A Rabbit in an Empty Valley
The wait in the reception room wasn't very long.
A man dressed in a neat suit walked inside.
His name was Lee Jungwoo. He introduced himself as the investigator delegated with authority.
"I understand you wish to apply for status as a Migrant."
"Yes, that's right," Ari replied.
As Ari confirmed, Lee Jungwoo asked his next question.
"Where did you obtain information regarding Migrants?"
"I overheard some people called Hunters talking about it."
"I see."
Nodding slightly, Lee Jungwoo sat down in the seat opposite her.
A series of formal yet crucial questions followed.
"Do you harbor any hostile intentions toward the Republic of Korea?"
"Do you have any plans to attack humans?"
"Are you willing to abide by the laws of the Republic of Korea?"
Ari answered these and various other questions as she saw fit.
It was a somewhat tedious process, but her excitement was so great that she didn't find it particularly annoying.
Soon enough, the questioning drew to a close.
Lee Jungwoo pulled out a few documents along with a pen, neatly arranged them, and placed them in front of Ari.
"This is a simple questionnaire. While you fill it out, would it be alright if I took Hunter Han Jihyun with me for a moment?"
At his words, Ari turned her head to look at Han Jihyun.
Nod, nod, nod, nod!
Han Jihyun was frantically nodding her head up and down.
She looks like someone who desperately needs the restroom.
Ari shrugged, gave a small nod, and began inspecting the questionnaire.
Watching her calmly, Lee Jungwoo led Han Jihyun out of the reception room.
Clang!
The heavy iron door shut with a loud metallic ring.
The two of them walked over to the other side of the magic mirror.
There, several officials who had been watching the inside of the special interrogation room were conversing with grave expressions.
"She seems docile for now, but..."
"No, didn't you hear what she just said? That thing is a bomb! A ticking time bomb!"
Hearing their voices, Han Jihyun unconsciously nodded in agreement.
When she recalled how the fairy had answered Investigator Lee Jungwoo's questions earlier...
Q. Do you harbor any hostile intentions toward the Republic of Korea?
A. No. I just want to live a fun life here.
Q. Do you have any plans to attack humans?
A. No. As long as you don't pick a fight with me first.
Q. Are you willing to abide by the laws of the Republic of Korea?
A. Yes! But what are you going to do if I don't? Are you going to swarm me in a massive mob like last time?
And then she had smiled. A sweet, breathtaking smile as she stared blankly at him...
Lee Jungwoo, who hadn't let his expression slip for a single second while listening to those answers, was truly a professional.
He hadn't been bewitched by her gorgeous looks, nor had he trembled in fear.
Or so Jihyun thought, until she glanced sideways.
"Whew..."
With a stiff face, Lee Jungwoo was loosening and readjusting his tie. Ah, so he had found it just as suffocating.
Han Jihyun felt a deep sense of empathy as she walked forward.
The two of them stood before the officials who were deep in discussion.
"You're back."
"Investigator Lee. How was it seeing the boss face-to-face?"
"Did you notice any unusual behavior?"
Questions poured in one after another.
Lee Jungwoo answered each one in a calm voice.
"Her control over mana is so exceptionally skilled that, at a glance, she feels like a low-grade Hunter. She showed no signs of actively manipulating mana, and she doesn't seem to have any aversion to Earth's culture. However..."
He cleared his throat before continuing.
"As you heard from her answers... even if we accept her as a Migrant, a thorough socialization process will be absolutely mandatory."
"Indeed, indeed. I agree with that assessment."
"I share the same opinion."
"If we can win her over, wouldn't she be a massive asset to our national defense?"
The officials fell into deep thought, slowly nodding their heads.
Of course, not all reactions were positive.
"Is socialization even possible?"
"We have no idea what she's plotting inside."
"If she suddenly goes off like a bomb, how do you plan to handle it?"
"Wouldn't it be better to eliminate her while her guard is down?"
Beyond mere skepticism, some even voiced extreme opinions.
Then, one of the officials turned to Han Jihyun, who was standing stiffly.
"Come to think of it, Hunter Han Jihyun was with the boss during transport. How was she?"
All eyes instantly gathered on her.
Freezing up, Han Jihyun stammered.
"Uh, well... um."
"It's alright, speak freely. We need as many opinions and as much information as possible."
"Ah, yes. She showed a positive reaction when her appearance was praised."
"Praising her appearance?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"When I first called her a fairy, she seemed to be in a very good mood. After that, she kept dragging me around..."
"Aha!" Murmurs of understanding rippled through the meeting room.
There was no reason for a gate boss to drag Han Jihyun around without a motive.
"It seems her aesthetic standards aren't that different from humans."
"She might come from a culture that places a high value on physical appearance. After all, Hunter Han Jihyun is quite beautiful herself."
"Or maybe she just dragged her around like a maid?"
All sorts of speculations flew back and forth.
Embarrassed by the comments about her own looks mixed in, Han Jihyun quietly lowered her head.
It was around this time that a new figure entered the meeting room.
A rugged, muscular giant of a man—the S-class Hunter, Kang Chulwoong—boomed in a hearty voice.
"Everyone, I have arrived! Haha!"
"Oh, Hunter Kang Chulwoong!"
"We've been waiting for you since we heard you were contacted."
They exchanged warm welcomes and light handshakes.
Peering through the magic mirror into the interrogation room, Kang Chulwoong spoke.
"Is that young lady the boss in question? She looks different from when I saw her in the dungeon."
"Circumstantially, it is definitely her."
"Well, shape-shifting monsters aren't common, but they aren't unheard of either."
Crack, crack. Kang Chulwoong cracked his knuckles and loosened his muscles.
"I'll go in and have a chat with her. I'll gauge her disposition, and if it comes to a fight, I'll shift to subduing her."
