The Ranger Initiative Press Conference
The press conference hall, broader than the school auditorium, was packed to the brim with reporters. They all turned their heads at once and stared straight at me.
【Hahah! Look at that! Everyone is gazing upon their master!】
【So this stage’s protagonist is none other than Park Minho. Everyone truly has sharp eyes.】
That wasn’t it at all. I had never once decided to play the protagonist!
“Would everyone please give a round of applause for hunter Park Minho, newly selected as Ranger One.”
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The thunderous applause echoed loudly throughout the conference hall.
“Mr. Hunter Park, please step forward.”
“President?”
“The fact that the meeting place is a press conference hall itself seems rather odd.”
Wait a minute. That meant…
He had anticipated this exact situation. Chairman Baek smiled faintly.
You tricked me! You sold me out to the Counter-Abnormal Bureau!!!
“I had no idea either. I only noticed just before we came up.”
Please erase that smile and speak properly!
There’s not a single trustworthy person here.
Sob… sob… sob…
As I walked down the central aisle toward the stage, I was bombarded with snapping flashes that gave my skin a thorough massage.
I might end up with a tan from the flash glare if this continues.
Hmm. The fact that my usual nonsense still rang clearly in my head meant I wasn’t particularly tense.
Seeing dozens of reporters was now just a normal part of my daily life.
Stay calm.
When I reached the front of the stage, Director Jeong Seungil stepped forward.
“Welcome, hunter Park Minho.”
“I feel like I’ve never heard of this situation.”
“Chairman Baek would have guessed.”
Yes. He didn’t tell me a single word and kept it all to himself.
“Step onto the stage, please.”
He pointed to the stairs with a perfectly polite gesture, and I was deeply moved.
I climbed the stage first, and Director Jeong Seungil followed and took his place beside me.
“There is a reason Park Minho was selected as Ranger One.”
Commissioner Choi’s voice rang out across the entire press conference hall.
The shutter clicks came to a complete halt.
The reporters’ eyes sparkled with a fierce determination to miss nothing.
Ugh…
Facing the brilliant gazes of hundreds of people—even indirectly—made my stomach churn.
“Park Minho is a promising talent who ascended to S-rank after five years.”
【The Commissioner has a discerning eye.】
【So that means you have a thick skull.】
【Why are you arguing? You magic user.】
【Promising talent? My master is destined to become the world’s strongest hunter!】
【Hmm. That’s true, so I can’t refute it this time.】
Fortunately, the thoughts exchanged in the death space hadn’t leaked out. If they had, I might have been so embarrassed I’d bite my tongue.
“He played a major role in the Geumjeong-dong break incident and cleared twenty Over-Grade gates single-handedly in just one month.”
“Over-Grade?”
“That means he cleared an entire C-rank gate alone.”
“Now that you mention it, the conflict with Mir Guild involved a C-rank gate as well.”
“Is that announcement real?”
Murmur… murmur…
The conference hall, which had fallen silent for a moment, once again buzzed like a bustling market.
Someone raised their hand.
“Regarding the one-month Over-Grade twenty clears, is data verification possible?”
“The relevant materials have been posted on the Counter-Abnormal Bureau headquarters website. Feel free to check them directly.”
“I’m doubtful he cleared all those gates alone.”
“Support teams were involved, but they were all D-rank hunters, so they can be excluded from the records.”
“I’d like confirmation of evidence that Park Minho conducted the clears single-handedly.”
“There should be bodycam footage from the clears. You’ll need to inquire with the Ascension Agency about that portion later.”
Questions about the records Director Jeong Seungil had mentioned also poured in one after another.
“The average number of domestic hunter gate entries is sixteen.”
“That’s correct.”
“Mr. Park Minho entered more gates than the average, yet he succeeded in every single clear. Is that right?”
“All clears are recorded as SSS-rank in the data.”
Wow. Even I couldn’t remember all of that.
The Commissioner knew far better.
“One month, twenty Over-Grade clears?”
“And they were all SSS-rank?”
“That’s impossible.”
Twenty Over-Grade clears in a single month. Looking back, it was an impossible record.
After the Great Cataclysm, it became a promising career. But the essence of being a hunter remained the same then and now.
It was hunting monsters with everything on the line. Even veterans would cross the line between life and death if they relaxed.
Because of that, the fatigue piled up from each clear was immense. It was truly astonishing that he completed twenty SSS-rank clears in one month.
【Hahah! With us here for my lord, what is there to worry about?】
【My master doesn’t even need to lift a single finger at the gate!】
Yes. Please carry me like this from now on too.
I’ll just tap a finger.
One reporter raised his hand.
“May I ask Director Jeong Seungil a question?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Director, aren’t you Korea’s only SS-rank hunter?”
“That is correct.”
“How likely do you think it is that Park Minho will reach the eleventh S-rank?”
Chairman Baek, standing a short distance away, frowned slightly.
This question had crossed the line.
“Speaking of S-rank is a bit difficult.”
“Ah, I see.”
“If it’s SS-rank, that’s one thing, but—”
“Excuse me?”
“Park Minho is destined to become Korea’s second SS-rank hunter after me. I am certain of it.”
