Clearing My Name
I slammed open the office door with a loud bang and strode in slowly. In the unbroken silence, one person alone shot to their feet and stared at me.
"K-Kang Deok-su?"
It was the deputy who'd sent me into the tower.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
He suddenly started venting his anger at me.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble your team's in because of you?"
True to habit, the deputy began jabbing his finger at me. Only then did the office erupt from its silence into a cacophony of murmurs.
Mumble mumble.
Hostile glares everywhere, plain as day. My old desk was already spotless, cleared of everything.
"What exactly did I do wrong?"
I felt wronged.
"You shameless—! Everyone here knows you hid that you were awakened, and that's why Joo Tae-su died!"
I had no idea how the deputy had blabbed, but contemptuous stares poured down on me. The stinging looks from colleagues I'd laughed and joked with during company life were somehow the hardest to bear.
"Why is that my fault?"
Truth be told, I'd come to submit my resignation today. Now that I'd been recognized as an S-rank hunter, there was no need to keep slaving away at this job. From now on, I'd head to the Korean Magic Tower, sell mana stones, and live easy. That alone would net me more money than all these people's salaries combined—enough to live large.
Still, after four years here, I didn't want to slink out like some scolded dog. Wrong needed to be set right, didn't it?
"Non-Awakener Verification Protocol."
For the first time, I stared clearly into the deputy's eyes.
"What?"
He seemed flustered; the rigid finger pointing at me went limp.
Non-Awakener Verification Protocol. A Hunter Association method to screen awakeners entering the tower. It used an item that reacted to an awakener's mana via mana stones to measure it—a simple system.
"Non-awakeners entering the Korean Magic Tower must all go through the Non-Awakener Verification Protocol to get certified before they can go in," I said deliberately, enunciating each word as if addressing everyone.
"That's..."
"Only natural, right? Even one more awakener jacks up the tower's difficulty by 1.5 to 2 times. Did you know that, Deputy?"
The deputy glanced around before continuing.
"Of course! If you hadn't lied about being a non-awakener..."
"When did I lie?"
I cut him off firmly. It was something I couldn't have done if I hadn't already decided to quit.
The people who'd been scorning me now perked up their ears, listening intently to our argument. Looked like the deputy had been the one blabbing that I'd tricked everyone by pretending to be a non-awakener.
"I just came back from the data collection team, Deputy. Do you know what they told me?"
"Hah! What are you getting at?"
The deputy sighed heavily and forced an awkward grin.
"That day, the data collection team asked our team to hand over one non-awakener. Everyone here probably knows that much."
"Hey!"
The deputy clearly didn't like the shifting mood.
"You're trying to frame me somehow, but the issue is you hid that you were awakened and tagged along to the tower, got it? Why drag the data team into this now?"
"Haha."
I shot back an awkward grin of my own.
"Deputy, at first I blamed myself for blindly following along without checking properly. But the data team said they told you to only send people who'd passed the verification protocol."
"And that you didn't get it, so they had to emphasize it twice."
I made a V-sign with my fingers to stress the number two.
"So what? You're the one who hid being awakened—you're at fault!"
What a clown. He wouldn't even admit the tiniest bit of his own wrongdoing.
"Fine, that's all I had to say."
Wasting more words on these people was pointless. I gently placed my resignation letter on the desk in front of the deputy.
"..."
No response came. He probably just wished I'd get out ASAP. Same to him.
I walked out slowly, head held high. The hostile stares aimed at me had turned blank, like moviegoers lingering in their seats to savor the ending credits.
Yeah. That'll do.
Before opening the door, I tossed one last line at the deputy.
"I just came from briefing the audit team on everything I said. Better prep something better than the excuses you made to me."
"W-Wait."
The deputy muttered so softly even I could barely hear, staring blankly into space. But Kang Deok-su was already gone. All he'd done was break the silence and end up looking pathetic.
In the Hunter Association president's office, Kim Cheol-su sat facing a woman.
"Is it really true? Transferring skills...?"
"Yeah. Surprisingly, it is. What I saw was genuinely Joo Tae-su's skill."
