The news that Yoo Chan-seok had successfully dealt with the Rank-2 Corruptor in Tsushima spread quickly to certain people.
There was no need to differentiate by country; the heads of the Hunter Association were all informed of Yoo Chan-seok's solo defeat of the Rank-2 Corruptor, and the partner hunters of the 15 top hunter companies worldwide were no exception.
"Get it straight. There's a huge difference between soloing a Rank-3 Corruptor and a Rank-2 Corruptor! Gather all the information you can—everything, verified or not!"
"What the hell is that guy doing?!"
There was an insurmountable wall between Rank-3 and Rank-2. And, of course, another wall existed between Rank-2 and Rank-1.
Normally, for a Rank-2 Corruptor, a company of a certain size would send at least two to three teams led by partner hunters.
The man who had rushed to gather information about Yoo Chan-seok, his eyebrows raised, handed a file to his company's partner hunter and spoke.
"The Tsushima Corruptor only recently got promoted to Rank-2."
"So what, you think you could go handle it alone? The Tsushima Corruptor is a solo-dominant type!"
There were no other Corruptors. The fact that a single Corruptor controlled all of Tsushima meant that even if it had just become Rank-2, its threat level was far from low.
While numerous companies and associations were bustling with news about Yoo Chan-seok, Lee Se-eun was stirring milk and sugar into a strong cup of black tea in the barracks in Cheorwon, talking on the phone.
"How'd I do?"
— Well done.
Lee Se-eun was speaking with Kang Hoon, a partner hunter from Jannabi Team 1.
"He was someone who clearly wasn't going to get anywhere anyway."
— Right. At this point, it was wise to just wipe off the debt and step back quietly.
Lee Se-eun took a sip of the almost syrup-like tea and stood up.
"Boss, how many people do you think are showing interest?"
— All the companies whose names you remember are interested. Among corporate clients, Embargo Tower and Sandra & Gupta are moving the fastest.
Lee Se-eun made a sound of mild surprise.
"Wait, Embargo Tower? Wow, that's something. Those guys barely show their faces anywhere."
Though an American company, its headquarters was in Dalseong County, Daegu. They specialize in ICT fields like data security, encryption, big data analytics, and vaccine development.
They aren't widely known to the general public, but their skills are highly sought after by many companies, making them very famous among influential people.
— Those two companies seem to be planning to hire him for a commission, while the other companies are evaluating his marketability.
In other words, they want to see if they can use him like a celebrity model.
"Then the media is going to go crazy."
— The trip back from Tsushima will be rough.
Lee Se-eun clicked her tongue.
"Yoon Sung-hyun's position must be really awkward."
— Exactly.
He had intended to recruit him as a junior under his team, but apparently, the guy went south for a bit and ended up defeating a Rank-2 Corruptor solo.
"Yoo Chan-seok is now a talent that even a partner hunter can't handle unless he's promoted."
That had just been proven. Otherwise, it would be like a local soccer club president putting Son Heung-min on the bench—completely absurd. Yoon Sung-hyun didn't even come close.
— Se-eun, tell me honestly. What would you have done?
"Me? What? Ah, got it."
The question was whether Lee Se-eun could have handled a Rank-2 Corruptor alone. Narrowing her eyes at her teacup, she replied:
"Listen, boss. I've been ranked 10th on that prestigious list. For two years running."
For a hunter of Lee Se-eun's caliber, solo elimination of a Rank-2 Corruptor was a piece of cake.
"Surely the boss could do it, right? His rank is just slightly higher than mine."
— It's heartbreaking, isn't it? Being compared to a guy who's barely been a hunter.
Yoo Chan-seok was simply off the charts.
— Anyway, try contacting him soon. I'll reach out to Embargo Tower to confirm the commission details and sort out terms and payment first.
"So… you're thinking of working together?"
Kang Hoon replied over the line.
— If circumstances allow. We plan to finish negotiations with Embargo Tower first, then make a collaboration proposal.
"Wow… he's really become a big deal."
For Jannabi, a freelance hunter to receive a collaboration proposal—not just from any company but from them—is unprecedented. Extraordinary, exceptional… all the words still wouldn't be enough to describe it.
"If it's Embargo Tower's CEO, it's Melvin Vega. Negotiating with him won't be easy; our boss will really have a hard time."
— Yeah, hopefully it'll be worth facing that sly guy directly.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the night sky. My head felt fuzzy.
"Looks like you've come to your senses."
It was Han Sang-ah's voice. I could see the night sky in my vision. My broken shoulder was fixed with a triangular sling and splint, and the wounds were dressed with bandages and tourniquets.
"Tourniquets… they hurt like hell."
This was not a pain that could be called mild. My vision spun with the intensity of it.
"Not using them properly won't work."
"I know that too."
Looking at the tourniquets, I saw the time they had been applied. It seemed like they had done everything they could in this situation.
"I contacted the Association to request medical support. A helicopter is on its way."
I nodded.
"Oh, right. I found a sword. Here, it's yours."
The five minutes Han Sang-ah had bought me with that Taekwondo piercing were incredibly precious. On top of that, I'd just blown through drugs worth the price of an entire building, so a single sword was nothing in comparison.
Han Sang-ah looked at the sword I'd placed beside me and responded.
