26
Chapter 26
In front of the Awakener Association.
Several days had already passed waiting for the Magical Girl to appear.
People were slowly growing exhausted.
A few smaller management groups had already turned back, giving up on scouting the Magical Girl.
Now that it was revealed that awakened abilities could be used outside.
It was obvious that big shots were making their move—the kind that small management couldn't even dare to hand a business card to.
No, beyond that, they were likely operating on a national level.
In such a situation, the chances of a powerless management scouting the Magical Girl were harder than plucking a star from the sky.
Knowing it wouldn't work out anyway, giving up early was, in a way, the wiser choice.
That was why the crowd had noticeably thinned out compared to the first day.
The remaining small management groups were now aiming for that one life-changing lucky break.
If they could just bring the Magical Girl in, the money would naturally roll in.
On top of that, another global reward had just dropped.
If they could just secure a contract with the Magical Girl, it was a given that the state would actively support them, even if they weren't affiliated with the Association.
Receiving funding and making a fortune—it was killing two birds with one stone.
Among the people smiling darkly, blinded by greed, one person stood out.
Long, glossy brown hair swaying gently.
Deep black eyes that were impossible to read.
Along with striking, sculpted features.
She almost felt like an otherworldly being.
That person was none other than Choi Seoyeon.
Seoyeon sat on a folding chair, staring at her phone.
- Magical Girls. Are they truly gods? Praise them! From now on, the world belongs to the Magical Girls!
└ I saw the battle video, and I think they really are gods. It was like watching Zeus and Hephaestus team up to catch Hercules. My chest swelled with awe.
└ How are there not one, but two people with such overpowered abilities?
└ It wouldn't make sense even with just one, but having two is even more absurd.
└ The whole world is frantic right now, trying to take in even one Magical Girl. I'm in the United Kingdom, and it's pure chaos here.
└ I'm in Japan, and it's crazy here too. Everyone's shouting that we need to bring the Magical Girl over. The otakus are even starting an uprising, saying they'll go get her themselves.
└ Feels like those guys want to bring her over for a totally different reason though?
└ fr LOL.
"The number of overseas management groups has definitely increased."
Seoyeon muttered to herself as she looked around.
There were visibly far more foreigners than on the first day.
Among them was a famous management group that Seoyeon also knew.
A tall stature and long, flowing hair.
A monocle over his right eye.
A man dressed sharply in a suit like a gentleman, holding Classic Canes in one hand.
It was Sebastian from Argentum Management in the United Kingdom.
'And right next to him.'
With orange hair falling below her waist.
A face that was elegant yet somehow bewitching.
Along with an outfit that looked casual and breezy.
Emma from Hwaran Management in the Netherlands.
And so on.
She could spot several world-famous Awakeners.
Though they exchanged light greetings, they didn't hold actual conversations.
Since everyone here was a competitor.
There was an atmosphere of avoiding talk with outsiders, lest any information leak.
Seoyeon didn't chat amiably with anyone either.
Not only did she have zero interest in other Awakeners, but she also absolutely despised things getting bothersome.
So whenever Awakeners who wanted to get close to her struck up a conversation, she responded to all of them with aloof indifference.
- By the way, did you guys see the global reward this time? My party instantly cleared the floor we couldn't beat until yesterday.
└ Me too. I felt stronger the moment I went in.
└ My body definitely felt lighter. And my skills got stronger too.
└ The nation has to secure the Magical Girl at all costs, right? No matter what it takes.
└ 5% is no joke. Even if you're the same rank, rankings are decided by a 1% difference, so this is basically enough to flip the hierarchy.
└ I'm a freshly awakened baby newbie, but I'm not scared of monsters anymore. Bring it on! The Magical Girl is with me!!
"Hmm... This reward is quite tempting, isn't it?"
Seoyeon said, licking her lips with her red tongue.
Any Awakener climbing the tower would naturally covet power.
The floor of the tower they could reach was determined by the magnitude of their strength.
If they lacked power, they would eventually hit a wall and have no choice but to continuously retry the same floor.
That was where the problem arose.
The fact that they couldn't level up.
In reality, a level up was the only way an Awakener could grow.
A level up provided a minor boost to stats and allowed them to learn new skills.
However, clearing the same floor repeatedly didn't result in a level up.
Because leveling up wasn't proportional to the number of monsters killed.
What it actually scaled with was the tower's floor and level.
If they were running the 10th floor, the Awakener's level would also be exactly 10.
In short, it was a system where levels only increased upon clearing a new floor.
There was nothing more agonizing than wanting to grow but being unable to.
But this reward tore down that exact wall.
It became a ray of light for the people who were blocked by the wall and had resorted to giving up.
People who had been clearing the same floor every time finally gained the strength to advance to the next stage.
It was a massive benefit on a national level, and equally beneficial for individual Awakeners.
It was an absolutely overpowered reward.
Lately, even Seoyeon couldn't shake the feeling that she was inching closer to a wall the more she cleared the tower.
Because the time it took her to clear a floor was increasing compared to the beginning.
Eventually, a day would come when even Choi Seoyeon would be blocked by a wall.
From Seoyeon's perspective, it was impossible not to covet the reward.
And there was one more thing.
There was something Seoyeon coveted even more.
That was.
'I want to be a Magical Girl too.'
Seoyeon also wanted to wear a Magical Girl outfit and cast spectacular magic in front of people.
While receiving everyone's enthusiastic cheers, of course.
Just looking at the community forums right now, she could guess just how popular the Magical Girls were.
