Something Big Is Brewing
Something… something was getting bigger.
I first realized it the morning after we cleared the gate.
Missed Calls — 127
What the hell?
Had my number turned into some voice-phishing hotspot?
A glance at the missed-call list said otherwise. Dad, Mom, and my little brother accounted for a hundred of them. The landlord couple and Yeondo another twenty. A handful of acquaintances had dialed me too.
What on earth was going on?
I called Mom.
"Why are you only answering now?!"
Yikes. Nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Did a war break out or something?"
"War, my foot. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine. It's me, remember?"
"They said Chinese hunters tried to mess with my son!"
Wait. How did she know that?
"The news is nothing but stories about you. How could I not know?"
"Who, me?"
I still couldn't grasp the situation, so I kept parroting questions.
"The government officially protested to China. It's complete chaos."
Was I still half-asleep? Government this, China that—what was she even talking about, Mom?
"Ugh, fine. At least you're healthy."
"Your son's arms and legs are all intact. Want me to snap a pic of this handsome face and send it over?"
"For the time being, forget gates and rest."
"Yes, ma'am. Understood."
After hanging up, I blinked several times. Mom's machine-gun barrage of statements refused to sink in; my brain needed time to process any of it.
"Shit. What the hell is this?"
I fired up the internet immediately.
— Park Minho A-Class
— Chinese Turang
— China Park Minho
— Park Minho Kidnapping
— Park Minho Assault
……
What kind of mess was this?
【The entire world is praising my lord's name!】
【Master's renown is spreading far and wide!】
【Young master, you are magnificent!】
My head already hurt—could you all please shut up for a second?
I tapped a random news article.
The presidential spokesperson?
This was getting huge. When we first exited the gate they'd said protesting to China would be difficult. Why? How?
【But my lord, who is this president that you are so astonished?】
"Think of him as roughly equivalent to an emperor."
【Hooh. So the supreme ruler of this nation has taken the field for my lord's sake!】
That was exactly the problem. The presidential spokesperson had made the announcement himself. You could treat it as Korea's official stance. Were they really prepared to go to the mat with China… over me?
【Is that not simply because they hold my lord's value in such high esteem?】
【Hoho. It is only natural that people look up to this young lady's master.】
【You are great! Great young master!】
Ugh. Talking with these guys always made me feel like the idiot in the room.
And what was this "Park Minho A-Class" sitting at number one on the real-time searches? Curiosity got the better of me. Analysis posts and videos had flooded the place.
【It is footage of my lord's exploits.】
"Why was the stuff we submitted to the Rift Agency made public?"
Clicking one video gave me the answer. The Rift Agency had released select scenes to clarify the Chinese hunters' interference. Just in case, I checked the unread messages I'd ignored.
I'd gone to bed early and never replied. Well, if President Baek judged it best, that was probably the right call.
I opened the highest-viewed video: "Nyeong-eo's Fight Analysis."
"See those blue particles right here? That's Mana Release."
"You can use it for propulsion or to power up attacks. The applications are endless."
"But look—every single one of those Chinese hunters is using Mana Release."
"According to the announcement, entry to that gate was restricted to C-class. So what does that mean? They faked their ranks."
"Sure, it's possible someone awakened Mana Release and just never took the promotion exam."
"But six people like that showing up by coincidence? Pretty rare."
"And here—Hunter Light Minho's undead are using Mana Release too."
"That's the real kicker. It's not unheard of for a C-class hunter's subordinate to use Mana Release, but this level of proficiency…"
I didn't need to hear any more. The takeaway was clear: surviving a coordinated assault from Turang's first squad required at least A-class strength. The other videos would reach the same conclusion.
This was insane. I was too scared to click the rest of the search terms. Absolute pandemonium.
Time to get ready to head out.
【Are you off to clear another gate already?】
"Gotta replenish the undead."
Every single Armed Zombie Warrior had been destroyed. Draco had one unit critically wrecked and another moderately damaged. Thank god their heads hadn't been taken—otherwise I'd have lost precious undead for good.
Sigh. Looks like all-nighters for the foreseeable future.
Director-General Ling Shamei picked up the receiver.
"This affair is regrettable."
"I apologize, Your Excellency."
"I did not place you in the Director-General's seat to hear excuses."
"I will resolve it swiftly."
"I expect results."
Click.
Ling Shamei let out a quiet sigh.
So a tiny nation dares take a hard line against a great power, is that it?
The idea that a small country like Korea would defy a major power was absurd enough. And the reason? Protecting a single hunter. They had even pushed the conspiracy-theory-level "Turang" into the spotlight.