"That's..."
The woman flapped her large white wings, which stretched wide on both sides in surprise, as she spoke.
"Honestly, it was a bit off. The destructive power and duration were on another level compared to Joo Tae-su's original skill. Calling it one rank evolved fits."
"So not only does he transfer skills, he upgrades them too?"
"Maybe. Whether that's part of the transfer ability or if Kang Deok-su's hiding more, I don't know."
"Hmm..."
S-rank hunter Kim Ha-rin sat before Kim Cheol-su.
"You should meet him yourself."
"I'd love to as soon as possible. Transferring someone else's S-rank skill to himself and upgrading it one rank? What does S-rank become when upgraded?"
"No idea. Heh."
Kim Cheol-su chuckled.
"S-plus? He insisted he was definitely S-rank. Didn't seem like he was lying."
"Oh, and."
Kim Cheol-su fixed his gaze on Kim Ha-rin.
"Yes."
"He said absolutely not to leak that he's S-rank anywhere. That's why I called you alone. Better keep your mouth shut too."
"Y-Yes, sir."
It's true... Her S-rank skill was Truth Discernment. Not a combat type, but it let her discern if someone's words were true or false. Shockingly, everything Kim Cheol-su had told her was true.
Kang Deok-su... Interesting. Skill transfer, huh...
Knock knock.
"President, may I come in?"
A low, powerful woman's voice pierced the air. The door to the president's office opened.
"President, all the hunters are here. Shall I bring them here?"
Entering was Kim Cheol-su's secretary, Han Ye-rin, looking sharp in her neat office attire.
"No, I'll go. They're all in the conference room now?"
Thud. Kim Cheol-su sprang up from the sofa.
"Yes. Just you and Ha-rin need to come."
"Alright. Looks like everyone's waiting on us except us—shall we hurry, Ha-rin?"
"Yes, let's go."
Kim Cheol-su and Kim Ha-rin rose and headed to the conference room.
Meanwhile, a heavy silence hung in the conference room.
An S-rank hunter's raid failure. And it was Joo Tae-su, no less. Among Korea's active S-ranks, he was undoubtedly the strongest.
"Guess the good times are over."
Someone broke the silence. It was S-rank hunter Choi Seung-rok, with his sturdy build and handsome face. A long sword was strapped to his back.
"Hmph. Joo Tae-su was always the weird one, bragging he'd solo the tower."
The tall man with the angular face replied. That was Seo Ji-hoon.
"But he was strong. Stronger than anyone here."
Choi Seung-rok responded. Silence returned to the room.
About five minutes later, Kim Cheol-su and Kim Ha-rin entered.
"Thank you all for coming. I appreciate you making time in your busy schedules to visit the association."
"Heh heh. Long time no see, President. Plotting something with just the two of you again?"
Seo Ji-hoon, the angular-faced man, replied.
"Haha. I called Ha-rin separately for a personal curiosity."
"Sure."
Seo Ji-hoon looked skeptical.
"Straight to business. I have to fly back to Saudi today."
Choi Seung-rok said, eyeing Kim Cheol-su.
"Of course. I assume you all know why I gathered you today."
Kim Cheol-su spread his hands as if to draw all eyes and continued.
"The death of S-rank hunter Joo Tae-su."
"..."
Everyone knew, but hearing it again was hard to believe.
"An incomprehensible death, and heartbreaking for those close to Tae-su. But we can't dawdle. What's important now is..."
"Hold on."
S-rank hunter Kang Do-yoon interrupted Kim Cheol-su. He was one of Joo Tae-su's close friends.
"No matter how urgent, we need to address suspicions about Tae-su's death."
"Yes. Ask me anything you're curious about."
Kim Cheol-su met Kang Do-yoon's gaze.
"First, it's true an awakener was among the group that entered with Tae-su?"
"Yes, true."
Kang Do-yoon ground his teeth.
"Then how did Tae-su die, and that guy conquers the 50th floor?"
"Joo Tae-su mutual-killed with the boss monster, the Minotaur, while tackling the 50th. Saying the remaining awakener cleared it is a logical leap."
