A Contract of Green and Gathering Storms

"Did the discussion conclude well, sir?"

"It did."

Behind the wheel, Team Leader Choi In-woo nodded as if he had expected nothing less. "Assemblyman Yang Pan-seo isn't the sort of man who is easily swayed, but having such an undeniable trump card in hand must have left him with little choice."

"Tsk. The man is a cunning old fox. In the end, I had no choice but to drop a subtle hint regarding Hunter Yu Jisoo."

"Hahaha. Even so, if we wish to amend the Special Medicine Act, Yang Pan-seo is an absolute necessity. They don't call him an 'old monster' for nothing, after all."

"Good grief..."

The engine hummed softly as Kim Han-soo watched the vibrant city lights streak past the passenger window. After a quiet moment, he asked, "More importantly... was there another one today?"

"Yes, sir."

"Haaah... How is it that we cannot unearth even the faintest shred of a lead?"

Uncovering the identity of the EX-Rank Clearer had swiftly become the Awakened Persons Management Bureau's foremost operational priority.

"Is this the tenth day now?"

"The announcement broadcast just moments ago confirmed the tenth floor, so yes, sir. Ten days running."

"I can't even begin to fathom who it could be."

"Haha..."

For now, public sentiment remained comfortably anchored in the official announcements released by the Bureau. While that bought them precious breathing room, the eventual revelation of their complete ignorance would prove catastrophically embarrassing.

"It truly isn't Hunter Yu Jisoo, right?"

"Didn't he state it plainly from his own mouth, Commissioner? His awakened trait has nothing to do with combat."

Is it truly not him? Yet deep within his chest, Kim Han-soo could not shake an inexplicable, lingering intuition that defied clean articulation.

As the commissioner silently contemplated the glowing streetscape with conflicted thoughts, Choi In-woo voiced an abrupt musing from the driver's seat.

"At this rate, I wonder if the entire ranking hierarchy of South Korea is about to be turned on its head."

"Just South Korea? The entire world's ranking hierarchy will be completely upended."

An EX rank. The sheer geopolitical shockwave carried by that single designation was truly monumental.

"How high do you estimate they can climb, Commissioner?"

"Wouldn't you know far better than an old bureaucrat like me?"

Team Leader Choi In-woo was not merely a career civil servant within the Bureau; he was also an active, licensed hunter registered under its jurisdiction.

"Since the true conquest of the Tower begins in earnest from the eleventh floor onward... I imagine they might somehow push through to the twentieth floor, but advancing beyond that should prove exceptionally difficult."

"Indeed..."

Floors 11 through 20. Colloquially known among hunters as the 'newbie slaughterhouse.'

Countless climbers intentionally parked on those lower thresholds, running predictable gathering loops and repeatable quests rather than daring the ascension. The twentieth floor, in particular, was a notorious gateway trial where even Liam Chryson, the premier champion of the United States, had tasted bitter humiliation during his initial attempt. Matters had improved somewhat over the years thanks to leaked raid footage and tailored gear distributions, but the bottleneck remained formidable.

"Honestly, having so many extraordinary blessings land in our lap all at once is almost frightening," Choi In-woo remarked with a slight chuckle.

"Mind your tongue with that useless fretting."

"Haha, my apologies, sir. But surely you share that buoyant mood deep down, don't you, Commissioner?"

It was undeniably true. The miraculous potions produced by Hunter Yu Jisoo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone promised a dazzling future for the nation. And now, on top of that, an unprecedented EX-Rank Clearer had emerged from their soil.

The only one of their kind across the globe. Among the hundreds of sovereign powers scattered across the earth, such historic fortune was raining down consecutively upon South Korea.

"I could hardly be displeased," Kim Han-soo admitted softly.

Yet shadowed alongside that pride was the relentless barrage of diplomatic inquiries that had begun inundating their offices. China and Japan, sitting right on their borders, were a given, but formal communiqués had already started arriving from the United States, Russia, and several influential blocs throughout Europe and the Middle East.

We must identify them as soon as humanly possible, if only to arrange absolute security...

They had to track down the EX-Rank Clearer before foreign intelligence agencies could lay a finger on them. If that lone pioneer were ever poached or coerced away by an overseas superpower, South Korea's ascendant future would be smothered in its cradle.

The Thunderstrike Grass.

A brand-new combat plant. As its botanical description made abundantly clear, it appeared to channel and harness raw lightning, but...

"Can I really afford to raise this inside my apartment...?"

Won't it turn the living room into a smoking ruin? Do I grow it outside? But where?

"Haaah..."

While I stood there wringing my hands, unable to settle on a reasonable compromise, Ppyojoki waddled over, having thoroughly gorged itself on its meal.

Tap, tap.

"Hm? Wondering what I'm doing?"

Pyurrr. The little bud gave a vigorous nod.

