could things really get?
"..."
With Marianne, who looked strangely tense, we headed to the lodging provided by the French Hunter Bureau.
"Oh, I can see the Eiffel Tower."
"The suite prepared for you, Hunter Lee, is of the highest quality..."
"Compared to the Babel Tower, it's not much, is it?" I muttered.
Compared to the massive Babel Tower that pierced the heavens, the Eiffel Tower looked like a mere toy.
"By the way, shouldn't they demolish that thing? It looks pretty dangerous."
"It does have some safety concerns," Mina agreed. "To prepare for potential Demonic Outbreaks, it would be best to tear it down."
"Right?"
"The World Hunter Association actually recommended it, too."
"Then why haven't they done it?"
"I heard France is stubborn about it because of their pride as a 'nation of art' or whatever. That's why it's still standing."
"Is pride really the priority here? If it were me, I'd smash it down immediately."
As I was chatting with Mina,
"..."
I locked eyes with Marianne, whose face had gone completely stiff.
Ah, right. We were in France.
I casually raised a thumbs-up.
"The Eiffel Tower is truly magnificent!"