Kang Do-yoon glanced at Kim Ha-rin.
"Hey, Kim Ha-rin. Is what he's saying true?"
Kim Ha-rin looked to Kim Cheol-su.
Her skill, Truth Discernment, clearly marked a red aura around Kim Cheol-su.
"Yes... it's true."
Kim Ha-rin decided to protect Kang Deok-su's secret as the president said.
"Nothing the president said was false."
"Hmm..."
Kang Do-yoon looked unconvinced.
"That info came from that awakener anyway, right?"
"Correct."
Kim Cheol-su answered.
"Can't trust it... Kang Deok-su, was it? I need to see the bastard myself."
Kang Do-yoon looked ready to bolt up.
"Do-yoon, calm down."
Kim Cheol-su extended both hands toward him.
"What? Calm down? My friend's dead—how am I supposed to calm down?!"
"Sigh... I understand your feelings, but seeing him won't change anything. Leave this to me and Ha-rin; I promise we'll handle it properly. Right, Ha-rin?"
"Yes. If he's lying, I'll tell you first, Do-yoon."
"..."
Kang Do-yoon crossed his arms in reply.
"Then, continuing. This is what's important now."
Everyone looked at Kim Cheol-su.
"Who will climb the tower?"
"Hmm..."
They all glanced at each other.
The Korean Magic Tower—once called the Nodeta Tower—a skyscraper that was now Korea's economic engine and nuclear deterrent. At first, no one dared enter the monster-infested warzone. No one climbed it.
Then the gates went berserk. A level-1 national disaster. Monsters poured indiscriminately from the gate at the tower's main entrance—some far stronger than anything below the 50th floor.
Two years ago was apocalyptic. Hunters rushed in to respond, but Seoul's population density was world-class. Often called a blessing, that day it was a curse. Over 100,000 civilians dead in just over an hour. Even four S-rank hunters perished.
So the Hunter Association vowed no repeats: climb the tower at least once a month. Until now, Joo Tae-su had shouldered that burden alone.
"Of course, I won't dump it all on one person recklessly like this time."
Kim Cheol-su interlaced his fingers.
"Impossible anyway."
Seo Ji-hoon replied flatly.
"Exactly. Even with an awakener sneaking in, we can't repeat Tae-su's failure. You're all Earth's precious assets."
"So this time, we'll climb as a team. Anyone willing?"
"I'll go."
"Me too."
Kang Do-yoon and the two beside him raised hands swiftly. These three were Joo Tae-su's closest friends.
"Three... No more?"
The tower allowed up to five awakeners.
"Climbing to the 59th with these three seems best. 60th needs five elites."
Choi Seung-rok said.
"Agreed."
Kang Do-yoon approved.
Bosses appeared every ten floors. Three could handle up to 59 without issue.
"Then these three for now."
"Everyone agree?"
"Agreed."
"Yes."
Some voiced it, others nodded.
"Done. That's the meeting. You can all go. Oh, when for the 51st?"
"Tomorrow, first thing."
Kang Do-yoon answered.
"Good. I'll be at the tower by 7 a.m. tomorrow. Thanks for coming all this way. I have work, so I'll head out first."
Kim Cheol-su left the room.
The next day, on my way back from the Korean Magic Tower.
Whew... Mining mana stones nonstop has my shoulders killing me. How do normals do this every day? Uncle Yong Du-cheol suddenly seems badass...
I'd been mining on the first floor. Didn't bring my phone to avoid distractions.
No one's calling anyway...
Got home, turned it on.
'What the?'
Kim Cheol-su. Kim Cheol-su. Kim Cheol-su. Kim Cheol-su.
Four missed calls. All from him.
'Told him not to call... This guy's hopeless.'
"Deok-su!"
-Yes? Uh, President? Why call at the crack of dawn...
Something happen?
-"D-Do you not know the situation?!"
-"What happened?"
-"Could you check the news?"
-"Sure. Looking now."
I stepped into the living room and flicked on the TV. What I saw left me stunned.
"What?!"