200 kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo, following the sea route.
A lone island. The home of birds.
An S-rank Tower had appeared there.
Dokdo.
– Ah, this is crazy. Of all places, why Dokdo?
When a Tower appeared on Dokdo, many lamented the location.
– The Japanese are definitely going to make a fuss, saying they’ll raid it themselves to claim Dokdo as theirs, huh?
There was no internationally established standard, but there was an unspoken global rule regarding Towers ranked A or higher.
If a country was unable to handle a particular Tower on its own, it had to seek help from another nation.
Since raiding a Tower was a life-threatening endeavor, the host country was obligated to provide clear compensation to the assisting country or Hunters.
Someone on the internet once explained it like this.
‘A Tower is like a snake that appears in your house.’
In Korea, if a snake appeared inside a house, one hundred out of one hundred people would call 119.
However, in places like the United States or Australia, if someone is unable to deal with a snake, they wouldn’t call the fire department but rather a professional snake handler.
The handler arrives with just a bag and a pair of tongs, and within five minutes, the snake is gone.
Some people might think.
How can they charge 150,000 to 300,000 won for a job that takes less than five minutes?
But things change depending on whether you’re the one entering the bathroom or leaving it.
The same applies to Towers.
While a Tower exists, everyone desperately wants a neighboring country’s Hunters to come and clear it. But once the Tower is gone and they hear they have to pay billions in taxes for it, their attitudes change.
– Hmm… is it really worth that much?
There are two reasons for this debate.
First. A Tower that disappears never reappears.
A snake handler could, in theory, release the snake back into the house and leave, but once a Tower is cleared, it never reappears in that location.
There was even an incident where a Hunter Guild cleared an A-rank Tower in Zhangjiajie but was backstabbed by that country, leaving without receiving a single penny.
Because incidents like these kept happening, Hunters eventually formed the International Hunter Association, a transnational organization to counter governments.
Meanwhile, governments leveraged the media and public opinion to enforce patriotism among their own Hunters.
Some people argue.
How can they refuse to pay the Hunters after all the suffering they went through inside the Tower?
Shouldn’t they at least reward them with a whole building in the capital?
– Is there any evidence that Hunters have worked so hard inside?
Second problem: No proof.
– We have no way of knowing what happens inside a Tower. How do we know if they had a hard time clearing it or if it was easy?
– They should’ve recorded it properly! Oh, the video memory got corrupted during the raid? Too bad! Maybe the so-called A-rank Tower was actually easy, and all they had to do was shoot the boss from a distance to clear it. What, just one shot and now they want full payment?
Inside a Tower, communication signals don’t work.
There’s no real-time way to check what happens inside, and Hunters must rely on black box cameras they bring with them.
Because of this, Hunters now try to secure a contract before entering a Tower—whether with a government, a local authority, or a corporation.
They livestream the contract signing process, or they meticulously document every day of their raid—from Day 1 to Day 30—to show the world the proof of their battles.
Going through such hardships just to secure proper compensation has become the standard in the Hunter industry.
And when such dealings happen between countries, Dokdo’s Tower becomes the most prominent example.
“Kiharu. What do you think about this issue?”
“As a Goddess, I don’t belong to any specific nation. But as a Summoner’s summon, this body will say this—”
“And what would that be?”
“Dokdo is Korean land?”
“Exactly.”
This wasn’t just because Kiharu came from a Korean game company.
Historically, it was already proven. But now, the fact that an S-rank Tower appeared there further cemented Dokdo as Korean territory.
“Kiharu, do you think Japan made a claim, saying that since Dokdo is their land, they should be the ones to clear the Tower?”
“Of course they did. Not just Japan—countries all over the world are using Towers as leverage in territorial disputes.”
Kiharu manipulated my smartphone, searching for information on the internet.
“Here it is—someone already wrote a thesis on territorial disputes caused by Towers.”
“Yeah. It’s turned into such a complicated issue. The country that clears the S-rank Tower on Dokdo will be seen as its rightful owner.”
A Tower that appears within a country must be handled by that country.
Even though Towers represent a shared crisis for all of humanity, nations have become more internally closed and externally expansionist in response.
“‘We’ll clear the Tower, now give us Dokdo’—what is this, some kind of nursery rhyme?”
“But Partner, Japan hasn’t officially dispatched any Hunters, have they?”
“Exactly. That’s why Dokdo is Korean land. It’s an S-rank Tower, and Japan has never once sent their Hunters there.”
“Ah-ha. If it had been an A-rank or lower Tower, it would’ve been trickier. They could have speedran it, claimed ‘We cleared it first, so it’s ours now,’ and caused a real headache.”
“That’s right.”
We live in an era of Hunter Capitalism.
The international community now views a country’s strength and military power through its Hunters and their ability to clear Towers.
But some countries are notorious for their terrible treatment of Hunters.
Forcing patriotism upon them.
Reminding them of their national duties.
