Are all those who awaken as Hunters physically powerful?
Not necessarily.
The growth of a Hunter is somewhat like a game.
Rather than unlocking a specific class by raising certain stats, a Hunter’s “trait” gradually deepens based on their inherent mana.
Take, for example, a certain S-rank Awakened in Korea.
At first, he could only discharge electricity at around 220 volts.
In his early days, his combat style involved momentarily stunning his opponent before seizing an opening. However, as his mana increased, the amount of electricity he could release at once also grew.
The result?
– Go, Blue Lightning! One million volts!
– Squirrel Thunder!
And so on—
– …Damn it, who made this fake edit?
– I-I’ll take it down immediately.
– Da-ram, not even Da-ram, but Squirrel Thunder? That’s the wrong animal sound! And it’s not one million volts, it’s one hundred thousand volts! In the game, it’s…
– …
People joked about it, but the more mana one has, the stronger their abilities become.
Should this be called the manifestation of individuality?
Or the deepening of a unique power?
One thing is clear: No matter how much a Hunter researches and develops various abilities using their mana, the ability they first Awakened with always grows the best.
As if some divine force governing Awakening ensures that the most suitable and high-potential ability is granted.
Because of this, some people who originally excelled in a certain field become Hunters and use their abilities in their profession, further expanding their impact.
“Medusa. It’s a mission.”
“…”
In a secluded lodge deep in a snowy mountain.
A woman with long, light purple hair sat cross-legged on a chair, staring at a photograph.
In front of her stood men in suits.
“The target is [Master]. A man suspected to be the owner of a maid cosplaying as Elaine, a character from a Korean game.”
“Hmm.”
The woman, called Medusa, studied the photo of the man for a long time.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just wondering how you got this picture.”
“Do you know him? Could it be, back when you were in Korea…?”
“No. First time seeing him, and no, it’s nothing like what you’re thinking.”
Medusa waved the photo in her hand dismissively.
“Just wondering if attempting an ‘assassination’ like this even makes sense.”
“It’s a decision from the KGB. In this era of Hunters—”
“Bringing back ghosts of the old world is one thing, but shouldn’t we at least analyze the situation properly?”
“Are you saying poisoning is impossible?”
“Not impossible, but… don’t you think he already knows we’re having this conversation?”
Medusa tapped her ear with her index finger.
“Not just America’s intelligence network, but he seems to have his own. If there’s even the slightest electronic device or internet connection around, he probably already knows we’re meeting here.”
“So you’re saying—”
“Slipping poison into his tea using mana? He’d see through it immediately. Not to mention, Koreans don’t even drink tea that often.”
“You should know our tea has nothing to do with his personal preferences.”
“Then you should also know he’d feel the same way.”
Medusa gestured toward the sunglasses worn by the agents in front of her.
“Be careful with your electronics. You never know when they’ll explode. If his hacker decides to retaliate, your phone could blow up the moment you try sneaking poison into a tea bag.”
“…How?”
“Somehow. I don’t know exactly how, but it’s not just S-rank Hunters he has on his side.”
Medusa stood up.
“And the fact that my codename suddenly changed, along with this whole ‘cosplay’ thing… We’re talking about someone who single-handedly took down three S-rank Towers? Look, gentlemen, instead of assassination, you should be thinking about recruitment.”
“Are you betraying your country?”
“My country is trying to send me to my death, and you think I’ll just go along with it? Do I look like one of those Russian agents from an American comic book to you?”
“You…”
“Look at this.”
Medusa pulled out a smartphone.
A single photo was displayed on the screen.
The men, seeing it, shot up from their seats in shock.
“H-How did—?!”
“Even China, despite their extreme information security, got hacked. You really think we’re any different? Oh, and if you’re listening, please know—I have no intention of being your enemy.”
Medusa pocketed the phone.
Then—
Crash!
She hurled herself through the lodge’s window, making her escape.
“…Commander. What should we do?”
“…Proceed as planned.”
“But—”
“If it doesn’t work, we’ll adapt. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
* * *
“So this is the so-called ‘Cesium Tea’?”
I picked up a tea bag with large English text printed on it.
“Be careful. Even though it’s protected by mana…”
“I’m just curious. I’ve only heard about this in rumors, but now I’m actually seeing it.”
“It’s not just seeing it. It was delivered to your partner, nyah.”
“Exactly, which makes it even more interesting.”
A tea bag sealed with mana.
It looked like an ordinary tea bag on the outside, but an aura of mana wrapped around it like a transparent plastic seal.
“They actually went through with it. The fact that an A-rank Hunter caught on and cut ties with them, even offering a warning, is one thing, but the fact that they really laced a refillable tea bag with poison…”
“What are you going to do? Confront them?”