While it used to be flooded with topics about Seoyeon in the past, now there was nothing but praise for the Magical Girls.
Of course, a negative public opinion existed as well.
- Are people out of their minds? Aren't you scared that they can use awakened abilities outside? I haven't been able to sleep well since I saw that video. If a Magical Girl makes up her mind, she could blow away an entire city.
└ For real. Whenever I see people who like Magical Girls, I wonder what they are thinking. They won't come to their senses until they get hit by magic and die.
└ I think the state needs to control them immediately. It's obvious a massive disaster will break out someday.
└ Hearing the stories of the victims this time makes me feel so bad for them. I heard a whole shop burned down. The Magical Girl just shoots magic once and is done with it, but what sin did the victims commit?
└ Even if the state provides compensation for the damages, honestly, the Magical Girls really suck. It's disgusting watching them run wild thinking they're some big shots.
"You guys don't even know anything about Magical Girls."
Seoyeon clicked her tongue as she looked at such negative public opinion.
It wasn't that she couldn't understand their mentality.
It was an animalistic instinct.
Feeling anxious when looking at someone better and stronger than themselves.
Trying to trample that person so they could never rise again, just to eliminate that anxiety.
But if you thought about it, all those damages were caused during an incident where the Magical Girl was trying to save people from a villain of unknown identity.
Even though it was obvious they would have suffered far greater damages without the Magical Girl.
'But what exactly was that villain?'
Seoyeon was curious about the Magical Girl, but she was just as curious about the villain who had fought the Magical Girl.
It was hard to comprehend that a being with such power was roaming freely outside.
The South Korea Association was currently investigating it, but it seemed unlikely they would find much.
In the end, that villain was burned without a trace by the Magical Girls, so there was no way to find out now.
'Although I don't think it's dead.'
For some reason, Seoyeon didn't feel like that villain had died.
Seoyeon's intuition was telling her just that.
'More importantly, I'm so jealous of those Magical Girls...'
To think they could use such awesome abilities outside the tower. Even though she had passed the age of a young girl, Seoyeon wanted to become a Magical Girl if possible.
'People would look up to me even more. If I became a Magical Girl, I would wrap up my life in the United States and come back to Korea.'
It was right when Seoyeon was furiously burning her happy circuit.
"Seoyeon. I brought what you asked for."
The person approaching her was the manager.
The manager held something wrapped in a wrapping cloth in their hands.
It was none other than an Awakener Detector.
The very Awakening Detector that Yuna had tested.
"Understood. Let's get moving too."
Seoyeon nodded, folded her chair, and stood up.
"Yes. Oh, and the CEO called. The message was for you to return after one day."
"Hmm, is that so."
Seoyeon nodded, letting out a low hum.
She had certainly been away from her post for a long time.
Seoyeon couldn't stay in South Korea forever either.
Her main profession wasn't a scouter, but an Awakener climbing the tower.
Currently tackling the highest floor in the United States, she couldn't afford to be away for long.
The reason Seoyeon came here was to entice people by showing that their management had such a great Awakener.
In short, she was the representative mascot for promotional purposes.
Sebastian and Emma over there were also here for the same reason as Seoyeon.
"Let's investigate that before heading back."
"Understood. Which organization should we entrust it to?"
"I know a professional in this field."
Saying so, Seoyeon opened her phone and sent a text to someone, receiving a reply immediately.
"They said it's possible. Write down the address."
"Yes."
Seoyeon then dictated the address to the manager, but the manager's expression gradually darkened as they wrote it down.
Noticing something was off, Seoyeon tilted her head and asked.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
At Seoyeon's question, the manager scratched their head and replied.
"Seoyeon....... This is the place. The home of Yuna, the Awakener who was evaluated as FFF Rank last time."
"Pardon......?"
Flustered, Seoyeon remained in silence for a while before letting out a smile.
"......Sounds good. Let's go take a look."
"Yes!"
Just as Seoyeon was about to leave.
A man blocked her path.
The moment Seoyeon saw the man's face, she frowned.
She usually maintained a poker face, but this time she couldn't help it.
"Choi Kanghyun....... Do you have some business with me? We aren't exactly on speaking terms, are we?"
One of the top Awakeners from South Korea's Steel Management had blocked Seoyeon's way.
The two of them even had a bad history together in the past.
It was only natural for Seoyeon's expression to sour.
"That fox-like expression. You know something. I'm coming with you."
Regardless of Seoyeon's expression, Kanghyun boldly stated what he wanted to say.
Dumbfounded by Kanghyun's shameless attitude, Seoyeon let out a snort.
"And if I say no?"
An invisible spark flew between the two, and the manager standing beside them nervously stomped their feet, not knowing what to do.
Kanghyun stared intently at Seoyeon before letting out a sigh.
"Your opinion doesn't matter. If I say I'm tagging along, I'm tagging along."
"Ha!"
Seoyeon turned her body around with a snort.
"You really haven't changed how exhausting you are to be around. I'm just going to meet an acquaintance, so do as you please."
After saying that, Seoyeon walked away without looking back.
Seoyeon already knew.
That no matter how much she refused, once Kanghyun latched onto something, he would follow through to the very end.
He had even sought her out over ten times when she left for the United States.
Knowing that fact, she didn't bother arguing and resorted to giving up quickly.
'Even if he comes along, it's not like that foolish man will gain anything anyway.'
The manager, who had been looking back and forth between the two, hastily followed after Seoyeon.
Quietly watching them, Kanghyun also followed Seoyeon without a word.
And so, their bizarre companionship began as they arrived in front of Yuna's house.