Smiling, I reached down and gently scooped Ppyojoki into my hands. "Up we go. Just lost in thought for a second."

Rustle. Now entirely accustomed to its routine, the little crimson bud slid snugly into my jacket pocket without needing any encouragement. Good grief, watching it settle in was delightfully bizarre every single time.

Whatever, I'll worry about logistics later.

I was going to cultivate it no matter what. Wasn't this the very combat-oriented plant companion I had spent days dreaming about? With proper care and measured nutrient feeding, I could surely keep its volatility under control. I had spent nearly two decades tending to greenery of every shape and temperament; coaxing unruly botanical life into thriving was the one thing on earth I had absolute confidence in.

"Shall we have another look around, then?"

Even though I had already pocketed a magnificent seed, thoroughness was the bedrock of an alchemist. True to habit, I began a sweeping circuit across the clearing of the tenth floor, checking every nook and hollow to see if anything else of note had bloomed.

Unsurprisingly, no further flora revealed itself. But just as I prepared to turn back, my eyes caught something unexpected.

"What's that...?"

Off in the distance, a glittering constellation of tiny light ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠particles flitted through the dim air, dancing between the branches in erratic, playful arcs.

"A firefly?"

Its pulsing, rhythmic bioluminescence was practically identical to that of a glowing beetle. Holding my breath to avoid startling it, I stepped forward on silent soles, creeping closer to examine it.

—!

The shimmering creature instantly sensed my approach. Yet contrary to my assumption that it would scatter into the foliage—

Whoosh.

Drawing a graceful ribbon of emerald light through the air, it drifted straight toward me. It was barely the size of a single finger joint, fluttering its gossamer wings in gentle, humming beats as it hovered at eye level, staring intently into my face.

Is it inspecting me?

After circling around my head for several curious seconds, the tiny entity drifted downward and settled with feather-light delicacy right onto my shoulder. Our gazes locked.

In that very heartbeat, a translucent window materialized before my eyes.

"...A spirit?"

Before the murmur could even fade from my lips, an expanded informational status panel bloomed beside it.

My eyes skipped past every poetic descriptor and locked squarely onto that final, radiant sentence: Possesses peerless mastery over the cultivation, nurturing, and management of botanical life.

An entity endowed with the exact power required to dissolve my mounting headache entirely.

A soft, emerald halo radiated from its tiny silhouette. Looking closely, its form resembled that of a thumb-sized, leafy squirrel. To think such an adorable critter was a bona fide elemental spirit!

Well, I suppose that makes total sense, doesn't it?

In virtually every fantasy realm, wasn't it practically an unspoken law that elemental spirits assumed animalistic shapes? Take the salamander, for instance—across countless games and novels, the Fire Spirit always manifested as a fiery little lizard.

While I admired it with an appreciative grin, the creature scampered down onto my collarbone and began vigorously rubbing its soft cheek against my jaw.

"Hahaha, hey, that tickles!"

Were all spirits naturally this affectionate? The system description claimed it had a difficult, picky disposition, yet it was being nothing short of completely charming. Furthermore, it was a spirit of vegetation. By their very nature, nature spirits were irrevocably intertwined with plant life. And since the little fellow seemed so thoroughly fond of me—

"Hey, want to tag along with me?"

The casual invitation elicited an immediate, ecstatic response. Blurring into a vibrant streak of emerald starlight, the tiny spirit began spinning jubilant loops around my head.

"That means yes, right?"

Drifting downward with apparent glee, it nestled gently onto the back of my outstretched hand.

Without a split second of hesitation, I accepted.

Why would I ever refuse? With this little one's innate talents, the botanical bottlenecks that had been keeping me awake at night would be resolved in an instant. Besides, it was a genuine spirit. Judging by the way Ppyojoki was curiously poking its red bud out of my jacket pocket to take a peek, my plant companions would adore it as well.

From whichever angle I weighed it, there wasn't a single downside.

"Contract accepted."

A soft, emerald flash blossomed across the skin of my right hand, coalescing into an intricate, vine-like sigil that gently settled beneath the surface before fading into a faint, warm shimmer.

"Which means...?"

I had just recruited an extraordinary new assistant. And an immensely talented one, at that.

Gwanghwamun, central Seoul.

In the bustling heart of the capital stood the monolithic headquarters of Hanshin Group—a conglomerate that had catapulted into the paramount ranks of South Korea's financial titan class virtually overnight, carried on the wings of an exclusive domestic distribution monopoly for Glorio potions.

"What in the absolute hell is the meaning of this?!"

SLAM!

On the topmost floor of the forty-three-story skyscraper, inside the opulent executive office where Hanshin's empire was steered, thunderous roars erupted alongside the violent flight of luxury desk ornaments.

"Why on earth is Assemblyman Yang meeting with Commissioner Kim Han-soo?!"

Huff, huff.

