Korea's Wonder Woman

Collaboration with Kang Minji had become a hot-button issue in America as well.

"Why is our country asking Korea for help?"

"Watch your wording. It's not help — it's cooperation."

"Either way, this has never happened before."

America had its pride — the pride of having climbed every floor of the Tower by its own strength, and no one else's. For a nation like that to hold out its hand to another country? It meant the U.S. government was taking China's failure with deadly seriousness.

The general public, however, had no grasp of that weight. Most Americans had yet to feel so much as a flicker of crisis.

"China failed?"

"So what? China failed because China was always going to fail."

"You idiot. China was a hunter superpower going toe-to-toe with America for first place."

"America is different."

Hunter strength was a matter of national pride, and America had spent years broadcasting its own supremacy to the world. Hunters were already worshipped in every country — America had simply taken it one step further and turned them into heroes. This was, after all, the birthplace of the superhero story.

"They just dropped a new series of hunter trading cards. Last time they sold out in twenty minutes and I missed them, so I'm lining up before dawn for this one."

"Did you see Michelle Selea's new video? I want to marry that woman."

"Oh my God, my kid got into Hunter Academy! It feels like a dream!"

Children wrote hunters' names when asked for a role model in class. Hunter-turned-singers cycled on and off the Billboard charts as a matter of course. Hollywood and the comics had long since shifted their dominant genre from superhero stories to hunter stories. Naturally, American pride in the nation's hunter strength soared off the charts.

Which was precisely why so many Americans found the collaboration so distasteful. Some even harbored outright hostility toward Kang Minji.

"We can handle this ourselves. Why is she sticking her nose in?"

"Yellow-monkey hunters have no class."

"You climb the Tower with your own country's strength. That's the romance of it. OK?"

Of course, America had been planning a solo attempt of its own. The idea was to send a two-person recon team onto the 57th Floor, pull the bare minimum of intelligence, and get out. If those results looked good, America wouldn't need to take Kang Minji's hand at all — they would attempt the clear themselves.

Even that wasn't enough for the American public. They condemned the government for requesting cooperation before the recon results were even in. The truth was that America, being America, had simply jumped the line ahead of every other nation's request and secured Kang Minji first. The public saw only what it wanted to see.

American hunters were the best. American hunters were heroes. That was the prevailing gospel. And that was why the achievement that followed landed on the American people like a thunderbolt.

"What!?"

"Has America ever even had a record like that?"

"Of course not. That's insane."

"It took America three months just to declare the 56th floor conquered. How is this even possible?"

And then came another fact to stagger them: it had been a two-person clear. She had taken in exactly one person — someone to throw up a shield — and no one else.

"An SS-Rank Clear of the 56th floor with two people? In a single day? That's impossible."

"And yet she did it."

"A woman who does the impossible... she's like Wonder Woman."

"Korea's Wonder Woman. Has a nice ring to it."

America was a nation of many peoples, flexible to a fault when it came to embracing someone new. Distaste flipped to affection in a heartbeat, and public opinion turned on a dime.

Besides, America nursed another peculiar point of pride: it was the world's number-one importer of hunters, famous for poaching talent from every country on earth.

"Wonder Woman belongs in America."

"The U.S. government had better scout her. That's just obvious."

"What's she got to lose by coming here? America is the hunter capital of the world."

Americans were practically drooling. And their greed didn't stop there. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Every time Kang Minji became a topic, one particular interview was dragged back into the spotlight — and America was no exception.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Back in Korea, Kang Minji had been failing the 54th floor even in a full party. Then someone coached her — and within a matter of days, she pulled off an SS-Rank Clear.

"Advisor? So she means a teacher?"

"Who is this master of Kang Minji's supposed to be?"

"No way you can turn someone into an SS-rank hunter with a little coaching."

"And a two-person SS-Rank Clear of the 56th floor is possible? Don't measure those two by common sense."

The stature of Advance Guild's Advisor began to spread across the world.

Jo Paldeok arrived at the hotel by car — the hotel where Kang Minji was staying. He rolled down the window, took one look at the front entrance, and blinked.

"What is all that?"

"Reporters hoping for an audience with Hunter Kang Minji, sir."

"Not all that different from Korea."

A swarm of journalists was locked in a wrestling match with agents in black suits — American agents. Kang Minji had ambushed two floors with SS-Rank Clears, and that data was worth a fortune. Information could leak in an interview; the U.S. government had decided to cut off all outside access.

"What about the other guests?"

"Evicted, from what I hear."

Kang Minji had, without quite meaning to, ended up with the entire hotel to herself.

"I'd heard TASH's authority was formidable. That's a hard-nosed way to prove it."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

He stepped out of the car and headed for the front entrance.

"Coming through."

"Who are you— wait, that's the Advance Guild Master!"

"What? Kang Minji's guild master?"

"Just a quick interview!"

"What's the secret behind Hunter Kang Minji's SS-Rank Clear?!"

The reporters closed around Jo Paldeok in a heartbeat.

