A Courteous Invitation

Chinese agents came after me again. They said they were only here to escort me — politely, of course.

A thought struck me, though.

If this had really been a courteous attempt, would Rangi have attacked?

Rangi was the size of a small wolf now. He turned to look at me, answering the pull of my will.

"What do you think, Rangi?"

"Grrraaah!"

Whoa. Listen to him put some lung into it.

Teenage tiger Rangi. I scratched his head, and he immediately nuzzled his cheek into my palm. All that roaring bravado vanished on the spot — he was just a big kitten.

"Good boy."

"Prrrr..."

Cute little guy.

Still, I miss the tiny version.

He'd grown up so fast it was almost enough to make me sad. Was this how parents felt, watching a baby shoot up overnight?

Ah. Not the time.

This Chinese agent still gave me a bad feeling.

"Why don't you take this up with the NIS instead of me?"

"W-wait — you can't!"

See that? Guilty conscience. I handed him straight over to the government.

The next day, I met with Director Jeong again.

"The interrogation is finished."

"You already have results?"

That was fast. I'd always heard the Hunter Headquarters wasn't exactly known for speedy paperwork. Things had gotten a lot more pleasant since Director Jeong took over, in more ways than one.

"Needless to say, the word 'courteous' was a lie."

"Figured as much."

"To be precise, their objective was to determine your floor."

"Ah."

Same as the last attempt on Master's life. Same as the way they puffed up their pride on the international stage while pulling stunts behind everyone's back.

I was more or less used to China's methods by now. And if they'd figured out my floor? Next would be assassination or kidnapping.

"Assassination would make their own climb a nightmare, so they were probably going for a kidnapping."

These people still hadn't learned a thing.

"That's pretty damn shameless."

"We'll make a full diplomatic incident out of this. Their run at the 57th Floor will be anything but smooth."

"And I am never setting foot on Chinese soil."

Still, it didn't quite scratch the itch. Me refusing to go over there and help them wasn't enough to feel like I'd really stuck it to them. I just wasn't someone China truly needed yet. It didn't feel like I'd put them in their place.

Of course, if Kang Minji's Shunpo cleared the 57th ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Floor? That would be a different story entirely.

From that moment on, I'd be holding every card. Kang Minji would listen when I told her not to go to China — and even if she didn't, I could always make another Shunpo hunter.

But that was still an unknown. Nobody knew if the 57th Floor could even be cleared.

If every floor of the real Tower had matched Hunter Management, this would've been so much easier.

The 57th Floor would have been a breeze with nothing but Shunpo.

Unfortunately, the floors only lined up with Hunter Management through the 56th. Nobody knew what the 57th actually looked like.

It's a hell of a coincidence that China got wrecked on the 57th Floor the same way they did in the game — but what's waiting up there is still anyone's guess.

A coincidence so neat it was almost absurd. Either way, I was not going to forget today.

Once the commotion died down, I headed back to the office.

"Master! Are you all right?"

"What do you take our Master for? The guy got cut off at Rangi. And you're worrying?"

"How heartless. Very on-brand for a thug."

Ah. Peace and quiet.

"So where's our newly majestic Rangi?"

"I picked out a whole wardrobe for him, and now none of it fits..."

"Rangi's right here."

"Huh? Where?"

I turned around. The baby tiger clinging to my back poked his head out.

"Ah! He's small again!"

"Huh. Why'd you shrink..."

"Come get him. His claws hurt when he hangs on me."

Lee Yeonhwa scooped Rangi up, beaming.

"Rangi's only cute when he's small."

"He can't get big again? Tigers are supposed to be huge and majestic..."

"Well, he'll probably grow the moment a fight starts."

I was on the glad-he's-small side myself. Rangi was only Rangi when he was little. Even the name sounded all soft and squishy.

"Rangi is such a good boy! Protecting your master is a dog's duty, isn't it?"

"Tigers are felines. You didn't even know that?"

"P-please be quiet."

"You seriously didn't know?"

"Please be quiet!"

Peaceful. So peaceful.

"I heard from Uncle Jeong Sangguk. You're not going to China, right, Master?"

"I'm not going anywhere that sends hunter-agents after me."

Absolutely not.

"Still, I am concerned."

"About what?"

"Climbing assistance is a kind of rescue request. If you turn your back on it, won't that hurt your reputation, Master...?"

"Hm."

It wasn't a ridiculous point. So I called Director Jeong Sangguk and asked.

"A pretext?"

What? I thought the goal was finding out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my floor.

"Kidnapping and assassination?"

"Hah."

A movie torture scene flashed through my head. Could they actually do that to a hunter?

Clean work from Headquarters. No need to worry about catching heat for this one.

"That's a relief!"

"Man, it really is nice having friends in high places."

Rangi, curled on my lap, rumbled his agreement.

Another game battle between the two of them. Hyeonseok won this one too.

"AAAAARGH! One more game, one more!"

"I keep telling you, you can't beat me."

He set the controller down. His Spirit Eye was level 3 now. Jo Youchan didn't have a prayer anymore.

"This week's cookies are confiscated too."

"Nooo!"

"Aah~ even I get tired of gaming all day."

Hyeonseok sank into the sofa and turned on the TV. The moment the screen lit up, Lee Yeonhwa was looking back at him.

"Oh."

A cosmetics commercial. Lee Yeonhwa had been on a tear lately. Her popularity was through the roof.

The splendor of a spirit summoner. That adorable little fox spirit. The symbolism of being Jeonjoodang's youngest daughter. A pretty face and the fresh snap of a school uniform.