What?
What did you just say?
“S-rank? SS-rank?!”
“Director Jeong Seungil! What do you mean by that?!”
“It is exactly as I said. It is odd.”
Director Jeong Seungil closed his mouth tightly, as if he had finished saying everything he wanted.
The press conference hall erupted like it had been hit by a bomb.
***
Heart-pounding chaos filled the press conference hall! Even after Director Jeong Seungil’s words, multiple questions had come, but I honestly couldn’t remember a single one.
【Snap out of it.】
【Are you all right?】
No. I was not all right in the slightest.
The whirlwind of the press conference passed in an instant.
I shook hands with high-ranking officials who appeared on stage besides the Commissioner, took photos together, and exchanged pleasantries, but I couldn’t recall any of it.
“You did well.”
After the press conference ended, Chairman Baek rubbed his hands together.
“You, no—President, ugh.”
“You can insult me if you want.”
“Really?”
“No.”
Creak…
“How much did you earn selling me out?”
“I’m about to go collect my settlement now.”
Settlement. That was an oddly satisfying word.
After the commemorative photo session, we moved to the Commissioner’s office.
Commissioner Choi.
Director Jeong Seungil.
Chairman Baek.
And finally, me.
Unlike the press conference, the atmosphere was calm and I felt at ease.
The meeting room that had been hotter than yesterday’s iron skillet was nothing compared to the press conference.
“I should have given you prior notice. I apologize.”
Commissioner Choi. He was an S-rank hunter who had played a major role in the early days of the Great Cataclysm alongside Director Jeong Seungil.
The names that regularly appeared in middle-school history textbooks. I never imagined I would one day stand before such legendary figures.
“I believe you will leave without any strings attached.”
Chairman Baek, the only non-awakened person in the room, took the lead in the conversation with an unyielding spirit that did not yield to the two heroes.
“Of course.”
“That won’t do as a token of appreciation.”
“Chairman Baek, how much government budget is there, and are you already trying to fleece it?”
“Having our Park hunter as the face of the Ranger launch and then wiping your mouth would be problematic.”
“Rest assured we intend to pay a fair price.”
“So, what exactly have you prepared…”
This was Season Two of the Iron Skillet!
【That Chairman Baek. If he sensed my power, he would have gone all out.】
【Amazing. A human with no power and yet he doesn’t flinch before the heroes’ spirit.】
Perhaps Chairman Baek’s boldness, which even his subordinates had recognized, shone through.
The negotiation ended surprisingly quickly.
“We will grant you free use of one piece of equipment from the Counter-Abnormal Bureau for three years.”
“Anything?”
“Let’s say for equipment currently without a dedicated manager.”
Whoa.
The Counter-Abnormal Bureau possessed domestic five-star—and more—armaments.
They were the new recruits that appeared in the early days of the Great Cataclysm. All the masterless ones had been recovered by the state and were being stored somewhere in the Counter-Abnormal Bureau building.
While there was a restriction that equipment currently in use or borrowed could not be lent, the sheer volume of equipment they held made the drawback seem negligible.
In the world. To obtain that through negotiation.
Truly impressive.
“That’s too short. Ten years would be perfect.”
Ah. It wasn’t over yet.
“Director Jeong, who is the face of the Counter-Abnormal Bureau, has been borrowing weapons every five years, right?”
“Then make it seven years.”
After some back-and-forth, the two eventually settled on five years—the same term as Director Jeong.
“Thank you.”
Chairman Baek’s face lit up with a bright smile at Commissioner Choi’s final approval.
“Now this is the life. You have such a good agency.”
“I agree.”
“Whenever you need equipment, just speak to Director Jeong.”
That was the end of the reward for the press conference hall mishap.
The Commissioner’s mood shifted.
“First, I would like to thank you for accepting the Ranger proposal.”
“It is my honor.”
It was not empty flattery. The two men were heroes who had played a role in the early days of the Great Cataclysm.
While learning history in social studies class, I once thought, ‘I want to become someone like that’ at least once.
Calling living people heroes felt slightly strange, but either way, when I heard the Counter-Abnormal Bureau’s proposal, my emotions swelled with more than just the benefit.
“People say we are entering a period of stability after the Great Cataclysm.”
That was true. It was an era when even a gate break in Seoul after three years made headlines.
The monsters that threatened daily life during the Great Cataclysm had been reclassified, like a gold mine spewing rocks.
“However, something is changing these days.”
“Mr. Park may not know, but mutant monsters have been increasing lately.”
Director Jeong added, his voice trailing behind.
I had seen it in the news and experienced it myself, so I didn’t deny it.
“I expect the Ranger to have many tasks ahead.”
“You’ve taken on a great responsibility.”
“I did not say that lightly.”
Commissioner Choi shook his head left and right.
“I only said it because I hope Mr. Park will carry out his duties with pride.”
“I understand.”
“Considering he might become the second SS-rank, the Counter-Abnormal Bureau will have to shine.”
Ah. Ahahaha.
Two heroes who had shone in the early days of the Great Cataclysm expressing expectation.
For some reason, my shoulders felt a little tense.