Should've gone around the back.

Not that the back would have been any different. With the agents' help, he managed to push through and get inside.

A knock at the door.

"It's me."

The door flew open.

"Guild Master!"

Jo Paldeok had entered the country late, and now he and Kang Minji finally had a chance to talk.

"You did good."

"Me? I barely did anything. It was ridiculously easy."

"Was it, now?"

Jo Paldeok had been stunned himself. Kang Minji's run at the 56th floor was a first — he had never imagined she would swat it aside with an SS-Rank Clear as if it were nothing.

"That was one hell of a performance."

"How was I supposed to hold back?"

Kang Minji grinned from ear to ear.

"I'd already confirmed through mock runs that the 55th was going to come out SS-Rank. And they told me to clear it within a month? Who do they think I am?!"

"Haha."

In other words, she had wanted to knock America's socks off.

"They were even skeptical about that one-month deadline. So how was I supposed to sit still? Ah, that felt good!"

Jo Paldeok's shoulders were ready to take flight. This was Advance Guild's debut on the world stage — and they had just hit the audience with a shockwave.

"And I was curious whether my skills would hold up through the 56th floor, too."

"Sounds like you're satisfied."

"Obviously! Hyeonseok's skill is the real deal — the absolute best!"

Kang Minji was practically bouncing off the walls. Jo Paldeok nodded.

"It really was one hell of a skill."

He had seen Shunpo for himself, after all — he had re-cleared the 54th floor alongside her. Thanks to Kang Minji's carry, every member of Korea's 1st Team was now a 55th-floor hunter.

Jo Paldeok tapped the ice bucket on the table.

"You still haven't cracked the champagne. Waiting for me, were you?"

"Not exactly. How do you even open that thing?"

Jo Paldeok popped it for her.

"Woo-hoo!"

Kang Minji's energy climbed another notch.

"Don't get too excited. At this rate you're going to transfer to America."

"If Hyeonseok goes, I'll go with him!"

"Hah!"

Jo Paldeok let out a startled laugh at the joke.

Well. No need to worry about a transfer, then.

Kang Minji had tasted success and growth once, and she couldn't let go of it. She had grown up under Do Hyeoncheol's wing to begin with. The idea of standing on her own, apart from that father and son, was something she couldn't even imagine.

"I'm going back into the 56th tomorrow."

"Why?"

"The footage. Filming the clear is part of the contract."

She wasn't fatigued anyway. She planned to knock it out first thing tomorrow.

"Why didn't you film it this time?"

"I didn't have a camera on me. I was resting at the hotel and went in on impulse."

SS-Rank Clear footage of the floor immediately below the highest in the world. Data you couldn't buy at any price. The U.S. government was waiting for that video with its tongue hanging out.

"Is that footage going to be released to the public?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'll do whatever you decide, Guild Master."

"Then we release it."

If America heard that, they would weep tears of blood. The information was precious to Advance Guild as well — but this was the moment it could be spent at its highest value. Until recently, the Republic of Korea had been trembling at the risk of a Tower collapse. Once that video dropped, the public would feel completely at ease thanks to Advance Guild, and that trust would sink in deep. And that wasn't all. This was Advance Guild's precious debut on the world stage.

"We should ride this wave and burn our name into the world's memory, don't you think?"

"I love it!"

Kang Minji took a sip of champagne.

"Ah, what did I do to deserve this? Thanks to Hyeonseok, it feels like I'm dreaming. The whole world wants me!"

"Make sure you bring me back a souvenir."

"Obviously!"

I wonder what Hyeonseok would like? I'd better give that some serious thought.

I've been calling Director Jeong Sangguk a lot lately.

"I'm sorry I keep phoning when you're so busy."

Wow. So this is how working adults do lip service? That's an art form.

"I should learn to talk like that."

Yeah, no. That is not something you can just learn.

"It just occurred to me — about last time. Is everything all right?"

Rangi had pounced on a pedestrian in the middle of Seoul. Someone had even filmed it on their phone. And yet it had been strangely quiet.

"Oh."

Another phrase that belonged in a movie. The National Security Act. After facing those amateur Chinese agents, this was the first time it really sank in that I had become someone important.

"Really?"

Dad went through nerve-racking stuff like this too?

So that's how it was. I feel a little closer to him, somehow.

Either way, I could set the worry aside. I crossed the stream again and rejoined Lee Yeonhwa. The invited instructor was waiting — a spirit user from Advance Guild.

"You're here?"

"Sorry. I had something to confirm with the Director."

"The Director? You were on the phone with Director Jeong Sangguk? Wow. So the rumors were true."

"Huh?"

"Ah — nothing."

I don't know much about spirit arts. Spirit Eyes is a cheat skill, so the spirits listen to me well enough on their own. But spirit arts as an established discipline definitely exist — knowledge I don't have, and knowledge that can only help to pick up. This spirit user was going to teach that to Yeonhwa.

"Oh — you've already started?"

"Yes. She said she wanted to get going as soon as possible."

