4
Chapter 4
Awakening Association Headquarters.
The national institution that managed the Awakeners of South Korea.
"Wh-what was that notification just now? A Magical Girl?"
Park Hyunsik, who served as the Association President there, had his mind in a whirl because of the notification that had just popped up.
A global notification usually only appeared when a new floor was cleared, or when a cleared floor received a new grade assessment.
But SSS.
Considering the highest grade calculated so far was S+, it was simply astonishing.
Seeing a grade like this for the first time in his life, he couldn't even muster a proper reaction.
The window that just floated before his eyes was as surreal as when the tower first appeared.
"Association President! Did you see the notification just now! It's a madhouse out there right now!"
The one who burst through the door of the Association President's Office was none other than his Secretary, Lee Chanhyuk.
Looking at Chanhyuk, Hyunsik pinched the bridge of his nose tightly with his fingers.
"Yeah, I saw it too. But I've told you this before, do you not know how to knock?"
Chanhyuk had a habit of throwing the door wide open and barging in whenever something happened.
Last time, didn't he barge in like that just to announce the toilet was clogged?
And that was in the middle of a video conference, no less.
"It was just such an urgent matter, I'm sorry!"
Chanhyuk cluelessly smiled and bowed his head at a frowning Hyunsik.
Hyunsik couldn't help but sigh at the sight of Chanhyuk.
'How did I end up with a brother-in-law like that.'
It was quite the predicament, as he couldn't just fire him without getting on his wife's bad side.
"So, did you look into it?"
At Hyunsik's words, Chanhyuk wiped the smile off his face and held out the documents in his hands.
"I had the guys gather some information first, but nothing really came up."
"Figures. It's only the 1st floor, after all."
Hyunsik pulled a cigarette from the desk, placed it in his mouth, and lit it.
Seeing this, Chanhyuk furrowed his brows slightly and waved his hand.
"Association President. I'm sorry, but this building is a non-smoking zone."
"Hah! I can't even smoke a cigarette in my own office!"
Hyunsik took a few stiff puffs, but soon felt self-conscious and stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray.
"Still, she'll have no choice but to show herself sooner or later. We'll aim for that moment."
He was right.
In order to sell a Mana Stone obtained from the tower, one had to be affiliated with either Management or the Awakening Association.
Doing otherwise was illegal.
Their only other option would be selling them at a fraction of the cost to illegal Brokers.
If that were the case, it made more sense to join Management or the Association, even if it meant paying a small commission fee.
That was the only way to sell them at a premium price.
Therefore, an Awakener Certificate, which could only be obtained after verifying one's awakening status through the Association's Awakening Detector, became essential.
Honor and trust as an Awakener were an added bonus.
If someone operated in the tower without a Certificate, they were treated as a criminal.
It was a law created to prevent various crimes inside and outside the tower beforehand.
Ultimately, that person known as the 'Magical Girl' would have no choice but to come to the Association to obtain a Certificate.
At that time, their only option would be to mobilize every possible means to scout her.
Chanhyuk was well aware of this fact too.
"Yes, we're on standby round the clock for that. However, people from Management have also caught the scent and already started flocking to the front of the Association."
"I don't care how much it costs. Just bring her in."
Right.
He had to bring her in no matter what.
Other countries might have already made their moves to secure her.
No, they were probably already on their way.
The mana density of the Mana Stone had increased by a staggering 1%.
It was a figure that could have been ignored and passed over if it were anything else, but if it was a Mana Stone, it was a completely different story.
Even a 0.1% increase in a Mana Stone's mana density changed its value exponentially.
There was no way other nations were just going to sit by and watch this happen.
They were bound to use whatever tactics necessary to try and win her over.
Indeed.
Just like back then with the person they used to call South Korea's Supernova, before Choi Kanghyun became South Korea's greatest Hunter.
They couldn't let someone be stolen away like that again.
They had to protect her.
Whatever it was like inside the tower, outside of it, everyone was just an ordinary civilian.
From this moment on, the 'Magical Girl' was a key figure the nation had to protect by any means necessary.
"Keep a close eye on the movements of other countries and report to me in real time."
"Yes, sir."
Chanhyuk bowed his head and stepped away from his spot.
Hyunsik, left alone, gazed out the window at the towering black tower.
The black tower that let absolutely no light pass through.
"It looks just as ominous no matter when I see it."
He took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth.
He lit it, took a drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke.
He had taken all possible measures, but Hyunsik still felt somewhat uneasy.
He felt as if he was overlooking something.
His intuition, honed from five years in this position, was telling him.
That a catastrophe would soon strike this world.
But for now, all he could do was mix his unknown anxiety with the cigarette smoke and let it drift away.
* * *
-Wow, did you guys see the notification from the tower just now? What was that?
└ fr, what was that? It's my first time seeing a notification pop up for someone entering the tower.
└ On top of that, it says Magical Girl. I couldn't believe my eyes.
└ LOL Now it's a Magical Girl of all things haha. What even is this hybrid universe?
└ Don't say that. The Magical Girl will come kill you in the name of justice.
└ Shiver, but Magical Girl aside, what's with the SSS-grade?
└ S+ has been the highest grade in the entire world until now, so seriously, how did she do it?
└ Yep, I heard it's not a grade you can get just by clearing it fast. The tower supposedly has its own set criteria, but nobody knows what it is.
└ Seeing as a Magical Girl got SSS-grade, maybe the criteria is being cute and adorable lol.