Suffocating under the volcanic fury of Chairman Lee Geunpyo, not a single subordinate assembled before the desk dared to draw breath, let alone speak.

Assemblyman Yang Pan-seo. Who was he? He was a creature who had not budged so much as an inch even when Hanshin had funneled obscene fortunes in under-the-table bribes his way during the initial drafting of the Special Medicine Act.

Yet he remained a monster of the National Assembly that no one could overlook. In the cutthroat arena of politics, the weight of his voice was near absolute. Only through Hanshin's desperate, suffocating overtures and bordering-on-criminal harassment had they managed to reach a fragile truce: that he would simply maintain a neutral silence when the bill came to the floor.

And now? He was convening in secret with Kim Han-soo—the very man who had fought tooth and nail against the enactment of the Special Medicine Act from day one?!

"Ch-Chairman, please, take a breath and calm yourself—"

"Calm down? If you were in my shoes, you incompetent worm, would you be calm right now?!"

"Nothing definitive has been confirmed just yet—"

"Confirmed? Confirmed, you say?!"

SMASH!

A crystal decanter from the side table traced a graceful trajectory through the air before obliterating against the marble wall, showering the carpet in fragments and hundred-million-won vintage liquor.

"Open your ears and listen to me very carefully, all of you." Ripping open his tie with trembling, manicured hands, Chairman Lee glared at the row of executives like a cornered beast. "There is exactly one year remaining until our exclusive potion distribution contract expires."

"..."

"Have you all forgotten what built this company into what it is today?!"

"No, sir!"

Lee Geunpyo snapped his head toward his executive secretary. "What is the status of our internal potion development research?"

"...At the earliest, we will require at least six more months, Chairman."

Letting out a ragged, trembling hiss, the chairman slammed both fists onto the mahogany desk. "Six months. You keep that Special Medicine Act alive and untouched for at least six more months! By whatever means necessary! Do you hear me?!"

"Understood, sir!"

"Or else synthesize a formula superior to those American Yankee bastards before then! If you lack the competence to do that, then protect that legislative wall at all costs! Shove ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠billions up those politicians' asses, blackmail them, screw them blind, do whatever it takes to keep them in line!!"

"Yes, sir!"

Huff, wheeze.

Still unable to quell the fiery rage vibrating through his veins, the elderly tycoon collapsed back into his leather armchair and flicked his wrist in disgust. The terrified executives bowed their heads in unison, practically tripping over one another as they scurried out of the room and clicked the double doors shut behind them.

Alone in the cavernous office, Lee Geunpyo snatched the receiver of his private, encrypted landline and punched in a familiar sequence.

Click.

The line went instantly dead.

Lee Geunpyo froze in place, the dial tone buzzing in his ear as his knuckles turned white against the plastic handset. A violent tremor rocked his shoulders.

"Jeong Hee-min, you insolent little bastard..."

It was completely different. The polite, dismissive chill dripping from the politician's tone was diametrically opposed to his past servility.

Gritting his teeth, Lee Geunpyo rapidly redialed three other lawmakers on his regular payroll. Yet every single conversation played out across the exact same hollow script.

An unexpected emergency summons.
Away on a sudden family vacation abroad.
Attending a distant relative's funeral.

Excuse after transparent excuse.

"You were drooling like dogs when you pocketed my dirty money, you ungrateful sons of bitches...!"

Spewing venom under his breath, Chairman Lee reached over and jabbed the intercom button beside the console.

"Assemblyman Yang and Commissioner Kim Han-soo. Deploy every surveillance asset we have and find out exactly what those two are cooking up behind closed doors."

"Yang Pan-seo is not an idiot who would pivot like this without reason. That dog Kim Han-soo might be reckless, but never Yang."

"..."

"For that calculating old monster to move so blatantly out in the open means he is holding an absolute certainty in his hand. Uncover whatever that is. Every single detail."

BANG!

Slamming the receiver down into its cradle with vicious force, Lee Geunpyo stared out through the panoramic window overlooking Seoul.

"Kim Han-soo..."

During the original passage of the Special Medicine Act and at every administrative crossroad since, that righteous civil servant had been an excruciating thorn lodged firmly in his throat. Had fate tipped just slightly the other way, Hanshin's entire golden goose would have been strangled in its crib by that single bureaucrat.

There was only one plausible scenario under heaven that could bring those two bitter ideological opposites to the same negotiating table.

An amendment to the Special Medicine Act.

If the monopoly barriers were shattered and domestic clinical trials or rival formulas were sanctioned, Hanshin's empire—built almost entirely upon the exorbitant price-gouging of foreign imports—would suffer an immediate, catastrophic collapse.

"I have no idea what pathetic little card you think you've drawn, Kim Han-soo," Lee Geunpyo snarled into the empty air, his reflection in the glass contorted into an ugly, predatory sneer. "Just you wait."

Whatever foundation you're standing on, I will drag it into the dirt and crush you to dust.