"The waterfall training you see in movies? That's what this is?"

"That's right."

Lee Yeonhwa was sitting under the waterfall. Yeohwa was taking the spray right beside her.

"It's training to raise the synchronization rate with your spirit. You share the same senses out in nature."

"Huh."

Looked cold, though. Would that even help? Did spirits feel the cold?

"Rangi. Go warm them up."

"Grrn."

Baby Rangi hopped across the stepping stones, padded up, and breathed out a shallow wash of fire to warm the two of them.

"Oh — is that a high-rank spirit? As expected of you, Advisor. Incredible."

"Pretty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sure it's low-rank."

"Pardon?"

"It used to be the lowest rank. I think it evolved not too long ago."

"A spirit of that caliber is... low-rank?"

The instructor looked thoroughly stunned.

"Is our Rangi on the strong side, then?"

"They say a spirit is heavily influenced by its contractor's caliber, but I've never seen a case this extreme."

That much, huh? Probably because Spirit Eyes was all the way up at level 3.

If it's already high-rank level while still low-rank... then when it hits high-rank, or peak-rank...?

Now I was excited. Our Rangi was a tiger with a very bright future.

The instructor looked a little sheepish.

"Are you sure you even need my help?"

"I'm pretty clumsy at this, actually."

"Come on. You're the one who raised an SS-rank spirit user."

"Haha — that's Yeonhwa being a genius. I've got a long way to go as a teacher."

"You're every bit as humble as the rumors say."

"Rumors?"

In the middle of the conversation, Lee Yeonhwa let out a strained sound.

"Instructor..."

"Don't get impatient. Sense-sharing is difficult by nature."

"That's not it. Sight is already shared, for the record."

"Already?"

Yeohwa, who had been lying beside Yeonhwa, opened her eyes and looked our way. A different gaze sat behind those eyes.

"Oh."

"Does it not go beyond sight, though? This is too stifling. With only vision linked, it feels like I'm trapped inside Yeohwa's body."

"There is a stage beyond this, yes."

I listened hard. I was going to try this myself later.

"It's an extremely rare case, however."

"What is it?"

The explanation began. High-level spirit users experienced it only in the rarest of circumstances: in a moment of life and death, for the briefest instant, you moved the spirit as if it were your own body.

"And how do you do that?"

"Haha — well. It's a stage that's still far beyond me, too. There are any number of hypotheses, but even in academic circles the opinions are split—"

"That."

I cut in quickly. Lee Yeonhwa's Spirit Arts had turned red. So the training really was having an effect. This was the moment. I didn't let the opening slip, and threw the advice out at once.

I turned my head toward the instructor, looking for agreement. Right?

But the instructor only gave an awkward, sheepish laugh.

"Haha... that hypothesis might even be the correct one. But it's a stage people reach so accidentally that almost no research exists. I wouldn't expect immediate success, and—"

"I've got it!"

Both our heads snapped toward Lee Yeonhwa. She sat motionless beneath the waterfall. Instead, Yeohwa came bouncing toward us, and a voice came out of the fox's mouth.

Yeohwa circled around me, her steps absurdly light, as if she were bursting with delight.

The instructor didn't answer. He just stared at the frolicking Yeohwa with his mouth hanging open.

"Th-this easily...? How, with just a single word of advice...?"

"It's thanks to you, Instructor."

The waterfall training had turned the Spirit Arts text red, so it wasn't even a lie.

"The fox is only a form, the essence is wind...?"

The instructor muttered it to himself, turning the words over — then flinched, and looked up at empty air.

"The essence is wind, the essence... the feeling of becoming the essence..."

He muttered, and then, abruptly, closed his eyes. Something about it looked serious.

Let's see.

I pulled up the instructor's status window.

The letters of Spirit Arts were dyed red. A moment later—

Huh? It went back to black.

The instructor opened his eyes. Refreshment, thrill, accomplishment — a whole storm of feeling sat in his pupils.

"...Thank you."

And then, out of nowhere, he bowed at the waist.

"Huh?"

"I didn't reach a stage like hers, but thanks to you I shattered a wall of my own. I took those golden words to heart."

He looked profoundly moved. I was the one left blinking.

"Uh... I'm glad I could help."

"The rumors weren't exaggerated in the slightest."

Just how many rumors had this guy been listening to?

"I have nothing left to teach, but if you ever need anything, call me anytime. I will repay this debt."

"You really don't have to go that far..."

"Once more — thank you, truly."

And then he left in a hurry. Off to train, probably, before the sensation faded.

"Well... it all worked out, anyway— ow!"

Pain flared in my finger. I looked down to find Yeohwa dangling from it by her teeth.

"Y-Yeonhwa?"

Deeply rattling. Had this one just turned into a spirit with human-level intelligence? The answer came from behind me.

"Master, shall we head home— ah! Yeohwa, you can't do that!"

"You startled me. I actually thought..."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. Let's go home."

I handed her a towel and climbed into the car. I should try what I learned today myself, later.