"It's a fine blade. Thanks. The one I was using had just broken."
After expressing her thanks, Han Sang-ah poured water from the burner into a cup and made some tea.
"Peaceful, huh."
"I've done everything I can do for now. No need for me to rush anything."
Well, being restless wouldn't make my wounds heal any faster. My phone rang.
"Give it here."
Han Sang-ah handed me the phone.
— Hunter Yoo Chan-seok?
Judging by the voice, it was the head of the Japanese Hunter Association.
"I've taken care of it. I kept my promise."
The Japanese association head sounded ecstatic, like a beagle on a sugar rush. Probably extremely thrilled. Well, that makes sense—thousands of monsters had been wiped out in a single strike.
— The damage in Fukuoka is much less than we anticipated. I never imagined you'd actually handle a Rank-2 Corruptor.
Corruptors are especially vulnerable to paradoxical combustion. There's no need to control firepower, so it's incomparable to the maximum output one can produce on Earth.
"That's a relief. I trust the payment will be made."
— Of course. We'll transfer it as quickly as possible. We'll never forget the help you provided this time.
People always say things like that, but I don't really expect anyone to help when I'm struggling. However, when I'm doing well, plenty of help comes my way.
It's like banks, right? When you're struggling, they tell you to pay back. When you're doing well, they ask if you want to borrow more.
"Oh, the helicopter's here."
With a thudding sound, something appeared blinking in the sky and approached.
"No need to rush like that."
"Agreed."
The helicopter landed, and people jumped out quickly.
Their attitude was ridiculously polite, as if they were attending to a president. I was certain they had achieved whatever mission brought them to Tsushima.
No one would touch me easily. And if I play it just a little cautiously from here, even if the transfer market opens, Yoon Seong-hyeon won't be able to do anything to me.
"Ow, my body…"
Thanks to my shoulder, completely shattered from the old man's monstrous sword strikes, I had to undergo surgery.
Normally, they'd have to realign the broken bones, insert screws, and wait for them to heal. But with a restorative agent, the recovery period is nearly nonexistent, so I could move immediately after surgery.
"What the hell is with the room size?"
Is this a hospital room or a hotel? My body was fully healed, but for precaution, I had to stay in the room for about two days.
And the place they provided was a private room in the hospital's VIP ward. Just by looking, the space seemed around 1,500 square feet.
"I'm Bradley Piazza from Embargo Tower."
On top of that, I was speaking in this huge, luxurious room with someone I'd never met before. He even seemed like a foreigner.
"Are you Italian?"
He shook his head at my question.
"An Italian-American."
I see. After greeting me, he smiled.
"All room charges, treatment costs, and other expenses have been covered by Embargo Tower. If you have any discomfort, please don't hesitate to tell us."
"I've never heard of your company."
Bradley nodded.
"Our company isn't particularly famous publicly. Probably because of the field we specialize in."
After speaking, he stood up and continued.
"The treatment and room costs aren't cheap, so I assume you might have certain requests."
Bradley nodded again.
"Since this isn't something I asked for, you should keep in mind that you can refuse."
"Ah, that's a shame. We'd really like to work with Hunter Yoo Chan-seok if possible."
The guy was annoyingly cheeky. He picked an apple from a fruit basket on the table beside me and began peeling it with a knife.
"Of course, it's quite a large-scale commission. We're also checking the willingness of other hunters to cooperate. Shall I peel the apple like a little bunny?"
"No need. As for other hunters…"
Bradley cut a piece of the apple into his mouth and answered.
"Team Jannabi has agreed to handle this task."
I brightened at that.
"Jannabi? Really?"
Seeing my reaction, Bradley looked momentarily surprised, then quickly recovered and nodded.
"Then… what about Hunter Lee Se-eun?"
Bradley narrowed his eyes at my question. This guy is probably thinking, What's she trying to do?
Watching his expression, I laughed and scratched the back of my head.
"Actually… well, I fell for her at first sight."
A lie. But I had no idea who this guy really was, nor did I know what Embargo Tower actually did, or its scale and standing.
And he hadn't given me any explanation about the company. If someone is hiding something, there's no reason for me to show my cards.
"Hunter Lee Se-eun… I understand she's very busy due to missions with Jannabi's Team 3 in Cheorwon."
"Ah…"
I made an obviously disappointed expression. Meanwhile, it felt like I could hear the gears in his head turning, trying to judge me.
"Well, then… I'd like to think it over a bit more."
My ability had already been verified by the fact that I had soloed a Rank-2 Corruptor. If someone is skilled, the next question is whether they can be managed. No matter how good they are, if they resist the reins, they're just a wild horse.
In this situation, I had openly shown him a way to put the reins on. What this guy does next…
"Alright, we'll give it a try. You must be tired, so please rest comfortably."
He finished speaking, got up, greeted me, and left. I quietly watched the back of his head as he walked to the door. The moment the door closed, I leaned back on the bed.
The next person to visit wouldn't be this Bradley guy.
"Did he really fall for Lee Se-eun… or is he just a fool who loses his mind at any pretty woman?"
I'd find that out soon. If he really liked Lee Se-eun, Embargo Tower wouldn't be able to control him—but if not, then he'd probably judge that handling me wouldn't be too difficult.
"Let him do as he pleases."