Drei, now at the hotel, fiddles with her pistol and smiles.
Having personally experienced what it’s like to be threatened with a gun, I knew all too well that if Drei took action herself, things would turn into an absolute nightmare.
“For now… leave it. Patrick is already handling things downstairs.”
Downstairs.
John Patrick, the presidential aide, along with a high-ranking intelligence director who had flown in from Washington, was busy dealing with everyone involved.
“The ones following Russian orders…?”
“They’re probably sipping this stuff through their noses right now, alongside the people who swapped it in.”
The fact that they failed to filter out poison in food was already bad enough. But more than that, information continued to leak—albeit in a controlled manner.
‘So that’s why celebrities and Hunters all live in Hannam-dong.’
I used to wonder why they would spend such an obscene amount of money to live there.
Now, I understood.
“Drei.”
“Yeah?”
“No need to interfere with my data spreading online. Just leave it as it is.”
“Uh… you’re really going with that?”
“Yeah. No point in making you burn through your processing power—or mana—just to erase it all.”
The sheer volume of information flooding the internet was enough to make even Drei momentarily dazed.
“Are you sure? People are joking about it now, but they’re getting closer to the truth.”
“And even if they do, what can they do about it? I’ve already summoned it.”
It had leaked.
My identity.
The moment others attacked my apartment, my information was inevitably spread across the internet.
America was desperately trying to contain and erase it.
Japan, China, and other nations were scrambling to dig deeper.
And Korea? Officially preventing leaks, yet subtly allowing gossip to spread on personal forums.
Even the fact that I was staying in a luxury hotel suite leased by the U.S. government had leaked.
Now, high-powered cameras were aimed at my location, leaving me unable to even open the curtains.
‘I didn’t expect it to go this far.’
I never intended to reveal my identity, but collective intelligence had started piecing things together.
People seeking to use my power and those seeking to eliminate me were now locked in a silent power struggle.
I had anticipated this.
I knew it would happen someday.
But I hadn’t expected it to happen this quickly.
Still, there was one fortunate thing—our side was moving faster.
“Drei. What about the server backup?”
“Here.”
Drei tapped the computers and equipment retrieved from the apartment.
“We need to route our internet through satellite signals. The local network here belongs to Korea Telecom.”
“So the moment we connect, they’ll start hacking?”
“Exactly. The hotel itself is provided by the U.S., but all the infrastructure inside was installed by Koreans. CCTV, wiring—everything.”
“Got it. Just lock down this floor for now. No need to control the lower levels.”
“Okay.”
I tossed the Cesium Tea Bag into the trash.
Even throwing away garbage had become complicated.
Every piece of trash was meticulously inspected, incinerated, or monitored by the U.S. officials stationed downstairs.
– We found out the brand of fried chicken that S-rank Master ate!
– Nope, that was eaten by U.S. soldiers~ Master had the hotel’s own fried chicken~
– How do you even know that? Are you in the US military?
At this very moment, even the hotel’s waste was becoming a trending topic online.
The level of scrutiny I was under was absurd.
It would be ideal if people worldwide simply ignored the situation like that Russian assassin did—choosing to feign disinterest and distance themselves.
But such people were one in ten… no, not even one in a hundred.
Most were watching.
Closely.
My name.
My background.
My past.
My abilities as a Hunter.
– An ability to summon S-rank Hunters? Isn’t that incredibly dangerous…?
Russia had already attempted an assassination, fearing this power.
And while the U.S. was celebrating, eager to claim it for their own, others were quietly growing more and more uneasy.
“Agh, Commander. If there’s a chicken delivery coming upstairs, tell them not to eat it with salt. It’s laced with drugs.”
“They’re really pulling out all the stops, huh? Did you warn the team?”
“Yeah. They think that if they eliminate everyone below, they can just waltz up to the top floor.”
Idiots.
“This won’t do. I need to make a call and secure a location.”
“A location?”
“The ocean.”
A proper battlefield was necessary.
“We’re going to clear the S-rank Tower in Jeju and summon the youngest one.”
“Master, if that’s the case…”
Elaine rose from her seat, resting her hand on the sword at her waist.
“Right now?”
“Yeah.”
Some might suggest postponing it.
‘Rest later.’
But what kind of rest was this supposed to be?
A hotel suite? A place where I couldn’t even eat a proper meal or drink a proper cup of tea?
“This place is hell. I can’t stay here any longer.”
I had planned to leave eventually.
But now, I was being forced to leave.
“Finally.”
I glanced at my smartphone.
A pop-up notification appeared.
[Construction Complete.]