"Will you... ahem, will you be alright?"
The official, who had almost asked if it was even possible, quickly corrected his phrasing.
"Of course I will! The situation is different from before, and even if things go south, I can easily hold out until other Hunters arrive to back me up."
After all, I am South Korea's strongest tanker!
Though he didn't say it aloud, his attitude screamed it. The officials nodded.
Just as Kang Chulwoong was about to confidently leave the meeting room,
someone belatedly added a piece of advice.
"We have information that the boss places high value on appearance and welcomes compliments."
"Appearance? Haha, got it."
I guess I just need to compliment her by saying she has the beauty of a goddess or something.
Rubbing his chin with his thumb, Kang Chulwoong grinned and walked out.
Behind him, a few of the remaining officials whispered among themselves.
"Hey, Hunter Kang Chulwoong is pretty good-looking, right?"
"He's a handsome guy. Maybe it'll work well on her."
"I just hope they can communicate smoothly."
Soon, Kang Chulwoong appeared on the other side of the magic mirror.
He seemed to exchange a few words, starting with a compliment on her looks, but then...
Ruuuuuumble—
The boss finally lost her temper!
As the entire room began to shake and vibrate violently, everyone's eyes instantly snapped to Han Jihyun.
"..."
"..."
I-I don't know either!
Han Jihyun felt incredibly wronged.
Meanwhile, inside the reception room.
The sequence of events was as follows.
Kang Chulwoong strode over to the sofa where Ari was sitting. Summoning every ounce of eloquence he didn't possess, he began praising her beautiful appearance.
However.
What? A noble and elegant image just like a goddess?
And to make matters worse, he compared her to Yang Guifei and the like...
His words, which vividly brought to mind the crazy goddess from her past life, grated on Ari's nerves.
...Surely he didn't do that on purpose.
She could still tolerate it up to this point.
Ari was used to holding back her anger, and she wasn't so ill-tempered as to fly off the handle at someone who didn't know any better.
But the real problem was what came next.
"Shall we sit down and talk?" Ari suggested.
"I'm fine. I prefer to stand while talking," he replied.
He crossed his arms and looked down at her, fully utilizing his massive physique to loom over her.
Ari spoke again in a quiet, measured tone.
"My neck hurts, so please sit."
"Ah, my bad. I'll take a step back. Is this better?"
"Didn't you come here to have a conversation with me?"
"I did."
"Hmm..."
Ari's eyes narrowed slightly.
She slowly rose from the sofa.
"This is your last chance."
She pointed her finger at the sofa opposite her.
Instead of sitting, Kang Chulwoong shifted his weight to one leg, standing casually.
"Please understand. Didn't we face off in the dungeon? It's a bit uncomfortable for me to sit casually in front of you."
"The situation is different now. Besides, you guys were the ones who attacked first."
"Didn't you launch the surprise attack first?"
Did he already forget their attempt to break into my cave?
As Ari thought this, her eyes locked directly with Kang Chulwoong's.
Reading the look in the man's eyes, Ari spoke.
"I assume this facility is quite sturdy?"
"Of course. It's a state-of-the-art room built to remain completely intact no matter what happens."
"I saw last time that you're pretty sturdy too, mister. I won't hold back my strength this time."
"Hold back? Hahahaha!"
Kang Chulwoong burst into hearty, boisterous laughter.
The moment his laughter died down was the signal.
He braced his stance.
Ruuuuuumble—
Ari released the power she had been suppressing. The very space around them began to scream.
How pathetic.
There were always people like this. Idiots whose brains were entirely made of muscle.
Whether it stemmed from vanity or simple battle mania didn't matter.
If they needed an example, she had no choice but to teach them a lesson herself.
I'll show him exactly who stands above whom.
Only then would they stop bothering her in the future.
She raised one arm forward.
Almost simultaneously, Kang Chulwoong lunged right in front of her face.
Boom!
A sudden explosion erupted in midair!
Protecting his face as if he had anticipated it, Kang Chulwoong tried to close the distance again.
But Ari didn't back away like she had last time.
Back then, she had only gone easy on him because he was the first human she had encountered.
She had been worried he would get crushed in a single blow like the dungeon creatures.
If you die, you die. It's on you.
Since he had brought this upon himself.
"Ugh?!"
Kang Chulwoong's body ground to a sudden halt. He was frozen in midair, exactly in his lunging posture.
And it didn't stop there.
Crunch! Crack!
An indescribably powerful force began to crush his entire body.
He was being compressed like minced meat.
"Aaaaargh!"
The high-and-mighty man from moments ago was nowhere to be found. Only screams of agonizing pain echoed through the room.
Ari stood calmly right in front of him. She simply clenched the open palm she had used to direct her mana.
She squeezed her hand as if the air in her palm was Kang Chulwoong himself. Slowly, and with absolute certainty.
In a world where mana existed, a firm will and absolute conviction were the ultimate sources of power.
She imposed her will upon the world.
Ari possessed more than enough transcendent power within her to make it possible.
The wrath she had accumulated with the sole purpose of slaying a god—the destructive power born from that fury.
"——!!!"
By now, even his screams had distorted into something grotesque.
It was then that a panicked voice came from the outside, trying to stop her.
- Stop, stop! Please stop!
The voice crackled through the speaker.
Keeping her gaze fixed forward, Ari asked in a casual tone, "Why?"
- He's really going to die at this rate!
"If our positions were reversed, you would have done the same to me."
- Please! We will accept all of your conditions! Everyone has agreed!
Only then did Ari turn her head to the side.
She looked at the mirror that covered one side of the wall.
She had known from the very beginning that it was a magic mirror.
Of course, right now, it was on the verge of shattering under the pressure of her immense power.
"Is that so?"