Using their families, friends, and acquaintances to persuade them.
Calling on national unity in times of crisis.
Using state-controlled media to brand any Hunter who refuses to fight as a “traitor.”
Labeling those who complain as “selfish individuals who don’t care about public safety.”
And if a Hunter tries to defect to another country?
The press and cyber reporters swarm them.
The government spreads rumors of treason.
The foreign ministry brands them as “national traitors.”
What kind of country would do such things?
Not North Korea or some fictional dystopia—just a country where Towers and Hunters have become everyday realities.
…Maybe.
Anyway.
“Kiharu. The Korean government is planning to send three S-rank Hunters and thirteen A-rank Hunters to clear the Tower, leaving only one S-rank behind for capital defense, right?”
“Thirteen? The last time I checked the news, it was supposed to be thirty-one.”
“Yeah. Now it’s thirteen. Not much we can say about that—this is a life-or-death mission, after all.”
No one could blame the A-rank Hunters who refused to participate.
Rather, we should applaud the courage of the A-rank Hunters challenging an S-rank Tower and support their safe return.
“The community says they’re only going because the government forced them. Is that true, nyah?”
“Come on, do you really think fully grown adults would willingly walk into a battlefield just because the government told them to? Look, even the news has interviews saying it’s ‘a path they chose for themselves.'”
Well, that’s how it is.
Whether they went because they couldn’t withstand pressure from the government or higher-ranking Hunters, or because they were inspired by [Blue Lightning] and wanted to form a new raid party as off-tank supports—
“We just have to cheer them on while we clear Dokdo’s Tower. Anyway, it’s about time.”
It was late in the afternoon.
Right now, it was just Kiharu and me at home.
Elaine and Drei weren’t here.
They had already left separately for their own assignments.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
The doorbell rang three times.
The last chime came with a slight delay.
I turned off my computer and positioned my arm as if it were in a cast.
Rustle.
Kiharu climbed onto my arm.
Not in her SD character form, but as a cat, curling up in my embrace.
“Ready, nyah? From now on, I won’t be able to say much, nyah.”
“Of course.”
“And one more thing. If they succeed in clearing Jeju Island’s Tower…”
“Then right after we clear Dokdo, we’re heading straight to America.”
It actually made leaving feel easier.
“Let’s go, Kiharu.”
Creak.
I pushed open the door.
Outside stood a man who looked completely out of place in a studio apartment like this—
A blond-haired, blue-eyed man in a suit.
“It’s been a while, Mister.”
“Good to see you, Patrick. But… Korean?”
“I learned quickly. Very quickly. Please understand.”
Patrick, the secretary to the President and someone I was already acquainted with, greeted me in his formal attire.
“But… the cat?”
“Cat.”
Nyaa—ng.
Kiharu yawned widely, burying her head deeper into my arms.
She was ready to transform and protect me at a moment’s notice, or heal me if I got injured.
That’s why I was moving with Kiharu, rather than Elaine or Drei.
Those two had their own separate missions.
“Patrick. Any trouble on your end?”
“I made the move. The government here must have noticed.”
A secretary of the U.S. President personally visiting someone?
To outsiders, I probably looked like either a high-profile defector or a VIP.
“But don’t worry. The President has issued an order to ensure the Koreans don’t get suspicious.”
“An order?”
“Yes. An emergency summons order.”
Patrick scanned the surroundings before glancing at my black hair.
“All black-haired individuals, report in. The administration is simply doing what it’s good at.”
“Uh… Wait. Did you just say ‘report in’?”
“Yes. A summons.”
Patrick gave a thumbs-up.
“All U.S. national Awakened currently in Korea must report to the U.S. within three days to receive a new federal Hunter license and assist in Tower raids.”
“…The land of the free can do something like that?”
“It’s fine. The results will justify everything. And everyone’s learned by now. Bureaucratic issues? Sudden actions? Crazy something?”
Patrick gave me another thumbs-up.
“When President Luigi does something crazy, it’s always for the sake of [Master].”
“[Master], huh…”
I let out a short chuckle, glancing at my empty left hand.
Then I gestured forward to Patrick.
“Let’s go. Time to board the warship. Oh, but—when I said ‘warship’…”
“No problem. Japan might make some noise, but that’s fine.”
“Japan?”
“Yes.”
Patrick guided me underground, speaking nonchalantly.
“A warship stationed at the Okinawa U.S. base has set sail.”
“…Okinawa?”
“Yes. Ah, don’t worry about it.”
Patrick shrugged as if asking if there was an issue.
“It’s just a sudden training exercise, hahaha.”
“…”
“Since the Master wishes to travel by ship, it’s only right to provide the best support. This is American hospitality, Master.”
* * *
At that moment, Okinawa.
“…Nani?”
A military enthusiast filming the Okinawa U.S. base suddenly spotted something unusual.
“…Why is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier deployed for the S-rank Tower… suddenly moving?”
