My King!
Ryu Shin-ah shoved the two aside and came running straight over. Without even properly wiping the blood from his face, he hurriedly checked on Yul.
"You okay? Nothing happened in there? No mental attacks or anything?"
"I'm fine. More importantly, what the hell happened to you? You...!"
"Ah, this? It's nothing."
Ryu Shin-ah quickly wiped his jaw with the back of his hand. It didn't do much to hide the redness around his bloodshot eyes, though.
Yul's expression hardened instantly. There was no way she didn't know what that state meant.
"......Idiot. You think I'd fall for something like that?"
"No."
"Then why'd you go and wreck yourself? For no damn reason!"
"Still worried, though."
He grinned. Strong or not, you think I wouldn't worry?
Yul felt her energy drain away as she ran a hand over her face. Ah, damn it. A short curse slipped out.
Part of her wanted to grab him by the collar and beg him never to do it again. But if it had been her in his shoes, she couldn't swear she would've stayed put either.
"......Don't ever do it again."
"Got it."
"Just to be safe, no using your ability for a few days. Go get healed by that guild leader over there. Hae-pa-ri, right?"
"Yeah. Hey, Hae-pa-ri Hunter! Heal up over here!"
At Ryu Shin-ah's shout, Hae-pa-ri grabbed the back of his neck in annoyance. That hunter, seriously. Grumbling, he still placed a hand on Ryu Shin-ah and activated his heal.
As the situation calmed down, reporters thrust their mics at Yul in an instant.
"L-LeeSeonjwaKiller Hunter! Just one question!"
"Other countries' entries have been approved too—what do you know about that?"
"What was inside? What the hell even was that thing?"
Yul reflexively frowned at the barrage of questions. What should she say? She had gone in, sure, but there wasn't much to report. She'd seen something besides Star-nim, but spilling it now would be reckless...
As Yul pondered her answer—
Babel Tower normal operations have begun. The system is being restructured.
Babel Tower entry tickets have been issued.
A Babel Tower guide has been attached.
Status windows popped up for everyone again. But this time, it wasn't just tower-related.
Constellation 'Blind Sovereign of the Sky' is shedding tears like a waterfall, saying they missed our Yul.
They faint from overwhelming emotion at our Yul coming to see them.
Yul let out a small chuckle at the familiar status window in front of her.
"Whoa? Yay, Star-nim! Missed you too!"
"Hey, constellation contracts aren't the internet—how can they cut out so easily? Goes dead when I need it most, and now... What? Good view? You little constellation bastard!"
Sae-byeok Bich and Hae-pa-ri's voices rang out. From the reactions around her, it seemed the system restructure had restored normal connections, just like her constellation said.
Yul glanced at the mics still shoved in her face. With the guide attached anyway, it was better to say less.
She replied indifferently. "......Yeah, went to see Star-nim."
Not entirely wrong. Yul shrugged lightly.
Hearing that, Ryu Shin-ah freaked out. "Saw Star-nim? You died? You died? Went to the afterlife?!"
"No!"
Constellation 'Blind Sovereign of the Sky' jumps in shock, asking how that rude bastard dares utter such blasphemy.
Why did everything she said get twisted like this? Yul smacked the back of his head with a sigh.
Want me to send your friend to the afterlife? Ryu Shin-ah made a miserable face, saying all his fresh healing would fly away.
The two brushed off the reporters, saying to check the guide themselves, and slipped away.
"......So, what'd it actually say?"
Ryu Shin-ah asked. Yul silently looked around at the tower and the hunters nearby.
Who knows. She answered curtly.
"You used your ability too. It wasn't a total bust, right?"
"......"
"We'll shelve this for now. Talk later."
Yul shoved her hands in her pockets.
"But it's a tower? And 'lowest floor'—we gotta climb it to the top, right."
"Yeah, looks like..."
"Competition's on."
One per country. The answer was already clear.
At Yul's firm confirmation, Ryu Shin-ah's face stiffened.
"LeeSeonjwaKiller Hunter. RecordFucker Hunter."
As if confirming their guess, Jeon Se-han walked over. He'd apparently already finished the guide—his status window closed as he approached.
"Mind if we talk for a sec?"
Yul and Ryu Shin-ah exchanged silent looks.
Bolt?
Mom time.
Let's bolt.
Mother-in-law visit.
And without missing a beat, they bolted from the scene together.
"Okay, we're safe here now."
Kang Young-hwa let out a sigh of relief and nodded. When the tower descended, nearby civilians had all been guided to shelters by Busan branch Hunter Management Bureau agents. Kang Young-hwa had nearly gotten swept up in the screaming crowd evacuating.
"Thank you, Hunter."
Luckily, the hunter in front of her had helped.
She bowed politely in thanks. The man ahead of her waved his hands in flustered surprise. It's our job—what's there to thank!
"Sudden mess like this—gotta step up especially now."
"......Impressive. Even hunters might hesitate."
"Haha, I'm still a rookie... Haven't gotten scared yet."
He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Still, thank you so much. Um, do you have a nickname...?"
"Ah, just call me by name."
"Could you tell me your name then? My daughter's friend is a promising hunter—embarrassing, but maybe I can return the favor."
Kang Young-hwa asked. She wanted to repay him directly, but as a non-hunter, she had nothing objective to offer. Ryu Shin-ah, a top hunter, surely could.
"......Sure."
His light brown hair matched the warm glow in his eyes.
"Kim Jae-won."
The man, Kim Jae-won, smiled softly.
The era of towers had begun.
That one phrase said it all.
By Kwon Yul opening the door to Korea's Busan Babel Tower, the lowest floors of towers worldwide unlocked.
According to the system guide kindly distributed to everyone globally, the tower was basically dungeons stacked vertically. Very expansive, very dangerous ones.
Clear a floor for rewards, unlock the next. Rewards grow rarer and grander the higher you go.
Tower interiors and conditions identical everywhere, but unlockable floors vary by regional progress. Exact floors and clear methods unknown.
Enough to reignite hunter rivalries.
The tower-climbing era(?)—battle of prides begins.
Unlike vague dungeons, 'cleared floors' proved national power definitively.
Countries raced to form teams, promising full support to their hunters.
Korea? Relaxed.
They had rank 1. And active!
One oversight, though.
「I'm not going.」
「Pardon?」
「No interest. Don't even know the floors—how long would climbing take?」
......Yul refused.
Jeon Se-han, relaying the government, blinked blankly, but Yul was chill. Media questions with scolding undertones poured: why reject elevating national prestige?
「I opened that tower. Job done.」
......Shut down with max contributor aura none could deny.
Perfectly timed with her exact rank revealed amid global frenzy.
System restructure no lie—now more detailed info than ever.
Including 'most accurate rank'.
「So, feelings on official S+?」
「Meh.」
Refined real-time rankings with influence metrics—full dimensional system official list.
Her nickname boldly at the top.
Yul had long suspected beyond plain S; Ryu Shin-ah, who'd faked early records, knew too.
「Forums exploding. National pride overdose.」
「Why's this national hype...?」
「You're the face of Korea?」
'Suspected anomaly' vs confirmed—worlds apart.
Unique hunter beyond pinnacle S-rank. Age-blind rallying cry for the nation.
Protagonist? Meh.
Two days post-tower opening. Confirmed mom's safety, snubbed persistent Jeon Se-han, rested up—today.
"......Concert canceled? Why?"
Yul dropped her banana milk at the bolt-from-the-blue news.