Are they idiots?
The only "evidence" was a single utterance of the word Turang. Situations like this were usually light WWE-style theater—both sides exchanged a few punches and extracted reasonable concessions within acceptable bounds. That was common sense.
Of course, Ling Shamei had no intention of offering even that "reasonable" concession. The great People's Republic of China yielding to a minor nation? That would be smearing dung all over a great power's prestige.
She had judged that failing to recruit Minho would not be a major problem. She had never expected this fiasco.
"Someone will have to take responsibility."
"Mmph! Mmmmph!"
A man thrashed, bound hand and foot. It was Jin Xiao, the Superhuman Affairs Inspector who had tried to recruit Minho in Korea a few days earlier. Mana-sealing restraints clamped his arms and legs; a gag filled his mouth so he could not form proper words.
"You worm."
Ling Shamei's eyes turned ice-cold. Turang's first squad possessed the combat power to easily subdue even A-class hunters. Even after taking the Weakening Elixir, they had honed Mana Release enough to punch above their specs. Their supporters and mages were all capable talents. And yet those people had met empty deaths on foreign soil.
"Your unilateral actions ruined everything."
"Mmmmph!"
Jin Xiao's eyes bulged. When he had reported that he would use hard measures during Minho's recruitment, he had been told that any failure would be treated as personal deviation. Even so, this was far too unfair.
"Mmmph!"
"It cannot be helped. The one who made the mistake should be the one to tie the knot, don't you think?"
Ling Shamei delivered the death sentence without a flicker of emotion. Jin Xiao shouted something, but the gag reduced it to muffled noise.
"Do not worry. Your family will accompany you, so you will not be lonely."
"Mmmmph!"
"You stained the Party's prestige with your independent actions. Is that not the fault of a poorly raised family?"
The superhumans waiting nearby hauled Jin Xiao to his feet. Bloodshot eyes radiated pure killing intent, but Ling Shamei regarded him like filth and then looked away completely. Jin Xiao was dragged off. Just like that, the fate of an entire household was sealed.
"Prepare the official response."
"We will announce it as Jin Xiao's personal deviation."
"The young man grew too greedy and caused this enormous accident. How unfortunate."
Not a single gram of actual regret colored her tone.
"Director-General. The Korean Rift Agency has sent an unofficial letter."
"What did it say?"
"That due to unavoidable circumstances, their dispatch to the Great Rift will be delayed."
"Honestly. This is why small nations are useless."
Ling Shamei clicked her tongue.
"They would neglect the Great Rift—which threatens the stability and peace of the entire world—over something so trivial?"
"Petty and underhanded, exactly as expected of a minor country."
"Only the Superhuman General Bureau can resolve this national crisis."
"We will form additional personnel for Great Rift deployment."
The first-rank officers of the Superhuman General Bureau—equivalent to executive-level personnel in a Korean corporation—simultaneously drafted countermeasures and spat curses. Making a huge fuss over an aggressive recruitment attempt, then abandoning the pan-national duty of defending the Great Rift! They felt not the slightest shame over their own illegal acts. Was it not natural for a great power to interfere with a small one? Rather, it was Korea that was wrong for issuing statements and playing games.
Ling Shamei surveyed the executives.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will announce a Korean culture ban."
There was no need to respond to the Korean government's criticism. The evidence was a single remark. As always, once economic pressure was applied, the Korean government would be unable to maintain its hard line.
The problem is that this, too, becomes a debt.
Ling Shamei suppressed a sigh. She now owed the Foreign Ministry a favor. Someday the Superhuman General Bureau would have to pay a steep price to settle it.
"Zheng Xianhao. Make certain he reaches S-class in the next promotion battle."
"Understood."
"Withdraw every branch in Korea. We will rebuild from the ground up, taking our time."
"Yes."
"We have been placed on the testing ground that measures our capabilities. I expect every one of you to give your utmost to your roles."
They would deny the Turang incident entirely. Erase every scrap of evidence. Pressure the Korean government through other means until the whole affair was buried as if it had never happened. The Chinese government possessed more than enough power for that.
"What about Park Minho?"
"There is no need to poke a venomous snake that has already been enraged."
"Understood."
"Continue intelligence gathering."
The recruitment had collapsed. The incident had swollen large enough to chill Korea–China relations. Now, no matter how much money they spent, they could no longer bring Minho over.
If we cannot embrace him, we must eliminate him.
They could not move immediately. Yet they could not leave him alone either. Someday he would grow into a powerhouse who threatened the security of the motherland. Not now—but before he grew strong enough.
He had to be killed.
Every ear in the conference room heard it that way.