And the finishing touch: she was an SS-Rank hunter who would one day carry the country on her shoulders. Of course she was popular.

The press rode the wave, articles pouring out day after day.

Unlike his previous disciples, Lee Yeonhwa had a half-celebrity quality about her. The media locked on in earnest.

And because of that, people were finally starting to look at the truth.

Four SS-Rank hunters. One master they all shared. The attention on him was no longer even pretending to be subtle.

Thanks to all of it, Do Hyeoncheol's mouth had forgotten how to turn down at the corners.

"A pleasure to meet you, Hunter Do Hyeoncheol. I am Elder Kang Hyeoksu of the Haedong Sword Academy. I was hoping to invite your son as a guest instructor for a day..."

"Aigoo, Hyeoncheol! How long has it been, huh? What? You don't remember me? Aigoo, that hurts! I'm the Guild Master of Polaris, remember? My boy just awakened, and if he could learn even the basics from your son, it would be the greatest honor..."

"I am the Lord of Taebaek Mountain Lodge. Of late I have felt the limits of my own ability, and so I have come to seek Master Do's instruction."

Hyeonseok declined public meetings whenever he could. Both Advance and the government were keeping information about him on as tight a leash as possible.

So every request funneled straight to his father. Do Hyeoncheol was enjoying a VIP treatment he'd never even tasted in his prime, and he was savoring every second of it.

"If our disciples could witness, even briefly, the legend that flows from Hunter Do Hyeoncheol..."

"How on earth did you raise such an outstanding son..."

"I have heard that Master Do's enlightenment in the martial way reaches the heavens themselves. Surely that is the virtue of Hunter Do Hyeoncheol, who taught him?"

Managing his face through the flood of praise. Getting wined and dined at every expensive bar in the city. Do Hyeoncheol had never been busier.

"Bwahahaha!"

"Ugh, you reek of booze! Another dinner, honey?"

"No, listen — this Taebaek Mountain Lodge fellow. His way of talking bugged me at first, but the man has an eye for talent..."

Do Hyeoncheol held out a luxury shopping bag.

"Here, dear. Polaris Guild sent this for you."

"What is it? Oh my! These cosmetics are insanely expensive!"

Gifts had been piling up around the house for days.

"Thanks, oppa!"

"What? Since when do you have the money to walk around with a designer wallet?"

"I posted on social media that I wanted one, and some guild master just sent it."

They were even monitoring social media? That was dedication.

"Which guild?"

"Don't remember."

You little brat.

"From now on, memorize it and tell me."

"Okay!"

Even if I couldn't repay them, I should at least know who they were.

And while the spotlight on Advance's Special Advisor kept growing by the day, a deal between Korea and the United States went through.

"Is it?"

Kang Minji had changed her nationality to the United States. For the next six months, she would challenge the 57th Floor from American soil.

Korea had cleared the 54th Floor. The collapse deadline had reset. Eight months of breathing room, just like that.

And Kang Minji was a force who could take the 55th Floor whenever she felt like it. Which meant those eight months were genuine leisure time, in the most literal sense.

That was when the 57th Floor crisis broke, and America asked for cooperation.

The story went public in the world press.

The entire country drowned in a lethal dose of national pride.

America's request had been for Kang Minji and the Advance Advisor both. I sat this one out.

"What America is fundamentally after isn't Hunter Kang Minji — it's contact with you, Hyeonseok. There's no reason you have to play along."

Apparently I could afford to make my appearance a little later. And America's move raised a very natural question.

China had been the hunter superpower that rivaled America. That prestige was starting to crack.

China took a step back from the race for the summit. And the entire world turned its eyes to the simultaneous climb of the United States and Korea.

The United States Tower Ascension Strategy Headquarters. Better known as TASH.

Among the world's tower-climbing organizations, it was the most credible. Its international influence ranked among the very highest.

TASH's Director, William Gardner, was skeptical of this entire operation.

"We paid Korea too much. The budget's gone."

"According to the data, this collaboration is worth every bit of it."

"Kang Minji. Do you actually believe she'll clear the 57th Floor?"

China had competed with America at the very top of the Tower. And China had failed.

Korea, meanwhile, was a small nation that had been gasping under the threat of collapse as recently as last season. He did not expect them to pull this off.

"She's the woman who posted an SS-Rank Clear of the 54th Floor in just two days."

"Those 'two days' ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are Korean government propaganda. Kang Minji had been challenging the 54th Floor for seven months. She simply used that experience to succeed at the end of a full eight-month cycle."

Analyzed objectively, that was exactly right. That kind of publicity strategy had been used plenty of times before. America had used it once, too.

"There is a basis for the expectations around this collaboration."

"Which is?"

"Advisor Do Hyeonseok."

The man who had now produced four SS-Ranks. America was watching him very closely.

Through this operation, they would evaluate his capabilities indirectly. If the results came back positive, the United States would use every means at its disposal to recruit him.

"I'm skeptical of that plan too. His teaching may have served as a kind of catalyst. But a clear ultimately depends entirely on the hunter's own ability."

And so America's six-month plan went into effect.

Phase one: get a team that included Kang Minji as far as the 56th Floor. Estimated timeline: three months.

Tied to the China situation, it was a project the entire world was watching.

And two days later...

The TASH Director heard the news and rushed into the office before sunrise.

"...What is this?"

"I-I didn't think it would be quite this..."

The Deputy Director was just as rattled.