└ Oh haha that actually kind of makes sense?
└ Seeing as a Magical Girl even appeared, it's a real possibility.
"Is that really it?"
Humming a tune while lying in the bathtub, she tilted her head and stared intently at her phone.
└ The global reward is really wild. No, does it even make sense for a Mana Stone's density to increase? The price just more than doubled.
└ We better start grinding hard without any days off from now on. It's obvious she'll eventually be stolen away by another country just like Choi Seoyeon anyway.
└ This is the truth. Once the Magical Girl's identity is revealed, she's going to be scouted immediately by some other country's Management or Association. We need to reap the benefits before then.
└ Please don't take our Magical Girl-chan away!
└ Association, what are you doing! Defend the Magical Girl at all costs!
"How entertaining~."
She would sometimes browse the community forums like this to kill time.
Because occasionally, she could find some really good information.
Splash.
Stepping out of the bathtub, she dried off and slipped into a robe.
Her alluring figure was clearly visible through the robe.
Humming, she walked past a living room that resembled a palace, headed into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and drank some water.
Every single one of her movements looked like a scene from a photoshoot.
It was while she was drinking water like that.
Ring-!
When her phone started ringing incessantly.
"Talk about terrible timing."
She muttered a slight complaint as she answered the call.
"Hello~."
"Ms. Choi Seoyeon, please get ready. An overseas business trip has been scheduled."
"All of a sudden?"
The woman named Choi Seoyeon acted nonchalant as she turned on the TV.
A news broadcast with the headline 'Who Exactly is the Magical Girl?' was playing on the screen.
"Yes, you must have seen the notification. We will be leaving for South Korea right now."
"Hmm~ Understood."
"Then, I'll send a car right away."
Ending the call, Choi Seoyeon watched the noisy TV broadcast speculating about the Magical Girl's identity and reminisced about the past.
About the time she first awakened.
About how the world went into an uproar when she cleared the 1st-floor tower with an S+ grade.
Back then, people were just as desperate to find out who had cleared the tower with an S+ grade.
Ultimately, her identity was exposed when she went to get her Certificate issued.
Various organizations had fiercely competed to scout her.
Because her Ability was the first SS-grade Ability not just in South Korea, but in the entire world.
Seoyeon eventually joined Hailt, a Management in the United States that offered her the most money.
It was the first time the world had been this chaotic since her debut.
She was a bit displeased about her spotlight being stolen, but it was also entertaining in its own way.
Seoyeon turned off the TV and went into her walk-in closet to change clothes.
As she browsed through various outfits, her eyes landed on some dresses she had received as gifts in the past.
'Since she's a Magical Girl, should I match the dress code?'
If she wore this dress out, she would undoubtedly capture everyone's attention instantly.
No matter how much of a Magical Girl she was, she couldn't possibly be more elegant than Seoyeon.
And more importantly.
'Everyone keeps going on and on about the Magical Girl, but they're missing the most important part. The Mascot.'
Indeed.
Everyone was so focused on the term Magical Girl that they overlooked the word Mascot.
It had only been mentioned exactly once, after all.
Seoyeon's instincts, honed from years of operating as an Awakener, were reacting.
Just yesterday, she had stayed up all night in bed watching Magical Girl shows. There was no way she didn't know what a Mascot meant.
The Mascot was the one who formed a contract with the Magical Girl.
The Magical Girl was obviously important, but she could strongly sense that there was something special about the Mascot too.
Besides, she too had once dreamed—no, still dreamed—of becoming a Magical Girl.
That was why she had been over the moon with joy when she awakened and received everyone's attention.
Seoyeon put on the dress and looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
It was a beauty she could never get tired of looking at.
She was past the age of a young girl, but she was still a young girl at heart.
'Could it be that if I find the Mascot, I can become a Magical Girl too?'
At that thought, her heart began to flutter with excitement.
Just then, Seoyeon's phone rang with terrible timing.
It was a call telling her to come down because the car had arrived.
"Hmm~. It's been a while since I visited South Korea, but I'm already looking forward to it. There's nothing I can't have. Just wait a little bit, my Mascot."
Licking her red lips, Seoyeon left her house.
Her footsteps seemed unusually light today.
Just like when she first awakened and went to acquire her Certificate.
* * *
"Ugh-!"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just suddenly got goosebumps all over."
Joohyun said while licking his body with his tongue.
'Wait a minute, why am I grooming my own body?'
Getting goosebumps all over after realizing what he was doing, he immediately stopped.
When he raised his head, Yuna was staring at Joohyun with a melting expression.
"What are you looking at, you punk!"
"Oh, nothing~ You just looked like you were in a good mood~."
"What are you talking about!"
Joohyun growled as he glared at the brightly smiling Yuna.
It had been a while since Yuna exited the tower and undid her transformation. She said all she had to do was naturally think about undoing it, and it would undo itself.
Joohyun let out a sigh and said.
"Let's just sleep for today. We need to go get your Certificate tomorrow."
"Oh right, that's true. We have to sell the Mana Stone to make money too."
Saying so, Yuna waved the Mana Stone in her hand.
"Yeah. We have to sell that to make money."
Swept up by an inexplicable wave of fatigue, the two of them postponed all their thinking to tomorrow.
Just like that, Yuna fell asleep under her duvet, and Joohyun fell asleep on the blanket she laid out for him.
The next day, they went to the front of the Association, only to have their jaws drop at the massive crowd.